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8/3/1953 - First Impressions by David E. Reed

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT XZORLD AFFAIRS DR Barclay Bank First Impressions Queenswax Nairobl Kenya August Walter S Rogers Institute Current World Affairs Fifth Avenue New York New York Dear Lr Roers The BOAC Hermes Cairo International Airport midnight bound Khartoum It humid Cairo Once aloft quickly cooled I Africa nearly three weeks I eather The plane almost filled capacity Many passengers Britons returning business Sovrnment posts after leave EnEland Some their wives children these people Africa would never Then there another white aboard One thes9 young farmer England after settle Southern hodesia He returnin short visit England I asked nationality replied Rhodesian And aboard three young Africans taken West eaEer their knowledge Two Uganda studied England third TanEanyikan studied United States Many Europeans Africa would resard trouble makers Their fellow Africans might salvation laned Khartoum darkness brehkfast frame cottage field while planewas serviced fueled After breakfast arose I watched three Sudanese oushin handtruck across field I asked Briton returning postal service Job Uganda thought would cheaper employ three Job could handled muchbetterby onemanusinamotor drivenbaggage truck U S airports It might cheaper motor vehicle I thing those natives first thin6 plane cause damage I feelin sorry these Africans determined I could But three years convinced native Just stupid He learn anything You watch Job wrong The Nile visible daylight smaller south Entebbe Uanda Protectorate For hundreds miles there nothin occasional native expanses Sudanese cotton fields twisting river At Entebbe African askaris wearin khaki tunics shorts fezzes length stockings lined field awaiting arrival Queen Mother Entebbe Rhodesia An African police conducted European tuning Crowds black Africans pressed against airport fence waitin impassively glimpse white mother Europeans terminal buildir chatted excitedly about approaching event The Tananyikan African served lunch airport dining separate table European passengers toether large tables The Rhodesian No color They color Rhodesia There color United States there Before I could answer No doubt about there United States I Entebe altitude Just plasantly It miles north equator We across Lake Victoria climbed above heavy clouds which blotted Kenya In hours dipped clouds sunless chilly Nairobi miles Cicago The airport usothrouh Karikor Afri outsirts Conditions there quite More obout slums about later newsletter Downtown Nairobi looks somethin north Florida Stores generally pastel color arcades sidewalk Kenya agricultural economy reflected large number implement concerns One struck immediately numerical inferiority Europeans Walkin Delamere avenue Europeans scores Africans Asians The population rapidly rowing estimated Europeans Asians Africans The tension continues although rearded havin8 lessened somewhat recent months The Europeans relaxin8 their Police sttions rined barbed sandbags little arsenal British troops African police soldiers Europeans Keny Regiment Kenya Bolice Kenya Police Reserve everywhere The Afric armed rifles shotguns The Europeans pistols revolvers Sten Many Africans Nandis tough warrior tribe There other tribes including Mau ridden Kikuyu Kikuyus enerally distrusted Europeans though The African forces range sergeant major always commanded European officers There Asian police The I charge Africans country roadblocks Many European civilians carry women small callbre veapons their purses Hotel 8uests leave their weapons office Weapons never rooms African hotel steal The government determined Mau Mau European fined heavily orsent Jail losin The stiffness enalty depends degree negligence A Kikuyu Just seutenced death Nyerl possessin calibre Webley revolve Tt first death penalty imposed Under Emergency Regulations firearms ammunition It Nyeri where latest Mu Mau murder European occurred A entered James MacDolass arthritic cripple hacked death Because condition could eapon MacDouglass Nyeri oldest settler havin8 arrived Kenya after Boer Wr It walked miles Nairobi Nyeri there Dragnet round screenings Africans Nairobi locations turned weapons ammunition wanted Mu activity other crimes Ballistics tests showed weaoons several Mau Mau attacks One weapon traced attacks On advice practically everyone I I purchased pistol The Mau Mau wouldn U S passport first cquaint A rather bloodthirsty otherwise charmin European woman elerk I commented Beretta equivalent rather small If quick brain heart riEht She small revolver It because money store Like Europeans Kenya separated husband He lives their country threatened death Mau Mau several times Mr H S Potter Chief Secretary Colony reported Legislative Council other The position still danger improving The settlers critical colonial government demanding drastic action aEainst Mau Mau including death penalty administrators African labor cheap generally inefficient When I drove rented station Africans swarmed around service Others stood watching Two Africans nothin windshield dirty Frowning seriousness bending microscope Ereat discovery stroked windshield liEhtly several minutes When flnished spots still there A young Indian collected money brought change A European station office He Africans taught tires ability become skilled mechnics Hotels abound African waiters bellhops cleanin called collectively Because there Europeans charge Swahili speakin uests pretty language their devices The shillings month depend their existence Most Europeans inclined Most grandfathers around marble fIoors An African would shoes cannot afford They never shoes their lives their tou6hened point where flors bother But shoes EuropeanS This winter Nairobi July coldest month February March hottest Night temperatures June through August usually February March During temperatures February March June July August Woolen clothing necessity above level miles south equator Britishers complain African The Indians complaint about British An Indian merchant I every morning I leave I The Englishman store At lunch Whether keeper hours riEht there little American efficiency And stores offices locked while employes lunch The British complain bitterly Indians Nairobi stranglehold econgmy They smell savin every penny while incomes I heard words several Enlishmen Then usually And breed flies Indian under sellin given reason failure British business firms The British sourly predict Indians coolie labor Uganda railway project Kenya someday The three major communities European African Asian separate worlds As I European dealings Africans master servant employeremploye Asian those business A wealthy Young Indian Kenya educated Cambridge complained dirty looks dining European hotels An African leader remsrked African curiosity Europeans offering himself European house staff Some efforts break color barriers thou6h inter racial school start Nairobi September Some Europeans display enuine desire African progress wries intensity individual Others seems thorough When mention education these peoole Then hundreds Jomo Kenvattas One European former district commissioner These people should realize utterly dependent African business agriculture All costs manufacturin little The Africans tremendous amount You forever rifles grenades Some displayed Europesns toard Africans traceable exasperation articularly second raters wisdom patience One difficulty stems language barrier Few Europeans dealln6 Kikuyu employes speak Kikuyu language resort Swahili But Swahili native lanaae Kikuyus either L S B Leakey Mau Msu The Kikuyu blames present difficulties between Europeans Kikuyu compares situation would result Get tried convey ideas Enlsmnan usin8 French medium Another difficulty inorance habits African himself srage keeper I dealt teach African helper enter throuzh through window When garage keeper tation wagon African piled irthhrough window Use keeper rowled north country accent Africans I contact displayed almost pathetic erness understand Last I visit Africa first explorers missionaries It miles traffic Jams Delamere avenue ma3nificent Royal Nairobi National Park Its square miles borrow phrase beautiful beyond tellin There forests sweeping burnt plains distance purple hills It afternoon I arrived emerge cover clouds splashed incredible shades brown yellow purple Giraffe nibbled branches along winding roads moved cautiously whenever I stopped photos Herds zebra wildebeeste hartebeeste Grant gazelle Thompson gazelle ostrich eland impala razed savannah Baboon under trees stared challengly Hyenas Ja foxes darted across Guinea fluttered Deewer forest rhino buffalo lakes crocodile hippo I lookin The population variously estimated ran6ers officials between They spending adJoinin Masai plains Some death there spears hands Masai moraui youn8 warriors Mervyn H Cowie director Kenya National Parks struck killed train recently another wanderer killed farmer ventured chicken When ventures settled rangers drive throwing firecrackers pepperin backsides BB If simba turns annoyer It almost I drove along twistin8 dipping forest track toward wherelion earlier The finally plain rounding hairpin curve I sighted first It lioness sound asleep sprawled across I stopped switched ignition heard series snorts 6rass alongside In minutes lions filed The lioness roused herelf walked around inspectin6 They sniffed tires rubbed their heads fenders stared blinkinat headlights inquisitive within inches window The hardly needs tightly rolled The lions completely I later It believed associate shoulders upright misht field The further nothin critter kills gives strange This The lions though certainly aware somethin alive followed every movement their amber The lions quickly interest After these otures before While lioness another elder_y lioness watched indulsently others youner males females frolicked kittens Stars appearing Finally lioness called strtin The others hurried efter For while walked shoulder shoulder abreat I followed behind They seemed unconcerned headlights every lioness would paces without stopping around might onstrued diuted expression Aw A large loomed The lions halted their march One scene illuminated headlights stretched their massive bodies sharpened their claws night The group waited finished resumed their Journey At lions honed where lions halted They sniffed Then filed Brass lioness disappeared night In morning hyenas buzzards would feastins remains zebra other animal lions Junle protected their enemy rifle would sleepln remote A later I hunting parklnE space Nalrobl This letter written Mawingo hotel slope Mt Kenya Nanyuki This forest reion three miles south equator miles north Nairobi Mau Mau center Drivin through fertile overcrowded Kikuyu Reserve I stopped filthy Indian Fort Hall lunch Several young Kenya Police Reserve drinking Sten Mau Igau Just ambushed killed African district officer chief The rarified charged With tension The manager hotel genial scholarly Irishman African The African years schooling He could speak English could arithmetic He liked Then information African active Mau manager fired The African supposed brisadier Mau Fu Frequently writes letters employsr tellin The manager wears revolver His weapon while plays their children hotel grounds Above looms majestic mountain sealed troops police Africans sight venture forest reion Higher rhino elephant buffalo furtive Mauuganss Higher still Perhaps forest terrGrists there certain brigadier looks Jealousy plush hotel erhaps thinks marble bathrooms roarin fireplaces never enjoyed And perhaps thinks clever Red Stransers about little I horseback riding along forest Kikuyu guide We Mah I asked Mau Ndiyo Bwana replied smiling Yes mister We cantered I stopped turned horse around pointed direction hotel Ndiyo Bwana smiling turned horse around Then I trout fishing The trout plentiful famous streams Mr Kenya there fishermen Be Careful Stay close hotel If African dressed policeman uniform The Mau dress askarls trick I climbed thick brush ravine times roaring water Then I heard crack brush above Ambush Circling around I climbed cautiously small animal Back ravine casts Crack Out pistol again Again I hotel The police learned Mauuoath ceremony sexual perversions mutilations animals place recently short distance hotel This morning British Army captain I hiked three miles forest lookin5 lookout Mu He Sten pistols Every heard noise brush would listen Pointing large brush That makes You there never there unless That always gives first It marksmen ofchaps wouldn today We burned shamba forrerly occupied forest squatters A cornstalks still charred remains The caotain ipped Food Mau We proceeded through mixed brush grassland We better 6ettin45 rhino buffalo elephant country The behind might charge We Mau Mau At night Europeans hotel sleep close pistols Six African armed patrol grounds The mountain looks bizer erelyj David E Reed Received New York