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��tude of more tbaa six thousand Tcet on single paraUds. it is eviilent that tbere must be great divereitj- of climate, a full discussion of which wonid occapy too miicli space for a reasonable article. But that portion of the Egyptian .Sudan which nt this time attracts the attention of the worid liy reason of the presene* there of European troops, and the apparently intended operations of those troops, can be here concisely considered.
British troops now occupy two positions in ihe I^T>lian Sudan; viz., the province of Dongola on the Nile, and the city and jwrt of Suakin on the coast of the Bed Sea.
Italian troops occupy the port and vicinity of Maseowah, on the Ued-Sea coast; and the Bay of Assab and its vicinity, on the same coast, near the strait of Bab-el-Mandeb.
liVbatever may be the object of the Italian government in tbue occupying positions on the Red-Sea coast, the objectof the present British occupation is declared to be war agaiust El Mahdi, and it will be necessary- to consider the climftlo of the territories occupied by his forces.
El Mahdi now occupies and iiilea over the following: the province of Khartum, the prov- ince of Dorfur, the prorince of Kordofan. the province of .Scnaar. the pi-ovincc of Berber, ihe district of Oallaliat, the province of Taka ^^^icepting the capital, Kaasala) , and the great ^^Mert region between the Nile near licrber, ^^Bd the R«d-Sea coast near Suakin and Agig. ^^V^lias we have to consider the climate in the ^^Irovinces and districts above named: and first the province of Doiigoi.i. now occupied by the c!tpeditionary cori>s under ("len. Lord Wolse- iej', of probably about nine tiiousaiid British
i is one of the rich and productive prov- I of the Egyptian .Sudan, extending from
- Wady Haifa on the north, to the borders
ot the province of Berber along the course or the Nile. The correspondence Q-om Lord Wolseley's corps has, dnring the past few months, wade almost everj' hamlet and village throtigbout its length known to all parte of the World where newspapei's ore read. The cli- inale of the region now occu^ed hj the British fiirce is uot only good. Iiut very agreeable, during four months of the tow. — November, December. January, and hebniary.— though Kcbriiarj' sometimes gives sitecimen days of ihc Kliamseen wind which are very tiyiug, even lo natives of the couatrv- During the months uf March, April. May.' and the llrst half of ^^June. however, the climate, though not very ^^^^altby, is ei^ccediiig trying lo all cxceptiDg
��natives of the country. The ordinary tem- perature is very high during the day; the ther- mometer in the shade otlen indicating from i>;')° to 110° P., while during the night the temperature falls lo l!3° or 70°. This great difference makes it necessary to take great care to preserve health: and, with the best of care, intermittent fevers are exceedingly prevalent. These, if neglected, arc liable to take typhoid forms. During these months, the dust-storms coming from the southward are of most dis- ti-eesing frequency and violence. While these Btomia are hard to endure, and cause great sulTcring. I believe ihey to a certain extent destroj- fever-germs, and prevent the climate from being so fatal lo Europeans as it would otherwise be. From June to September the southerly anil south-westerly winds come chatted with moisture, though rarely yielding rain; and, while relieved from the dust-storms, the European is more subject to fever influences.
Snch is the climate in which the British trooia arc apparently to wait during the next five months, before advancing against their hu- man enemy. Should they wait there, under the best x>ossible care and with the best pos- sible medical surveillance, the commander will be fortunate should the ' unseen enemy ' not reduce his force by more than ten per cent before October nest, while auothcr ten per cent would be so ilebilitated by repealed fever-attacks as to re((uire a month of cool weather to restore their strength, and make lliem fit for a vigorous campaign.
The climate of Snakin can hardly be con- sidered unhealthy, but for the excessive heat which reigns there, except during the three months of December, January, and February. There the desert comes down to the very sea- beach: and the air of the desert, though burn- ing hot, is uot unwholesome. But the heat in that region, wheie sometimes during two or three suocessive years rain does not tall, while the tropical sunbeams constantly balhe the rocks and sands, is of an intensity not to be conceived by those who have never experienced the tike; and exposure to it by Europeans, without extraordinary precautions, is certain to produce sunstroke and congestions. The thermometer in April, in the shade, will often indicate a tem|)erature of 100° to 105° F.; but even this does not indicate the effect upon a foot-soldier, who, marching in the aun, receives the direct rays, and. in addition, suffers from the heat rBdiate<l and reflected from the light- ooloretl soil. It is, however, quite different with Ihc moiD'ted soldier, whether on horse- back or on camcl-b.ack; us. jf well covered, he
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