The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-28
WEST AFRICA.
LIFE AND CIVILIZATION ON THE WEST COAST.
OLD CALABAB RIVER, WEST COAST or AFRICA,
February 2S 1875, (

LIFE AND CIVILIZATION ON THE WEST COAST.
OLD CALABAB RIVER, WEST COAST or AFRICA,
February IS, 1875.
send you few lettings rom this outoftne-
way place. residence or more than year mas
enabled mo 10 LOOK around generally, and give
you BIRDS eye view or our locator and some idea
OF our lotos life here.
THE ENGLISH TRADING STATION
il hers-and "neren Is Iorty.hye miles from
the coast and about six miles from the connu.
ence or the Cross and tho Old CalaDar rivers
The former OF these is apparently an outflow or
the Niger, one OF the necks that lead to the sew
eral delta-mouths OF that imperrecsly explored
r1yer. The old Calabar is an independent river
but not long. Its value lies IN its safe har-
Dor. The tide at TINS point Is full six
feet, ana rapid and strong az that. The course
OF the river Is nearly southwest, with slight
turn before II reaches the Gun or Guinea. Tue
southeast bank Is ike IN eastern bank Of the Mis-
slsslppl-hIgn and abrupt-Whlie tue opposite
bank is one low malaral manRToye swamp; so
low and lagoon-hke with water and so tangled
ana complicated in the jungle form OF lts growth
that nothing short or the broad-iooted negro. or
human life, ever attempts TO enter IL. tn
bun Just mere rises between 100 and 300 feet
above the surface Of the stream. Upon the high
est point or this southeast blum IL percned the
mission house, while In the amphltheatrical val.
ley. sco0ped out rom the Hill, rspOses-and IL Is
dead asleep-tne town OF Old Calabar. Tnis val
ley IS picturesque TO the eye. Dut 10 the otner
senses, especially 10 the oil actories IL Is Tepu.-
BIve 10 the last degree. The streets or Cologne
are nothing 60 II Tor smells. II Is hot, too,
year in and year ont, beyond descrlp.
ton. Even the Thermometer cannot give
a clear idea OF the feeling OF neat. which
comes or the moisture as wen as Of the heat
growth crowding everywhere, except where
there are clearIngs-and these not numerous-for
cultivation or Ior residences. The roads through
the country are unique and not OF the turnpike
siyls. They are made BY nature, aud civilization
TO great extent taxes shape alter them. That 49,
during Tue rainy season-irom the list OF July 70
the lat OF Noyember--the roads are tue river beds
(called In Arabia the Uddys), along which the
ram streams lIaNci ~ tne INets Auu uurlnR tue
resi- OF the year these beds are used as travel
roads or foot, horse and yehlce; and wretcned
maxe-shilts they are. They are frequently two
ieet below the surrounding country Each village
10 the dwelling place Oh separate
tribe. 80 eaned. wnich Is In facs
tiioes has Its Own dIaecl, often It's own LANGUAGE,
elaSuc ana pasilc Is such human speech as
lhese primitive peoples use. There are several or
these villages near our station, and on lu;urs
occa ion hope TO give yoa some personal ooser-
ysuons among shem
THE ASPECTS or NATURE.
from the window at which I write look over a
scope OF twenty or thirty miles OF forests, swamps
are lnconsIdsraoie concerns, but bulky creeks
during tns RAINY season. Besides tho rainy sea
son, which ends ABOUT the LIST OF November, we
nave two others. The nrst IL called tine smokes,
ana IL lasts noariy two months IL Is little sug-
gesuye OF our Indian sum ner, az lar as ITS hazo
goes. but II 10 hut-al tue seasons arc not. Tue
Smokes are dense vapors and logs Before
breakfast, say at nine o'ciocE A. NJ, the whole
river and lowlands arc obscurcd totally, so tnat
the shippin ying ONLY hunoTed leet away, Is
Invisible. About nine O'Clock these river mlsts
vanish, and over all the country around broods a
hRy nat
visible Various theories prevail as TO the ortgi1
or these smokes. one IS thIt theg are the dust
clouds blown down mere nom tue sahara. An
other, and by all odds should say the more proo-
able one, Is tnat they are caused bY the colder
wind rom the Interior mountains WHICH con-
deuses the vauor In the air, out not quite TO the
point OF RAIN This wind n known as the HaF-
from tne interior during thaf November snd De
cemDer part Of the year Iae vino ltscll is DRY
ana noxiout 9as "a. tn True cool. cooler ,sSa
the two other seasons-tne RAINY and the CRY.
The dry sets Ia At tue beginning OF ne year and
at the close 81 the smoE aud lass until the LIST
Of Julv, AZ before mentioned. The general TEN
peratnre mere, especially during the cooler part
man he coast regions ON our Carolina. Georgia
and Florida coasts.
THere are here
Two POINTS or CIVILIZATIONS
the Engsn trading station, winch has its head
quarters on the elgnt tracing hniks wnieh lie IA
window, aud the mission Station up mere on tue
CT d, 800 eet above tue sluggish waters. II is
nafdly ldI 70 lnCtuuo TIC boWu III tuta Hak VI
living things, II Is 50 sluggish and eDby and
has 30 little lite aud ylT0r. The trading Stauoa
Is an agency ol tae British company, Waose head
quarters are In Liverpool. The sgcncy repI escnt5
tue home company In us trade with the interior,
ana the town IL tue corresponding interior
agency for tne thousands Of small Traders OF the
country, Three SAILING vessels are now dlscnarg-
ing cargo for tho hulks, and the British mail
steamer departing usually once week Tor
Liverpool Hes ready 20 receive Its reights for the
h, me storeh0uses. We nave sometimes neavJ
dew, but nave mad little or 1t tnus far ia the
season. When II does rain in the tropics II rains.
We are in less than four degrees (n0rtn latttudel
or the equator and the difTe ence Ia heat between
these heigntg ana tue centre Of the earta depends
FAR more on elevation SnaR On DISTANCE