203 



PRECIS OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY DISTRICT RESIDENTS 

 CONCERNING TSETSE-FLY AND CATTLE DISEASE IN THE 

 NYASALAND PROTECTORATE. 



Presented to the Legislative Council, hj command of His Excellency 

 THE Governor, November, 1909. 



(With Map.) 



Memorandum on the Bepo7'ts. 



It is clear from the reports sent in by District Residents that they have done 

 their best to nscertain and lay down, as far as they are able, all facts bearing 

 on the distribution of tsetse-fly in Nyasaland. It has to be borne in mind, 

 however, that all statements on such a subject as this, except by experts, 

 require to be received with caution. Some Residents have only been in 

 their present Distiicts for a comparatively short period, and their information 

 is largely obtained, not from direct personal observation, but as the 

 result of inquiries made from Europeans and Natives. Native information 

 as regards tsetse-fly may be looked upon as entirely valueless : the 

 proportion of Nyasaland Natives who know or can describe tsetse-fly is very 

 smalL 



I have noted inaccuracies in several reports. 



A number of years ago I roughly coloured on the old map of this 

 Protectorate, compiled by Sir Harry Johnston, the Districts which I looked 

 upon as being "Tsetse-Fly infested." From all the information that has 

 been gathered I have no reason to alter the limits of these areas, which 

 I think have remained practically the same as they were many years 

 ago. 



The increase of stock owned by Europeans and the general attention 

 which has been called during the last two or three years to the tsetse-fly 

 question has resulted in the discovery of fly by many people in localities 

 where they_, personally, had not known of its existence before ; and 

 they have been inclined to fancy that it has recently invaded such 

 localities. 



Since the pacification of the Protectorate and the cessation of Native 

 Wars, large numbers of Natives, especially Atonga, Achewa, and other 

 former slave tribes, have acquired cattle, and in many instances their cattle 

 have died from tsetse-fly disease, owing to their being kept in country where 

 fly exists. This also has drawn the attention of settlers and missionaries 

 more to the question than formerly. 



