The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-02-28
THE DREADFUL HEAT.

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irving. Isothermal charts indicate that it
The writer arrived at the town on the 29th
of January, and found the average temper
ature of midday about 800 Fahrenheit.
1t was then the rain season Of the coast,
and the temperature was at its lowest an
nual average. Rain fell nearly every day,
and the air was filled for several weeks with
heavy clouds, which completely hid from
view the magnificent mountain ranges OF
the interior. As the season advanced,
however, the region of rainfall receded from
the coast, and finally left the atmosphere
clear and cloudless, Then the sun held
undisputed sway over the low-lying coast
belt and the adjacent islands. The tenn
perature rapidly rose, and even before the
spring months were gone 1100 in the shade
was not uncommon. On the 9th of May
the sun passed the parallel of Massowah
on its northward voyage to the Tropic of
Cancer, and risked sunstroke to see the
the shadow of my head fall on my feet at
noon. At this season the midday heat was
intense, but in the early morning and after
sundown sea and land breezes prevailed,
which made life tolerable. The waters Of
the sea were also cool, and sea-bathing was
refreshing and delightful barring the risks
of an acquaintance with the sharp teeth of
the sharks). As the summer advanced,
however, the heat steadily increased, and
by the latter part of June land and sea had
reached the same temperature, and Tor
weeks not breath of air would stir. The
atmosphere became dense, moist and murky,
and covered the earth's surface like a wet
blanket. Day and night Europeans swell
tered and suffered without one moments
relief. Sea-bathing was no longer possible.
The whole body was covered with the
familiar heat eruption of the summer,
which is here an hundred-fold exaggerated.
To plunge into the tepid salt water IN that
condition was like covering ones self with
myriads of ants; while frequent bathing In
the sea at this season is sure to cause a
bountiful crop of boils. To cap the climax
of woes, one could do no work by day, and
found it almost impossible to sleep either
by night or day. For four months in the
summer of 1876 the thermometer never
once registered lower than $50, and fire.
quently stood, in the afternoon, above l25'
in the house.
During all this time there was but one
atmospheric phenomenon to break the dead,
/ dead calm. Several times during the sum-
mer there was a fierce sirocco from the
southwark. This only added new horrors
to the situation. These winds blow for a
thousand miles over the arid deserts south
of Massowah, and come loaded with sand,
and are as hot as the blast from furnace.
Doors and windows must be tightly shut
on their approach, otherwise life is endan-
gered even in the house. With doors and
windows thus closed. and the wind roaring
and bowling outside, you feel like one en-
trapped in a bake oven, and are not sur
prised to find the thermometer standing IN
the 140's or higher.
Even the natives dread the sirocco, though
they will lie in the open air and sleep at
midday with the sun shining vertically into
their faces. | once touched one of these
sleeping darkies on the forehead to see how
his skin felt, and it was painfully hot to
my hand