73G ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



rally be considered to be compre- 

 hended within the time of the 

 year when the violence of the heat 

 is somewhat mitigated, and during 

 the absence of the periodical rains. 

 A sudden exposure to either ex- 

 treme often proves fatal to the 

 stranger, and should, if possible, 

 be cautiously avoided. The night 

 dews, which at most seasons are 

 very prolific, are not less baneful ; 

 and until the sun has gained some 

 ascendancy to disperse the un- 

 wholesome vapours these create, 

 the morning, in many situations, 

 has little healthful or agreeable to 

 recommend it. Under the head 

 of precaution, therefore, a proper 

 adaptation of clothing to meet the 

 vicissitudes alluded to, should, it 

 is presumed, engage a due share 

 of regard. This is a matter, how- 

 ever, that observation may have 

 discovered to be less considered 

 by the people of our own coun- 

 try than by those of any other. 

 An Englishman in this respect 

 is most pertinacious, and would 

 perhaps rather surrender some 

 portion of his health and conve- 

 nience than any part of his accus- 

 tomed habit. Not so the French- 

 man, the Spaniard, or even the 

 inflexible Dutchman, who, within 

 the tropics, finds occasion for fewer 

 pairs of breeches than he had in the 

 Texel. 



"Thedoctrineoftemperancehas 

 seldom obtained admission in the 

 warmer region* ; nor have the 

 advocates for it in such situations 

 often been regarded with extraor- 

 dinary deference. Yet it is quite 

 probable, that few could be found, 

 even in the indulgence of an op- 

 posite system, who would not 

 afford assent to a theory although 

 at some variance with their prac- 



tice. With regard to living, 

 therefore little can be said ; indeed 

 it would be useless to say much 

 on a subject in which inclination 

 has been discovered so much too 

 powerful for suggestion. And as 

 it becomes in some shape una- 

 voidable, to use a familiar phrase, 

 to live well, the meaning of which 

 might possibly be found in its op- 

 posite, even in this respect some 



direction may be salutary. To 



avoid all repasts but such as are 

 denominated regular, for the ap- 

 petite participating in the share of 

 languor brought on the system by 

 the effect of climate, may be too 

 much disposed, if not early re- 

 strained, to seekits gratification at 

 unequal intervals, a matter in 

 which health is more concerned 

 than at first may be conceived, 

 and that at once leads to the con- 

 sideration of another thing which 

 is closely attendant on it. To 

 prefer at all times the use of wine 

 to that of spirits, and if the latter 

 must be taken, on no account to 

 omit a scrupulous adherence to 

 three things — namely, time, quan- 

 tity, and quality. Of the first it 

 may certainly be pronounced, that 

 any inattention towards it com- 

 monly involves an indifference with 

 regard to the rest ; and the indis- 

 criminate or early drinking has, 

 without question,contributed quite 

 as powerfully as the climate, or any 

 other cause, to render the greater 

 part of our colonies uncongenial 

 to the existence of Europeans. 



" Before quitting this subject, it 

 may not be wholly irrelevant to 

 offer a few further remarks, from 

 which it is conjectured some ad- ■ 

 vantage may likewise be derived. '' 

 First, to fortify the mindasstrong- 

 ly as possible against impressions 



