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
not close to the fire becomes damp and mouldy, and the inhabitants
may be said to live in a sort of vapour-bath; but this dry wind
braces up the solids, which were before relaxed, gives a cheerful
flow of spirits, and is even pleasant to respiration. Its ill
effects are, that it produces chaps in the lips, and afflicts many
of the natives with sore eyes.
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