154 REPORT OF THE HARVARD AFRICAN EXPEDITION 
A stop was made at Grand Bassa near the mouth of the St. John River 
where fresh water was obtained, and the voyage then continued up the coast 
to Monrovia and thence by launch to Cape Mount. 
Care of Personnel. Apropos of travelling through parts of the virgin forest 
of Liberia today, it is interesting to recall some of Livingstone’s and Stanley’s 
experiences in early African travel. Livingstone, after a number of prolonged 
illnesses, finally died of dysentery in eastern central Africa, — the same disease 
which killed our celebrated naturalist, Carl Akeley, in Africa two years ago. 
Precautions against infectious disease in many tropical regions are still contin- 
ually necessary. Stanley, after having been unconscious and near unto death 
from fever on several occasions, said that he did not believe that, in respect 
to disease, parts of tropical Africa could ever be made safe for white men to 
travel through. On some of his expeditions he lost one-third of his personnel. 
In Stanley’s time, however, we did not have the knowledge which the scientific 
study of tropical diseases has brought to us in respect to the prevention and 
cure of many infections, and to hygiene and camp sanitation. The conditions 
in some of the forests of Liberia, and in some of those of other parts of central 
Africa that we travelled through, are virtually unchanged since the time when 
Stanley travelled through them. Our Expedition of eight Americans, which 
spent almost a year in tropical Africa, has demonstrated that in almost any 
part of tropical Africa white men can travel and not succumb to disease, pro- 
vided that they take the necessary hygienic precautions. 
Much thought and continual care, however, are required in exercising the 
proper precautions. Matters of especial responsibility are the sterilization of 
drinking water and in some districts the investigation of the condition of the 
water used for bathing; the food supply and its cooking; the selection of 
camp sites with reference to sanitation and the occurrence of blood-sucking 
Diptera, the precautions to be taken against certain of these biting insects, 
and finally the prophylactic use of quinine. 
The physical and mental condition of each member of the Expedition must 
be carefully and continually supervised. The men must be kept at work and 
interested. On long expeditions idleness almost invariably leads to discontent 
and trouble. The use and abuse of alcoholic drinks must be considered. In 
many isolated districts in the tropics where there is very little diversion, in- 
terest and enthusiasm must be aroused and maintained in the success of the 
Expedition, and each man made to feel how important his share in it is. In 
connection with these and other problems discipline is essential and must be 
maintained, if necessary even through the loss of some popularity. 
Daily exercise through walking is advisable except in the case of illness or dis- 
ability. The men must be informed and frequently advised and reminded of the 
risks of infection in the community, the nature of those risks, and the precautions 
to be taken in avoiding them. The care of the feet is obviously of very con- 
siderable importance where walking is the only means of transportation. The 
dangers of infection from going about camp or elsewhere in bare feet must be 
emphasized as well as the importance of wearing leggings and boots on the 
