March 9, 1934

. . . without helmets so we sit around and chat. The sun is not too hot, not as hot as home, but the ultra-violet rays are so much stronger that a helmet has to be worn. After four every one is out again.

Mr. Hines, the oldest man here and the Manager of the Plantation, had a horse brought down from the desert to Lagos and shipped here to Monrovia. It is a pure white thoroughbred Arabian horse and as fast as the wind. Yesterday afternoon - by the way Mrs. Hines is the only rider here and she is ill at present so she is out of the picture so the horse has not been ridden for about three weeks - we decided to ride. I have never ridden anything in my life except a plow horse and I got on the spirited Arabian horse. I never saw anything go so fast. It laid back its ears and down the road we went at break-neck speed. I was frightened, I won't deny it, but I didn't fall and I rode it until it managed easily. I imagine I learned more horsemanship in fifteen minutes than an average person does in weeks. We ran, we galloped, we took turns at break-neck speed, and after the fireworks I wasn't afraid anymore.

Chuck had a try at it but the horse stumbled on a rock in the path so now the Prince of Wales and Chuck have something in common.

It makes a beautiful sight to see the pure white horse mounted by a rider in white.