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27819.

No. 138.

COLONIAL OFFICE to the EASTERN AND SOUTH AFRICAN TELEGRAPH

SIR,

COMPANY.

Downing Street, December 20, 1898. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant,* stating that the Board of the Eastern and South African Telegraph Company will grant facilities to the Malaria Investigation Commission, which is now on its way to Africa, for the transmission of free messages over the Company's cables, provided that the privilege is most sparingly used.

2. "I am to ask you to convey Mr. Chamberlain's thanks to the Board for their kind action in this matter, and to inform them that the Commission is expected to arrive at Chinde about the third week in January, and that instructions are being sent to prevent any possible abuse of the privilege.

27747.

SIR,

No. 139.

I

am,

&c.,

R. L. ANTROBUS.

MR. CHAMBERLAIN to the GOVERNORS OF THE CAPE AND NATAL.

(Cape, No. 99.) (Natal, No. 91.)

Downing Street, December 21, 1898.

I HAVE the honour to inform you that, after correspondence with the Royal Society, it has been decided to send a scientific Commission, consisting of three experts, to Africa for the purpose of conducting a thorough investigation into the causes and cure of malaria.

2. These experts will proceed first to Blantyre, in the British Central Africa Protectorate, where there are good opportunities for studying the disease, and after- wards to West Africa. Two of the Commissioners have already started, and are due at Chinde about the third week in January. It is expected that the inquiry will extend over a period of about two years.

3. It is possible that circumstances may arise in which the Commission will desire to communicate by telegraph with this Department or the Royal Society upon matters connected with their work, and it has been suggested that, in such cases, your Ministers may be willing to allow the messages to he sent over the Cape, telegraph lines free of charge.

4.

Natal

The Royal Society is only able to make a small grant towards the cost of the Commission, and the contributions from many of the Colonies-especially those most interested-cannot, owing to their financial condition, be large; it is therefore desired to reduce the expenses as much as possible.

5. As the results of the enquiry are likely to be of interest and advantage to the Cape, Natal S

as well as to other Colonies, I trust that your Ministers will support the present scheme by granting the desired facilities, on the understanding that the privi- lege, if given, will be most sparingly used.

6. The Eastern and South African Telegraph Company and the British South Africa Company (as representing the African Trans-Continental Telegraph Company), have expressed their willingness to allow the messages to pass over their lines free of charge, so that the grant of a similar privilege by your Government would relieve the Commission of all expense in connection with the matter.

* No. 181.

I have, &c.,

J. CHAMBERLAIN.

SIR

No. 139a.

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO.

COLONIAL OFFICE to BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COMPANY.

[Answered by No. 152.]

Downing Street. December 21, 1898. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to transmit to you, to be laid before the Directors of the British North Borneo Company, the accompanying copy of a circular despatch on the subject of the establishment of a School of Tropical Medicine in London, and the collection of pathological specimens for use in the School,

2. In supporting the scheme for the establishment of this School, Mr. Chamberlain's primary object has been to secure facilities for the instruction of doctors who may be selected by the Secretary of State for medical appointments in the tropies ; and it is on this ground that the Crown Colonies only, and not all of them, have been asked to make contributions towards the initial cost.

3. Mr. Chamberlain trusts, however, that the Directors will bring the scheme to the notice of the Company's doctors, and will ask them to make, if possible, contributions of pathological specimens to the museum of the new School.

1. The School is expected to be ready for the reception of students by the Ist of Betoler, 1899, and, during each year, to have certain definite courses of instruction which will extend over a period of not less than two months, and for which moderate fees will be charged. In the event of the Company's doctors desiring to avail themselves of the facilities which the School offers, it will be possible for them to do so on payment of these fees.

3. I am also 19 enclose a copy of another circular despatel† which has been addressed to the Governors of the same Colonies on the subject of a Commission which has been appointed to investigate the question of malarial fever.

6. It will be observed that mention is made of the possible connection between amlaria and mosquitoes, and Mr. Chamberlain would be glad if your Directors would give instructions that collections of the insects in question should be made in Labuan and North Borneo and sent to the Natural History branch of the British Museum.

27700.

SIR,

No. 140.

Latn. &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

COLONIAL OFFICE to DR. MANSON.

[Answered by No. 113.]

Downing Street, December 23, 1898. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to transmit to you, in the original, for return, two letters from the Principal of King's College, with their enclosures, on the subject of the recognition of work done in the laboratories of the College in connec- tion with the proposed arrangements for establishing a School of Tropical Medicine.

2. Mr. Chamberlain will be glad to have any remarks that you may wish to offer on the matters with which the letters deal.

27700.

No. 14hg

•

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

J

COLONIAL OFFICE to KING'S COLLEGE.

Downing Street, December 23, 1898.

SIR,

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Chamberlain to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 5th instant,§ transmitting a memorandum of an interview which you and

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No. 54.

↑ No. 125a.

Nos. 105 and 123.

§ No. 123.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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