New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-15
WHITE MEN IN TROPICS.
ALFRED Russell WALLACE SAYS THEY
CAN LIVE AND WORK THERE
IF THEY LIKE.
From The Independent.

From The Independent.
Can the tropics be permanently coonized by
Europeans. and particularly by men or the
Anglo Saxon race? This is the question that
/ now occupies much attention In view OF the
m id struggle am lrg the chief European Gov
ernments for share OF all those parts Of tropi-
cal Africa and Asia still held by inferior races
And the general opinion seems 10 be that there
is something in the tropical climate inimlcai TO
Europeans who cannot live and work there as
the natives can, and who must, therefore, be
content with few years residence occupying
the country solely as rulers. and as eXploiters
Of native labor.
Again and again the statement is made in
the public press. ard by writer's Of some au-
thority that white men cannot live and work
In the tropics and this dogma is made the
foundation Of theories to our conduct toward
the natives and is often held TO justify us in
inducing or compelling them 10 work for us by
methods which do not very much differ In their
results from modified slavery. 1t therefore be
comes important TO ascertain whether thls
dogma IL true false, and on this question,
having myself lived and worked for twelve
years within ten degrees Of the Equator In the
/ Amazon Valley and in the Malay Archipelago,
/ have formed very definite opinion.
A few preliminary remarks are needed 70 clear
/ distinguish between the climate and the dis
/ eases Of the tropics. Most people form their
opinions from the effects Of those tropical dis
eases which prevail in the cities and towns
/ where Europeans most congregate. or Of the
/ climate in the very worst portions OF the tropl-
! cal regions The great trading centres OF
| tropical America from Havana ana vera OIus
! to Rio de JaneirO, owe their extreme unhealthi-
two main cause.-the absence OF all
! effective sanitary announcements among the
/ native population and the IaCt lhht inc! WIZ
FOR several centuries empOriums or the slave
trade. II is TO this latter cause that Dr. O.
/ Creighton, Of the greatest authorities on
the history OF epidemic diseases. traces the
origin and persistence of the fatal yellow FEVER
! which is only epidemic in the slave-trade area
/ on the two sides OF the Atlantic. The slave
/ ships reached their destination In a state or IN
! describable filth, which year after year was
poured out into the shallow waters Of the har-
! bors and soon formed permanent constituent
! Of the soil between high and low water marks.
! In the East there were such slave ships ana
! there IS no yellow fever; but the overcrowdng
! IN all centres Of population and the neglect OF
| sanitation both by the natives md by their
! English rulers In India, who knowing better are
! most to blame produce and propagate plague
! and other zymotic diseases. But these are In
| no way due 70 the tropical climate, since three
| centuries ago plague was as prevalent IN the
! cities Of England II rs now In those OF lndIa'
still more commonly associated with the
tropics are the various forms OF melaral tevers'
| hut these aleo are in sense due 10 the climate
! but simply 70 ignorant dealing with the SOIL.
| Ny own experience has shown me mat sWahps
! and marshes near the Equator are perfectly
! healthy so long they are lert nearly In state
| Of nature-that IS. covered with dense torest or
| areas are cleared for cultivation, and for half
/ the year are dried up by the tropical SUM- that
! they become deadly. I have lived for months
! toyathar in or close 70 tropical swamps. both IN
! the Amazon Valley in Borneo and In the Moluc-
| cas- without a days illness but when living IN
| open cultivated marshy districts ! almost IN
| variably had malarial fever, though DeheVe the
worst types Of these fevers are que 10 uh-
| wholesome food. Bat here again, malaria was
equally prevalent in England less than TWO
| centuries ago. ,s
| miles vide extending from twelve TO fifteen de-
grees north and south Of the Equator, we nave
| an enormous area, by far the larger par ol
| which Is not only well adapted for European
colonization in the true sense. that is' TOT per
manent occupation by white men out IS also
| with proper sanitary precautions the Hoss
| healthy and enjoyable part OF the world, ana
! that in which the labOrer can obtain the maxi
| mum return with the minimum or toll l rorneu
! this opinion in 1901 when returning down .ne
| Rio Negro and Amazon after four years resi-
| derca tha-e and my subsequent eight years
! evnerienoe in the East has only confirmed H.
! A. para in 1S4S | n striking case OF
| how white man can work In the tropics
tou qentlenanlv young ScOtchman, finding no
| suitable occupation. and seeing that good mix
Us scarce in the city determined 10 turn milk
/ man He hired A nut and some sheds ABOUT nan
| a ,,ia avav surrounded by second growth for
! est and coarse grassy fields obtained three or
| four COWS and when ] made his acquaintance
| 80 GOT bis business in full swing and his work
| was certainly rather heavy. He lived apsoiute.y
! alone. all the fodder for his cows when IN MIX
| rad 70 be cut with a scythe and carried 10 the
! sheds where they were kept, water mao also 10
! be brought 10 them, and the sheds Kept cream
! Early in the morning the cows were nuheu
| filing two large cans, when ne lhHleuldlelS
| started for the city carrying them from yoke
| across the shoulders in the orthodox manner
! and making his rounds 10 all the houses he
| served Returning he had to get his own break
| fast Then for several hours there was grass
| cutting and attending 10 the cows ana gettlhS
| his own dinner. Yet often in the early evening
! he ves dressed and made calls often at the very
| houses ne had served with milk In the morning
| Notwithstanding this hard work with the ther-
! rnoroeter from 80 70 90 degrees or upward every
! day. he the picture or heaItn ana apPeaTeu
TO enjoy his life. $780,,
| India the men who enjoy the best health are the
! enthusiastic spOrtsmen who seize every oppor-
| tunity Of getting away from civilization, ana
| who often submit TO much priVauOn and fatigue
| with benefit rather than injury 10 their health
| our soldiers again. even I'm the unhealthy ell
| mate Of India most OF which is really outside
| the tropics have to do a good deal OF work ana
when marching against enemy undergo much
| fatigue and do not hear that they are un-
! equal 10 II on account Of the heat. The same Ia
| even more clearly the with our sailors, who
| do their regular work when stationed In the
troncs and do not suffer injury either from the
! climate or the work II not exposed 70 infeo-
! tious disease while on shore The Editor or
tor in 1.-THE Daily Chronicle" adduces case after
case Of officers, planters, doctors, etc. who have
! lived from twenty-five up 20 htty-eight years IN
| Cevlon and have retained almost continuous
! good health He also refers 10 Dutch families
| descended from settlers who came out from one
| hundred and fifty to two hundred years ago,
| and who have maintained average good health.
! ev-en in the hot country Of the plains
! In the Moluccas there are even more striking
examples many OF the Dutch families having
| been continuously the islands for three hun
| bred years and they nave stli the rair com
| plexions and robustness Of form characteristic
| ~ ,beir kinsfolk in Holland. The Government
! phvsician at Amboyna German. assured me
! also that the race IS quite as prolific M In Eu-
| rome. families OF ten or dozen children being
! not uncommon The Dutch. however, live SEN
| sfblv in the tropics doing all their official work
! between the hours Of ! and II a m, resting in
the afternoon, and going out In the evening;
| Rut perhaps the most conclusive example is
| that OF Queensland. the climate OF which IL com
| pletely tropical; yet white men work In every
| part ~ II whether as gold miners. sheep shear
| ers sugar workers or railway builders there
| bss never been any complaint that white men
| cannot work while almost all the heavy mechan-
icai work OF the country engineering OF every