■^ Geography of Libe ria 



bouquets of vegetation. Brightly flowering oleanders fill most 

 of the front gardens, together with Pride of Barbados (an 

 acacia-like tree with splendid scarlet blossoms), bread-fruit 

 trees, oranges, bananas, borassus palms, and oil palms. The 

 town is cleaner, quieter, and better-governed (municipally) than 

 Monrovia. 



There is nothing about Cape Palmas to suggest ill-health. 

 A strong breeze blows all day off the sea, the roar of which 



189. "OLEANDERS FILL MOST OF THE FRONT GARDENS" 



is never out ot one's ears. The red promontory with its green 

 vegetation is girdled with a ring of foam. The temperature 

 of the air around is seldom oppressively hot, owing to the sea 

 breeze ; while in the height of the rainy season it is often too 

 low — sixty-nine degrees — for West Africa ; eppur si muore !— 

 or at least one can fall very ill at Cape Palmas, not only from 

 ordinary fever but from black-water. This is one of the 

 unexplained mysteries, because owing to the strong winds 

 mosquitoes are seemingly absent. 



475 



