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around this would mean that 5 per hour could be caught, two circles 10 per hour, three circles plentiful.

Such a chart would really be invaluable to a person who personally was unacquainted with the country.

After reading the Secretary of State's despatch it seemed one had no more to do than view a spot and make suggestions, but remembering how erroneous were my ideas of the prevalence of tsetse fly in Nigeria and what I actually encountered when on the tsetse investigation in Northern Nigeria, I felt it would be better if a personal investigation were made and deduction drawn therefrom. And it was well that this was done, for on viewing the spot map the impression conveyed was that the North and North-West of Ashanti was teeming with tsetse fly. Such is not the case and agrees with what Dr. Kinghorn found in 1910.

ITINERARY.

Mr. Abbott (Laboratory Assistant, whom I must also thank for cheery and able assistance all through) and myself left Accra on the 18th February in the Medical Research Department's Ford van. It was intended to reach Coomassie in two days, but, owing to several minor accidents over which we had no control, this town was not reached till four days had passed.

The first day we reached Bunso in the Kibbi district. One Glossina longipalpis was caught on the car before reaching Naawam and one palpalis while lunching at the beginning of the Kibbi hills.

The next spot was Nkawkaw. No tsetse were seen, but Tabanido (various species) were very frequent and various, biting when it was quite dark.

Juaso was reached the following afternoon and again no "fly" seen. The following day, half-way, i.e., twenty miles from Coomassie, one palpalis

was seen.

After necessary arrangements were made we proceeded to Ejura. Again no "fly" seen, though reported as occasionally being seen in the rains. From here to Kintampo, & distance of seventy-two miles, the bush tends to change from the big rain forest type to large orchard bush. During this run no tsetse were. encountered, although natives informed us they were seen sometimes, but they were entirely ignorant of Sleeping Sickness. Numerous sheep, cattle and donkeys were seen all the way and all apparently healthy.

The Sunday and Monday (24th and 25th) were spent in Kintampo, which is well cleared and elevated 1,208 feet, waiting for carriers. No tsetse were seen, but the District Commissioner, Mr. Wilkinson, reports that occasionally in the rains a tsetse may come to the Bungalow.

Kintampo was left at 6 a.m. Tuesday, 26th. We covered about twenty miles walking and reached Whala about 2 p.m. We passed through two villages, and in the one nearest Whala, where the water supply was merely a filthy muddy hole, there was not one healthy man, woman or child to be seen. Everyone was suffering from Guinea worm or Yaws (the young the primary and second stages, the older the tertiary).

It may be remarked here in passing how noticeable it is that the people who dwell near a large river where there is a constant flow of water, and therefore a fair chance of fairly high purity and also ample facility for both personal and clothes washing, are always very fit, clean, and healthy compared to the people who dwell away from such a luxury and who all use one small filthy water hole. It is also possible that the quality and quantity of crops raised may vary enormously, too. The Medical Officer of Kintampo might do useful work in this village if he were allowed to trek there occasionally. On this journey no tsetse were seen.

The people all knew of tsetse flies, but said they were scanty in the rains and had no knowledge of Sleeping Sickness.

On the 27th we left Whala 5.30 a.m. We covered another twenty miles to Lawra, and owing to blistered feet I spent nine hours on the road and so had ample time for observation. En route the River Tain was crossed, This is a narrow deep stream with steep banks heavily clothed with thick bush. Four palpalis were seen in half an hour while we crossed. From here onwards to Lawra longipalpis' was encountered four times, and at one stream just beginning to flow a G. tachinoides was caught.

Lawea is situated at the foot of hills and is higher up than the surrounding country. The bush is of the open orchard type and game was scanty. The Chief

kept a horse which was in good condition. Sheep were plentiful but no cattle were seen, and this fact led to an amusing incident. The Chief, an intelligent old man, had been asked various questions re tsetee, and then was asked why he did not keep cattle. His answer was to the effect that it was not the tsetse that prevented his doing so but lack of money to buy them. The natives here knew the taetse well but were entirely ignorant of Sleeping Sickness.

Next day we left for Bwe on the Volta, and leaving the main path to Banda followed a faint trail all through orchard bush. No water was seen in twelve miles. Two oribi and one duiker were seen, but no fly till Bwe was reached.

At Bundashi, a largish village before Bwe, the Chief and his son were found to be lepers. The mother, from the description given, was probably so, too. Again the tsetse was known but not Sleeping Sickness. Thriving cattle grazed around the village. One longipalpis was caught here.

The next day we spent on the banks of the Volta and in three hours we saw several tsetse and caught two Tachinoide—two longipalpis and one palpalis. These we dissected later but found non-infected.

The river banks here are well covered with bush-in most cases overhanging the water. Here and there, however, areas of rocks and sand occur, and here the "fly" may be seen, but they are scanty. We bathed at one such spot, thus giving

the fly ample opportunity but we were not bitten once. Hippo spoor was seen, also a monitor.

In the rainy season the river rises sometimes beyond its banks,, hence many pupe must be destroyed.

Next morning we crossed the Volta at 5.30 a.m.

It was quite dark, not even

the first suggestion of dawn, yet both Mr. Abbott and myself were bitten by tsetse. Mr. Abbott luckily caught his fly and it proved to be a palpalis. I am unaware that palpalis has been reported as biting after dark, but if not it certainly does bite before light.

We proceeded via Jema to Tasilima. We were now in Northern Territories. The country is orchard bush and hilly. Longipalpis was common all along this route, and it was noticeable that they appeared where there was long grass about. Whether that meant they liked such grass or whether they expected game there I cannot say but we saw no game and no water on this trek.

At Tasilima we spent the evening in a hunt. Small game, duiker, oribi, bush buck were seen and the spoor of an occasional large animal but no tsetse ware encountered.

One longipalpis was seen. Numerous cattle,

Next day we reached Jugboi.

sheep and donkeys passed on the road. On the 4th March we left Jugboi, 5.30 a.m., and proceeded to Dwere on the Volta. We crossed here without trouble and with- out canoe. We spent some time swimming and again were not bitten. sional lonainalnis, was seen on the way, however.

An occa-

The bush all around is obviously swampy and well under water supply. This had every appearance of being a tvoical palpalis hannt, yet we only saw one malnalis in half an hour. Again the tsetse was known but not Sleeping Sickness. On the 5th we returned to Kintampo. At Mansara village we saw two longipalpis. We nassed through a considerable amount of swamp land. We had thus covered 108 miles on foot. Five days later we were back in Accra.

OBSERVATIONS,

The type of weather encountered was that of the early rains. That is, we had a tornado every day or night after leaving Coomassie. The humidity and tempera- ture were high, and down in the valley along the Volta one felt a deficiency of oxygen, i.e., water vapour took up so much room in one's inhalation. As a result of these tornadoes grass was growing up tender and green and the trees were regain- ing their leaves. but the ground was still parched, and thus no stream flowed through this bush. A month before this the country consisted of a dry parched land covered with leafless trees and no grass. Such conditions are not suitable to game, and hence its scarcity when we passed through, and it must be presumed that tsetse flies will not go where there is not game unless they got other food, and this country did not show reptiles as numerous. In fact, it was very noticeable the almost complete absence of bird life, and monkeys were only seen once.

One must admit, therefore, that the conditions appear to be unfavourable to the spread of tsetse. Two months later, however, our findings might be quite different.

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Reference.—

885/26

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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