166 JA8. J. SIMPSON — ENTOMOLOGICAL 



The next two towns at which a halt was made, namely, Resorse and Rowerre, 

 are what are known as " true cattle towns." Resorse is a large town of over 200 

 compounds, and Rowerre, is only slightly smaller. Each compound consists of 

 one or more houses situated within a large strongly fenced cattle corral. The 

 cattle are driven out to pasture during the day, and return at night to the corrals. 

 Sometimes between one and two thousand cattle may thus be quartered in the 

 town. These compounds are not over-clean, and the plague of flies may be 

 better imagined than described. The following blood-sucking flies were caught 

 at Rowerre: — Ghssina palpalis, Tabanus hwerani, and T \ Mngsleyi \ while the 

 cattle and the compounds swarm with ticks, chiefly Amblyomma variegatum and 

 Boophilus australis. . Rowerre may be regarded as the southern limit of the 

 cattle country of the Timanis. The country south of this is practically all grass 

 land with forests of African oak. It is very sparsely inhabited and there is 

 little cultivation. 



The only blood-sucking insect seen between Rowerre and Port Lokko was 

 G. palpatis, while we were crossing the Mabole River at Mabanta. The latter 

 is one of the outpost stations of the West African Regiment. 



(2). Port Lokko to Kaballa, via Batkanu (main route). 



The road from Port Lokko to Kaballa, via Batkanu, is at present the main 

 north route for all officials to and from Kaballa. As soon as the northern 

 extension of the railway crosses the Rokell River at Makump, a closer connection 

 will be established with Freetown, and it is probable that this route will be more 

 extensively used. 



The Batkanu road runs in the valley of the Mabole almost the whole way to 

 Kaballa, but the latter part lies in the basin of the Mawolo River. From Port 

 Lokko to Batkanu the chief towns passed are Konta and Roballandugu. The 

 whole of this country is practically level and the vegetation is park-like, with 

 patches of low bush and grass land, and abundant oil palms. No blood-sucking 

 flies were seen on this march. 



Batkanu is a small town of about 25 huts on the Mabole River. Its importance, 

 however, lies in the fact that it is the headquarters of the Karene district. Here 

 are stationed a District Commissioner, an Assistant Commissioner, and a Medical 

 Officer. The European station is situated some distance away from the native 

 town and is a model of what can be done in the way of laying out and maintaining 

 a station. Col. Warren, the District Commissioner, is fully alive to the necessity 

 of extensive clearing, and not only is this being carried out around the station, 

 but he has prohibited the growing of any crops within the station which might 

 tend to shelter or serve as breeding places for noxious insects. 



It might be noted, however, that the thick low bush which extends between 

 the river and the Medical Officer's bungalow might with advantage be cleared in 

 the vicinity of the bungalow, or, better still, when the time comes for the erection 

 of a new bungalow, a new site might be chosen further away from the river. 



The country around is park-like, with extensive stretches of grass. These 

 latter are inundated with water during the rains. The banks of the river are 

 very high and steep and are covered with dense bush and overhanging trees. 



