FROM NYASSALAND.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 598, 28 August 1909, Page 6

FROM NYASSALAND.

A CEOLOCIST IN CENTRAL AFRICA. YOUNG DUNEDIN IN : THE FIELD. , Among tie pasaongorß by tho; Moana, which arrivod'from Sydney on .Wednesday, was . Mr. • Arthur. -- R, Andrews, ' of Dunedin, ' the ': young man who a few yoars ago annexed tho 1851 Exhibition Scholarship; (open to ' the whole ,of ;, tho stuiloritfl .'attending any oolicgo' of, tlio, Now. Zealand University). This .biennial' scholar-, ship is worth £150 a year for two years, these to bo spent in furthering study either in America or England.,, Mr. Andrew, who has a strong turn .for cconomio geology, elected. to go' to; and has bad tlio advantage of' a couple of years under Frpfessors Lapworth and' Walts; at the Birmingham University.! Shortly after ho completed, his. course,ho. had .tho'. raro; fOrtimp to' b'o selected :by ;the 'Colonial Offioe .to- undertako a mineral survey of Nyassaland—that strip of, interesting country lying to tho west,of; Lako Nyassa, which is under -thc.v direct control of .the Colonial Office. Tho'rest of this extensive tract of country is really part of RhodesioA-ra ; British prbtectorate.;. Air. Andrew talks interestingly of the country; ivhich ho has just left./.'- ' ; "You ,eaii .'.Mr. Andrew,' "from the Zambdsi; 'and' it will, giro you.a fair idea of tho river-to'know, that wo' stemmed ujy it for six days in a light-draught • paddle steamer before we-were;stopped-,by. tho rapids. ' Then a portage has to be made for some distance, until tne ; river is ! aga,in. fit for pavigatfonj and. that {.takes-you -tothe lake, a, sheet of' water between 600 and 600 mika in length.'.; The nearest! 'point/of Nyassakad to : the coast is about 500 miles,;

and tlio farthest probably .1600 miles,.; more or-loss. .-: 1 "There used, to -- be a /considerable, traffiiv over the Zariibesi, but that has.iallen [awaysince the Katanga- Copper Mines- their' stuff- overland '■ to; the,- west :coast) in,, preference to' using the riverwiiy/They did that' 'because .it > cut' dovro': t7ie f .^an v - journey to', England'. : by . half, 'and - .'the,! track.;.across, .OQuiitry is through 'fly-proof': oountry, which: .18 an .enormous considerate,; as .. they - are able, to trek the .copper to 1 the'.coast and "return- with supplies with,,'cattle...//>j' ! . ." 'There are no' horses,, no beasts of .burden, at all .in .Nyass'aland-r;the ;,tsetse fly-' sees /to ; that. , .-. There '. are. three sptcies of the..tsetse,. just' as' bad as -one! another.. One. is fatal to' .horses (as readers; of Livingstone's -travels will remember), another car : riesthe .bacilli ,of "the , dreaded sleeping "jsiijk-, ness, and yet.,anotherßealises 'cattle fever. So .that the sole means-: of.;\)irahspprt' : .are'. ! native carriers,; who,'carryinga.load of '601 b.i or' 601b. :,eaclv,- are'able .to ,cover. 20 milss :■>' day. They are not. big men, but are," wiry;; and do- thoir wort well.Tvheii'.ffclli'managed.;: When a .white inan wishes,<to; triayel pn;land; lie has;'either, to \plk, . or.- 'use) the ,'macliiUa' —a hammock slung on a "pole, supported';by|| two blacksi , .That these 'carriers-.- can-, mate' good time in, an .emergency:.was proved- during ,my stay, \when it becanio .' necessary, to coiivey ..a.: ; sick man. to -a doctor. Twelve' carriers i : employed, .'and.' the/journey:: of 52 miles '.was' accomplished: in '14: hours." ' ' i''or his . particular mission,''; Mr. Andrew :had piio••^^sfi'^ssjstant^Mrf.'Bailey,-'- and 120.'blacks.- .-rThei .country generally :.was. of gnessie formation,/ranging ,in ,'elovation- ; from' 300. to .10,000ft;,a.boVe, sea-level. 'Fairly' :<«■> tensive- coal -fields-were "discovered, 'the coal ini.'some; parts - -.'to'lthe /-best Welsh' standard:. There: were also 'good-pros-pects of■. graphite and mica.- .Oiuyr .traces of ;gold and' silver - were found.' -The'survey resulted- in the discovery of one'dikely allu-' vial• proposition:., On- the whole, nothing .was discovered that would "boom'.- V Nyassalarid as a colony. Indeed, it was- never, likely to be a colony of importance, except of the India or Ceylon type.: The; white population, about 500 ( was'.centred in the southern districts,- which included Cbiroma, Yomba, aid Blautyre. 'l'hey I .were,-; planters of i.coffee, tobacco,; and: rubber. ■ The . climate was fairly; gopd for a 'tropical country ./but there ,was good/deal of /malariaj.. placls ;water,,and dysentery. -Mr. Andrew'was (mite .satisfied. that depended, on tbo medical man.-Malaria-was not.' .nearly: the' formidable ..disease;' 'it ..was years"ago,;tiWing-'to.Hhe,qiiininal 'treatment; f a'ld'-:: the i,profession' .was.i making strenuous ctforts.,toconquer;.-blackwater-fever,',and : ; the sickness. .The chief . curse of the ,'cq'ujHry was-the tsetse fly",'.but/perhaps even 'thatdeadly' insect, would - sucoUmb' to;/science ■ in",:the • long-nin; -y : Mr. -Andrew ;"is ./ now on. .his "way,/to Dunedi'n, .to/ spend ;a few.fweeks witli : his and ..frieiids. •/ /'.';; /;