REPORT OP TRAVELLING PATHOLOGIST 191 



in patches, how they will follow a caravan but disappear again, and accounts for the 

 discrepancies in the reports of dift'erent people as to the areas of fly-belts. 



It also explains why flies have not been sent into Khartoum from Tonj itself. Further, 

 it has been stated that in search for " fly " on a lake or river, all that is necessary is to land a 

 boy, who can recognise them, for a couple of hours occasionally to catch a few ; but these ' 

 facts tend to show that a patch such as I have described might thus be easily missed, 

 and also demonstrate that before declaring a country free of " fly " a very careful search 

 would have to be made, which, in the case of the territory of the Bahr-El-Ghazal would take 

 one man at least a couple of years. 



In addition to the above, I found another patch about two hours march on the road to 

 Wau from Tonj. Here (Tonj), the mamur told me the government cattle die at the rate of Tonj to Wau 

 one a week, which, from the foregoing is easily explained, but unfortunately there were none 

 sick at the moment for me to examine. From Tonj I determined to go straight to Meshra 

 without going along the well-worn track to Wau, as I thought there was more chance of 

 finding unknown patches of " fly " than if I travelled where many, capable of recognising the 

 " fly," had jirobably been. The track, however, to Meshra, along which the government wells 

 existed, was impossible owing to their being dry. Hence I had to go by byewavs from sheik 

 to sheik according to the information they gave me about water. 

 My path lay through the following places : 



Police Station 



Village, Bilhega, Sheik Tonj an 



Aliat . . 



Cajungo, on Tonj River 



Temporary fishing camp 



Elwaitch 



Quaitch 



Akok 



Taba 



Teek 



Depeek 



Lan 



Meshra 

 Thus my road was necessarily of a zig-zag character. During this part of the journey I 

 met with no " fly," and passed tiirough an immense alluvial area of very rich grass, affording 

 forage for large herds of fine cattle. The latter had been collected from the high ground, 

 which is at this time of year parched up. One evening while camping, I counted eight herds 

 being driven in, averaging some 100 in each. The bulls, if fattened as in England, would 

 turn the butcher's scale at from 85 to 95 stone. Even as it was, fed as they were on grass 

 alone, there were some that would, I think, weigh out near those figures. There was a large 

 population here living in the temporary villages engaged in tending the cattle and catching 

 the fish in the pools which were gradually drying up. No doubt this part of the country is 

 under water in the rains, and is probably quite free from " fly." 



At this time of year the natives here dry a quantity of fish for future consumption, and 

 from what I saw must eat a quantity of it half rotten, but I did not see a case of leprosy, Leprosy 

 though my hurried march did not give much opportunity for observation. On the other 

 hand, I came across two cases at Luala's on the Balir-El-.Iebel. Figs. 89, 90 and 91. 



