435 
ON CORAL REEFS AS A CAUSE OF FEVER. 
seas. I must state however that in these parts Europeans 
alone make their settlements on the sea shore. The aborigi¬ 
nal inhabitants, even those who derive a considerable portion 
of their subsistence from the sea, invariably reside some dis¬ 
tance inland, going down to the sea coast oniy for the purpose 
of fishing or of trading with strangers. This renders the 
coast of Timor beyond the limits of the European settle¬ 
ments, the most inhospitable in appearance of any in the world. 
With the exception of about one or two, in spots frequented 
by foreign traders, not a habitation is to be seen except up 
the hills towards the interior. There, as far as regards Timor 
at least, the climate appears to equal that of any tropical coun¬ 
try—indeed on the elevated plains in the interior it is consider¬ 
ed to be scarcely inferior to that of Europe. With regard to 
your last query as to “ what I attribute the unhealthiness 
of Dilli to?’’ I have hitherto considered that the fresh water 
swamps at the back of the town coupled with the stagnation 
of the atmosphere were the primary causes; although I have 
been puzzled to account for the circumstance of the plain 
of Baboo near Coepang being comparatively free from malaria 
although similarly situated to Dilli, both with regard to fresh 
water swamps and to a range of hills bordering it on the land 
side. This however is your own particular ground, and I can 
only wish you success in working out the theory you have so 
ably started. It is certain that the coasts of Timor and all 
the neighbouring islands have fringing reefs of coral, dry at 
low water wherever the coast is not absolutely precipitous, 
and the usually stagnant state of the atmosphere must allow 
any malaria that may be engendered to have free effect, and 
at the same time there are many spots there known to be 
unhealthy where the total absence of fresh water swamps 
(which indeed are rare enough on the coasts of the island, the 
land generally rising abruptly from the sea) renders it neces¬ 
sary that some other objects must be looked to as the exciting 
causes of malaria. I think I have now furnished you with 
answers to all the queries contained in your notes. If you 
require any further information concerning parts with which 
I am acquainted, 1 trust you will make no ceremony in apply¬ 
ing for it, for I shall only be too happy if I can be of assis¬ 
tance to you in inquiries from which we may anticipate such 
important results, especially important too at the present 
moment, when about to extend our possessions in the Archi¬ 
pelago. 
&c., &c. # 
(Signed) Geo. Windsor Earl. 
