154 THE EQUATORIAL DAWN. 



the sudden transition from light to darkness which is 

 so remarkable; and though somewhat exaggerated 

 descriptions of this phenomenon are prevalent, it is 

 nevertheless exceedingly impressive. Mr. Wallace in 

 his " Tropical Nature " has endeavoured to place an 

 accurate picture of it before his readers, and says that : 



" at the end of about 25 minutes from sunset, complete 

 darkness of night is almost reached. In the morning the 

 changes are perhaps even more striking. Up to 5.15 a.m. 

 the darkness is complete, about 5.30 a.m. the first glimmer 

 of light becomes perceptible. It slowly becomes lighter, and 

 then increases so rapidly that about 5.45 it seems full day- 

 light. For the next 15 minutes this changes very little, when 

 suddenly the sun's rim appears above the horizon." " The 

 first hour of the morning," (Mr. Wallace proceeds to remark), 

 " in the equatorial regions, possesses a charm and a beauty 

 that can never be forgotten, and its temperature is the most 

 delicious conceivable." * 



This exceeding loveliness of the early morning, in 

 tropical countries, has attracted the universal attention 

 of travellers; and those who value their health will do 

 well to be up, so as to take advantage of it : provided 

 they are not actually passing through malarious dis- 

 tricts where ample experience has shown that it is 

 dangerous to be out before the sun is well up. f 



Usually, however, when travellers are on the move, 

 a general reveille is sounded a good hour before 

 sunrise, so that the march may commence with the 



* Tropical Nature, p. 22. 



7 Europeans should make it a point to take a large cup of strong 

 coffee, and something to eat, before venturing out. In malarious 

 districts 3 or 4 grains of Quinine should be taken as an additional 

 precaution and they should always sleep under mosquito curtains. 

 Those who lie in bed till the sun gets powerful soon lose their health, 

 as it is too hot by 9 a.m. to take exercise with comfort. 



