Dr. Massey's Journey to Work

In the summer of 1905, Dr. Alfred Yale Massey travelled to his new place of work in the mining settlement of Ruwe in Congo. In a letter to his younger sister, he described how he left Chinde in Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) in July and expected to arrive at his destination in September.

In this Google map, we summarize his nearly 3,000km journey, with symbols representing the mode of transport for each stage. The section from Chiromo to Blantyre was made in a tipoia, or machila, a suspended hammock carried by African bearers. The longest section, from Karonga on Lake Nyasa (Malawi) to Ruwe was to be by Beeston Humber bicycle: a distance of 1,125km which would take six weeks!

Massey was born in Wallbridge, Hastings, in 1871. He had a distinguished career as a doctor and researcher in Congo. He died there on 22 August, 1922.