RA 943 G75w A A : : 4 : 9 ■ 4 \ 2 [ 5 I 3 [ 8 - onai ity ^m WESI- IFRICAN P6GKET.--:B0:OK. FIFTH EDITION. THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES r<'- |t' 2-- THE WEST AFRICAN POCKET BOOK.// A GUIDE FOR NEWLY=APPOINTED GOVERNMENT OFFICERS Compiled by direction of the Secretary of State for the Colonies. FIFTH EDITION. November, 1920. Price 2/- Net. PUBLISHED HY THE CROWN AGENTS FOR THE COLONIES, 4, MILLBANK, S.W. i. 1930, WAir.BF.ow i; Sons Limitkl', LoNuny Wall, Loxdox. CONTENTS. G75v I. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7, 8. 9. 10. PAGE General notes on West Africa 5 Outfit and preparations in England 7 Voyage out and arrival in West Africa 9 Mosquitoes and Disease . 12 Personal hygiene .... 22 Care of quarters . 27 Food and drink .... 29 Travelling and bush life . 33 Work and amusement 37 The return to England 40 APPENDICES: a. Details of outfit. Clothes, camp kit, medicines, provisions 42 h. Furniture 51 ''. Uniform 53 d. Cooking recipes 56 e. Diseases and accidents . . . . .60 /. Tables of temperature and rainfall . . .70 ILLUSTRATIONS : European House Mosquitoes Bad site of European House Mosquito net and camp bed Scenes in Nigeria Olotiina I'alpalit OPPOSITK PAOK . 15 16 & 17 . 23 . 25 . 34 . 65 I A At »^y^i^ r'r^^*y Corrections and suggesUoiis fur the improvement of this booh will be welcome at any time, and nin,y be sent direct to the Colonial Office. It is hoped that Officers of local experience will fully avail themselves of this opportwnity of being of service to new ami ine.vperiencecl brother officers. s GENERAL NOTES ON WEST AFRICA. The British possessions in West Airica are the Grambia, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast (inchiding Ashauti and the Northern Territories), and Nigeria (Northern Provinces and Southern Provinces). Portions of the ex- German Colonies of Togoland and the Cameroons are at present administered by officers seconded from the Gold Coast and Nigeria respectively. The Gambia is a strip of territory on the banks of the river of that name, about 4,000 square miles in area, with a popidation of about 200,000. Sierra Leone is as large as Scotland, with a population of about one and a half millions. The Gold Coast, with Ashanli and the Northern Territories, is nearly equal in area to England and Scotland, and has a population roughly estimated at two millions. The area of Nigeria is more than five times the size of England and Scotland. Its population is about seventeen milHons. The number of European officials in each is approximately as follows : — Gambia ... ... ... ... 40 Sierra Leone — European Colonial officials 250 ) o.j , Officers in the Garrison ... 80 j ' Gold Coast 700 Nigeria 1,750 All these possessions lie within the tropics. wing- to their great extent much variation of climate is met with, but considerable heat is general, as, except in the Northern Provinces of Nigeria, there are no very elevated tracts, and on the coast and near it the climate is also very moist. The climate should be 6 regarded with at least as much respect as would "be given to tliat of the lees developed parts of India, and officers should etudj how life may be made comfort- able and healthy under the conditions they are likely to meet with. The general standard of comfort attained by Europeans in West Africa, if not equal to that reached in India, is improving, and individuals can do much to raise it if they will take the necessary trouble. The seasons of the year are divided into the wet and the dry, and there is no cold season, except in some of the Northern Provinces of Nigeria and the northerly districts of the Gold Coast. In Sierra Leone the dry season lasts from November to April or May. In the Gambia the dry season extends from about the middle of October to about the end of June. The atmosphere is, however, moist as a rule in October, November, May and June, and therefore very trying to white people. In the Gold Coast the dry season lasts from December to March, and is followed by tornadoes in April and May. The rainy season lasts from June to November, usually with a break in August and September. In Nigeria the seasons are similar to those on the Gold Coast ; but there is a marked difference in humidity between settlements on the coast, such as Lagos, Warri, and (klabar, and inland stations such as Oyo, Ifon, Udi, and Okigwi. In the Northern Provinces of Nigeria the dry season is cooler and at times cold. The Harmattan, a dry, dusty wind, blows from the Sahara during the dry season. OUTFIT AND PREPARATIONS IN ENGLAND. The liealth and comfort of an officer largely depend on his taking out from England a satisfactory kit, which need not however be a large one. Details of the various articles requu-ed will be found in Appendix A, but it may be repeated here that no one should fail to take out an efficient mosquito net, a pair of well- made comfortable mosquito boots, a tropical eun hat, a white umbrella (or a black one with a white cover), and some quinine. All officers in Nigeria and all others who are at all Kkely to have to travel by laud will require to take camp outfit, except tents, which will be supplied by the Government when required. Such officers should remember that 50 lbs., or at most 60 lbs., is the heaviest load that can be borne by one cai'rier, ami that every thing must be bought and packed subject to this consideration. Accordingly they will do well to limit their baggage to the smallest possible compass and to the lightest possible weiglit. Those to whom economy is an object should beware of buying everything which the outfitter suggests as necessary, but, on the other hand, nothing is saved by omitting essential articles which will have to be bought later in West Africa, probably at higher prices. Table crockery and cutlery, table linen, pots and pans and kitchen cloths, are required, and bed-clothes must always bo taken out. A cam]) bed is necessary lor all officers who have to travel. Kitchen utensils should be packed separately from other articles, and so as to be available for service at onoe, if necessary, when landing in West Africa. 8 It is decidedly economical and often necessary to take out some provisions. At Freetown, Sierra Leone, it used to be possible to obtain provisions cheaply at the large stores, but provisions, crockery and cooking utensils are at present difficult to obtain there, and ofticers would be well-advised to take out a supply from England. All officers proceeding to Nigeria should, if possible, take out a stock of the more essential provisions sufficient for 12 months. These can easily be disposed of if not required, and much inconvenience in very many instances is avoided by having them. One case should be specially packed with all that will be required for one week. Officers should stipulate to their agents that all provisions must be specially put up and packed for the tropics. An officer should provide himself with a list of his packages, on a card or strong piece of paper, and a list of the contents of eacli package, which should be numbered on the outside for the purpose of identification. 9 VOYAGE OUT AND ARRIVAL IN WEST AFRICA. Nevep be parted from your Mosquito Net. The systematic use of quinine should he commenced the daj hefore touching the West African coast, and kept up during residence in West Africa and for at least six months after return to Europe, unless an officer is medically advised to do otherwise. luahility to take quinine should he regarded as an absolute bar to residence in tropical x^frica. The systematic use of quinine may he followed in whichever of the four foUowing ways may best suit the individual : — 1 . Five grains every day (recommended). 2. Ten grains on Hundays and Wednesdays. 3. Fifteen grains on the 10th and Uth, 20th and 21st, and 30th and -ilst (or last two) days in each montli. The fifteen grains may be divided into three five-grain doses, each of which may folloAv one of the main meals of the day. 4. Ten grains on two consecutive days weekly, by preference Saturdays and iSundays. Most people find that the best time to take the five-grain doses is just before the "big" breakfast or lunch. When the larger doses are adopted it is best to take them after dinner, so that the buzzing in the ears and deafness which are likely to follow may occur during sleep and rest, and not during the day, when they might prove troublesome. Quinine " tabloids " are commonly used, and it should bo ascertained by experiment that such tabloids are capable of breaking 10 up easily and dissolving when placed in water. Any- one who finds that the quinine disagrees with him should consult a Medical Officer. If the daily dose of quinine is taken in solution it prevents the symptoms of dyspepsia, which are often brought on by taking of quinine in tabloid form. A helmet should he worn during landing ; and if the rains are on, it is necessary to have accessible a waterproof, an umbrella, and strong boots. By consulting the rainfall tables in Appendix F, the kind of weather to be expected on landing can be gauged with fair accuracy. Officers proceeding to Nigeria receive orders regarding their station on the arrival of the steamer at one of the ports on the Gold Coast. They should be in readiness to disembark at the port mentioned in these orders. There are five ports for disembarkation in Nigeria, Yiz. : Lagos, Forcados, Bonny, Port Harcourt, and Calabar. Officers proceeding to the Northern Provinces of Nigeria vnll find it advantageous to engage at least one servant, a cook or a steward, on arrival at Lagos, where there are usually many applicants available, amongst whom are many who have served with various masters in the Northern Provinces and have some knowledge of Hausa. A new comer should engage both. At Lagos, officers for the Northern Province will join the special mail train to the North proceeding via Jebba. In a few cases they may be sent on to Forcados and will there join a river steamer for the journey of several days' duration up the Niger to Lokoja. Final instructions as to destination will usually be received on the arrival of the ocean steamer at Accra. In the Grold Coast, newly appointed officers will be met, as a rule, on landing, by an officer of the depart- ment to which they belong who will give them the 11 necessary information as to their quarters and instruc- tion as to procedure. Where no otficer is available to meet them instructions will he delivered to them on the steamer or on landing. All officers are required to report themselves to the Head of their department and to the Colonial Secretary as soon as possible after landing at Accra, and to the Provincial Commissioner on landing at other stations. In the Grambia, newly appointed officers A\dll be met on arrival at Bathurst, and will be informed as to the quarters allotted to them and to whom they should report themselves. In Sierra Leone full directions as to landing, passing the Customs, etc., will be handed to officers on board the steamer on arrival. Officers will also be informed of the accom- modation provided for them, and will be instructed to whom they should report themselves. 12 MOSQUITOES AND DISEASE. "Form the Anti-Mosquito Habit." Only precautionary measures are dealt with under this head. Directions for the treatment of malarial fever, when no doctor is available, will be found in Appendix E. Malarial fever is a disease caused by the bite of a particular kind of mosquito {Anopheles), when the individual mosquito that bites is itself infected by the disease. The bite of a non-infected Anopheles cannot cause malaria. Only the females bite. This disease has been subjected to a great amount of scientific investigation during the last few years, and has become associated particularly with the names of Sir Patrick Manson, (I.O.M.G., M.D., F.R.8., and Sir Ronald Ross, K.C.B., F.R.S. The former had sliown that certain mosquitoes carried the germ of another disease.* From this and from what was already known concerning malaria he was led to suspect that malaria might be transmitted by mosquitoes. Sir Ronald Ross, after examining various mosquitoes in order to test this supposition, was able to show that there was great probability of its being correct. Sir Patrick Manson then clinched the matter by two experiments described by him as follows : — " Finally, on behalf of the Colonial Office and the " London School of Tropical Medicine, with the " assistance of Dr. Sambon and Dr. Low, I insti- " tuted two experiments which dispose for good '* and all of any objections that otherwise might *' have been advanced against the theory. Dr. " Sambon and Dr. Low, Signer Terzi, their servants * Filariasi* (minute worms in th« blood.) 13 "and visitors lived for the three most malarial " mouths of 1900 in one of the most malarial " localities of the Roman Campagna, Ostia, in a ** hut from which mosquitoes were excluded by a " simple arrangement of wire gauze on the doors " and windows. They moved freely about in the " neighbourhood during the day, exposed them- " selves in all weathers, drank the water of tlie " place, often did hard manual work, and beyond " retiring from sunset to sunrise to their mosquito- *' protected hut, took no precautions whatever " against malaria. They took no quinine. " Although their neighbom-s, the Itahan peasants, " were each and all of them attacked with malaria, " the dwellers in the mosquito-proof hut enjoyed an " absolute immunity from the disease. Whilst ** the experiment was in progress mosquitoes, f^'d ** in Homo o>i pdfienf.s ^'uffe ring from ))ialari(f, Avere " forwarded in suitable cages to the London Scrhool " of Tropical Medicine, and on tlieir arrival were " set to bite my son, Dr. P. Thurburn Manson, " and Mr. Greorge Warren. Shortly afterwards " both of these gentlemen, neither of whom had " been abroad (^r otherwise exposed to malarial in- " fluences, developed characteristic malarial fever, " and malarial parasites were found in abundance " in their blood both at that time and on the occur- " rence of several relapses of malarial fever from " which they subsequently Buffered. " The Mosquito-Malaiia theorj' has now, there- " fore, passed from the region of conjecture to that " of fact." These two experiments satisfied the medical world, and, since they were performed, a mass of information has been acquired which confirms them again and again. 14 Some men, through the accidents of a constitution exceptionally suitable to West Africa, and a certain amouut of good luck, have succeeded in remaining many years on the Coast, and have come, and rightly 80, by virtue of the work which they have done, into senior positions. Having passed through the ordeal of living on the (Joast under the adverse circumstances of fifteen or eighteen years ago, they are often, and not unnaturally, unable fully to appreciate the necessity of precautions against malaria for the great majority of Europeans in West Africa. The prejudice is dying out, but a new-comer to West Africa must still be pre- pared" to meet men who have no belief in the discoveries and experiments above mentioned, and he is warned not to allow their influence to dissuade him from taking essential precautions. The chief of these are : — 1. Always carefully to use a good large mosquito net kept in thorough repair. ■•i. The use of mosquito hoots every evening after dusk until retiring. 3. Take quinine systematically. 4. Destroy mosquitoes and clear away their hreeding places round the house as far as possible. Further details as to these precautions will be found under other heads of this pamphlet. A mosquito has the same kind of life history as a silk-worm or butterfly. A female mosquito will lay about 250 eggs or more at a time on or close to water. In a day or two, there comes out of each egg a small creature (the larva) which ST^dms about in the water eating minute plants, &c., and comes to the surface of the water to breathe. This stage corresponds to the silk- worm or caterpillar. In about a fortnight the larvn 15 tiims into a shrimp-like oreatiire, which moves with great rapidity through the water by means of its ciu'ved thin tail-portion, and which breathes by coming to the surface of the water as tlie larva did. This shrimp-h'ke creature is the ]iupa, and corresponds to the chrysalis stage of the silk- worm or butterfly. From tlie pupa, in the course of a few days, the imago or mature insect — the mosquito — emerges. There are several kinds of mosquito which tliifer from one another in appearance and habits. Although only one kind carries malaria, it is well to wage ^vav a.gainst all mosquitoes, because nearly all can cany some disease or other. Two tribes of niosquito are especially common in West Africa, the Culex, which is the kind most fre o z o CO H > H O z •^3 2 ? 17 water stage. This can he done by permitting as little standing water as possible round dwelling- houses. Any small pools that cannot be drained or filled in shoTild have a little cheap, thin oil (kerosene will do) ponred on their surfaces once a week. The oil makes it difficult for the mosquito to cling- to the surface of the water, and it also gets into the insect's breathing apparatus and chokes it. Water tanks and the like must be carefully looked after, and careful and constant examination of the water made for larvse ("wrigglers"). Wooden lids warp and shrink in the tropical sun, so do not fit Bufficientl}'- closely to prevent mosquitoes from entering an i breeding, but over the lids it is easy to fit canvas bags filled with sand, and this will be found to be one of the best ways of closing the apertures round the badly fitting lid of an iron tank. Water barrels should have a sheet of canvas placed over the top and fastened to the staves by short nails. The pipes and holes which enter the tank, for the purpose of letting water in or out, must be carefully attended to and sealed with wire gauze, or other means which will prevent mosquitoes from entering. The water contained should be freely " kerosened " on its surface weekly ; this has absolutely no effect on the taste of the water (which is drawn off by a tap from below), and is the best way of killing off larvj© which may be present in the tank, and of preventing further breeding. The edges of any river, small stream, or ditch, near a house must be carefully cut and trimmed so as to pre- vent the formation of little staguant pools and back waters iu which Anophclen would readily breed. All gutters should bo kept clear of grass and weeds, as it is found that Auop/irlea shelters among them. All 18 gutters attached to the eaves of houses are liable to sag and choke v^'ith ioreigu matter and so hold water ; hence they are prolific sources of mosquito breeding. Eoof gutters should be cleaned out systematically twice a week, and sagging gutters should be attended to so that they drain freely. It is astonishing how soon a mosquito, especially Culex or Stegomi/ia, makes use of any water it may find to breed in. It is usually necessary to stand each leg of a meat safe or table, on which jam, sugar, and the like are kept, in small tins of liquid in order to prevent ants fi"om eating the food, &c. CkIcj: always breeds in these tins if water is used, unless the water is completely changed once a week, or unless vinegar or something acting similarly is added to it, so it is preferable to fill such tins with kerosene instead of water. Again, Culex will breed in the small cups of water used to keep a wet bulb thermometer moist, or in a water jug left in quarters which have been vacated for a shoi-t time, or in a water cooler which is not regu- larly emptied. An officer may go into the bush travelling for a fortnight or more, and when he comes back, if the water jug has not been emptied, he will often find his rooms full of mosquitoes. It is, however, the Anopheles mosquito which is the more serious danger. There are two species which are common in West Africa, one brown, the other black- looking, and both of these, as abeady mentioned, usually breed only in pools of water which form -naturally. Collections of water in manufactured vessels can, how- ever, after a time take on the peculiarities of natural pools, e.g., if a new canoe gets some water in it after a shower of rain. Anopheles will not, as a rule, breed in this, although Culex vnR ; but in the case of an old canoe, or a new one which has been left "by its owner in one place for a couple of months, moss, grass, &c.. 19 accumulate round the sides of the contained water, and for all practical purposes the cauoe forms a natural pool in which Anojj/ie/es will breed. They will also breed in the big wooden mortar in which natives beat up and mix their food, if this article is left for two or three weeks where water can get into it; and in a country where m.ost iournevs are made on foot it is no uncommon thing for a canoe or a house to be left uncared for during two months or more. In the case of bamboo cut midway between two joints and stuck vertically into the ground to make railings or fences, the top of the stick forms a little cup and will hold water in which Anojjhtkn will breed. It might be thought that such a small collection of water would dry up quickly ; but, in the rains, grass and other vegetation are apt to grow up sufficiently high to protect the top of the fence fi'om the sun, and also from heavy downpours of rain whiich would wash out the larvee. These are only a few examples of how water can ooUect and in time become a breeding place for mosquitoes. Everyone v/ho looks about carefully will find many others. A large leaf which in the dry season has had its edges curled up, like leaves in autumn in England, may be so lying when a shower of rain comes as to collect water and form a pool and mosquitoes have often been foimd breeding in such a pool. Puddles, if exposed, may be dried up by the direct rays of the sun or washed out by a heavy downpour of rain, or the concussion of the drops of rain on the surface may seriously damage the larvae, although these creatui'os can defy both sun and rain for a time by living in the mud at the bottom of a pool. It is not, however, exposed pools tliat are the difficulty. They can be seen, and it is only gross folly not to deal 2a 20 with them. The difficulty is in finding out-of-the-way collections of water near fences, forks or roots of ti-ees, and old drains, Avhich often have long grass round them. Accordingly all grass and vegetation should be kept cut close to the ground for sixty yards, or, better, a hundred yards, round a European dwelling. A few ornamental plants and shade trees may be excepted if puddles are not allowed to form beneath them. Many plants have natural cups holding water, and many trees, particularlj'- when old, have hollows in which water lies ; both are dangerous, because mosquitoes are able to develop in the small collections of water. Instructions similar to the above have been given and are well known in all West African stations. By their close observance an enormous amount is gained not only as regards health but also in comfort ; but it is not unusual to find that they have not been carried out. On Bunny days the doors and windows should be opened. On dull days Culex, if breeding near, is liable to get in if the house is opened, although Anopheles will never be seen after 6.30 a.m. or before 6 p.m. unless the house is absolutely and closely surrounded by bush. A most important fact, always to be borne in mind when travelling in selectiug a site for a camp, is that the principal source from which the mosquito obtains the malaria parasite is the native children. Practically all native children may be regarded as infected with malaria, and therefore all Anopheles in native houses should be regarded with the greatest suspicion, and the neighbourhood of native houses or native children should as far as possible be avoided for European houses or camps. 21 It has been proved that the separation of Europeans from Natives is one of the most efficient means of protection against diseases endemic among native races. Even partial separation, such as sleeping outside the native quarters at night time, affords a very consider- able^degree of security. PERSONAL HYGIENE. "Prevention is better than Cure." The chief diseases to be guarded against in West Africa are malaria, dysentery and yellow fever. These diseases are all caused by the presence of a special parasite. A low condition of health predisposes to attacks by these parasites; therefore everything that tends to strengthen the body should be encouraged, and everything that tends to weaken the body avoided. The sun, the wind, and the rain are three elements which may damage the body from without and so make it more susceptible to the attacks of parasites. It is of paramount importance to wear a helmet when in the sun, and when possible to use a white umbrella. The umbrella should be lined with stuff of red brown colour. Even if the sun is somewhat obscured by a haze, it is still necessary to wear a helmet. The high temperature of the air causes the body to perspire after but little exertion, and even when not perspiring the body always has, in hot climates, a great volume of blood circulating just under the skin ; con- sequently, if the wind blows strongly, the body, unless protected by suitable clothing, may lose a considerable amount of heat suddenly, and so have its vitality lowered. Similarly as regards rain, wettings are more liable to cause chills than in temperate climates. Chills often induce attacks of fever in persons whose blood contains malaria parasites. Accordingly, a helmet, white umbrella (lined), flannel suitings, and a waterproof are essential, and, in some places, indiarubber boots are very useful. These articles cannot always be obtained on the Coast. 28 The foiir claeses of essential precautions against malaria have been mentioned under that head. Three of them fall also under the head of personal hygiene. 1. Always carefully to use n good large mosquito net kept in thorough repair. 2. To wear mosquito boots every evening after dusk until retiring. 3. To take quinine systematically. With regard to the first precaution, even the smallest holes in the net must be promptly mended, and the bottom of the net must be properly tucked in between the canvas of the bedstead and tlie mattress or blanket upon which the sleeper will lie. The practice, usual in some places, of having the net weighted at the bottom and allowing its bottom edge to he on the floor is a bad one, because mosquitoes often shelter in the day under the bed, and when the net is turned down they are inside it and attack the sleeper. Mosquito rods forming a frame above should be fitted to every bed, the net being slung inside the framework, and not stretched over the outside of it. (See illustration}. During the day, when the net is not required, tlie bottom part should be roughly twisted together and laid over the top of the net ; shortly before sunset the net should be lowered and tucked in as described. It is no uncommon thing to see a man who imagines that lie is getting the benefit of a mosquito net when his net contains one or more holes or is allowed to hang round the bed at its lower part so that it is liable to bo caught up on a chair or pair of boots, leaving ample space for mosquitoes to ^et in. A common habit of native servants or "boys,'' only mentioned to he condemned, is to keep one of the long sides of the net raised during 24 the day, thus providing- a convenient shelter inside the net for any wandering mosquito. The details of the mosquito net are discussed in Appendix A. "With regard to the second precaution, the advice given on page 9 should be most carefully attended to. The bi-hydrochloride of quinine is one of the hest preparations. It is best taken dissolved in water. The tablets should be wrapped in paper and crushed, and will then dissolve readily in a quarter of a small tumblerful of water. It is preferable to have the bi-hydrochloride of quinine, as the bisulphate is not nearly so soluble as the bi-hydrochloride. Officers are specially warned of the danger of taking tablets dry like a pill. After a while tablets often become hard, do not dissolve in the stomach, and are excreted unchanged. The result is that the quinine does not enter the system, and that the malarial parasites are not killed off when they get into the blood, and a false sense of security is set up ; the person thinks he is protected from malaria, whereas he no more " digests " the quinine than he would a cherry-stone. Some Old Coasters think that if a man takes quinine every day the drug will lose its effect on him, and that he will therefore be in a sorry plight if he does get fever. The newcomer may rest assured that there is no foundation for this belief. A man's system is, as a rule, quite clear of a five-grain dose of quinine in less than twenty-four hours, and it is for this reason that a frequent dose is so important. It is wise to give personal servants a ten-grain dose of quinine once or twice a week, both for their own benefit and to prevent them from infecting their masters with fever. MOSQUITO NET. IN POSITION ON CAMP BED, TUCKED IN BETWEEN THE MATTRESS AND THE CANVAS OF THE BED. {hi/ kind permiminn of Me$«r: Way 4" Co,) 25 Dysentery and other troubles are avoided by drinking only water that has been boiled, and by taking oare that all soups, tea and coffee, &c., are made with boiling water. Sometimes radishes and the like are grown by Europeans and eaten raw as is the custom in England, but in all such cases water that has boiled must be used to wash the vegetables ; and it is held by some to be safer to add salt to the water. A pinch of permanganate of potash or some Condy's fluid should be put into the bath water, and plenty of soap (carbolic recommended) should always be used. Bath water should be just warm, as cold baths are more liable to cause chills than in England, and hot baths induce sweat. Jiggers are most plentiful in sandy places. Tliey are sand fleas which eat into the skin, usually about the toe-nails. They can be avoided by never walking about in bare feet and always keeping boots and shoes at a height above the floor when not in use, by hadng the wooden floors polished with beeswax and turpentine, and by seeing that they are thoroughly swept daily. On getting into bed men often leave their shppers on the floor at the bedside ; the next morning they thrust their feet into the 8lip])ers and proceed to dress, thinking that by wearing the slippers they will escape jiggers. But jiggers will walk into a slipper while on the ground empty. Slippers therefore should be placed on a chair by the side of the bed. Boots should be kept high on the top of boxes or hung by the tabs to nails in the wall. Jiggers which have penetrated the skin must not be neglected. A description of how they can be removed is given in Appendix E. 26 In order to prevent contamination of clothing, and possible skiu disease, it is proper to insist that no native's clothes should he washed at the same time as a European's. The Eui'opeaus at a station usually pay the washerman a substantial salary, and it is only fair that tlieir washing should be kept distinct from any native's washing he may get. 37 CARE OF QUARTERS. All furniture Bhould be at least a foot fi'om the wall of the room so that a servant can fan and dust behind it every day. If heavy furniture is placed close to the wall, as is usual in England, mosquitoes, &c., will hide behind it during the day. If clothes are hung on a wall they should be completely covered by a white cloth reaching to the ground, in order that mosquitoes may not hide in them. The following rules, among others, apply to official quarters in Lagos and will be useful for the guidance of officers in other parts of "West Africa :— (1.) The occupant is responsible for the care and cleanliness of the quarters and compounds ; the latter should be adequately cleaned at least once a fortnight, and the former cleaned at least three times a week by wiping down the furniture and floor with a duster moistened with a weak solution of some disinfectant fluid such as Jeyes' fluid. (It is advised that thorough dry-scrubbing, with a little bees-wax and turpentine, be adopted as the method of cleaning boarded floors.) (2.) Window glass should be cleaned at least once a week ; and jalousies frequently. Jalousies should be opened and worked daily. (Tliwy are a favourite haunt of mosquitoes in the day-time.) (3.) Responsibility for the care and cleanliness of furniture rests with the officer to whom it is issued and who has signed for it on the inventory form. 28 (4.) (i.) No rubbish, offal, or dirtj water of any description, should be thrown on the surface of the ground in the neighbourhood of a well for a distance of at least 10 yards from the latter. (ii.) To prevent leaves and dirt from being blown into the well by wind, the cover of the well should always be shut down except when water is actually being drawn. (iii.) Tanks should be most carefully examined at least once a month, and cleaned out if there is evidence of the slightest contamination by any vegetable or other substance. (iv.) The first rain-water from a roof, after a period of dry weather, should not be allowed to enter the tank. (v.) Tanks must be kept free from mosquitoes (i.e., they must be made mosquito-proof, and kept so). See chapter " Mosquitoes and Disease " (page 12), for directions as to how to do this, and how to keep down mosquitoes in the neighbourhood of dwelling-houses. 29 FOOD AND DRINK. Never eat tinned food if you ean get fresh. Avoid all over-iipe fruit, and meat or fish wliicli is the least bit tainted. When a tin of provisions — animal or vegetahle — has been opened, its contents must at once be emptied into a glass or earthenware vessel. Neglect to do this is a frequent source of ptomaine poisoning, and one's servants have to be constantly kept up to the mark in this respect, as they cannot see the necessity for the precaution. In some parts of West Africa chickens are the chief fresh animal food, but they are very small. A good plan is to buy a number of live chickens, according to the .size of the place they are to be kept in, and to give them a small feed once a day of rice, maize, or other grain. In a month they are much better eating, and well repay the trouble. Beef, mutton, and goat-flesh can generally be obtained. West African yams are large potato -like tubers and are of two kinds. Both are of a yellowish white inside, and the smaller of the two kinds has a pink layer just below the skin. The larger are called yams simply, and the smaller coco-yams ; the former are the better eating. On the coast potatoes may sometimes be bought from the steamers. The pawpaw looks like a small vegetable marrow, but grows on a free. When ripe it is eaten as a fruit ; and whe]i unripe it can be boiled and served like a vegetable maiTow, from which when properly cooked it is practically indistinguishable. 30 Oei-tain kir.da of leaves, such as the young leaves of the coco-yam, can be chopped up fine and served like apinacli. Banana, orange, pineapple, and certain kinds of plum, are common. Mango, guava, &o,, grow in some places. When travelling, biscuits may be used in the place of bread, but, when stationary, bread is easy to make (see recipes in Appendix D). Beef should be firm, of a deep red colour, not flabby, sodden, or watery. The flesh should consist only of meat fibres, fat, and gristle. There must be no minute white spots on or between the meat fibres. Goat meat is paler in colour than beef and there is not much fat as a rule. It is very important to know that a beast intended for food was slaughtered and that it did not die from disease. A humane way to kill a bullock is to have the animal tied up by the head close to a tree or post, and then to shoot it with a revolver. The revolver should be held about six inches from the centre point of the frontal bone, i.e., midway between the upper border of the eye socket and the lower border of tlie horn of the opposite side. The animal falls unconscious at once. It should be bled five minutes afterwards. Fish is usually plentiful and good on the coast. With regard to drink, water and palm wine are the two beverages of the country. Palm wine should not be drunk unless it has been seen collected, otherwise it is very likely to have been mixed with water from some infected pool or stream. Water should be filtered, and must always be boiled. It is important to use a filter of the best kind, and 31 to keep it clean. *' Stand filters " are supplied for use in bungalows or station houses, and the " candles " of these should be thoroughly scrubbed and boiled once every week ; on the least suspicion of a crack in it, a candle should be at once condemned and replaced by a new one. The Doulton, Pasteur-Ohamberland, or Brownlow filters can be recommended, but the ordinarv carbon filters are worse than useless. The filtering can be left to a servant, but the European should always go daily and see that the water is actually boiled. The vessel of boiled drinking water should then bo covered up and placed to cool on a piece of wood in a soup plate full of water, to keep it free from ants. In addition to a filter, a water cooler is almost a necessity, as lukewarm or tepid water is a very un- inviting drink. Water coolers can be obtained in most towns, and when filled with water (filtered and boiled) and hung up in a breeze, the water becomes quite cold by evaporation. Any liquid in a bottle may be cooled in much the same way by ^\Tapping a piece of wet flannel round the bottle and j)lacingit in a breeze half-an-hour before it is required. A Thermos flask is also a useful article to have on patrol, but, owing to its being so fragile, it is necessary to stuff it with cloth or paper when not in use, so that it is not cracked by excessive vibration. Water, if muddy, should first be strained through a piece of linen, such as a handkerchief. If it is still thick and difficult to filter, it can bo placed in a large basin and a Httle alum added to it, six grains to the gallon being the usual quantity. The alum causes all the fine particles in the water to sink to the bottom of the basin in about six or eight hours. The addition of a little lime is occasionally an advantage. 32 It is necessary to distinguish between straining water to get rid of solid matter suspended in it, and sterilising it to make it free from germs. It is difficult to keep any filters free from germs, and accordingly water should be first filtered and afterwards boiled. Alcoholic drinks, if taken, should he consumed only at meals, and preferably at the evening- meal. Heavy drinkers should not go to West Africa, moderate drinkers should be very moderate there, and total abstainers should remain so. For a short list of suitable tinned foods and for cooking recipes, see the Appendices A and D. 38 TRAVELLING AND BUSH LIFE. hi certain parts of tropical West Africa, a consider- able amount of travelling is done on rivers by means of steam launches or native canoes. When travelling in a canoe it is very important that Europeans should have an awning, at least two mats thick, over them to shelter them from tlie sun. The natives can easily arrange an awning by means of sticks out in the adjacent bush. Should a tornado be about to break, shelter must be taken in the bush, or at least the mat awning must be removed, otherwise there is grave risk of the canoe capsizing. The removal of the awning is necessary on sucji occasions in all small boats. Laud travelling is done on foot, in hammocks, on bicycles, aud, in some parts of the interior, on horse- back. Motor bicycles are rapidly coming into use in many parts of Nigeria, but " light weight " machines are preferable. There are motor transport services in certain parts of Nigeria and the Grold Coast. There are ^ailwa3^^ in Sierra Leone, the Grold Coast, and Nigeria. To prevent blistered feet on the march, avoid tight boots and rub some nearly dry soap on the feet before starting ; some people prefer vaseline or hazeline. Loads must be kept within about 50 lbs., which, as has already been said, is the heaviest weight an average carrier can manage. In getting ready for a march, the first thing to do is to have all the loads arranged in one lino, about six feet 3 34 from ono another. The carriers are then chosen according to their strength and placed beside their loads. The strongest carrier should alwaj s be given the bed, mosquito net, and bedding. At the same time, it is very important that the bed load should be kept as light as possible, because the uncertainties of a march are considerable, and the lighter the load the less handi- capped is the carrier when he meets difficulties. The other loads are distributed among the carriers according to the imjDortance of the load and the ability of the carrier to convey it. If there is a good headman of the carriers, he will attend to these matters better than the European can. It is best for the European to travel last ; he can then be certain that no load is left behind, and, should any accident happen to a carrier, the European will soon come up to the place and can decide what is best to be done. Most Europeans on foot, without hammooke, will find ten miles a day a fair average march. When one's clothes get wet on a march in the rains, the best plan, if the rain is still falling, is to make a fire under a shed and spread them on sticks above it, at a sufficient height to avoid blackening them with smoke. A sheet of corrugated iron, if obtainable, makes an admirable drying tray. It is repeated here, as being a matter of prime import- ance, that the site of a camp should always be as far as possible from a native town and native children. In Freetown, Sierra Leone, there is at present no rest house for the use of Government officers passing through on the way to the Protectorate or going on leave. There are, however, hotels providing fairly satisfactory 35 accommodation, but they are expensive. Rest houses also exist in the various districts for the use of officers on patrol. In the Gold Coast, especially up country, rest houses are commonly provided along the main routes, about a day's hammock journey apart, for the use of European officials traveUing. If it is necessary to lodge in a native town, seek for the most isolated house that you can find on its borders. The officer should be prepared to deal with the more common cases of sickness among carriers. They are particularly liable to get their feet cut with jagged pieces of stick, and these wounds should at once be attended to, for fear that the germ of lockjaw, which is always present on the ground, should get into the wound. For the method of treatment, see Appendix E. They are also apt to suffer from constipation. Mosquitoes are kept off to a certain extent by the smoke of a fire, but the safest plan is always to finish the march about 4 o'clock, so that the carriers and the European can eat before dark. A waterproof cape is useful when marching in the bush iu the early morning ; it protects the shoulders from the dew dripping off the leaves. A bush latrine can be made by digging a hole and placing across it horizontally, at a convenient height from the ground, a thick bough, supported at each end beyond the hole by means of Y-shaped branches. If necessary, it should be roofed in. Care must be taken to prevent thefts of Government money when travelling. The cash boxes should be placed under a trustworthy guard, and should be 3a 36 fastened at night with a padlock and chain to an im- movable object, close to where the European is sleeping, or to his bed. If Grovernment money is entrusted to an official on first arrival for transport, he should be most careful to ascertain the regulations for its safe custody, and to see that they are rigorously observed. It is advisable when crossing rivers with money to fix floats at the end of long ropes to each of the specie boxes, so that if the boat capsizes the boxes can be pulled up or easily located by divers. Compensation for losses from fire in West Africa will not be paid by the Grovernment where insurance against such loss could have been effected on reasonable terms. The iiames of certain insurance companies who have stated that they are prepared to undertake such business may be obtained eitlier from the Crown Agents for the Colonies, 4, Millbank, S.W., or locally from the Colonial Secretary of any of the West African Col(V';ies ; and there are probably other companies also. 37 WORK AND AMUSEMENT. The working hours in West Africa vary greatly in the different Colonies and Protectorates, but a good plan is to get up early and do as much work as possible before II a.m. This leaves the hotter part of the day for what is usually the smaller half of the work. 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