.JPG)
Sun 17th Jan 1954
Mater Hospital
Afikpo
Nigeria
B.W.A.
Dearest Áine,
I got your letter this morning & I was delighted to hear you had a nice Christmas. I forget where I wrote to you, from last so I'll just have to pick up a thread anywhere. Briefly we called into Freetown, Sierra Leone & had an enjoyable day there then came on to Lagos where we spent a whole 2 wks but I imagine I got that far in my last letter?
.JPG)
When we arrived at Port Harcourt Godfrey was there to meet me & a few of the Sisters from Anua came too. We went as far as Anua that night (Thurs 17th Dec '3) about 90 miles, I think, & I saw Jerry Twomey there, He seems to be getting on O.K.
Photograph: Dr. Jerry Twomey on right at Anua. Sr. Ruth ? holding baby.
The next day we set out for Afikpo – about 150 miles or so, I think. The roads are frightfully dusty. I wore my blue & white nylon & although it was filthy by the time we arrived it did not seem to show up much & they all marvelled at “how fresh I looked after the trip! I can tell you I didn't feel it. That dress is a terrific standby – I wear it for all state occasions – invitations to tea etc. - so now aren't you glad you made such a job of it! Thank you. We're all invited out to tea at a teacher's (European man & his wife – government teachers) house next week so I expect it will do the needful again.
Afikpo is a very nice spot. There are a few little hills & picturesque spots that one does not often see in this country. I wrote a long letter to Mammy describing things & asked her to send it over to you so you can remind her. There are 4 sisters here (MMS) & I am living with them. We live in a mud block house which is quite nice. There is a nice sitting-room (cement floor with a native mat in the centre) nice armchairs made out here & a gramophone. There are 3 bedrooms one of which is done up very nicely for me, a dining room & the kitchen. Kitchens out here are built a bit away from the house for “coolth”. The bathroom is outside – a few cement cubicles with tin baths in which its amazing how one can enjoy a wonderful splash in 2” of water after a good soap down on coming in from a day in Bush especially! If you don't see that other letter I will give you the layout of the place again sometime. I sent some snaps home also.
Of the 4 sisters here one is the administrator & in charge as it were, one is the housekeeper & the other 2 train the nurses. There are male & female African nurses. We have 3 wards here 28 beds in each, with a new maternity block of about 50 beds which is not open yet. We go out to Bush usually on Tues & Thurs which means starting off early in the morning, with lunches, medicines etc. for some Bush station about 30 to 50 miles away. At these places we take up our positions at the school & see about 100 patients who trek in from the country round about for “injection” as they say. Some come with big ulcers & a green leaf stuck unto them for a dressing. Others have scars all over the place where their pain is which is part of the treatment of the bush doctors (witch drs).
.JPG)
The little children are very sweet. The men rule the roost & come along with the women when they're telling their story & the women look over to the men for permission to be examined. On the charts in hospital the commonest religion is “Pagan”. There are also some Protestant Sects the “C.S.M.” (Church of Scotland Missions) is quite a common one out here. After the Clinic we visit the “Mission” (at that Bush place) – which is what the Father's house is called out here. The Fathers out here are really wonderful. There is usually one or two of them living out in these places miles from anywhere in a tiny mud house & in most of them there is a tinier room built on at the side of the house or just beside it (smaller than a garage) with a mat roof, an altar, a box up on 4 tins (to keep the ants out) containing the vestments beside the altar and 2 kneelers & chairs. This is the chapel. In some cases it is the sacristy for the future chapel there or in others there is building going on near the new chapel & perhaps the new mission house. The chapel proper normally starts off with a mat roof & then when they get more money – a tin roof. The chapels here are just long low mud buildings usually with small plain wooden altars & low narrow benches with or without rickety kneelers.
- I had to go off for lunch here & then siesta. We had benediction at 5.30 & there is something touching about the hoarse voices singing benediction & saying the rosary. An African boy serves. Their voices always seem to be hoarse probably because they shout a lot normally. Each evening about 9.0 the nurses go to the chapel & say the rosary aloud. One of them gives it out & the others answer – in broken English “Our fadder....”. They all call the babies “picins” & in the Catechisms (they're in pigin english) it says “thy picin Jesus”. I must try & get you one of those Catechisms, they're very funny.
One of the Sisters in the Leper colony at Abakaliki was telling us to-day about a patient who died & the relations were moaning & crying and one of them was very depressed. Sister said to him “Do not worry he is gone (for?)to Heaven” - The man looked up amazed & got very excited & pleased “Ah! He done reach?” he asked. Just as if she had heard from Heaven – a wire to say he had arrived! We have to speak Bush English or they do not “hear” us as they say.
One of the Sisters in the Leper colony at Abakaliki was telling us to-day about a patient who died & the relations were moaning & crying and one of them was very depressed. Sister said to him “Do not worry he is gone (for?)to Heaven” - The man looked up amazed & got very excited & pleased “Ah! He done reach?” he asked. Just as if she had heard from Heaven – a wire to say he had arrived! We have to speak Bush English or they do not “hear” us as they say.
I will be staying here in Afikpo until end of Feb or March when Obudu hospital will be finished & I take over there D.V. Then you will really have to get down to praying for me as there will be no other doctor within miles of me. It's about, or over, 200 miles from here & it's our farthest north Station so it's 'very bush' as we say. There are 2 sisters up there now looking after the lepers. I think they have about 200 lepers there so they'll be part of my charge also.
There are terrific moons these nights & they light up the place almost as well as daylight. Once night falls here we carry torches always but they're not so necessary during the moonlight nights. I have only seen one snake so far T.W.(touch wood!) but the variety of insects – flying, crawling & hopping is endless, there must be millions literally & lizards are about the commonest larger species – always dashing across your path & they are delightfully coloured, beautiful oranges, blues, yellows, greens etc.
There are terrific moons these nights & they light up the place almost as well as daylight. Once night falls here we carry torches always but they're not so necessary during the moonlight nights. I have only seen one snake so far T.W.(touch wood!) but the variety of insects – flying, crawling & hopping is endless, there must be millions literally & lizards are about the commonest larger species – always dashing across your path & they are delightfully coloured, beautiful oranges, blues, yellows, greens etc.
.JPG)
There is no glass in windows here at all. All the windows have little wooden doors that bolt but they are open all the time except during Siesta when we close them to keep out the heat. The mosquito net on the bed is a great comfort. One feels very safe inside while all “the things” fly madly about humming & buzzing. Hornets make a terrific buzzing racket & fly backwards & forwards especially during siesta. Excuse all the scraps I'm just writing at random.
I get up at about 6.0am, mass is at 6.30 – Breakfast (coffee & scrambled egg or sausages (tinned) & toast) & of course fruit. [By the way I have an orange tree, a lime & a banana tree right ouside my back window!] Then up to the hospital about 7.30, to the theatre for 2 or 3 operations which bring us to about 10.15 (and very warm), then morning tea, then dispensary until about 3.15pm (hottest part of day) – 3.40, then Siesta until about 5.15pm. Then ward rounds, then a swim in the pool or walk or records. Dinner about 8 or 8.30pm, then rosary, then night rounds, a walk round & bed about 11pm. We never seem to have time to do a thing outside the routine & often cases come in at odd times. Meals are always called 'chop' out here no matter what they are. We say to the girls “pass chop please” which means to serve the meal. Beatrice is my personal attendant & she is getting quite good now at washing & ironing. If I gave my things to Washman, he would wash them with stones. There's Woodman, Waterman, Washman, Gardener, Tailor John, Carpenter, Driver Peter, & a score of others.
I must close now as its Monday night now & we go to bush tomorrow so I must go to bed. I hope this isn't too ? detailed. I believe I met Fr. Kinnane in Abakaliki but I didn't catch his name & only heard who he was after I left but I'll see him again – It's about 40 miles away.
Lots of love
Emily.
pp.m
.JPG)
.JPG)