ABSTRACT
LONG life in Eastern Africa cannot but have an injurious effect upon the constitution of an European, and for some time we had been made to feel this. In 1868, after a five years’ residence upon the coast, a long succession of fevers, dysentery which had become chronic, and other complaints, had gone far to undermine an originally sound, strong, and wiry constitution ; and, had it been possible, it would have been prudent then to have returned to England for a change. But duty before privilege ; we had work to do, and we remained to do it. Having great faith in the force of will and the advantage of activity, we resolved we would not give in, and, if possible, went to work with greater energy than ever. This, if it did not greatly improve us, kept us from sinking any lower than we were. But the trip to Kilima Njaro, the new scenes we witnessed, the excitement of adventure, and the delicious climate we enjoyed, notwithstanding many severities and hardships, did us a great deal of good. Still, to complete the work of restoration, it was important that we should not remain longer than was absolutely necessary in the malarious jungles of the lowlands ; and after a while, the way opening up, we determined to return to the “ old country”
