PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference
C.O. 885
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
92
The station of Mpweto lies back from the lake about 500 yards almost opposite to the point where the River Luapula leaves the lake. There are no tsetse to be seen in the station or on the shore of the lake where the steamer is anchored, shown at B in the sketch attached. At a point, marked A in the sketch, is a village about half a mile from the station. Here I caught a specimen of Glossina Palpalis; then, obtaining a canoe, I went down the river for a mile or two and landed at a place on the opposite bank (c in the sketch) where there were numbers of the same species; no other species were seen.
LAKE MWERU.
RIVER LUAPULA
Mpweto to Tanganyika.
M. Ferroglio gave me letters of introduction to M. Steinon at Moliro, and to the Mission at Lusako, where there is sleeping sickness, but as it was so far away to the north I did not go; I went by Kazembe's (on the north shore of Lake Mweru) through the Congo territory by way of Kavindwe, Ngakira River, Chickongo, Kantanga, Kasunka and Vua to Moliro. From Mpweto there are two roads to Tanganyika, one being altogether in Congo territory, the other branches off midway between Mpweto and Chiengi at Kazembe's village, and goes away in a north-east direction and joins the other road midway between Kuntowla and Ngakira River. This path, which is less hilly, is used by the natives more than the Congo road (see map). There seems to be a fair amount of traffic along it to Vua. From Ngakira River to Kisunka Glossina Morsitans is very plentiful. In some places along the road they are a terrible pest, and a mosquito net becomes a real necessity. The country is very high and hilly until Kasunka is reached, and the descent is very steep down to the Tanganyika coast. At Vua is the harbour for the Belgian steamer, and I here saw Mr. Naslund, the engineer and captain, who gave me some flies caught at Vua. These are Glossina Palpalis, and are plentiful hereabout. At Moliro, which is well back from the shore, there is practically no tsetse, and there are a number of cattle kept by the Government, and these are apparently healthy.
From Moliro I proceeded through Simiyembi's, and then on to the lake shore, and on to Sikapuli, and thence to Sumbo. I saw no tsetse anywhere.
Sumbo to Kalingwisi.
From Sumbo I went to Mkula, and on the road as soon as the sun was well up tsetse (Glossina Morsitans) appeared, and were present along the road until Chimbamowre was reached. Beyond this village is a large plain extending to Mkula, and the tsetse were entirely absent. The road goes through Serimani and the old station at Chomo River and to Mkupa. From Chimbamowre's village to this point there were no tsetse flies, although in the game reserve. The grass had recently been burnt in almost all the places along the route. One tsetse was seen between Mkupa and the Kasalawa River, a journey of two and a quarter hours.
At the Kasalawa River, stream about 14 yards wide, I camped. On the east side of this stream there is no tsetse, but on the other side nearest to Chiengi, tsetse abound, and the belt extends through Kalungombe and up to the village of Puta, about a mile and a half to the east of Chienji. The species is Glossina Morsitans.
93
On the road between Chiengi and Kalungwisi are two villages-Kalembe's; at one, the nearest to Kalungwisi, the chief is a man-there are tsetse to be found near this but there are none on the road or in the village.
I then arranged with Mr. Lyons to visit Lukonzolwa-but meanwhile was called to see a case of blackwater fever at Chiengi. From Chiengi we went by boat to Luanza. There are no cases of sleeping sickness and no tsetse flies here.
From here by boat we went to Lukonzolwa, and as we kept fairly close to the shore, if tsetse had been there we would most certainly have got them on board. Lukonzolwa stands very high above the lake level, but there was no tsetse either in the station, down at the lake or in the country surrounding. M. Tonneau, M. Felix Bataille and Dr. Polidori gave me every information they could about the disease We returned by boat direct to Kalungwisi.
Kalungwisi to Madona.
From Kalungwisi I went through Fwelusi, Mantapala, Mbereshi, Kaumbe, Chongu to Kasiwa, where, obtaining a canoe, I visited Kasenga, then proceeding on the British side through Johnston Falls to Madona. From here I crossed the Luapula to Kipaila and went back to Kasenga by the Belgian road. I started about a quarter to seven in the morning, but had not gone far when the tsetse (Glossina Morsitans) came out, and as the sun got warmer they increased until they literally swarmed. At Kasenga I met M. Gooris, who showed me a case of sleeping sickness—an "askari," who had been ill about four months, and came from the district round Boma. The tsetse fly extends all along the road and into the station itself the flies coming into the house of M. Gooris. In the house of the sick man I saw several Glossina Morsitans.
There also is the Glossina Palpalis at the water edge. The country behind Kasenga swarms with fly (Glossina Morsitans).
I returned from Kasenga by the same route and reached Kipaila (which pre- viously I left in the early morning) about mid-day, and found tsetse almost up to the Customs House there.
Madona to Sakontwi.
From Madona I proceeded to Fort Rosebery, and then back into the Luapula Valley through Kabingeras, where there are a few flies. I went to Mao's village (deserted) but found no fly. Down through Chinyama's to Kapwepwe's. After leaving Chinyama I saw two stray tsetse flies, but at Kapwepwe there are none. This is now the crossing place for men going to and from the North-Western Rhodesia mines-there is little or no crossing at Chinyama's. From Kapwepwe's through Chissala's and Mr. Green's farm I saw a few flies. Around these parts the grass was being burnt, or had been done recently.
From Mr. Green's farm to Kapotwe's village there are to be seen a few, very few, flies, but at the latter village they are fairly numerous. Katchembaris, and from a point about four miles from that place to Tankaulwas I then went through there were a considerable number of Glossina Morsitans.
From Tankaulwas to Sakontwe there were none. The road from Sikontwe to Serenje is free, an occasional stray one was seen at Luombwa, Mtizas.
Serenje to Fort Jameson.
I arrived at Serenje on August the 26th and left on 28th for Fort Jameson, passing through Kamwamperenge, Mpangura, Chiwanda, Mbampongwe and Pendwe to Msoro. Just before getting to Mpangura one stray tsetse fly Glossina Morsitans came into the machelo.
I arrived in Fort Jameson on September 4th, having been absent 129 days. II. INFORMATION DERIVED FROM OTHER SOURCES.
Captain Naslund, of the Belgian steamer on Lake Tanganyika, told me that he made a trip to the north end of the lake every month, and that on his last trip to Mpala, two days by steamer from Vua, at the Mission of the White Fathers there were eight people with sleeping sickness living against fifteen the previous trip. He says the "fly," which is troublesome all the way up the lake, is like the species he has given me, namely, Glossina Palpalis; that all the way up the west coast above Mpala the disease exists. At Vua they had a case-he was an askari who had lived there for about a year, but previous to that the man was at Lukon- zolwa.