PRECAUTIONS. 



171 



bly increase the fever, and thus prove prejudicial ; but if 

 the pulse did not indicate much fever, he thought that the 

 patient, even although reduced and enfeebled, had great 

 inducement to make trial of the colony, as he never found 

 any, in these circumstances, fail of being benefitted by 

 making it a temporary place of residence." 



There are some precautions however, which need to be 

 carefully observed by persons from a northern climate visit- 

 ing Jamaica. They should be careful not to lay off 

 flannel if accustomed to wear it, and to put it on, if they 

 are not accustomed to it. A thin flannel next the skin is 

 uniformly worn by the white inhabitants, and is indis- 

 pensible to a stranger. It is unwise to dress too thinly 

 over flannel. I found many old residents in Kingston 

 wearing black cloth coats and pantaloons, and hats all the 

 time, and some of them told me they never wore any 

 other than cloth outer garments. I tried it myself during 

 the last week of my stay upon the island, and was not 

 conscious of feeling the heat any more oppressive than 

 when I wore linen altogether. The strong and steady 

 breezes by day and night, make woollen garments a neces- 

 sary protection from the sudden changes of temperature to 

 which the surface of the skin is constantly exposed here. 



To my own countrymen, it may be well enough to say, 

 that in preparing to visit this island, it is not worth their 

 while to supply themselves largely with under clothing, as 



