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however, appears to me that other countries who would be interested in such an experiment, learned societies, and private individuals who are interested in the preservation of fauna, should be asked to subscribe towards a sum, which I have roughly estimated as being anything from £30,000 to £40,000, towards having this experiment made on the scale which I propose. Sir David Bruce, to whom I men- tioned the matter, is enthusiastically in favour of it. In his letter in reply to mine he says:

"The question must be solved this time by hook or crook, and it is difficult He says, to see how the question can be answered except by such an experiment.' in another place: "I am impatient to see it (the experiment) begun."

I write to you thus unofficially, as you may be able to pass the matter on either to some individual or to some society and the matter might be taken up as an international one or a British one, and a fund opened for subscriptions towards the object. It might then be suggested that Nyasaland is the ideal place for the experi- ment, that a country exists where game is abundant and where tsetse fly is becoming increasingly prevalent, that a Scientific Commission under Sir David Bruce, the well known expert on trypanosome diseases, is present in the country, that he is in favour of the experiment, and that the opportunity should not be lost during the time that the Commission is present in Nyasaland to carry out this experiment. which should definitely settle the vexed question of the connection between game and tsetse fly.

I think that some such definite experiment on a large and comprehensive scale as I have outlined will, in the near future, have to be undertaken in Africa so as to settle once and for all the still undecided problem connected with tsetse and game, and it appears to me that the opportunity which now presents itself in Nyasaland to undertake the solution of the problem is one of which we and other nations having possessions in Africa should avail ourselves (of]..

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No. 59.

Yours sincerely,

W. H. MANNING.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received May 15, 1912.)

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith, for observations, copy of a despatch from Sir E. Goschen, No. 18, Africa, April 30: (Game Regulations for German East Africa).

Reference to previous letter: Colonial Office, No. 37611, January 17.* Foreign Office,

May 14, 1912.

(No. 18. Africa.) SIR,

Enclosure in No. 59.

Berlin, April 30th, 1912. WITH reference to Earl Granville's despatch, No. 49, Africa, of the 10th October last, I have the honour to transmit herewith copy and translation of a note from the Imperial Foreign Office giving the views of the Imperial Government respecting the raising of the limit of weight at which elephants' tusks may be sold in German East Africa and the Cameroons.

A translation of the Game Regulations for German East Africa, to which reference is made in this communication, was enclosed in my despatch, No. 14, Africa, of the 5th instant.

The Right Honourable

Sir Edward Grey, Bart., K.G.,

&c., &c., &c.

(Translation.)

I have, &c.,

W. E. GOSCHEN.

Imperial Foreign Office, Berlin, April 27th, 1912. The undersigned has the honour to inform Sir Edward Goschen, in continua- tion of the note from the Imperial Foreign Office of October 8th last, respecting the

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raising of the trade limit of the weight of elephants' tusks, and on the strength of reports which have now been received from the Imperial Governors of German East Africa and the Cameroons, that, as the Governor of German East Africa has already informed the Governor of British East Africa in reply to a direct enquiry, measures have been taken for German East Africa in conformity with the wishes of the British Government by provisions of the new Game Regulations of 5th Sep- tember, 1908/1st November, 1911, which came into force on January 1st last, and which provide, among other things, for the raising from 5 kilogrammes to 15 kilo- grammes the limit of weight for elephants' tusks which has been in force up to the present. Moreover, the same regulations introduce a stricter protection of elephants by limiting to two the number of elephants which may be shot within a year under the larger shooting licence; further by greatly reducing the permissions granted to natives to shoot big game, especially elephants; by prohibiting the shooting of young elephants and female elephants when accompanied by their young; and, finally, by making it possible to create special reserves for elephants besides the game reserves. To this may also be added the practice, already followed for some time by the authorities, of seeing that the larger game licences, which alone give the right of shooting big game, should be issued only to reliable persons. As far, therefore, as the East African Protectorate is concerned, it would appear to be in a position to participate in any international agreement which may be come to respecting the trade limit of weight of elephants' tusks on the basis of the proposal put forward by the British Government.

As regards the Protectorate of the Cameroons, on the other hand, the Imperial Secretary of State for the Colonial Office, in agreement with the Imperial Govern- ment of the Cameroons, is, in principle, favourably disposed towards a moderate increase of the limit of weight in this Protectorate also. It is therefore proposed, in accordance with the provision of Article 2, No. 11, of the Game Convention of May 19th, 1900, to fix at 5 kilogrammes each in the new game regulations to be issued for the Cameroons the minimum weight of the tusks of shootable elephants, provided that the French Government do not, on the ratification of the Game Convention, make any reservation as to the admission of a lower weight and thereby force the Imperial Government to make a corresponding reservation. The Secretary of State of the Colonial Office does not, however, see his way to agreeing to an increase of the weight beyond 5 kilogrammes, as already stated in the notes of 29th of June, 1909, and October 8th last, so long as it is not firmly established that the neighbouring non-British colonies also adhere to the proposal of the British Government. Without their adherence the measure would, apart from the fact that the prohibition to shoot elephants with tusks weighing less than 10 kilogrammes each would probably restrict the shooting and thereby also the ivory trade, in the opinion of the Colonial Adminis- tration, offer no appreciable advantage for the protection of the ivory stock in the Cameroons, and would probably merely lead to extensive ivory smuggling on the frontiers.

At the same time, it may be remarked, with reference to the statements made in the note of October 8th last, already mentioned above, that the Imperial Govern- ment are not disposed to go further into the question of an International arrange- ment for the Protectorate of the Cameroons in the sense of the proposals put forward until the British Government declare their position in the question of their adhesion to the Brussels Convention of July 22nd, 1908.

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The undersigned avails, &c.,

No. 60.

NYASALAND.

ZIMMERMANN.

SIR DAVID BRUCE to SIR J. ROSE BRADFORD. (Received in Colonial Office from Royal Society, May 25, 1912.)

Kasu Hill, Angoniland, Nyasaland,

2nd April, 1912.

MY DEAR BRADFORD,

I AM sending herewith a paper on the morphology of the human trypanosome of Nyasaland. I hope you will see your way to publish it (Bis dat qui cito dat), as it will add to the series already published by the Royal Society. It is evidently the same

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trypanosome that they find in the Luangwa valley, but is very closely related to brucei both morphologically and by its action on animals. It is a very virulent parasite, and, in fact, kills sheep and goats much quicker than nagana. So far as we can see up to the present, the flies in the low country are widely infected with this trypano- some, so that it looks as if the fly must bite thousands of natives, but only finds a suitable host to develop the disease in a very small percentage of the people. This is mostly theory up to the present, so keep it to yourself. If this is true, it simply means that we must get rid of the fly, and I am very anxious to try an experiment on a large scale to drive out the fly.

I have written to Sir William Manning proposing that a strip of land in the low country, between here and Domira Bay on Lake Nyasa, be used for the experiment. There is a good road running through this country directly east and west, and going on to Fort Jameson and North-East Rhodesia. My proposal is to put up a wire fence from the foot of the hills to the Lake shore, a distance of twenty miles, on each side When the fence has of this road, so as to enclose a strip of land ten miles broad. been put up all the game inside will be shot down, and the result noted. If the fly does not disappear with the game, then I propose to clear the whole area of all the bush. It is a most fertile country and will repay the expenditure tenfold—that is to say, when the railway reaches Fort Johnston at the south end of the Lake. Sir William Manning last year began a small experiment of the sort near Zomba, but it fell through on the appointment of the Commission. The cry was, wait till the arrival of the Commission. Now that the Commission is here I am very eager for this to be put in hand at once, and I suppose the only way to do it is to get the Secretary of State for the Colonies to give Sir William Manning authority for the expenditure. I don't know how much an experiment of the sort would It would act cost, but I imagine £5,000 would see it brought well through. as a kind of relief work for the population of the sleeping sickness area, who are not allowed to leave the area for work, so that they cannot be expected to pay their What would be wanted at hut tax. They might do this work in lieu of hut tax. first would be to drive a straight line, say 40 yards wide, to prepare for the fence.

Would you talk this matter over with Sir Archibald and see what can be done to find some money? but whatever you do, for goodness' sake do it quickly. Nothing can be done here in the rains, and this is just about the beginning of the dry season, which will go on to the end of November. If you could get the authority I would start to work at once clearing the two strips ready for the wire.

As Sir William Manning started an experiment of this sort last year, this must be looked upon as his experiment, and care must be taken not to offend him by any appearance of taking the matter out of his hands. He, as Governor, of course, has a great deal of work to do and this kind of thing is only a small part of it, whereas it is our whole job. If you saw Harcourt and arranged something with him, you might get him to cable out, as there is really no time to be lost.

enclose bits of letters* I have written to Manning on the subject. If you look at a map of Nyasaland with the fly areas marked in red you will find that about a quarter of the whole country is of that lurid colour, and the fly country is by far the most fertile. It is absolutely necessary then, for the advancement of the country, that the fly should be blotted out, and this experiment should show if it can be done and how much it would cost to do it. Besides, if it is true, as I imagine, that the whole of the morsitans are infected with Kaodzera, it will be impossible for the white man to live in the country so long as the fly exists.

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useful work was done, the experiment was not sufficiently extensive nor was it carried on for a sufficiently long time to prove any theory satisfactorily.

It has now been suggested, both by the Governor of Nyasaland and by Sir David Bruce, that an experiment on a large scale will be the only possible way of deciding this vexed question, and it is proposed that an area should be selected in a district where game is thick and where also the fly is dense, and that this area, say, 200 square miles, should be fenced in. The fencing would be of a permanent character, with strong iron standards from 7 to 8 feet high to prevent the game jumping it, and with barbed wire strands. A number of trained observers would then be placed in the area, the game accurately counted as far as possible and the presence of fly very carefully observed. These operations would take some time, and, when care- fully collected statistics had been obtained, the procedure would be to shoot off the game absolutely and then again to take a series of observations, and to note as to whether the removal of the game had in any way affected the prevalence of tsetse fly.

money, estimated The undertaking is a big one and would require a large sum of roughly at from £30,000 to £40,000. It is quite impossible for the Protectorate to supply the amount which would be required or even a portion of it. It is possible, however, that societies and individuals, both in this country and abroad, who are interested in the preservation of fauna would be willing to provide the necessary funds, and the Secretary of State for the Colonies wishes to ascertain whether the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire would be willing to take the matter up.

ment.

If the experiment is to be made, the work should be taken in hand at a very early date, as nothing can be done during the rains which begin at the end of November. The present opportunity appears to be specially suitable for the experi- Nyasaland is a country where game is abundant and where tsetse fly is becoming increasingly prevalent, and a scientific commission under Sir D. Bruce, the well-known expert in trypanosome disease, is present in the country.

this opportunity is lost of settling the vexed question of the connexion between game and tsetse fly, Government may find itself in the position of having to authorise the extermination of the game on insufficient evidence.

NOTE.

It has been established (see pp. 169-174 of "Sleeping Sickness Bulletin, No. 37)-

(a) That Glossina morsitans is a carrier of sleeping-sickness in Northern

Rhodesia.

(b) That certain species of wild animals in Uganda and Northern Rhodesia

harbour the trypanosomes which infect man.

Colonial Office,

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30 May, 1912.

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No. 61.

MEMORANDUM REGARDING A PROPOSED

Yours, &c.,

DAVID BRUCE.

EXPERIMENT

FOR

TESTING THE RELATION BETWEEN BIG GAME AND SLEEPING SICKNESS.

During the past year the Government of Nyasaland undertook an experiment on a small scale for testing the point as to whether the presence of game was entirely connected with the prevalence of tsetse fly. Although a good deal of very

ta, as in father. Pronounced Ka-owed-zera. e, as in a in fate.

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No. 62.

NYASALAND.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR. (Sent 3.40 p.m., June 3rd, 1912.)

TELEGRAM.

[Answered by No. 63.]

Your letter, 2 April, unofficial,* to Fiddes, regarding proposed experiment wild game. Am willing to take matter up with Society Preservation Fauna Empire, but I understand from Royal Society that Bruce has suggested area 200 square miles and estimated cost at £5,000. Please state what area it is proposed to fence and give me as reliable estimate of total cost of experiment as can be made in the circumstances.- HARCOURT.

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