SALUBRITY OF CLIMATE. 147 



who . has visited the region I have above mentioned fails to re- 

 member with pleasure the wild, healthful gipsy life of wagon-trav- 

 eling. 



A considerable proportion of animal diet seems requisite here. 

 Independent of the want of salt, we required meat in as large quan- 

 tity daily as we do in England, and no bad effects, in the way of 

 biliousness, followed the free use of flesh, as in other hot climates. 

 A vegetable diet causes acidity and heartburn. 



Mr. Oswell thought this climate much superior to that of Peru, 

 as far as pleasure is concerned ; the want of instruments unfortu- 

 nately prevented my obtaining accurate scientific data for the 

 medical world on this subject ; and were it not for the great ex- 

 pense of such a trip, I should have no hesitation in recommending 

 the borders of the Kalahari Desert as admirably suited for all pa- 

 tients having pulmonary complaints. It is the complete antipo- 

 des to our cold, damp, English climate. The winter is perfectly 

 dry ; and as not a drop of rain falls during that period, namely, 

 from the beginning of May to the end of August, damp and cold 

 are never combined. However hot the day may have been at Ko- 

 lobeng — and the thermometer sometimes rose, previous to a fall 

 of rain, up to 96° in the coolest part of our house— yet the at- 

 mosphere never has that steamy feeling nor those debilitating ef- 

 fects so well known in India and on the coast of Africa itself. In 

 the evenings the air becomes deliriously cool, and a pleasant re- 

 freshing night follows the hottest day. The greatest heat ever 

 felt is not so oppressive as it is when there is much humidity in 

 the air ; and the great evaporation consequent on a fall of rain 

 makes the rainy season the most agreeable for traveling. Noth- 

 ing can exceed the balmy feeling of the evenings and mornings 

 during the whole year. You wish for an increase neither of cold 

 nor heat ; and you can sit out of doors till midnight without ever 

 thinking of colds or rheumatism ; or you may sleep out at night, 

 looking up to the moon till you fall asleep, without a thought or 

 sign of moon-blindness. Indeed, during many months there is 

 scarcely any dew. 



