The Diary of Evelyn Forrest’s Trip to Palestine
Friday, March 21, 1930
Baruako, French Sudan
The net on our bed was not large enough so we did not rest very well, up at 7:30 a.m.
8:30 Mr. Luce came and took us for a drive in the station wagon to see the sights of the capitol of Sudan. We visited the hospital, Gov. mansion, zoo and large public market. 1000 white population. It is a great city.
Had lunch and rested then Mr. Luce came again at 2:00 p.m. and helped us pay the hotel bill and secure our section in [a] sleeper on [the] train. He took us over to the Mission again to say goodbye to Mr. Reed and Mr. McCioste and Mr. Dahlquist. Mr. and Mrs. Luce and the children came to the train and visited with us until the train pulled out.
Our section was on the “couchette†the regular Voiture Lits being full. We are in our open sections without curtains, mattress, or sheets. I slept in the lower [berth which had a] leather covered cushion and headrest. Richard’s upper a canvas board.
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Saturday, March 22, 1930
On the train
6:30 a.m. Up and ready for coffee and bread, the regular French breakfast. Both of us slept in spite of the uncomfortable quarters. Crossed the Senegal River. Great rocky bluffs on both sides of the train, at one time back in the . . . past, this whole valley must have been covered with water. We are skirting the edge of the Great Sahara desert on the right.
10:30 a.m. [We] reached Kayes. It is very hot [and] we are thankful for the electric fan in our section. Great fields of hemp for miles on both sides of the R. R. The cotton fields, I am surprised to see and large plantations so near the desert. After leaving Kayes, we moved back into a better Lits. But found to our dismay that two other men were in the same compartment.