Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-10-06
WHITES IN AFRICA.
MAY KEEP HEALTHY IF THEY LIVE
PROPERLY.

mate, tOOu ana 10
Preserve Health From tho Excessive
Heat.
"Africa was long dreaded on account
of its climate" said Mrs. Nehne, re-
turned missionary the osher day. Only |
a dozen years ago white persons were |
regarded as foolhardy who went there.
There seemed nothing but death be-
sacrificed their lives.
Now it is quite different. Even |
white women can live in Africa for
years. Still it is not fair to say that
the climate has changed in the least. |
We must rather say that the whites
have learned from experience how to
counterfeit the climatic Influences and
are better able to live there now than
formerly. Generally, if persons are
careful and do not abuse themselves
in any way, they have a fair chance of
standing the wear and tear Of tropical
life but white person can not live
like an African native on the 'root-hog-
or-die' principle, but must gradually
get used to the changed conditions.
Many valuable lives have been lost
because men and women expected to live
diu WOlh ltht luC lldllNCo, Uul, dlcios
| their mistakes soon cost them their
lives. Even the strongest were not
able to stand it, and then the climate
was blamed for it. Others among the
officials and merchants live immoral
| lives, drinking and carouSing from
morning ill night. They, too, soon
have to pay for their folly, and again
| the climate gets the blame. The eli
| of ic hol
fair specimen of Equatorial Africa.
1t is certainly trying to ALL 1t seems
strange to the white residents to be
| obliged to close their doors and win
dows right after shutdown, at O'Clock.
The heavy dews begin to fall then and
makes everything very damp. The
temperture varies greatly. From April
| to October, which is our dry time on
the French Congo, the thermometer is
often down as low as Sc deg. Farhen-
heit during the night and early morn
ing, but rises in the daytime to So deg.
and even higher.
"Fevers will come to all, and the ex-
perences of the newcomers are some
times amusing to the older residents.
Even the strongest are like babes
during the first few attacks of fever,
| dIlu every Oue lullhS lie Is SURELY SOluS
TO die; but after a few attacks one finds
that fevers are endurable after all, and
that there is nothing like getting used
to them. Plenty of blankets, plenty of
hot tea or coffee with lime juice and
an abundance Of quinine are all that is
necessary to bring speedy recovery if
evething else is favorable.
Fever is often induced by eating
H.. L
er time. The morning seems to be the
only proper time for eating fruit, and
pineapples are not very safe for any
one in that climate, especially when
they are gathered in the hot sun.
THE native food is very good eating
for those who like it, but it is not
possible to live on it in the native man
ner. At first no one likes it, but one
; gets used to it, if compelled to do SO
The staple food in our region is the
. cassava root, or 'meaca,' as the natives
call it. This root is sometimes twelve
), to eighteen inches in length and thre
: to four inches in diameter, tapering t.
a point.
when the roots have matured they ar
;, dug up, pared and then soaked in waite
for two days or longer, until they ar
soft to the touch. When the roots ar
: soft they are taken out, washed, PLACED
in baskets made of palm leaves and pu
= into the storeroom ready for cooking
They are then scraped and cut int
> small pieces an inch long and half incl
thick and steamed The steamer is pre-
pared in a novel way. Into an iron pc
peices of bamboo are placed in layer!
: two. or three inches deep. Water il
/. poured in SO as to nearly cover thu
= bamboo. Then leaves are put over thi
: and on the sides. Small holes ar
- punched through the leaves to let TIL
steam pass. Now the steamer is read.
, and the pieces of cassava root are lait
!. in until the pot is filled and it is theI
= covered with leaves which are secure
: with splints of bamboo. Half an hour o
. steaming finishes the process
;, Then the pot is removed from TIL
:. fire and uncovered. Plates are read.
, and a bowl of clean water is standing
near to enable the cook to wet her hand
when handling the hot pieces. A ma
tive never eats anything hot.
Another way to prepare the cassay
is to make native bread of it.
Bananas and plantains grow i
j. abundance, if they are properly cult Iat
= ed. They are reIished by natives an
- Europeans and formed welcome add
ton to our table at all times, boiled
:. roasted or fried Corn or maize Is raise
in some districts, but too sparingly to b
:. of much account. Peanuts are plentifu
~ and beans are grown also. A kind G
sweet potato grows which differs frol
the American variety. 1t is white an
-, not nearly so sweet. A small tomat
- grows we'll in Central Africa, but cal
bage, lettuce, peas, and the vegetable
7, we relish at home can only be grow
:, during the dry season with gres
- deal of trouble.
= Fish abounds in sea and river, an
oyster beds, too, are found in som
places. Game Is plentiful-birds, ant
lopes, deer and brush pig. A natiy
hunter can procure game easily, a
20 though white residents are not vel
;n successful. Fresh meat is far MOI
70 healthful than anything sent to AfriC
~ in it's place. Chickens and eggs can
a. bought of the natives and are qui
n cheap. Some of the natives eat MOI
~ keys and snakes. ] have tried monkt
70 and found it very good but We dra
~ the line on snakes and tigers.
r, Elephant and hippopotamus a
O. very good eating, but. rather cour
+ and tough. After all when one ge
accustomed to native living it is ca:
to get along with few things additio
al from Europe, such as -four, suga
. 1,,,f{or oud fr,,it NOT m forgot tpa cOff