t place I was in; a drier heat and sun
infinitely more powerful, and yet the rains are full on and
we get terrific tornadoes. The nights, however, are cooler.

We are surrounded by mangrove swamps, and they breed
mosquitos, and consequently malaria and black-water fever.

This is quite a pretty little place (Duala) with some jolly
houses, typical German of the Schloss villa type; nice
inside and out. The country is pretty, the soil good. A good
deal of timber and rubber. I found some beautiful tusks the
other day, worth a good bit. Elephants abound. The native
villages around are totally different from other West
African ones--here their houses are mostly one long mud or
palm erection, with thatched roof, and are divided into
compartments instead of the smaller separate huts one is
accustomed to see in these parts.

The notices all over the place are strangely reminiscent of,
say, the Black Forest--"Baekerei," "Conditorei," &c., and yet
it is the heart of tropical Africa. None of the natives,
strange to say, talk German; all pigeon English. The Hausa
boys are splendid chaps, as different from the Duala boys or
Sierra Leone boys as chalk from cheese. Smile and make an
idiotic but beautiful remark, they rush with a roar of
laughter for the biggest load.

We get some beautiful sunset effects here. At sundown night
before last, on the sea near mouth of river, it was
absolutely gorgeous with the purple mountains standing
clear out against the orange and emerald sky and the dark
gray shapes of our ships lying sombrely in the background,
talking to each other in flashing Morse. The great mountain,
Fernando Po, standing up out of the water to starboard and
the Peak of Cameroon (13,760 feet) wreathed in mist to port;
Victoria invisible, as also Buea--both hidden behind the
clouds as we passed disdainfully by and entered the estuary
of the Cameroon River.

As an added detail for West Africa, it should be recorded that, on
March 19, a combined French and Belgian force occupied Molundu in the
German Congo territory, and Ngaundere on June 29.

III. WITH BOTHA IN SOUTHWEST AFRICA.

On July 13 a resolution, moved by Premier Asquith, was passed by
acclamation in the House of Commons thanking General Louis Botha,
General Smuts and the forces of the Union of South