Report of the malaria expedition to the Gambia 1902, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Medical Parasitology / by J. Everett Dutton ; and an appendix by F.V. Theobald.

  • Dutton, J. Everett (Joseph Everett), 1876-1905.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the malaria expedition to the Gambia 1902, of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Medical Parasitology / by J. Everett Dutton ; and an appendix by F.V. Theobald. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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    II. TOPOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS St. Mary's Island and Bathurst St. Mary's Island is a long, low-lying island at the mouth of the River Gambia, extending roughly from north-east to south-west along the south bank of the river. It is about four miles long and half-a-mile across at its widest part. The island is only separated from the mainland by a small creek, which, at the north-west corner, is bridged across. One fairly good road runs the length of the island, from the town of Bathurst at the one end to the Creek Bridge. This road runs along the beach, separated from it for the most part by mounds of sand and scrub. On the south side of the road an extensive mangrove swamp occurs, and in places encroaches on to the road. The town of Bathurst is situated at the east corner of St. Mary's Island. It occupies an J-shaped area of land, the long arm of which is almost separated from the island by an encroachment of Oyster Creek at the back of the island and the man- grove swamp. There is only a distance of some two hundred yards between the swamp and the beach, so that this area is for the most part cut off from the island, and is surrounded by a broad expanse of water on all sides, to the north and west by the River Gambia, which is here about four miles across, to the south and west by the creek separating St. Mary's Island from the mainland. In this area the land scarcely reaches the height of four feet above sea-level, the greater part of it being situated below the sea-level. Altogether it is scarcely a square mile in extent. The formation is of light sand and loam on the surface, followed by denser loam which rests upon the water-bearing sand and silt, about eight feet under the sur- face. This area is well though not too thickly wooded ; some very fine trees occur in the town. The town of Bathurst is very well laid out. The chief streets are broad and run parallel and at right angles to one another ; in fact there are very tew narrow streets, even in the strictly native quarters. The chief houses and factories in the principal street, Wellington, face the mouth of the river. These houses are built of stone for the most part, the volcanic iron stone which occurs in great quantity across the river. These houses are very cool and airy, and the rooms are large ; they were probably built by the French. At the back of each house there is generally an enclosed piece of ground used as a garden. Unfortunately, in Bathurst, the houses of the Europeans are not segregated from the natives, many of the traders' and officials' houses, particularly, being sur- rounded by native compounds. Government House, the Colonial Secretary's house,