Paris. In general, it may be observed, that in Africa, as every where else, low and marshy tracts are unfavourable to health; that elevated, dry and ventilated fituations are to be felected as places of refidence; and that, cæteris paribus, islands are always to be preferred to continents. To this I may add, that, in most parts of Africa, the interior country is more healthful than the coaft, as I have been affured by many persons, whites as well as blacks, who have refided in, or visited the inland parts, particularly by M. Biorn, governor general of the Danish fettlements, in Africa*. I can account for this fact, no otherwise than from the land continually rifing as you recede from the coast. 81. Having mentioned the climates of Sierra Leona and Bulama, it is but justice to state, that the mortality of the first colonists which took place at the former, and the misfortunes which happened at the latter, were not owing to the climate, but to very different causes, as will hereafter appear. 82. I now beg leave to offer a few hints to fuch of my readers, as may hereafter have occafion to frequent, or to reside in, the tropical parts of Africa. Being the fruits of the happy experience of my fellow travellers, myself, and many others, I need make no apology for recommending them as excellent prefervatives of health; especially as I know that they are generally approved by the faculty. But, as it would be highly prefumptuous in one who has not regularly studied the healing art, to trespass too far on the province of it's profeffors, I confine my remarks entirely to the preservation of health. When disease is unhappily formed, the patient cannot too speedily have re* See also Dr. Ifert's Letters to his father, printed at Copenhagen, in 1788... CHAP. VI. Hints re specting health. VI. CHA P. Course to medical affiftance. Even medical gentlemen themselves cannot be too cautious, when at the commencement of their practice, within the tropics, they are called upon to prescribe for diseases with which nothing short of actual experience can be supposed to make them acquainted. I need not inform them of the merit of Dr. Lind's work on this fubject. He has indeed, with singular ability, pointed out the caufes of the difeafes of hot climates, and the means of preventing and curing them. But in this, as in moft other arts, there is yet great room for improvement. It is to be lamented that but few men of extenfive medical knowledge have vifited the coaft of Africa, or at least have refided there long enough to become acquainted with the proper treatment of difeafes in that climate*. Much however may now be expected from the genius and diligence of Dr. Winterbottom, the present able and fuccefsful physician at Sierra Leona, the choice of whom does infinite credit to the difcernment of the directors. "Their elevation from the ground, &c. HOUSE S. 83. On arriving in Africa, the first, as being the most important thing fettlers ought to think of, is the erection of houses, capable of affording a healthful and secure refuge from the ardour of the meridian heat, the fudden change to coolness in the evening, the damps and dews of the night, and the heavy and penetrating rains of the wet feason; from all which it is abfolutely necessary for new-comers to be effectually protected. 84. The entire conftruction of houses immediately on ar * See Plan of a Settlement to be made near Sierra Leona, &c. by Dr. Smeathman, p. 11, riving, VI. riving, confumes much time and labour, at a juncture when CHA P. both are peculiarly precious; as the unexpected commencement of the rainy feason, before proper shelter is provided, most probably will prove fatal to the settlers, and ruin the whole undertaking. I would therefore earnestly recommend the framing of wooden houses here in Europe, ready to be put up on landing, and calculated to afford a temporary, but secure shelter, till a proper fituation can be fixed on for a colonial town. No oak fhould be used in such houses, as the bug-a-bugs, or wood-ants, destroy it sooner than any other timbert. The ftructure of the dwellings of the negroes about Cape Mefurado, which, although on a dry foil, are raised fix or eight feet above the ground, first suggested to me the propriety of houses in Africa being confiderably elevated; and reflection on the delicacy of unseasoned Europeans, convinced me of the neceffity of adopting this mode of building. and perma nent houtes. 85. The bare infpection of figure A, plate I. will fuffici- Temporary ently explain the structure of fuch a temporary house, as I would recommend. A tree of a proper fize and form being chofen, which, in most places, it will not be difficult to do, it should be so topped and cut as to form a central spin *The worthy Mr. G. Sharp, has latelygiven the public a plan for a colonial town, of which, in many respects, I very much approve. Another has also been propofed by Mr. Long, in his Hiftory of Jamaica. To both those plans, however, I have several important objections; for I have confidered the matter very attentively: but am forry I have neither time nor room to ftate my ideas on it, at prefent. + Except the bug-a-bugs, I do not know more troublesome intruders into a house, than mufketoes. But Mr. Sefstrom, in Sweden, has lately difcovered, that a very small quantity of camphor, ftrewed on a fire-coal, immediately destroys every infect within the reach of it's effluvia, and no doubt would prove fatal to the mufketoes. See the acts of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm, for the year 1787. dle, VI. CHA P. dle, leaving at least two supporting shoulders, perpendicularly above each other; so that the house may, when neceffary, be moved round to fuit the aspect of the different seafons. The ascent should be by a stair, to be drawn up at night. Diet. 86. When the fcite of the intended town is fixed on, another kind of elevated houses ought to be erected, of a more permanent ftructure, and regular fituation, according to the elevation and section B, plate I. The ingenuity and utility of this ftructure does great credit to the inventor, Mr. Andrew Johansen, a Swede, and certainly merit the attention of those who are so laudably engaged in the coloniz ation of Africa, upon rational and humane principles. One or two of those gentlemen, whose persons and opinions I particularly respect, having objected to the expense of the buildings here recommended, I might answer them with the old proverb-" Better pay the cook than the doctor." But the answer which, I am fure, will come most home to their feelings and their understanding, is the plain matter of fact, that the mortality, both at Sierra Leona and Bulama, was, in a great meafure, owing to the want of good houfes. 87. Europeans, until well feafoned to the climate, should beware of indulging in heavy animal food and spirituous liquors. They should eat moderately, especially in the middle of the day, making their best meals in the morning and evening, after the example of the natives. French claret and lemonade, temperately ufed, proved to me to be the best liquors; and not to me only, for it is worthy of remark that, since this kind of wine was substituted for brandy, which, before these last eight years, was served out to the French VI. French troops on the coaft, they have been incomparably CHA P. healthier. It is of the utmost importance always to keep the body open, which may generally be effected, by using a light diet, and to have recourse to the bark, on the first symptom of illness. and employ ment. 88. To thefe hints on habitation and diet, it may not be Sleep, drefs, improper to add a few words on fleep, drefs, and employment. -While on the coaft, I made it an invariable rule to go to bed betimes, and to rife early, in which, as in several other inftances, I prudently and profitably imitated the natives. I would recommend rifing about five o'clock in the morning, and taking gentle exercise, either in manual employment or walking, one or both of which I never omitted. But hard labour, efpecially in the heat of the day, ought to be carefully avoided by unfeafoned Europeans. The dress fhould confift of a calico shirt, a fhort, white waistcoat, and trowfers, with a piece of thin flannel on the ftomach, and fhoes with thick foles. It is of great importance, not only to keep the head free from the fumes of liquor, but also to defend it from the beams of the fun. In this view, the form and colour of the hat are of no fmall moment. It ought to be white, deep crowned, and broad brimmed. To the fe properties, I added a contrivance which, though apparently trivial, I found to be fo useful and comfortable, that I cannot but recommend it to every one who visits hot climates. Near the top of the crown, I cut three little fquare holes, like valves, opening upwards, which allowed the perspiration to evaporate, and admitted a gentle ftream of cool air to circulate above my head, which only filled half the crown. See figure 1. plate I. Thus I was protected from the fcorching fun-beams, which, to fome people, prove a very serious inconvenience. I have, however, heard but of few: |