PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
174
was found on examination to be entirely due to local magnetic attraction affecting the compass.
MAPPING WORK.
7. In paragraph 9 of my Annual Report for 1906, I gave a description of the Gold Coast and Ashanti map which is in course of production. Attached to the report was a diagram to which I have the honour to ask you to refer when reading the following paragraphs.
7a. This map is on a scale of 1/125,000 (or 1014 inches to 2 miles). It is divided into (approximately) 36 squares by meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude at every half-degree. These squares are each produced in the form of a sheet, distinguished by the name of the best known towns in its area and also by numbers corresponding to the general index of the General Staff's map of Africa.
76. When a sheet lying on the outer edges of the whole map contains very little detail, it is possible to combine it with adjacent sheet, thereby economising in the cost of production.
7c. The following list gives the names of the sheets, the date on which the fair draft was sent to the publishers for engraving, and the date of publication after final correction of proofs:-
(Some remarks on the alteration of names in these sheets are given in para- graph 7d.)
Sheet.
Sekondi
Obuasi (Oboase)
Cape Coast
...
Kibbi (Kyebi)
Prabsu (Praso)
Fumso
Bompata
Abetife
Prampram
Tarkwa
Dunkwa
Wope
Date of sending draft to Publisher.
November, 1907
Date of Production.
March, 1907.
March, 1907. (Will be revised.) August, 1907.
October, 1907.
November, 1907) Combined in
November, 1907
August, 1907.
November, 1907.
November, 1907. December, 1907. December, 1907.
In hand. March, 1908. February, 1908. February, 1908.
In hand.
In hand.
September, 1906
October, 1906
Accra
March, 1907
Komfrodua
April, 1907
Winneba
May, 1907
Nianyano
May, 1907
Coomassie (Kumase)
June, 1907
Nsaba
June, 1907
October, 1907.
June, 1907
September, 1907
September, 1907
October, 1907
October, 1907
October, 1907
October, 1907
November, 1907
December, 1907
December, 1907
In hand.
December, 1907
In hand.
December, 1907
In hand.
December, 1907
In hand.
February, 1908
In hand.
February, 1908
In hand.
February, 1908
In band.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In band.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
In hand
In hand.
Akuse
Dsoje Ada
Denu
WiawoBo
Asankrangwa
Prestea
Adeam bra
Axim
Aloakru
Asafo
Enkyi
Tanoso
Debiso
Dadiaso
Yaou
Newtown
Afram
one sheet.
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Some alterations in the names of the sheets became necessary:→→
72-Q.-II. becomes Praso instead of Nsuaem. 72-E.-II. becomes Abease instead of Atabubu. 72 F.-I. becomes Attabubu instead of Prang.
7e. The Accra Sheet R.-II. went home in February to the publishers, and, although wrecked with the S.S." Jebba” en route, sustained no damage.
7f. The process of production is as follows:-
Each sheet is drafted on a scale of 1/50,000 by the Director of Surveys per- sonally, and a fair draft is then made on tracing linen and sent home to the pub- lishers, Messrs. W. and A. K. Johnston, Limited, of Edinburgh. Photographic reductions to 1/125,000 are made by Messrs. Johnston for the guidance of the engravers, the map is then engraved on copper, and produced in four colours. A column of references and notes on orthography extend from top to bottom in the left-hand margin.
7g. The cost of publishing each sheet amounts to from £25 to £50, depending on the amount of printing. This includes the provision of 350 copies. I find on examination that this amount compares extremely favourably with the usual cost of map production.
ORTHOGRAPHY.
Spelling.
8. One of the chief difficulties the Director has had to overcome in map pro- duction, and one that has aroused the most criticism, has been the spelling of the different names.
In countries such as India, Egypt, and China, which have historical associa- tions and literatures many hundred years old, the pronunciation, if not the spelling, of names has become crystallized, and to render them intelligible to the map reader it is only necessary when making a map to spell them according to the Rules for the Transliteration of Place Names," compiled in the Topographical Section of the General Staff and used by all Survey Departments in the Empire.
The Gold Coast, however, is quite another place. For such a small country it contains an unusually large number of different tribes, who, though most of them speaking the same root tongue, have an extremely varied assortment of pronunciations.
Literature is of recent growth and there are but few places with historical associations of any age from a world-wide point of view, though locally they may be important.
How many persons had heard of the place
Take Kumase for example.
50 years ago? The first spelling of it was Coomassie or Koomassey. Later came Kumassi and then Kumasi. Each got nearer perfection until finally, by adopting the true phonetic and grammatical spelling of Kumase, we do attain perfection. Kumase is pronounced Koom-Ahsey, which is rendered by the rules "Kumase," where every letter is given its full nature, and grammatically it means Kum (the place of death), Ase" (at or near the).
16
13
8b. To avoid confusion the Secretary of State has issued instructions as to the spelling of certain well-known names, and a list of these is given below. In brackets is given the spelling based on the rules referred to in paragraph 8, above.
Accra.
Ada.
Ajua (spelt Adjua in error on Sekondi sheet). Akim (Akyem).
Akwapim (Akwapem).
Ankobra.
Anamabu (Anamabo).
Atuabo.
Awuna (Awona).
Axim.
Berraku (Bereko).
Spelt "Butre
published.
"
"D
and Bushua on Sekondi sheet already
7d. The reason for abandoning the original order of production is two-fold. Firstly, a considerable amount of survey detail had yet to come in for the Dunkwa and Bompata sheets, which were to have been published in June, 1907. Secondly, the great increase in the cocoa trade, and the consequent opening up of the interior by railway and roads, in the hinterland of Accra created local demand for a map of that vicinity as early as possible.
Birrim (Berem).
Butri (Butre).
Busua (Bushua).