Life at Ribe. 
133 
and nothing to look upon but scenes of degradation 
and depravity. 
Under such circumstances it were impossible for a 
man to live, unless he were either one of essentially low 
tastes, of cold, phlegmatic, indifferent, stolid tempera- 
ment, having some strong cowardly or selfish motive 
actuating him ; or unless, on the other hand, he were 
moved by a deep conviction of duty, and were devot- 
ing himself to such a life for the s^ke of introducing 
the means which, in his estimation, should improve 
and raise the state of things around him to his own 
level. Men of the former type are to be found, both 
in and out of the ranks of missionaries, but the true 
missionary is of the latter class ; and the life he has 
to lead becomes tolerable for the sake of the great 
work he has in hand. 
But before his labours can be commenced in a 
country like Africa, the climate has to be grappled 
with and conquered. No man can live long in the 
jungles of East Africa without being attacked by the 
mkunguru," the fever of the country. I v/ill try to 
describe it. It is a severe intermittent. It comes 
upon you, first, in a strong rigour, which makes the 
teeth chatter in your head, and shakes your whole 
frame with extreme violence ; this, in time, yields to 
an intense burning, that almost consumes you. This 
stage is attended with severe pains in the head, tend- 
ing to, and often culminating in, delirium. Lastly a 
profuse perspiration breaks out, and you almost melt 
away, saturating pillow and mattress through and 
through. This over you feel the fever gone, but you 
are reduced to the weakness of a child. A similar 
attack, however, may be expected on the following 
