THE TERRIBLE TSETSE.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 253, 23 October 1909, Page 15

THE TERRIBLE TSETSE.

A FLY THAT DEALS DEATH. The tsetse fly Is no larger than an ordinary house fly; In colour a modest brown, with, a few transverse yellow stripes athwart the abdomen; yet this lnslgniflcant-

has given Its name to the large tract of Central Africa known to travellers as the Tsetse Belt.

Up to a few years ago man was considered Immune from the attacks of this poisonous pest. Now not only Is that theory exploded, but the tsetse stands revealed as the undoubted cause of the Invariably fatal disease known as the sleeping sickness.

whose yearly victims are numbered by tens of thousands, the total death roll running well into millions.

The tsetse fly Is somewhat erratic in hie choice of victims. All wild animals are proof against its attacks, together with the mule, ass, and goat; but to those invaluable beasts of burden, the horse and the ox, a bite from the tsetse spells death. It Is a curious fact that calves during their period of suckling have nothing to fear from the bite of this insect, but fall ready victims directly they reach the graminivorous stage of their existence.

The tsetse is possessed of abnormally sharp eight. It perches on top of a bush or other commanding elevation, and directly 11 descries its quarry It swoops down upon It with the swiftness of a hawk. the Central African traveller traversing the zone Infested by this fearful fly happen to tear his clothing—which, owing to walt-a-blt thorns and other causes. Is very often th© co.se—some observant tsetse Iβ sure to notice it, and -will promptly swoop down from hie coign of vantage directly upon the exposed spot. It seems to -have sufficient Intelligence to know that it cannot penetrate the garments of man In their normal condition. EFFECTS OF THE RITE. The distance at which the horned cattle of Africa can hear this deadly little foe of theirs Is tremendous, and to the "tenderfoot," or greenhorn, seems almost incredible. Still, hear it they do, and when they recognise the buzzing of their dreaded enemy, they quake in abject terror, as well they might; for the poison contained In the glands at the base of the tsetse's toxin needle Is so subtle that three or four files are quite sufficient to kill an adult ox. It is recorded by Livingstone that In crossing the valley of the Zambesi River he lost 43 valuable oxen through the bite of the tsetse fly.

The ox does not display any Immediate evidence of the bite, but a few days afterwards, when the toxin has had time to get la Its deadly work, the effects become painfully apparent. The eyes and nose of the poor beast begin to run, swelling* make their appearence under the Jaw and on the stomach, and as day after day goes by the doomed animal becomes reduced to a dreadful state of emaciation. The muscles become feeble and flacld, the joints so weak that they commence to flex Involuntarily, and this continues until violent purging sets In, and eventually the unfortunate animal falls down and perishes from sheer exhaustion.

When the sickness runs through all these stages, It naturally takes some time, but occasionally the disease pursues another course. In this case the animal ehortly after being bitten suddenly becomes afflicted with staggering and blindness, as If the toxin had affected the brain. SAD STUMBLING BLOCK TO EXPLORERS. In conseauence of the ravages of this diabolical insect, cattle as domestic animals are entirely Impossible throughout the Tsetse Belt, which has proved a sad stumbling block to explorers ever since the Dark Continent first commenced to be opened up. The goat, which calmly Ignores the tsetso fly and all his works, Is the only domestic animal the Inhabitants of the Zambesi Valley find It possible to rear In safety.

Occasionally It so happens that cattledealers who have been buying larjely In the districts north of the Zambesi River find themselves with large herds which have to be driven across the tsetse-Infested zone In order to reach the markets of the south. C:i more than one occasion they have successfully effected this purpose by moving only on bright moonlight or starlight lights,

and taking the precaution of smearing nXI the animals ttIUA a ftjck coating of dung mixed with milk.- - •■ - Thus armour-plated, they ara thoroughly tsetse proof. ' Although the tract of country originally terrorised by this lethal insect Is still known as the Tsetse Belt, the fly has been E radnally extending its ravages further and further, until now the sphere of its operations may be said to embrace the whole of Central Africa. - •