1027THE ASHANTI EXPEDITION.

THE ASHANTI EXPEDITION.

(BY OUR SPECIAL WAR CORRESPONDENT.)

II. 1 n

Climate and Soil of the Country traversed by the Expeditionary I-Force. N)

THE belt of country stretching from Cape Coast Castle toKumasi, the line of march which our troops covered, lies *-

between the parallels of 5° 8’ and 6° 45’ north latitude and 31° 15’ to 1° 35’ west longitude, therefore well within the xequatorial region of Western Africa. Its climate is essen- c

tially tropical and notoriously unhealthy ; whilst its un- s

suitability as a residence for Europeans, or even West dIndians, must surely be admitted in view of the fact that

e

a death-roll of 16 and a rate of sickness equal to 50 per r

tcent. have been the results of only some six weeks’ stay fthere by our white and coloured troops employed during the frecent campaign. From very careful observations taken a

every four hours, by night as well as by day, and registered f

by instruments that could thoroughly be relied on, the solar (heat, even during the dry season (whilst the harmattan was E

blowing), cannot in any way be considered excessive, especi- 2

ally in comparison with what is felt in India or even the ) vSoudan. Only on two occasions during the march up or down (

was 90° F. reached, and even this degree of heat was only : amaintained for a few hours in the middle of the day, the ::thermometer having sunk considerably by nightfall. The 1extreme registers were taken at the rest camp of Kwissa at ::2 P.M. on Jan. 9th and also at Prahsu on Dec. 25th, 1895.Kwissa lies to the north of the Monsi Hill and is con- 1sidered one of the healthiest spots en route. The lowesttemperature ever recorded during the expedition was j68° F. ; this was registered at 4 A.M. on Jan. 6th at ]

the camp of Akusirem. The mean of all the maximumobservations recorded from Dec. 15th, 1895, to Jan. lst, :

1896, gives an average highest temperature of 85° F.. andthat of the lowest an average of 75° F., and taking themean betwixt these two an all-round temperature of onlysome 80° F. is shown-surely an amount of heat that couldbe endured with impunity by well-seasoned and healthytroops. It is therefore not to the amount or persistenceof heat but to some other cause or causes that we mustlook for an explanation of the development of thatcalamitous form of sickness which has stricken men down,not only in this, but in every other preceding expedition tothe Gold Coast. The difference between the dry and wetbulbs averaged about 35°. During the winter and rainyseason the mean average temperature is about 80° F.. andthe difference then between wet and dry bulb is about 20 or2 50°.On the Gold Coast there are two distinct seasons: one,

the dry, commences generally about the middle or end ofOctober, and terminates at the latter part of February or begin-ning of March. It embraces a period of sometimes over fivemonths, during which season the rainfall is very limited orin some years conspicuous by its entire absence. Fortun-

ately, however, heavy thunderstorms may, and do, occur

during the dry season and are very beneficial when theycome. First, the heavy rains which accompany these

tempests reduce the temperature 3° or 4° and relieve the

oppressiveness of the air considerably. Secondly, theincreased momentum given to the air by the incursion of thesestorms disturbs and scatters malarial germs ; and, thirdly, theshort, heavy downpour of rain which accompanies these" busters" washes down the land, removes any accumulation offilth, carrying it away by surface-made channels, and thence,by contributory streams, deposits it into the main river. Butit does more than this, it cleanses by removing the rotting anddecaying material left by the receding water on the banks ofthe river itself.

During the dry season the harmattan, or north-east wind,is prevalent over the Guinea Coast. Blowing as it doesover the Soudan desert, it is dry and very parching incharacter, and has a distinct reputation for arrestingvegetation, but it is supposed to be beneficial in checkingmalaria and fever; if this be so it is probably bydrying the air (usually so humid), and thereby rendering

1 No. 1 was published in THE LANCET of April 4th, 1896. j

it more respirable than it otherwise would be. Some-times it comes on in November, and in some years it hasnot made its appearance till February. During this lastAshanti campaign, however, its influence was only felt (and-that too sparingly) for two or three days at the end ofDecember, and to its absence may possibly be attributedmuch of the sickness that has overtaken so many of our men.

During the march from Cape Coast Castle to Kumasi therewas an entire absence of any wind.The wet season commences about March and ends in.

October. It is frequently ushered in by a heavy downpourof rain-sometimes by a tornado ; but it is during May andJune that these storms are most severely felt. This is sup-posed to be the unhealthy season ; but the supposition iscertainly open to doubt. Many observers consider the wetseason as the healthier of the two. Experience has abun-dantly taught us that accumulation of stagnant water, or

even the neighbourhood of rivers, is at all periodsmore or less unhealthy; and if it be admitted thatthe malarial morbific agent, whatever it may be, resultsfrom the decomposition of animal and vegetable matters, orfrom exhalations from soils recently under water-then,assuredly, that period of the year when the river is mostfull or the area of the water at its greatest extent should(theoretically) be the least prejudicial to health. Unquestion-ably, when a river is low its banks are covered with anaccumulation of animal and vegetable detritus. The Prahwas so at the time of our stay, and was evidently in a faircondition to evolve miasmatic gases into the surroundingatmosphere, while the low-lying lands surrounding Prahsu.always under water during the wet season, were by reason ofthe dry one converted into black, stinking bogs, and becameat once elements for the production of pestilential effluvia.As temperature increases so the water recedes. From dayto day a greater surface of muddy soil becomes exposed,and more organic matter is acted upon by the sun and more-poisonous gases are abundantly evolved. Many practicalmen with whom I have conversed upon the subject say that atrading experience of many years has taught them that more-sickness occurs in the dry than in the wet season, especiallyif the harmattan blows intermittently and without its full

; strength ; but all admit the relief and benefit produced by’ the occurrence of tornadoes. Without their occasional. visits life would be unendurable on the western coast’ of Africa. They usually commence in April and are mosti violent during the months of May and June. Somej are more destructive than others and do a con-

j siderable amount of damage by demolishing native-, buildings, uprooting large trees, and destroying the young) growing plantain and banana plants. However, theygive ample warning of their approach. Sky signs arenever wanting, and if proper precautions are taken by the1 natives to stay their huts with cane lanyards much destruc-r tion of property can be prevented. Some time before

the storm bursts a black ring appears above the horizon,, and the whole arch of heaven, previously so blue andE clear, becomes gradually enveloped in darkness ; then a few- drops of rain will fall and a light cooling breeze will butB ruffle the foliage of the trees, causing their dry leaves to fallrand fly about in every direction ; then the rumble ofdistant thunder is heard, sounding louder and louder,rand the lightning is seen, becoming brighter and brighteras the tornado approaches. Forked flashes are now

e incessant, with deafening thunder pealing overhead ;e the wind has by this time increased to hurricane

e violence, and the rain comes down in torrents. Whate makes most impression on a beholder during such ae fearful war of the elements is certainly the frequent transi-e tion from pitchy darkness to broad glaring light. At onef moment nothing is visible, and in another the whole expanseI, of nature seems suddenly illumined by the vivid lightning so.t as to make small objects distinctly perceptible even at ad distance. A tornado is truly a grand but at the same timef terrible sight. Just a month or so before the wet season

ends the rains begin to ease off and the weather becomes1, hazy. During the middle of the day the sun shiness brightly, but in the mornings and evenings the whole

n country is enveloped in heavy dense fogs. Throughoutg September these lessen appreciably day after day, and at theg beginning of October the dry season once more sets in.y Although it is called the dry season it is very question-g able if it is so in reality. True, the rains are over ; but-heavy fogs have taken their place, excessive moisture beingever present in the air, and one might wait in vain for the

1028 THE ASHANTl EXPEDITION.

FIG. 1.

.A running stream of fairly good water at Biafra Edru. Over this one of the Ifaussas had been placed ah guard to present the natives pollutingit. The illustration shows licw thoroughlv v the Ee it i-y recognised the importance ul the duty entrusted to him !

1029THE ASHANTI EXPEDITION.

advent of one of those bright sunny dry days we are apt toexperience in more temperate climes. So loaded is the

atmosphere with moisture even during December, January,and February that it is impossible to keep anything freefrom an investment of green mould unless it be protected bytin, or some other weatherproof substance. Tea done upin the ordinary tinfoil packets becomes caked and unfit foruse after a few days’ exposure to the air. Salt as soon as

opened becomes liquefied, while meat lozenges in paperboxes had a sorry time of it, much to the chagrin of someofficers who, relying on the possession of these luxuries Iand hoping to enjoy a good meal, found on opening the receptacles nothing to reward their confidence but a lumpof sodden rotting animal matter at the bottom of thecases. If men took off their clothes at night and hungthem quite dry over a camp chair or biscuit box, in themorning they would be found quite wet-not merely dampas our matrons would understand the term, but actuallyas saturated with water as if they had been rained upon.At Akusirem, that pestilential locality where I and othersno doubt received the germs of malarial fever, this exces-sive humidity was especially noticeable.

In noticing the soil of the Guinea Coast one can wellunderstand the difficulty experienced by an amateur

geologist, attached to an expedition moving hurriedlyover the country, in obtaining reliable information regard-ing the geological formation of the various districtsthrough which he has so quickly passed. His field ofobservation is narrowed to a degree. A long, nearlystraight road, bounded on both sides by a dense impene-trable bush, must necessarily offer but poor prospects to theobserver, however earnest he may be in searching aftertruth. Commencing at Cape Coast, the rock upon whichthe Castle is built is granite, the outcrop rising some eightor nine feet from the sand surrounding it. The nativetown at its back by a gradual rise seemed built on sandand gneiss, in which some beautiful specimens of opalescentfelspar could be observed. Gold (alluvial) in small grainshas occasionally been washed out from the mud of therivulets in the streets after a severe storm of rain ; but noremunerative finds have as yet been unearthed at Cape CoastCastle or in its vicinity. About five miles out in a north-north-east direction there is a hill of gneiss through whichveins of granite cut. At Akroful, the first rest camp, therewas much sand with mica, with lime stone outcrop, and atthis place, and this place only, was the water found tocontain lime in anything like appreciable quantity. Duringour trip up to Ashantiland I repeatedly tried to obtain anindication of its presence in the water, but failed on everyexamination to do so.

Proceeding onwards towards Dunkwa we passed overpatches of sand covered here and there with a thin layer ofvegetable soil, but as the township above mentioned wasapproached the sand gave place to a rich chocolate-colouredloam some five or six feet deep, and banks of this richalluvial deposit flanked the road on either side. Onecould readily imagine how easily crops of cocoa andspices might be grown on such a soil if anythinglike care and industry were exhibited in their cultivation.Indeed, cocoa, coffee, bananas, and oranges seemed to begrowing wild amidst the tangled undergrowth at this spot.After quitting Dunkwa the soil appeared much the same tillthe bamboo swamps near Mansu were reached, when we oncemore came upon the sand with occasional patches of blacksoil-leafy mould, in fact, the result of decayed vegetation.Mansu is situated upon a slight rise, and here gneiss wasonce more much in evidence: micaceous slabs three or

four inches across could be picked up all over the place.In the river bed there were large quartz boulders andsandstone, but although carefully searched for no goldcould be found. Of mica there was an abundance, anda few nodules of water-worn magnetic ironstone were

also observed. After quitting Mansu and passing throughsome grand bamboo swamps (vide Fig. 2) where an alluvialdark-coloured muddy deposit of some four feet in thick-ness rested on a gneiss bottom, we came by a gradualascent to Baracou. Here one observed once more therich chocolate-coloured soil, where in the native gardens,better and more carefully cultivated than heretofore,cocoa, coffee, bananas, and plantain plants were to be seengrowing to great perfection. In a hollow some half milefrom the native village there was a small stream thebed of which was sand and gneiss; also small blocksof quartz could be seen, but no trace of gold was visible

anywhere. By a gradual descent we arrived at Prahsu,the midway resting camp betwixt Cape Coast Castle

and Kumasi. The soil here was gneiss, the river coursingfrom east to west over a sandy bottom with large bouldersof sandstone. Beyond the Prah the ground graduallyrose to the next resting camp, Tobiassi, where graniticoutcrops appeared with highly ferruginous sandstone andhypersthene, which has often been mistaken for granite.Shortly after leaving Tobiassi a long belt of gneiss was fallenin with till nearing Biafra Edru, another military station.Here was a fine flowing stream coursing from west to eastover micaceous detritus, with large sandstone rocks nearlyhorizontally stratified, together with a considerable quantityof ferruginous sand. As customary, we had placed a

Haussa guard to look after the non-pollution of thewater by the natives. The day was warm. He placedhis cap on a tree and went to sleep in the manner repre-sented in the sketch attached (vide Fig. 1). Within a mile

FIG. 2.

This illustration represents one of the very many gigantic bamboo’swamps in the neighbourhood of Mansu, through which ourtroops passed on their way to Kumasi : dark, boggy, mephiticspots of earth which the sun’s rays have ceased to illumine forcenturies pat.

of this place the base of Monsi Hill was reached, where there.was found a rich vegetable mould with huge blocks of

granite scattered about. Near its summit there were outcropsof quartz with large quantities of disintegrated iron ore, thequartz being extensively traversed by bands of this substance,whilst nodules of magnetic iron ore, from the size of an

orange to that of a pea, with smooth, worn surfaces, wereobserved lying about in every direction. On the northern.side of the hill a similar sort of soil occurred, with the ex-ception that quartz was more abundant and the ironstone was.less in evidence as the foot of the hill was reached. Midwaydown the hill 1 camped, and a few yards off the roadwaycame upon a waterfall with bright, pure, drinkablewater. When we reached Kwissa, situated as it is on anelevated, healthy spot, the soil formation was essentiallygneiss, with extensive patches of a dark brown (not red).vegetable mould around. Here large quantities of paw-paw, banana, plantain, and chilli plants are grown, while

1030 BIRMINGHAM.-MANCHESTER.

’several cocoa plants and not a few coffee shiubs seemed tohave been ruthlessly torn up by the irregular troops whohad preceded us in the march. The magnificent baobab

(monkey bread-Adansonia digitata) grows to perfectionclose by the river near this place. There were also to be seen.the castor-oil and wild cotton plants. The shea butter tree,abounds in the district, but no use seemed to be made of itby the natives. The tall graminæ and cyperaceæ as well as,convolvuli and leguminosæ were everywhere luxuriantly.growing on the banks of the stream. There was ageneralhaze over the land every morning which disappeared as thesun rose ; but the humidity of the air was not nearly sogreat as we experienced on the other side of the Monsi Hill,.and the site evidently had been well chosen for the formationof a rest camp.On leaving Kwissa, and proceeding northward towards

Eumasi, the soil was a ferruginous sand formed by the decom-position of rock with a vegetable mould. The magnificentbombax, with its enormous trunk and widespreadingbranches, towered aloft in the midst of cassiæ, convolvuli,.and other shrubs and trees with their endless variety oftint and shade, and the forest on our flanks seemed denserand more impenetrable than ever. The increased cultivationof yams, bananas, and plantains indicated more extensivehabitation than we had yet seen since leaving the Prahdistrict. These gardens of course existed only where thethick bush had in places been cleared away. As we journeyedonward the number of streamlets increased, while the runningwater was found to be much purer and more usable the nearerwe approached our destination in Ashantiland. Consideringthe climate it has been a grand piece of engineering to cutthrough and lay our telegraph wire along this forest fromCape Coast Castle to Kumasi, a distance of more than 150miles, and no small amount of credit must be given to MajorSinclair, R.E., his officers and men, for performing such amasterly piece of work in so expeditious and succesful amanner.

BIRMINGHAM.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Dissection in Board Schools.THE dissection of rabbits by girls in one of the Board

schools seems destined to bring notoriety upon the school inquestion and upon the system in particular. Whether physio-logy should be taught in such schools and if a proper know-ledge of it can be acquired without practical demonstrationsare propositions which give rise to keen discussion. From ascience standpoint it is not easy to see what harm can be done to pupils by such an innocent mode of teaching. Toskin and prepare a rabbit for cooking is not consideredamong women to be offensive to good taste ; the handling is-certainly practical in this instance. Probably if this branchof domestic economy were taught in the schools the per-manent benefit to the community would be greater andnot call for criticism. Such is the opinion of many out-siders at the present crisis.

Hospital Saturday Fund.The annual meeting of those interested in this movement

was lately held under the presidency of the mayor. TheExecutive Committee report that the twenty-second collec-tion made in 1895 amounted to £13,057 14s. 11d., and thebalance brought forward from the previous year was

.6439 9s. 6d. The amount of all expenses connected withthe collection was 3’89 per cent. per annum. For theseventeenth year there had been an increase in the collec-tions, a gratifying fact to record. The average length ofstay of the patients in the home at Tyn-y-Coed was 16’85days. The cost of maintenance per individual per day wasIs. 5-25d.; the total cost, including all expenses of adminis-tration and wages, was 16s. 778d. per visitor per week. Mr.

Smedley, honorary secretary, made some stringent remarks asto the classes from whioh the contributions come. lie saidthat in 1867 the working classes of Birmingham contributed.2.567 in all to the medical charities. In 1895 they con-tributed £25,000; at the same time the subscriptions of thewealthy classes were less in 1895 than in 1867, notwithstand-ing the increase in the wealth of the town. He pointed outthat the hospital did not exist solely for the benefit of theworking classes and instanced the value in training for thephysicians and surgeons of the future, together with some

interesting observations upon the duty of the rich in suchmatters.

S’chools and Swimming.A discussion upon this subject brings into prominence the

value of this branch of physical training, the small per-centage of those who learn, and the difficulties attending thefacilities for teaching this art. The Athletic Institute hasendeavoured to foster the practice by the promotion of con-tests and prizes. Swimming clubs, and more particularlythe City Baths Committee, have been urged to afford oppor-tunities, and now that attention is called to the subject thereis a probability of its becoming more general in the elemen-tary schools. Most people will admit the utility and impor-tance of acquiring this knowledge, which has hitherto beensadly neglected. Out of 30,000 school boys in the town,about six in 1000 only are taught at the present time, afact which speaks for itself.

April. 6t h. _________________

MANCHESTER.(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Mersey and Irrvell Committee.AT the meeting of this committee, held in Manchester on

the 28th ult., Sir Henry Roscoe was reappointed chemicaladviser for twelve months. At the same meeting a report,prepared by the chief inspector, Mr. R. A. Tatton, on thework which has been done for the prevention of riverpollution in the Mersey and Irwell watershed since thejoint committee was constituted in October, 1891, was

received and adopted. The district overseen by the com-mittee has a ratable value of £9,731,007 and contains apopulation of 2,191,319, so that the work of purifyingthe rivers is no light one. The inhabitants have grownup with the idea that water-courses and flowing streamswere intended by nature to be used as sewers andas the receptacles of all filth and rubbish. The factories

disposed of their cinders either by tipping themdirect into the rivers or by depositing them on the banksto be washed away by the first flood." This has been

practically stopped, to the great improvement of the bedsof the rivers and of the Ship Canal, into which theygradually found their way ; for while the dredgings of thecanal were formerly composed chiefly of cinders they nowcontain scarcely any. But few prosecutions have been

required to bring about this result, remonstrances beingusually sufficient. But it is added significantly, " Constant

inspection of the rivers is, however, required." In May, 1892.twenty-seven works were dealing with pollutions under urbanauthorities, while in March, 1896, forty-seven were in

operation, besides five under rural authorities. The worksunder construction were eight in May, 1892, againstthirty in March, 1896. There is the remarkable statementthat " the progress made by manufacturers had been greater,as far as results were concerned, than by local authorities,"the rivers principally polluted by sewage showing less im-provement than those in which manufacturing pollutionformed a larger proportion. This illustrates apparently thedifficulty usually found in rousing the corporate conscience,

i the Mersey, with a watershed population of 633,493 and: only 60 manufactories, showing little improvement, whereas’ the Irwell, with a population of 998,625 and 272 manu-

factories, was decidedly purer, and many of its tributaries; which used to be very foul were now in fair order. PartlyL for this reason and partly because some of their tributaries

are polluted from manufactories in Yorkshire and Derby-- shire - which means divided authority-the CheshireE rivers show less improvement than those of Lancashire.i It is satisfactory to learn that the manufacturers; on the whole " had met the committee in a fair- spirit, although to many of them the cost of construct-. ing works had been very considerable," and that in compara-

tively few cases had proceedings been necessary. And this1 purification is fortunately by no means all loss, for the report1 adds that * manufacturers who used river water had in many- cases, especially on the Medlock and Irwell, already derived3 considerable benefit." Sir H. Roscoe reported on the- sewage aflluents analysed during the past month. Oft these, six were good, one fair, five unsatisfactory, and3 two samples, one from Hyde and one from Salford,e were bad. As mentioned in a previous letter, Salford

e has been granted to April 20th to submit an efficient