204 JAS. J. SIMPSON—ENTOMOLOGICAL 
a considerable distance from the river, consists of thick mud, which, in the dry 
season, is baked hard and much cracked. Numerous large trees and a small 
amount of bushy scrub occur in the vicinity of the river, and there are also a 
few scattered Oil-palms. At the actual crossing, a certain amount of clearing 
has been done, but this is by no means adequate, inasmuch as sufficient bush 
has been left to form an admirable tsetse refuge. This applies to nearly all the 
ferries on the river. At almost any hour of the day, numbers of natives with 
goats, sheep, donkeys, cattle, etc., may be seen waiting for canoes to ferry them 
across, and all these are subject to tsetse attacks. 
The camp at Lamin Koto is situated about a quarter of a mile away from the 
river bank, but during the wet season this whole area is inundated with water 
and it is possible to row close up to the camp. The importance of this will be 
seen later in a discussion on the possible breeding-grounds of G. palpalis. 
(c.) MacCarthy Island. 
MacCarthy Island lies about 150 miles from Bathurst ; it is, roughly, 6 miles 
long and 1} miles at the widest part, near the middle; from this it tapers to 
both ends. The main branch of the river is on the north side, and even here it 
is only about a quarter of a mile wide, while the stream separating the island 
from the mainland on the south side is only about 200 yards in width. To the 
north bank there is only one crossing ; namely that to Lamin Koto, but to the 
south there are two, one at the east end to Boraba, and one at the west to 
Faraba ; both the latter are simply narrow clearings in dense bush. The whole 
island is fringed by thick bushy undergrowth, except where the factories are 
built. The interior is very low-lying, and in the wet season is covered with 
water, being extensively used for rice farming. Various types of vegetation 
are met with on the isiand, from thick bush to thin serub, while palms also occur 
in places, but there are few trees of any great size. There is only one small 
native village, situated near the centre of the island, close to the European 
quarter. This island is very important, inasmuch as it separates the “ Upper” 
river from the “ Lower.” Ocean-going steamers ascend the river to this point 
even in the dry season. All the produce of the upper river is brought down to 
this island in schooners and deposited until the large steamers call and take it 
direct to Europe ; consequently it is the most important commercial depot in 
the colony, apart from Bathurst, and European representatives from all the 
trading firms are stationed here during the dry season. The Government 
steamer also calls weekly in the dry season, and fortnightly during the rains. 
There is a large Government House, used chiefly by travelling officers, and a 
native hospital and dispensary. Quite recently, a Kuropean hospital has been 
built, and a medical officer has since been stationed there. Between Government 
House and the Boraba crossing, Glossina palpalis* was caught, while, in a 
canoe, at the crossing itself both G. palpalis and Tabanus taeniola were found. 
On my second visit to the island, while in the Government steamer, which was 
Gassan and Wassu. 
