Uganda & Kenya.- Webster (Lucy, certified insane, remaining in an asylum for most of her life, daughter of Sir Augustus Webster, 8 Bart., of Powdermill House, Battle, owner of Battle Abbey, East Sussex, 1864-1923, b. 1900) Diary of journey to Uganda... or a lunatic's impression of Africa, autograph manuscript, title and 220pp., in pencil and ink (mostly pencil), original black morocco, rubbed, some surface wear, sm. 4to, 2nd November 1923 - Wednesday 2nd April 1924.

⁂ Webster sails from Royal Albert Docks, London, with Olive Archer, Sir Geoffrey Archer, Governor of Uganda aboard the SS Neuralia; mentions a packed itinerary, including: Mr Tweedie, "I danced with... Mr Tweedie who is very interesting' He has been out in Egypt for 41 years and seems to have done most interesting things. He was present at the opening of Tutancarmen's [sic] Tomb..."; ship stops at Port Said; visits Suez; horse race at Port Sudan, visits Aden, has lunch with Lt.-Gen. Thomas Edwin Scott, General Officer Commanding and Political Resident Aden 1920-1925 (1867-1937), visit to the rain tanks in the hills above Aden; arrives at Mombassa, stays at Government House in Nairobi with Sir Robert and Lady Coryndon (1870-1925), Governor of Kenya; sees wild life (Ostriches, Zebra etc.); takes train to Kisumu; takes ship on the Clement Hill (Captain Blencoe) on Lake Victoria; arrives at Entebbe and met by Sir Geoffrey Archer and Rupert Forbes Gunnis (1899-1965), historian of British sculpture, and private Secretary to Sir Geoffrey Archer; meets E B Jarvis, Chief Secretary of Uganda, discussing the forthcoming visit of the Prince of Wales and cotton growing in Uganda; visits the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria; another shooting expedition in a canoe, "... saw Sitatunga [marshbuck], hippos, & crocs... . Mr Lambert killed one hippo but he sank & we could not get him. We searched for crocodiles eggs on the shore..."; meets Denys Finch-Hatton (1887-1931), settler in Kenya and lover of Karen Blixen, "After dinner Mr. Denis Finch Hatton actually talked to me & then to my great surprise asked me to dance! I felt rather honoured! We discussed ships & our mutual dislike of them. Shambas in Kenya. Somalis, Arabs, Mohammedism as compared to christianity. His mother who is ill & who lives in Lincolnshire. Elephant hunting in Tanganika. Men in General - and in fact most subjects. Such is this gymnastic and roving brain, & character of Mr. Denis Finch Hatton! I like him quite. Talked to Mr Finch Hatton after dinner & danced with him. He is very nice. I like him so much. It was all great fun. He wants me to land at Suez with him & go & stay in Port Said & take the Dame with me . The Godsends won't go however!"

Sir Geoffrey Archer (1882-1964), colonial governor; "In 1923 he was appointed governor of Uganda, where he toured energetically and took a keen interest in the flora and fauna... . His east African experience resulted in two books: The Birds of British Somaliland and the Gulf of Aden, with E. A. Bodman (4 vols., 1938-1960): and Personal and Historical Memoirs of an East African Administrator (1963)." - Oxford DNB.

Rupert Gunnis (1899-1965), historian of British sculpture; "He served successively as private secretary to the governors of Uganda (1923-6) and Cyprus (1926-32)." - Oxford DNB.

Provenance: Lucy Webster was the eldest daughter of Sir Augustus Webster, owner of Battle Abbey. Her mother, Mabel, died in 1917, and her brother was killed while serving in the Grenadier Guards, also in 1917. In 1923 Lucy's father died and in this year she accompanied her friend, Olive Archer, the daughter of Charles Godman (1849-1941) for a visit to Uganda. Later, Lucy was declared insane and spent most of the rest of her life in asylums.