GOLD COAST 203 
covered with the ashes of burned grasses and shrubs presented a 
picture of complete desolation. There were hundreds of square 
miles of this eyesore and one wondered what could have happened 
to all the bird-life. 
At the River Pru, about one hundred and twenty miles north 
of Kumasi, a real oasis came into view. The trees and bushes 
bordering the water, being of a totally different kind—mainly 
evergreens—and not being interspersed with dried grasses, had 
entirely escaped the fire. This offered a natural sanctuary to all 
the birds of the surrounding countryside, and I have never gazed 
on such an animated scene. Thousands of weaver-birds were twit- 
tering in the trees and large flocks of them were bathing in shal- 
low water. Mixed up with these were whydahs, Orange-cheeked 
Waxbills, Bar-breasted Firefinches, and Cordon-bleus in great 
numbers, and other birds such as Spectacled and Fairy Flycatchers, 
Coppery and Beautiful Sunbirds, and many species of kingfishers, 
etc., were plentiful. The natural beauty of the river, combined 
with such a dazzling display of bird-life in the bright tropical 
sunlight, presented a picture almost impossible to describe. 
This appeared to be the ideal place for collecting, although I 
was well aware that living in the proximity of the river would 
have serious drawbacks, such as being exposed to the attacks 
of the dreaded tsetse flies and mosquitoes. The natives themselves 
prefer to make their villages as much as two miles or more from a 
river and carry their water this distance, rather than tolerate the 
blood-sucking tsetse flies—carriers of sleeping-sickness. 
The only available place that we could occupy was the Govern- 
ment Rest-House at Prang—some two miles from the river—so 
having made arrangements with the local District Commissioner 
to occupy this for a while, I prepared for the trip, which we de- 
cided to make at night, for by day our delicate birds would re- 
quire feeding, and in a lorry there would be little light and too 
much vibration. 
A fortnight later we set off in a native lorry and trailer over 
some of the bumpiest roads in creation. On this vehicle were 
stacked not only our personal luggage, menagerie, and bird-foods, 
etc., but also three native servants, their paraphernalia, and the 
