CO885-(18-19) — Page 300

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

mminumimi C.O.885

18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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The necessity for this work was urgent. A large number of concessions had been surveyed and the boundaries cut by private individuals, but it was found that upwards of 80 per cent. of these had been wrongly demarcated and required re-cutting,

The demarcation of the concessions involved a still more important and arduous work, viz., their comparative location, and this necessitated running a series of very accurately surveyed lines over the whole Colony and Ashanti, forming a skeleton on which to build a map, the concessions being tied on to the skeleton, and their positions with regard to each other thus definitely ascertained.

Briefly speaking, the work year by year may be described as follows:-

In the first place, the survey season on the Gold Coast was arranged to fall in the eight dry months (October to May), the other four months of the year being occupied, one by the journey to and from England, and three months by the Director and Assistant Director in work in an office in London, and by the remainder of the staff on a holiday.

In 1901-2, the staff consisted of Major A. E. G. Watherston, Captain Gervers, Lieutenants Coningham and Lees, and eight non-commissioned officers and sappers, Royal Engineers; and Captains C. F. Sewell, 60th Rifles, and Henderson, West India Regiment. Two of the non-commissioned officers died soon after landing, The chief work done was to run a and Captain Gervers was invalided home. traverse line along the coast from Axim to Cape Coast, and others from Axim, Secondi, and Cape Coast to Tarkwa, Dunkwa, Afyanfuri, and Akropong (Wassaw). Lieutenant Lees cut one concession to ascertain the difficulties of such work in the dense tangled tropical forest, and to formulate a scale of charges.

For 1902-3 a large increase was made in the staff, which now consisted of Major Watherston, Director, and Captain Guggisberg, Assistant Director, and 38 surveyors and assistant surveyors. The names of the staff are fully detailed in the annual report on the Mines Surveys for 1902-3, in which a complete account of the work is also given. Briefly, about 82 concessions were cut, and the traversed frame work of the Colony Survey extended around Accra and Kumase.

In 1903-4 the staff consisted of 39, all told. The Annual Report for 1904 speci- fies the names and describes the work done in detail. Over 60 concessions were cut, and the traverse frame work was extended to the German and French boundaries on the east and west, respectively. The latitudes of Sekondi, Oponso, Asankagwa, Bibiani, Kumasi, Prahsu, Kibbi, Accra, Cape Coast, Axim, Tarkwa, and Asafo (Sefwi) were determined with the zenith telescope by Captain Guggisberg whose party of Sergeant Watkins and Sapper Dalton executed 3,000 miles of road (compass work) in their six months in the field.

In 1904-5, the staff was reduced to 31, all told, and is detailed in the 1905 Annual Report. Major A. E. Watherston, C.M.G., fixed the longitude of Accra from Cape Town and, after 62 days in the Colony, handed over command to Major Guggisberg on appointment as Chief Commissioner, Northern Territories. The survey of Ashanti Concessions was begun, 30 being cut there and 15 in the Colony. Provision had been made for cutting 21 other concessions in Ashanti. These were abandoned by their owners at the last moment and left two parties free for topographical work, Captain King's party surveying the Cape Coast and Saltpond districts, and Mr. Vine's party surveying the Volta from Kpong to the mouth, and blocking in the country between the river and Accra. Captain Des Voeux ran a traverse line from Šalaga to Sikasika (Sampa).

In 1905-6, the survey party was reduced to 16 members, including two draughts- men at Headquarters, which were moved to Accra. The Annual Report for 1906 details the names of the staff and the work done, which consisted of demarcating 25 concessions, a traverse of the Volta River from Kpong to Yeji by Captain Symons, R.E., about 300 miles of other traverse work, the defining and surveying of the Ashanti-Gold Coast boundary, the Sekondi water supply survey, and the re-arrangement of the district boundaries.

In 1906-7, the concluding season of the Survey's work, the party consisted of Major Guggisberg and Second Corporal Walsh at Accra, and Captain Symons, Second Corporals Kilby and Strickland, and Lance-Corporal Mathieson in the field. The report of the season's work is given in the Director's report, dated May 1st, 1907. The boundaries of nine concessions and Dunkwa township were cut and a very large amount of topographical work executed. The party embarked for England on the 26th June, 1907.

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Mapping.

The Annual Reports for 1905 and 1906 give a complete account of all that has been done in mapping.

Briefly speaking, the exigencies of concession surveys precluded any serious attempts at map work until the summer of 1906. Nor would it have been worth while to have attempted to produce a good map when so much fresh work was being done annually in the field.

To fill the gap made by the absence of any map, a rough provisional issue of the 1/250,000 map was made in 1905. This was rapidly put together at home by a tired and overworked staff, and never purported to be more than a stop-gap. It has, however, been found very useful by the few who have used it, the majority of people on the Gold Coast being,, to put the case mildly, very inexperienced in map reading.

Once, however, that that useful institution, the Colonial Survey Committee, had been formed in England to advise on and organise map making, and had formu- lated a general scheme for Africa, immense strides were made with the map of the Gold Coast Colony and Ashanti. Starting work on the draft sheets in July, 1906, the Director of Surveys had, by the 26th of June, 1907, provided Messrs. W. and A. K. Johnston with the fair drafts of nine sheets, of which two were published by April; and had practically completed the office drafts of eight other sheets.

By the end of October six more sheets will have gone to the engravers, and by August 31st, 1908, the last of the sheets will be on sale.

The latitude 7 north is approximately the limit of this 1/125,000 map of the Colony, of which a most excellent notice has appeared in the journal of the Royal Geographical Society for June. There can be no doubt that in it the Gold Coast will possess a map second to none either in general accuracy or in style of production. North of this limit it is considered that a scale of 1/250,000 will satisfactorily show the country. In case, however, that new concessions should in the future necessitate the production of a 1/125,000 map of those regions north of Kumase, the Intelligence Officer at Kumase is making the original drafts of his map on the same system and scale as those adopted by the Director of Surveys. His results go to the Intelligence Office in England for incorporation in this map.

Cost of the Survey.

As will be seen by Schedule A, the actual net cost to the Gold Coast Colony of the Survey Department from October, 1901, to December 31st, 1906, is £82,381 5s. 2d. The figures for 1907 are not yet obtainable, but will be approximately £3.500, thus bringing the total net expenditure up to slightly under £86,000, of which £59,000 fell on the first three years, and £27,000 on the last three.

In return for this sum, the Colonial Government has the satisfaction of having discharged an urgent and important public duty in the demarcation of its mining concessions and the more substantial reward of a map second to none both in scientific and general value, at a minimum cost.

1902...

1903...

1904... 1905... 1906...

8.

d.

95 0 0

SCHEDULE A.

Year,

A mount allowed in Estimates.

Actual Expenditure.

Actual Revenue

£ s. d.

£ s. d. 21,905 9 11

£

42,224 14 0

20,105 0 5

32,151 8 9

15,180 0 10

22,329 8 3

8,225 0 3

13,372 7 11

5,997 2 2

131,983 8 10

49,602 3 8

49,602 3 8

82,381 5 2

39451

4 2Page 301

25234

(No. 438.) SIR,

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No. 76.

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR..

[Answered by No. 97.]

Downing Street, August 14, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 243, of the 18th of June,* transmitting the annual report on the Land Department for the year 1906-7 and the observations of the Commissioner for Lands upon it.

2. I have read these papers with interest, and I recognise the good work which has been done by the Department in the face of many obstacles.

3. I observe from the last paragraph of Colonel Montgomery's minute that for the last half of the year 1906-7 Mr. Waring, Deputy-Director of the Cadastral Branch of the Survey Department, held the post of Land Officer.

4. This is, of course, contrary to the policy of separating the Land and Survey Departments, and must have had the effect of reducing the staff of the Survey Department by one, and to that extent diminishing its efficiency, unless Mr. Waring was discharging his survey duties at the same time that he had charge of the Land Office, an arrangement which is not likely to have proved satisfactory.

5.

I should be glad to receive further information on this point.

125

ment would be prepared to contribute one-half of the sum of £1,000 which the learned societies estimated would remain to be found over and above their own contribution of an equivalent amount. He would, however, be glad to be informed of the probable length of time which these supplementary operations would take, and he thought it desirable that the Boundary Commission should complete its political work of demarcating the meridian before undertaking the scientific one of measuring the arc. Without going so far as to suggest that M. de Cuvelier suspects us of a desire to delay the submission to the two Governments of their Commissioners' report on the 30th meridian by bringing in a question of the measurement of the arc, I think he would be very reluctant to consent to any scientific operations undertaken in the disputed tract by the British section of the Commission alone, and at the sole cost. of the British Treasury. He wished to know whether the survey necessary for measuring the arc would take the Commission any considerable distance to the west of the 30th meridian or into territory recognised as Congolese; and, I believe, that if we insist strongly on the task being exclusively accomplished by British officers, he will deem it his duty on political grounds to object. I would therefore respect- fully suggest that we should withdraw, if you see no objection, the suggestion con- tained in your last despatch, and that the work, like that of the actual demarcation, should be performed, and its expense shared, by both Governments. It will not be very easy to justify to the Congo Government the exclusion of the Congo section of the Boundary Commission from scientific labours in a tract claimed by them as belonging, at least partially, to the Independent State.

29260

SIR,

No. 76A.

UGANDA.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 16 August, 1907.) [Answered by No. 81.]

I have, &c.,

ELGIN.

The Right Honourable

Sir E. Grey, Bart., M.P.

28254

No. 77.

GOLD COAST.

Foreign Office, August 15, 1907. I AM directed by Secretary Sir E. Grey to transmit, to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, copy of a Sir A. Hardinge, No. 109, Africa. despatch from His Majesty's Minister at Brussels, respecting the measurement of the arc of the 30th meridian. Lord Elgin will observe that the Congo Government prefer that the work should be done by the mixed Commission, and the cost shared by them and His Majesty's Government.

I am to enquire what answer Lord Elgin would wish to be returned to the Congo Government on this proposal.

I am, &c.,

W. LANGLEY.

I have, &c.,

A. H. HARDINGE.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR. (No. 320.) SIR,

Downing Street, 15 August, 1907.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 309, of the 19th of July,* transmitting an account prepared by Major F. G. Guggisberg, Royal Engineers, of the history and work of the Mines Survey Department.

2. I concur in your opinion that the work carried out by the Department reflects the utmost credit on Lieutenant-Colonel Watherston, Major Guggisberg, and their assistants, and I have caused Major Guggisberg to be so informed.

3. I have to request that an expression of my appreciation of his services may be conveyed to Colonel Watherston.

I have, &c.,

ELGIN.

Enclosure in No. 76A.

28254

No. 78.

GOLD COAST.

(No. 109. Africa.)

SIR,

Brussels, August 2, 1907.

I COMMUNICATED to M. de Cuvelier to-day the substance of your despatch, No. 57, Africa, of the 30th ultimo, respecting the proposed measurement of the are of the 30th meridian.

He said that the proposal which I was now making to him was different from that which he had understood you to put forward in the note in which I had embodied your instructions. That note, in which, as you will observe, I reproduced almost word for word the suggestions and language of the papers enclosed in your despatch, spoke of the measurement of the arc by the Anglo-Congolese Commission, and said nothing about its being exclusively undertaken by the British section of the Com- mission. M. de Cuvelier observed that he would greatly prefer that the Commission, as a whole and not a section of it, should do the work, and that the Congo Govern-

* No. 329 in African No. 869.

SIR,

COLONIAL OFFICE to MAJOR F. G. GUGGISBERG, R.E.

Downing Street, 15 August, 1907.

I AM directed by the Earl of Elgin to inform you that he has received from the Governor of the Gold Coast an account prepared by you of the history and work of the Mines Survey Department.

2. The Governor considers that the work carried out reflects the utmost credit on Lieutenant-Colonel Watherston and yourself, and on your assistants, and Lord Elgin has pleasure in conveying to you the Governor's opinion, with which he desires to express his agreement.

&c..

I am,

H. W. JUST.

• No. 75.

† Enclosure in No. 75.