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from memory give the date. The invasion from Rhodesia spread south and east. It has crossed the Dwangwa-Bua watershed, and is creeping down towards the Rusa River, a tributary of the Bua. In 1913 it had reached the Lualezi (or Livlezi) stream, which flows from the hills near Fort Jameson to join the Rusa.

We have a station at Tamanda (see Rhodesian map)* on upper waters of Rukusi. Tsetse is now in between it and Kasungu. It is spreading south towards Fort Manning, but, so far as I know, has not yet gone beyond the Lualezi. Elephants travel between a large dambo called Nyamangwe and Lualezi, and are supposed to have been the carriers.

Thus the upper portion of the Bua basin is threatened, and part of it already infested with " fly."

Along the Dwangwa and its tributaries tsetse has gradually spread east until no place is now safe for cattle between the Rhodesian border and the Lingadzi- Dwangwa junction. The two rivers join a few miles above the Dwangwa crossing of the Ngara-Mzimba road. Cattle within that area were dying.

The main trypanosome infection was due to a parasite of the vivax group, but other parasites are not unlike T. rhodesiense.

area.

The fly" area thus briefly referred to adjoins the Rhodesian sleeping sickness

The gravity of the situation is increased by the fact that tsetse from our own sleeping sickness area on the lake flats may spread up until the two sections join on the Dwangwa and Bua Rivers, and in the intervening jungle.

Had vigorous measures been adopted years ago along the Rhodesian border the fly might have been held in check. Each year sees a larger area infested. Should the fly spread during the next five or six years as it has done during the past five or six this plateau will be ruined.

When I first advocated repressive measures doubts were entertained as to the connection of tsetse and trypanosomiasis with game,

The Interdepartmental Committee, which certainly had no bias towards the views I often expressed, has given definite finding (General Conclusions," para- graph "b") that game ought to be driven away from human settlements and public highways.

The question again arises as to how we are to meet the situation with which we are here confronted.

Taking into consideration the presence of sleeping sickness in the Kota-Kota Sub-division and the spread of tsetse in the Ngara Sub-division, 1 have no hesitation about recommending the complete suspension of game laws throughout the whole of the Marimba Division. That would be a simple measure, easily enacted. The mortality amongst human beings, the loss to owners of cattle, and the damage to erops (this is really very extensive and serious) are reasons which must be carefully considered before it is said that I am asking too much. Note what has happened in the Hartley Division of Southern Rhodesia.

As an alternative, and one dealing only with the Ngara Sub-division, I have prepared a separate plan.

The alternative proposal is that we set apart a triangular block of country towards the Rhodesian border, and make a vigorous attempt to render it clean. The base of my triangle would be the Rusa River from its origin near Fort Manning to its junction with the Bua, thence the Bua River to Ngara. The sides of the triangle would be to the west of the Rhodesian border, and on the east the Ngara-Mzimba road, from where it crosses the Bua to where it cuts the Rhodesian border on the Lundazi watershed.

At one time I advocated the old Fort Alston-Fort Manning road as the eastern boundary. But the increased area now under fly makes a wider margin

necessary.

Within that triangular area the present game laws should be suspended.

But on the principle that the King shall have no damage" I have devised a scheme which should more than compensate the Administration for its loss in game licences.

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shares.

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Within the area delineated elephants are known to exist, and I have good grounds for asserting that Europeans can be got to shoot these animals on half Of each animal shot half of the ivory would go to the Government and half to the white man who shot it.

It has been asserted that Europeans might not hunt more than they at present do even were the game laws suspended.

I am in a position to guarantee that in this particular instance they would. My scheme has the advantage that it would not involve the Government in any financial loss. It might even prove lucrative, and help to compensate for the heavy outlay already involved in connection with sleeping sickness investigations.

It has other points in its favour as well.

It is strictly in keeping with the recommendation of the Interdepartmental Committee.

There is a definiteness about it. The Fort Jameson people are trying to hold the fly in check or drive it back on their side of the border. We prolong their line into Nyasaland south of the "fly" area, and thus prevent a flanking movement on the part of the pest,

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My line from Ngara north to the Lundazi is at present east of the " fly area (though at one or two points tsetse comes near to it), and is easy of access for Europeans.

Just east of it we have an immense native population, and in some places very large herds of cattle.

睿

If we succeed in rendering the area bounded by the lines I have suggested free

of tsetse we save the route to Mombera's Ngoniland. We confer an inestimable boon on the people living within the area, and, I believe, on many living outside of it.

The fine dambos along the Dwangwa and its tributaries are excellent for cattle, and should be re-stocked as soon as possible.

My conviction is that the chances of my proposed experiment proving a success are fairly good, though each year's delay makes the undertaking more difficult.

May I once more emphasise the urgency of this matter? We are just getting through the cold season. My belief is that the cold helps to hold tsetse in check. The hot season approaches, and again we may expect an advance on the part of tsetse.

Following upon our hot season we have the wet season, when natives must attend to their gardens, and the grass again grows tall and protects the animals to a certain extent.

We can get Europeans and natives to tackle this work now. As it is probably five or six years since I first drew attention to this incursion of tsetse from Rhodesia, and frequent communications have passed between Kasungu and Zomba in the interval, this matter cannot be said to have been rushed through with undue haste.

I sincerely trust it will not be necessary to report an outbreak of human trypano- somiasis before any further steps are taken.

There is no suitable place for clearance of bush. A clearance of 1,000 yards is ineffective. The cost would be prohibitive. Water is scarce enough on this plateau without further extensive clearing.

A clearing near the Dwangwa crossing has been suggested. To be effective it would require to be over 1.000 yards wide. It would require to extend from Kasungu-Chipara (eight miles this side of the Dwangwa) to beyond the Mpasazi. The expense would be enormous in the first instance, and the new growth of bush would require to be tackled every year. A small clearing just at the Dwangwa crossing would be quite useless.

So far as my knowledge of the land and of the subject under discussion goes, my scheme is the only one which costs the Government nothing, and which holds out some hope of redeeming the lost territory and saving what is threatened.

GEORGE PRENTICE.

Kasungu. Ngara,

33469

17th July, 1914.

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SIR,

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No. 92A.

NYASALAND.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE TROPICAL DISEASES BUREAU AND THE IMPERIAL BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY.

[Answered by Nos. 96 and 7.]

Downing Street, 28th October, 1914. WITH reference to the letter from this Department, No. 11567, of the 10th of June last,* I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you, for any observations which you may have to make, a copy of a despatch from the Governor of Nyasalandt dealing with the Report of the Inter-departmental Committee on Sleeping Sickness.‡

2. Copies of the despatch to the Governor of Nyasaland§ on this subject and of the minutes of a Special Sub-Committee of the Managing Committee of the Bureau of Entomology are enclosed for reference.

3. A similar letter has been addressed to the Director of the [Imperial Bureau of Entomology] [Tropical Diseases Bureau].

H. J. READ,

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5. Little or nothing is known of the bionomics of the following four species, which, with the exception of austeni, have a wide distribution in the Protectorate:-

Glossina pallidipes.

11

austeni.

"

11

longipennis. brevipalpalis.

Considerable work has been done in Uganda on the bionomics of Glossina pal- palis, and, although this species does occur on the lake shore of the Nyanza Province, it would be advisable for Dr. Lamborn to devote his attention to the other species of which so little is known.

6. Both the Government Entomologist and his assistant are at present engaged

on purely agricultural entomology, but it is expected that in the future one of these officers will be able to assist in the investigations regarding the tsetse fly.

7. With regard to paragraph 9, it is practically impossible to undertake any research work of importance with the resources at present at our command.

8. I take this opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your despatch, No. 719, of the 28th of July.* I should be obliged if I might be furnished with twelve copies of Appendix Dt of the minutes when they are ready for issue.

I am, &c.,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

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I have, &c.,

H. CONWAY BELFIELD,

Governor.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

mmimmim C.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

42119

SIR,

(No. 846.)

No. 93.

EAST AFRICA PROTECTORATE.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 30th October, 1914.) ·

[Answered by No. 95.]

Government House,

Nairobi, British East Africa, September 22nd, 1914. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No. 535, of the 4th of June,§ on the subject of the report of the Inter-departmental Committee on Sleeping Sickness.

2. I have requested the Game Warden to furnish me with his remarks on the points raised in paragraphs 4, 5, and 7, but as the time of that officer is at present fully occupied in connection with military matters, I fear it will be some weeks before I shall be able to communicate them to you.

3. With reference to paragraph 6, clearing operations are being carried out in certain localities in the Kavirondo Gulf, on Lake Victoria Nyanza, where fuel cutting is undertaken to meet the demands of the Uganda Railway. These opera- tions are conducted by the natives resident in those localities, no persons from clean areas being introduced. Periodical medical examinations are made in order to discover the percentage of those infected with the disease. This precaution has also been extended to a lime-burning industry established on the shores of the Kavirondo Gulf.

4. With regard to paragraph 8, the only work which has been done on the genus Glossina in this Protectorate has been the mapping of "fly-belts:" This was begun before the Uganda Railway was constructed, in times when caravans travelled from the coast to Uganda. Subsequently, our knowledge of the distribution of the various species of tsetse fly has been increased through the researches of Medical Officers, Veterinary Officers, officers of the Game Department, and by traders. Special investigation has been carried out only in a few areas.

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↑ No. 92

[Ca. 7349]. May, 1914. No. 94 in Miscellaneous No. 290.

SIR,

No. 94.

NIGERIA.

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 30th October, 1914.)

(No. 945.)

Government House, Nigeria, 12th October, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, Nigeria, No. 881, of the 4th June, 1914, transmitting copies of the reports of the Inter- departmental Committee on Sleeping Sickness. I have delayed my reply, as I was anxious to obtain the views of the Director of Medical and Sanitary Services on the question in so far as it affects Nigeria, and these are set forth in his minute a copy of which I enclose.

I have also since received your despatch, No. 1171, of the 28th July.||

2. I am in favour of a second specialist in trypanosome investigation. I understand your proposal to be that the cost should be shared by the combined West African Colonies, and that the officer selected should not be a member of the West African Medical Staff.

CENTRAL SECRETARY,

Noted.

I have, &c.,

F. D. LUGARD,

Governor-General.

Enclosure in No. 94.

THE minutes of evidence taken by the Departmental Committee only reached me a few days ago, and I was anxious to glance through them before making any observations on the Secretary of State's covering despatch and the Report.

I attach Dr. Connal's comments on the Report, also, as bearing on the subject, as complete a list as possible of tsetse flies that have been observed in Nigeria and identified reliably.

11567 not printed.

† No. 37.

‡ No. 79.

[Cd. 7349], May, 1914.

§ No. 77.

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