Missions -- Uganda; Negrillos; Uganda -- Description and travel
The Industrial Department of the Mission is certainly one of the most
necessary and practical methods of helping these people who possess
no trades or crafts of their own. On passing along the road toward
the Industrial quarters, one sees a crowd of men hard at work in the
brick-fields, and others employed at rope-making. Entering the actual
work-shop compound a buzz and whirr of machinery meet the ear. The first
building is the carpenter’s sheds; here were men turning out book-cases,
chairs, tables, and really a first-class sideboard. Across the courtyard
the printers and stitchers were hard at work producing Lunyoro hymn
sheets, Luganda hymns, Luganda commentary on St. Mark, and a book of
Uganda fables by Ham Mukasa. Until within six months of our visit all
this work, including the building of the Cathedral, had been started and
supervised by one man. Uganda owes a great debt to Mr. Borup for the
invaluable help thus rendered to the country.
The hospital, which was nearing its opening day when I had first seen
it, was now in good working order and quite full up with patients; some,
alas, suffering from the dread sleeping sickness.
No one then dreamed that the fine building was on the eve of being
completely destroyed by fire. But such was the case. Within a very few
months the scene of pain, yet of peace and comfort, had given place to
one of noisy activity, for on the old spot there was immediately put in
hand the erection of the present solid brick building with an iron roof
to resist the lightning which destroyed its predecessor, and a concrete
floor that can withstand the constant traffic up and down the wards.
After a few days we again set off on the march, making for Bunyoro, in a
northerly direction. A good road had been cut for a distance of a hundred
miles by order of the Government for transport purposes toward the Nile.
On the second day we overtook an oxen wagon caravan, which was being
conducted by a young Englishman, who we found was down with bad fever and
cough. We sent him milk and meat juice, but could not dissuade him from
pushing on in the evening. The scarcity of food for porters on the road
makes delays very difficult, and in his case, travelling by night was
essential as the oxen cannot bear the heat of the day. But being jostled
along on springless carts in the damp and cold African nights did not
suggest much comfort for a patient suffering from malaria!
Next day on arriving in camp we found no less than three other European
caravans settling in. A military captain and a ship captain were coming
down from Bunyoro, and a trader was making for that direction.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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