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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

20755

(No. 109.)

SIR,

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No. 36. GAMBIA

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 26 June, 1911.)

Government House, Bathurst, Gambia, 8th June, 1911. I HAVE the honour to transmit the Veterinary Report on the Gambia for the year 1910-1911, sent in by Mr. A. N. Foster, Veterinary Officer for Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

SIR,

>

I have, &c.,

M. E. WINGFIELD,

for Governor.

Enclosure in No. 36.

Bathurst, Gambia, 15th May, 1911.

I HAVE the honour to submit the following report of my tour in the Gambia

Of

my twelve months' tour on the Coast, it is during the years 1910 and 1911. roughly estimated that 1 am to do eight months in Sierra Leone and four months in this country.

During my present tour I have visited this Colony on two occasions; the first time I arrived at Bathurst from Sierra Leone on March 18th, 1910, and left again for that Colony on May 3rd, 1910. The second visit to the Colony was made on October 29th, 1910, and after an extended tour I arranged to proceed on leave to England about the middle of May, 1911. Altogether I have spent eight months in the Gambia.

On my first arrival in this country my principal object was the selection and purchase of a number of donkeys for the Sierra Leone Government, which were to be introduced to that country as an experiment; it is of interest to mention that this experiment was a failure, owing to the heavy mortality amongst the animals from trypanosomiasis. On this occasion I visited the following towns in the Fogni and Upper River districts, viz., Quinella, Sanyan Kunda, Jattaba, Basse, Tambassansan, and Kulari, and I was able to examine animals and investigate some of the diseases which affect them.

On my second visit His Excellency the Acting Governor, Lieutenant-Colonel C. R. M. O'Brien, C.M.G., informed ine there was a good deal of illness amongst cattle and ponies in Bathurst and at Cape St. Mary, and he instructed me to investigate these cases and to remain in Bathurst to carry out the necessary treat- ment; he particularly reported a Bathurst herd of cattle in which there were many cases of severe lameness. It certainly seemed that this might be a specific disease. I found, however, that the lameness in these cows was of traumatic origin in all

cases.

The Protectorate was not visited until January, 1911. after the arrival of His Excellency the Governor in the Colony.

Several visits, however, were made to Kombo, where there are large herds of cattle, during the months of November and December, 1910. During this time I examined and treated many animals, and a good deal of microscopical work was done.

The last day of 1910 I proceeded to the Fogni district to join Mr. G. H. Sangster, Travelling Commissioner, and travelled with him through his Province, and halts were made at the following towns: Bullalei, Karenai, Kansala, Jarrol, Jattaba, Sanyan Kunda, Batelling. I then travelled through the South Bank Province, and halts were made at the towns of Quinella, Mandina, Kaiaf, Soma, Jappeni, Bureng, Darsilami, Sukuta, Jarreng Barro Kunda, and Kudang; after returning to Bathurst for two days I proceeded to McCarthy Island, and thence to the Upper River and McCarthy Provinces, and halts were made at the following towns: Sololo, Cha Kunda, Wellingara, Bakadaji, Kanube, Basse, Tambassansan, Kulari, Sunkunda, Koina, Brifu, Bantinding, Yoruba Wul, Misera, Noudi, Sami, Karantaba, and Lamin Kotu. Many other towns were visited from these halting stations, and passing up the river halts were made at Ballanghar and Kuntaur.

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HORSES.

The Gambia pony is a small animal, averaging 13 to 14 hands, usually weedy of build, and generally having sloping quarters; as a rule their feet are sound and of good shape. They are hardy and are capable of performing a lot of work; a few ponies are bred in the Protectorate, principally in the Upper River district, but many animals are introduced from French country. I am unaware that any careful selection of sire or dam is made; all the males are left, entire castration of horses not being a recognised operation amongst natives.

The natives generally are not horse proud. The animals do not get very much attention; grooming is almost an unknown operation. In Bathurst, under European ownership, the ponies improve and look well, and get into hard condi-

tion.

Watering, Feeding, and Grooming.

The principal equine grain food is Guinea corn, known as Koos." I believe it is largely nitrogenous. Some Europeans have introduced oats with success. The long fodder is dried ground-nut grass. This appears to be coarse, but there is no doubt that it contains a good deal of oil (fat), which is the energy-producing part of a food.

Ponies should be watered and fed with grain food at least three times a day- the water always being given before the food. The horse should have long fodder always accessible. They should be groomed twice a day--their feet should be picked out and washed daily, and should receive careful attention about every three weeks-the toes or heels being shortened, if necessary, and loose parts of the frog and sole removed.

Washing Horses. When it is cold, as it is sometimes in January and February and March, ponies should not be washed. As a rule, however, in this climate I do not consider this practice productive of any harm; but it is a lazy way of cleaning a horse. Careful attention should be given to drying the heels.

DONKEYS.

One finds these animals in nearly all parts of the Protectorate, and they breed and thrive and work. They are used as pack animals, and they transport a great deal of the ground-nut crop from the farms to the river wharves. They only average 9 or 10 hands in height, and often loads of 200 lbs. are carried by them. No pack saddles are used. A rope sling, known by the Mandingoes as a gatchingol, is used to fasten two bags of equal weight together; this is placed on the animal's back so that each bag rests on either side-the rope sling not touching the spine.

CATTLE.

They are small animals, generally fawn in colour; some of them have a small hump. They are numerous all over the Protectorate, and for the most part look well and thrive, though towards the end of the dry season there is very little for them to eat, and the food they get is very dry and cannot have much nutritive value. There is no doubt that in some parts the numbers of cattle are too great for a given area. I have noticed the best conditioned cattle in McCarthy Island Province and at Cape St. Mary; the poorest in condition which I have seen have been in the South Bank, notably around Ida and in the Upper River at Brifu and Bantonding,

Milk Production.

Practically no attention is paid to the production of milk for human consump- tion. It seems strange that with the large cattle population of the Gambia fresh milk is not obtainable in any quantity.

The native method of milking does not appeal strongly to the European-the calf is allowed to suck the cow for a time, then the man, with the dirtiest of calabashes in hand, takes it away, and, after wetting his fingers with milk, proceeds to draw the rest of the milk from the cow, dipping his hands in the milk from time to time. The native has no knowledge of the use of water, either for the calabash or his

hands.

Beef Production.

Much more than is at present done might be done in this connection. Animals are slaughtered at Bathurst and McCarthy Island, and occasionally at some of the

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