THE DEADLY CLIMATE OF AFRICA. 161 



place, and did not feel the worse for it " and on 

 the other hand we can appreciate at their true value 

 the often highly exaggerated reports which are current 

 as to the deadly climate of certain notoriously unhealthy 

 places. As an illustration of how places sometimes 

 acquire a bad name in this way, we may cite an amusing 

 instance, related by the late Sir Richard Burton, as 

 occurring on the west coast of Africa: 



"I went" (he says) "to the English factory; the head 

 agent was absent, leaving business in the hands of two * mean 

 whites.' The factory, a dirty disgrace to the name, was in 

 charge of a clerk, whom we saw being rowed about, bareheaded, 

 through the sun, accompanied by a black girl, both as far 

 from sober as might be. The cooper, moony with drink, 

 rose to receive us, and to weigh out the beads I required. 

 Under the excitement he had recourse to the gin bottle, and 

 a total collapse came on before half the work was done." 

 "Why" (exclaims poor Sir R. Burton in a burst of scornful 

 irony) "Why should south latitude 6 degrees be so fatal 

 to the Briton?" * 



Perhaps we might be pardoned for offering a few 

 remarks at this point upon drink and the 'drink traffic 

 upon the African coasts. There can be no doubt that 

 the extreme monotony of existence at many of these 

 places, where there is not a single thing to do which 

 can afford healthy recreation to the small knot of 

 Europeans condemned to dwell there, together with 

 the exhaustion produced by the debilitating climate, 

 largely contributes to this pernicious habit of " taking 

 stimulants." Dram drinking, a bad and demoralizing 

 practice everywhere, is peculiarly fatal under the rays 



* Gorilla Land, by Captain (afterwards Sir) R. F. Burton, Vol. i. 

 P- 145- 



VOL. I. II 



