Chap. XVII. SEVERE GALES. 347 



the palm-trees to prevent the ants from getting into the 

 palm wine while it is dropping from the tops of the palm- 

 trees into the little pots suspended to collect it. 



We were in the habit of walking from our beds into the 

 salt water at sunrise, for a bath, till a large crocodile appeared 

 at the bathing place, and from that time forth, we took our 

 dip in the sea, away from the harbour, about midday. This 

 is said to be unwholesome, but we did not find it so. It is 

 certainly better not to bathe in the mornings, when the air 

 is colder than the water — for then, on returning to the 

 cooler air, one is apt to get a chill and fever. In the mouth 

 of the river, many saw-fish are found. Eowe saw one while 

 bathing — caught it by the tail, and shoved it, "snout on," 

 ashore. The saw is from a foot to eighteen inches long. We 

 never heard of any one being wounded by this fish ; nor, 

 though it goes hundreds of miles up the river in fresh water, 

 could we learn that it was eaten by the people. The hippo- 

 potami delighted to spend the day among the breakers, and 

 seemed to enjoy the fun as much as we did. 



Severe gales occurred during our stay on the Coast, and 

 many small sea-birds (Prion BanJcsii, Smith) perished : the 

 beach was strewn with their dead bodies, and some were found 

 hundreds of yards inland ; many were so emaciated as to dry 

 up without putrefying. We were plagued with myriads of 

 mosquitoes, and had some touches of fever; the men we 

 brought from malarious regions of the intarior suffered 

 almost as much from it here, as we did ourselves. This gives 

 strength to the idea that the civilized withstand the evil in- 

 fluences of strange climates better than the uncivilized. When 

 negroes return to their own country from healthy lands, they 

 suffer as severely as foreigners ever do. 



