﻿RESEARCH 
  ON 
  THE 
  GOLD 
  COAST. 
  27 
  

  

  found 
  at 
  the 
  following 
  points 
  : 
  — 
  Sekondi, 
  101 
  miles, 
  127 
  miles, 
  138 
  miles 
  and 
  148J 
  

   miles. 
  Other 
  blood-sucking 
  insects 
  found 
  at 
  Obuasi 
  include 
  : 
  — 
  Stomoxys 
  cahitrans, 
  

   S. 
  brunnipes, 
  S, 
  nigra, 
  S. 
  omega, 
  S. 
  inornata, 
  Tabanus 
  besti, 
  T. 
  secedens, 
  

   T. 
  marmoratus, 
  Haematopota 
  cordigera, 
  Chrysops 
  dimidiata 
  and 
  C. 
  longicornis. 
  

  

  Tabanus 
  kingsleyi 
  was 
  caught 
  at 
  Dunkwa 
  and 
  a 
  specimen 
  of 
  G. 
  pallicera 
  entered 
  

   the 
  carriage 
  in 
  which 
  I 
  was 
  seated, 
  at 
  Mansu. 
  

  

  Sekondi 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  important 
  seaport, 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  being 
  the 
  railway 
  terminus 
  

   and 
  the 
  port 
  of 
  entry 
  for 
  the 
  gold 
  mines. 
  Glossina 
  fusca 
  and 
  G. 
  palpalis 
  both 
  

   occur 
  there 
  ; 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  species 
  I 
  caught 
  one 
  specimen 
  in 
  the 
  hospital 
  laboratory 
  

   while 
  I 
  was 
  there. 
  Mosquitos 
  were 
  very 
  troublesome 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  my 
  visit 
  

   (18th 
  June). 
  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  species 
  caught: 
  — 
  Culex 
  invidiosus, 
  C. 
  rima, 
  

   Ochlerotatus 
  domesticus 
  and 
  0. 
  irritans. 
  Other 
  blood-sucking 
  flies 
  include 
  Tabanus 
  

   par, 
  T. 
  ruficrus, 
  T. 
  secedens 
  and 
  T. 
  socialis. 
  

  

  Stegomyia 
  fasciata 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  uncommon, 
  but 
  of 
  recent 
  years 
  an 
  enormous 
  

   reduction 
  in 
  their 
  numbers 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  through 
  improved 
  methods 
  of 
  sanitation. 
  

   There 
  have 
  been 
  several 
  outbreaks 
  of 
  yellow 
  fever 
  at 
  this 
  port. 
  

  

  (10.) 
  Sekondi 
  to 
  Accra. 
  

  

  This 
  journey 
  was 
  made 
  overland 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  coast 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  

   various 
  ports 
  and 
  villages 
  otherwise 
  difficult 
  of 
  access. 
  The 
  coast 
  consists 
  for 
  the 
  

   most 
  part 
  of 
  low, 
  sandy 
  shore 
  with 
  high 
  cliffs 
  at 
  intervals, 
  and 
  is 
  beaten 
  by 
  a 
  heavy 
  

   surf 
  which 
  causes 
  a 
  dense 
  mist 
  for 
  some 
  distance 
  inland. 
  The 
  vegetation 
  at 
  this 
  

   part 
  near 
  the 
  shore 
  is 
  mostly 
  grass 
  and 
  low 
  scrub, 
  but 
  further 
  inland 
  low 
  savannah 
  

   forest 
  is 
  predominant. 
  

  

  Between 
  Sekondi 
  and 
  Shama 
  Glossina 
  longipalpis 
  was 
  found 
  at 
  several 
  places, 
  

   whilst 
  at 
  a 
  small 
  creek, 
  about 
  half-way, 
  surrounded 
  by 
  mangrove 
  swamp, 
  

   G. 
  palpalis 
  was 
  caught. 
  The 
  latter 
  species 
  was 
  captured 
  at 
  Shama 
  along 
  with 
  

   Tabanus 
  kingsleyi 
  and 
  T. 
  secedens. 
  Shama 
  is 
  an 
  ancient 
  town 
  situated 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  

   the 
  River 
  Pra 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  old 
  Portuguese 
  fort. 
  The 
  main 
  industry 
  is 
  fishing, 
  and 
  a 
  

   large 
  amount 
  of 
  fish 
  is 
  dried 
  and 
  smoked 
  in 
  clay 
  ovens. 
  These 
  ovens, 
  when 
  out 
  of 
  

   use, 
  generally 
  retain 
  water, 
  and 
  are 
  a 
  favourite 
  breeding 
  ground 
  for 
  mosquitos, 
  

   which 
  consequently 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  abundance. 
  Another 
  source 
  of 
  mosquitos 
  

   is 
  the 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  old 
  canoes 
  containing 
  water 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  fishing 
  nets 
  are 
  

   tanned. 
  These 
  generally 
  contain 
  innumerable 
  larvae. 
  

  

  The 
  River 
  Pra 
  has 
  to 
  be 
  crossed 
  by 
  canoe 
  between 
  Shama 
  and 
  Elmina. 
  This 
  

   region 
  is 
  surrounded 
  by 
  mangrove 
  swamp, 
  and 
  G. 
  palpalpis 
  abounds 
  there; 
  

   G. 
  longipalpis 
  and 
  G. 
  fusca 
  were 
  also 
  found 
  during 
  this 
  trek. 
  

  

  At 
  Elmina 
  is 
  situated 
  the 
  oldest 
  fort 
  in 
  West 
  Africa 
  ; 
  it 
  was 
  built 
  by 
  the 
  

   Portuguese 
  in 
  the 
  14th 
  century. 
  A 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  troops 
  were 
  quartered 
  there 
  

   during 
  the 
  Ashanti 
  Wars 
  ; 
  the 
  rate 
  of 
  mortality 
  was 
  very 
  high, 
  and 
  according 
  to 
  

   some 
  authorities 
  the 
  disease 
  responsible 
  for 
  the 
  deaths 
  was 
  yellow 
  fever. 
  The 
  area 
  

   around 
  has 
  been 
  well 
  cleared 
  and 
  is 
  kept 
  in 
  good 
  order, 
  but 
  the 
  remarks 
  made 
  with 
  

   regard 
  to 
  Shama 
  apply 
  equally 
  well 
  for 
  the 
  native 
  town 
  of 
  Elmina. 
  The 
  only 
  

   mosquito 
  caught 
  was 
  Stegomyia 
  fasciata, 
  but 
  both 
  G. 
  longipalpis 
  and 
  G. 
  fusca 
  were 
  

   found 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity. 
  

  

  Between 
  Elmina 
  and 
  Cape 
  Coast, 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  nine 
  miles, 
  no 
  blood-sucking 
  flies 
  

   were 
  seen. 
  Recently 
  at 
  this 
  station 
  a 
  ridge 
  about 
  2 
  miles 
  away 
  from 
  the 
  native 
  

  

  