CO885-24 — Page 385

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

mmimmimC.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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depends upon food and shelter. The results are likely to be worthy of presentation in full, in a separate report, and are better not anticipated, but this much is directly pertinent.

22. Instead of being lightly infested except at a few points, as previously reported, the greater part of the thirty miles surveyed to date has been found infested to an average degree far in excess of that prevailing on the islands. Never- theless, much of the shore is almost fly free, and much more of it obviously owes infestation to neighbourhood of over-populated "colonies." These centres of infes tation occur wherever there are good food, good shelter, and good breeding ground in combination.

23. Localities which are practically free of fly have been found in which

(1) Shelter and breeding grounds are good, and food poor.

(2) Shelter and food are good, and breeding grounds poor. (3) Breeding grounds and food are good, and shelter poor.

24. It would be a task of such magnitude as to be wholly impracticable to destroy the potentially good breeding places of Glossina along this shore; they are more extensive by far than in any of the localities in which, on account of their extent, it appeared impracticable to consider their destruction. It would, similarly, be an impracticable undertaking to banish or destroy all the hosts, animals, or to clear away all shelter. But, basing the statement on the colonies or centres of infes tation actually studied to date, it is not going to be beyond the bounds of reason to consider each of them individually, and to treat each in accordance with its particu- lar characteristics. Two sharply defined colony centres, for example, exist at the mouths of creeks, which are harbours for numerous crocodiles. On either side are shelter and breeding places which are satisfactory as far as Glossina is concerned, but not attractive to its host. A considerable reach of shore plainly owes infesta- tion to these two spots, and to treat them as fords and ferry landings are treated successfully, in actual practice-i.e., to clear bush from their vicinity sufficiently to prevent the flies free access to their hosts (see paragraph 6)--will certainly suffice. Proof is found in the circumstance that such clearings naturally exist at other points on the shore where crocodiles are common, but where their basking spots are sepa rated (by fifty yards or even less) from the shelter which the flies, "roving" forth in search of food, are loath to leave.

25. In other colonies it is through its breeding places that the fly is most easily attacked; in still others through shelter. Hard and fast rules for fly suppression plainly cannot be formulated which will be, at the same time, economical. The idea previously entertained of selecting one amongst the several possible methods for indirect suppression, carrying it out thoroughly and applying it to all localities alike, now appears to have been radically wrong in principle.

26. The attitude of the natives to the region, excited over reports spread in advance of the writer's coming, that some official was about to inspect the closed area with a view to permitting reoccupation, indicates the eagerness to return of many of the thousands who were driven from their fertile plantations in the quarantined area, or deprived of fishing rights. That these people will do something to regain lost privileges is certain-how much, remains in doubt. The object of the survey is mainly to afford the basis for an estimate as to how much must be done, and when this is finally accomplished the time will come to ascertain, through the Adminis- trative officials and the native chiefs, how much the natives are likely to be willing to do. If the discrepancy is not too great, it is believed that the Government can legitimately be called upon to meet any deficiency, and an extensive experiment actually undertaken.*

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* The scheme which the writer has, at present, in mind, and which will only be proposed in the event that the final results of the survey are approximately as encouraging as there seems to be reason experiment," and to expect, is that the entire Buddu shore be cleared by the Government, as an the people be allowed to return and resume their former occupations, on condition that those taking advantage of the offer submit to extra taxation in return for the privilege and to reimburse the Government. The results of the survey are becoming more and more convincing, until it is no longer question of an experiment to demonstrate the efficiency of one or another of the possible methods of fly suppression. There is no longer much doubt on that store-and the real objects of the experiment are two:-

(1) To ascertain the willingness of the native population to co-operate in fly suppression. (2) To ascertain if, after the fly is once suppressed, it will return to localities normally occupied by man, if shelter and breeding-places are present; i.e., if man and his domestic animals will afford adequate food supply.

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27. It is not going to be necessary for practical purposes to provide for auso- lutely complete extermination of fly, because:—

(1) Even at Entebbe, and to a greater extent at some other lake ports, a few straggling flies continually find their way into the townships or settlements.

(2) It is wholly impossible to prevent natives from violating the quaran- tine regulations. Innumerable instances of their violation, and of indi- vidual fishing, hunting, or loitering, or having done so, in the closed belt, are available for citation, in the writer's own experience.

(3) Neither in British East Africa, nor in the portion of the lake region administered by the Germans, was it thought necessary to adopt the stringent regulations imposed in Uganda. To an extent unknown, because never thor- oughly investigated, the natives in these other portions of the lake shore have lived, and continue to do so, in contact with Glossina palpalis.

(4) Neither to account of (1), (2), or (3) can notable ill-effects upon the public health be traced. The epidemic was promptly checked when the bulk of the population was removed from the danger zone, and the death-rate from sleeping sickness has steadily diminished from year to year in spite of what, in the aggregate, amounts to a great many individuals being exposed to infection yearly.

28. Even under the enormous headway which the epidemic gained in Uganda it failed to cause much mortality in contiguous portions of East Africa. It appears reasonable to assume that the extent to which the population of the East African coast and islands lives in contact with Glossina represents a maximum which could be established with a fair margin of safety in Uganda. At all events, it is illogical that one principle that of reasonable precaution--should be adopted for East Africa, and another-that of stringent quarantine-for Uganda. It further appears that it might be possible, by partial suppression of fly, which would cost relatively little, so to reduce the danger of infection in Uganda as to fall below that now existing as a result of surreptitious infringement of regulations, which do, undoubtedly, impose a hardship on the native.* It would be easy to prohibit the location of villages at points where the shore is not thoroughly well cleared of fly- and if fishermen occasionally lay their traps along uninhabited reaches where they are likely to come in contact with it, they are merely doing legitimately what they are actually doing illegitimately at the present time. Finally, rigid enforcement of present regulations would entail an expense, in addition to the considerable expense already incurred, which would go far towards removing the source of danger completely.†

29. In view of these various considerations the writer feels that it is incum- hent upon these investigations to lead to some decision concerning the margin of safety, and that such decision ought to be reached before the details of the "experi- ment" hereinbefore discussed are finally determined upon. This, it is believed, can be done by a

"fly survey" of inhabited reaches of shore in East Africa, and it is proposed that this shall be undertaken just as soon as the Buddu fly survey is com pleted. The latter mentioned will serve as basis for an estimate for the amount of clearing which would be necessary if fly were to be reduced to, or to below, the abun- dance now prevalent at some of the more populous lake ports the former to indicate the extent to which the expenditure necessary to effect this can be still further reduced by partial substitutions of precautionary for suppressive measures.

*Particularly in depriving him of fishing rights, which are really valuable. No less than twenty- two fish traps, old (discarded) and new, were found in the Buddu fly survey along a ten-mile roach of shore where no fishing may legitimately be conducted, and, in addition, an elaborately constructed weir. Several of the traps were well concealed, and many more must have been passed by.

For a few years after they are made the cost of maintaining clearings at dangerous points along shore will be considerable-but if the bush can once be killed it is automatically replaced, in most localities, by grass, and if this be systematically fixed at the proper time, it will result, in some locali- ties, in preventing the bush from encroaching upon it. Maintenance thus comes to involve small annual expenditure after the new order of things is once established.

Native grasses, which will automatically spread and replace the bush, are without much doubt preferable to citronella, or other exotic species, unless the latter named are to be economically utilized.