New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-28
LIQUOR IN THE TROPICS.
PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF MORTALITY OF
THE WHITE RACES IN THE ORIENT
AND IN AFRICA.

than the proposal OF the Chamber OF Commerce
Of Lagos to institute legal proceedings against
the Anglican Bishop Of Equatorial Africa for as
sorting in a letter which he recently published
In The London Times" that 70 per cent OF the
deaths OF Europeans on the coast of Africa are
due TO dyink-not necessarily drunkenness. but
drink, It being necessary to bear in mind the
distinction between the two words. In fact the
announcement Ia calculated to excite the undis-
guised merriment OF any one who. like myself,
has both visited and lived In the countries In
question. The statement Of the Bishop Is per-
fectly true. not only regards the white races
| in Equatorial Africa, but could be applied with
| equal truth TO the white races throughout the
length and breadth OF ASIA especially as re-
CARDS the tropical portion thereof In view OF
the acquisition OF the Philippines by the United
States. and the maintenance there Of a consider
! able force OF troops to protect the life and
property Of the American citizens who are GER
tain TO establish themselves in the archipelago
this question Of drink In the tropics is matter
OF timely interest and OF considerable impor-
| lance
with the object Of relieving the following
statements Of any imputation OF prejudice. l
would ask permission to state at the outset that
| have no connection Of any kind with any tenn
perance society either here In Europe, and
that II venture to raise my voice against the
| use OF stimulants In the tropics. and in fact,
| throughout the Orient. II is not as a matter OF
| principle but Of common-sense. and on the
| grounds OF health.
ENNUI THE CHIEF INCENTIVE TO DRINK.
| Aside from the craving for liquor by which
| 80 many men cursed. there ere three other
| incentives that drive white men to drink in
Equatorial Africa and throughout the Orient.
| OF these causes one Is undoubtedly the extreme
physical lasstude resulting from the climatic
| conditions. which seems to invite the use of
stimuants in order to revive mental and physi-
| cal energy Then there is the thirst which is
| the natural consequence Of the heat, coupled
| with the difficulty OF obtaining drinking water
absolutely free from germs and palatable.
Lastly there are the monotony. the absence OF
| excitement and the terrible ennui and virtual
solitude OF life in the Orient and in Equatorial
! Africa that drive men to drink. Experience
goes TO show that the last OF these three IN
| centives TO the use OF stimulants is the most
| powerful OF all. 1t is ennui more than anything
| else that leads the white residents Of tropical
countries to destroy their health both Of mind
and Of body by the excessive use Of stimulants
| Only those who have lived in countries such
as those to which refer-who have lived there
! not for pleasure but because they obliged
the awful feeling OF ennui that constitutes the
| chief shadow to residence in the Orient. Unless
| one happens to be deeply interested in some
abstruse study of the religious or scientific con-
ditions Of the people of the place. social inter-
! course with the natives quickly pals upon one;
| and although there is certain amount of
| good fellowship and cameraderie among the
whites in the Orient due perhaps to the fact
! that they feel themselves members OF the same
race, among a people Of absolutely different ORR
| gin and civilization yet the absence of variety,
the inevitable restriction. to the same small cir
! Gle Of acquaintances. the narrowness and lack
| Of novelty in the local interests. all conduce to
| that frghtful rnonotony which brings about the
blues and an inordnate craving for excitement,
even when the latter takes the form Of a resort
to the brandy bottle.
EFFECTS OF A sOJOURN ON PERRIN.
No stronger illustration Of this influence Of
ennui can be afforded than the experience OF
the British Admiralty. Drunkenness is rare
among the officers OF men-of-war and OF cruis-
ers. But II Is terribly common on the part OF
the officers commanding the gunboats patroliing
the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and other equally
out OF the way stations The gunboats are usu-
ally in charge Of lieutenant and OF two. or
more often one mldshipman. Inasmuch as one
OF the officers is ordinarily on the sick list from
the effects Of the climate or on duty, the re-
naming officer is condemned 10 solitude being
debarred by naval etiquette from familiar inter-
course with his petty officers and men. no mat
ter how intelligent they may happen to be-
Thus left 10 his own resources. the officer. un-
less he happens TO be a man OF singulary strong
mind and OF high principle. resorts 10 the bottle
in order TO chase away the blues engendered by
ennui.
In nine cases out of ten when one reads
OF an officer OF the British Navy being
court-martialled for drunkenness It will be
found that he has been serving on a gun
boat on some tropical station. rather than
on a man-o war and the same rule ap-
plies to the unfortunate white officers in
command OF the detachment OF native troops
occupying the island of Perrin that sweeps with
its guns the narrowest portion Of the Red Sea.
II used to be a matter Of current report at Alden
that two officers were necessary at Perrin. ow
ing 10 the fact that one was invariably incapacf-
tated from duty by delirum tremens, while
there is another story about the remaining OFF,
Ger boldly stopping the British mail steamer by
means Of a gun across its bows In order to ex-
act from the commander couple Of bottles OF
brandy the excuse being that II was Christmas
Day This plea however did not prove Of any
avail when the officer in question court
martialled for the affair, and put on half pay.
It is ennui too. that constitutes the bane OF
the French in Cochin China and In Tonquin, |
and IL the mortality OF officers and soldiers. like
wise OF officials and merchants. there Is so great
II is because every spare hour is spent slipping |
absinthe cognac and other equally Injurious
drinks In those cafes which are the only species
OF enterprise that seems TO thrive In Frances
colonial dependencies. Nothing is more pitiable |
he axicf Of he Ofn ar
Saigon where TIE air OF boredom and moral |
lassitude seems 20 impregnate the very atmos |
phere with dreariness from which refuge is |
sought by the use OF stimuants.
In India this ennui Is in a measure dispelled |
by devotion sports OF one kind and another.