Evening star., 1899-03-18
TROPICAL CLIMATE
No Reason Why 1t Should Possess
Terrors for White Men.
IT REALLY HAS MANY ADVANTAGES
A Maximum of Production With a
Minimum of Labor.
IN SOUTHERN COUNTRIES
IT REALLY HAS MANY ADVANTAGES
IN SOUTHERN COUNTRIES

Alfred Russell Wallace in the Independent.
Can the tropics be permanently co1onized
fy Europeans. and particularly by men of
the Anglo-Saxon race? This is the ques
tion that now occupies much attention in
view of the mad struggle among the chief
European governments for a share of all
those parts of tropical Africa and Asia still
held by inferior races. And the general
opinion seems to be that there Is something
in the tropical climate inimical to Europe
ans. who cannot live and work there as the
natives can, and who must therefore be
content with a few years residence. occu-
pylng the country solely as rulers and as
exploiters Of native labor.
Again ami again the statement is made
in the public press. and by writer's of some
authority that white men cannot live and
work in the tropics and this dogma is
made the foundation of theories as to our
conduct toward the natives, and is often
held to justify US In inducing or compelling
them to work for us by methods which do
not very much differ in their results from
modified slavery. 1t therefore becomes inn
portant to ascertain whether this dogma is
true or false: and on this question, having
myself Iivei and worked for twelve years
within ten degrees of the equator in the
amazon valley and in the Malay archipel-
80 --N~'0 AOA d very ueIi0llt OpllilOn.
Climate and Disease.
A Few preliminary remarks are needed to
clear the ground In the first place. we
must clearly distinguish between the cli-
mate and the diseases of the tropics Most
people form their opinions from the effects
OF those tropical diseases which prevail in
the cities and towns where Europeans most
c0ngrcGate, or OF the climate in the very
worst portions of the tropical regions The
great trading centtrS OF tropical America
from Havana and Vera Cruz to Rio de
Janelro. owe their extreme unhealthiness to
two mann cause.-the absence of all effect
i've sanitary arrangements among the ma
tive population, and the fact that they were
Tor several centuries emporiums of the
save trade 1t is to this latter cause that
Dr. c. Creighton, one of the greatest au-
thoritieS on the history of epidemic dis
eases. traces the origin and persistence of
me 1atal yellow fever which is only epi-
demlc in the SlaVe-tTade area on the two
sides Of the Atlantic. The slave ships
REACHED their destination in state of in
deScrlbable filth, which year after year was
poured out into the Sha How waters of rho
harbors. and soon formed permanent con-
Stituent OF the soil between high and low
water marks. In the east there were no
@ @Such save ships and there is no yellow
lever. but the OverCrOTding in all centars
ot population and the neglect of sanitation
hoth by the natives and by their English
rulers IN India, who knowing better are
H.osl 10 blame, produce and propagate
Prague and other zymotic diseases nut
these ale i'll no way due to the tronicaI cIi
mate. since three centuries ago plague Was
as preTa .ent in the cities of England as il
Is nov in those of India
Tropical Marshes.
Still more commonly associated with the
tropics are the various forms of rnaIaria1
fevers. but these also are in no sense due
10 the climate, but simply to ignorant deal
ing with the soil My own experience has
shown me that swamps and marshes near
the equator are perfectly healthy so long as
lnt4 are left nearly in state of nature
that is, covered with a dense forest or
"ther vegetation. 1t is when extensive
IhdIshy areas are cleared for cultivation.
anu IoT halt the year are dried up by the
tfoplcal sun, that they become deadly
nave lived for months together in or close
10 tropical swamps, both in the Anazon
valley IN Borneo and in the Moluccas
Without a day 5 Illness; but when living in
open cultivated marshy districts I almost
invariably had malaria1 fever. though / he
leFe the worst types of these feyers are
que to unwholesome food. But here again.
iiisiiaEIa was equally prevalent in England
less than two centuries ago.
If We take the great belt. about oooo
miles VIDE, extending from II to IL degrees
horth ana south of the equator We have
an enormous area by far the larger part
OF which IS not only well adapted for Euro
peah colonization in the true sense that is
Tor permanent occupation by white men
Dut also with proper sanitary precautions
IIfe most healthy and enjoyable part of the
world. and that in which the Iaborer can
ohtain the maximum return with the min
lnlum OF toll. formed this opinion in ISL
Wheh returning down the Rio Negro and
Amazon after four years residence there
ana my subsequent eight years experience
IN the east has only confirmed it.
Could Perform Hard Labor.
At Para. in 1913. l saw a striking case of
how white man can work in the tropics
u tall, gentenanly young Scotchman. find
Ing no suitable occupation. and seeing that
good milk was scarce in the city. determin-
ed 10 turn miikman. He hired a hut and
some sheds about half a mile away. sur-
rounded by secOnd-gruwth forest ana
coarse grassy heids. obtained three or four
cows. and when ! made his acouaintanca
had got his business in full swing and his
Work was certainly rather heavy He lived
absolutely alone; all the fodder for bic
lows When IN milk had 10 be cut with
sc5the ana carried to the sheds where they
were kept: water had also to be brought 10
them. and the sheds kept clean. EaTIv In
The morning the cows were MIXED. filirg
two large cans, when he immediatni1
started for the city. carving them -
yoke across the shoulders in the ortbodox
manner. and making his rounds 10 ali tba
houses he served. Returning he had to get
ms own brt akfaSt. Then for several boi,rS
there was grass cutting and attendine to
the COWS, and getting his own dinner. YET
often IN the early evening he was dressed
and made calls. often at the very horses
ne mad served with milk in the morning
Notwithstanding this hard work. with the
thermometer from 50 to 81 degrees or nm
ward every day. he was the picture of
health and appeared to enjoy his life.
None the Worse for 1t.
1t is weli-known fact that in CavIon
and India the men who enjoy the best
heath are the enthusiastic sportsmen who
Seize every opportunity of getting AWAY
from civilization. and who often submit to
much privatioa and fatigue with benefit
rather than injury to their health Our
soldiers, again. even in the unhealthy eli
mate 0t India. most of which is really ONT
SIDE the tropics, have to do a good deal of
work, and when marching against an
enemy undergo much fatigue, and We do
not near that they are unequal to il on
account OF the neat. The same Is even
more clearly the case with our sailors
VINO 40 thelr regular work when stationed
IN the tropics, and do not suffer injury
ti'heF from the climate or the work If NOT
eNpoSeh 10 infectious disease while on
hhort- ne editor Of the Ceylor Observer
commenting on my letter in the Dailv
thronlcIe, aGduceS case after case nf Of
1iceTs. planters, doctors etc who have