Huntsville gazette., 1893-07-15
REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA.
The Views of Ex-MiriSte ter John
n. Smyth,
Its Climate. Peoples and Thei
CharactericS.
From the Colored American

1
people than the Hon. John h. Smyth,
who for eight years represented this
government as U. s. Minister Resident
and Consul General at Monrovia, Libe-
ria. The recent sad death OF Hon. W.
D. Mccoy, who was appointed Minister
to that country by late lamented Mr..
Hayes has created considerable dis
cussiou as to the advisability of sending
men of mixed blood to represent this
government to Liberia. A representa-
tive of the Colored American has sues
ceeded in getting an interview with Mr..
Smyth on points touching the climate
of Liberia. character OF the native races,
cost of living in that country. and the
effect Of its Innate upon health
| To the first question Mr. Smvth said:
From careful notice and observation OF
the temperature at Monroyia, and about
thirty miles up the river st. AL, dur
ing eight years, l may say with certain,
| ty that there was not more than an
average variation during that time be.
tween the dry and rainy season, the
summer anu winter season lin westel n
parlance), each six months long of more
tnan 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The tenn
perature for six months of the year is
IS degrees and other six months rs de-
grees. This uniform heat is without
exception humid heat; this heat though
| by no means extreme for the southern
part of the United States, or South
America is very enervating to Euro
peans, white people and persons OF pro-
nounced mixed blood, mulattoes.
Blacks born out of the country not
predisposed to make bile. acclimate in
Liberia and Sierra Leone readily and
seem to thrive quite as we'll as their
native bretren do in tropical parts of the
United states. The mangrove tree
which thriyes in the lowlands of Liberia,
and all along the west coast of Africa,
like other tropical flora, grows iuxurant-
ly, and in its vicinity numerous vegeta-
BILE growths are constantly springing up,
riDening and dying the year round
which produce malaria, this with hui
midity seems to be the direct agency of
what is commonly known as African
fever which is bilious fever and is in
termittent and remittent in form.
Another cause of fever is sitting where
drafts of air 9 ch the body, which too
suddenly chlils it. Much of the food
common to the country is febrile such as
plums, pine apples, all varieties of banan-
as, except the very delicately favored
small yellow variety called in Africa ''lady
finger" sour sap, sweet sap, lemons,
lines, butter, pears, cassaria, bread fruit,
and rice, are nutritious, and if not health.
full certainly harmless the year round.
The lime for favoring as beverage is
delicately delicious, and as cooling
agency during fever as useful and as
beneficial to the African as ice 10 the
American. Several kinds of fish are
fever producers. All spirits and wines
cause fever, except the wine Of the bam-
boo and oil palm trees. and Bordeaux
| claret. The most careful system of die
| tary should be used during the first year
of residence in Liberia and West Afrists
to the end of reducing the volume anu
temperature of the blood suited to that
peculiar tropic region. This change of
the blood is easier of plishLaent
between childhood and youth than be-
tween the ages of thirty and forty.
Persons who 60 to West Africa who are
on the shady side OF fory years, who
have not previously lived in the country
(Africa). acclimatise with difficulty, Of
ten never. To the acclimated, to the
native of The soil, or foreigner not ac,
climated, in some sections there is fever,
just as In parts of Rome, and Boetia in
Greece, it is not looked upon az any
thing serious or alarming.
The native races of Liberia, Gohlas
Kroo's Grey bOes, Bassas and Veys are
among the most numerous, and assimi-
late civilized habits OF life most readily;
and the males acquire fair speaking
knowledge of English with great facility
and in snort time. The contact of ma
women with Observation-Disclosures is rare,
due to the habit of espionage, which
prevents them acquiring a foreign tom
gue as readily as males.
l have not time to describe the races
but may say in the general of them all
that they are good neighbors.
The recent troubles with the Grey
boes dates back to 1876 and had it's orr
{ in through a white man, who claimed
American citizenship, Julio by name.
And the desire of Port of entry by the
Greyboes below Cape Palmas, which
the government failed to grant them
AS to the cost OF living in Africa. The
cheapest, best, and wisest living in Afri.
ca is IN native products and in native
fashion. Foreign food is expensive,
and the salt food unhealthy An imi.
grant, conscious of the possession of a
liver or OF any latent disease acquired
or Inherited cannot enj y good health
in Liberia.
The statistics of health. OF births
and deaths of Europeans in Algeria,
Egypt, South Africa, and such data as
far as obtainable in Senegal, West Afri-
ca,indcate pretty conclusively that
natura conditions will haye to undergo
great changes ere Europeans will be able
to c9lonize any portion OF Africa littrai.
Africa for AT leans has been the rule
rule from Heroditus to Livingstone; this
seems to be VI rified despite the Dutch
and Portuguese mongrel moribund
communities OF St. Thomas, Kongo, and
and South Africa Libe. ia has had
peculiarly unfortunate experience
through the encouragement given to
indiscriminate negro and colored imi-
grafton.
Liberia is regarded in West Afries AZ
the best agricultural part of West Airs
ca, and the most healthy not excepting
the Island OF S Thomas Garnet and
HopkiLs were negroes, they died in
Africa from fever, the one on account
| n Vac h4