160 COLONIAL REPORTS MISCELLANEOUS 



Drainage Systems. 



The chief rivers draining this extensive tract of country are:- 



1. The Volta, with its two large feeders the Black and White 

 Voltas the former of which rises in the Mina Mountains of the 

 Western Soudan, and the latter some hundred miles due north of 

 the important town of Wagadugu in the French Soudan. The 

 Black Volta from the 11 north parallel as far south as about 

 8 40' north forms the boundary between our possessions and that 

 of the French. It then flows in a south-easterly direction till 

 within a long day's march of Kintampo, after which it makes a 

 big loop to the north, is joined by the White Yolta, and resumes 

 it south-easterly direction ; this it keeps as far as the small vil- 

 lage of Epuni on the north-eastern border of Ashanti, when it 

 turns to the south, and after running in that direction for about 

 a hundred miles, again, in the neighbourhood of Akusa, bends 

 away to the south-east and finally empties itself into the Kitta 

 and Adda lagoons. 



It is a fine river, but unfortunately the channel is much 

 obstructed in places with rapids. The White Yolta drains a con- 

 sideiable portion of the Northern Territories. The most impor- 

 tant tributaries on the right bank of the main or Black Yolta are, 

 within our limits, the Tain, Pra, Sene, Sunii, and Afran Rivers, 

 all of which, except the last, drain the northern portions of 

 Ashanti. 



2. The Tano River. This rises in north-western Ashanti, and 

 after flowing in a more or less north and south direction for 

 nearly the whole of its course empties itself into the Tendo 

 Lagoon on the extreme south-western border of the Colony, close 

 to the coast town of Half Assini. It is also obstructed by rapids, 

 but they are said to be not very formidable, and the obstructions 

 causing them are 'Capable of being removed. The Tano River 

 drains the best forests of Ashanti and the Colony a wooded area 

 of several thousand square miles. 



3. The Pra River. Rising in the high hills of Okwawu and 

 Eastern Akirn, this river flows for the greater portion of its 

 journey in a south-westerly direction ; at Sarmang it turns to the 

 south and flows into the sea close to the town of Shama. It 

 drains an extremely hilly tract of country, and is, like the others, 

 rendered unnavigable by the presence of rapids. The most im- 

 portant feeders on its right bank are the Anum River, which 

 drains the country to the east of the sacred lake, and the Otfin 

 with its tributary the Adra. They both drain the southern and 

 south-western portions of Ashanti. On the left bank it is joined 

 by two important feeders, the Inwi and the Birrim, the latter 

 of which is much the larger of the two and drains one of the best 

 cocoa-growing districts. 



4. The Ankobra River. This stream rises in the extreme 

 northern portion of Upper Denkira, close to the mining centre of 

 Bibiani, and is confined for the whole length of its course to the 

 limits of the Colony. It flows almost due north and south 

 through a very rich mining and timber country, and falls into 

 the sea close to Axirn. 



