Carrie Chapman Catt - Diaries, Europe, South Africa, August 2 - November 15, 1911 (Box 1, Folder 1)

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This morning Thursday Sept 14th we rowed our way to the Rain Forest. A transverse section of the Zambesi [Zambezi] would be about like this:

On the opposite [pencil sketch River Fall Rain Forest] that visitors may walk ledge from the great its length. The mists rise Fall there is a well from the Fall and the gorge made path so below and fall the continual rain on this bank. In consequence there is a luxuriant growth of ferns and trees. Many vines, leafless just now had trunks as large as the trees they embraced. The long walk with continual vistas of the Falls demonstrated most completely the tremendous width of them We wore rubber Macintoshes and umbrellas, but were pretty wet. We emerged on a sunny rock where we rested and dried ourselves and then by a different route returned to the hotel. It was a hot dusty uninteresting walk and we were tired out. This afternoon I have been content to sit on the porch of our building and write this record.

Our Hotel. The building we occupy is behind these two

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On Tuesday morning the 15th at Breakfast we talked over our plans with the result that Dr. Jacobs and I were agreed to walk to see the "Big Tree." She started ahead and we chanced to miss each other, so each had her walk alone. I thoroughly enjoyed the solitude. I kept to the main road and walked on and on until I came to a baobab tree. It was about 6 ft in diameter and I thought it must be the [underlined] big tree. I sat down in its shade and cooled off. If one could get out of the sun's rays for a moment, a grateful little breeze made itself manifest. The tree was perfectly leafless as it is early spring but the trunk made a generous shade. I saw other baobabs ahead and so walked on. I found one with twin trunks, one at least 10ft diameter and the other 7 or 8 and concluded this must be the tree. I rested awhile in its shade and returned by a different route. This one brought me to the shores of the Zambesi [Zambezi] and I walked out and sat down on several projecting tables of rocks. For some little distance

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the path led through a palm grove bordered by palms on both sides whose branches touched overhead. At one point a splendid view of the Devils cataract was seen. I got back around 12:30 hot and tired as usual. The Dr. came in about the same time, very tired. In the afternoon we all went to the Rivers bank about a mile away and were canoed over to Cataract Island. One end of this Island forms part of the ledge over which the Fall tumbles and when water is high a good part of it is covered and the Island cannot be reached. Here we had splendid views. The Island projects beyond the line of the Fall, so that a person standing on the point x gets a fine view of the Devils [pen sketch Devils Cataract Main Fall] Cataract which is the first Fall, and the Main Fall. In high water another Fall is created over the spot x. We considered this experience the most delightful of our stay. On our return I talked with two young men from whom I learned that I had not gone far enough to see the Big Tree. With them as guides Miss Cameron and I walked to it. It is said to be 87 ft

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feet in circumference. The baobab are believed by [illegible] to be among the oldest trees in the world. They look old and are so unlike any other tree that they seem survivals of a past age like the hippos and rhinos They are not tall tress. The bark is smooth and greasy looking there is a conspicuous absence of small branches The inside is fibrous and unlike [illegible] trees. The pods give an [extract?] which is pure cream of tartar and makes refreshing drink There was quite a grove of these trees which are certainly among the curios of Africa I bought a photograph of the largest for a shilling. It was interesting to sit in its shade among absolute solitude with birds singing and no sound of human beings, and to realize that I was in Central Africa where no white man had ever stepped before 1855. five years before I was born. The trees abound in monkeys small gray ones and there are many baboons there also, but alas they hid themselves when I appeared. We walked home in the cool of the evening reaching the hotel about dinner time 7 o'clock In the morning early, Miss Cameron Mrs. [Boersma?] and I took a walk before breakfast, so in all I had walked more than any other day and was desperately tired

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The big Baobab or Cream of Tartar Tree

At dinner Mrs. Boersura inquired whether we would all consent to her going to Pretoria the next day (Sat) We consented but upon reflection we concluded that Mrs. B and Dr J if travelling separately would be obliged to take a compartment mate, whereupon Dr. J said she would go with Mrs. B. Miss Cameron and I concluded that we would go too if accommodations could be obtained. We got them, so instead of taking an excursion to the Village of Livingstone 7 miles away, we planned to pack and get off on