MEMBERS OF HASTINGS WOMEN'S CLUB ENJOY TALK ON KENYA COLONY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 93, 6 May 1937, Page 8

MEMBERS OF HASTINGS WOMEN'S CLUB ENJOY TALK ON KENYA COLONY

Members of the Hastings Women' s Community Club spent a most 'interesting afternoon yesterday when Miss Violet Russell spoke about her recent holiday in Kenya - Colony. The speaker was introduced by Mrs T. H. Lowry, the club president, who said how very much the members appreciated the time which the speakers at the club gave up so that they could pass on the news of,their travels to those who are less fortunate- She added that the memhers had been looking forward to thjs afternoon particularly, as Miss Violet Russell was an old Hawke'g Bay girl. Miss Russell told her listeners that her trip to Kenya was a holiday for her, and she went only to see relatives and friends and not in connection with her work. "After landing at MombaBsa we spent 18 hours in the train to Nairobi," said the speaker, "and unfortunately the prettiest part of the journey was passed in darkness. We had onr dinner on the train, and as none of the waiters could speak any English we just pointed on the menu to what \ve wanted. When daylight came we saw a great bumber of zebra, ostriches, all kinds of deer and some girafEes, and finally arrived at fifairobi at mid-day. While in Nairobi I enjoyed many beautiful drives and marvelled at the wonderful flowers, delphiniums, carnations, roses, violets, lilies and freesias, all seeming to hloom at the same time. We also drove through tea and coffee plautations. Yisit to NairobL "Nairobi is a large town and has very comfortable houses with electricity and indoor sanitation, and after spending a littie tune here 1 went °n to visit my nephew, whose home was about 200 miles away. We motored to hi#home through scenery not unlike New Zealand and the journey took us almost the whole day. We passed a huge lake, the edges of which were all quite pink and when we arrived closer I found that it was thousands of fiamingo all round the edge that had given this effect of pinkness." s Miss Russell went on to 6ay that they passed through coffee, banana and sisal plantations, the latter being very much used for ropesi in the navy. The house at which she stayed was a large and* comfortable wooden home though most of the native huts were made of mud with thatched roofs. "In this part of the country one never gpes outside the door without a hat," continued the speaker, "because it is so near the equator that the sun's rays are directly overhead. The days are very hot, but in the winter it is cool enough to have fires in the evening- There are no telephones and no electric light, but one does have plenty of servants. Native boys can be got for about six shiHings a montb, and the cost of their long white robe. Most of the servants are very big men, but they are very quiet, and it is inarvellous how they have the meal ready whenever it is wanted. Plenty .of vegetables may be obtained except in the very hottest weather, and a good deal of poultry and eggs are eaten there." * The speaker' told about a natrv'e school which she visited. The headmaster, who had a degree in agriculture, taught about 50 boys very elementary reading, writing and arithmetic, and then they were taught how to grow their food- They had wonderful gardens with asparagus peas. beans, turnips, tomatoes and celery, and ffiey were taught on the Government garden and then experiniented on their own and were allowed to take home what they grew. Women do the Work Miss Russell said that the natives always interested her and she noticed particularly how the husbands walked along swingihg a cane while the wives followed carrying huge logs on their backs as well as a baby and a heavy weight on their heads. They all loved jewellery, and had huge holcs in their ears for ear-rings as well as weanng many necklaces and 20 or 30 bracelels. Though the women worked for their husbands they never .worked for the white people. "We used to go into town abnut once a week for our stores." continued the speaker, "and fortunately had a paraffin ice-chest to keep the food. Ma.jl could only be collected at the same time and any messages through the week had to be delivered on foot. Quite a variety of flowers, especiallv zinnias, grew in the garden, and also plenty of fruit, mulberries, loquats and pineapples. "After spending a fortnight here T joumeyed another 200 miles to a place near Mt. Kenya, the journey over very rough roads taking another whole day. The last 40 miles where they had had heavy rain took 2£ hours. We passed through thousands of zebra and saw many ostriches. I stayed on a sneep and cattle farm and was interested to find that every night the 8000 sheep had to be put into the fold and guarded against the wild animals. Lions and leopards are found in .this district and no one ever goes out without a xifle. "Another 10 hours' train journey took rae back to my boat and again we passed through sisal and coffee plantations. At one station I bought some bananas and was given 16 for a penny. "We visited Zanzibar. where there is a Sultan and a British resident, and we were entertained to dinner by the British resident. We had dinner on a, baleony overlooking the sea on a beautiful moonlight night, and the5 fresh scont of the cloves came drifting over tlie water. "We called at Boira, t"hj port for Rhodesia, and hero spent two days and a night loading copper and wool.

Lourenco Marques was another port of call and after that Durban. After five, days spent" in driving round Cape Town seeing the beautiful mountains and beacfiss and enjoying the great kindness of the people there, I set sail for home " Mrs T. H. Lowry thanked Miss Russell for her delightful talk about her travels, which the members had enjoyed listening to. She also extended to all the members and any of their friends an invitation to be present at the Historical Pageant which the membera of the Hastings Townswomen 's Guild have organised for Coronation week and which will be held on Thursday, May 13. A delicious afternoon tea was then enjoyed in the adjoinlng room. Among those present weTe: Mts T. H. Lowry, Mrs W. J. White, Miss Helen Ford, Mrs R. Puflett, Mrs J. Harris, Mrs H. L Simson, Miss Fitzroy, Mrs George Davies, Mrs J. Miller, Mrs L. J. Harvey, Mra E. V. Simpson, Mrs Hedley Harvey, Mrs F. S. Budd, Mrs K. Crompton, Mrs M. Brodie, Mrs D. W. Hursthouse, Miss Seal, Mrs N. Beamish, Mrs H. Gilbertsoft, Mrs J. Craig, Mrs B« Shadbolt, Mrs R* Nairn, Mr D. J. Holden, Miss Lewis, Mrs D. Scannell, Mr D. M. Hooker, Miss Commin, Mrs A. F. Glenny, Miss K. F. Rixon, Mrs Guthrie, Mrs G. Rochfort, Mrs A. Lockie, Mrs J. W. Bates, Mrs E. Y. Comrie, Mrs E. Curlett, Mrs O. C. Moller, Mrs J. Simson, Mrs J. Wright, Mrs Prebblo. \