178 TSETSE DISAPrEAEING WITH BIG GAME. 



large game, and according to the nature of the season ; 

 and that the area where the fly is fatal appears to be 

 diminishing rather than increasing " (p. 14). 



In the discussion on Sir Bartle Frere's paper (read 

 November 22, 1880) — " Sir Fowell Buxton observed 

 that the subject of Sir Bartle's paper could not fail to be 

 of great interest to all who felt anxious about the con- 

 tinuance of the work of exploration in Central Africa. 

 . , . One matter of some hopefulness was the fact that 

 the Tsetse-fly seemed to be gradually receding before the 

 advance of civilisation. Efibrts had been made to con- 

 struct a road from the coast into the interior, and the 

 grand attempt made by the King of the Belgians to 

 introduce the elephant as a beast of burden should not be 

 forgotten. Some attempts had been made also to intro- 

 duce wheeled traflic, though the fly had hitherto stood in 

 the way. He could not, however, but hope that better 

 success was in store in the future, since it appeared that 

 the Tsetse scourge disappeared wherever the large game 

 was driven back. 



"Sir Bartle Feere said with regard to the possi- 

 bility of getting across the fly-belt, the testimony of the 

 chief hunters and traders went to show that the Tsetse 

 certainly did, to a great extent, follow the movements of 

 the great game ; and also that as the country became better 

 known, particular points were discovered by the guides 

 where even during the day-time, in the immediate vicinity 

 of the bush infested by the fly, there were cleared spots 

 where the fly never touched a horse, and that those who 

 had been much in the fly districts were able to discover 

 routes through the infested belts by which horses could 

 with great care be conveyed ; and of course if that was 

 the case on a small scale, it might gradually be that the 

 means of carrying animals subject to be bitten by the 

 Tsetse through the infested belt would increase. Mr. 

 Humphery had told him that traders had conveyed a 

 wagon across the river [Zambesi], and it had been 

 pui'cbased by a chief on the other side, but unfortunately 

 he was not beyond the region so fatal to oxen. However, 

 there appeared to be very little doubt that there was a 

 region perfectly free from the fly at no great distance on 

 the northern bank, and within practicable reach" (p. 19). 



