3o8 APPENDICES 



which preserved them in good condition for two 

 years. 



Head-gear : There are some fortunate people who 

 find themselves sufficiently well protected by the light 

 * Terai ' hat ; but to most people a topee, or sun-helmet, 

 is a necessity. The ordinary pith-helmet is an excellent 

 thing in a dry climate, such as the Sudan ; but in a 

 rainy country it has the drawback of absorbing every 

 drop of rain that falls upon it, and from weighing only 

 a few ounces it speedily weighs several pounds. I 

 have found it a good plan to cover it with a thin 

 covering of some waterproof material, and over that 

 a light fabric of some suitable colour. 



Clothes : The ' Gaberdine ' material of Messrs. Bur- 

 berry is excellent in a thorny country, and it has the 

 great virtue of resisting the attacks of mosquitoes. 

 It has always been the custom of Europeans in the 

 more civilized tropical places to deck themselves in 

 white garments, following the fashion of many natives 

 of tropical countries, but forgetting that those natives 

 are already provided with a pigmented skin, which 

 is a sufficient protection against the short solar rays. 

 It is these rays which seem to be responsible for 

 'heat-stroke,' and, according to the researches of 

 Dr. Sambon, white-skinned people ought to protect 

 themselves by a covering of non-actinic colours, such 

 as red, yellow, or black. Dr. Sambon has invented 

 a fabric, called * Solaro,' which contains these various 

 colours. It has been worn by many people for several 

 years with conspicuous success, and when people 

 overcome this old prejudice in favour of white clothing, 

 it will be found that 'heat-stroke' will diminish in 

 frequency. 



Books: I have already mentioned that Mr. Pepys 

 was my faithful companion ; with him was a somewhat 

 mixed company consisting of Sir Thomas Browne, * Don 



