1951 - 1952 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT TRAVEL DIARY OF A 10,000 MILE EPIC JOURNEY BY TRUCK FROM EUROPE TO SOUTH AFRICA HANDWRITTEN BY A 17 YEAR OLD GIRL MAKING THE TRANS CONTINENTAL TREK WITH HER 20 YEAR OLD BROTHER

On offer is a sensational, original manuscript diary that details and documents an epic 10,000 mile journey, by truck for the most part, that begins in Little Kimble, Buckinghamshire, a small town north-west of the Greater London area to Europe and then moves to North Africa across the Sahara through the Belgian Congo to the final destination South Africa. Remarkably the expedition was undertaken by 17 year old Sylvia Bond-Smith, the author, and her 20-year old brother Derek. Driving through much dangerous and wild terrain their difficulties, deprivations and triumphs are retold by this erudite and intrepid traveler in this very detailed journal; from the practical and mundane day to day details of their journey to a wealth of keen eyed and charming observations of this very young woman on the adventure of a lifetime. The 300+ pages or so 7" x 4.5" book is rife with experiences from mileage numbers to describing an elephant and gorilla hunt. Midway Sylvia and her brother meet up with their father who is exploring in the Belgian Congo. Adding further depth to the super narrative are the tipped in and some tucked in ephemera; train tickets, stamps, hotel ephemera, news clippings [the intrepid Smith-Bond siblings meet mid journey two journalists who become attached to the Smith's and document their story: "A boy a girl and a truck and ten thousand miles of adventure. That is the thrilling prospect facing Kimble brother and sister, Derek Bond-Smith 20 and Sylvia 17. Very soon the Bond-Smiths embark on their biggest journey yet - 10,000 miles by truck to Cape Town. Their route lies across 2,000 miles of scorching Sahara - where they will follow a faint track marked every 60 miles by a petrol can through to the steaming Congo, Nigeria, Kenya and down through Tanganyika and Rhodesia."] and a number of hand drawn maps and illustrations litter the journal. With great amusement we read an entry of their accommodations at one point: 'cheap + not very clean but a nice old girl running it' then a later hand a one word note in pencil on the top margin with an arrow to the passage reading 'brothel'. Here are some snippets: Dec 6th, 1951 To the Spanish frontier at La Jungesa - Gathering Kit getting official forms etc we drove on a bit and found a perfect camping site just off the road. Smooth grass and a kind of Oak tree and little cub bushes and mountains all around, very beautiful. Got tent up, and found water from a nearby stream and got meal. While eating too Dutchman came up whose signatures above. Cycling to South Africa so they hope, through Spain and down West Coast of Africa. Algers Laghanek Dec 23rd 1951 Land flat at first than came to Atlas Telliem it became very rocky. Steep rocks very steep road cut right down. Very sleepy and couldn't keep my eyes open for long come out to a plateau passed through Boyhem in village stopped to talk 3 women and two men French bitterly cold stopped for lunch on desolate plain. Dec 30th, 1951 Up at 6:15 supplies very short and all have been hungry for a few days very little breakfast. Jan 4th, 1952 Up at 6 after about 4 hours of sleep got booked in what turned out - to be a very nice place, with running water hot bath, etc. Consists of several buildings and got nice room with bath around corner no sights nets above bed. First we have seen like this. Little would I have thought a year ago I would ever be in Nigeria so far its a very nice place were in now. Not much vegetation , but lots of English colonist about which is pleasant like being home again , only Colonial atmosphere I soon get into a bath, and how I needed one never been so dirty in my life & had a good splash around. Felt really good to be so clean again first time I have had clothes off since we left Alger. Jan 14th, 1952 Up at five it was still dusk found then & Skye sleeping in sleeping because of animals on the road. On road at 6:30 just as sun was rising beautiful sunshine. Saw several groups of guinea fowl several of which Derek blasted away and missed- saw no game - except 3 small Gazelle and two big monkeys. At Kobo we stopped at the road and bought two Pawpaws [papayas?], and stopped for breakfast had my first Pawpaw which was quite good soon after Kapo came upon several cry neatly laid out and constructed villages some buildings still use leaina foundations leashed together with creepers. One deserted village rather impressive. Bush in this area very thick and road narrow. Jan 21st, 1952 Captured several gorillas from the Rinzori mountains - The biggest gorillas in the world - Mal Shot one weighing 1/2 a ton with Teryizi large dimensions & black & hairy & strong It immediately wounded 2 of the natives while itself was wounded and dying on the ground. It grabbed one of them by the hand and flung him for 30 meters and the natives hand stayed in the gorillas grasp his bones crushed like butter. Another native the gorilla hit in the face which was completely torn in two. Jan 25th, 1952 Up at 7 had breakfast than got picked up some of Ron & Skyes kit. Left Stanleyville at 9 after saying goodbye to Ron & Skye which was horrible having come so far with them, Boys at Sebana Hotel - dreadful service bad. Good to be on the road again & walking quietly along Enuno & Ura rivers by and also Tslopo river, and then through Baywaboli - not very big place. Population fairly dense natives all wearing white and proper looking, than around Baywaboli where Govt patrol passed by - Avakabi & over the Kuri river by bicycle - a fast flowing river with lots of flat rocks after Ikani river the forest rather dense - tropical like vegetation all around palms tall trees and think undergrowth 5 monkeys around the road about us about 20 bands bigger baboons & thought for an instant they were gorillas which is quite possible as we are near gorilla county. At Elephant Station at Andudu on Nepoko river. Pygmies are very cruel as regards animals. One way they kill elephants is to smother themselves with the smell of the elephant and creep up on it while its asleep and cut its trunk off, so it cannot eat or drink & is in great pain until it dies in about 4 days." The binding is not great but overall G.; Manuscript; 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, SYLVIA BOND-SMITH, DEREK BOND-SMITH, THE SAHARA, BELGIAN CONGO, KENYA, AFRICA, TRANS AFRICA, EPIC JOURNEY, BROTHER AND SISTER EPIC TRAVEL SAGA, TANGANYIKA, RHODESIA, ZAMBIA, ZIMBABWE, THE DARK CONTINENT, SOUTH AFRICA, TRAVEL, YOUNG TRAVELERS, GINETTE, LITTLE KIMBLE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, TRANS-SAHARA HWY/N1, PYGMIES, HUNTING ELEPHANTS, GORILLAS, CAPE TOWN, ALGIERS, AFRICANA, HANDWRITTEN, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, AUTOGRAPHED, AUTHORS, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, ARCHIVE, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNAL, LOG, PRIMARY SOURCE, FIRST HAND ACCOUNT, SOCIAL HISTORY, PERSONAL STORIES, LIVING HISTORY, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL,BIOGRAPHY BIOGRAPHICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY PERSONAL NARRATIVES