HOT WEATHER AT SEA. 41 



a dead calm on board. On the other hand, on a swiftly 

 moving, powerfully engined steamer, even when there 

 is no wind, her transit through the air at 18 or 20 

 statute miles per hour, creates its own breeze, so that 

 on deck it feels comparatively cool, under awnings. 

 The sea breezes are also almost always freshened by 

 their passage across a vast extent of water; hot weather 

 is therefore rarely felt very severely at sea. Moreover 

 passengers can safely sleep on deck, when their cabins 

 prove disagreeably close at night, as there is no fear 

 of malaria on blue water. On the other hand, when 

 lying in river estuaries or harbours off malarious coasts, 

 the practice is an exceedingly dangerous one, and there 

 is no surer way of getting a bad attack of fever. Our 

 experience is that on first entering the hot weather 

 after leaving the British coasts, almost an epidemic of 

 colds and coughs frequently breaks out among pas- 

 sengers; this is due to foolishly exposing themselves 

 in evening dress and other light clothing, to the night 

 air, which is almost always chilly at sea. Simple 

 precautions will prevent this, and should be attended 

 to, as hot- weather colds are often difficult to get rid 

 of. If however the weather is fine, and the life on 

 board comfortable, nothing can be more lovely than 

 the tropical nights and brilliantly star-lit skies. So 

 also are the early mornings clear, fresh, and beautiful. 

 It is quite worth while being up on deck by six to 

 enjoy them. The decks will be in process of washing 

 at this hour, but men can walk about bare-footed 

 through the water without heeding this otherwise in- 

 convenient interruption and a good walk at this hour 

 is pleasant and invigorating. 



There are generally plenty of amusements of dif- 



