localities on the coast of tropical countries, it is unhealthy. The prevailing disease is fever with chills: with common prudence, however, there is nothing to fear in this disease; but if the person suffering from it will blindly persist in the use of alcoholic stimulants, the consequence might be serious. I am sorry to say that Europeans and others, generally indulge far too freely in these beverages. In too many instances, I believe the climate is blamed for the evils thus created. After passing through what is called the acclimating process, which lasts during twelve or fifteen months, one is seldom troubled again with fever.
The population, of Lagos is estimated at about thirty thousand: there are about fifteen hundred emigrants from Sierra Leone, the Brazils and Cuba. All these are themselves native Africans, brought from the interior and sold on different parts of the coast. Those from Sierra Leone are recaptured, and the others redeemed slaves. Few are more than half civilized. The white inhabitants number about twenty-five, and include English, Germans, French, Italians, and Portuguese. A few very fine houses have been erected near the water-side, and others were being built at the time of our departure. They use as money small shells (Cyprœa Moneta) called cowries by the English, owu by the natives, this being also the
