616 MEMOIR OF THE LIFE 



river, now at its heght, will soon begin to fall. The heat in the 

 afternoon is generally up to 83° Fahr., seldom so high as 

 87° or 90°. At night it sinks to 76° or 74°, which feels very- 

 cold after the heat of the day. But the sun has peculiar in- 

 fluence here, especially when it bursts forth gradually after 

 a gush of rain ; it is then so burning, that I am glad to use 

 an umbrella and a straw hat. 



"The country we have so slowly examined, is pronounced 

 unhealthy. It is no wonder then that the African fever, or 

 rather fevers, kept in check during the journey itself by the 

 excitement, has broken out most terribly, so that the ships 

 are so many lazarettos. At present we have had few deaths ; 

 but what may take place, it is impossible to say, for no 

 sickness is more deceptive, or undergoes quicker changes, 

 than this fever. Before the evil proclaimed itself so loudly, 

 the plan was as follows : One ship, the Wilberforce, was to 

 go up the Tschadda — this is still to be done. The two other 

 ships were to ascend the Niger, as far as Bussah or higher. 

 If they could not proceed further, two great boats were to 

 be manned, and, if possible, to reach Timbuctoo. Now, 

 however, a plan is arranged for sending the smallest vessel, 

 the Soudan, down the river, to convey the sick to Fernando 

 Po. I think we shall be back here from the Tschadda in 

 from four to six weeks, and since the rainy season will then 

 be over, and I hope the alluvium on the shore so broad as to 

 enable us to dwell there with comfort, I trust to be in 

 fixed quarters and able to make wider excursions. Since 

 being unwell a few days at Iddah, I have felt healthy and 

 strong. The climate is, however, very injurious to an Eu- 

 ropean constitution, and Sierra Leone also is considered 

 unhealthy ; I have, however, found myself quite wed after 

 strong exercise. I ascended Mount Patteh, which is about 

 1200 feet high, about six o'clock in the morning, without 

 much fatigue ; I was perfectly well, I botanized, returned at 

 two, took my luncheon and rested. But the whole afternoon 

 I found myself so extremely exhausted and incapable of doing 

 the least thing, as I never was before ; with this consolation, 



