278 Timehri. 
is certain no South European could do this on the coast-lands or even in 
the river valleys of the interior. At the Hygienic Conference in 1891 
(section, Demography) a discussion took place on the possibility of 
colonization—that is acclimatisation—for Europeans in the highlands 
of the tropics. Dr. Felkin considered that to enable Europeans to 
live and work and bring up families an altitude of nearly 4,000 
feet would be required for Portuguese, Spanish and Italians; while 
for British and North Germans from 6,000 to 10,000 feet would be 
necessary, and even then the areas must be carefully selected and 
all sanitary precautions must be taken; the typical altitude for these 
races would be above 5,000 and under 7,000 feet. An elevation of 3,000 
feet in the tropics corresponds to a reduction of 10 degrees Fahrenheit, 
in temperature 6,000 feet to 20 degrees F., and so on. On an isotherm 
of 70 degrees F., therefore, to obtain a mean temperature equal to that 
of Britain (about 50 degrees F.), an elevation of 6,000 feet is required. 
Although an invigorating climate may thereby be obtained Dr. Felkin 
considered that there will always be certain elements which will detract 
from its value, viz., the powerful sun, the rarified air, and the absence of 
a summer and winter. Sir W. Moore also said that a European must be 
free from labour under a tropical mountain sun, and especially 
in tropical mountain valleys which are generally essentially malarious. 
His work must be that of supervision and not actually manual. 
WHAT EXPERIENCE PROVES. 
But even with these conditions all experience and reasoning are 
against a European founding a family and against his descendants 
living and retaining their mental and physical characteristics as 
they do in a temperate climate, whether on tropical plains or 
tropical hills. The temperate climate of altitude will not supply the 
place of the temperate climate of latitude. Dr. Van De Burg came to 
the conclusion that though the settlement of Europeans on tropical high- 
lands is physiologically conceivable field-work should be excluded, and 
permanent colonisation will probably not be accomplished for several 
centuries. Sir Clement Markham, however, considered that under suita- 
ble circumstances the mountain ranges which cover large areas in the 
tropics are well adapted for the healthy growth of development of gen- 
erations of Europea’s of pure blood. The climate is suitable ; all the 
food supplies most conducive to their well-being are cultivated and raised, 
and we have at least some proof of the fact that European settlers do 
thrive for generations on tropical plateaus of large area. Isolated or 
knife-like mountain regions of small area, he thought, suited for sanatoria 
but not for continuous European settlement, being too much under the 
influence in various ways of the adjacent low lands. 
At first sight there would seem to be considerable divergence of opinion 
between the various speakers, but if we take into consideration that Sir 
W. Moore was speaking of India and by European meant British, and Dr. 
Van De Burg chiefly from personal experience in the Dutch East Indies, 
De ew Oe 
