parallels of latitude, the reader must imagine that I found the
climate in most places extremely hot, but nowhere did I feel the
heat so intense and oppressive as in the camp at Benowm, of which
mention has been made in a former place. In some parts, where the
country ascends into hills, the air is at all times, comparatively
cool; yet none of the districts which I traversed could properly be
called mountainous. About the middle of June the hot and sultry
atmosphere is agitated by violent gusts of wind (called tornadoes),
accompanied with thunder and rain. These usher in what is
denominated "the rainy season," which continues until the month of
November. During this time the diurnal rains are very heavy, and
the prevailing winds are from the south-west. The termination of
the rainy season is likewise attended with violent tornadoes, after
which the wind shifts to the north-east, and continues to blow from
that quarter during the rest of the year

When the wind sets in from the north-east it produces a wonderful
change in the face of the country. The grass soon becomes dry and
withered, the rivers subside very rapidly, and many of the trees
shed their leaves. About this period is commonly felt the
harmattan, a dry and parching wind blowing from the north-east, and
accompanied by a thick smoky haze, through which the sun appears of
a dull red colour. This wind in passing over the great desert of
Sahara acquires a very strong attraction for humidity, and parches
up everything exposed to its current. It is, however, reckoned very
salutary, particularly to Europeans, who generally recover their
health during its continuance. I experienced immediate relief from
sickness, both at Dr. Laidley's and at Kamalia, during the
harmattan. Indeed, the air during the rainy season is so loaded
with moisture that clothes, shoes, trunks, and everything that is