Two Nights of Horrors.

It was my first year in the Congo, 1967. The dry season had just begun and as a young single I was asked to accompany an older Missionary the 457kms to the next mission. It was planned that they do repairs on this ageing Land Rover. The tyres and inner tubes were perishing and the isolated mission needed a fit and serviceable vehicle.

We left Kipushya Mission in the early morning before crossing the large Lomami River on the pontoon ferry made from four dugout canoes. We were making good progress for the first one hundred Kilometres. Then the woes began.

 We had eleven punctures in the next fifty Kilometres. Trying to take off Land Rover tyres of the  rims with only a sledge-hammer and tyre - levers takes quite some effort for anyone who has tried it. Finally at mid-night this fit young Aussie was cactus. I said to my senior missionary, I’m going to take rest in the back of the LR. I was soon sound asleep. Then I suddenly woke at 4am to hear this 60+year old missionary still belting tyres and thought that I must be a weakling or something. There was no way that I was going out there in the moonlight to try to repair these dud tyres.  They could wait until after daylight. I was still recovering from the previous day.

 Luckily, Eddie Rowland was bringing another vehicle the next day which was newer and in better condition. They were following to make sure that we got through.

Crossing the Lomami River on the 4 dugout canoes

They caught up with us still belting and pumping up tyres with a hand pump at about 10 am. We had cover about 150 kms but had not yet reached the Railway line at Kitengie.

So after getting at least four tyres road worthy we decided to try to get the ‘limping wonder’ to the Railway at Kitengie then to go on in the other Forward Control. The tyres held up in the cool morning and we left the vehicle in the hands of a Christian Commercant [Trader].

The second day we travel through to Kamina. It was still another three hundred Kilometres to go. I remember as if it was a blurr sitting on the corrugated floor of the Land rover ,no seat, bouncing along rather glad we were moving and not just sitting there trying to repair punctures.

We finally reached Kamina Ville at 8pm. They had been waiting for us. We were filthy and covered with dust; tired after two days on the road. What a beautiful meal was prepared by Mrs Womersley Snr. We even had serviettes and place mats. What a contrast to two days with our sandwiches on the road. We still hadn’t had a bath so we ate as we were.

AS we sat at this beautifully arranged meal table, suddenly the elder missionary who had worked all night the night before, went straight back over the back of his chair with a seizure. Joan, the mission nurse, yelled for someone to run quickly and get the local Belgian Doctor. He arrived post-haste and gave him an injection. Eddie returned all the way to Kipushya the next day and then returned again to Kamina with his wife. They went to Harare Zimbabwe to have medical checks where it was found that He had very high blood pressure which had caused the seizure.

Lessons from the road Kipushya Mission to Kamina Ville 457kms.

1.    When you are tired it means you should, ‘take a break’, especially after 60 years of age.

2.    Don’t let the vehicle you are responsible for, deteriorate mechanically even with the tyres or something could happen really fast.

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