202 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



It must not be forgotten in connection with the 

 general question of healthiness of climate that 

 heat has practically very little to do with the 

 presence or absence of dangerous fever. Egypt, 

 where the temperature is sometimes very high 

 indeed, is one of the healthiest climates in the 

 world. The West Coast of Africa is probably 

 more unhealthy than any other spot, yet the 

 temperature is not, as a rule, abnormally high. 



It is moist heat which is really dangerous, and 

 a camp should always, if at all practicable, be 

 planted on a high and exposed situation — in fact, 

 on the driest and barest spot one can find within 

 reasonable distance of water. A curious instance 

 of this advantage occurs at Freetown, Sierra 

 Leone. By far the healthiest place in the town 

 is the barrack, which is on a bare, grassy hill, 

 kept clear of trees, and much below the so-called 

 sanatorium of Lester Peak. 



Of the fact I do not think any observer can be 

 at all doubtful, but the cause is more difficult to 

 explain. One undoubted reason is that at night 

 on bare exposed ground there is far more radiation 

 of heat, and consequently a refreshing coolness in 

 which one can recover from the exhaustion of the 

 system which follows a high temperature during 

 the day. 



A very interesting statement is given by Dr. 

 Mill (" Realm of Nature," p. 112) : " Were it not 

 for the dust motes and condensed water catching 



