BRITI S H NIGERIA

A G E OG R A PH I CA L A N D H I S TOR I CA L DE S CR I PT I ON
O F T H E B R I T I S H PO S S E S S I O N S A DJ A CE NT

T O T H E N I G E R R I VE R WE S T A F R I CA ,

LI EU T C O L A
.
-
. . F MO C KLE R FER RYMA N
.
-

B ARR IS T ER A T LA W - -

AU T HO R OF UP THE N IG ER “
IN TH ERT H MANOLA N 5 N D,
” “
B RITIS H
W E ST AFRICA , AN N ALS SAN H RST
OF D U , E TC .

WI TH M A P , I L L U S TR A T I ONS , A N D A PPE NDI X

B a Ii i
0F f
TH E
"

CA S S E LL A N D C O M P A N Y, LI M I TE D

LO NDO N , PA R I S ,
NE W Y OR K 65 , ME LB O U R N E . M CM I I

A LL R I G H T S R E S E R VE D
 P R E FA C E .

\H

I
E v e ry favourable r e c e ption met with by my work
on British W est A frica has induced m e to revise
and partly re -
write such portions of it as dealt with
the N iger regions with , a V iew to supplying reliable
in form ation about what is undoub tedly th e most inter
esting section of our West A frican possessions . In

the four years that have e laps e d since th e publication

of m y pr e vious work many important changes hav e tak e n
,

place— changes which were ,

for the most part ,
for e s een ,
'

or at any rat e pr e dicted , b u t wh ic h ,

n e v e rthel e ss ,
a re

so r a dical as to m ake e ntire chapters ou t of dat e .

Within this short p e riod th e chart e r of th e R oyal

N ig e r Company has been revok e d the Crown has assum e d ,

th e adm inistration of the whole country , th e limits of th e

N iger Coast Protectorate have b e en considerably e xtend ed ,

n ew n am e s hav e be en given to th e Protectorat e s and ,

n ew

administrators appointed . N umerous s m all military ex

p e d ition s hav e taken plac e and more important ones

are in prospect ; missionari e s hav e push e d their way
into new fi elds ; scie nce has discov e red a reason for the
iv PR E FA CE .

unhealthiness of the coast climate and civ ilising influenc e s

a re gradually but steadily telling on th e natives .

British N igeria is a land of great promis e—a country

with a future before it ; and in th e following pag e s I have
endeavoured to lay b e for e the read e r a plain unvarnish ed ,

tal e of th e past a statement as to

, th e pr e sent condition of
affairs and a forecast of the futur e
,
. I fby the perusal of
anything that I hav e written ,
th e stay -
at -
ho m e E nglish m an

be induced to int e rest him self in this far -

of
f country or
,

those d e stin e d to visit N igeria ge t som e knowledge of what

is in stor e for th em then ,
I shall be satisfi e d that the book
has b ee n worth putting together .

A F MO C KLE R F E R R YM A N
. .
-
.
 CON TE N TS .

C H A PT E R I
C TI O N
.

I N T R OD U

C H A PT E R II .

E X P L O RA TI O N

C H A PT E R III
PR O G RE SS
.

S LOW

C H A PT E R IV .

Tw o S U CC E SSF U L E X P E D ITI O N S 37

C H A PT E R V
G
.

T RA D I N V EN T U RE S
C H A PTE R VI

TH E R OY AL N IG ER CO M P AN Y C H AR T ERE D AN D
,
LIMIT E D

C H A PT E R VI I .

T H E N IG ER C O A ST PR O T E C T O RA T E
C H A PT E R VI I I .

TH E N IG ER C O A ST P R OT E C TO R A T E ( contin u ed ) 1 07

C H A PTE R IX .

T H E N E w A D MI N IST RA TI O N 1 19

CH A PT E R X .

O U T LYI N G S TA T E S OF N O R TH ERN N IG ER I A 131

C H A PT E R XI .

TH E F U LA H E M P I RE 1 48

C H A PT E R X I I .

TH E FU LA H E M P I RE ( contm u cd )
 C O N TE N TS .

C H A PT E R XI I I .

I N T E R NA T I O N A L C OM P L I C A TIO N S

C H A PT E R XI V .

T H E PE O P L E AN D T H EI R C U ST O M S

C H A PT E R XV
V ER Y
.

S LA 4

CH A PT E R X VI .

TH E R E LI G IO N or THE PA G A N S
C H A PT E R X VI I .

TH E C R E S C EN T A N D T H E C RO SS

C H A PT E R XVI I I .

S OME S C R A PS O F FOL K -
L O RE

CH A PT E R XI X
C O N C L U SI O N
.

A PPE N D I X I .

N OT E S ON THE PR O D C T S
U OF N I G ER I A

PPE N D I XA II .

TH E A N G LO F R EN C H C O N V EN TI O N
-
325

PPE N D I X I I I
A .

A W A R D G I V EN B Y B A RO N L A M B E R M O N T I N T H E Q U E S TI O N OF
T H E S E R G EN T M A L A M I NE
 LI S T OF I LLU S T R A T I O N S .

MAP
'

F r on tispz ece

F U LA H HO R S E E Q U I P M EN T . To f
a ce p . 1 8

M O H AM M E D AN TO B E ,
O R S H I RT M A D E I N
,
K AN O
NA TI V E S OF ASAB A : O U TSI D E A P A G AN V IL LA G E ,

LO W E R N I G ER
N O R TH N I G E RI AN W EA P O N S

MO H A MM E D AN M U SI C AL I N ST R U M EN TS

V IL LA G E NE A R LO KO J A
N U PE W O M EN

V I LLA G E O N TH E FO R C A D O S R I V E R
EN G L ISH F A C TOR Y O N W A RI R I V ER
N O R TH ERN N I G E R I A RE GI M EN T : TH E M A I N G U A R D
A C O M P AN Y O F T H E N ORT H ERN N I G ER I A RE G I M EN T
N O R TH ERN N I G ER I A RE GI M EN T M O V I N G QU A RT E R S
N O R TH N IG ER I AN C U RIOS
N A TI V E OF N I G ER I A FIS H I N G
IBI B E N U E RI V E R H EA D Q U A RT ER S
,

TH E B U T C H ER S S T ALL
’

A YO RU B A J J H O S E
U U U

Y O R U B A W O M EN
 LI S T OF I LL U S TR A T I ON S .

IN A N UP E M AR KE T To f
a ce 19 . 2 06

RI V ER S I D E S C ENE : MI D D LE N IG ER
P A G AN S OF S OU TH N IG E RI A : ANA MB A R A RI V E R
NA TI V E S A T LA U : M O H A MM E D AN S O F B EN U E RI V E R
M O H A MM E D AN T RA D ER S
B OY S OF I L O RI N
T RA D I N G ST A TI O N : N I G ER D EL T A
IN S ARA GI M AR KE T P LA C E .
 B RITI SH N I GERIA .

C H A PT E R I .

I N TR O D U CT I O N .

N ig e ria , Pa s t and Pre s e n t —A L a n d m ise —Va rie ty O fCl im a t e

o f Pr o
—The E x p l a n a tio n — A n E p o c h m a k in g D a t e— S ou t h e r n
-

N iger ia — N o r th ern N ig e ria —T h e N ige r in H is tory — S ir J o se p h

B a nks a n d th e A f r ic a n A s s o c ia tio n — M u n o P a r k —H is E x
g
p e rie n c e s a nd A d v e n tu r e s .

AF R I CA is a proverbially unpopular part o f

E ST
th e world ; its climat e long ago gain e d for it an
e v il r e putation which it has maintain e d ev e n up t o
,

th e pr e s e nt tim e Th e trav e ll e rs who would V isit the

.

W est Coast of A frica m e r ely for pl e asure a re few and fa r

b e tw ee n ; ye t now that th e haunts o f the mal a ria
,

producing mosquitoes have b e en discovered possibly th e *

,

land m ay awake to new lif e— with British tourists taking

th e place of th e mosquito e s S om e day this may com e .

about but not in the liv e s of th e pr e s e nt g en e ration for

, ,
“

th e dog with the b ad n ame should h e escap e th e hanging , ,

can hardly e xp e ct to sudd enly r e turn to favour .

T h e countries water e d by th e great N ige r riv e r— th e

N il e of th e N egroes t — are no b e tt e r O ff in th e matter of
Vz d e Ch a p ter X I X
’

r The
J
o rigin O f th e n a m e is O b scu r e P tol emy it N ige ir
c a ll e d

or N igir , f r om w h ich wr it e r s in L a tin t ra n s c rib e d it N ig er , b u t it

h as n o co nn e c tion with th e w or d N !gar Le bl a ck T h e n a tiv e s o n
-
. .

th e b a nk s c a ll it b y v a riou s n a m es ( g e n e r a lly m e a n in g gre a t riv e r

22
)
Of whic h th e f
ollo wing are th e p rin c ip a l : Kw or a ( Ka n u ri) , F a ri

(H a u s a ) D s en e ( T imb b
u c too ) , O ya (Yo ru a ) , F u ro d i (N u p é ) ,
’
n ru a ,

E d u (B a ssa ) E h u lob a ( I gb ir a ) U j im ini fu fu ( I ga ra ) O s imini (A b o )

, , , ,

A n yim ( I b o ) U z ie ( S ob o ) A k a s sa to r o ( B ra s s ) a n d B a h t S u d a n
, ,
-
,

(A r a b s) .

B
 B R I T I SH N I G E R I A

a r eputation than th e r e st of W e st A frica for as a matt e r ,

of fact th e d e aths and sickn e ss r e sulting from th e e arly

,

exp e ditions to th e N ig e r did mor e to cr e at e in the minds

o f E nglishm e n a bad impr e ssion O f W e st A frica than any

thing els e Ye t as th e s e pag e s will show th e countri e s

.
, ,

now known by th e on e term N ig e ria a r e far from b ein g all

tarr e d with th e sam e brush c o ntaining as th e y do som e
,

thousands of squar e mil e s which poss ess a C limat e as

h e althy as any to b e f o und in Tropical A frica W ith .

th e climat e how e v e r w e a re n o t at pr e s e nt imm e diat ely

, ,

conc e rn e d and w e hav e n o d e sir e to p e rsuad e th e r e ad e r

,

t hat th e country which forms th e subj e ct o f this bo o k

is unh e althy or oth erwis e ; rath e r would w e induc e him

to b eli ev e that in th e s e p o ssessi o ns of o urs w e hav e a vast
tract o f country which cannot fail to b e of inestimabl e
v a lu e to futur e gen e rations of E nglishmen .

British N ig eria as now d efin e d compris e s th e c o un

t ries situate on th e coast b e tw ee n th e British Colony
o f Lagos on th e w e st and th e G e rman Cam e r o ons on t h e

e ast, with a hin terla n d e xt e ndi n g a pp roxim a tel v up to

th e 1 4 th parall el o f N orth Latitude T h e e xact limits
.
,

so far as th ey hav e b ee n fix e d will b e m ention e d in a

,

l ater chapt e r wh e n discussing e v ents which have for many

,

years b ee n l e ading up to th e n ec e ssity o f a cl e ar d emar

”
c ation O i boundari e s betw ee n th e sph ere of influ e nc e O f
Great Britain and that O f F ranc e on th e on e S id e and o f
Germany o n the oth e r Un til r e c ently th e country thus
.

roughly d e scrib ed was known to us by various nam e s ,

but the new titl e cov ers e v e rything that was form e rly
d e sign ated th e N ig e r Prot e ct o rate th e T erritori e s of th e
,

R oyal N ig e r Company and th e N ig e r Coast (originally

,

O il R iv e rs ) Prot e ctorat e T h e ar e a of this n ew additi o n

.

to the E mpire is mor e than thr e e tim e s that O f th e

British I sl e s and within its
,
squar e mil e s as can ,

b e imagin e d are imm ense vari e ti e s of country p e o pl e s

, , ,

and C limat e .

I n o rd e r to give the read e r unacquaint e d with A frican

topography a b e tt e r und e rstanding as to why the country
and th e climat e S hould vary in a region th e whol e O fwhich
 I N T R O D U C T I ON ;

lies within fift e en d e gr ee s of th e E quator w e will say som e ,

thing about th e p e culiariti e s o f th e configuration O f the

gr e at continent Disregarding such matters as th e shap e
.
,

siz e and situation of A frica we pass to what is of gr e at

, ,

e s t importanc e V iz th e r e lativ e h eights or l e v e ls of th e

,
.

land A glanc e at a physical map will show that all along

.

th e coast lin e ther e is a b elt of low lying land varying

- -
.

in width from a few mil e s to a hundr e d or mor e ; th e n

comes a b elt of plat e au at an elevation up to fe e t
abov e th e s ea th e n furth e r plat e aux b e tw e e n
,
and
fee t A gain w e find a high e r plat e au and finally
.
, ,

occasional mountain rang e s and p e aks attaining a

h eight of f ee t S om e years ago b e for e the int erior
.
,

had b e en thoroughly e xplor e d A frica was lik e n e d to an ,

inv e rt e d dish ; this d e scrip tion how e ver we now know , ,

to b e hardly accurat e implying as i t do e s tha t abov e ,

t h e coast lin e (th e rim of th e dish ) th e r e was only one

plat e au O f uniform l ev el N e ith e r can we compar e the .

country to a numb e r o f inv e rt e d dish e s on e abov e th e

oth e r and diminishing in siz e S ince the areas of th e dif ,

fe r en t plat e aux vary e normously and do not comm e nce ,

at an e qual distanc e from th e coast T h e gr e at point .

,

however to r e m e mber is that th e r e is a succ e ssion of st eps

,

n o t in any way r e gular but nev e rthel e ss as a rul e w e ll , . ,

d e fin e d b y high scarp e d C li ffs ,

.

A s e cond point worthy O f notic e is th e lak e syst e m ,

though this is mor e r e markabl e in th e east than in th e w e st

o f the contin e nt th e only larg e lak e with which w e a r e
,

c on c e rn e d at pr e s e n t b e in g Lak e Chad a portion of which ,

is situat e d with in the north e as t corn e r o f N orth e rn N ig e ria -

.

A S to th e riv e rs of A frica g e n e rally it may p e rhaps be ,

n ot e d that th o ugh not as num e rous as one might e xp e ct

,

from th e ar e a O f th e country th ey are of imm ens e siz e and ,

l e ngth T h ey ris e in n e arly all cases at low e l evations

.
, , ,

a n d a re f e d almost entir e ly by surfac e drainag e ; t h e sourc e

o f t h e N ig e r for instance is only

, feet above th e s ea
, ,

y e t for th e gr e at e r part of the miles o f its cours e it

is at the full s e ason a magnific e nt wat e rway W ithout
, , .

t h e s e gr e at natural highways f o r comm e rcial and oth e r

 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A

purpos es th e int erior O f A frica would prob ably st ill b e

,

practically a term in cogn ita though som e peopl e con ,

tend that w e re it not for th e faciliti e s afford e d by th e s e

,

rive rs roads and railways would long sinc e hav e b e e n

,

laid down from th e coast to th e inland parts with th e ,

r e sult that th e country would hav e d e v e lop e d much mor e

rapidly B e this as it may
. it is absolut ely c e rtain ,

that roads and rail ways will n e v e r supplant such great

water highways as th e N ige r though th ev will wh en mad e , , ,

be O f in e stimable valu e for op ening up thos e parts of th e

country lying at a distanc e from th e riv e rs .

W e st A frica di ff e rs in no particular d e gre e from th e

r e st o f Tropical A fric a and N ig e rian top ography is typical
,

of W est A frica H e re w e find th e low—

. lying b elt of coast
lin e th e succ e ssion O f plat e aux th e high e r mountains
, , ,

th e wid e and long wat e rways and a scarcity of harbours , .

Comm encing with what is t e rm e d th e N ig e r D e lta w e

hav e a land o f swamps and imp en e trabl e for e sts int e r ,

s e c te d by a vast n e twork O f str e ams and cr eeks a n d ,

inhabit e d by num e rous pagan trib e s addict e d to e v e ry ,

S pecies of V il e custom including e v e n cannibalism a n d

,

human sacrific e This was th e r egion visit e d by th e

.

earli e r N ig e r exp e diti o ns from th e south and h e re n e ith e r ,

missionary labours nor trad e hav e so far don e much to , ,

wards the C ivilisation of th e nativ e The principal .

trib e s of th e D elta districts a r e th e I d z o (or E j o ) n e ar e st

th e s ea ; th e I b o furth e r inland ; and th e I gara e xtend
, ,

ing almost as far north as th e N ig e r B e nu e conflu ence -

to th e ir sub divisi ons as w ell as to th e ir customs and

-
,

p e culiariti e s w e shall r e fe r lat e r A bov e this pagan land

,
.
,

zl e
. at th e c o nflu e nc e th e r e is a marked C hang e not only
, ,

in th e typ e of th e p eopl e but als o in th e natur e of the ,

country Mohamm e dan influ e nc e comm enc e s to S how

.

its elf ; a n d th e lo w swampy wastes a r e sup e rsed e d by

rocky hills and far e xt e nding grassy plains w ell studd e d
-
,
-

with magnific e nt tr ee s .

S uch in bri e f is a d e scription of th e country which

, , ,

on th e I s t J anuary 1 900 cam e und e r th e dir e ct a d m in is

, ,

t r a tion of Gr e at Britain with th e titl e s of S outh e rn a n d

,
 I N TR O D U C T I ON .
J

N orth e rn N ig e r ia Th e
form e r c o nsists of thos e districts
.

o f th e D elta and th e n e ighbourhood pr e viously known

as the N iger Coast Protectorat e with th e addition o f the ,

south e rn portion of th e T e rritori e s of th e R oyal N ig e r

C o mpany ; while th e latt e r compris e s th e r emain d e r of
th e countri e s with which th e Company had mad e tr e ati e s .

T h ough only plac e d und e r British prot e ction as r e c ently

a s 1 8 84 S outh e rn N ige ria has b ee n in continuous int e r
,

*
course with E urop for s v e ral c e n turi e s
e e A s many of .

t h e plac e nam e s t e stify th e Portuguese was for a long

-
,

while the chi e f p o w e r— a t any rat e as far as trad e was con

c er ne d ; ships of all nations fr e qu e nt e d the riv e rs wh e n
th e ov e r s ea slav e trad e was in full force ; and later
- -

wh en palm — oil took th e plac e of th e traffi c in hum an

b e ings the British trad e r r e main e d in almost undisput e d
,

poss e ssion— wh e ther for good or for e v il we wil l not p re

t e nd to say N orth e rn N ig e ria on the other hand is
.
, ,

comparativ ely a n ew land known to E urop e ans e xc e pt by , ,

vagu e r eport for littl e mor e than a hundr e d y e ars and con
, ,

taining ev e n now many parts still unvisited by whit e m en .

O f the an ci e nt history of th e N ig e r countri e s th e r e

is scarc ely anything int e r e sting to writ e and though , ,

th e y hav e doubtl e ss b ee n p e opl e d by n e gro e s for c o unt

l e ss ag e s what chang e s th e land has s ee n must remain
,

for e v e r unknown ; for her e th e r e a re n o tim e worn ruins -

with hie roglyphics and inscriptions n o history tabl e ts ,

or oth e r m e morials to be yi e ld e d up by th e e arth This .

r egion shows no signs O fhaving b ee n mor e than th e habitat

of b e ings sup e ri o r to th e wild b e asts am o ngst which
,

th ey dw elt mer ely in th e fact that th e y lived in huts of

mud an d grass and that th e y w e r e abl e to communicat e
,

with on e anoth e r by w o rd of mouth N o trac e s r emain .

of any stages of d e v elopm ent until within comparativ ely

r e c e nt tim e s and th e O ld e st literature on th e subj ect
,

tak e s us back no furth e r than a few c enturi e s .

Kin gd o m A b s tr a c t Voya ge
‘ 9
An A c c o u n t o ft h e o fB e n in o fa

to N ew K a la b a r B ,
a n d i, a n d D o n i R iv er s , in by J . B ar bo t
a nd G r a z il hier A s tl ey C o ll e c tio n , Vo l III A l so ,
’

J . . s . .
,
1 74 5 .

1‘ B
’
ar b o t s T r a v e ls , in C h u r c hill C oll e c tion , V o l V
’
e tC .
,
s . .
6 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

The Greeks kn ew O f the c o untri e s south of th e Great

Des e rt o nl y from native trav ell e rs though Ptol e my p r e ,

tends to a c e rtain am o unt of knowl e dg e m entioning in ,

particular two larg e riv e rs as traversing the S udan v iz ,

.

th e Gir (Congo ) and th e N igir T h e R omans it is c er .

,

tain s ent e xp e ditions across th e S ahara as far south as

,

th e Upp e r N iger though they hav e hand e d down littl e

,

information on th e subj ect I t r emained for two A rab .

geograph e rs (I b n B atuta 1 3 53 and Le o A fricanus , , ,

to furnish us with th e e arlie st accounts of th e N ig e r and

its p e opl e ye t e v e n th e y hav e nothin g of gr e at im port
,

anc e to r elat e and th e history of th e N ig e r may b e said

,

to commenc e with th e clos e of th e e ighteenth c entury ,

prior to which time no E urop e an trav e ller had s een the

river at any poin t of its cours e T h en its myst e ri e s sud .

d enly call e d forth all th e e n e rgies of E nglishmen ; th e

slav e traders had brought back inf o rmation coll e ct e d
from nativ e s of th e int e rior who describ e d th e c o untri e s ,

of th e Upp e r N ige r as a v e ritabl e E ld o rad o ; Timbuctoo

was r e pr e s ent e d to be a city of pal a ces and ther e w e r e ,

towns innum e rabl e whos e houses w e r e roof e d with s o lid

gold .

T h e Gambia b e cam e th e favourit e starting poin t fo r

adve ntur e rs ben t on penetrating into th e g old en int e rior ;
fa ilur e how e v e r attended a ll th eir e fforts and it was not
, , ,

until 1 78 8 that th e e xploration of C entral A frica was

L eo A f r ic a n u s w a s a v e ry r e m a r k a b l e p e r s o n H e was a . .

M oor b o rn in G r a n a d a ( S p a in ) th e n a M o h a m m e d a n c ity a n d
, , , ,

wh en a ch il d m ov e d with his p a re n ts t o F e z wh e r e h e w a s e d u c a ted

, ,

H is s o m e wh a t s u p er ior e d u ca tio n e n a b le d him to O b ta in v a r io u s

g oo d a p p o in tm e n ts a n d h e a c c om p a n ie d his u n c l e t o T i
,
m b u c too ,

o n a n e m b a ssy f r om F e z H e tra v e ll e d a l s o th r o u g h N o r th e r n
.

Af
r ic a , P er s ia , a nd
E gyp t , b u t w as e v e n tu a ll y c a p tu r e d b y a V e n e
t ia n a n d p r e s e n te d , a s a s l a v e , t o P op e Leo X .
,
w h o c o n v er t e d him
to C h ris tia nity , ga v e h im h is li e r ty , b a n d e n co u r a g ed h im to t ra n s
j
l a te his A fric a n o u rn a ls in to I ta lia n . H e to o k th e Ch r is tia n n am e

of J oh n ,
and , th e Pop e b
ein g h is go d f a th e r , th e s u rn a m e o f Le o ,

with th e u l a d ditio n o f A f
fa n c if ric a n u s oh n . J Po r y tr a n s l a te d
“
( 1 6 00 ) h is work in t o E n glish u n d er th e title of G eo g r a p hic a l
H is to r ie f y J oh n L e o A f
O fA
r ic a , b ric a n u s , a More b o rn in G r a n a d a
a n d b r o u gh t u p in B a r b a r ie .
 I N TR O D U C T I ON .
I

tak e n s e riously in hand I n that y e ar a numb e r of

.

influ e ntial E nglishm e n h e aded by S ir J os eph Banks

,

( Presid en t o f th e R oyal S oci e ty ) form e d th e ms elves into ,

t h e A frican A ssociation *
with th e det e rmination to l e av e
,

no st o n e unturned in th e att e mpt to discover a rout e to

th e countri e s adj ac e n t to th e gr e at N ig e r R iver .

I t must b e r e m e mb e r e d that at this tim e absolutely , ,

’
nothing r eliable was known ab o ut th e river s source cours e , ,

or mouth I t app e ar e d in most of th e old maps of A frica

.
,

in som e cas e s as a distinct riv e r rising in a small lak e and

t e rmin ating in anoth e r lak e but usu ally conn e ct e d with ,

the N il e e ith e r as an a fll u en t or as a main branch flow

,

ing w e stward into th e Gambia J e r e my Colli e r s d e .

’

scription of it ( 1 6 8 8 ) is p e rhaps as int e r e sting as an y on e s ’

h e says : This is th e gr e at e st river of A frica call e d by ,

th e n ativ e s Hind N ij ar -
I t a ris e th in E thiopia from
.
,

a lak e of th e sam e nam e and running w e stwards divides , , ,

N igritia into two parts A ft e r a long course and th e r e

.
,

c e p t io n of divers riv e rs whos e names a r e unknown to

,

us it falls int o th e A tla n tic k O c e an by six gr e at streams

, , ,
”
which a re all south of Cap e V e rd e bu t on e .

E v e rything connect e d with th e N ig e r was in r e ality

pure conj e cture and th e m emb e rs of th e A frican A ssocia
,

tion had vi e ws of th e ir own Th e y d e cid e d that th e

.

Gambia had not prov e d its elf to b e a good starting poin t

for th e int e rior and that some oth e r rout e must b e found
, .

A ccordingly aft e r cons ul ting the vagu e m aps th e n e xist

,

ing th e A ssociation d e sp atch e d a c e rtain J ohn Le dyard

,

to E gypt with instructions to strik e south w e st acr o s s

,
-
,

the d e s e rt and try to discov er th e N iger ; but Le dyar d

,

n e v e r got beyond Cairo h aving contract e d a f e v e r of which

,

h e di e d on the ev e of his d e parture Th e A ssociation .

n e xt s e l e ct e d a Mr Lucas to carry on th e work of Le dyard

.
,

but the point of departur e was changed to Tripoli and ,

th enc e a start was mad e in F e bruary 1 78 9 F at e was , .

again how e v e r against th e e xp e dition which after a

, , , ,

j o urn e y o f five days was forc e d to r e turn owin g to its

, ,

A fte r wa r d s gr a n t e d a c h a r ter a n d la t er in co rp ora ted with

, , ,

th e R o y a l G e o g ra p hic a l S o c ie ty .
8 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

inability to mak e fri ends with th e A rab tribes t h rough

whos e country it wish e d to pass .

D e fe at e d in th e n o rth th e A frican A ssociation dir e ct e d

,

its attentions to th e w e st coast and in 1 791 Maj or , , ,

Houghton starting from th e Gambia passed e astwards

, ,

to M e dina th e capital o f W uli and to Bambuk by th e

, ,

rout e which was aft e rwards f ollow e d by Mungo Park .

How much furth e r h e trav ell e d was n ev e r known for ,

re ports cam e back that h e had fall e n a V ictim t o th e

treach e rous Tuar e gs o f th e S ahara Thr e e y e ars lat e r .
,

W att and W int e rbottom j ourn e y e d inland fr o m S i e rra

’
Leon e for a distanc e of sixt e e n days march only to be ,

eventually forc e d by th e nativ e s to r e turn to th e c o ast .

S o d e t e rmin e d w e r e th e m e mb e rs o f th e A frican A sso

ci a t ion to disc o v e r som e r o ut e to t h e myst e rious c o untri e s

of the N ig e r t h at in S pit e of pr e vious failur e s th e y still

, , ,

continu e d to s eek out m en o f an adv e nturous turn

o f mind to carry on th e ir plans I n 1 7 95 th e ir ch o ic e .

f e ll on th e young S cotchman Mungo Park who at th e , ,

a e of tw e nty four volunt ee r e d to

g
-
foll ow up t h e work
which had b e e n e ntrust e d to Maj or H o ughton and oth e rs ,

a n d which had s o unf o rtunat e ly b e e n cut short That .

t h e selection was a wis e o n e was prov e d by t h e r e sults .

I n May 1 795 Mung o Park was on his way to th e

, ,

G ambia R iv e r in th e A frican trading ship E n d ea vou r ,

a n d in d u e cours e h e r e ach e d th e little trading station

O f Pi s a n ia wh e r e he was w e lc o m e d by th e ag ent Dr
, , .

Laidl e y who during a stay of som e months mad e him

, , ,

acquaint e d with much that w a s o f valu e to him in his

future trav e ls The instructi ons that Park had r e c e iv e d
.

from th e A frican A ssoc iati o n w e r e bri e fly as foll ows

To find a way t o th e N ig e r to end e avour to trac e its cours e
,

from sourc e t o m o uth and t o gath e r as much information

,

as possibl e about Timbuct o o and oth e r larg e towns .

A ccompani e d by o nly two nativ e s e rvants and carry ,

in g scanty provisi o ns and a few small articl e s for purc h as

ing food Park as can b e im a gin e d s e t hims elf no light
, , ,

task wh en h e c o mm enc e d h is j ourn e y e a stward fro m

G ambia . A lthough at first h e was kindly r e c e iv e d by
10 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

R e turning to E ngland at th e en d of 1 797 Park ,

b e cam e th e h ero of th e hour and aft e r d e voting som e ,

consid e rabl e tim e to the publicati o n of his j ourn als he ,

marri e d and s e ttl e d down in S c o tland His poor C ir .

c u m sta n c es how e ver mad e him s o m ewhat discont e nt e d

, , ,

and though d e vot e d to his wife th e spirit of adv enture

, ,

was stil l strong in him H e forgot th e mis eri es which had

‘

accompani e d his trav els in A frica and h e longe d t o b e ,

onc e mor e e xploring th e cours e of th e N ig e r A few y e ars .

lat e r th e opp o rtunity cam e and Park was plac e d in c om ,

mand of a Gov e rnm ent e xp e dition t h e obj e ct of which

*
,

was to d e t e rmin e th e cours e O f th e gr e at riv e r and to ,

e ndeavour to e stablish fri e ndly r e lati o ns with th e V ari o us

trib e s on its banks H e start e d und e r v e ry di ffe r e n t
.

circumstanc e s to th o se of his first V isit to th e Gambia ;

h e r e c e iv e d a captain s commission and was accompani e d
’
,

by his broth e r in law (Dr A l e xand e r A nd e rson ) as li e u

- -
.

t enant a n d by Mr G e org e S cott as draughtsman T h e

, . .
l

e xp e dition was to c o nsist of f o rty fiv e E ur o p e an soldiers -

and as m any nati ve s and transp o rt animals as th e l e ad e r

might consid e r n e c e ssary wh e n l e aving for th e int eri o r ;
mor e o v e r h e was giv e n a fr e e hand as to his return rout e
, ,

and was p e rmitt e d to draw on th e Gov e rn ment u p t o

In March 1 8 05 Park A nd e rson S c o tt and four

, , , , ,

E nglish mechanics r e ach e d Gor ee I sland th e n a British ,

possession F rom th e garrison w e r e sel e ct e d Li e ut enan t

.

Martyn thirty fiv e privat e s and tw o s e am e n and th e

,
-
, ,

whol e party th e n proc e e d e d to th e Gambia wh ence th e ,

caravan start e d for th e N ig e r by th e rout e f ollow e d by

Park on h is return j ourn e y o f 1 797 The l e ad e r o f th e .

e xp e dition soon discov e r e d that his progr e ss would b e if ,

anything slow e r and more troubl e som e than wh e n h e had

,

made th e j o urn e y alon e T h e numb e r of E uropeans and .

th e S iz e of th e caravan was a signal to the nativ e s to

r ic a n A s soc ia tio n w a s
The A f ll a t
s ti wo r k . A m o n gs t o th e r s ,

H or n e m a n n a nd N ic h o lls w er e
d es p a tc h e d to th e N iger . H orn e

m a nn s u c c e e d ed in r e a c h in g N u p e fr o m th e n o r th , b u t h e , as w e ll as

N ic h o lls , d ie d in A f
rica .
 I N TR OD U C T I ON . I I

practise ev e ry sp e ci e s of extortion and robb e ry ; and the

sol diers uninspir e d with th e obj e ct of the e xp e dition
, ,

soon became disheartened by the hardships which th e y

w e r e called on to e ndur e sick e ned and died F r e qu e nt ,
.

attacks w e r e mad e on th e caravan whose m e mbers were ,

soon too w e ak e v e n to d e fe nd th e ir prop e rty Th e ir arms .

and b e asts of burd e n w e r e stol e n from th e m and th e ir ,

p ath was marked by th e graves of th e ir companions who ,

had fallen by the hands of th e nativ e s or had died from

sickn ess W ild b e asts also w e r e a continual t e rror to
.
, ,

th e party and m or e than on e life was e nd e d by li o ns or

,
.

l e opards .

’
D espit e a l l th e s e t e rribl e e xp e ri e nc e s Park s heart ,

nev e r sank and h e continu e d to carry th e r e mnant of his

,

exp e dition forward e ventually in A ugu st 1 8 05 reaching

, , , ,

th e riv e r at B a m u k u— though with only S ix of his

E uropeans still aliv e S cott had disapp e ar e d A nd e rson
.
,

was at the poin t of d e ath Martyn was an encum branc e ,

to th e party and th e r e r e main e d only th e on e man to

,

do th e work of t we nty H e how e v e r had e nergy and

.
, ,

e nduranc e to fac e worse e vils than had as ye t confront e d

him an d h e had once mor e se t eyes on th e mighty

,

rollin g J olib a — th e lod e ston e which had drawn h im from

his north e rn home his wif e an d childr e n H e now se t
, .

to work to build a b oat out of old cano e s in which h e , ,

m ight e mbark his party an d att e mpt to trace th e riv e r,

to its m outh By th e mid dl e o f N ov e mb e r all was r e ady

.

for th e voyag e but not b e for e A nd e rson an d tw o mor e men

,

’
had b e e n laid in the grav e Park s last l e tt e rs hom e w e r e .

dated from S a n s a n d ig j ust b e fore e mb arking ; th ey w e re

,

writt en to his wife and to Lord Camd e n th e C o lonial ,

S ecr e tary and contain e d words full of hop e Th e s e— the

, .

last comm unication ev e r r e c e iv e d from th e disc o v e r e r

o f th e N iger— wer e e ntrust e d toge th e r with t h e j ournals ,

’
of the e xp e dition to I sa a c o Park s faithful guid e by whom
, , ,

th e y w e re conv e y e d to th e coast and transmitt e d in safe ty

to E ngland .

N in e men left S a n s a n d ig on the 1 9th N ov e mb e r 1 8 05 , ,

in th e frail craft— Mungo Park Martyn thr ee E uropean . ,

12 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

soldi e rs on e of whom was raving mad and th e others

,

pr o strat e a guide nam e d A madi and thr e e slav e s as

, ,

paddl e rs Th e boat was provision e d for s e v e ral w e e ks

.
,

and Park int e nd e d to land nowh e r e and to hav e n o int e r

cours e with the nativ e s o n his voyag e to th e coast I t .

must b e rem e mb e r e d that at th e tim e th e r e w e re a hundred

c o nj e ctur e s as to wh e r e th e N ig e r t ermin at e d ; some
imagin e d that it e nd e d in inland swamps and lak e s oth e rs ,

that it flow e d e astwards and j oin e d th e N il e whil e Park ,

hims elf was convinced that it ev e ntually e nt er e d the

C o ngo B e for e him th e r e for e th e r e was a j o urn e y of
.
, ,

tw o or thr e e thousand mil e s but so confid e nt was h e o f

,

succ e ss that in his last l e tt e r to his wife h e e xpr e ss e d th e

, ,

O pinion that by th e f o llowing J anuary h e would have

, ,

r e ach e d th e coast .

Down the riv e r th e b o at slowly p ass e d at first with ,

out mishap ; th en C am e a s e ri e s of attacks by n ativ e s in

cano e s all o f which how e v e r w e r e succ e ssfully driv e n
, , ,

’
Of f by Park s musk e ts Past Timbuct o o and into th e
.

Hausa country the adv e nturous littl e party paddl e d on ,

hopeful now that th e y had n avigat e d a thousand mil e s of

th e riv e r that th e y would r e ach th eir d e stination in saf e ty .

Th e m a d s o ldi e r had in th e meanwhile di e d and A madi s

’
, , ,

agr e e ment having t e rminat e d h e l e ft th e b o at thus l e av

, ,

ing Park t o his own r e s o urc e s sh o uld h e com e in contact

,

with the nativ es o n th e bank To A madi th e world is .

ind e bted for th e last n e ws of Park ; shortly after h e had

s e v e r e d his connection with th e e xp e dition th e n aviga
tion of th e riv e r b e cam e di fficult th e cataract of Boussa .

having b ee n r e ach e d H e r e a s eri e s of rocks stood up in

.

th e chann e l to bar th e way th e curr e nt took th e b o at

,

onward th e high ban ks and islands w e r e crowd e d with

,

arm e d nativ e s w h o s ee ing th e pr e dicam e nt that th e

, ,

s trang e rs w e r e in hurl e d th e ir w e apons in sh ow e rs upon

,

th e m Th e b o at struck on a r o ck and p ow e rl e ss t o mov e

. , ,

it th e four E nglishm e n j ump e d into th e riv e r and p e rish e d

,
.

Littl e furth e r inf o rmation was e v e r forthcoming as

to th e fate o fPark — a man who kn e w no f ear whos e en e rgy
and e nduranc e though oft en tim e s tri e d to th e utmost
, ,
 I NTR OD UC T I ON : I3

never flagge d and who will ev e r b e r e m e mb e re d as the

,

gr e at e st of A frican explor e rs To his old guid e I sa a c o .

, ,

was e ntrusted in 1 8 1 0 the mission of discov e ring full

, ,

’
details of his mast e r s ill fat e d end but h e was abl e to add -
,

few if any particul ars to what was already known

, ,
*
.

T h e curtain had fall e n on the first act in the great

drama o f the discovery of th e N iger and his fe llow ,

to w nsmen mor e mindful than oth e rs set up in S elkirk a

, ,

suitabl e monument to th e ir h e ro — Mungo Park .

* In 1 823 Ma j or D enh a m m e t, in Ku k a , th e so n of a F ul a h
C hie f who h ad co m e r o m T im b u c t oo
f . T his m a n s ta te d th a t h e
r e q u e n tly h ea r d Pa r k s e x p e d itio n t a lk e d O f
’
h ad f ,
a n d h e d en ie d th a t

th e n a tiv es w h o p u rs u e d th e b oa t in c a n o es h a d a n y e vil in t e n tion s

th eir b j e c t w a s m er e c u riosity to s ee th e white m en a n d th e c a n o e s
O ,

th a t follo w ed Pa r k fr o m T im b u c too c on tain e d m e ss en g er s fr o m

th e Kin g w h o d e s ir ed to w a rn th e s tra n g er s o fth e d a n g er s o fn a vi
,

ga tin g th e riv er lo w er d own D u n c a n in T r a v e l s in W es t A f

ric a
.
,

(Vol I I p a ge I 8 I ) giv es th e v ers io n o f a n e ye witn ess w h o s a id

. .
, ,
-
,

th a t A m a d i w a s th e c a u s e O f th e d isa s t e r , h e h a v in g told th e Kin g

O fY a u ri th a t Pa r k had no t p a id his w a g e s T h e Kin g s t op p e d th e
.

c a n o es an d Pa r k r e s is te d . H e w a s m o r ta lly wo u n d e d , b u t w a s
b ro u gh t a liv e in to th e Kin g s p r e s en c e wh er e h e d ied I n 1 8 2 7 ’

,
.
,

Pa r k s s o n T h om a s s till b e lie v ing his fa th er to b e a liv e s ta r t e d o n

‘
, , ,

his j o u r n ey in to th e in ter io r fr om A k r a to e n d e a v o u r t o fi n d h im
, , ,

bu t n ev e r to b e h e a r d O f a g a in .
 CHA PTE R I I
E XP L O RA T I O N .

Th e E x p l o r a tion s o f C a p ta in T u c k ey a n d M a j o r Pe d d ie —T h e
E xp e d itio n O f 1 8 2 0 2 1 — T h e S u l ta n o f B o r n u a n d his
-

Vis ito r s—M a j or D e n h a m a n d t h e A r a b s —Cl a p p e r to n s J o u r

’

n ey t o S o k o t o — C l a p p er to n s N ew E n te rp ris e in 1 8 2 5—H is
’

D e a th —M a j or La in g— R ic h a r d a n d J o h n L a n d e r— T h e O u tl e t
of t h e N ig e r .

K S th e ory that
’
was an a fflu e nt of th e
, th e N ig e r
Congo still carri e d weight in E ngland as is e vid ent
, ,

from th e fact that in 1 8 1 6 th e G o v e rnm en t e quipp e d

, ,

a dual e xpedition On e party und e r Captain Tuck e y was

.
, ,

to proc ee d to th e Cong o whil e th e o th e r und e r Maj or , ,

’
P e ddi e was to follow in Park s tracks and j oin hands with
,

Captain Tuckey in th e c entr e of A frica Th e ent e rpris e was .

a failure for although Tuck e y n avigated th e Congo and

,

acquir e d m uch valuabl e information h e di e d ther e and , ,

P e ddi e and his companions succumb e d to th e climat e

b e for e making much progr e ss I n 1 8 1 8 Maj o r G ray and .
,

Dr Doc h a r d e nd e avour e d to follow up th e rout e of Maj or

.

’
Pe ddie s party but only to m ee t with the fat e of th e ir
,

pr e d e c e ssors .

Th e n e xt att e mpt to c o ntinu e th e work o f Park was

und e rtak e n in 1 8 2 0 wh en the Governm ent d e cid e d to
,

s end an e xp e dition across th e S ahara from Tripoli , ,

by th e caravan rout e to Lak e Chad F o r this new .

enterprise w e r e chos e n Dr O u d n ey Li e utenant Clapp e r .

,

ton R N and Maj or Denham and w e now e nter on

, , ,

t h e second phase of the e xploration of th e r egion which

had so far swallowed up all travell ers who had end e a
, ,

v o u r ed to probe its secr e ts The w e stern rout e— that .

tak e n by Park— had b e e n abandon e d for s ev e ral r e asons ,

th e hostility of th e nativ e s b e ing th e principal ; whil e

it was thought that th e fri endly relations that exist e d
 E X P LOR A T I ON : 1
5

betwe e n Great Britain and th e Pasha of Tripoli might be

utilis e d to e nsur e th e saf e ty of the e xp e dition trav e rsing
th e country t o th e south o f his dominions with which h e
had in t e rco urs e A ccordingly in 1 8 2 1 Cla p p er ton s e xp e di
.
, ,
’

tion * start e d for Murzuk wh e nc e aft e r a whol e ye ar of , ,

d elay and ann o yanc e they se t out for the S ea of S udan

, .

T h e P asha aft e r consid erabl e pr e ssur e gav e th e m a l e tt e r

, ,

of introducti o n to the S ultan o f Bornu and th e y w e r e ,

accompani e d by an e scort o f two hundr e d A rab horsem e n

with th eir chi e fs T h e p arty c o nsist e d b e sid e s th e thr e e
.
,

E nglishm e n alr e ady m e ntion e d of a n E nglish carp e nt e r ,

nam e d Hillm an and som e servants— all n atives O f A frica

e xc e pt J acob a Gibraltar J ew and A dolphus S ym p k in s
, ,

( a li a s Columbus ) who hail e d from

,
the island o f S t V in .

c e nt T h e provisions and num e rous pr e s e nts w e re c on

.

'

v e ye d on cam e ls and th e k a /z la j ourn e yed south through

,

Bilma r e aching Born u with o ut accid e nt and with no

, ,

gr e at d iflic ul ty in l e ss than thr ee w ee ks .

Th e y w e re w e ll r e ceived b y the S ultan of B o rnu at

Kuka th e capital and remain e d th e r e enj oying t h e
, , ,

gr e at e st kindn e ss and hospitality for n e arly a year , ,

though D e nham was th e only on e of th e E urop e ans w h o

was abl e to V isit the n e ighbourhood of th e town Clap .

e r t on and O u d n e y w e re thro u ghout th e soj ourn in Kuka

p , ,

too ill to l e av e th e ir huts and Hillman su ffer e d from con

,

t in u ou s f e v e r and d elirium though b e tw ee n th e attacks ,

he worked hard at making box e s chairs and oth e r things , ,

for th e S ultan His greatest fe at how e ver was the con

.
, ,

struction o f carriag e s for two old brass f o ur — pound e r

guns which th e S ultan had receiv e d from Tripoli Th e y
,
.

w e re successfully moun t e d a mul e harn e ss was d esign e d ,

-

by D e nham who also taught th e nativ e s to make canist e r

,

shot and train e d th e m in working th e guns D e nham

,
.

and th e S ult an (who was a most enlight e n e d n ativ e )

b e cam e great fri e nds and the latter was not slow in,

5’N
a rr a tiv e o fT r a v e ls a n d D is c o v e rie s in N o r th e r n a n d C e n tr a l
r ic a in th e Y e a rs
Af 1 822, 1 823, a nd by Ma j or D en h a m ,
C a p ta in Cla p p er t o n , and th e l a te D r . O u d n ey : Lon d o n .

1 828
16 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

u tilis ing th e talents of th e form e r for the f o rtificati o n o f

his town .

T he original int e ntion o f th e e xp e dition had be en

to spend but a short tim e in Bornu and th en to proce e d ,

into the Hausa country (to th e w e st ) until th e y hit off th e

N ig e r at a point som ewh e re n e ar th e spot wh e r e Park lost
his li fe T h e S ultan of B o rnu was h owev e r loth to let
.
, ,

th e m l e av e his capital av e rring as his e xcus e that th e

,

l e tt e r which th ey had brought from th e Pasha of Trip oli

mad e no m e ntion of th e ir in t e ntion to go b e yond Bornu .

T h e loss of th e ir cam e ls and hors e s by dis e as e and th e ,

inability to procur e r e ady mon e y to buy oth e r b e asts of

burd e n was a furth e r caus e o f inaction To a man of .

’
D e nham s en e rgy and r e stl e ssn ess this e nforc e d idl e n e ss
’
was extr em ely distast e ful and though by th e S ultan s
, ,

p ermission h e visit e d Lak e Chad and th e n e ighbourh oo d

, ,

and spent his tim e in shooting and hunting h e d esir e d

greater e xcit em
,

e nt— a d e sir e which h e was sh o rtl y abl e

to fulfil T h e A rab escort which had accompani e d th e
.

party from Murzuk r e main e d i d le at Kuka and aft e r th e ,

nov elty of the n ew sc e n es had worn off th ey b e gan to

find th e time hanging h e avily on th e ir hands A ccus .

t om e d to l e ad a roving life and only visiting th e towns

,

wh e n a fortunat e razzia had provid e d them with th e m e ans

of enj oying th e ms elv e s th es e C hil dr e n o fth e d es ert chaf e d
,

und e r their pres e nt circumstances and soon brok e out ,

into m utiny A s a m e ans of curbing th es e unruly spirits

.
,

th e ir head chi e f propos e d that th e y S hould accompany

th e Bornu troops on an e xpedition against Mandara and ,

th e prosp e cts of plund e r and taking slav e s soon induc e d

th e m to j oin in th e ent e rpris e D enham who was still .
,

in good h e alth and anxious to e xplor e th e country saw ,

in th e raid an O pportunity n o t to b e lost and sinc e h e had ,

rec e ived inst ructions b e f o r e l e aving E ngland to endeavour

to follow any military e xp e diti o ns o fth e n ativ e s he d e t er ,

min e d to acc o mpany th e A rabs .

O ud n ey and Cla p p e r to n who w e r e st ill too ill to ge t

,

’
about disapprov e d o f D e nham s int entions consid e ring
, ,

that it would prej udic e the nativ e s o f th e n e ighbouring

 1 8 B R I TI SH NI GE R I A .

hors emen cov e re d with a b ou rn ou se and conv e y e d away

, ,

at a gallop The r o ut was compl e t e Bu Kh a lo om dro pp e d

.
,

d e ad from his poison e d wound and any unf o rtunat e man ,

whos e h o rs e gav e in was imm e diat e ly slaught e r e d by

t h e pursuing e n e my F e w o f th e A rabs e scap e d and
.
,

those who succ e e d e d in r e aching Kuka w e r e all mor e or

l e ss s e v e r e ly w o und e d N e ver had an e xp e diti o n b e e n
.

mor e signally d e fe at e d ye t D enham w h o b esid e s l o sing

, , ,

e v e rything h e poss e ss e d had s e v e ral w o un d s and was

, ,

su ff e ring from t h e t e rribl e hardships of his fl ight writ e s ,

“
S uch e v e nts howev e r must s o m e tim e s b e th e c on se
, ,

q u e n c e of e xpl o ring c o untri e s lik e th e s e Th e plac e s I .

h ad visit e d wer e full of int e r e st and c o uld n ev e r have ,

b e en s ee n exc e pt by m eans of a military e xp e dition W ith ,

”
out still gr e at e r risk .

T e n months aft e r th e ir arrival in Kuka Cla p p e r to n ,

and O u d n e y l e ft for K an o and th e Hausa S tat es W hil e ,

D enham r e main e d b e hind in o rd e r to tak e part in anoth e r

e xp e dition During th e six o r s ev e n months w hich had
.

e laps e d sinc e his unf o rtunat e visit to t h e Mandara c o untry

h e had not b e e n idl e h e had accompanied an e xp e dition ,

l e d by th e S ultan in p e rson t o th e Munga c o untry and h e

, ,

had made many short e xcursions in th e n eighbourhood o f

th e capital and had coll e ct e d an imm e ns e am o unt o fin f
,
or

m ati o n about th e country and its p e opl e His actions .

in taking part in th e s e slav e — raiding e xp editions hav e

b ee n s ev e r ely criticis e d but his particular mission w a s
,

o f a military natur e his instructions b e ing as w e hav e

, ,

said to mak e full inquiri e s int o th e fighting capaciti e s

,

and armam ents of th e various trib e s of C e ntral A frica .

T h e B o rnu p e opl e w e r e at that tim e a warlik e nati o n ,

and D enham cons equ ently consid er e d it advisabl e to s e e

m o r e of th e ir pr o w e ss in arms and thus p e rhaps not too , ,

w illingly ,
s eparat e d for a tim e fr o m his c ompanions .

F ortun e for o nc e smil e d o n him for bar ely a w e e k o f his ,

s o litud e had pass e d w h e n a k a fila arriv e d fr o m Tripoli

, ,

and with it st o r e s and provisi o ns for t h e mission und e r ,

t h e charg e o f E nsign T o ol e of th e 8 oth R e gim e nt ,

This .

”
u n e xp e ct e d d e livery ga ve D e nham n ew lif e I had now .
,
 EX PLOR A T I ON . I9

he writ e s money h e alth and a d e sirabl e companion

, , , ,

and he was r e ady for any wild adve ntur e T h e two .

E nglishm e n soon start e d on an e xcursion to th e south of

Lak e Chad where aft e r exploring the S hari R iv e r and t h e
, ,

Lo ggun country Tool e to th e gr e at gr ie f of his c om

, ,

panion di e d of fe v e r T h e l o ss to D enham was irr e

, .

parabl e h e had b e come gr e atly attach e d to young Tool e ,

who had scarc ely compl e t e d his tw e nty s e c o nd y e ar -

and wh o m h e d e scrib e d on his arrival as full of e n e rgy ,

ch e e rful n e ss and go o d fe llowship W ith his own hands

, .

h e laid him in his grav e at A ngal a — n e v e r b e for e and

probably n e v e r sinc e visit e d by a E ur o p e an — th e n f ee l ,

ing t o o sick at h e art and in body to pursu e his e xplora

tions h e r e turn e d to Kuka wher e b ad n e ws await e d him
, , ,

Dr O u dn ey having di e d on th e 1 2 th of J anuary at a
.
, ,

plac e call e d Murmur n e ar K atagum , .

D e nham was confin e d to his b u t with f e v e r and with

an a ff e ction of th e e y e s for t e n days but h e was s oo n at ,

Work again and taking part in a war with th e B a ghirm is

, ,

who had thr e at en e d B o rnu O n this e xcursion h e wit .

n e ss e d at any rat e o n e g oo d battl e in which th e B or nu s

, , , ,

le d by th e ir S ultan utt e rly r o ut e d B aghirmi war

,

riors th e guns which Hillman had mount e d doing gr e at

,

e x e cution Th e n cam e a s e cond pl e asant surpris e ;

.

anoth e r E nglishman Mr Tyrwhitt arriv e d at Kuka with ,

.
,

fr e sh stor e s having b e e n s e nt o u t by Gov e rnm e nt to

,

r eli e v e th e e xp e dition and tak e pr e s e nts to th e S ultan,

.

D e nham and Tyrwhitt n ow pr o c e e d e d t o e xplor e th e

e ast e rn sid e of L ak e Chad and witn e ss e d s o m e mor e ,

fighting in which th e B orn u s cam e offs e c o nd b e st

,
.

I t was n o w th e e n d of J uly 1 8 2 4 and o n r e turning , ,

onc e again to th e capital Cla p p er to n and Hillman w e r e ,

f o und to hav e r e turn e d fr o m th e ir long j o urn e y to S okoto .

Th e form e r was in a mis e rabl e stat e of h e alth and th e ,

latt e r had suffe r e d c o nsid e rab ly from th e C limat e and

fatigu e S till th e y had accomplish e d th e gr e at O bj e ct
.
,

o f th e e xp e dition and had trav e rs e d th e country from

,

L ak e Chad to th e Middl e N ig e r and b ack again thus ,

adding to th e e xplorations o f Park a knowl e dg e of th e

20 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

countri e s e xt ending ov e r ten d e gr ee s of longitud e to th e

e astward .

Cla p p e r ton
’
j ourn e y was a v e ry r e markabl e o n e
s ,

e sp e cially wh en it is consid e red that n eith e r hims elf ,

O u d n e y nor Hillman w e r e on l e aving Kuka in a fit stat e

, , ,

o f h eal th for e v en a l ess arduous und e rtaking and it is ,

ast o nishing that two of th e thr e e sh o uld hav e r e turn e d

aliv e Th e y start e d wi th a caravan o f A rab m e rchants
.
,

o n th e 1 4 th D e c e mb e r 1 823 and trav ell e d almost d ue

, ,

we st to K atagum n e ar which plac e Ou d n ey u n for tun

,

at ely succumb e d to c o nsumption which h e had c on ,

tract e d at Murzuk e ight een months b e f o r e Cla p p e r ton .

,

having buri e d his fri end though su ff ering much fr o m ,

fr e qu ent attacks o f agu e push ed o n to K ano and th e nc e , ,

proc e e d e d to S o k o to wh e r e h e was r e c e iv e d by th e gr e at
,

S ultan B ell o with e v e ry kindn e ss and att enti o n Of .

B ell o we shall hav e much to writ e su ffic e it now to say ,

that h e was a man of vast ability and e nlight e nm ent

who tr e at e d th e E nglish tra v ell e r w ith th e gr e at est cour
*
t esy . A ft e r r e maining som e tim e in S okoto Cla pp e r t on ,

re turn e d by his form e r rout e to Kuka w her e onc e m o r e ,

th e m e mb e rs o f th e missi o n w e r e unit e d .

T w o m o nths lat e r D e nham and Cl a p p er t on to o k l e av e

of th e S ultan of Bornu and comm enc e d th e march to ,

Trip oli D enham vis iting Lak e Chad and K an em en r ou te

,
.

Mr Tyrwhitt r e main e d at Kuka as British C o nsul but

.
,

unfort unat ely succumb e d to th e climat e w ithin a v e ry

short tim e — in O ctob e r 1 8 2 4 A t Trip oli th e thre e sur
,
.

v iv or s of this e xp e dition (Cla p p e r ton D enham a n d Hill , ,

man ) arriv e d a t th e e n d O f J anuary 1 8 2 5 wh enc e th ey , ,

imm e diat e ly sail ed fo r E ngland Thus e nd e d th e m o st .

succ essful e xp edition that had up till this tim e b e e n

d e spatch e d to W e st C e ntral A frica o r w hat w e n ow call
N o rth e rn N ig e ria T h e am o unt o f inf o rmati on coll e ct e d
.

ab out th e s e hith ert o unkn own r egi ons was imm ens e ;
th e countri e s fr o m Murzuk t o B o rnu ar o und La k e Cha d , ,

a n d fr o m B o rnu w e stward to S o k o t o had b e e n visit e d ,

S u l ta n B e l lo t o C l a p p e r t o n th a n E n gl ish c on s u l
p ro
p o sed an

a nd a p h y s ic ia n S h o u ld be a p p oi nte d to r e s id e a t S o o to k .
 EX PL OR A T I O N : 21

for th e first tim e by E urop e ans— b y E nglishm en authoris e d

and paid by th e British Gov e rnm ent .

A ft e r th e failur e s of th e pr e v ious tw e nty y e ars th e ,

return of D e nham and Cla p p er ton from so l o ng a soj ourn

in C e ntral A frica was most e ncouraging and th e British ,

Gov e rnm ent still e age r to O p e n up trad e with th e int e ri o r

,

of A f rica d e cid e d to imm ediat e ly s e nd o u t an o th e r e xp e

,

dition . S ultan B ell o in th e l e tt e r br o ught hom e by

,

Cla p p er t o n had e xpr e ss e d a d e sir e to thr o w his countr y

,

O p e n to British trad e and t o abandon th e traffi c in slav e s

, ,

prop o sing als o that E nglish consuls sh o uld r e sid e at plac e s

call e d F unda and R aka H e m o r e o ve r had agr e e d that .
, , ,

on a c ertain dat e h e would s e nd an e sc o rt t o th e c o ast

,

t o wn of W hydah in th e Bight o f B enin t o c o nduct th e

, ,

E nglishm e n to S o koto T h e c o mmand of this e xp e di

.

tion was giv e n t o Cla pp e r to n who had b e e n pr o m o t e d ,

Comman d e r R N and in A ugust 1 8 2 5 his h e alth b e ing

,
. .
, , ,

quit e r e st o r e d h e start e d onc e mor e o n his tr a v e ls H e

, .

was all o w e d t o tak e as a c ompanion a Dr Dicks on ; and .

two n aval o ffic e rs Captain P e arc e and Dr M o rrison w e r e

, .
,

s e nt with him with particular instructi o ns to e xpl o r e

,

and surv e y th e country in all dir e ctions from S okoto .

T h e pr e s e nts fr o m th e G o v e rnm e nt to S ultan B ello and

th e S ultan of B o rn u w e r e of consid e rabl e valu e and th e ,

mission was in e v e ry way thoroughly w ell e quipp e d B e .

sid e s C o lumbus (Maj or D e nham s old S e rvant ) Cla pp ert on ’

,

t o ok as his p e rsonal att endant a man w h o w a s d e stin e d

, ,

t o play a gr e at part in th e e xploration o f th e c o untry

his humbl e and d e vot e d s e rvant R ichard L and e r on , ,

whom subs e qu e ntly d e v o lv e d the hon o ur and glory o f

, ,

disc o v e ring th e mouth o f th e N ig e r .

Towards th e e n d of N ov e mb e r 1 8 2 5 th e littl e party , ,

of E nglishm e n r e ach e d th e Bight o f B e nin fully e xp e ct ,

ing to find B ell o s e scort waiting to r e c e iv e th e m To

’
.

th e ir gr e at disappointm e nt h o w e v e r on making e n , ,

u ir ies n o thing could b e h e ard of th e e scort and e v e n th e

q , ,

nam e of th e gr e at S ultan o f th e F ell atahs was scarc ely

known . This den ou ement w a s quit e undr e amt of but
’

Cla p p e r to n a t onc e form e d his plans d e ci d ing t o strik e ,

22 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A :

across country to S okoto in th e h Op e of m ee ting th e ,

e scort o n th e way Dickson having e xpr e ss e d a wish

.
,

to und ertak e th e e xplorati on of Dah o m ey and j o in Clap

p e r ton at S okoto was dr o pp e d at W hydah wh e nc e a c
, , ,

c o mpani e d by Columbus h e r e ach e d D ahom e y in saf e ty

, .

F rom D ahom e y h e pr o c ee d e d t o S har (s e v e nt ee n days ’

march fr o m Dahom e y ) and th e n comm enc e d his j ourn e y

,

to Yau ri ; how far h e got was n e v e r kn own for nothing ,

mor e was h e ard of him o r his s e rvant T h e r e st of th e .

party m e anwhil e sail e d t o th e B e nin riv e r wh er e th e y

, , ,

m et an E nglish m e rchant o f th e nam e o f H ou ts on who ,

advis e d th em t o start for th e int e rior from the port of

Badagry T h e v e ss e l accordingly put back and on th e
.
,

2 9th N ov e mb e r Cla p p e r t on and his companions set o u t

,

thr o ugh Y o ruba to S okoto Mr H ou tson acting as guid e ,

.

as far as Oyo (or K atunga ) th e capital o f th e Y o ruba ,

country .

N o soon e r had th e march from th e coast comm e nc e d

than f e v e r attack e d e v e ry m e mb e r of th e party in succ e s
sion and b efore a m o nth had elaps e d Captain P e arc e
, ,

and Dr Morrison succumb e d both dying on th e sam e

.
,

day th e form e r at E n gw a and th e latt e r at J annah Dis

, ,
.

h e art en ed by th e sudd en loss o f his tw o fri ends Clapp e r ,

ton hims elf b e cam e ill and H ou ts on and Land e r follow e d

,

suit though th e j ourn e y was continu ed and K atunga

, ,

e v entually r e ach e d on th e 2 3 r d J anuar y 1 8 2 6 H e re , .

they w e r e f o rc e d to r emain until th e 7 th March wh e n ,

t h e king allow e d th em t o proc e e d to Boussa wh e r e o n , ,

t h e 1 s t A pril Cla p p e r ton insp e ct e d th e sc e n e of Mung o

,

Park s disast e r Crossing th e N iger th e y now trav ell e d

’
.
,

without mishap thro u gh Yauri (or Yellu a ) N up e and , ,

Zaria to K ano which was ent e r e d o n th e 2 0th J uly

, ,

bar ely two y e ars from Cla p p e r ton s f o rm e r visit in ’

,

w hich tim e h e had c o mpl e t e d a circular j ourn ey by land

and s ea o f cl o s e on tw elv e th o usand mil es T h e plac e .

had und e rg o n e a chang e ; K an o w a s in lo w spirits ,

sinc e S ultan B ell o was at war w ith his n e ighb o ur th e

S ultan o f Bornu and th e trad e of th e W e st e rn S udan was
,

paralys e d .
24 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

perilous adventur e s ; and a y e ar after Cla p p er ton s d e ath ’

h e was in E ngland .

T h e death of Cla pp e r ton and his companions check e d

for a whil e th e ardour for disc o v e ring th e cours e o f th e
N ige r . S o far th e ill om e n e d riv e r had kill e d O f
-
f almost
e v e ry E nglishman w h o had gaz e d on its wat e rs and wher e ,

i t t e rminat e d r e main e d still a myst e ry Th e info rmati o n .

that had b e e n obtain e d from th e nativ e s was unr eliabl e ,

som e ass e rting that th e riv e r fl owed from Boussa e ast

ward and e mpti e d its elf into Lak e Ch a d som e that it ,

continu e d its cours e for s ev e ral hundr e d mil e s and e v en

t u a lly e nt e r e d th e N il e whil e oth e rs maintain e d that it
,

was id entical with th e Congo A s a matt e r o f fact th e .

,

actual mouths of th e N ig e r had b ee n th e r e sort o f th e

E ur o p e an slav e — trad e rs for many y e ars though that ,

’
th es e w e r e th e outl e ts o f Park s riv e r was unkn own and
undr e amt O f I t s ee ms strang e wh e n looking at th e
.
,

map nowadays that th e r e should have b e en any doubt

,

in th e matt e r but a visit to th e N ig e r D elta s o o n accounts

,

fo r e v e rything Th e mass of wat e r d oe s n o t as with

.
,

most great riv e rs flow in on e chann el larg e r than th e

,

oth e rs to th e sea ; but at a distanc e of sixty mil e s or ,

s o fr o m its t e rmination divid e s its wat e rs to f o rm s ev e ral

,

str e ams of alm o st e qual siz e Th e re was nothing th e r e .

,

for e to point to th e fact that an e xtraordinarily large

,

riv e r e mpti ed its elf into th e A tlantic in this n eighb o ur

hood G e ograph e rs w e re sor ely puzzl e d and th e N ig e r
.
,

fo r a tim e shar e d with th e N orth Pol e th e h o nours of b e ing

t h e probl e m of th e a ge .

W hile th e s e e v ents w e r e in progre ss Maj o r Laing , ,

who had alr e ady trav e lled consid erably in t h e n eigh

b ou rh o od of S i e rra Le on e start e d from Trip o li f , o r th e

purpos e of e xpl o ring th e Upp e r N ig e r r egions and m o r e ,

particularly of visiting Timbuct o o His plans w e r e .

boldly c o nc e iv e d and as boldly carri e d out for lik e Park

, , , ,

he w ent off with a nativ e guid e and a fe w nativ e s e rvants

, ,

into a country which h e kn ew to b e infest e d by maraud

ing T a u r egs J o urn e ying south w e st h e pass e d through
.
-
,

Ghadam e s and th e oas e s o f Tuat and th en plung e d into ,

 EX PL OR A T I ON 25

th e desert He had no t trav ell ed a fortnight h o w e v e r

.
, ,

b e fore h e was s e t on by a band o f robb e rs lo o t e d of all ,

h e poss e ss e d and finally abandon e d with no l e ss than

, ,

twe nty four wounds Ye t his c o urag e did not fail him
-
.
,

and n o t only did h e r e cov e r but h e actually succ ee d e d ,

in r e aching Timbuctoo ( 1 8 th A ugust wh e r e he ,

r e main e d for a m onth Thus h e r e again an E nglish .

, ,

*
man had f o r e stall e d all oth e r E urop e an trav ell e rs and ,

though Laing s unfortunat e murd e r whil e cr o ssing th e

’

d e s e rt on his hom e ward j o u rn e y d epriv e d th e w o rld of

th e valuabl e information which h e w o uld hav e b e e n
abl e to giv e th e pluck and e nduranc e of th e man r e main e d
,

to ar o us e his f e ll o w c o un trym en s en e rgi e s in th e fi e ld

-
’

of A frican e xpl o rati o n .

Dish e art en e d at th e ill— succ e ss that had frustrat e d

th e ir e fforts t o o p e n up th e s e r e gions th e British Gov ern ,

m e nt thought n o m o r e of A frican e xp e ditions until

L ander who had f ,
e d his e nthusiasm by publishing th e

story of his j ourn e y with Cla p p er ton j p e rsuad e d th e ‘

authoriti e s t o c o mmission him to r e turn to Boussa and ,

tak e up the thr e ad wh e r e Park had dropp e d it I t may .

,

p e rhaps b e int e r e sting t o say a word about R ichard

,

Land e r for that a man in his position should hav e b e

,

com e a w o rthy succ e ssor to such intr e pid e xplore rs as

Park and Cla pp er t on is ind e e d r e markabl e H e was born .

in 1 8 04 his fath e r b e ing a Cornish sh o p k eep e r bl ess e d

,
-
,
'

with a fa mily of six C hildr en and a small incom e A t .

th e a ge o f e l e v e n R ichard start e d life as pag e b o y to -

a m e rchant in th e W e st I ndi es aft e r which h e s e rv e d ,

vari o us mast e rs in S o uth A frica and E ngland having by ,

the tim e h e took s ervice with Cla pp e r t on trav e ll e d thr o ugh

most o f th e c o untri e s of E urop e and s een a g oo d d e al o f ,

th e world I n this manner h e pick e d up th e onl y l e arn

.

ing he poss e ss e d th o ugh that i t was su ffici ent for the

,

S e e fo o tn o t e , p a ge 4 6 .

T J o u r n al o f a S e c o n d E x p ed itio n in to t h e I n ter io r o fA f
r ic a ,

fro m th e B igh t O f B e n in to S o cc a too , b y t h e l a t e C o mm a n d e r

Cl a p p e r to n , O f th e R o y a l N a vy T o wh ic h is a d d e d .T h e J o ur n a l
"
O f R ic h a r d L a n d er , e tc .
,
L o nd o n , 1 829 .
26 B R I TI SH NI GE R I A

purpos e is prov e d by th e good work that h e accomplished .

Had h e b een an o rdinary man of his class h e would have ,

deliv er e d ov e r his m ast e r s pap e rs r e c e iv e d his wag es

’
, ,

and f o r e sw o rn A frica for e v e r R ichard Land e r h ow .

,

e v er
, was o f st e rn er stu ff ; he lik e Park and Cla pp er ton
, ,

had r e c e iv e d a N ig er baptism ; his mission was to e nd e a

vour to s olv e th e probl e m of th e gr e at riv e r and at th e ,

end o f 1 8 2
9 h e had com e to t e rms with th e Gov e rnm ent ,

who w e r e n o t v ery e nthusiastic in th e matt er Th ey .

would not e xp end any larg e sum on th e n e w e nt e rpris e

in fact th e parsimony of the G o vernm ent s e ems al most
,

incr e dibl e T h e e xp e dition was limit e d to Land e r and

.

his br o th e r and th e t e rms agr ee d upon w er e that R ichard

,

L and e r s wif e should rec e iv e an allowanc e of £ 1 00 during

’

th e first y e ar o f h er husband s abs e nc e and that on his

’
,

r e turn h e should b e paid £ 1 00 for his s ervic e s J ohn .

Land e r gav e h is s ervic e s fr e e th e G o vernm e nt r e fusing

,

him any r e mun e ration .

T h e two broth e rs R ichard and J ohn soon compl e t e d

, ,

th e ir arrang e m ents s e t sail from E ngland and arriv e d at

, ,

Badagry o n th e 2 2 n d March 1 8 3 0 Th enc e th e y j our

,
.

n e ye d inland thr o ugh what is now th e Lag o s hin terla n d

, ,

following practically th e sam e rout e as that tak en by

Cla pp e r to n and by R ichard Land e r hims elf o n his r e turn
with Cla p p er to n s pap ers two y e ars b e for e finally striking
’
,

th e N ig e r at B oussa without mishap in J uly

,
F ortun e ,
.

fav o ur e d th e m still furth e r for th e king o f Yauri having

, ,

consult e d th e oracl e gav e th e m two cano e s and a scor e

,

of slav e s as paddl e rs with which on th e 3 oth S ept e mb er

, , ,

th e y comm enc e d th e ir down str e am voyag e A ll w ent

-
.

w ell as day aft e r day th e dug o uts slowly drift e d along

,
-

in a s o uth e ast e rly dir e ction ; occasionally o th er cano e s

-

w e r e s e e n but no on e mol e sted th e trav ell ers who as

, , ,

e ach m o rning br o k e hop e d to see th e riv e r wid e ning to

,

th e oc e an . A t l ength o n th e night of th e 2 5th O ct o b e r

, ,

th e y f o und th e ms elv e s d e scending mor e rapidly ; a gr e at

riv e r ( th e B e n u é ) was flowing in from th e east and ,

their c o urs e was chang e d to almost d u e s o uth .

Th er e was n o longer any qu e stion as to th e cours e

 EX PL O R A T I O N . 27

of th e Dark W aters and a month later the explorers

,

we re on board an E nglish v e ssel at B rass having s e t at ,

rest for e v e r th e myst e ry that h ad for so l o ng troubl e d

*
th e world I t was at last known for c e rtain that th e
.

N ige r e nt e r e d the A tlantic by s e v e ral str e ams th e ,

mouths o f som e of which had b ee n visit e d by E urop e an

trad e rs for thr ee or four hundr e d y e ars R ichard Land e r .

hims elf befor e comm e ncing his trav e ls was o f O pinion

, ,

that h e would probably r e ach th e B enin riv e r which ,

on th e maps of th e day was shown as having b een trac e d

(on n o appar e nt authority ) to within ab o ut a hundr e d
mile s of B oussa F ailing th e B enin th e V o lta was th e
.
,

alt e rn ativ e th e Congo th e o ry having b ee n ab andon e d

,

long b e fo r e and Land e r nev e r for a mom e nt imagin e d

,

that he w o uld com e out as far e ast as h e did .

O n e man only had gu e ss e d th e tru e outl e t of th e N ig e r ,

though hundr e ds had studi e d the subj ect e arn e stly ; o n e

oth e r man had b e en v e ry n e ar th e mark but th e r e maind e r ,

h ad be en hundr e ds o f mil e s wid e o f it H e who had .

gu e ss e d aright was J am e s Mc Q u een ; th e oth e r was H err

R eichard w h o in 1 8 08 had giv e n his vi ews t o the world
”
in th e E ph e merid e s Géographiqu e s R e ichard laid .

down th e cours e of th e N ig e r from Boussa t o th e se a with

fair accuracy e xc e pt that he mad e its outl e t e xt end ov e r
,

too gr e at a width v iz from th e B enin riv e r on th e

,
.

w e st to th e R io d el R e y on th e e ast I t is p e rhaps hardly .

fair to d e scrib e Mc Q u een S hypoth e sis as th e r e sult of

’

gu e ss work for h e had p e culiar faciliti e s for arriving at

-

th e t r uth an d of th e s e h e avail e d hims e lf

,
W h en r e sid .

ing in th e W e st I ndi e s (Gr e nada ) h e r e ad th e st o ry of

Mungo Park s trav els and as many o f th e slav e s on th e
’
,

island hail e d from W e st A frica h e soon disc o v e r e d som e ,

’
w h o w e r e acquaint e d with th e n e ighbourhood of Park s
gr e at riv e r E v e ry A frican who had e v e r s e e n or h e ard
.

o f th e riv e r was cross — e xamin e d and day by day Mc Q u ee n ,

add e d to his stor e O f inf o rmati o n until aft e r som e y e ars , , ,

R ich a r d La n d er r e c e iv e d , in 1 8 32, th e firs t R o y al M e d al

p r es e n te d b y th e R o y a l G e o gr a p h ic a l S o c ie ty fo r th e d is c o v e r y
o f t h e c o u r s e o f t h e R iv e r N ig e r o r Q u o r r a .
2 8 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

he had succ e e d e d in putting his puzzl e t o g e th e r— a t any

rat e to his own satisfaction I n 1 8 1 6 h e publish e d his .

opini o ns in a small pamphl e t but sinc e h e had n ev e r , ,

s e t foot in A frica h e was look e d o n as a m e r e th eo rist

,
.

H e still work e d o n and gath e r e d furth e r d e tails fr o m

n ew ly arriv e d slav e s pr o ducing in 1 8 2 1 a b o ok w h e r e in
,
*
,

h e s e t forth his argum e nts at consi d e rabl e l ength He .

not o nly d escrib e d th e c o urs e o f th e N ig e r but h e trac e d ,

that of its mighty afflu e nt th e B e nu e with marv e ll o us

, ,

corr e ctn e ss His vi e ws w e r e giv e n with as much c e r

.

tainty as if h e had hims elf e xplor e d th e e ntir e riv e r

syst e m of this part o f A frica and h e summ e d up th e ,

matt e r o f th e o utl e t of th e N ig e r in th e fo llow ing words

“
I n t h e Bights of B enin and Biafra th e r e f o r e is th e , ,

gr e at o utl e t o f th e N ig e r b e aring al ong in its maj e stic

,

str e am all th e wat e rs O f C e ntral A fric a fr o m 1 0 w es t °

°
longitud e to 2 8 e ast l ongitud e and fr o m th e Tropic o f ,

”
Canc e r to th e sh o r e s of B enin .

A t th e tim e littl e att e nti o n was paid t o Mc Q u ee n s

’

words th o ugh h e had th e satisfacti on o f s ee ing th e m com e

,

tru e and probabl y n o on e h e ard with gr e at e r d elight

,

’
of Land e r s succ e ssful arrival at th e s e a than th e sc o rn e d
th e orist .

G e o gr a p h ica l a nd C o mm e r cia l Vie w Of N o r th e r n C e n tr a l

ric a ,
Af c o n t a in in g a Pa r tic u l a r A c c o u n t o fth e C o ur se a nd T e r m in a
t io n o f th eG r e a t N ig e r R iv e r in t h e A tl a n tic O c e a n . Maps 8y o ,
.

E d in b u r gh , 1 8 2 1 .
 CHAP E R T III .

SL OW PR OG RE S S .

x p e d itio n 1 8 3 2 — M a c gr e gor
'
The E of L a ir d R ic h ar d L a n d er s

D ea th— A n I ll fa t e d
-
E n t er
p r is e — T h e G re a t E x p e d it io n Of

1 84 I — T h e V oy a ge s of th e A lber t and th e orc e— A

Wil ber f
M el a n c h oly T al e —T h e N ige r G e t s a B ad N a me .

E nt e r on a n ew phas e of N ig e r history Th e
n ow e .

e xplor e rs had p e rf o rm e d th e ir part in so far that ,

th e y had found ou t that th e riv e r was of imm e ns e

siz e and that its banks w e r e d e ns ely populat e d I t .

r e main e d th e r e for e for trad e rs and philanthropists to O p en

up th e country and th e e xp e ditions of th e n e xt few
,

y e ars e nd e av o ur e d t o e stablish fri endly r elations with

the p e opl e in th e h Op e of inducing th e m to per mit fre e
,

int e rc o urs e with E urop e ans .

T h e Land e rs in d e scribing th e ir adv enturous j our

,

*
n ey , s o impr e ss e d th e ir countrymen with th e imm e ns e

r e sourc e s o f th e n e w land that within a y e ar of th e ir , ,

r e turn th e first of th e trading e xp e diti o ns had se t sail

,

fr o m E ngland T h e Gov e rnm e nt r e fus e d t o hav e any

.

c o nn e cti o n with th e n e w sch e m e which w a s a sp e cula ,

tion on th e part of a Liv e rpo o l m e rchant and al though ,

as r e gards trad e it cannot b e said to hav e prov e d oth er

wis e than a dismal failur e its originat o r —Macgr e g o r ,

Laird— liv e d to s ee that failur e o ft e n l e ads t o succ e ss .

Had hardship n o t und e rmin e d his c o nstitution his old ,

a ge might hav e b ee n ch ee r e d b y th e kn o wl e dg e that his

’
f o r e sight laid the foundation of E ngland s most pr o s
p e rons poss e ssion in W e st Th e e xp e dition o f
“
A Vo y a ge D o wn t h e D a r k R iv e r , b y R ic h a r d and J ohn
L a n d er , I 832 .

T M a c gr e go r L a ir d w as b o r n a t G r ee n o c k in 1 8 0 8 ,
e d u c a te d at

E din b u r gh , and ea r ly in life b e c a m e a p a r tn e r with h is fa th er in an

e n gin ee r in g b u sin e s s at L iv e r p o o l . T his h e g a v e up f

or A f
r ic a n
20 B R I TI SH N I GE R I A .

*
8
1 32 is famous in N ig e r hist o ry not so much by r e as o n ,

of its b eing th e first of its kind as becaus e alth ough it , ,

was e quipp e d in th e m o st lavish styl e it e stablish e d for ,

th e D elta a r e putati o n for unh e althin e ss which it has

n ev e r b ee n abl e to shak e o ff Th e two v ess els d e stin e d .

for this e v entful und e rtaking w e r e appr o priat ely nam e d

th e Q u or ra j and th e A lbu r k a h i and with f o rty e ight
’ ‘
-
,

E urop e ans on board th e y r e ach e d th e mouth o f th e N ig e r

,

in A ugust 1 8 3 2 Macgr eg o r Laird hims elf was with

,
.

th e e xp e dition ; R ichard Land e r also gav e his s e rvic e s ,

whil e among th e principal offi c e rs may b e m e nti o n e d

Li e ut e nan t W illiam A ll e n R N and Dr O ldfi eld Th e . .
, . .

two v e ss els se t to work to e xplor e th e various cr eeks o f

th e D e lta in d o ing which s e veral w e e ks w e r e sp e nt r e
, ,

s u l tin g in t h e d e cimation of th e cr e ws by mal aria At .

l ength th e main riv e r was asc e nd e d th o ugh owing to , ,

th e l o w stat e o f th e wat e r much inconv e ni e nce w as e x ,

p e rien c e d fr o m fre qu en t gr o unding o n sand banks and

-

, ,

with th e e xc e ption of e xpl o ring th e B enu e riv e r fo r a S hort

distanc e littl e was d on e this y e ar
,
.

T h e e xp e diti o n r e turn e d to th e se a and aft e r re , ,

uniting a t F e rnand o Po re ascend e d th e N ig er wh e n ,

-

th e y succ e e d e d in r e aching R abba on th e Middle N ig e r ,

and Panda o r F unda on th e B e nu é but so far th e y h a d

, , ,

don e n o thing in th e way o f trad e A gain F e rnando P0 .

was visit ed and Laird r e turn e d to E ngland ; and in

,

1 83 4 f ,
o r a third tim e th e gr e at riv e r was asc e nd e d by
,

O ldfi eld and Land e r but w ithout any furth e r r e sult

‘
,
.

Th e O f fi c e rs and cr e ws of th e Q u or r a and A lbu r k a k h a d

e x p lo r a tio n a nd t r a d e , d e t a ils o f wh ic h will b e fo u n d in a la t e r

c h a p t er . k n o wn c h ie fl y fo r his gr ea t wo r k in c o nn e c tio n
A l th o u gh
with th e N ig e r h e b u s ie d h im s el f with A tl a n tic s te a m n a v iga tio n
, ,

a n d th e c o m a n
p y w hic h h e fo r m e d in 1 8 3 7 w a s th e p io n e e r o f th e

lin es to A m e r ic a .

N a rr a t iv e of an E x p ed itio n in to t h e I n te rio r fof A

r ic a b
y
”
th e R iv e r N ige r in t h e S te a m v e s s e l s Q u o r r a -
a n d A l bu r k a h , by
M a c gr e g o r L a ir d a n d R A K O ld fi eld , L o n d o n ,
. . . 1 8 37 .

t T h e N ige r a bo v e Lo k o j a .

1 B le ss in g (H a u sa ) . T h is w a s t h e firs t ir o n v es s e l th a t p er
or med
f a s e a - v o ya g e .
 SLO W PR O G R E SS : 31

gradually succumb e d to th e effe cts of th e climat e and th e ,

’
captains d e t e rminati o n had at last giv e n way but only ,

b e caus e it was no long e r possibl e to navigat e th e v ess e ls .

O f th e forty e ight E urop e ans who had l e ft Liv e rp o o l

-

two y e ars bef o re only nin e w e r e aliv e ; of th e O ffic e rs

Laird O ldfield and A ll e n alon e surviv e d R ichard Land e r
, , ,

who had borne all th e trials of th e e xp e diti o n with gr e at

fo rtitu d e m e t his d e ath at the hands of th e nativ e s b e ing
, ,

mortally wound e d in th e third asc e nt of th e riv e r and ,

dying at F e rnando PO on th e 2 n d F e bruary ,

Thus on this A frican island fat e d e cr e e d sh o uld b e

, ,

’
buri e d Cla p p e r to n s two f ellow trav e ll e rs ; for D e nham -
,

w h o had giv e n up A frican e xploration aft e r r e turning

fro m Cla p p er to n s first e xpediti o n had b e e n appoint e d
’

Gov e rn o r or S up e rint e nd e nt o f F e rnando PO wh e r e h e ,

di e d in 1 8 3 0 at th e mom e nt wh e n Land e r was solving

,

th e myst e ry o f th e N ig e r s mouth
’
.

T h e r e sults of this e xp e dition as far as trad e was c o n

c e rn e d w e r e most unsatisfactory ; in its principal o bj e ct
it had th e r e for e fail e d and fail e d signally But it had , .

b ee n a succ e ss in oth e r ways ; th e D elta a n d th e main

riv e r had b e en e xpl o r e d and Li eut e nant A ll e n had mad e ,

a chart of th e wat e rs ; m o reov e r much had b ee n l e arn e d

(unfortun at e ly from bitt e r e xp e ri e nc e ) of th e climat e of
th e l o w e r r e ach e s of th e N ig e r thus paving th e way f or ,

’
futur e e xp e ditions Utt e rly dish e art en e d by Laird s
.

failur e E nglish trad e rs ab andon e d for a tim e th e id e a

, , ,

of making mon e y out of this part o fW e st A frica by le giti

mat e c o mm e rc e I n th e m e anwhil e h o w e v e r Mr B e e
.
, ,
.

croft w h o was th en S up e rint end ent at F e rnand o PO

, ,

d e vot e d his att e ntion to e xploring th e various m o uths

of th e N ig e r asc e nding th e N ig e r its elf as far as th e con
,

fl u en c e in 1 8 3 5 in a st e am e r of th e W e st A frican Com
, ,

pany (th e Qu orra ) and again in 1 8 40 in a v e ss el b el o nging

, ,

to Mr R ob e rt J ami e s o n o f Glasgow wh e n h e r e ach ed

.
,

a sp o t w ithin forty mil e s o f Boussa Th e accounts which .

’
h e s e nt h o m e awak e n e d th e int e r e st in Mun g o Park s
A s ta tu e of R ic h a r d L a n d er s ta n d s in Le m o n S tr e e t , T r u r o ,
his n a tiv e to wn .
32 B R I T I SH NI G E R I A :

river and th e matt e r was tak e n up by philanthropists

,

e ag e r to suppr e ss the slav e trad e W ith this n ew mov e -

.

m ent was associat e d th e nam e of Thomas Pow e ll Buxton

— th e F ri end of A frica— and to his untiring advocacy
was d u e th e fact that mon e y was fre ely subscrib e d by pri
vate individuals and vot e d by Parliam ent to fit out an
e xp e dition for th e purpos e of r e claiming th e savag e This .

was to b e no sp e culativ e trading v e ntur e but a G o v e rn ,

m e nt e xp e dition int end e d to O p en up th e c o untry and

,

e nd e avour t o induc e th e nativ e s to substitut e comm e rce

for th e inhuman traf fi c in slav e s S uch was th e id e a o f .

the famous e xp edition of and if mon e y c ould hav e

e nsur e d its success it should hav e b een p r e — e min e ntly

succ e ssful Thr e e st e am ers th e A lbert th e S ouda n and

.
, , ,

th e Wilberf or c e w e r e fitt e d out r egardl ess of e xp e ns e

, ,

of fic e r e d by th e R oyal N avy provid e d with missionari e s , ,

linguists and g e ntl em e n of various sci e ntific attainm ents

, ,

and d e spatch e d from our shor e s in May 1 8 4 1 w ith th e , ,

good wish e s and praye rs of th e wh ol e British n ation .

T h e principal o f fic e rs associat e d with this e xp e di

tion w e r e Captains H D Trott e r Bird A ll e n and W il . .
,
-

liam A ll en o f th e R oyal N avy ; S urg e ons Mcwilliam

, ,

Marshall Pritch e tt Th omson and N ightingal e ; R ev

, , ,
.

J F S c h On and Mr S amu e l Cr ow th er T missionari e s ;

. . .
,

Dr V o g el botanist ; Dr S tang e r g e o logist ; and s ev e ral

.
, .
,

min e ralogists and naturalists Of E urop e ans th e r e w e r e .

altog e th e r 1 45 and of nativ e s 1 3 3 all m e n sp e cially ,

s el e ct e d and of pr o v e d ability N o st on e was l e ft unturn e d .

t o mak e this e xp e diti o n th e succ e ss of th e a ge and th e ,

instructions to th e commanders w e re e mbodi e d in a v olu

min o us d espatch fram e d to m ee t e v e ry possibl e e m e rg ency
,
.

A N a rr a tiv e o fth e E x p ed ition se n t by H er Ma j es ty s

’
G ov e rn
ment t o t h e R iv er N ig er in b y C a p t a in W A ll en , R N . .

J o u r n a ls o f th e R ev .
J . F . S ch o n a n d M r S a m u e l C r o w
.

M e d ic a l H is to ry o f th e E x p e d itio n t o th e N ig e r
"
th e r ,

b y D r M c w ill ia m A Pr iv a te J o u r nal K e p t D u r in g th e
“
.

“
N ig er E x p e d itio n b y W S im p so n A r tic l e in B e n tley s
’
"z
.
,

M a ga z in e ” 1 843 b y D u n c a n e tc .
, , ,

T A f
r eed sl a v e , a ft er wa r d s B is h op o f th e N ig e r . Vid e C h a p te r
XVI I .
 SLO W PR O GR E SS : 33

The chi e f obj e ct was the suppr e ssion of the overs e a

slave trade and th e commission e rs w e re instructed to e u
,

d ea v ou r to p e rsuade th e various chi e fs of th e advantag es

to b e d e rived fro m comm e rc e and fr e e labour ; to mak e
tr e aties giv e presents when n e cessary and to purchas e
, ,

land for th e e re ction of forts Mor e over they w e re e m

.

powere d to mak e arrangem e nts for th e p urchas e of a

tract of land s uflic ien tly e xtensive for occupation as a
m odel farm all n e cessary agricultural impl e m e nts bein g
,

s e nt out with the e xp e dition F inall y the members o f

.
,

th e e xpedition wer e forbidd e n to trad e with the natives ,

it b eing consid e r e d that to do so might frustrate th e main

obj ects for which it was d e spatch e d I t was w ell know n .

that th e gr e at e st dang e r lik ely to b e encount e r e d would

b e th e C limate and ev e ry pr e caution was tak e n for th e
,

pr e s e rvation of health ; a set o f regulati ons was issu e d to

e ach v e ss e l and nothing s ee ms to hav e b een forgott en
,

—e ven r e spirators w e re provided for any of the whit e .

crew who should b e forc e d to com e on d e ck at night time -

.

A lthough th e three st e am e rs l e ft E ngland in May ,

th e y did not reach th e N ig e r mouth until th e middle o f

A ugust having stopp e d at th e various A frican islands
,
.

a n d at most of the ports on th e W e st Coast for the pur e

pose of obtaining fu el : thus th e riv e r was e nt e r e d within

a month o f the worst s e ason of the y e ar and th e fourth ,

d e ath sinc e leaving E ngland occurr e d on the first day in

N ig e r wat e rs F rom that time malaria of th e most malig
.

nan t typ e rag e d on board th e v e ss els which b e cam e noth ,

~

ing more than floating hospitals S till th ey manag e d t o .

,

push on up th e riv e r and th e o ffic e rs manfully carri e d

,

out th e ir instructions in th e matt e r of int ervi ewing the

n ativ e chi e fs and making tr e ati e s which in r e alit y proved
,

:
of littl e value F rom th e A ttah o f I ddah a plot of land
.

six miles long by f o ur mil e s wid e at th e c o n flu e n c e o f th e

*

N ig e r and B enu é was obtain e d wh e r e on to e stablish t h e

,

mod el fa rm T On th e arrival of th e e xp e dition at the

.

N ow L o k o j a .

T h l d i e s tio n w a s c e d e d b y th e A t ta h to his sis te r ,

T e a n n q u
”
t h e Q u e e n o f E n gla n d , b u t , a fter th e r e tur n o f th e e xp e dition to

D
3 2 B R I TI SH NI GE R I A :

rive r and th e matt e r was tak e n up by philanthropists

,

e ag e r to suppr e ss th e slave trad e W ith this n ew mov e -

.

m ent was associat e d the name of Tho m as F ow ell Buxt o n

th e F ri e nd of A frica— and to his untiring advocacy
-

was d u e th e fact that m o n e y was fr e ely subscrib e d by pri

vat e individuals and vot e d by Parliam e nt t o fit out an
e xp e dition f or th e purp o s e of r e claiming th e savag e This .

was t o b e no S p e culativ e trading ventur e but a Gov e rn ,

m ent e xp e dition int end e d to o p en up th e country and ,

e nd e av o ur to induc e th e nativ e s to substitut e comm e rc e

for th e inhuman traffic in S lav e s S uch was th e id e a of .

th e fam o us e xp e dition of and if mon e y could hav e

e nsur e d its succ e ss it should hav e b een p re e min ently -

succ e ssful Thr e e st e am ers th e A lbert th e S ou da n and

.
, , ,

th e Wilberf or ce w e r e fitt e d out r egardl e ss o f e xp ens e

, ,

Of fic e re d by th e R oyal N avy pr o vid e d with missionari e s , ,

linguists and g entl e m e n of various sci entific attainm e nts

, ,

and d espatch e d fr o m our sh o r e s in May 1 8 4 1 with the , ,

g o od wish e s and praye rs of th e whol e British nati o n .

Th e principal o f fic e rs associat e d with this e xp e di

tion w e r e Captains H D Trott er Bird A ll e n and W il . .
,
-
,

liam A llen of th e R oyal N avy ; S urg e ons Mcwilliam

, ,

Marshall Pritch e tt Th omson and N ightingale ; R e v

, , ,
.

J F. S c h On
. and Mr S amu e l C r o w th e r T missionari e s;
.
,

Dr V og el botanist ; Dr S tang e r g e ol o gist ; and s ev e ral

.
,
.
,

min e ral o gists and naturalists O f E urop e ans th er e wer e .

altog e th e r 1 45 and of nativ e s 1 3 3 all m en sp e cially ,

s el e ct ed and of prov e d ability N o ston e was l e ft unturn e d .

to mak e this e xp e dition th e succ e ss of th e a ge and th e ,

instructions t o th e command e rs w er e e mbodied in a volu

min o us d e spatch fram e d to m e et e v e ry p o ssibl e e m e rg ency
,
.

A N a rr a tiv e o ft h e E x p ed ition se n t by H er Ma j es ty s
’
G ov e r n
m en t t o t h e R iv e r N ig er in b y C a p t a in W A ll e n , R N . . .

J o u r n a ls o f th e R ev .
J . F . S ch o n a n d M r S a mu e l C r o w .

”
th er M e d ic a l H is to ry o f th e E x p e d itio n t o th e N ige r
“
,

b y D r M c w ill ia m . A Pr iv a te J o u r n a l Ke p t D u r in g th e
” “
N ig e r E x p e d itio n b y W S im p s o n
’

,
A r t ic l e in B en tley s
.

M a ga z in e “ 1 843 b y D u n c a n e tc .
, , ,

T A f
reed sl a v e , a fte r wa r d s B is h op o f th e N ige r . Vid e C h a p te r
XVI I .
 SLO W PR O G R E SS : 33

Th e C hi e f obj ect was the suppression of th e ove rs e a

slave trade and the commission e rs w e re instructed to en
,

d e a v ou r to persuad e t h e various chi e fs O f th e advantage s

to be d e riv e d from comm e rce and fr e e labour ; to mak e
tr e ati e s giv e pr e s ents when n e cessary and to purchas e
, ,

land fo r th e e r e ction of forts Mor e over they w e re em

.

powe r e d to mak e arrang e m e nts for th e purchase of a

tract o f land su f fi ci e ntly ext e nsiv e for occupation as a
m odel farm a ll nec e ssary agricultural implements b e in g
,

s ent out with the e xp e dition F inally th e m e mb e rs o f

.
,

th e exp e dition were forbidd e n to trade with the nativ e s ,

it being consider e d that to do so might frustrat e th e m ain

O bj e cts for which it was d e spatch e d I t was w e ll know n
.

that th e gr e atest dang e r lik ely to be e ncount e r e d would

b e th e climat e and e v e ry pr e caution was tak e n for th e
,

pr e s e rvation of h e alth ; a s e t O f r e gulations was issu e d t o

each v e ssel and nothing s ee ms to have b ee n forgotten
,

—e ven respirators were provided for any of th e whit e .

crew who should be forc e d to com e on d e ck at night time -

.

A lthough the thr e e st e amers l e ft E ngland in May ,

they did not reach the N ig e r mouth until th e middle o f

A ugu st having stopped at the various A frican islands
,
.

and at m ost of the ports on th e W e st Coast for the pur

pose of obtaining fu e l : thus th e riv e r was e ntered within
a month of the worst s e ason of th e y e ar and the fourt h ,

d e ath sinc e l e aving E ngland occurr e d on th e first day in

N ig e r wat e rs F rom that tim e malaria o f th e m o st malig
.

nant typ e rage d on board th e v e ss els which b e cam e noth ,

ing m o r e than floating hospitals S till th e y managed to.

,

push on up the river and th e o f ,

fi c e rs manfully carri e d
out th e ir instructions in th e matt e r of int e rviewing the
n ative chi e fs and making tr e ati e s which in realit y prov e d
,

o f little valu e F rom the A ttah of I ddah a plot o f lan d

.

six mil e s long by four mil e s wid e at th e c on flu e nc e of th e *

N ige r and B en u é was ob tain e d wh e r e on to e stablish th e

,

mod e l fa rm T On the arrival o f th e e xp e dition at th e

.

N o w Lo k o j a .

T h l d i i w e d e d b y th e A tta h to h is s is te r ,
T e a n n q u e s t o n a s c
”
t h e Q u ee n O f E n gla n d , b u t , a fter th e r e tur n o f th e e x p ed ition to

D
34 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

conflu enc e about th e middle o f S e pt ember the a gricul ,

t ural impl em e nts w e r e unload e d and the party intend e d ,

t o commenc e th e farming o p e rati o ns was land e d ; a ll th e

pr e viously arrang e d d e tails w e r e carri e d out to th e l e tter ;
huts we r e built th e ground cl e ar e d and plant e d and
, , ,

with a st e am launch l e ft in charg e for e m e rg enci e s Cap

-
,

tain Trott e r consid e r e d that this part of his programm e

h a d b ee n thoroughly w ell p e rform e d T h e littl e s e ttl e .

m ent was now l e ft to its own d evic e s whil e th e exp edition ,

p roc e e d e d to e xplor e th e c o ast lin e and th e Middl e N ig e r .

D e ath had how e v e r alr e ady comm e nc e d to play havoc

, ,

with both E uro p e ans and nativ e s and it was found n ec es ,

s ary to s e nd o n e v e ssel back to th e s ea with t h e sick many ,

o f whom only lived to find a last r e sting plac e by th e sid e -

o f form e r N iger e xpl o r e rs in th e c e m e t e ry of F e rnand o Po .

Command e r W A ll e n wh o se form e r e xp e ri enc e O f

.
,

th e riv e r should hav e giv e n gr e at w eight to his O pinions ,

s trongly adv o cat e d th e r e turn to th e s e a O f th e wh o l e

e xp e dition H e was
. how e v e r overruled by Captain
, ,

Tr o tt e r and Command e r Bird A ll en who were both u n -

,

willing to abandon th e e nt e rpris e aft e r so short a trial ,

a n d accordingly th e A lber t proc ee d e d up the Middl e N ig e r ,

while th e Wilberf orce was d e spatch e d down str e am to

e xplor e th e coast lin e T h e r e sult is a m elancholy tale
.

t h e Wilberf orce (Command e r W A llen ) mad e f o r F e rnando .

Po wh e r e on I s t O ctob e r she met her companion th e

, ,

S ou da n and wh e r e th e littl e grave yard— already w ell

,
-

fill e d with N ig e r victims— r e c eiv e d th e r emains of sev e ral

o f h er cr e w B e for e l e aving for a s ea voyage Com
.

mand e r W A ll en commission e d Mr B e e croft to conduct

. .

an e xp e dition up th e N ig e r in th e E thiope a trading ,

s t e am e r b e longing to Mr R ob e rt J ami e son for th e r eli e f

.
,

o fth e A lber t ; and th e S ou da n whos e crew had now som e ,

what r e cruited its str ength was also instruct e d to r e asc end
,

t h e riv e r for a similar purp o s e T h e E thiope l e ft F e rnando

.

PO o n th e 7 th O ct o b e r and m e t th e A lbert coming d o wn

,
’
str e am at S tirling I sland on th e 1 3 th the S ou aa n j oining ,

E n gl a n d , th e B ritis h G o v e r n m e n t d e c lin e d to r a tif

y this p ar t O f th e

t r e a ty . T h e p r ic e a gr ee d t o b e p a id w a s £4 5 .
36 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

had lost forty nine E urop e ans ou t o f a total of 1 45 ; th e

-

cost had been and th e results had been p r a c

tic al ly n il N e v e r did the dr e ams of A frican ph ilan
.

th ro p is ts rec e iv e a r ud e r awak e ning .

F or som e tim e aft e r this th e N ige r was absolutel y

tab o o ed ; its name was mention e d only in whisp ers an d ,

the B ritish public r egard e d it as an unlucky p e stil e ntial ,

spot out O f which no good could e v e r com e Though

, .

n e gl e ct e d at hom e how e v e r for th e n e xt t en y e ars or

, ,

so th e N ige r districts w e r e not b e ing forgott en by thos e

,

E nglishmen who wer e living in the n eighbourhood and ,

som e e xc ell ent work was b eing don e notably by Gov e rno r -

B ee croft to whom we hav e alr e ady r e f e rr e d This r e mark

, .

abl e man w a s born n e ar W hitby in 1 790 and e nt er e d ,

t h e m e rchant s e rvice when quit e young H e was taken .

prison e r by th e F rench in 1 8 05 but soon manag e d to ,

e scap e only how e v e r t o b e r e captur e d at once F our

, , , .

tim e s was this r e p e ated but th e F r ench e v entually b e ,

cam e car e ful of th e ir prison e r and succeed e d in k eepin g ,

him in durance vile until 1 8 1 4 A fter this B ee croft a c .

,

compani e d S ir E Parry to Davis S traits r e aching Disc oe

.
, ,

8 N
°
7 0 N L. a t and in
. 1 2 9 h e w e nt out with Colon e l ic o lls

t o F e rnando Po for the purpose o f assisting in th e sup

,

pr e ssion of th e S lav e trad e There he r emain e d for

-
.

tw enty fiv e y e ars during which tim e h e d evoted his l eisur e

-
,

t o e xploring th e D elta r e gions F rom 1 8 3 5 to 1 8 50 h e .

labour e d inc e ssantly a long th e coast — lin e of the Bights ,

s e v e ral tim e s asc ending the N ige r by its various outl e ts .

and th e Cross R iver (old Calabar ) for two hundred mil e s ,

H e also e xplored the Gaboon and s e n t hom e at di f f e r ent

,

tim e s most valuabl e information I n 1 8 43 h e was mad e .

S panish Gov e rnor o f F e rn ando Po and in 1 8 50 H e r ,

’
Britannic Maj e sty s Consul in which latt e r capacity he ,

watch e d o v e r British int e r e sts in th e O il R ive rs Honour .

to wh o m honour is due and without a d o ubt J ohn ,

B ee croft was th e man who e stablish e d British pr estige in

*
th e O il R iv e rs ov e r which thirty years aft e r his d e ath
,

th e British G o v e rnment proclaim e d a prot e ctorat e .

B e e c ro ft d ie d a t F e r n a n d o P0 in J un e 1 8 54 ,
 C H A PT E R IV .

TW O S U C C E S S F U L E XPE D I TI ONS .

R ic h a r d s on , O ver w e g , B a r t h —B a r th xp erie n c e s—H is

’
and s E E n e r gy

V ol u m e s —O v erw e g A d v e n tu r e s —H is D e a th
’
-
H is F iv e s

S u b s e qu e n t W a n d erings T he
—
N ige r E x p e d itio n O f
’
B a r th s -

1 8 54 — D r . B ai k ie ,
R N
. .
—E x pl o rin g T h e B e nu e T h e Vo y a ge
Of th e P l eia d .

LOW t e dious and e xp ensiv e both in liv e s and in mon e y

, ,

had so far b e e n th e exploration of th e c o untri e s o f

, ,

th e N ig e r Littl e had b e e n don e du ring th e half

.

’
ce ntury fol l owing Park s discov e ry of th e river to
o p en up comm e rcial relations with the n ativ e s ; the
inform ation coll e ct e d during th e fifty y e ars was however , ,

s uf fi ci e nt to p rove that th e re was a real future b e fore

th e s e regions if means could only be found to bring
,

h om e to the peopl e t h e advantag e s to b e d e riv e d fro m

in t e rcours e with non S lave trading E urop e ans I t f e ll
- -
.

t o th e lot of the two subsequent expeditions— o n e from

t h e north and o n e fr o m the south — to finally compl e t e
th e w o rk that had b ee n b e gun and to add c o nsid e rab ly ,

to th e knowl e dg e o f th e interior .

T h e first of th e se expeditions was entrust e d to Mr .

J am e s R ichardson and with him wer e associated two ,

G erman g e ntl e m e n Drs O e

v rw e g *
and B a r th T th e latt e r
, .
, ,

o n the d e ath of his two companions e v e ntually succeeding ,

to the command The e xp e dition was fitt e d o u t at th e

.

e xp e ns e of the British G o v e rn m en t j p much on the sam e

A Pr u ssia n g eo lo gis t .

T H e in ric h B ar th w a s b or n in H m b u r g in 1 8 2 1
a d ie d 1 8 6 5 ,
.

1 The fa c t th a t B a r th w as a G e r m a n h a s b e e n p u t fo r w a r d a s a

c l a im th a t G e r m a n y h a d a r igh t , by p r ior ity o f e xp lo r a tio n , to

c er ta in p ar ts o f th e W e s t er n S ud a n . T his c a n b e s t b e d isp e ll e d b y
q u o tin g th e wor d s o f th e d is tin gu ish e d tr a v ell e r A fter M r .

R ic h ar d s on h a d , in M a r c h , 1 8 51 , fa lle n a v ic tim b
t o th e n o l e e n e r t
 38 B R I T I SH NI G E R I A .

’
lin e s as th e first of Cla pp e r ton s e xpeditions ; in fact
R ichardson was dir e ct e d to follow Cla pp e r t on s r o ute
’

and accordingly th e littl e party l e ft Tripoli in March ,

1 8 50 ,and trav e ll e d south to Murzuk Th enc e th e y .

cross e d the d e s e rt to A ir or A sb e n arriving at T a gelel ,

in th e following J anuary Th e y had thus follow e d the .

caravan rout e which trav e rses th e d e sert almost parallel

to but considerably to th e w e st of that tak en by D enham
,

and Cla p p er ton I t was an arduous j ourney and on e

.
,

fraught with much danger and many difficulti e s th e ,

country b e ing th e r e sort of countless bands of Tuareg

robbers ever on the look out for plund e r but th e littl e
, ,

e xpedition was w e ll arm e d and abl e to r e sist attack though ,

fr e qu e ntly robb e d und e r cov e r of darkn e ss A t T a gelel .

the m e mb e rs of the mission d e cided to s e parat e th e i r ,

financ e s b eing at a low ebb and it being known that wher e ,

a party of three E urop e ans trav e l toge th e r large sums

a re e xtort e d by the n atives wh e reas singl e trav ell e rs ,

a r e allowed to pass through the country without much

notic e b e ing tak e n of th e m E ach of th e thre e trav ell e rs

.

had assum e d A rabic nam e s in order to ingratiate th e m ,

selv e s with th e Mohammedans ; thus R ichards o n was

kn o wn as Yacub and Barth as A bdul Kerrim ; th e y
, ,

mor e ov e r w e r e dress e d as A rabs and B arth not in

, ,

fr e quently was taken for on e though th ey n e v e r a t ,

t e mpt e d when question e d to disguis e th e fact that

, ,

th e y w e r e E uropeans sinc e any dec e ption if detect e d

, , ,

might hav e aroused th e suspicions of a most suspicious

p e opl e .

T h e rend e zvous of the party (about the 1 s t A pril )

was fix e d at Kuk a the B ornu capital whither R ichard
, ,

son proc e e d ed direct whil e Barth and Overweg took ,

w er M a j es ty s G o v er n m e n t
’

p r ise to hic h h e h a d d e v o t e d his life H ,

h o n o u r e d m e w ith th e ir c o n fid e n c e a n d in a u th o ris ing m e to c a rr y

,

o u t t h e o b j e c ts o f th e e x p e d itio n fi c ie n t m e a n s a t m y
p la c e d s u f ,

d is p o sa l fo r th e p u r p os e . A g ain , he s a ys In g e o gr a p hic a l
in g e n er a l n o n e h a v e d o n e m o r e t h a n th e
e n t er p r is e E n glish , w h ile ,
in C e n tr a l A fr ica in p a r tic u la r , v er y lit tl e h a s b e e n a c hiev e d b y a ny
”
b u t E n g lis h tra v ell e r s .
 T WO S U CC E SSF UL EX PE D I TI O N S : 39

mor circuitous routes

e F rom T a gelel th e tw o G e rm an s .
*

travell e d tog e th e r as far as Tassawa in company with ,

caravans and m e e ting ev e r ywher e with hospitality a t

,

th e hands of th e nativ e s H e r e th e y part e d to m ee t .

,

again som e four months lat e r at Kuka Th e r e sults o f , .

t h e j ourneys of these thr ee r e markable m en hav e be e n

handed down to posterity in th e shap e of two valuabl e
lit e rary productions— th e j ournals o f R ichards o n a n d ,

’
B arth s d e scription o f his own trav els probably th e mos t ,

compl e t e work of its kind e v e r p u blish e d T R ichardson ,

within two months of parting from his companions un ,

fortunately succumb e d to the hardsh ips O f th e j ou rn e y

and th e effects of the climat e at N gurutuwa on th e ,

bord e rs of Bornu and B arth d e cid e d to tak e upon ,

hims elf to continu e the e xp e dition on b ehalf o f th e

B ritish Gov e rnment .

B arth on l e aving Tassawa proc ee d e d south to Gazawa

, , ,

whence he found his way to the importan t town of K at

”
s e na . The im m ense mass of the wall h e says m e as , ,

uring in its low e r p a rts no t l e ss than thirt y f e et and its ,

wid e circumfer e nc e m ad e a deep impr e ssion upon m e , .

Th e town (if to w n it may b e call e d ) pr e s e nted a mos t

ch ee rful r ural sc e ne with its d e tach e d ligh t cottages , ,

and its stubbl e field s shad e d with a variety o ffin e tr ee s ;

-

bu t I suspect that this ground was not e ntir ely cov e r e d

with dwellings e v e n during th e most glorious p e riod o f
,

”
K atsena H e re 1; though h o spitably treated h e was
.
, ,

A S m a t ter s tu r n e d o u t, B a r th w a s th e o n ly o n e o f t h e th r e e
wh o k ep t h is a pp oin tm en t he r e a ch ed Ku k a o n 2 md A p ril , R ic h ar d
s on d ied en r ou te , a n d O v er w e g j o in e d B a r th a t Ku k a 7 th M a y
on .

T N a rr a tiv e o fa M iss io n t o C e n tr a l A f
r ic a in 1 8 50 —51 , b y t h e
l a te J a m es R ic h a r d s on . Two v ols . L ond on , 1 8 53 . T ra v el s a nd

D is cov er ie s in N or th a n d C e n tr a l A f
r ic a b e in g a J o ur n a l ,
of an

E x p e d ition U n d e r ta k e n in 1 8 4 9 b y D r H B a r th Fiv e . . . vols .

L o n d on , 1 8 57 .

T M any v ill a g es m e n tio n e d b y B a r th a nd ea r ly tr a v ell er s h a v e

n ow d isa p p ea r ed o th e r s h av e C h a n ge dp l a c e s , a l th o u gh
t h e ir
r e t a in in g t h e ir n a m e s . W ells fr e q u e n tly r u n d r y in th es e r egio n s ,

a nd it is fo u n d ea s ier to m ov e a v ill a g e to a n e w w a t er s u pp ly th a n

to c on d u c t th e w a ter to th e O l d v ill a g e .
40 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A

forced to re m ain for ten days and h e considered him

.

s elf fortunat e in being grant e d p e rmission to pursu e his

j ourn ey with so short a d e t e ntion sinc e in th e s e parts

,

it is the custom for th e g o v e rnor or h e ad man to detain -

his V isitors until h e has e xhaust e d th eir stock of pre s ents .

The next larg e to wn visit e d was th e capital of Hausa

l a n d Ka n o —W h e re Cla p p er ton had soj ourned during e ach
fl

o f his e xp e ditions
,
and B arth has much to say of this
gr e at emporium of the W e stern S udan which during his , ,

residence o f a month on this occasion h e had full opp or ,

t un ity o f e xploring . Leaving th e Hausa country he ,

t rav ell e d n orth e ast into Bornu

-
th e fronti e r of which
,

h e crossed on th e 1 3 th March 1 8 51 ,
and aft e r varied
, ,

e xp e ri e nc e s , he ent e red Kuka on the 2 n d A pril .

A vast tract of country had b ee n trav e rs e d in reaching

t h e capital of Bornu and though only a portion of it
,

was un e xplor e d yet th e d e scriptions of the land fu rnished

,

by Cla p p er ton had b e e n most meagr e so that to this day

,

B arth has mad e hims elf th e authori ty on the country .

T h e read e r who takes up th e great trav ell e r s fiv e solid

’

volum e s cannot fail to b e utt e rly astound e d at t h e

a m ount of information which e very pag e contains and ho w ,

any A frican explorer could have th e en e rgy to do a t e nth

o f what Barth did must remain for e v e r a wond e r His .

s ole id e a se e ms to hav e b e e n to coll e ct information from

t h e p e opl e and no soon e r had he taken up his quart e rs

,

for the night in a V illag e or town than h e sought out th e

,

m ost int ellige nt nativ e s and comm enc e d to e xtract in

formation from th em making C opious not e s in his j our
,

n al b e for e going to r e st H e b e cam e w ell v e rse d in t h e

.

Hausa languag e (th e l ingu a fr a n ca of th e W e st e rn and

C entral S udan ) and in various dial e cts whil e his know ,

l e dg e o f A rabic caus e d him t o b e r e gard e d by th e mor e

e ducat e d Mohamm e dans as a man of vast l e arning His .

position on r e aching Kuka w a s a trying on e sinc e h e had ,

alm o st exhaust e d his st o ck of sal e abl e articl e s and fo r ,

a travell e r to visit any of th e s e countries withou t b eing

able to giv e handsom e pr e s ents to the high o fficials
plac e s innum e rable di fficulti e s in his way S till th e .
,
 T WO S U CCE SSF UL EX PE D I T I O N S : 41

S ultan and his vizi e r r e ceiv e d Barth with every mark

o f kindness and he was enabl e d to borrow suffi ci e nt
,

money with which to provide hims e lf with imm e diat e

n e c e ssari e s as w e ll as to m ak e hims elf tolerably com
,

fo r ta b le in the quart e rs which had been assig ne d to him .

H e now set abou t the great obj ect of the expediti o n ,

a nd had soon b e come thoroughly acquainted with th e

town and its n e ighbourhood ; h e visit e d the shores o f
Lak e Chad and had alr e ady gained a vast knowl e dg e o f
,

t h e country when on th e 7th May h e was j oined by his

, ,

f ellow countrym an and colleague

-
.

O v e rw e g aft e r s e parating from B arth had tak e n a

, ,

west e rn route towards S okoto and in th e cours e of his ,

j ourn e y had w itness e d the struggles th e n going on b e

tween the pagan inhabitants of G o b e r and Maradi and
the Mohamm e dan F ulahs R e tracing his st e ps h e visit e d
.
,

the important town of Zind e r and thence proc ee d e d ,

dir e ct to Kuka without go ing south to K ano as he had

, ,

o riginally int e nd e d He had suffered considerably from

.

t h e climat e and his financ e s w e re in a wors e state than

,

w e r e ev e n thos e of his companion yet his energy had not ,

d e s e rt e d him and within thr e e w ee ks of his arrival at

, .

Kuka h e was s uflic ien tly recov e r e d in health to continu e

his trav els . B arth had long d e t e rmin e d to mak e an
e xcursion to A damawa ( d u e south of B o rnu ) and accord ,

in gly on the 2 9th May 1 8 51 he left Kuka with a w e ll

, , ,
’
e quipp e d caravan being accompani e d for th e first day s
,

march b v O v e rw e g who th e n start e d with his portabl e

,

b oat t o e xplor e th e gr e at Lake o f Chad .

A damawa was new ground n o E urop e an had ye t s e t

foot in the country and Barth S e nthusiasm as h e near e d
, ,

i ts fronti e rs gr e w unbound e d
, W e had now he writ e s
.
”
, ,

“
r e ach e d the bord e r o f A damawa th e country aft e r ,

which I had b ee n panting so long and of which I had h e ard ,

s o many int e r e sting accounts a Mohamm e dan kingdom

,
”
e ngraft e d upon a mix e d stock of pagan trib e s On .

the 1 8 th J un e th e B en u é R iver was r e ach ed at th e point ,

o f its j unction with the F aro and tw o days lat e r B arth ,

attain e d th e summit of his pr e sent ambition and ent e red

42 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

*
Yola , the capital of A damawa H e had of cours e .
, ,

h o p e d to spend som e tim e in this int e r e sting F ul ah p ro

vinc e and l e arn som e thing of its history and p e ople ;
,

but in this he was bitt e rly disappointed for Mah om e d ,

La wl T the E mir saw in his visit an att e mpt on t h e part

, ,

of his O ld e nemy S heik O mar of Born u to gain a footing

, ,

in A damawa I t was c e rtainly unfortunate that Barth

.

had com e from Bornu ; had he com e from any oth er

dir e ction doubtless his reception would have b ee n v e r y
,

di ffe r e nt but , as it was th e S ultan or S h e ik o f Born u

, , , ,

had tak en the O pportunity in his l e tt e r r e commending

t h e Christian trav ell e r to the care O f Mahomed La w l ,

to put forward certain claims to portions of th e A damawa

’
fronti e r t e rritory Cons e quently B arth s visit rais e d a
.

st o rm in Yola and on th e 2 4th J une he was per emptorily

,

ord e r e d to quit th e place which h e f elt bound to do with ,

as good a grac e as possibl e The r e turn j ourn ey to Kuka .

,

which occupi e d a month was mad e w e arisom e by bad ,

w e ather and B arth b e cam e much weaken e d by repeat e d

,

attacks of fever .

I n the meanwhil e O v e rweg had b een busily engag e d

in the exploration of Lak e Chad for which purpos e a ,

boat had be e n brought from E ngland He V isit e d th e .

numerous groups of islands with which th e inland sea is

studd e d and he mad e fri ends with the strang e wild
, ,

p e ople who inhabited th e m But unfortunat e ly and .

, ,

as B arth bemoans h e was a trav e ll e r without m e thod , ,

and h e kept no r e cord of his trav els thus d enying to th e ,

world the ben efits of his vast knowl e dg e of a hith e rto

un expl o red r e gion His m or e m e thodical companion.
,

h o w e v e r had ampl e opportunity durin g the f oll o wing

,
’
year of making hims elf acquaint ed with O v e rw eg s e x
p er i e n ces on Lak e Chad sinc e t h e two fri e nds from S ep , ,

temb e r 1 8 51 ,
to A ugust 1 8 52 undertook togeth e r a
, , ,

s e ri e s of expeditions to th e east e rn S tat e s of K an em ,

Th us n a m ed after th e r oy a l q u a r ter of Ka n o .

T S on of M a ll a m A d a m a ,
th e o r igin a l F u la h c o n u ero r O fF u m q
b in a a nd fou n d er o f th e kingd om of A d a ma wa , whic h w as c all ed

after him .
46 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

consid e r e d as c o v e ring ground now within the British

sph er e of influ e nce ; all th er e for e that w e n e ed s a y is , ,
v

that Timbuctoo was safely r e ach e d by th e adv e ntur e r in

S e pt emb e r and l e ft again in May of th e following
,

y e ar during which tim e it n ee d hardly b e add e d th e

, , ,

amoun t of in formation c o ll e ct e d was imm ens e .

B arth r e traced his st eps towards Kuka following ,

almost th e sam e r o ut e by which h e had trav e ll e d to Tim

b u c to o crossing th e N ige r at S a y and staying fo r som e
, ,

tim e at Gando S okoto and W u rno His j ourn e y was

, ,
.

not alt o g e th e r without incid e nt or e xcit e m ent and on ,

m o r e than o n e occasion his life was in dang e r ye t whil e , ,

pursuing his way h e had r e ceiv e d d e spatch e s from ,

E ngland which incr e as e d his e ag e rn e ss to push forward

to Bornu —Dr V og e l (a G e rman sci entist ) and two non
.

c o mmission e d o ffic e rs o f th e R o y al E ngin ee rs had b e e n

s e nt o u t from E ngland in 1 8 53 to his r eli e f His one .

obj ect now was to r e ach Kuka and m ee t his f ellow country -

man but so slow by forc e of circumstanc e s was his pro

, , ,

gress that it was not until th e 1 7th Octob e r 1 8 54 that

, , ,

h e e ntered K ano and it was th e middl e of D e c e mb e r

, ,

b e fore h e was w e lcom e d back t o Kuka H e h a d how .

,

e ver ,
already met V o g el who was trav elling to Zind e r , ,

and on reaching Kuka h e f o und the two E nglish sapp e rs

( Church and Macguir e ) waiting to r e c e ive him F or a .

month th e r e for e Barth e nj oy e d the soci e ty of his n ew

, ,

B a r th w a s th e th ir d E u r o p e a n to e n t er Tim b u c too th e fi r s t
was an E n gl ish m a n , M a j or L a in g ( 1 8 th A u gu s t , 1 8 26 ) t h e s eco n d

a F r e n ch m a n , R en e C a illié AS an in s ta n c e o f th e m a nn e r
in whic h F re n c hm is w rit e h is tory , J u l e s D u v a l , in his b io
wr ite rs
r a p h y o fR e n é C a i m s a ll m e n tio n O f L a in g e n é Ca illié s
’

g l l ié , o it R
m o n u m e n t in th e c e m e te ry o f Po n t 1 A bbé is in s c r ib e d th e o n ly
’
,

E u r o p e a n w h o h a s v is ite d a n d d es c r ib e d T im b u c too wh il e
“ ”
F elix D u b o is , in h is T im b u c t oo th e M y s ter io u s s a y s th a t

B a r th r e sid e d in T im b u c to o f o r o n ly a m o n th , a n d s a w n o thin g o f

t h e t o wn A s a m a t te r o f fa c t , B a r th w a s a t T im b u c too fo r e igh t
.

m o n th s ,
and th e c h a p te r s o f h is b oo k a re suf
fi c ien t p r oo f th a t h e
ac q u ir ed a vast a mou n t of or m a tio n
in f a b ou t th e t o wn I t is .

p erh a p s u n n e c es s a r y to a dd th a t M . F elix D ub o is w a s th e fi rs t
E u r o p ea n to b e com e th o r o u gh ly ac q u a in ted with T im b u c too a nd

it s p e o p l e .
 OF THE

U N IVE R S I T Y
Iro RN\
 T WO S U CCE SSF UL EX PE D I T I O N S : 47

friends , aft e r which th e party divid e d V ogel and Mac ,

g uir e departing on the 2 1 s t J anu ary in the direction of

Yakob a ( Bantshi ) and A damawa whil e B arth and Church *
,

e v e ntually left Kuka on th e ir j ourn e y hom e on th e 4 th

M ay arriving in London on th e 6 th S e p t e mb e r I 8 55 T
, , .

B arth was still wand e ring in th e W e st e rn S udan wh e n

t h e s e cond e xpedition o f this p e riod l e ft E ngland Known .

a s th e N ig e r E xp e dition of 1 8 54 it was the first suc ,

c e ss in l und e rtaking fr o m th e south and as such is a land ,

mark in th e story of th e gr e at river B e fore how e v e r .

, ,

e nt e ring into d e tails about th e e xp e dition it will b e w e ll ,

t o say something conc e rning th e caus e s which le d to the

British Governm e nt again turning its att e ntion to th e
L ower N ige r which for many years it had giv e n up as
, ,

a us el e ss exp e nditur e o f liv e s and mon e y S o convinc e d .

was Macgregor L aird of th e valu e o f th e se r e gions fo r

purpos e s of trad e that e ver since his first conn e ction
, ,

with th e opening up of the N iger h e had don e all in ,

his pow e r to p e rsuade o th e rs to c o operate with him in

‘

l aying the foundations o f this new outl e t for British

m e rchandise .

S ince his first visit to the N iger in 1 8 3 2 th e only e x ,

p e d it io n d e spatch ed from E ngland it will be rem em ,

b e red was that of 1 8 4 1

,
W ith this h e had no conn e ction
.
,

his p e rson al exp e ri e nce of th e country convincing him

that its plans (framed by Governm e nt und e r the inspira ,

tion o f the A nti S lav e ry party ) were such as could not

-

fail to l e ad to a whol e sal e loss of lif e disgusting the country ,

with t h e v e ry name of th e N ig e r and putting a st 0p to

all att e mpts to e xplor e th e river for at l e ast a generation .

C h u rc h h a d q u a rr ell e d with Vo g el , a n d th er e for e d ec id e d t o

r e tu r n t o E n gl a n d M a c gu ir e d es er t e d h is l ea d er a t Ya k o b a
.

( B a n tshi) ,
a nd was afte r wa rd s m u r d er e d b y th e n a tiv es Vog e l .

m e t th e sa m e fa t e in th e follo w in g y e a r , a fter c o m p l e tin g w ha t m u s t

have b ee n a re m a r k a bl e j o u r n ey ea s t wa r d to W ara ,
th e c a p ita l o f

W a d a i th ou gh his p a p er s u n fo r tu n a t ely n ev er c a m e to ligh t

, .

T B a r th w a s m a d e a O B a n d r e c eiv e d th e Pa tro n s M ed a l
’
, of

th e R o y a l G eo gr a p h ic a l S o c ie ty , w h o a ls o wa r d ed to C or p or a l
a

J . F . Ch ur ch a w a tch a n d c h a in for h is fi c o b s erv a tio n s ”

s c ie n ti .
48 B R I T I SH NI G E R I A .

Privat e prot e sts b e ing of no avail he expr e ssed his vi e ws ,

fully in th e Westmin ster R eview N o 66 H e had copi e s , . .

of his abl e article wid ely distribut e d and finally he att end e d ,

th e far e w ell me e ting at E x e t e r Hall in ord e r to protest

to th e last against th e fo ll y of th e und ertaking Th e r e .
,

as long as his voic e e ndur e d h e stru ggl e d to mak e his ,

warning h e ard but he was hoot e d and howl e d at by an

,

audi ence r e solv e d to list e n to non e but th e proph e ts o f

smooth things T h e outcom e of the exp e diti o n of 1 8 4 1
.

w e hav e alr e ady d e scrib e d and no o n e r e gr e tted its lam e nt

,

able failur e mor e than th e on e man who had fores ee n it .

But sinc e h e was aware of the cause o f th e failur e Laird

, ,

did not abandon hope ; on the contra ry h e continu e d ,

t o push his proj e cts am o ng influ e ntial m en by all possibl e

m e ans A t l e ngth h e saw a glimm e r of light ; in 1 8 52
.

h e obtain e d a contract from the Gov e rnm ent and ,

e stablished th e A frican S t e amship Company with a ,

monthly communication with th e various ports on th e

coast as far as F ernando Po ; then came the opp ortunity
for which he had wait e d so long .

I t was in this sam e y e ar ( 1 8 52 ) that news was rec e iv e d

from B arth o f his j o urn e y to A damawa and his discovery ,

*
of th e B enu e which he conclud e d to be the sam e riv e r
,

as had hith e rto be e n call e d th e T s a dd a or Ch a dd a H e re .

was a n ew geographical problem to endeav o ur to s olv e ,

“ ”
which as w ell as to
,
m ee t and a fford assistance to
Drs B arth and V ogel the British Governm ent r e solv e d
.
,
’
to send out a S ingl e v e ss el Laird s enthusiasm on matt e rs
.

p e rtaining to this region and the fact that h e hims elf

,

had navigat e d the N iger at once gave him a C laim to plan

,

out the pr o pos e d exp e dition and the A dmiralty e nt e r e d

,

“
T h e w o r d b elo n g s to th e B a t ta l a n gu a ge w h e r e w a te r is ,

b u t in k in d r ed d ia l e c ts it is c a ll ed bi N u we m e a n s
’

c a ll e d bee o r b .

th e m o t h er ” a n d th e w h ol e n a m e m ea n s M o th e r o f W a te r
’
.
,

B a r th T h e e a rlier E n glis h t ra vell ers im a ginin g th a t it fl o w e d in to

.
,

or f r om L a k e C h a d c a l le d it C h a d d a o r T s a d d a ; L a ir d c a ll e d it

u s in g it w ith th e r iv er o f th a t n a m
, ,

S h a ri c on f e w h ic h f e ed s La k e
,

Ch a d . T h e n a tiv e n a m es a r e E t sh i (B o r n u ) F u r o j i ( N u p e) B a k i
, ,

’
n R ua ( H a u s a ) E h
,
a lo j ( g
i I b ir a ) N u ,( K u r or o f
a ) U j im in i d ud u ,

( I ga r a ) .
 T WO S U CCE SSF UL EX PE D I T I O N S .
49

into a contract with him to build and e quip a suitabl e

v e ss e l This was th e Pleia cl built at Birk e nh e ad by Mr
.
, .

J ohn Laird and fitt e d out with all car e for th e peculiar
,

s e rvice for which sh e was d e stin e d .

The command o f th e e xp e dition was giv e n to Mr B ee .

croft who w as to j oin at F e rnand o Po whil e the oth e r

, ,

E uropeans consist e d o f Dr W illiam B alfour B aiki e R N .

, . .

Mr D J May second mast e r Mr J T D alton zoologist

. . .
, . . .
,

S urgeon T J Hutchinson ; T C Taylor sailing mast e r ;

. . . .
,
-

and sev e n oth e rs Th e r e maind e r of th e crew w e r e .

n atives fifty four in numb e r and so w ell was ev e rything

,
-

arrang e d and carri e d out that all th e E urop e ans on board

the Pleia cl r e turn e d to E ngland littl e th e worse for their
voyag e E xp e ri e nce had taught Mr Laird that the fail
. .

ur e s of pr e vious e xp e ditions had b e e n due principally to

climatic influ enc e s which it was qu ite p ossible to avoi d . .

He therefore decid e d that it was d e sirabl e that th e v e ss e l

S hould ent e r th e river during th e rainy s e ason and accord ,

in gly S h e start e d on h er v o yag e on th e 2 0th M ay ,

Two other poin ts a r e notic e abl e abou t this expedition ;

first that the numb e r o f whit e men employed was k e p t
,

as low as possibl e whil e all th e h e avy work was done by ,

th e black cr e w ; s e cond that quinine was freely use d ,

as a pr e ventiv e of fe v er T .

Th e primary O bj e ct at any rat e as far as the Govern ,

ment was c o ncerned was th e e xploration of the B enu e ,

and th e r eli e f of B arth bu t by his contract Mr Laird was ,

.

al so p e rm itt e d to carry on trad e with th e natives whenever

opportunity O ffe r e d so that th e Pleia cl was w ell stocked ,

with lik ely goods and it may be here mention e d that ,

N a rr a tiv e o fa n E x p l or in g Vo y a g e up t h e R iv e r s Kw o ra a nd

B in u e , in by W ill ia m B a lf
our B k ie
ai ; Lo n d on , 1 8 56 :
J ou r n a l o f a n E x p e d itio n u p th e N ige r a n d T s h a d d a R iv e r s ,
U n d e r t a k e n b y M a c gr e go r L a ir d ,
E s q , in C o n n e c tio n with th e
.

B ritish G ov e r n m e n t , in by th e R ev . S a m u el C r o w th er
“
Lo n d on , 1 8 55 . N a rr a tiv e of th e N ig e r , T s c h a d d a , a nd B en ue

E x p lor a tio n ,
by T .
J . H u t c hin s o n ; Lo n d o n , 1 8 55;

T A d ose O ffiv e gr a in s was ad m in is ter e d m o r n in g a nd e v e n in g

to e v e ry o n e o n b oar d th e Pleia cl .

E
50 B R I T I SH NI G E R I A .

the produc e O btain e d in e xchange for the cargo r e alis e d

*
which was consid e r e d most satisfactory On .

arriving at F e rnand o Po it was found that B ee croft th e , ,

command e r of th e exp e diti o n had unfortunat ely di e d ,

some tim e pr e viously ; his plac e was th e r e for e taken by

Dr B a ik ie T who d e t e rmin e d forthwith to carry out th e
.
,

instructions of th e A dmiralty and of Mr Laird . .

On the 1 2 th J uly th e littl e Pleia d cross e d th e bar at

the N u n m outh of th e N ig e r and anchor e d off A lb u rk a h ,

I sland where s h e was f o rc e d to r e main for th e next two

,

days whil e h er engin e s und e rwe nt r epair T h e asc e nt .

th en commenced but aft e r a few mil e s the Pleia d ran

,

aground on S unday I sland and was not afloat again until ,

the 1 7th a similar mishap o ccurr e d two days later show ,

ing th e importanc e of b eing provid e d with good pil o ts

e v e n in such a large riv e r The navigation now becam e .

easi e r and A b o was r e ach e d on th e 2 1 s t H e r e the e x

,
.

p e di t ion remain e d for thr ee days intervi ewed the chi e f , ,

mad e friends with th e p eople and finally aft e r l e aving , ,

a nativ e missi o nary (S imon J onas ) b ehind d eparted with ,

the good wish e s of all A w e e k lat e r th e y arriv e d at I ddah

.
,

the capital of th e I gara country where th e y were r e ,

c ei v e d in audi e nc e by th e A ttah who how ev e r did n o t , , ,

prove a v e ry satisfactory p e rs o n to d e al with tho u gh ,

he expr e ssed hims elf as d e sirous of o p ening trade with

white m en and anxi o us to h av e nativ e missionaries
,

e stablish e d in his country .

Up to this point nothing o f any gr e at importanc e had

o ccurred though it was satisfactory to find that th e
,

n atives of th e Low e r N ig e r still retain e d the good im

pression of E nglishm e n which th e y had o btain e d from
T h is d id n ot p ay e x p e n s es ,
b u t th e G o v e r n m e n t after w ar d s
in d emn ifi e d M r L air d , . O n th e gr o u n d th a t an in d iv id u al o u gh t n o t

to b ea r th e e x p e n se o fa n e x p lor in g v oy a ge c h ie fly or G o v e r n m e n t
f
O b j ec ts .
"

I i h m k b l e th a t , in m a n y o f t h e s e e a r ly N ig e r
T t s p e r a p s r e ar a

e x p e d itio n s th e co mm a n d e r s d e a th n ec e s s it a te d t h e w or k b ei g
’
n

c a rr ie d o u t b y th e n e x t s e n io r O u d n e y s e x p e d itio n w a s c o m p l e t e d
’

by C l a pp e r to n C l a pp e r to n s s e co n d e x
’

p e d itio n b y L a n d e r R ich a r d

t s b y B a ikie
’
s o n s b y B a r th ; B e e c r o f
’
.
 52 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A

continu e d h e r slow asc ent whil e th e O pportunity O f th e

,

fr e qu en t stoppage s was tak en advantag e of for p e tty

trading and to induce fri endly int e rcours e with th e n ativ e s
,

w h o crowd e d down to th e banks of the riv e r .

Th e sc e n e ry of th e B e nu e was found to b e far grand e r

than that o f th e Low e r N ige r rang e s of mountains takin g ,

t h e plac e of the ev e r present swampy flats o f th e D elta

-

“ ”
r egi o ns ; t h e n e ighbouring soil says B aiki e t eem e d , ,

with a diversifi e d v e g e tation and th e frequ ent r e curr e nc e

,

o f hill and dal e pl e as e d and gratifi e d the eye N or was .

animal life wanting for from our mast h e ad w e e nj oye d

,
-

th e nov e l S ight of a larg e h e rd of e l e phants upwards O f ,

a hundre d in numb e r crossing a littl e str e amlet not much

,

”
m o re than a mil e from us The gr e at b e ast in thos e
.
,

days appears to have b ee n fairly abundant and as

, , ,

an instance of th e amount of ivory in th e country it may ,

b e mention e d that th e Pleia cl purchas e d 6 2 0 lb in o n e .

day in th e n eighbourhood of Zhibu By th e e n d of S ep .

t e mb e r th e y had asc e nd e d two hundr e d m iles above D agbo ,

withou t encount e ring any r e sistance from th e n atives ,

and on th e 2 5th th e y paid a visit to th e S ultan of Ham

aruwa (Muri ) the first F ulah S tate which th ey had m e t
,

with Their r e c e ption was most cordial and th ey wer e

.
,

much st ruck by th e state of civilisation in which th e y

found th e Mohammedan inhabitants living N O reliabl e .

information could b e obtain e d of Dr Barth though .

,

s ev e ral nativ e m e rchants stat e d that th e y had h e ard of

a whit e trav ell e r as having be en at various plac e s in th e
n o rth so B aikie d e cid e d to e nd e avour to r e ach Y o la as
,

quickly as possibl e Th e wat e r now show e d si gns o f

.

falling and knowing that wh e n onc e it commenc e d th e

, , ,

fall would b e rapid and that thus the Pleia cl might not b e
,

a ble t o r e turn to th e conflu e nc e that y e ar it was d e e m e d ,

advisabl e to tak e h er no further up str e am but to pr o c e e d ,

in th e gig On this adv e n tur o us voyag e B aiki e was a c

.

c o mpani e d by only o n e E urop e an ( Mr May ) but having .

,

b e en led to b eli ev e that Y o la was only a few mil e s off h e ,

fully e xp e ct e d to b e abl e to r e ach that important town ,

if not to get as far as th e F ar o R iv e r b e fo r e b e ing forc e d ,

 T WO S U C CE SSF U L EX PE D I T I O N S .
53

to return to the Pleia el at Gurowa (th e port of H a m a r uw a ) .

Th e boat trav ell e d against the curren t with a ll th e sp ee d

that th e oars co u ld drive it but it was slow work and , ,

i t soon becam e evid e nt that it would b e impossibl e to

r e ach Yola Two imp or ta n t gn a tiv e village s w e re p ass ed
.
,

La u and Dj in at both of which t h e pagan inhabitants

,

w e re at first disinclined to b e fri endly and th e travell e rs ,

b egan to und e rstand that the nov e l sight of the st e am e r

h ad been accountabl e for the fri e ndship of th e trib e s on
the voyag e to Gurowa The gig was r e garded m e r ely
.

as a superior build of cano e and the E nglishm e n at a ,

.
,

distanc e b e ing easily mistaken for F ulahs— th e dr e ad e d

,

feo s o f all t h e pagans — th e villag e rs w e re e v e rywh e r e

prep ar e d to m e e t an attack F ortunately th e party .
,

was never forced to have r e course to arms but on r e ach ,

ing Dul ti on the third day the attitud e of the nativ e s ,

became so threat ening that the gig w as oblig e d to b e at

a hasty retreat b e ing pursued do wn strea m by a flotill a
,

of canoes .

This was proof e nough for B aikie that i t was us el e ss

attempting any further e xploration that year but as h e ,

added som e forty mil e s to the chart of th e riv e r it cannot ,

b e said that the voyage was in vain They r e turned with .

t h e current at a fair spe e d and when in sight of G urowa

, ,

were astonish e d to find that th e Pleia d had disapp e ar e d .

This was naturally a bitter disappointment and th e y ,

could only conj ectur e that the st e am e r had e ith e r l e ft to

o btain wood or b e cause the O f
, ficers imagined that th e riv e r
w a s falling The latt e r e v e ntually prov e d the r e ason
.
,

though as a matt e r of fact it was quit e an unnec e ssary

precaution for the wat e r was actually at the tim e rising
,
.

S till th e r e was nothing t o b e don e but to row o n down th e

riv e r and ov e rtak e the st e am e r ; the K rum e n s e t to w o rk
with a will and pull e d e ighty mil e s on th e first day finally ,

coming on th e P leia d about noon on th e s e cond d a y ,

high and dry on a sand b ank where s h e had b ee n fo r

-

forty eight hours

-
.

The voyag e back t o th e sea was without mishap and

d e void of any startling incident th e e xp e diti o n r e aching ,
54 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

F e rnando Po on the 7 th N o v ember and E ngland in the

,

f o llowing F e bruary R e vi e wing its proc e e dings

. after
a lapse o f n e arly fifty y e ars one is rath e r inclined to
,

und e r e stimat e its r e sults

-
N owadays such a voyag e
.

would b e c o nsid e r e d almost as a pl e asur e trip ; in 1 8 55

it was r e gard e d as on e of th e m o st r e markabl e pi e c e s o f
'

e xploration o f th e a e Le t us h o w e v e r sum up what

g .
, ,

B aiki e did I n th e first plac e h e did what no on e b e f o r e

.
,

him had succ e ed e d in d o ing spending four months in N ige r

,

r e gions without th e loss of a singl e m emb e r of his e xp e di

tion s e c o ndly h e e xplor e d and compil e d a chart of m o r e
,

than 2 50 mil e s of a n e w riv e r ; thirdly h e nev e r fir e d a ,

shot at a n ativ e fourthly h e was instrum e ntal in op ening

,

up an e ntir e ly n ew c o untry to trad e ; and lastly h e gav e ,

to th e world a vast stor e of inform ation on such subj e cts

as e thn ol o gy philol o gy and natural history ; whil e with
, , ,

th e aid o f Mr Crowth e r and his staff h e e stablish e d mis

.
,

s ion a r y stations among th e pagans th e r eby laying th e

,

foundations of a n ew form o f civilisati o n S uch w e r e .

som e of th e results O f th e e xpediti o n of 1 8 54 and though , ,

it did not succ ee d in j oining hands with Barth its labours , ,

as w e shall s e e ev entually bor e good fruit

,
.
 C H A PT E R V .

TR A D I NG VE NT U R E S .

T h e O p e n in g N ige r t o T r a d e — T h e E x p e d itio n o f 1 8 57
up o f t h e

M a c gr e go r L a ir d — T h e C e n tra l A fric a n C o m p a ny , Lim ite d

L a ir d s H o p es fo r N iger T r a d e — L a ir d s D e a th —B a ik ie a n d
’ ’

G l over—T h e C o mp a ny Of A fric a n M erc h a n ts .

S an instanc e of th e rapid d e v e l o pm en t of a new land ,

ther e is p e rhaps nothin g m o r e int e r e sting in the com

m erc ia l history of E ngland than the opening up of
the N iger R iv e r to trad e F ifty ye ars ago th e r e was n o t
.

a S ingl e store sh e d north o f th e D elta ; to day the banks

- -

of th e main riv e r and its branch e s to a distanc e of nin e ,

hundred miles from th e sea a re lin e d with British trading

,

stations How all this has b ee n brought about re quires

.

a little explan ation .

I n th e last chapter w e m e ntion e d that th e Pleia cl had

been e quipp e d by Mr Macgr e gor Laird partly for trading
.

purpos e s and so pl e as e d was this ind e fatigabl e g e ntl e

,

man with the results of his e nt e rpris e that h enc e forth

h e labour e d h e art and soul to d e v e l o p th e trad e with this
r e gion British m e rchants w e r e apath e tic in the matt e r
.
,

and although a m e morial was pr e s e nt e d to th e Gov e rn

,

ment it was two y e ars b e for e anything was don e a n d then

, , ,

but for the en e rgies of c e rtain philanthropists the Govern ,

men t would hav e r e fus e d to supp o rt any undertaking

connect e d w ith th e N ig e r E v e r sinc e th e disastrous
.

muddle of 1 8 41 Minist e rs dr e ad e d th e very mention of

,

its name and aft e r th e successful voyage of th e Pleia d

, , ,

their hands w e r e su f fi ci e ntly full with f o re ign affairs in

th e E ast The Crim e an W a r and th e troubles in I ndia
.

gave the m pl e nty to think about without e mbarking on

what th e y c onsid e r e d a chim e rical e nt e rpris e in West
A frica B ut each r e buff only spurr e d Laird on to greater
.
56 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

e xertion and in 1 8 56 th e Gov e rnment began to listen

, , ,

to his vi ews which w e r e s e t f o rth in a seri e s of volu

,

minous d e spatch e s F inally th e A dmiralty entered into a

.
,

Contract with him ( for fiv e ye ars from the 1 s t J anuary ,

1 8 57 ) by which h e bound hims e lf to plac e and k e ep on

t h e N ig e r R iv e r a fully found iron st e am e r to conv e y up ,

and down the riv e r and to and fro m F e rnando PO any , ,

passenger s whom the Gov e rnm e nt might nam e h e to receive ,

in return an annual subsidy which was to commence at

and was to b e r e duc e d by £500 p er annum after
wards This was a st e p in the right dir e ction and m or e
.
,

over showed that th e Gov e rnm e nt was anxious to open

up the N iger ; still th e subsidy was far fro m suffi cient ,

to enable Laird to carry out his gr e at scheme though ,

h e did not hesitat e to c o mmenc e ful filling the t e rm s of

his contract H e det e rmin e d that come what m ight
.
, ,

his n ew v e nture should hav e e very chanc e of success ,

and accordingly e arly in 1 8 57 h e d e spatched the Da y

, ,

s pr in g from E ngland with a full cargo of m e rchandise ,

and instructions for carrying out his n ew plans A fter .

car e ful consideration h e had c o m e to the conclusion that ,

in ord e r to d e v elop trad e with the nativ e s on the riv e r

b anks it was nec e ssary to h av e fix e d trading stations
,

e stablish e d on shor e and well stocked with the r e quire

,

m ents of the p e ople whil e th e st e amers should m ain ,

tain frequent intercours e b e tween these factori e s and

t h e sea .

The command of this n ew e xp e dition was entrusted

to Dr B aikie whom th e Governm ent had appoint e d Con
.
,

sular A ge nt at Lokoj a while Li e ut en ant (aft e rwards S ir ,

J ohn ) Glov e r R N and th e R ev S amu el Crowth e r w e r e

,
. .
,
.

d espatch e d as cartograph e r and missionary r e sp e ctiv ely .

T h e D a ysgbr ing with a sailing v e ss el in tow e nt e r e d the

, ,
’
N ig e r in J uly 1 8 57 and proc e e d e d t o carry out L aird s
, ,

instructions Thr e e trading st a ti o ns w e r e e stablish e d

.
,

vi z. at A b o Laird s port (Onitsha ) and at Laird s Town

,
’
,
’

( G b e b e a littl
,
e b e low t h e con fl u e nc e ) after which the ,

st e amer e nd e avour e d to O p e n up th e trad e of th e Middl e

N iger . I n doing this how e v e r a catastroph e occurred , ,
 TR A D I NG VE N T UR E S .
57

the Da yspring was wreck e d on a rock * near J ebba abov e ,

R abb a (two hundr e d m iles from the conflu enc e ) and ,

had to be abandon e d e ntailing a loss to Mr Laird not

, .

only of the vess e l itself but also of the v al uabl e cargo

,

of S h e a butt e r which she had on board Th e unfortunat e

-
.

crew remained on shor e at J e bb a for a ye a r T during ,

which time Glover and a small party visit e d Boussa and

m ad e the overland j ourney to La gos fp
I t was impossible now for Laird to withdraw from
the N iger ; h e had to carry out his contract with th e
A d m iralty as regards st e am e rs and he had to look aft e r ,

the factori e s which he had e stablished (at a cost of som e

on shore cons e qu e ntly in th e following y e ar
, , ,

he e quipp e d two new steam e rs to proceed to

the N iger These We r e th e S u n bea m and the R a in bow
.
,

the form e r r e aching the riv e r on the 3 oth J une 1 8 58 , ,

and th e latt e r in S eptember of the sam e y e ar T h e S u n .

bea m discharged her cargo at the thr ee factories and ,

th e n w e nt on to R abb a for the r eli e f of the crew of the

D a g/s pring who had transfe rr e d th e mselves thith e r from
,

J ebb a These wer e brought down to th e confluenc e ;

.

t h e S u n bea m load e d up with produc e collect e d at th e

factories and arrived in E ngland In F ebruary 1 8 59
, , ,

while the R a in bow remained on the river for th e purpos e

of carrying out the contract with th e A dmiralty T h e .

resul ts so far had prov e d anything but satisfactory ; th e

valu e of the produce brought down had amount e d to bar e ly
the D a ysgbr ing had become a total wr e ck and a ,

furth e r loss of was incurr e d by the destru ction

’
by fire of the factory at Laird s Port .

Laird had alr e ady become aware that the capital

which h e could afford to put into th e business was
not su ffici e nt for its certain and rapid d e velopm en t ;
h e, th e refore set about th e formation of a j oint stock
,
-

N ow k n ow n to th e n a tiv e s as th e Ju ju
-
r oc k .
"

T Th e s a ilin g v e s s el r e tu r n ed to E n gla n d with a fu ll c a r go v a lu ed

at

1 A n a tiv e ser va n t s a c c o u n t o f t his a n d

’
of su b se qu en t ev e n t s

wil l be f
o u n d in 55 U p th e N iger , “ A pp e n d ix I .
(C )
58 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

company and in May 1 8 58 h e issu e d a prospectus o f

, , ,

”
th e Cen tral A frican Company Limit e d with a capital , ,

of in £ 1 0 shar e s The public was in .

v it e d to subscrib e Laird agr e e ing to transfe r to th e

,

Comp any from th e I s t J uly 1 8 58 for th e sum of

, , ,

all his int e r e sts in th e N ig e r and to r e s e rv e th e manag e

,

m e nt in his own hands This was not howev e r a tim e

.
, ,

wh e n j oint stock compani e s w e r e in favour and only

-
,

e ighty one -
shar e s w e r e taken up T h e accoun ts k e p t .

by Laird b e tw ee n hims elf and th e propos e d company ,

balanc e d up to th e 3 r s t March 1 8 59 show e d a d eficit , ,

o f som e which it will b e thought should hav e

, ,

b ee n suffi ci e nt to d e t e r an ordinary man of busin e ss from

attempting to c o ntinue what look e d like throwing go o d
mon e y after b ad But th e r e ad e r w ill hav e alr e ady dis
.

cov e red for hims elf that Macgr e gor Laird was no ordinary
man and it was his firm conviction that it r e quir e d only
,

tim e and capital to mak e th e N ige r trad e a highly re

m un era tiv e o n e . He mor e ov e r main tained that th e
, ,

p e cuniary loss was more than mad e up for by th e r e sults

which in his r eport to th e shar ehold ers h e e num e rat e d
, ,

as foll ows : T h e wr e ck of th e D a yspring was th e im

m e diat e caus e o i th e e stablishm ent of th e ov e rland rout e
from R abb a to Lagos and th e r e sid enc e for a ye ar of
,

the cr e w am o ng the nativ e s show e d that th e y w e r e

fri endly to E ur op e an trad e rs ; th e establishm ent o f
factories on shore had produc e d the ben e fits of l egitimat e
trade and th e O p ening o f mission stations with scho o ls
,

and chapels ; while the voyag e of th e S u n bea m to R abb a

prov e d that th e river was navigabl e for a v e ss e l of 3 90 ,

tons and drawing n in e feet of wat e r for a distance o f ,

5 00 mil e s from t h e sea .

I n 1 8 59 Laird having fail e d to form a company con

, ,

tinn e d his proj e ct singl e hand e d d e spatching th e S u n

-
,

bea m on h e r s e cond v oyage with cargo which ul timat ely ,

r e alis e d A t the mom ent howev e r wh e n matt e rs , ,

w e r e thus commencing to show an improv e ment an ,

un exp e cted int e rruption occurr e d T h e natives of th e .

’
Delta looked on th e trading st e amers visits as an -
60 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

he would no doubt have surmount e d ev e ry difficulty

, ,

and tak e n a for e m ost plac e on the roll of the m akers of

the British E mpire This is no fulsome panegyric for
.
,

th e outcom e of L aird s lab ours can b e s ee n to day in th e

’
-

commercial prosperity of th e s e r egions .

To r e turn to ev e nts on th e N ig e r : the fact of the

S u n bea m being d e lay e d in 1 86 0 in th e D e lta although
, , , ,

as Laird thought a fortunat e circumstanc e was disas

, ,

trous to the factori e s high e r up but of this h e n e ver kn e w, .

A s the time for th e st e am e r s visit pass e d th e natives

’
,

at A b o gr e w insolent ; and wh e n it b e came c e rtain that

they would not arrive the factory was plundere d To, .

this must b e added a further misfortun e : th e R a in bow

brok e down early in the y e ar and became us el e ss thus , ,

cutting O ff all communication b e tw ee n th e di ff e r e nt fac

tories British comm e rc e with the N iger was for th e time
.
,
’
being at an e n d and it b e came th e duty of Laird s e x e cutors
, ,

to r e alise his estat e by closing his factori e s and with

drawing all his property from the riv e r I n J uly 1 8 6 1 .
, ,

t h e A dmiralty ordered a gunb o at to accompany the S u n

bea m o n h er final visit to the factori e s but o wing to a , ,

mistake on the part of th e commodore a vess el of too ,

de e p a draught to be of much s e rvic e was despatch e d .

Th e gunboat how ever d e stroyed the villages whose

, , ,

inhabitants had taken part in the attack on the st e am e rs

in 1 8 59 and th e n proc e eded to assist in dismantling t h e
,

factori e s * which was e ffe cted withou t furth e r disturb

,

anc e and with th e result that the S u n bea m returned to

,

E ngland in th e S pring of 1 8 6 2 with worth of produce .

’
Thus ended for a while E nglan d s mercantile connection
with the N iger .

I t may be interesting h e re to give some particulars

conc e rn ing the grounds on which Mr Laird based his .

c alculations for making a profit o u t o f N ig e r trad e H e .

,

of cours e hop e d e v e ntually to discov e r new products

, ,

but for the first few years h e was content to r ely on such
staple products as palm oil S h e a butter and ivory and
-
,
-

, ,

T b e fa c to ry a t O nits h a w as o n th e p oin t o f b e ing p l u n d er e d

b y t h e n a t ive s wh e n th e gu n b o a t a rr iv e d o n th e sp o t
 TR A DI NG VE N T UR E S .
. 61

he knew that the furth e r from the coast h e was able to

trade the ch e ap e r h e could buy thes e commoditi e s from
t h e n ativ e s ; thus wh e r e as in the D elta a punch e on of
, ,

oil f e tch e d four a n d a half tons of salt at th e conflu e nc e ,

it could b e obtain ed for four fifth s of a ton and th e sam e

-

thing applied to e v e ry other articl e o f commerce th e ,

main poin t being the matt e r o f transport .

Of the products of th e futur e Laird r e garded cotton ,

as that lik e ly to prove of most value knowing that it ,

was extensiv ely cultivat e d in th e countri e s north of the

conflu e nc e and fully awar e of th e e normous c on su m p
,
.

tion of this articl e in E ngland ; in this how e v e r h e was , ,

mistak e n for th e country only grows su ffici e nt t o supply

,

its o wn wants and cotton has n e v e r as yet becom e an articl e

,

of e xport from the N ige r though it is not by any m e ans

,

c e rtain that in this as in his oth e r id e as he may no t

, ,

e ventually prov e to hav e shown his foresight for with ,

a m ore s e ttled state of affairs in N orthern N ig e ri a it is

probabl e that th e cotton producing area will e xtend
-

e normously Kano is a gre at cotton m arket a n d buys

.
,

up all th e produce of the n e ighb ouring countries ; mor e

ov e r th e nativ e s a re accomplished w e avers th e ir cotton
, ,

stu ffs being greatly pr e ferred to and fe tching a high e r ,

price than any of our Manchest e r goods import e d into

th e country This fact was either overlook e d by Laird
.
,

or els e h e im agined that th e n atives woul d pr e f e r im

port e d cotton stu ffs Doubtl e ss h e was attract e d by
.

the prosp e ct of a vast trad e in cotton from what h e had

l e arn e d of the succ e ss in this direction of a Manch e st e r
m e rch an t carrying on O p e rations in the n e ighbourhood
of Lagos (A beokuta ) This m e rch a nt (Mr T h om as Clegg )
. .
‘

had provided him with statistics sh o wing th e rapid growth

of his trade with W e st A frica and it app e ared that in 1 8 51
,

( wh e n h e commenced ) he i m ported only 2 8 5 lb of cotton .

1 8 52,
1 4 bales ; 1 8 53 37 b ales ;
,
and so on until 1 8 59 ,

wh e n his importations reach e d b al e s— a b al e w e igh

ing b e tw ee n 1 00 and 1 2 0 lb But th e cotton country
.

which Laird hoped to tap d iffe red from that surrounding

A b e okuta ,
in that th e former is inhabit e d principally
6 2 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A

by Mohamm e dans w e aring much clothing wh e r e as th e ,

n ativ e s of the more south e rn parts a r e (or w e re forty o r

fifty y e ars ago ) all pagans with few r e quir e m ents in th e
,

matt e r of dr e ss Th e failure to obtain cotton in any

.

q uantity would not how e v e r hav e alt e r e d his V i ews as

, ,

to th e valu e of trad e with th e N ig e r ; th e r e was always

a c e rtainty of palm oil and k e rn els and th e re we r e many ,

o th e r minor pr o ducts worth e xporting whil e th e r e w e r e ,

g at hop e s O f discov e ring the l e ss valuabl e min e rals

r e .

A ll this L aird had thought out and th e w o rld knows ,

n ow that h e was right in most of his calculati o ns .

By th e closing of th e factori e s and th e term inati o n o f

’
the contract with th e A dmiralty resulting from Laird s
d e ath N ig e r trad e was thrown b ack s e v e ral y e ars though
, ,

in th e int e rval which e laps e d b e for e British m e rchants

again tu rn e d th eir att e ntion to th e river much was b e ing ,

don e by Dr Baiki e (who still re m ain e d at th e c on fl u

.

e nc e as Consular A gent
) and by th e missionari e s wh o
, ,

had obtain e d a firm fo o ting in th e country n e ar th e old

factori e s an d who c o ntinu e d to carry on their labours
,

after th e traders had r e tire d B a ik ie s h ead quart ers

.
’
-

had originally b e en at th e fact o ry at G b eb e a littl e b elow ,

the conflu enc e and on the O pposit e bank o f th e rive r to

t h e sit e of th e model farm of 1 8 4 1 ; from G b eb e h e re
mov e d t o Od a k u d u a littl e high e r up and th e n in 1 86 0
, , , ,

h e cross e d ov e r t o the sit e of the mod e l farm wh e r e h e

!

found e d the town o f Lokoj a H e r e with Glov e r he

.
, ,

establish e d a small s e ttlem ent principally of ransom e d

,

slav e s and b eing on th e b e st of t e rms with Masaba E mir

, , ,

of N up e and th e surr o unding pagan chi e fs h e gradually

, ,

induc e d the nativ e s to cultivat e th e country round th e

town and to s e ttl e down to p e ac e ful pursuits whil e by , ,

l e arning th e Hausa languag e and e ncouraging th e Hau s a

t rad e rs t o fr e qu ent Lokoj a b e rapidly incr e as e d t h e pros
,

p e r ity o f t h e plac e T h e p e tty

. kingdom was a mod el

o f good gov e rnm ent and B a ik ie s in fl u e nc e was f elt far

’
-

,
i

a nd wi d e throughout th e c o untry so much so that th e ,

”
n ativ e s sp o k e of him as th e King of Lokoj a and th e r e ,

is littl e doub t that th e pres e nce of this little British

 TR A DI NG VE N T UR E S . 63

c olony in the h e art O f A frica did more for the civilisation

o f th e n e gro and for the maint e n ance of British pr e stig e

than it is possibl e to imagin e .

B o th B aikie and Glov e r w e n ee d hardly say w e r e , ,

e xc e ptional men and though their work was confin e d to

,

a very small ar e a th e y did much to smooth th e way,

for th e British trad e rs who a littl e later came into th e , ,

country Glov e r liv e d to p e rform furth e r s e rvic e for his

.

*
c ountry but Baiki e worn out by th e strain on his con
, ,

s titu tion died on th e passag e to E ngland from th e N ig e r

,

in 1 86 4 Th e life that th e s e m en w e r e forced to liv e at

.

Lokoj a is an instanc e o f pluck and enduranc e in E nglish

m en such as is s eld o m met with Wh e n th e contract .

st e am e rs ceas e d to run th e y w e r e e ntire ly cut off from

th e world ; th e nearest British s e ttl em e nt was L agos ,

t h e ov e rland j ourn e y to which took at l e ast a fortnight ,

a nd was b e set with difficulties Th eir sol e sourc e o f .

pl e asur e was th e occasional visit of British m en o i war - -

,

but thes e could only navigat e th e river at c e rtain s e asons

of th e y e ar and the two E nglishm e n had fr e qu e ntly to
,

subsist on nativ e di e t Th e arriv a l of a man o fwar .

- -
,

a n d lat e r on O f a trading steamer was th e occasion for ,

much r e j oicing and a handsom e r ewar d was always

,

Of fe r e d to th e first nativ e who brought n ews to the is o

’
l at e d littl e consulate of the sight of a st e amer s smok e .

O ne is apt nowaday s to imagin e that th e British

G overnm e nt after th e e xp e dition of 1 8 4 1 withdrew alto
, ,

g e th e r from supporting the O p en ing up of th e N iger ;

t his how e v e r is not th e cas e for as w e hav e shown th e
, , , , ,

Gov e rnm e n t contribu t e d towards t h e 1 8 54 e xp e dition ,

s ubsidis e d a lin e of steam e rs in 1 8 57 an d maintain e d ,

Consular A g ents at Lokoj a until I 8 6 S T patrolling th e ,

H e w a s G o v er n o r o f La gos gr ea tly d is tin gu ish e d h im s el fin

t h e A sh a n ti W a r , 1 8 7 3 —4 G o v er n o r o f N e w fo u n d l a n d G o v er n o r
“
o f th e L ee wa r d I s la n d s . H e d ie d in 1 8 8 5, a ged 55 . G ol ob a r ,
”
F a th e r o f th e H a u s a sold ie r s , is s till r e m e m b er e d b y th e Yo r u b a s .

Vid e Life o fS ir J oh n H a wl ey G lo v er , R N . .
,
b y La d y
G lo v e r . Lon d on , 1 8 97 .

T Dr . B aikie w as s u c c ee d e d b y Lie u te n a n t B ou r ch ie r , R N . .
,
64 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

river at in te rvals with gunboats This it must be a d .

,

m itte d was much for th e Gov e rnm e nt to do from dis

,

int e r e st e d motiv es for thirty or forty ye a rs ago th e

, , ,

id e a of ann e xation and scrambling for A frican t e rrit o ry

had not ent e r e d the h e ads o f E urop e an politicians T h e .

d esir e to stamp out slav e ry probably had a good d e al

mor e to do with th e assistanc e grant e d by Gov e rnmen t
than th e d e sire to d e v elop th e countr y for the British
trader for wh e n it b e cam e doubtful if much good was
,

r e sulting to th e anti slav e ry caus e from a Consular age ncy

-

at Lokoj a th e Consuls w e re withdr a wn for e v e r and no

, ,

furth e r subsidy was grant e d .

The maint e nanc e o f this British consulat e in the

c e ntre o f A frica had confe rr e d immens e ben e fits on the
n ativ e s of the N ig e r who had b e gun to look on E nglish ,

men as th e ir sup e riors in e v e ry r e sp e ct ; ev e n the MO

h a mm e d a ns wh o s e cr ee d forced th e m to regard Christians
,

as Ka ffirs or unb eli e v e rs w e re gre atly impr e ss e d ,

by th e good work don e by the whit e m en and th e visit ,

o f H M S I n vestiga tor and R a ttles n a ke to Lokoj a in 1 8 6 3

. . .

was th e means of establishing a lasting fri endship b e

tw ee n E I nir Masaba of N up e and Gr e at Britain Th e .

principal obj ect of th e d e spatch of th e s e vess els to the

riv e r was to tak e suppli e s to Dr Baiki e but a s e condary .
,

obj ect was th e conclusion of tr e ati e s of friendship with

*
various chi e fs A t the pres e nt d a y th e s e tr e aties may s e em
.

o f som e considerabl e importanc e so it will b e well to say ,

s o mething about them though the id e a that th e y w e r e ,

o f any politica l value must not be ent e rtain e d The first .

a fter wh o m th e p r in c ip al C o n s u ls a n d Vice C o n s uls a t L o k o j a w e r e -

T V R o b in s Pa y m a s ter M a xwe ll W F e ll J E d w ar d s a n d Ly o n s
. .
, ,
.
,
.
,

M c L eo d O f w h o m M es s r s M a xw ell a n d F e ll a r e b u r ie d a t Lo k o j a
,
. .

F r o m 1 8 6 8 ( wh e n t h e l a s t c o n s u l w a s w ith d ra w n fr o m L o k o j a ) u n til

1 8 8 4 t h e B r itis h G o v er n m e n t d id n o t a t t e m p t t o e x e r c is e o r t o la y

th e f o u n d a tio n s fo r e x e r c is in g a n y politica l in fl u e n c e w h a t e v e r in

N ige r ia .

C o rr e s p o n d en c e on th e S u b j ec t ofan A p p l ic a tio n fr o m th e
C o m p a ny of ric a n M e r c h a n ts
Af ( Lim ite d ) fo r a S u b s id y to w a rd s
E s ta b l is h in g S tea m er s on th e R iv e r N ige r . O r d er e d by th e
H o u se o fC o mm o n s to b e p r in t ed , 2 3 rd J une ,
1 8 64 .
 OF THE

U N IVE R S I T Y
I rO R N\
66 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

capital and it was therefor e n e c e ssary to follow in th e

,

footst e ps of Laird and end e avour to form a j oint stock

company assist e d by Gov e rnm e nt
, Th e first propos e d .

company was Th e R iv e r N ig e r N avigati o n and Trading

”
Company with a capital of ,
in £5 shar e s .

“ ”*
Th e n follow e d th e Company of A frican M e rchants
(with a capital of of w hich was sub
scrib e d by th e found e rs ) who in 1 86 4 addr e ss e d Lord , , ,

Palmerston on th e subj e ct of obtaining a subsidy from

th e Gov e rnm ent T h e corre spond enc e r elating to the
.

subsidy was published as a Parliam entary pap e r and ,

throws a c e rtain amount of light on th e j e alousi e s which

e v e n th e n w e r e shown by th e Coast m e rchants towards

th e e stablishm e n t o f a n e w trading company The Com .

pany applied fOr a subsidy such as was grant e d to Mr .

L aird and b acked up its application by a stat e m e nt of th e

,

goo d r e sults which w e r e lik ely to accru e from e stablish

ing r egular st e am communication on th e N ig e r Mor e .

ov e r the A frican A id S ociety e x e rted its elf to impress

,

on th e Gov e rnm ent th e n ec e s s itv o f maintaining com

m er c ia l r e lations with th e nativ e s of th e riv e r The .

Lords of th e Tr e asury how e v e r r e fus e d to e nt e rtain th e

, ,

application affirming that too much public mon e y had

,

alr e ady b e en e xpend e d on this O bj e ct This r e fusal was .

m e t by a second application from th e Company w hos e ,

chairman concluded his l e tt e r in th e following words ;

I f th e hop e s s o r e p e at e dly h eld out to th e nativ e s b e
, ,

not shortly r e alised by th e p e rmanent British m e rcan

til e occupation o f th e country th e N ig e r districts will ,

eith e r fall into the hands of som e other nation or a d e eper ,

gloom than e v e r will cl o s e ov e r C entral A frica On .

this Lord J ohn R uss ell in spit e of num e rous memorials

, ,

from individual trading fi rms d e cid e d to rec o mm end th e ,

grant of a subsidy to th e Company .

This qu esti o n of a subsidy is som ewhat int eresting ,

The o ll o win g
f w er e a p p o in te d dire c t o r s Of th e C o m p a ny
W illia m D en t, E sq .
,
A r c h ib a ld H a m il to n E s q,
.
,
C a s te lla in , E s q ,
A . .

L . G r u n in g , E s q , L La n gw o r th y , E s q , R
. . . : R u m n ey , E s q ; , a n d

J . A s p in a ll T o b in , E s q (M a n a gin g D ire c tor )

. .
 TR A D I NG VE N T UR E S a 67

especially wh en w e glanc e at th e pros and cons put for

ward by the various parties concerned The Comp any .

of A frican Merchants bas e d th e ir app e al chiefly

on philanthropic grounds : To afford th e advantages of
l e gitimate comm e rc e to the n ativ e s th e reby striking a ,

blow at th e S lav e trade at its sourc e in th e se r egions ,

and to afford facilities for missionary enterprise in Central

A frica such as hav e n e v e r b e fore e xist e d
, whil e to ,

S how that they did not desir e to misappropriat e th e sub

sidy th ey off e r e d to k ee p s e parat e accounts of the trading

,

O perations and to r e imburse th e subsidy with inter e st

,

S hould th e trad e profits e xce e d six p er c e nt T h e ob j ec .

tion on th e part of th e G o v e rnm e nt was that to subsidise

o n e p articular company would t e nd to cr e at e a monopoly
to the e xclusion of oth e r British m e rchants who might
d e sir e to tak e advantag e of what Gov e rnment had alr e ady
don e and trad e in th e N ig e r ; but this O bj e ction e v e n ,

aft e r consid e ring th e m e morials o f th e W e st Coast mer

chants Lord J ohn R uss e ll modifi e d giving it as his o pinion
, ,

that the int e r e sts of a few privat e individuals ought

to giv e way to the public good T h e principal opposers .

o f th e subsidy w e r e th e A nglo A frican C o mpany *

th e -
,

A frican M e rchants of B rist ol T and th e M e rchants of ,

London i and Liv e rpool § trading to th e W e st Coast of ,

’
A frica all of whom pr e sent e d m e morials to H er Maj e sty s
,

Gov e rnm ent e xpr e ssing th e ir ,

surpris e and alarm
at the id e a of a c o mpany b e ing subsidis e d to the d e tri
ment o f privat e traders R e ading betwe e n th e lin e s .
,

it is v e ry evid e nt that this virtuous indignation was

no thing more nor l e ss than j e alousy and e v e n to most ,

—
r e c e nt tim e s history has b ee n r e p e ating itself as witn e ss
C h a irm a n , S I s a a c ; S ecr e ta ry , H C A l d is
. . . .

T M essr s . R . W King , L u c a s , G u r ger , F B u r for d , T

. . . R e d wa y ,
P . E . V Cla r k e , T
. . W o od ,
G . C ol e .

1: M es sr s F o r s te r
. an d S m ith , B a n n er B r o th e r s <5! Co .
,
W . G r if
fi th ,
W . A . Pa r k er <8 C o .
,
W W. . B lo b it t , T M o r ga n <8 S on s , F o r d , F e nn ,
.
»

S wa n G Co .

T h om a s H a rr is o n 6 »
Co .
,
H a t to n <8 » Coo k so n , T y so n , R ic h
m on d a nd J on es ,
G r a n t , M ur d oc k <5» Co .
,
D a v id C la r k , A l fr ed

A sp in a ll , Ch as : H or sf
a ll <5» S o n s , S tu a r t 6 »
D o u gla s , C .
J . C o r nis h .
 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A
'

68 .

the outcry of A frican merchants wh en a chart e r was

grant e d to th e R oyal N ig e r Company .

Th e Company of A frican M e rchants never com

m en c e d operati o ns as such but by 1 8 6 5 a desultory form
,

of trad e had b ee n started in which th e Old coast m er

,

chants e nd e avoured to tak e th e opportunity of e xtend

ing th e ir businesses inland by d e spatching small st e am e rs
,

up th e N ig e r with goods lik ely to attract the n atives .

Th e s e r e main e d in the riv e r until their cargo e s w e re b a r l

t er e d for ivory and such oth e r commoditi e s as had a sal e

abl e valu e in E ngland T h e comp e tition among the
.

various British trad e rs soon b e cam e tr e m e ndous e ach ,

att e mpting to outbid his f ellow until th e nativ e s w e r e ,

compl e t e mast e rs of th e situation Th e y got an e rr on e .

ous id e a of th e valu e o f th e ir products and e v entually ,

refus e d to d e al for anything but spirits and guns s o that ,

it se em e d as if the O pening up of the country t o trad e was

lik ely to prove anything but an advantage to th e civilisa
”
tion of th e p eo ple I f this e rron e ous policy is pursu e d ,

wrot e Mc Q u een ,
th e n to th e latest p e riod of tim e th e
c entral and so uth e rn parts of that vast contin e nt a r e
doom e d to r e main in th e sam e d eplorabl e stat e of ign or
an c e,
d egradation and mis e ry which has b een their l o t
,

”
during th e laps e of thr e e hundr e d y e ars .

This d e adlock continu e d for som e tim e and it is v e ry ,

d o ubtful if th e s e ind ep end ent trading conc e rns — m er e

roving v ntur e s as t he y w r
e e e — w e r e a b en efit e ith e r to
th e nativ e s or to t h e e v entual d ev elopm ent of comm e rc e .

Th eir s ol e obj e ct was to mak e mon ey and they sold arms ,

a n d ammuniti o n fr e ely thus giving th e p e opl e th e m e ans

,

for carrying o n th e ir int e rminabl e tribal wars I t was .

not long h ow ev e r b e for e a b e tt e r class of trading ent e r

, ,

pris e was initiat e d and among th e first important firms

,

may b e m e ntion e d th e W e st A frican Compan y (of Man

ch e st e r ) A l exand e r Mill e r Br o s
, Mr J am e s Pinnock
, .
,

and th e C e ntral A frican Company o f Lo nd o n Th e s e .

firms soon cam e to th e c o nclusi o n that th ey w e r e cutting

’
e ach oth e r s thro ats and s o in 1 8 79 th e y d ecid e d t o
, , ,

a m algamat e Th e Unit e d A frica Company as th e y

.
,
 TR A D I NG VE N T U R E S . 69

call ed th e ms elv e s sp e edily alt e r e d the ton e of affairs ;

,

trading stations w e r e e r e ct e d on land and busin e ss com ,

m en c ed in e arn e st T h e prim e mov e r in a ll this was

.

Mr Goldi e Taubman (now S ir Georg e Taubman G o ldi e )

.
*
,

w h o first visited the N ig e r in 1 8 77 Mr G o ldie Taubman . .

was much int e rested in A frican e xplorati o n and having , ,

alr e ady trav ell e d in th e Upp e r N il e r egi o ns d e cided to ,

att e mp t to asc e nd th e B en u é riv e r and strik e across th e

contin e nt to th e v al l e y of th e Upper N il e F or this pur .

p o se h e ord e r e d a st e am launch (th e B en u é 90 f e e t in ,

l e ngth ) to b e built by Yarrow and s e nt o u t in pi e c e s and , ,

in comp any with his broth e r— Captain Goldi e Taubman ,

6 3 rd R e gim e nt— h e start e d for th e N ig e r H e r e th e .

launch was put tog e th e r in a dry d o ck cut in th e bank

o f th e riv e r but owing to th e s e ri o us illn e ss of Captain
,

Goldi e Taubman th e pr o j e ct of crossing A frica had to

,

b e ab andon e d .

I t was at this tim e that Mr Goldi e Taubman (who had .

some slight int e rest in th e C e ntral A frican Company )

b e cam e impr e ss e d with th e valu e of th e N ig e r r e gions
to Gr e at Britain but h e at onc e saw that no h e adway
,

was lik ely to b e mad e unl e ss radical reforms w e r e intro

d u c e d and comp e tition among th e B ritish trad e rs put
an end to To him th e r e fore was mainly d u e th e am al
.
, ,

g a m a t io n of t h e various firms and as w e ,

shall s ee wh e n
,

discussing th e great company of which h e aft e rwards

b e cam e Gov e rnor his for e sight and vast abiliti e s w e r e
,

instrum e ntal in adding to th e British poss e ssions in A frica

an e xt e nsiv e and valuabl e tract of country But th e .

N ational A frican Comp any ( form e rly th e Unit e d A frica

Company ) pow e rful as it had b e come by 1 8 8 2 had n o
, ,

pow e r t o monopolis e th e N ig e r and i t was not l o ng b e fore

,

the F r e nch e v e r j e alous of British succ e ss turn e d th ei:

, ,

attentions to this quart e r o f A frica e stablish ing on th e ,

Low e r N ig e r two comm e rcial ass o ciations v iz th e Com ,

.

p ga n ie F ran c ais e d e l A fr iqu e E q u

’
a t or ia le T and t h e

Compagni e d u S e negal e t de la COte O ccid e ntal e d A friqu e T :

’
.

F or m er ly an Of
fi c er in th e R oy a l E n gin e er s .

T C a p ita l , T C a p ita l ,
,
 70 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A :

This phase in N iger history is a very important o ne ,

for ther e can be littl e doubt that th e s e F r e nch firms w e re

more or less S tate aid e d and Gamb e tta was known to
-

b e s e cretly e ncouraging an e nt e rpris e wh ich might r e sult

in F ranc e adding to her Colonial E mpir e th e lower por
tion of th e riv e r as sh e had alre ady don e th e upp e r por
,

*
tion .F o rtunat ely for Gr e at Britain the matt e r nev e r
b e cam e a question for international discussion ; oth e r
w is e in all probability our Contin e ntal n e ighbours would
.
,

now b e in compl e t e poss e ssion of B ritish N ig e ria T h e .

N ational A frican Company having discov e r e d that th e ,

foreign int e rlop e rs could b e b o ught out at o nc e d e cid e d ,

to rais e th e n e c e ssary mon e y and with this V iew as w e ll , , ,

as to b e abl e to obtain a chart e r from th e Government ,

th e capital of th e C o mpany was incr e as e d from

to and th e public w er e invit e d t o subscrib e ,

th e result of which was that th e F r ench firms aft e r a ,

little r e sistanc e w e r e in O ctob e r 1 88 4 giv e n a sum o f

, , ,

mon e y and a c e rtain numb e r of shar e s in th e Company

to l e av e th e r ive r T Had th ey b ee n abl e t o f o r e s ee sub
.

sequent e v e nts they would doubtl e ss hav e r e fus e d to

, , ,

“ ”
acc ept th e brib e o ffe r e d by p e rfid iou s A lbi o n A s it .

was th e ir r e tire m ent d estroyed for e v e r all F r e nch

,

claims th o ugh a year or mor e elapsed b e for e th e British

,

Gov e rnm ent d e cid e d on taking th e only c o urs e which

could pr e v e nt furth e r for eign intrusion int o r egions which
had b ee n discovered e xplor e d and dev e l o p e d by non e
, ,

others than E nglishm en .

Vid e C h a p ter X I I I .

T The tw o F r en ch c o m p a n ie s h ad e s ta b lis h ed so m e th ir ty
t r a d in g s ta tio n s o n th e b a nks o f t h e r iv e r .
 C H A PT E R VI .

TH E R O YA L NI GE R C O M PA N Y ,
C H A R TE R E D AND L I M I TE D .

T he N a tio n a l r ic a n
Af C o m p a ny — I t r e c e iv es t h e R oy a l C h ar t e r
J u ly ,
1 8 8 6 —T h e P r os and C ons of C h a r t er e d C om p a n y
G o v e r n m en t — D if
fe r e n t k in d s of C h a r te r e d C o m p a n ie s
T h e O r g a n is a tion o f t h e R o y a l N iger C o m p a n y —T h e w o r k
it h a d t o d o — T h e E x p e d it io n a ga in s t t h e E mir o f N u p e
A B rill ia n t C a m p a ign —T h e I l orin E x p e d ition —T h e C om

p a ny as T r a d er .

HE British Gov e rnm e nt cog nisant of th e fact that th e ,

N ational A frican Comp any was e x e rting its elf in

earnest d e cid e d to giv e it a m e asur e of support
, ,

an d with this V i e w Consul H e w e tt ,

Consul for th e
O il R iv e rs and n e ighbourho o d ) was instruct e d to und e rtak e
in 1 88 4 a treaty making tour throughout th e N ig e r Dis
-

t ric t s
,
wh e n h e succ ee d e d in concluding tre ati e s with
num e rous native chiefs who r e adily plac e d th e ms elv e s ,

und e r British prot e cti o n i E a rly in 1 8 8 5 an a gr ee m en t was

.

e nter e d into with G e r many as to t h e sph e r e s of influ e nc e

of Gr e at Britain and G e rmany in this part of A frica r e ,

s ul ti n g in th e insertion in th e Lon don G a z ette O f th e sth

,

J un e o f th e sam e year of a notification to th e e ffe ct that

,

a British Prot e ctorat e had b ee n established ove r th e

N ige r Districts T h e territori e s compris e d w ithin t h e
.

“
Prot e ct o rat e w e r e defin e d to b e Th e lin e of coast
b e tw e en th e British Protectorat e of Lag o s and th e right ,

or w e st e rn b ank of the mouth of th e R io d el R ey ; and

also th e territories o n both banks of th e N iger from its ,

conflu e nc e with th e R iv e r Benu e at Lokoj a to th e s ea ,

as we ll as th e t e rritori e s on both banks of th e R iver B enu é ,

from th e conflu e nce up to and including I b i .

T h e N ational A frican Company had already as w e ,

hav e seen mad e gr e at strid e s in d e v e loping trade an d

, ,

h ad acquir e d ext ensiv e rights from th e n ative chiefs ,

72 B R I TI SH NI G E R I A .

but that part of th e Protect o rate in which the Comp any

traded had so far no r e cognis e d form o f administration ,

and as a sim pl e tradin g conc e rn th e C o mpany had no

ability with o ut th e sanction of Great Britain to r e ceive
, ,

”
from th e nativ e s sov e r e ign rights conc e ssions which ,

would aff e ct th e subj e cts of any oth e r E urop e an pow e r .

Two cours e s lay o p en to the British Gov e rnm ent if it ,

int end e d to r e tain the Prot e c torat e viz dir e ct a d min is ,

.

t r a tion (e ith e r under th e F or e ign Of fic e or th e Colonial

Of fice ) or gov e rnm e nt by chart e r
,
A s e arly as 1 8 8 1 .

th e N ational A frican Company had e nd e av o ur e d to obtain

a chart e r but it was refus ed chi e fly on th e grounds that
, ,

th e Company was too small to b e entrust e d with such

r e sponsibiliti e s This dif
. fi culty was ov e rcom e in 1 8 8 2
by th e capital of th e Company b e ing rais e d to
but th e r e was still anoth e r d iffic u lty— th e pr e s e nc e of the
F r e nch firms on th e Lower N ig e r A t l ength th e way was .

m ad e cl e ar and the N ati o nal A frican Company r e c e iv e d

,

its royal charter in J uly 1 88 6 wh e n a littl e lat e r in th e

, ,

sam e year it adopt e d th e mor e appropriat e n am e which

h e ads th e pr es ent chapt e r
The British Gov e rnm ent had thus by d el egating its ,

authority to th e Company e vaded th e inauguration o f ,

an e normous and c o stly system o f administrati o n over

r egions ab o ut which littl e o r nothing was known I t .

w o uld b e out of plac e her e to discuss wh e th e r this step

w a s wis e ly tak en though th e matter of gov e rnm e nt by
,

chartered compani e s is on e fre qu ently n owadays b e , ,

for e th e public and th e r e for e a plain stat e m e n t o f c e r

,

tain facts in c o nn e ction with th e subj e ct will at any rat e , ,

help th e r e ad e r to form his o w n O pini ons or possibly to ,

modify th em o n e way or anoth e r But first it will b e well .

to point out that the R oyal N iger Company di ff e r e d in

two particulars from th e now existing British Chart e r e d -

Compani e s (viz th e British N orth Born e o Company

.

and th e British S outh A frican Company ) in that it both ,

T h e fi r s t G o v er n o r a nd C h a ir m a n of th e C o m p a n y w a s th e
R igh t H o nour a bl e Lo r d A b e r d a r e , at th a t tim e Pr e s id e n t o f th e
R oy al G eo g r a p h ic al S o c ie ty .
74 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

The granting of chart e rs to compani e s is not as is ,

som e tim e s suppos e d an innovation E ls ewh er e in W e st

, .

A frica British charter e d compani e s w e r e in e arly tim e s , ,

by no m e ans uncommon though in th eir cas e th e chart e rs

,

w e r e almost s ol e ly for purpos e s of trad e T h e G o v e rn .

m ent grant e d subsidi e s for maintaining th e forts o n th e

coast but ther e was no question of gov e rning th e c o untry
,

or o f acquiring t e rritory th e ground on which th e forts

,

stood b e ing r e nt e d fr o m th e nativ e s I n I ndi a a n d .

Canada things w e r e diff e r ent th e E ast I ndia Company ,

and th e Hudson B ay Company holding p o sitions v e ry

similar to that h eld by the R oyal N ig e r C o mpany bu t ,

t h e t e rritori e s which th e y gov e rn e d w e r e not und e r th e

prot e ction of Gr e at Britain To sum up : th e situation.

of th e R o yal N ig e r Company ( th en th e N ational A frican

Company ) o n r e c e iving its chart e r in 1 8 8 6 was as follows
I t b e ing th e sol e r e pr e s e ntativ e of E ur o pean trad e rs in
that part of th e British N ig e r Protectorat e was author ,

is e d by its chart e r to c o ntinu e to carry o n th e various

obj e cts e num e rat e d in its M e m o rand um of A ssociati o n ,

including th e pow e r to g o v e rn k eep in ord e r an d prot e ct

, ,

any t e rritories o fn ativ e chi e fs with whom it had conclud e d

“
sov e r e ign rights treati e s By th e num e rous pr o visos
.

contain e d in th e chart e r the S e cr e tary O f S tat e r e tain e d

,

th e pow e r of v e to ov e r any of th e Company s a cts ; the

’

Company to r emain British in charact e r and domicil e ,

not to transf e r a ny of its b enefits without sancti o n to ,

discourag e and gradually abolish slav e ry to t o l e rat e th e ,

r eligion of th e natives uphold th eir anci ent laws and

,

customs (e xc ept in th e inter ests of humanity ) tr e at the ,

n ative s with j ustic e to afford faciliti es for British ships

,

in its harbours e tc etc,

. F urth e rmor e t h e Company was
.
,

auth o ris e d t o acquir e lawfully and h old n ew territori e s ,

and t o fly a British flag b e aring its own particular d evic e * .

I t was prohibited from setting up or granting any

T h e C o m p a ny
’
s fla g w a s w h ite e n sign b e a r ing in th e r igh t
a ,

h a n d u p p e r c o r n e r a c ir cl e w ithin w h ic h w a s a Y s h a p e d fi gu r e
,
-

i h e s o f t h e L o w e r N ig e r t h e M id d le N ig e r a n d
( p
re res e n t n g t e co u r s , ,

th e B e n u é ),
w it h t h e w o r d s A
,
r s J u s a n d
,
F a,
x "
.
 TH E R O YA L NI GE R C O M PA N Y : 75

monopoly of trade ; but while allowing free acc e ss to all

,

trad e rs to m ark e ts in its t e rritories was p e rmitted to ,

l e vy custo m d uties to an e xt e nt su ffici ent to d e fray

,

th e cost of governm e nt administration of j ustice main

, ,

te n a n ce of order and the performanc e of tr e aty obliga

,

tions and it was grant e d full j urisdiction in the int e r e sts

, ,

o f co m m e rc e and ord e r ov e r all for eign e rs and British

,

subj ects in its territories Lastly th e Crown res e rv e d

.
,

th e right to r e voke the charter at any tim e t h at it S hould

think fit .

Th e above a re in bri e f th e conditions und e r which

, ,

the Chart e red Company of th e N ig e r comm e nc e d opera

tions I t had alr e ady conclud e d som e 2 50 tr e aties with
.

various ind ep end ent chi e fs and it immediat ely se t to ,

work to organis e a th o rough syst e m of administration .

That this was no light task must b e p at e nt to e v e ryon e

’
who is acquainted with th e vast e xt e nt of th e Company s
territori e s and th e vari e d charact e r of th e nativ e s B e .

for e giving th e read e r a g e neral id e a of th e working o f

a great company of this kind it may b e w e ll to say of what ,

th e Company s t e rritori e s consist e d at th e tim e that th e

’

chart e r was grant e d or in oth e r words what rights had

, , ,

b ee n acquired by tr e ati e s with th e nativ e s I ts coast .

lin e e xt e nd e d from th e F o rcados riv e r to th e N un mouth

of th e N ig e r ; it poss e ssed tr e aty rights ov e r both b anks
o f th e Lowe r N ig e r with its a f fl u en ts and branch e s for
, ,

a distanc e of about t en hours j ourn e y inland ; o v e r th e ’

whol e of th e S okoto and Gando empir e s and ov e r all ,

the various ind ep e nd e nt pagan countri e s o n th e B enu é

up to a distance by wat e r o f almost miles fro m th e
se a . I n som e e ssential particulars th e tr e ati e s then in
e xist e nc e di ffe r e d ; for instanc e sov e r eign rights ,

claus e s w e r e not always ins e rt e d though in all cas e s th e ,

Company was given th e sol e right to trad e and min e in

t h e country and th e nativ e rul e rs agre e d to hav e n o
,

int e rcours e with any for e ign ers e xc e pt with th e sanction

A c co u n ts a nd p ar tic u la r s to b e fu r n ish e d w h e n ev er re qu ir ed
b y t h e S e cr e ta r y o fS ta t e .
76 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

of th e Co m pany I n return fo r th e acquisition of th es e

.
‘

various rights annual subsidi e s w e r e t o b e paid to e ach

,

treaty making chi e f in proportion to th e size and imp o rtanc e

-
,

of his kingdom ranging from ,

to a few shillings .

N o w as to th e organisati o n of th e Compan y The .

chi e f offi c e was e stablish e d in London Lord A b e rdar e .

was appoint e d Gov e rnor and Mr Goldi e Taubman (n ow , .

S ir G Goldi e ) D e puty Gov e rn o r th e Board o f Dir e ctors

.
-
,

c o nsisting o f num er o us we ll known W e st A frican trad e rs -

and oth e rs while in th e N ig e r its elf affairs w e r e manag e d

by an A gent G en e ral ( Mr David Mc I n tosh ) and an
-
*
.

ef fici e nt staff A S far as trad e was c o nc erned th e Com

.
,

pany was alre ad y firml y e stablish e d in the c o untry with ,

s e v e ral fl ou r ish mg trading stations and a fl ee t o f riv e r

st e am e rs I ts first important du ty th e r e f o r e was t o
.
, ,

arrang e the d e tails for putting in ord e r the good gov e rn

m ent of th e c o untry A forc e of Hausa Constabulary .

was immediat e ly rais e d e quipp e d and o ffic e r e d b y , ,

E urop e ans ; a body o f polic e was formed and distribut e d

in d e tachm e nts through o ut th e t e rritori e s s enior e x e cutiv e “

o fficers district ag ents with assistants and nativ e p olitical

, ,

ag e nts w e r e appoint e d ; and a High Court pr e sid e d

, ,

over b y a Chi e f J ustic e was e stablish e d at A saba on the , ,

Low e r N iger which b e cam e and r e main e d th e a d m in is

,

t r a t ive h e adquart e rs o f th e Co m p a n y T A s sanction e d .

b y th e chart e r a syst e m of taxation (duti e s on imports

and e xports and lic ence s ) was arrang e d to provid e a
,

r e v e nu e to cov e r th e cost o f administration and for its ,

coll e ction custom — hous e O fficials w e re plac e d in charge

of th e di ff e r ent stations nam e d in the proclamation a s
”
ports of e ntry .

A mor e thorough organisation it would b e alm o st im

possibl e to d evis e and th e fact that (with a few trivial
,

e xc e ptions ) it withstood t h e t e st of tim e is proof that th e

Company whil e it held its chart e r did not b e tray th e trust

S u c c ee d e d b y M r . J ose p h Fl in t a nd M r W illia m W al la ce
.

T T h e h e a d q u a r ter s o f th e C o n s ta b ula ry w er e a t A s a b a u n til

1 8 8 9, wh e n t h ey wer e tr a n s fe rr e d t o Lo o a , k j with a s tr o ng d e ta c h
men t at I b i, on th e B enu é .
 TH E R O YA L N I GE R C O M PA N Y : 77

that th e Governm e nt of 1 8 8 6 plac e d in it N either were .

its actions conc e al e d during this d e cade or more of its

life for e v e n its most privat e conc e rns were fre ely criticis e d
,

in th e public pr e ss ; i t pass e d through th e ord e al o f a

s e arching inquiry by a Gov e rnm e nt Commission e r who ,
’
p e rs onally insp e ct e d ev e ry e stablishm en t in th e Company s
t e rritories ; and its tr e aty rights o n s e v e ral occasi o ns
b e cam e th e subj e ct of int e rnati o nal discussion ; whil e
the S e cr e tary of S tat e for F ore ign A ffairs continuously
investigat e d e verything conn e ct e d with th e Company .

The chi e f point to b e r e m e mb e r ed but so oft e n forgotten ,

by E nglishm e n anxious to find fault is that th e R oyal ,

N ig e r C o mpany whatev e r may hav e b ee n its m e thods

, ,

did gr e at and good work for th e British E mpire by d e

v e10p in g n e w markets in an e norm o us tract of valuabl e

country and by pr e paring th e w a y for dir e ct I mperial

,

control I t was instrum e ntal in adding to th e poss e ssions

.

o f Gr e at Britain mor e than squar e mil e s o f t e rri

tory which wh e n r e c e ntl y hand e d o v e r t o th e Gov e rnm en t
,

was fo und to b e in as good ord e r as th e hint e rland of any

W e st Coast Colony
'
.

To go b ack how e ver to the commenc e m e nt of th e

, ,

Chart e r e d Company s e xistenc e N o so o ner did it find

’
.
'

its elf acting in th e dual capacity o f trad e r and sover e ign

than its work b e gan in e arn e st Difficulti e s had to b e .

faced on all sid e s and from quart e rs l e ast e xp e ct e d ; no t

,

only did p e tty troubl e s arise with turbul e nt nativ e trib e s ,

but G e rman and F rench fr ee lanc e s st e pp e d in and e n -

d ea v ou r e d (but unsucc e ssfully b e it said ) to und e rmin e

,

th e foundations of th e structur e that th e Company was

car e fully raising But o f th e s e int e rnational qu e stions
.

w e shall at pr e s e nt say nothing for th e y a re o f to o gre at,

importanc e to b e dismiss e d in a few words though w e may ,

r e mark that th e Gov e rnm e nt k e p t p ac e with th e Com

pany by concluding agr ee m e nts with F rance and G e rmany
at differ e n t tim e s and by notifying in th e Lon d on Ga z ette
,

of th e 1 8 th O ct o b e r 1 88 7 th e e xt e nsion of th e British
, ,

Prot e ct o rat e ov e r all t e rrit o ri e s in th e basin o fth e N ig e r

and its a fflu en ts which w e r e o r might b e for th e time
,
78 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A :

being subj e ct to the gov ernm e nt of th e R oyal N iger

,

Co m pany .

Th e minor troubl e s w e re of cours e fully expect e d , , ,

for it was unlik ely that a peopl e in many cas e s without ,

a vestig e of civilisation w o uld submit to th e n ew order

,

o f things without some S how of r e sistanc e Many o f .

th e ir customs we r e such as no civilis e d Gov e rnm ent could

p e rmit ; it was impossibl e for th e O fficials to clos e th e ir
e y e s to such inhuman barbariti e s as cannibalism human ,

sacrifices murd e r of twins and th e op e n sal e of slav e s

, , ,

all of which wer e indulg e d in by on e or oth e r of th e D elta

trib e s Th e se matt e rs w e r e cons e qu e ntly e ach and all
.

tak e n in hand at first by using p e rsuasion and th e n

, , ,

wh e n that fail e d by forc e of arms * Later th e r e cam e

,
.
,

small e xp e ditions for punishing trib e s for acts of piracy ,

plund e r and t h e lik e ; but consid e ring th e e xt e nt of the

, ,

t e rritori e s th e amoun t of forc e that it was n e c e ssary to

,

u s e was r e markably small W hil e the l e ssons w e r e b e ing

.

d e alt out to th e nativ e s— th e y had in e v e ry instanc e a

most salutary e ffect on n e ighb o uring trib es — th e Com
’

p a n y s age nts devot e d th e ir tim e to improving th e relations

e xisting b e tw ee n th e mselv e s and th e various chi e fs m o re ,

esp e cially th e great Mohamm e dan p o t e ntat e s of th e F ulah

E mpir e F rom y e ar to y e ar n e w tr e ati e s w e r e mad e
.
,

e ach one gaining som e n e w conc e ssion f or th e Company ,

until e v e ntually th e whol e of th e t e rritori e s includ e d in

this partic ular British sph e re of influ enc e virtually pass e d
into the hands of the Company To bring this Mohamm e dan .

country within its dir e ct j urisdiction was an und e rtakin g

at which th e Company only latt e rly arriv e d ; previously
all its e n e rgi e s had to b e e xp end e d in r e ducing to o rd e r
th e pagan trib e s of the D elta and th e B e nu e but having ,

as far as possibl e ab olish e d th e anci e nt savag e rit e s of

th e h e ath ens it b e cam e its duty to put a ch e ck on th e
,

slav e raiding prop e nsiti e s o f th e Mohamm e dans and in

-
,

1 8 97 t h e first st e p in this dir e ction w a s tak e n .

An a cc ou n t o f th e s u pp res sio n o f h um an fi
sa cr i c es at A sa b a
”
will b e fo u n d in h
Up t e N i r
ge , p a ge 28 .
 TH E R O YA L NI GE R C O M PA N Y . 79

R e lations with th e E mir of N up e had becom e strain e d

he and his pred e c e ssor Mal e k e had negl e ct e d t o carry
, ,

out th e t e rms o f th eir tr e aty had ch e cked trad e o ppr e ssed

, ,

th e pagan inhabitants of th e ir kingdom e ncouraged their ,

F ulah subj ects in slave raiding and had b e com e ins o l e nt

-
,

in their b e aring towards both th e o fficials o f th e Company

and th e ir suz e rain o f Gando By th e e n d of 1 8 96 matt e rs
.

had arrived at such a pitch that if th e pr e stig e of th e ,

Company was to b e maintain e d imm e diat e action was ,

n e cessary I t b e cam e a qu e stion wh e th e r th e f o rc e s

.

at th e disposal of th e Company w e re s uffic ien t to attack

a Mohamm e dan state b o rd e ring on a vast Mohamm e dan
empir e with th e risk of rousin g th e fanaticism of th e ir
,

c o r e ligi o nists
-
D e f e at to the Company would e nta il
.

th e undoing of th e work o f y e ars e xpulsion from two ,

thirds of its t e rritori e s and in fact absolut e ruin succ e ss

, , ,

would bring with it an incr e as e in po we r almost impossibl e

to e stimat e r eli e f to millions of o ppr e ss e d p e opl e and
, ,

imm ens e c o mm e rcial advantag e s P e rhaps no b e tt e r .

e xampl e than this can be put forward o f th e b e n e fit to

Gr e at Britain of chart e r e d company g o v e rnm e nt : h e r e

was at stak e a whole e mpire ; th e stronge st of col o nia l
gov e rn o rs wo uld hav e r e fus e d und e r th e circumstanc e s
to hav e e mb ark e d on such an und e rtaking without I m
p e rial tr o o ps ; but the R oyal N ig e r Company d e cid e d
to run th e risk and to use a popular e xpression
, ,
tak e ,

”
th e bull by th e horns or p e rish in th e att e mpt T h e
,
.

r e sult is worthy of b e ing told at som e l e ngth .

T h e e xp e dition thus launch e d in J anuary 1 8 97 was , ,

th e larg e st and m o st important o f an y e v e r organis e d by

th e Company and wh e n the campaign comm e nc e d it
,

was thought in E ngland that th e r e was som e thing of rash

n e ss in att empting with a small body of H ausas to e ngage
th e vast hordes of fighting F ulahs capabl e o f b e ing put
in th e fi eld by th e E mir of N up e T o ov e rthr o w th e .

F ulahs o fN up e was th e primary O bj ect of th e e xp e dition ,

though aft e r this had b ee n accomplish ed att e ntion was

, ,

turn e d to the n e ighbouring S tat e of I lorin Th e f o rc e .

at th e c o mmand of the C o mpany consist e d o f about 550

80 BR I TI S H N I GE R I A .

H ausa with thirty t wo B ritish o f fi cers -

and non commission e d o ffic e rs two W hitworth gu ns

-

, ,

five sev e n pound e r mountain guns and six Maxims whil e

-

, ,

for th e imp o rtant dut y of patrolling th e riv e r separating

N orth e rn from S outh e rn N up e about a doz e n st e rn
wh eel st e am e rs and launch e s w e r e availabl e To und e r .

stand th e O p e rations it is n e c e ssary to know som e thing

of th e situation of the N up e kingdom and m o r e e sp e ciall y
’
that the E mir s capital li e s in N orth e rn N up e whil e th e ,

country to th e south of th e Middl e N ig e r was th e gre at

slaving ground of th e F ulahs Lokoj a ( at th e c on flu
-
.

e nc e ) was sel e ct e d as t h e starting point and it b e ing known ,

that th e gre ater part of the N up e army und e r th e Makum

was on th e war path n e ar K abba about fifty mil e s d u e
-

w e st of Lokoj a it was prop o s e d to at onc e attack th eir

,

camp and e nd e avour to cut o ff th e ir r e tr e at across th e

N iger ; whil e to compl e t e th e succ e ss of this plan th e
’
Compan y s fl ee t T was d e spatch e d to watch th e crossings
above E gga T h e l ittl e column ]: l e ft Lokoj a on th e 6 th
.

J anuary and marched on S ura a few mil e s north o f

, ,

Kabba so as to int e rv ene betw e en th e en e my and his

,

bas e and thus force him t o fight

, On th e r 1 th S ura .

was r e ach e d and a p erman ent camp e stablish e d on e com

pany was d e spatch e d north to op en up communications
with E gga as th e c olumn had mov e d fr o m Lo koj a en
,

a ir ; and 400 m en w e re form e d into a flying column t o

attack the Ma k u m s forc e N ews now arriv e d that th e
’
.

war camp had been brok e n up and that th e army was ,

in full r e tr e at towards the w e st it b e ing considered h o p e

less to attempt to ov e rtak e th e e n emy th e H ausas aft e r , ,

hoisting t h e British flag in Kabba and burning the a d

j ac ent war camp r e turn e d to S ura on the 1 4th F rom
,
.

A b o u t six ty p e r c e n t p u r e H a u s a s
. th ir ty p e r c e n t Y o r u b a s .

r ib es e t o t a l s t r e n g t h o f th e C o m p a n y s
’
te n p er c e n t o t h e
. r t T h .

C o n s ta b u l ar y w a s a b ou t b u t t h e ga rr is o n s o n th e B e n u e a nd

Lo w er N ig e r c o u ld n o t b e with d ra wn d u r in g th e o p er a tio n s .

T U n d er t h e c o mm a n d M r W illia m W a ll a c e
of . .

1 S ir G e o r g e G o l d ie a c co m p a n ie d t h e e x e ditio n
p ,
th e m ilita ry
c o m m a n d b e in g g i j
v e n t o M a or A r n ol d , 3 r d H u ss a r s .
 OF THE

U N IVE R S I T Y
iFO R N \
 TH E R O YA L N I GE R C O M PA N Y : 81

that place a m ov e ment was mad e on E gbon in a direct

line to Bida and on r e aching th e riv e r on th e 2 2 n d it
, , ,

w as learn e d that th e F ulah army was in a d e moralised

state and scatt e red in th e vill ag e s w e st of E gbon .

I n th e m e anwh il e the Lokoj a garrison had proc e e d e d

up th e riv e r with th e fl ee t so as to j oin th e K abba column
,

in the attack on Bida and h e aring that th e e n e my had

,

reach e d Ladi (the old south e rn capital ) th e offic e r in ,

c o mmand im m e diat ely attack e d th e town which was ,

captur e d and d e stroy e d th e day b e for e the main column

reach e d th e riv e r at E gbon Th e exc e ll e nt work done .

by Mr W allac e and his fl e et whil e the K abb a f o rce was

.
*

in th e in t e rior had e v e rything to say to th e thorough

succ e ss of the campaign T h e riv e r was divid e d into .

six sections for patrol work and e v e ry p art of it from ,

Lokoj a to J e bb a was car e fully watch e d ; mor e ov e r by ,

preaching an A nti F ulah crusad e among th e oppr e ssed

-

watersid e G a n a ga trib e s W allac e secur e d th eir c o 0p e ra

,
-

ti o n and th e use of an unlim it e d supply o f canoes I n .

this way N orth e rn N up e was e ntir ely cut o ff from th e

coun try to th e south of th e riv e r and th e M akum with , ,

th e r e mnant of his forc e was prev e nt e d from r e tr e atin g

,

on Bida .

A lthough som e what disappointed at n o t having suc

c ee d e d in inducing the Command e r in Chi e f to giv e battl e - -
,

S ir G e o rge Goldi e was mor e than satisfi e d with th e turn

of affairs and b e ing awar e th a t th e E mir had f o rmed
,
.

allianc e s with n e ighbouring F ulah S ta t es T and m e ant ,

to d e fend Bida at all costs h e at onc e d e cid e d to advanc e ,

on the capital The boldn e ss of this strok e wil l b e a p

.

p r e c ia t e d wh e n it is known that t h e F ulah army must e r e d

fighting men a third of whom w e r e mount e d and
, ,

a prop o rtion of the infantry arm e d with modern rifl e s ;

wh il e the British forc e numb e r e d bar ely 6 00 W ith the .

latter however w e r e two W h it w orth t and five 7 pounder

, ,
-

F o r this M r . W a ll a ce w as cr e a ted a C . M G . .

T L a p a i A r g ai a n d o t h e r s
, ,
.

1 A 9 p o u n d er a n d a 1 2 p o u n d e r
- -
.
82 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A :

gun s * as well as six m achin e gun s T and th e H ausas w e re

, ,

thoroughly disciplin e d and command e d by British offic e rs .

The advance comm enc e d without d elay ; a r e connoitring

party crossed th e riv e r from E gbon on th e z 3 r d J anuary ,

followed by th e main body on th e following day On th e .

2 5th th e advanced guard drov e in th e e nemy s scouts

’
,

and camp was form e d at Lok itsh a Thence to Bida was .

a distance of about fift een miles and soon aft e r c om ,

men cing th e march on th e 2 6 th th e head of th e column

came in touch with the en e my who retire d wh en fir e d on , .

N o s e rious r e sistance was shown until the advanc e d gu ard

reached a point within about five mil e s of th e walls o f
the capital when on takin g possession of a ridge e vacuated
, ,

by the e n e my th e y found th e mselv e s in sight of Bida

,

and th e whole F ulah a rmy O wing to the nature of th e .

country th e column had been obliged to move with a

,

very narro w front its whole l ength (from advanc ed guard

,

to rear gu ard ) e xt e nding over a distance of s e v e n miles ;

it was thus some c o nsid e rable time b e for e th e troops could
be form e d up for attack But the int e ntion had not b e en
.

to attack until th e fo llowing day it having b e en hoped to ,

be able to drive back the e nemy behind the wall s of the

town and to e ncamp in a ravine at a distance of about
,

three miles from th em This was eventually done but

.
,

not without trouble Whil e th e column was filin g into

.

’
cam p the e n e my s cavalry commence d to thr e aten the
,

flanks and rear and it was n e c e ssary to clos e up and

,

advance in squar e ; the F ulah cavalry now m ade re

ea te d charges on all sid e s but were utt e rly nonpluss e d
p ,

by th e galling fire from th e Maxims so that they gradu ,

ally drew O ff to th e town M e anwhil e th e Wh itworth .

,

guns wer e still in rear one of the 7 pound e rs had be en lost

,
-
,

and Lieutenant Thomson had been cut off by the e n emy

’
and kill e d Th e withdrawal of the en e my s cav al ry was
.

follow e d by th e advance of th eir infantry sharpshoot e rs ,

who took up positions well under cov e r and comm enc e d ,

to harass th e littl e British forc e now establish e d in camp .

R ifl e d m u zzl e loa d ers -

.

T 4 5 th e m en w e r e a rm ed with S nid e rs ( 577 )

“
3
84 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

fa ll of Bida impli e d not o nl y th e conqu e st of th e kingd o m

o fN up e and th e d e ath bl o w to slave raidin g i
-
n this part

of A frica but also the p e rman e nt e stablishm en t of B ritish

,

pow e r in on e of th e most important S tat e s of th e gr e at

F ulah E mpir e an e v e nt which in a few weeks b e cam e
,

kn own to e v e ry Mohamm e dan fr o m Timbucto o to Lak e Chad .

I t was a matter of d o ub t for a f e w days wh e th e r the

Makum and his m en woul d not r e tr e at to I l o rin and s e e k

the assistanc e of the F ulahs of that S tat e to r e cov e r N up e
the fortunate capt u r e of his y o ung e r broth e r how e v e r , ,

e nabl e d n e gotiations t o b e op e n e d up with th e Makum

Muhamm e d who having give n in his submission was

, , ,

forthwith proclaim ed E mir of N orth e rn N up e but a vassal ,

of th e R oyal N ig e r Company S outh e rn N up é was at .

th e sam e tim e d e clar e d to b e a fr e e country under th e pro ,

te c tion of th e Company within which the l e g al sta tu s

,

of slav e ry was for e v e r abolish e d .

This brilli an t and decisiv e campaign had occupied

a month but th e re was still work to b e don e by the gall ant
,

li ttl e f o rce S ir G e orge Goldi e d e sir e d to visit th e E mir

.

of I lorin on a friendly mission to s e ttl e c e rtain matt e rs

, ,

c o nn e ct e d with th e Lagos boundary and having f e ars , ,

for th e good faith o f th e I lorin war party h e consid e r e d ,

i t advisabl e to take with him an arm e d escort consisting ,

of 3 00 m en two 7 pound e rs and f o ur Maxims Th e e x

,
-

,
.

p edition ass e mbl e d at J e bba on th e 8 th F e bru ary and ,

tw o days later l e tt e rs having in th e m e antim e b e e n sent

,

to E mir S uliman informing him of t h e fri e ndly natur e

of th e Gov e rnor s visit marched south On th e 1 2 th
’
,
.

th e O r e r e river was cross e d and on the 1 4th th e A r e ba

,

riv e r ; so far th e r e had b ee n no sign o f oppositi on That .

e v e ning it was accid e ntall y discov e r e d that t h e B al o gu n s ,

or war chi e fs int e nd e d to o ffe r r e sistanc e to th e advanc e

-
, ,

and wh en th e column start e d n e xt morning e v e ry p r e

, ,

cauti o n was tak e n against surpris e By a m it . .

b e cam e e vid e nt that th e I lorin army was o n th e mov e and ,

shortly afterwards wh e n th e O yo riv e r was b eing a p

,

’
r o a ch e d t h e thr e atening attitud e of th e e n e my s cavalry
p ,

necessitat e d the rapid formation of th e Hausas into a

 TH E R O YA L N I GE R C O M PA N Y : 85

figh ting square This had har d ly be e n e ffected than

.

bodies of hors e men charg e d sim ul tan e ously on all sid e s ;

th e Maxims an d S nid e rs w e r e kept hard at work and in ,

a very few minut e s the d e adly hail had driven th e sur

vi v ors of th e charg e s to a safe distance The square then
.

advanc e d across the Oyo and encamped for the night

within a f e w mil e s of th e city I t was fully exp e cted
.

that the en e m y would attack und e r cover o f darkn e ss ,

but although their piquet fires disclos e d the fact that

,
-

th e y wer e in positions almost surrounding th e camp ,

nothing occurr e d to disturb th e rest of th e troops A t .

dawn on th e 1 6 th the littl e forc e parad e d and advanc e d ,

in squar e formation towards th e A s a R iv e r (flowin g und e r

the walls o f th e city ) wh e r e , or of the en e my
w e r e s ee n waiting to dispute the passag e T h e g uns and .

Maxims having b ee n brought into action th e squar e r e ach e d ,

th e riv e r b ank without halting and th e F ulah forc e broke

-
,

up and r e tir e d within th e city N o thing now r emain e d

.

but to sh e ll th e plac e and by 4 p m th e e ffe ct of the ar

, .

till ery fire had be e n succ e ssful in cl e aring the town when ,

it w as occupied without further opposition .

’
Compared with the two days fighting at Bida the ,

r e sistance o ffe re d by the I lorins was insignificant which ,

may b e partly account e d for by knowing that a division

of th e army h ad only a few days pr e viously be e n thoroughl y
beaten by th e L agos Constabulary on th e south e rn border s
of th e kingd o m and that th e E mir (who d e sired p e ace)
,

did not support his B a logu n s in opposing th e advanc e

of the Company s force The r e sults of this exp e ditio n
’
.

w e r e as compl e t e and satisfactory as could have b e en

d e sir e d E mir S uliman was r e instat e d on sign ing a treaty ,

by which h e plac e d hims elf e ntir e ly und e r th e prot e ction

and pow e r of th e Company slave raiding and the-

in troduction o f gin and rum into the country were for

bidd en and all S lav e s who desir e d free dom were released
,
.

*
T hus in fif ty o
-
n e days the Company had completely
T h e to ta l c a s u a l ties o f th e ca mp aign w ere o n e O fi c e r a n d
s ev e n m en killed o n e O ffi c er a n d tw elve m en wou n d e d
,
T he :

co s t o f th e c a m p a ign was
86 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A :

subj ugated two !im portant Mohammedan kingdoms ,

introduced a n e w syst e m of adm inistration d eliv e red ,

from oppr e ssion and tyranny th e vast pagan pop ul ation ,

and by a formal proclamation ab olish e d for e v e r the

, ,

s ta tu s of slav e ry in the r e gions south of th e Middl e N ig e r .

Th e re can b e now no qu e stion said th e T imes

, ,

in d e sc ribing th e e v e nts of th e campaign that mil itary ,

’
r e sistanc e in that portion of th e Company s t e rrit o ri e s
which lies to the south and w e st o f th e river N ig e r is at
an en d Th e r e ign of t e rror maintained by th e slav e
.

raiding powe rs sinc e w e hav e had any acquain t a nc e wi th

the country is over and a vast district h as thus b ee n
,

thrown O p e n to th e O p e rations of p e aceful trade I t is .

p erhaps too soon to att e mpt to e stimate fully th e far

r e aching e ffe cts o f this campaign Th e y can only be .

r e alis e d by d e grees Th e wise mod e ration with which

.

V ictory has be e n used o ffe rs th e b e st guarant ee of th e

durability of its r e sults T h e issue was one in which
.

the e xist e nce of the Company and th e maint e nanc e o f

I m p e rial authority ov e r a great region in the most populous
portion of W e st A frica w e r e at stake Had th e op e rations.

b ee n l e ss caref ull y plann e d and l e ss gallantly e x e cut e d

, ,

the nation which take s succ e ss with habitual indiff e r e nc e

might have had to choos e b e twe e n th e alt e rnativ e of a
big W e st A frican war or th e partition by F ranc e and
Germany of a v e ry valuabl e British spher e of influ e nc e .

S ir G e orge Goldi e by whos e e f

,
forts the t e rritory was in
th e first instance s e cur e d for this country has shown ,

h im self able to k ee p it not only by diplomacy but also

in the field I ts d e v e lopment will henceforth becom e
.

”
a recognis e d obj ect of national int e r e st .

Turning now to th e comm e rcial op e rations of th e

Comp any w e find that its career was no l e ss r e markable
,

as trad e r than as sover e ign and a st e ady dividend a v era g

,

*
ing 6 T p e r cent p er annum was paid to th e shar ehold e rs
. .

We hav e traced th e d e velopm e nt of N ig e r trad e from its

comm encem e nt down to th e disapp e aranc e of F r e nch
0

1 8 92 , 75 p er c en t
»
.
88 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

tim e to time ; thus supposing that a nativ e brings I n

,
’
five shillings worth of palm oil th e agent allows him to -

select Manch e st e r goods salt or what e v e r h e wants to , , ,

“
th e value o f four h e ads of cowri e s th e valu e of all ,

t h e articl e s on sal e in th e stor e of cours e b e in g fix e d in

E nglish mon e y T o th e uninitiat e d it is a roundabout
.

way of doing busin e ss but ther e b eing practically no ,

money curr e ncy * in th e country th e r e is no mor e con ,

v en ien t m e thod o f trading and in som e r e sp e cts it has

,

its advantag e s But th e intricaci e s of busin e ss do not

.

e n d h e r e S ince th e nativ e is most capricious in his tastes

, ,

and wh e r e as at on e tim e his h e art will b e s e t on a par

t ic ula r patt e rn cloth at oth e rs h e will take nothing but
,

s alt or p e rhaps cowri e s so that it is by no m e ans an e asy

, ,

matt e r for th e ag e nt to know with what articl e to stock

his stor e T h e local mark e t rat e of cowri e s also r e quir e s
.

as car e ful daily att e ntion as th e rat e of sil ve r on the

Bombay S tock E xchange A ll this is v e ry diffe r e nt to .

the original mann e r of trading in th e N ige r wh e n a ,

steam e r load e d with E nglish goods w e nt up th e river ,

and stayed th e r e until ev e rything had b ee n e xchang e d

with the nativ e s in thos e days a nativ e laid his pro duc e
on the d e ck and th e E nglish trader put down by its sid e
,

a piec e of cloth w o rth p e rhaps a hundre dth part of its

value and th en if the n ativ e app e are d discont e nt e d
, , ,

add e d a clasp knife or a string of b e ads or two until th e

-

b argain was concluded .

Year by y e ar n ew factori e s hav e b ee n O p e n e d and n ew ,

products brought to light though e v e n now two thirds , , ,

-

of the great store of w e alth of th e s e r e gions remain locked

up Trad e has so far by forc e o f circumstanc e s b ee n
.
, ,

confin e d to th e n e ighb o urhood of th e wat er w ays but as ,

’
tim e go e s on we shall doubtl e ss find th e Company s and
’
other trad e rs fact o ri e s e stablish e d inland an d taking ,

th e plac e of th e trav e lling Hausa merchants T h e chief .

e xports from t h e N ig e r a re lik e thos e of the r e st of W e st

,

A m o n ey c u rr e n c y is gr a d u a lly b e in g in tr o d u c e d T h e W es t .

Af r ic a n F r o n tier F o r c e is
p a id in E n glis h m o n e
y w h i c h is rap idly ,

ge t ting in to cir c u la t ion . Vid e C h a p ter XV :

 TH E R O YA L N I GE R C O M PA N Y . 89

A fri ca , p alm oil and rubb e r though there is h e r e a much

-
,

*
gr e at e r vari e ty of o th e r products amongst which m ay ,

b e m e ntion e d ivory sh e a butt e r a da n son ia fibre potash

, , , ,

hides tin gum and various oil s ee ds

, , ,
Th e p alm O il .

comes almost e ntirely from th e districts of th e Lower

N ige r sh e a butter from the Middl e N ige r whil e the B en u é
, ,

produc e s such things as ivory gum and rubb e r I n e x , , .

chang e for th e s e articl e s are giv e n a ll sorts and kinds o f

E ur o p e an commoditi e s : Manch e st e r goods Birmingham ,

war e s tob acco salt and an in finity of odds and e nds

, , , ,

whil e in th e D e lta r e gions spirits gunpowd e r and Long , ,

“
D ane and oth e r trad e musk e ts a r e still admitt e d .

W ith regard to th e sal e of th e s e latter articl e s som e ,

e xplan ati o n is n e c e ssary ; for th e m e r e m e ntion of such

d e moralising things will at o nc e attract the att e ntion of
th e philanthropic E nglishman Th e e xt e nt to which th e
.

wh ol e of th e W e st Coast of A fric a h a s b ee n flooded with

spirits ev e r since trad e was e stablish e d with that part
of th e world is w e ll known to e v e ryon e an d it is only ,

within the last few y e ars that any attemp t has b ee n mad e
to put a ch e ck on the e no rmous imports of this d e l e t e rious
commodity A s in th e cas e of th e ab o lition of th e slave
.

trad e E nglan d took th e first st e p in th e matt e r and

, ,

e nd e avour e d at the Berlin Conf e rence in 1 8 8 4 to im

, ,

press on th e Pow e rs th e importanc e of putting some r e

straint on th e spirit traffic I t is not eworthy that S ir .

G e orge Goldie who r e pr e s ent e d th e N ige r Company at

,

th e C o nf e r e nce was th e prim e mov e r in this liquor qu e s

,

tion though nothing came of his sugge stions until th e

,

B russ els Confe renc e in 1 8 90 M e anwhil e how e v e r th e .

, ,

Company d e cid e d to tak e ind e pend ent action and with , ,

its chart e r at its back put a h e avy du ty T on th e import

,

of spirits into its t e rritori e s ; following this up it next

.

prohibited the in troduction o f spirits into th e countri e s

north o f th e conflu e nc e thus confining th e traffic t o the
,

pagans of th e Lo w e r N ig e r ; again it r e duc e d th e ar e a ,

and admitt e d spirits only as far north as the seventh

Vid e A p p e n d ix I .

T T wo S hillin gs p er im p er ia l ga ll on .
90 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A :

parallel th e alm ost prohibitive duty in the D elta acting

,

*
as a most e ffectiv e ch e ck on th e c o nsumption This .

action gav e ris e to consid e rabl e disaff e ction among th e

Delta tribes who look e d on cheap drink as on e of the
,

b en efits to be d e rive d from E urop e an trad e rs ; but r e ,

g r dl e ss of all this th e C o mpany fu lly int e nd e d had it

a , ,

continu e d to gov e rn to plac e a total prohibition on th e

,

introduction of gin and rum into its domin ions Wh y .

this total prohibition in S outh e rn N ige ria has not b e e n

e nforc e d under th e new administration we will show wh e n

r e vi e wing the sev e ral W e st A frican probl e ms r e main ing

to b e solv e d by th e Gr e at Pow e rs T h e gu npowder and .

arm s mention e d above as imports a re of th e m o st harm

“
l e ss d e scripti o n ; th e gunpowder is that known as trad e
”
p owd e r with propulsiv e pow e rs hardly su ffici e nt to dis
,

charg e a bul l e t from a musk e t and th e arms consist of ,

n o thing more d e adly than Old fashion e d flin t locks and - -

p e rcussion guns — mor e dange rous in all probabil ity to , ,

the fir e r than to anyon e e lse Ye t th e R oyal N ige r Com

.

pany always discouraged as much as possibl e by a h e avy

imp o rt d u ty T th e sal e of e v e n th e s e articl e s whil e th e ,

introduction into th e t e rritori e s o f arms of pr e cision or

'
war ma teriel of any kind was and of cours e s till is in accord
, ,

anc e with th e Bruss els A c t absolut e ly prohibit e d

,
.

F or nearly fourt ee n y e ars th e R oyal N ig e r Company

continu e d its work o f adm inistration ; th e n th e Govern
ment b e cam e convinced that th e tim e had arriv e d for a n
I mperial A uthority to b e on the sp o t How th e r e voca .

tion of th e chart e r was brought about and th e term s ,

’
agr ee d on b e tw e en Her Maj e sty s Gov e rnmen t and the
C o mpany as w e ll as th e d e tails o f th e r e construction
,

of th e administration w e shall r e serv e for a la ter c h a p ter f

,
.

On e thing we would impre ss on th e r e ad e r— th e roy al

I n tw o y ea r s th e imp o r t o f s p ir its w a s r e d u ce d by o n e - h al f,

j
t h o u gh in th e a d a c e n t O il R iv e r s , it m a y b e re m a r k ed , th e r ais ing

of t h e im p o r t d u ty h a s m a d e lit tl e diffe r e n c e to th e qu a n tity Of

l iq u or c o n s u m e d
. Vid e C h a p te r X I X .

T O n e h u n d r e d p e r c en t a d va lorem
. .

I Vid e C h a p ter I X .
92 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A :

T e rritori e s F ro m these figures it would app e ar

that th e Company in adm inisterin g its territories was
, ,

out of pock e t to a v ery consid e rable amoun t Th e trade.

b alance S h ee ts of th e Compan y from 1 8 8 7 to 1 8 98 w e re

giv e n in full in a Parliam e ntary pap e r of 1 8 99 (N o .

9 7
3 2 ) and wo ul d not inter e st the g e n e ral r e ad e,
r who
will probably be quit e cont e nt with th e kn owl e dg e that
the ordin ary sharehold e rs ( as has al re ady b ee n said ) were
alway s able to coun t on r e ceivin g a dividend of somethin g
over 6 p e r cent per annum
. .
 C H A PT E R VI I .

TH E NI GE R C OA S T PR OT E C T O R A TE .

T h e O il R iv ers —T h e B r itis h C o n s u l a t e at F e r n a n d o Po — T h e C ou rt
Of E qu ity—T h e O il Riv e r s Pr o te c to r a t e —M a j or Cl a u d e
M a cD o n al d a p p oin t e d C o mm is s ion e r a nd C o n s ul G e n e r al
-

R e c r u itin g of a C o n s ta b u l a r y F o r c e —A p p oin tm e n t of Vic e

C o n sul s — B —T h e
e nin T r o u bl e with N a n a — B enin City—T h e
B e nin M a ssa c r e —T h e Pu n itiv e E x p e d itio n .

in the las t chapt e r w e traced th e car e e r of th e R oya l

S
N ige r Company w e propos e now to d e al with th e rise
,

an d progr e ss of British asc endancy in th e adj ac e nt

co a st re gions which wer e incorporated in the Br itish Pro
,

t e c tora te of th e N iger in 1 8 8 4—8 5 Prior to that th e various .

,

rivers known as the O il R iv e rs had b ee n for many y e ars

,
*
,

virtually in the hands o f E nglish trading firms and e arli e r ,

still w e r e the r e sort of slaving v e ss e ls and palm oil m e r

chan ts—more generall y known in thos e days as Palm
”
Oi
l R uf
fian s .

Until 882
Gr e at Britain had no Consul r e sid e n t in
1

the Oil R iv e rs the B ritish Cons ul who look e d after this

,

part of the coast living on the S panish I sland of F e rnando

P0 of which for many years h e was also S p anish Gov
, , ,

ficials may be m en
e r n or T A mong the earli e r of the se o f
.

tion e d Captain J ohn Beecroft (pr e viously r e f e rr e d to ) ,

Hutchinson R ichard Burton (th e famous trav e ll e r )

, ,

Charles Livingston e (broth e r of th e e xplor e r ) Hopkins , ,

The S O - c a ll e d O n R iv e r s fr o m w es t to ea s t w er e th e B e n in ,

E s cr a v o s , W a r ri (F or c a d os ) ,
B ra s s , St . N ic h o l a s , S t . B ar b ar a ,
St .

B a r th o lo m e w ,
S om b rer o , N ew C a la b a r , B o n ny , A n d oni (S t . A n to nio ) ,
O p o bo , Kw o I b o , A k p a y a fe , Kw a , a n d C r o ss , th e l a s t fo u r o fwhic h
e m p ty th e m se lv e s in to t h e O l d C al a b ar b e fo re r e a c hin g t h e s ea .

T H is fi
O f c ia ltitl e w a s C o n s ul fo r th e B ig h t o f B ia f r a a n d th e

I sl a n d l h 9
F ore ign
‘
o f F e r n a n d o Po B u r to n c.a ll s th e a t te r t e

Of
fi ce G ra v e .
94 B R I T I SH NI GE R I A .

and Hartl e y ; whil e with the e stablish m ent of th e Con

s ul at e at Old Calabar w e find associat e d such nam e s a s
H e wett H H J ohnston and A ynsl e y Wh en th e Consul
, . .
, .

resid e d at F e rnando Po his visits to the Oil R ivers wer e ,

o nly occasional S inc e h e had to d e p end for conv e yanc e

,

e ntir e ly on the chanc e arrival of a British

gim boat at -

F ernando Po Cons e quently th e rive rs w e r e l e ft v e ry

.

much to themsel ves though as the P O R beg an to b e , , . . .

sup e rsed e d by th e better class of E nglish trad e r who ,

became more or l e ss a r e sid e nt in the count ry it was soon ,

evid ent that som e form o f local adm inistration was a n ec es

s ity. The trad e rs th e r e for e e stablish e d in most of th e
rivers what was termed a Court of E quity whose m e mbers ,

conferred occasionally with H M s Consul ; but th e Court . .

’

had no r e al j urisdiction and the most it co ul d do was to

regulate in a m e a sure affairs connect e d with trad e This
, , .

it app e ars to hav e don e with a c e rtain am oun t of success ,

and it gained suffici e nt influ ence over the chi e fs (principally

by holding out th e thr e at of s en din g for the Consul a n d
a gun boat ) to induce them to e xp e nd their c om ev in
-

opening up trade rout e s Gomey (the native re n.

d e rin g of custom duty ) was the duty levied by the chief

on im ports an d in the days of sail ing vessels consisted
, , , ,

as a rul e of E urop e an goods to th e value of a puncheon

,

of palm oil for each mast in a ship ; while bar comey

or custom bar was th e e xport duty— one iron bar
-

on each pun cheon of o il shipp e d by the trader B e sid e s .

”
these there were commissions known as
,
E x bar -
,

“
W ork b ar ” “
-
Gentleman s Dash
,
an d “
Boy s Dash ’
,
’
.

Th e exist e nce of the Court of E quity was of short

duration but with th e r e moval of the British Cons ulat e
,

to Old Calabar the pow e r of the Consul incr e ased By .

th e O rd e r in Council appoin ting th e Consuls th e y w e re

given f ull pow e r and autho rity to carry into e ffe ct a n d ,

e nforc e by fine or imprisonm e nt the obs e rvanc e of a ny ,

treaty b e twe en Great Britain and the native chiefs ; to

make rul e s and r e gulations for th e peace ord e r and good , ,
’
gov e rnm ent of Her Maj esty s subj e cts in th e territory ;
and to r e mov e any individual who should prove r e fractory
96 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A .

which co u ld affe ct the succ e ss of th e adm inistration of

th e Prot e ct o rat e was forgott en and p rior to its ,

in augurati o n e v e ry minor d e partm e nt had be e n work e d

out A s an e xampl e of o rganisation perhaps nothing
.

mor e compl e t e has e v e r b e en und e rtak e n in so short a

tim e ; e v e rything was car e full y plann e d in E ngland ; on
th e appoin t e d day th e C o nsul G e n e ral and his staf f of -

of ficials l e ft London for th e Oi l R iv e rs e ach knowing ,

e xactly wh e re h e was going and what h e had t o do Thus .

”
this little band of Pilgrim F ath e rs as th e y call e d th e m ,

s elv e s f ell into th eir plac e s at o nc e ; th e V ic e Consuls

,
-

and C o nsular A gents w e r e dr o pp e d at th e ir vari o us riv e rs ,

and the D e p artm e ntal O ffic e rs comm enc e d to o rganis e

e —
th ir sev e ral d e partm e nts Customs Post O fiic e Mil itary
*
, , ,

Marin e Tr e asury and B o t a n ic a l j

, Th e Customs D ep art
,

me nt was o f imm ens e importan ce sinc e on it d e pend e d ,

th e r e v e nue which was t o pay f or th e whol e administra

tion a n d without at pr e s e nt ent ering into d e ta ils w e

, , ,

will only say that th e duti e s coll e ct e d cam e up to th e

most sanguin e e xp e ctations and it was possibl e in 1 8 93 —4 ,

to pay off th e initial d e bt of the Prot e ctorat e ,

so that from the outs e t it was s elf — supporting F or th e .

purpose o f k e eping ord e r among the wild nativ e trib e s

a Constabulary f o rc e was organis e d— r e cruit e d from th e
Yoruba c o un try i— and s e v e ral arm e d riv e r st e am e rs and
div id e d in to th r e e d ivis io n s — th e e a s t er n , c e n tr a l , and we s t ern
e a ch u n d er a d iv ision al c on s u l a r o f c er fi . T he ea s t e r n d iv is io n w a s
s yn o n ym o u s with th e O ld C al a bar d is tr ic ts ; th e c e n tr al d ivis io n
com p r is e d th e d is tr ic ts b e tw ee n th e O p ob o a n d B r a s s R iv e r s and

th e w e s ter n d is tric t in c lu d e d W a rr i a n d B e n in .

o ll o win g
The f e x tr a c t f r o m th e A nn u a l R e or t f
p o r 1 8 9 5
—6 is

c u r io u s : Po s t a l R e v e n u e : d e c re a se o f D u e m a in ly to
th e re qu ir em e n ts o fs ta m p c o ll e c t o rs (w h o had b o u gh t la r g ely of th e
new iss u e in 1 8 94 —5) b eing s a tis fied .

T A L o n d on of
fi ce was e s t a b lis h e d ,
u n d er an A ge n t G e n e ra l ,
-

wh er e w er e m a d e fo r th e p u r c h a s e o fs u p p lie s a n d
a ll a rr a n g e m e n t s

p la n t th e a p p oin tme n t o fo f
,
fi c ia ls e tc I n 1 8 96 th is w a s a b olish e d
,
.
,

a n d t h e w o r k t a k e n o v e r b y th e C r o w n A
ge n ts f o r t h e C o l o nies .

1 S tr e n g th o f th e fo r c e in 1 8 9 7 4 50 m e n a r m e d with M a r tin i , ,

H e nr y c a r b in e s fo u r 7 p o u n d er g u n s tw o M a xim s a n d tw o N or d en
,
-
, ,

fel d ts . In 1 8 9 8 —9 an a d d itio n w as m ad e o r c e o f 1 00
to t h e f m en ,
 TH E N I GE R C OA S T PR O T E C T OR A TE .
97

launch e s w e re put in to commission Th e di fficulties of .

the various o fficials in comm encing their duti e s w e r e

great th e re was littl e to go on but in th e cours e of tim e , , ,

t h e n ativ e s b e gan to grasp the situati o n and t o und e r ,

stand that th e n ew V ice Consul o f th e district had pow e rs

-

somewhat similar to thos e of th e old C o nsul e xc e pt that ,

h e was always pr e sent and so th e r e was no question o f

,

b e ing abl e t o tak e advantag e of his abs e nce to commit

lawl e ss acts on British subj e cts Th e n ativ e s w e r e not .

t e chnically British subj e cts and ord e r amongst th e m ,

s e lv e s was maintained by th e ir chi e fs though practically ,

“

th e latt e r w e r e giv e n t o und e rstand from th e b e ginning

that British p o w e r was p aramount and that th e Consular ,

Court was availabl e to anyon e who ch o s e to mak e u se of it .

I n this mann e r compl e t e control was e stablish e d in

th e n e ighbourh o od of th e various trading stations and ,

th e V ic e Consuls -
in the capacity o f political o ffic ers
, ,

gradually e xt e nd e d th e ir influ enc e among th e surround

ing trib e s ; n ew roads and markets w e r e O p en e d up ;
tribal warfar e was suppre ssed and st e ps w e r e taken to ,

put a stop to such barbarous customs as pr e vail e d among

th e p e opl e The eradication of all th e s e inhuman p r a c
.

tic e s is howe v e r a m att e r of tim e and th o ugh much has

, , , ,

been don e a gr e at deal still remains to b e don e b e f o r e th e

,

nativ e s can b e p e rsuad e d to ab andon t h e long— ch e rish e d

belie fs o f th e ir anci ent religion .

To d e scrib e the N iger Coast Prot e ctorat e as a d m in is

t e r e d pr e vious to I s t J anuary 1 900 it will b e simpl e st, ,

to tak e e ach district s e parat e ly and to d e al once and , ,

for all with th e geographical and top o graphical details

, ,

which of course r e main unchang e d W e will n egl e ct for

, ,
.
,

t h e t im e b e ing th e s e at of gov e r nm e nt and c o mm e nce

, ,

w ith th e w e st e rnmost district v iz B e nin The riv e r ,

. .

which giv e s its name to th e district flows down in a

tortuous course fro m th e north e ast and e nt e rs the s e a at -
,

th e M a x im s w er e in cr ea se d to fiv e , a nd th e f
or c e w a s r e ar — m e d with
M a r tini E nfi eld man m o n th
’
th e -
E a ch c a rried a. sp r ovision s
an d 1 00 r ou n d s o f a m mu n itio n ; F o r in c r ea s e d s tr e n g th

s ee p a ge 1 27

H
98 B R I TI SH N I GE R I A :

°
a point 5 3 E and 5 46 N in th e Bight o f Benin
,
’
.
° ’
.
,

famous by r e ason of th e old c o upl e t so o ft e n qu o t e d :

B eware a nd tak e care o f th e B igh t o f B enin ,

Wh en ce f
ew c ome ou t th ough many go in
,
”
.

The mouth of th e riv e r owing to th e somewhat shallow ,

wat e r on th e bar is only navigabl e by v e ss els drawing l e ss

,

than tw elv e f ee t of wat e r ; c o ns equ entl y o c e an g o ing ,

-

st e am ers proc ee d to th e F o rcad o s R iv e r passing th ence ,

by th e cr e eks t o B e nin S e v e n or eight mil e s from the .

m o uth and on th e right bank of th e riv e r is a cr eek by *

which cano e s can pass t o Lagos t o wn ( a distan c e o f 1 70

mil e s ) ; tw o or thr e e mil e s high e r up and o n th e sam e ,

bank is th e B r oh em ie Cr e ek l e ading to N ana s To w n

, ,
’
,

whil e t en mil e s furth e r on a r e two o th e r imp o rtant cr ee ks ,

whos e e ntranc e s lie alm o st opp o sit e o n e an o th e r that on ,

th e right bank c o ming down from Gwato th e port of B e nin , ,

that on th e l e ft bank conn e cting with th e F o rcad o s R iv e r .

A bov e this th e riv e r is still of som e siz e but at a distanc e ,

of about fifty mil e s from its mouth clos e t o S a p ele j it , ,

‘

bifurcates th e two arms b e ing known r e sp e ctiv e ly as

.

th e J ami e s o n a n d th e T h e boundari e s o f th e
district thr o ugh which this riv e r and its tributari e s flow
w e re on th e w e st the C o l o ny o f Lag o s and on th e e ast
, ,

t h e E scravos or E sc a r d os R iv e r which s eparated th e ,

B e nin district fr o m th e W arri district .

W h e n th e Prot e ctorat e was first e stablish e d ther e ,

w e r e tw o principal chi e fs through w hos e hands th e whol e

trad e of th e B e nin c o untry pass e d— th e King o f B e nin
and his vassal N ana b o th of whom hav e sinc e had to ,

b e suppr e ss e d and r e mov e d W ith th e latt e r accounts .

w e r e s e ttl e d in 1 8 94 but the story o fth e B enin massacr e

F ir s t n a v ig a t e d by a E u ro p e a n in 1 891 , wh en C a p ta in G al lw ey
a nd M r H al y H u t to n m a d e
. th e j o u r n ey in fiv e d a y s . Vid a G eo
g r a phica l j ou r n a l , Vol I , p a g e 1 2 2 . . .

1 A go o d r o a d fr o m S a p el e to B e n in City ( bou t t we n ty fiv e
‘
a -

m il es ) w a s c o mm e n c e d in 1 8 9 7 .

I C all e d after Mr . J a m ies o n a nd h is s te a m er th e E thiop e . Vid a

p a ge 3 4
1 00 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

swamp th e only m e ans o f communication b e twee n it

,

and th e B e nin R iv e r b e ing the B roh em ie Cr e e k which , ,

howev e r was kn o wn to b e prot e ct e d by b atteri e s along

,

its b anks I t was th e r e f o r e d e termin e d to cut a path

.

through th e bush and tak e th e batt e ri e s in flank a f e at ,

succ e ssfully accomplish e d th o ugh not without imm ens e ,

labour ; and having carri e d th e first batt e ry the forc e

, ,

comm e nc e d to advanc e on th e town its elf F r e sh paths .

w e r e cut through th e bush but o wing to th e innum er , ,

abl e cr ee ks and the h e avy fire from th e guns o f th e t own ,

it was f o und quit e impossibl e to make rapid progr e ss ,

and e v e ntually th e e n e my s fire b e cam e so gall ing that ’

the f o rc e was o blig e d to r e tir e I t was evid e nt that with .

out r e inforc e m e nts th e town could not be tak e n ; accord

in gly during th e nin e t ee n days that it took to pr o cur e
,

th e s e from the Cap e th e P haz be and A lecto w e r e occupi e d

,

in bl o ckading the cr e e ks and b o mbarding th e town from

th e B enin R iv e r .

By th e 2 0th S eptemb e r th e Philomel and the Widgeon

had arriv e d and th e bombardm ent becam e brisk O n
,
.

the 2 3 rd th e advanc e commenc e d through th e bush a path ,

b e ing cut in a som ewhat wider circuit than pr e vi o usly ,

and though N ana k ept up a st e ady fire with his artill e ry

and machin e guns littl e damag e had b ee n don e wh en th e
,

party r e tu rn e d to th e boats in th e e vening On th e fol .

lowing day th e final attack was mad e 1 00 Constabulary ,

m en and 1 3 6 blu e j ack e ts proce e ding by land whil e th e ,

r e maind e r of the forc e ad vanc e d up th e cr e e k in th e

’
ships boats T h e r e sult was a compl e t e succ e ss and th e
.
,

e n e my finding their guns tak e n in front and flank mad e

, ,

but a f eeb le r e sistance b e fo r e taking to flight Th e town .

was in th e poss e ssion o f the British forc e by 8 a m a n d . .

,

during th e n e xt two days it was destroy e d A n att empt .

was th en m ad e to captur e N ana but although his cano e , ,

with all his p e rsonal belongings and £3 2 4 in E nglish mon e y ,

was captur e d he hims elf manag e d to e scap e ov e rland

,

to Lag o s wh e r e h e surr end e re d on th e 2 6 th O ctob e r

, ,

b e ing aft e rwards tri e d at Old Calabar and s ent enc e d t o

be d e port e d t o th e Gold Coast By th e removal of this .
 TH E N I GE R C OA S T PR OT E C T OR A T E . 1 01

turbul e nt spirit imm ens e b e n e fits accru e d to th e trad e of

th e district the m e rchants b e ing enabl e d to d e al dir e ct
,

with th e produc e rs who in their turn gain e d th e advantage

, , ,

of r e c e iving a fairer price for th e ir palm oil -

.

N ana in spite of his shortcomings

,
had gen e rally ,

prov e d fri e n dly to E urop e ans and had c e rtainly b ee n ,

a k ee n trad e r ; but with r e gard to B e nin prop e r whos e ,

capital li e s consid e rably to th e north and at a distance

from th e river matters w e r e diffe r e nt the kings o f B e nin
, ,

for many y e ars p ast having discouraged int e rcours e with

E urop e ans T h e first E nglishman to V isit B e nin City
.

was a Captain W indham who conduct e d a trading e x ,

p e d i t io n from E ngland in 1 553 with t h e r e sult that h e

,

him s e lf and most of th e cr ews of his v e ss e ls di e d from on e

caus e or anoth e r W indham was follow e d thirty fiv e .
,
-

y e ars lat e r by J am e s W e lsh who within th e n ext fiv e

, , ,

y e ars mad e two voyag e s to B e nin and brought h o m e a

, ,

r e mun e rative cargo of iv o ry palm oil and p epp e r F rom ,

-

, .

this tim e B e nin City was fr e qu e ntly visit e d by P o rtugu e s e

and Dutch m e rchants and o ccasionally by trav ell e rs ,

of oth e r and from all accounts a c entury or ,

mor e ago was still th e capital of a v e ry p o we rful kingdom

, ,

b e ing laid o u t with wid e str ee ts an d possessing e v en hand ,

s o m e buildings O f lat e its d e cay has b ee n rapid and

.
,

forty y e ars ago wh e n Burton visit e d th e plac e from F er

,

nando Po th e country was alr e ady on th e d e clin e

,
.

Trad e with E urop e ans had n e v e r b e en r egularly e stab

lish e d for th e principal r e ason that few l egitimat e m e r
,

chants car e d to risk d e aling with a m o narch wh o p e r

p e t r a t e d th e vilest crim e s and w h o was quit e
,
capabl e

of ordering the crucifixion of anyon e with whom h e hap

p e n e d t o b e displ e as e d Th e slav e— . trad e rs not b e ing .

so sq ue amish and for th e most part as unprincipl e d as

,

any king o f B e nin car e d littl e how th e y obtain e d their

,

cargo e s so long as th e y fill e d th e ir ships and ther e for e ,

k i a m e U b in i T h e B e nin p eo p l e th e m s e lv e s c a ll it A d o
J a r n . .

T G io v a n ni B e l z o ni t h e E gyp tia n t r a v e ll e r
,
in a n e n d e a v o u r to ,

r e a ch T i m b u c to o d ie d a t G w a to (B e n in t er rito r y) o f d ys e n ter y
, , ,

3rd D e cemb a r , 1 82 3 .
 1 02 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

mad e th e Benin R iv e r a r e gular port of call T h e abo lition .

of th e slav e trad e compl e t e d the ruin of B enin as th e king , ,

inc e ns e d at th e loss o f his r e v e nu e did all in his pow e r ,

to pr e vent a ll d e alings with E urop e ans a condition of ,

things which c o ntinu e d until about t w e lv e ye ars ago ,

wh e n s e v e ral British m e rch a nts e stablish e d factori e s on

t h e banks of t h e B enin R iv e r and f or a tim e succ e e d e d
,

in carrying on indir e ctly a fair am o unt of busin e ss wi th

B enin City T h e supp o rt afford e d by th e pr e s enc e of
.

a p e rman e nt Vic e Con s ul in 1 8 91 gav e th e m su ffici e nt

~
, ,

e ncourag e m e nt to op en factori e s high e r up th e riv e r

a t Gwato and S ap e l e— and lat e r on wh e n t h e hulk H in , ,

d oostcm was t o w e d up to t h e latt e r plac e and conv e rt e d ,

into th e V ic e — Consulat e th e trad e rs cam e in touch

with th e pr o duc e rs th ems e lv e s Th e s e w e r e m o stl y S obos
.
,

dwelling consid e rably t o th e e ast o f B enin City for th e ,

Bin is w e r e r e strain e d from trading by r e ason of th e f e tish

e mbargo plac e d 011 th e ir mov e m e nts by th e king who ,

was r egard e d as th e gr e at e st j uj u —man o f W e st A frica .

T h e v w e r e f o rbidd e n by j uj u e ith e r t o l e av e th e ir c o untry

or to cross wat e r and so it was hop e l e ss for th em to a t
,

tempt trad e except through J a k ri o r o th e r middl e m e n

,
-
.

O n e of th e first duties of th e n ew V ic e C o nsul o f th e -

district was to open up r e lations with th e king and fo r ,

*
this purpos e in 1 8 92 Captain G a llw e y visit e d B enin
, ,

City and succ e e d e d in concluding a tr e aty with his

,

Maj e sty b y which i t was hop e d that th e trad e of th e

,

country would be gre atly d ev e lop e d A s tim e pass e d .

,

how e v e r it b e cam e e viden t that in fac e o f t h e treaty

, , ,

t h e king had n o in t e ntion of b e coming l e ss barbarous

in his cust o ms or mor e frien dlv in his attitud e t o wards
,

white m en than had b e e n his pr e d e c e ssors N e ith e r did

,
.

t h e ov e rthrow o f N an a app e ar t o impr e ss him for h e ,

was so convinc e d of his o w n powe r as a j uj u — man that

h e snapp e d his f ing e rs at all int e rf e r e nc e H e c o ntinu e d .

t o k e e p th e trad e of th e countr y closed and plac e d e v e ry ,

obstacl e in th e way of his p eople visiting th e British fac

tori e s and of th e British m e rchants visiting his city
,
.

N ow Lie u t Co lo n el G a ll w e y ,
.
-
D S O
. . .
 1 04 B R I T I SH N I GE R I A :

shot down O f th e n ative carri e rs only a few e scap e d

.
,

whil e with th e e xc eption of Captain B oisr a gon and Mr

, .

Locke all th e E urop e ans were massacr e d

,
The two .

E nglishm e n aft e r s ee ing th e ir compani o ns kill e d took

, ,

t o th e bush in which th e y wander e d for fiv e days e n

, ,

during e v e ry sp e ci e s o fhardship and su ff ering much from ,

s e ve ral wo unds but e v e ntuall y arriving in saf e ty at th e

,

*
Gwato Cre e k Th e acti o n o f th e Consul G en e ral in
.
-

taking an unarm e d mission into B e nin t e rritory against

t h e wish of th e king has b ee n s e ver e ly criticis e d wh e th e r
h e act e d unwis e ly or not we will not now discuss ; it is
su ffici e nt to kn o w th e unfortunate r e sult .

The punitiv e e xp e dition which foll o wed is m o r e satis

factory r e ading s! N o s oo n e r h ad th e n ews o f th e massacre
"

reached E ngland than th e Cap e S quadr o n was o rd e r e d

up to und e rtak e th e duty of punishing th e king and his
p e o pl e for th e ir tr e ach e rous conduct and s o w ell was e v e ry ,

thing manag e d that within six w e e ks o f th e fat e o f th e

Mission b eing kn o wn — b e for e King A b u Bini had e v e n
finish e d “
making his father —a British forc e had d e
str o ye d B enin City and th e chi e f t owns o f the c o un try ,

and had r e turn e d to th e coast N e ither was it as in the .

,

”
cas e o f many of these campaigns a walk ov e r for th e ,
-

Binis r e sist e d stoutly at s e veral points and th e bush ,

fighting was most trying work th ough in th e e n d th e ,

n ativ e s found i t quit e impossibl e to withstand sh e lls ,

roc ke ts and Maxim gun s j ,

B enin City its elf w a s o ccupi e d
,

on t h e 1 8 th F e bruary and th e state in which th e place ,

was found pass e s all d e scription ; in e v e ry dir e ction w e re

t o b e s ee n crucifi e d corps e s h e adl e ss trunks hug e pits , ,

fill e d with bodi e s in various stag e s o f d e composition ,

A t h r ill in g a c c o u n t o ft h e ir a d v e n tu r es is giv e n in T h e B e n in
M a s sa c r e “ b y C a p ta in A l a n B ois r a go n
, ,
o n e o f th e tw o s u r v iv o r s ,

1 898 3
15
B e ni th e City o f B l d “ b y C o m m a n d er R H B
1
'
n o o ,
. . a con ,

R N . .
,
1 8 97

1 U n til t h e b o m b a r d m en t h a d c o mm e n c e d th e k ing fully b eliev ed

th a t his j u- uj was s t r o n g e n o u gh to p re v e n t a ny white m a n e n terin g
th e c ity .
 TH E N I GE R C OA S T PR O T E C T OR A TE : 1 05

and altars dripping with fresh human blood Th e on e .

lasting r e membrance o f B e nin in my mind says Com ,

“
mander Bacon is its sm e lls Cr u c ifixion s human sac
, .
,

r ific e s and e v e ry oth e r horror th e e ye could ge t accus

,

to m e d to to a larg e e xt e nt but th e sm e lls no whit e man s

’
, ,

int e rnal e conomy could stand F our tim e s in on e day .

I was practically sick from th e m and many mor e tim e s ,

on th e p o int of b e ing so E v e ry p e rson who was abl e .

,

I should say ind ulg e d in a human sacrifice and thos e

, ,

who could n o t sacrificed som e an imal and l e ft th e remains

in fr o nt o f his hous e . A ft e r a day or so th e whol e town ,

s e e m e d on e hug e p e st house ”
W e spare th e r e ad e r -
.

further d e scriptions of th e loathsom e spot to which not ,

inappr o priat ely has be e n applied the nam e of th e City

,
”
of Blood .

S imultan e ously with th e advanc e on B e nin City two

o th e r columns had b ee n engaged in th e captur e of Gwato
and S a p ob a r in both o f which O p e rations th e r e was con
,

s id e r a bl e troubl e with th e nativ e s though they were ,

*
soon r e duced to r e ason O nly one thing was wanting .

to complete th e succ e ss of the exp e dition ; th e king and

his war chi e fs fl e d on th e approa c h of th e British force
-
,

and though e ve ry e ffort was mad e to e ffect th e ir capture ,

it was s e v e ral months b e for e th e y e v e ntually gav e th e m

s e lv e s u p j That th e y go t th e ir d e s e rts we n ee d hardly
.
‘

say .

The only other district in the west e rn division of the

Pr o t e ctorat e was W a rri i l y ing b e twe e n th e B e nin dis ,

t r ic t and th e t e rritori e s o f th e R o yal N ig e r Company ,

th e F orcados R iv e r forming the boundary b e tw e e n th e

two administrations Th e river is on e of th e most im .

portant mouths of the N ige r ; and for a distanc e o f some

T h e to tal B ritis h c a s u al ties in th e thr ee c o lu m n s w er e Kill e d ,

tw o of
fi c er s a n d fiv e m e n w ou n d e d fiv e o fi ,
c e r s a n d tw e n ty s ev e n
-

m en » The s u r v iv o r s s uf r om
fer e d s ev er e ly f fev e r a fter w a r d s .

1 A u gu s t 5th 8 97
'

,
1 .

1 O th e r n a m es ,
I w er e , O w e r e , O w ih er e , A w e r r e , W a r r e Q u a rr e
,
.

B ar bo t c a ll s it D ow err e , A w er r i, O u w err i, O v e ir o , a nd F or c a d os
in d is cr imina t ely .
1 06 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

t en mil e s from th e s ea is thre e or four mil e s in width ,

whil e its bar is practicabl e for th e larg e st o c e an going -

v e ss els th e re b e ing as much as nin e t e en fe e t of wat e r at

,

high tid e Lag o s which as is w ell known is m o st u n for

.
, , ,

t un a t e in its approach fr o m th e s e a has l o ng utilis e d th e ,

F orcad o s fo r th e trans shipm e nt o f cargo from th e larg e

-

st e am e rs into v e ss els of light draught ; and this m o uth

has many advantag e s ov e r th e N un for th e transport
*

o f m e rchandis e ma temel etc to th e upp e r part o f th e

’
’

.
, , ,

Lo w e r N ig e r Thus Burutu at th e mouth o f th e F or

.
,

cados has b e c o m e th e p o rt o f N orth e rn N ig e ria and h as

, ,

supplant e d A kassa as th e chi e f d e p ot of th e N ig e r Com

pany .

T h e V ic e Consulat e of th e district was situat e d clos e

-

to th e nativ e town o f W arri (th e J a k ri capital ) s o m e ,

forty mil e s from th e F orcad o s mouth and was surr o und e d ,

by s e v e ral old — e stablish e d E urop e an trading h o us e s wh o s e -

busin e ss in palm oil was don e chi e fly with th e S ob o p e opl e

-
,

J a k ris T in som e instanc e s acting as middl e m e n T h e -

.

littl e s e ttl e m e nt lin ing th e banks o f th e cr ee k still e xists

, , ,

and pr e s e nts a pictur e squ e app e aranc e though situat e d , ,

as it is in a typical mangrov e swamp it must b e d e cid e dly ,

unh e althy Much has o f r e c ent years b ee n d o n e t o im

.

prov e th e place the bush has b een cl e ar e d and c o nv e rt e d

into c o ff e e plantations and s e v e ral n ew and hands o m e ,

buildings hav e b e en e r e ct e d for th e o f fi cials wh o s e ,

e n e rgi e s hav e r e sult e d in str e ngth e ning th e British posi

tion in th e c o untry and in inducing a most fri e n d ly ,

f e e ling towards E urop e ans among th e n e ighbouri ng trib e s .

A k a ssa .

T S h a kr i Z a kr i J a k r y J e kri Z ek ri
'

, , , , ,
D z e k ri ,
D s e k ir i I z e k r i,
,

I sh ek iri T c h ek r e e tc
, ,
 CH A PTE R V I I I .

THE N I GE R C OA S T P R O TE C T O RA T E (contin ued ) .

The B r a ss D is t ric t—T h e A tt a c k

A k a ss a —T h e F igh t a t N im bé
on
—N ew C a l a b ar— B o n ny— O p ob o—T h e N o t o r iou s J a J a — O k o
J u m b o—O ld C al a b a r— I t s E u r op e a n S e t tl em e n t s .

HE districts of th e c e ntral an d e ast e rn divisions of t h e .

N ig e r C o ast Prot e ctorat e from w e st t o e ast w e r e , ,

Brass * N ew Calabar B o nny O pob o and Old

, , , ,

Calabar (th e capital ) which may b e consid e r e d to con

,

s titu te th e r ea l O i l R iv e rs Brass was in 1 8 95 th e obj e ctiv e

.

o f an I mp e rial e xp e diti o n and th e r e for e is o f mor e ,

than ordinary inter e st A s a m o uth O f th e N ig e r it

.

has b ee n kn own to E urop e ans for many y e ars for ,

t h e r e ad e r will r e m e mb e r that it was h e r e that t h e

Land e rs e v e ntually found th e ms elv e s at t h e t e rminati o n
of th e ir v o yag e of dis c o v e ry ; T but long b e for e th e ,

int e r e sting probl e m had b e e n solv e d by th e two broth e rs ,

Brass and th e adj ac e nt Oil R iv e rs had b ee n th e r e sort

of trad e rs in sl aves and palm oil who how e v e r troubl e d -

, , ,

th e ms e lv e s but littl e about such g e ographical qu e stions

as wh e nc e cam e this gr e at river Th e trading fa c tories j; .

’
a r e situat e d a short distanc e within th e riv e r s mouth ,

clos e to th e nativ e villag e of Tuon § th e capital of th e ,

Brass chi e fs b e ing som e thirty mil e s high e r up th e riv e r ,

at N imbé | B e sid e s th e s e plac e s th e only o th e r town of

.
,

any importanc e is F ishtown built among th e mangrov e ,

Por tu gu ese n ame, R io B e n to th e E n glis h na me , B ra ss , wa s

giv e n t o t h e p l a c e fr o m th e b r a ss u te n sils (N eptu n es ) a n d rod s , which
w er e th e p rin c ip a l im p o r t s a c en tu ry a go .

T Vid e p a g e 2 7 .

1 C a bl e c o mm u n ica tio n with L a gos a nd B o n ny .

T u wo n , T w a , B ra ss -
to w n .

N e m b e, D e m b e, N e m p e, N u m b é , I t e b u a nd , b y o ld t ra d er s ,
s im p ly B r a s s T h e p eop l e a r e k n o wn a s N 1371 13 6 n a n ga s
"

. .
1 08 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

swamps about two mil e s from the factori e s N um e rous

, .

cr ee ks connect th e riv e r with th e main stre am o f th e

Low e r N ige r on th e w e st and with th e S t N icholas * ,
.
,

S t Barbara S t Barthol o m e w S ombr e r o N ew Calabar

.
,
.
, , ,

Bonny and oth e r D elta R iv e rs o n th e e ast wh il e th e

, ,

cr e ek l e ading from Brass to A kassa is of s o m e consid e r

abl e siz e and n avigabl e for riv e r st e am e rs drawing six
,

or s e ven f ee t of wat e r Th e p e opl e O f Brass i a r e l o ok e d .

'

on b y m o st o f th e ir n e ighbours as infe riors and though ,

som e o f th e chi e fs a r e w e althy and pow e rful th e bulk ,

of th e populati o n consists of slaves e ith e r bought from ,

t h e inland trib es i or born in th e hous e holds o f the chi e fs

,

or h e adm en many of whom w e re th ems e lv e s o riginally

,

slav e s .

T h e Brass district § was p e rhaps th e m o st di f ficult , ,

part with which th e Prot e ct o rat e G o v e rnm e nt e ver had

t o d e al sinc e it was impossibl e to ge t thoroughly in touch
,

with th e p e opl e owing principally to th e e xist ence o f

,

what th e chi e fs consid e r e d a gri e vanc e I n 1 8 56 th e Brass .

chi e fs conclud e d a tre aty with Gre at Britain by which ,

th e y agre e d t o giv e up all conn e ction with th e traffic in

slav e s and t o d e al o nly in such l e gitimat e comm o diti e s
,

as palm O il rec e iving b e sid e s th e pric e o f th e oil duty

-

, , ,

or c om e y pre vi o usly r e f e rr e d to Th e s e chi e fs w e re

,
.

n o t pr o ducers but m e r ely middl e m en and by s ending

,
-

their cano e s and trading boys up c o untry th e y w e r e abl e

to O b tain from th e riv e rsid e nativ e s o f th e Lo w e r N ig e r
, ,

a larg e amount o f O il T h e op e rati o ns o f Macgr e g o r .

Laird and ind e p e nd e n t trading v e ss e ls o n th e N ig e r told

on th e Brass trading chi e fs sinc e th eir markets w e r e tapp e d
”
,

by th e whit e m e n ; and upwards of tw enty y e ars ago th ey

laid th e ir complaints b e fore th e British C o nsul Th e y .
,

how e ver r e c e iv e d little satisfaction but hoping that

, ,

N a tiv e name, K ol a .

1 The o ld t r ib a l m a r k s w er e s ix s h or t p er p e n dic u l a r in c isio n s

'

b e twe e n ey e a n d ea r .

1 Pr in c ip a ll y I b o s .

T h e l a n g u a ge spo ken in th e B ra s s d is tr ic t is a d ia l e c t of I jo,

I dz o, or Oru:
1 10 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

f
ew p e rmanent o fficials th o ugh th e A gent G e n e ral p e ri o d
,
-

ic a lly visit e d th e plac e N o more fav o urabl e obj e ct for.

plund e r could b e imagin e d and th e Brass p e opl e w e r e , ,

’
O f cours e w e ll awar e of this T h e Company s Officials
,
.

had on s e ve ral occasions b e e n warn e d that an attack

, ,

on A kass a was in cont e mplation but as th e Brass p e o pl e ,

show e d no signs of carrying th e ir thre ats into e x e cution ,

th e oft r e p e at e d warning b e gan to b e disr e gard e d

-
and ,

little or n o incr e ase was mad e in th e garris o n o fth e plac e .

I n J anuary 1 8 95 matt e rs cam e to a h e ad and unkn o wn

, , , ,

to th e o fficials of th e N ig e r Coast Prot e ctorat e in charg e

of th e Brass district th e chi e fs o rganis e d a m o nst e r e x
,

p e dition in which e v e ry villag e was r e pr e s e nt e d by a

,

c o ntinge nt of arm e d m en and a fl ee t of war cano e s .

O n the 2 7 th J anuary th e V ic e C o nsul at Brass r e ,

-

c ei v e d an anonymous l e tt e r warning him of th e coming

attack o n A kassa ; but having n o f o rc e at his command , ,

h e was unabl e to do mor e than s e nd on th e l e tt e r t o th e

A g e nt G e n e ral of the Company who was at th e tim e at
-

A kassa .This o ffic e r although not beli e ving that th e

,

Brass p e opl e would v e ntur e to attack in f o rc e d e cid e d ,

t o tak e pr e cau ti o ns against any small raids which might

p o ssibly b e m e ditat e d and station e d hims elf at night ,

at th e h e ad of th e landing stag e with a machin e gun -

,
-

commanding th e riv e r A small st e am e r was sent to .

patrol th e cr ee ks l e ading to Brass but o wing to th e dark ,

n ess o f the night and a h e avy mist hanging ov e r th e riv e r

(h e r e a mil e or so in width ) th e Brass c a no e s cr o ss e d u n ,

*
o bs e rv e d and th e force
,
landing s o m e distanc e b elow ,

’
th e O f fic ia ls quart e rs comm e nc e d th e attack from a p o si
,

ti o n which was not e xpos e d to th e fire of th e gun at th e

landing stag e T h e fight that e nsu e d was of th e fi e rc e st
-
.

d e scription and though th e fe w E urop e ans and many of

,

t h e nativ e empl oyé s mad e g oo d th e ir e scap e A kassa w a s ,

c o mpl e t e ly sack e d and numb e rs of Kr ub oys and o th e r

,

nativ e s e rvants of th e Company w e r e e ith e r slaught e r e d

’
o r tak e n prison e r Th e app e aranc e at th e riv e r s mouth
.

A b o u t tw o t h ou s a n d m e n .
 TH E N I GE R C OA S T P R OT E C T OR A T E . 1 1 1

of a st e am e r which was mistak e n for a man o i—

,
war -

caus e d th e victorious Brass m en to b e at a hasty r e tr e at ,

though not b e for e th e y had secured their loot and th e ir

nativ e prisoners Thes e unfortunat e s w e r e conv e y e d to
.

N imb é wh e r e on S acrific e I sland th e y w e r e publicly

, , ,

*
e x e cut e d and th e n eaten by th e fr e nzi e d savag e s This .

revolting final e to th e ir r e v enge th e Brass p e ople aft e r

wards e xplain e d by ass e rting that it was th e ir anci e nt
cust o m to kill and eat th e ir prison e rs o f war ; and als o , ,

that at this tim e it was thought advisabl e to hav e a big

human fe ast in ord e r to ge t rid o f an e pid e mic of small
” '

pox th e n pre val e nt in th e d is tric t T .

W ithin a fe w days th e Consul G e n e ral was o n the -

spot and in conj unction with a naval brigad e th e N ig e r

, , ,

C o ast troops towards the e n d of F e bruary comm e nc e d

, ,

an attack on N imb é T h e Brass m en o ffe r e d consid e rabl e .

r e sistanc e but the Ogb olom a m b ri quart e r o f N imb é and

,

F ishtown w e r e burn e d to th e ground and th e inhabitants ,

driv e n into th e bush Th e r e sult was not alt o g e th e r .

satisfactory as th e chi e fs for th e most part r e fus e d to

, , ,

surre nd e r and it was im possibl e to follow th e m int o th e

,

intricaci e s o f th e vast mangrove swamp Mor e ov e r the .

,

actual damag e d o n e to th e ir prop e rty was immat e rial ,

as th e ir huts could be rebuilt in a few days and th e y ,

w e r e abl e to carry away in th e ir flight a ll th e ir b elon gin gs I .

L at e r in th e y e ar S ir J ohn Kirk was s e nt fr o m

, ,

E ngland to inquir e § into th e caus e of th e rising wh e n ,

T w en ty f mploye s w ere kill ed A k a s sa , a nd th e ir h ea d s

’

ou r -
e at

w er e t a k en a w a y a s tr op h ies F o r ty th r e e p r iso n e rs w er e e a te n a t
.
-

N im bé a n d t w e n ty fi v e o th e r s w e r e e v e n tu a lly r el e a s e d
,
-
.

T R ep or t b y S ir J oh n Kir k o n th e D is tur b a n c es a t B r a ss .

A fric a . N O .
3
1 T h ey e v e n tu a lly
p a id a h ea vy fi n e .

M a n y in te r es tin g fa c t s w e r e e lic ited a t this in q u ir y T h e kin g .

o f t h e B r a s s p eo p l e , C h ie f Ko k o , h a d o rigin a lly p r o fe s s e d C h r is t ia n

ity , b u t h e a nd m a ny O f his foll o w er s h a d r e tu r n ed to fe tis his m ,

b e c a u s e th ey h a d lo s t fa ith in th e w hite man
’
s G od , w h o h a d
a ll o w e d th e m t o b e o p p r es s e d
“ . C hie f W a rr i and a fe w o t h er

h e a d m en a d h er ed t o C h r is tia nity , and refu s ed t o a ll o w th e ir t w e n ty

fiv e p r is o n er s t o b e fi
s a cr i c ed .
1 12 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

e ve ntually th e matt e r was amicably settl e d and p e ac e ,

t e e stablish e d in th e distri ct
-
.

Th e N e w Calabar district was situat e d b e tw ee n Brass

and Bonny and had only on e important trading stati o n— a t
,
-

D e gama— wh e re th e V ic e Consulat e was e stablish e d on board-

th e hulk George S k oiton anch o r e d in the S o mbr e ro R iver at

, ,

a distanc e of about thirty mil e s from th e s e a Th e riv e rs an d .

cr e e ks in this part O fth e Prot e ctorat e a re num e rous in fact ,

in th e districts o f N ew Calabar and Bonny th e r e is almost

as much wat e r as dry land and D e gama can b e approach e d ,

from th e sea by asce nding e ith e r th e S ombr e ro R iv e r (th e

most dire ct rout e ) th e N ew Calabar R iv e r and the D e gama
,

Cr ee k or th e Bonny R iv e r and Bol e r and Cawthorn e Cr e eks

, .

Lik e th e ir n e ighbours of Brass th e p e opl e o f N e w ,

Calabar (r e siding principally at Bugama A bon e ma and , ,

B a c k a n a ) had a mark e t gri e vanc e against th e R o yal N ig e r

Company but satisfactory arrang em ents w e r e subs e
,

qu ently arriv e d at A bout e ighty mil e s d u e north O f

.

"

D e gama li e s Oguta Lak e situat e d at a distanc e of som e ,

twe nty mil e s in a dire ct lin e fr o m A kra Ugidi o n th e l e ft ,

bank o fth e Low e r N iger F ro m this lak e flows th e O r a ts h i

.

R iv e r * which aft e r r e c e iving from th e N ige r a str e a m

, ,

kn o wn as th e N doni Creek e mpties itself into th e S om ,

b re r o R iv e r almost O pposit e D e gama Th e N ew Calabar .

chi e fs obtain e d a gr e at proportion o f their palm oil from -

th e O guta mark e ts which w e r e how e v e r clos e d to th e m

, , ,

by virtu e of treaties made between th e O guta chi e fs and

th e N ational A frican Company This gav e ris e to bad .

f ee ling betw e e n the N ew Calabar p e opl e and th e

Company un til even tu ally th e b o undary b e tw ee n N e w
, , .
,
’
Calabar and the Company s t e rritori es was fix e d at I d u ,

a town about half way betwe e n D egama and Oguta Lak e

-
.

Th e next district on th e e ast was Bonny with h e ad ,

quart e rs clos e to th e town o fth e sam e n a m e T Th e Bonny .

I n its l ow er c o u r s e c a ll e d th e E n g e n n i .

T Th e Af r ec t T el e gr a p h C o m p a n y h a s
r ica n D i a s ta tio n h er e ,
t h e n ea r e s t s t a t io n to O ld C a l a bar . T h er e is a ls o a t el egr a p h of
fi ce
at B ra s s , b u t t e l e gra p h ic co mm u n ic a tio n with N or th e r n N ig er ia is
c a rrie d o n vid L ag o s , J e bba ,
Lo k o j a , a nd th e B en ué .
1 14 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

This may p e rhaps b e account e d for in two ways— th e

, ,

punishm e nt d e alt out to th e m in 1 8 8 7 wh e n th eir chi e f , ,

th e notorious J a J a was d e port e d ; or th e r e sp e ct f elt

,

for Consul G e n e ral Ma c Don a ld who brought back J a J a s

-
,
’

corps e to Opobo for burial J a J a w a s o n e of th e most .

e nlight e n e d chi e fs of the coun try and had ris e n from t h e ,

position o f slav e to that o f h e adman h aving amass e d ,

consid e rable w e alth in his trading transactions His in .

v e te ra te f o e was O k o J umbo of Bonny whose ant e c e dents ,

had b ee n similar to those of J a J a and who had also ,

mad e mon e y and b e com e a chi e f Both m en had be e n .

Bonny slav e s and w e r e at on e tim e fri e nds ; but having

, ,

quarr ell e d J a J a e stablish e d hims elf at O pobo A pro

, .

*
longe d war was wag e d b e tw ee n O pobo and B o nny a n d .
,

J a J a b e ing t h e aggr e ssor was summon e d by the British

,

Consul to desist This h e r e fus e d to do and in oth e r

.
,

ways m ad e hims elf g en e rally O bj e ctionabl e to th e British

t r a d e rs T until men o i war arriv e d and blockad e d th e
,
- -

river when J a J a was r e mov e d from the sc e n e to S t

,
.

V incent ( Cap e V erd ) H e r e h e r emain e d a prisoner at

.

larg e for som e tim e and aft e r p e titioning th e Gov e rn

, ,

ment on s e v e ral occasions it was at l e ngth consid e r e d ,

advisable to allow him to return to his country on th e ,

condition that h e renounc e d all his form e r rights A c .

c or d i ngly h e was transf e rr e d to T e n e riff e wh e r e h e was ,

to me e t th e Consul G e n e ral of th e N iger Coast Pr o t e ctorat e

-
,

and b e conducted back to O pobo ; but b e fore this could

b e carri e d out h e unfortunat ely di e d His chief com .

p anion during his exile was a fav o urit e bull dog whom -
,

he facetiously named Ok o J umbo aft e r his old e n e my ,

o f Bonny .

The E urop e an factori e s a re built o n both banks of

t h e riv e r close to its mouth and th e nativ e town of O pob o
,

l i e s about f o ur mil e s high e r up stre am and on th e right ,

bank A bov e this in th e e arly y e ars of the Pr o t e ct o rat e

.
, ,

l ittl e was known o fth e c o untry but e v e ry e ff o rt was mad e ,

E a c h o f th e tw o c h ie f
s had a fo r c e o fs o me m en ,
a rm e d

with m o d er n w e a p on s ,
w h o fo u gh t in l a r ge w a r -
c a n oes .

T H e l e v ie d c om ey o n e a ch t r a d e r to t h e e x ten t of £ 70 .
 TH E N I GE R C OA S T P R O T E C T OR A T E : 1 1 5

to open it u p and at th e end o f1 8 96 a succ e ssful missi o n

,
*
, ,

visit e d th e important town of B e ndi which had hith e rto ,

b e en clos e d to E uropeans and tr e ati e s w e r e n e gotiat e d ,

with th e chi e fs Th e distanc e from Opob o is about 1 8 0

.

mil e s and pr e vious to th e visit O fMaj or Le onard th e plac e

,

had b ee n r e gard e d as of m ost e vil r e put e for in its n e igh ,

b ou rh oo d was suppos e d to e xist th e supr e m e j uj u c o u r t t ’

—th e v e ry nam e O f which has always b e en a t e rror to

th e O il R iv e r nativ e s .

I t r e mains only to d e scrib e th e hom e district — Old

Calabar which in e xt e nt and imp ortanc e is sup e ri o r to
,

any of t h e o utl ying districts o f th e Pro te ctorat e T h e .

country h e r e abouts is wat e r e d by s e v e ral larg e riv e rs ,

t h e principal o f which a r e t h e Kwo — I b o and Cross i o n t h e

w e st and th e O ld Calabar Kw a (or A kwa ), and A k pa ya fe
, ,

on th e e ast O fth e s e th e last f o ur unit e at a sh o rt distanc e

.

fro m th e s e a to f o rm what is call e d th e Old Calabar

E stuary § and th e Cross R iv e r flows down from th e far
,

int e rior in a long and winding cours e having on its banks ,

num e rous towns and villag e s p e opl e d by a vari e ty of

int e r e sting trib e s T h e nativ e s o f O ld Calabar and th e
.

low e r Cross R iv e r says C o nsul J o hnston “ b e long to th e

, ,

E fik rac e I n languag e and n o d o ubt in origin th e y

.
, , , ,

a r e alli e d to t h e I bos of th e N ig e r D e lta Th e y hav e scarc ely .

b e en s e ttl e d at Old Cal abar mor e than a c e n tury and a half .

O riginally th e y cam e from th e I bibio district on th e Cross

R iv e r and drov e o u t and partly supplant e d th e A kpa
,

trib e w h o originall y inhabit e d Old Calabar T h e E fik

,
.

p e o pl e a re n o w much mix e d in blood having imp o rt e d ,

”
many slav e s fr o m t h e Camer o ons fl .

M ilit a ry p os t s w er e s u b se q u e n tly e s ta b lis h e d a t A c qu e t ta h

a n d N gw a s o m e d is t a n c e in l a n d
,
.

T Lo ng J u j u
”
Vid e C h a p te r X VI
. .

1 N a tiv e nam e, O y on o .

§ T en or el e v e n m ile s wid e ,
and h a v in g n u m er o u s wood e d
isl a n d s .

MN e w S ir H . H . J o h n s ton ,
l a te S p e c ia l
C o mm is s io n e r fo r U ga n d a .

“
if Pr o c e e din g s o f th e R oy a l G e o g r a p h ic a l S o c ie ty , r

Vq me X .

p a ge 7 54
1 16 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

T h e E urop e an s e ttl e m ents as w ell as the nativ e town

,

*
(Duke Town ) of Old Calabar is distant about forty mil es ,

fr o m th e s ea and owing to th e vast impr o v em e nts carri e d

, ,

out by th e Prot e ctorat e S taff th e plac e was soon trans ,

f o rm e d into a picture squ e and sanitary t own — without

doubt th e h e althi est station in th e Oil R iv e rs This is .

partly account e d for by th e fact that th e C o nsulat e a n d

public offi c e s w e re built on a hill som e 2 00 f e e t abov e th e
river and cons e qu ently ab o v e th e damp mists rising o ff
,

th e swamps By th e sid e of th e riv e r a wid e marina

.
,

plant e d with tr ee s was construct e d ; hospitals barracks

, , ,

and various public buildings w e re e r e ct e d ; and th e

n ativ e town usually in th e s e parts a dirty and unsanitary
,

spot was plac e d und e r strict r e gulations Life at Old

,
.

Calabar has always had many advantages ov e r oth er

plac e s on th e Coast ; s o cial gath e rings at which E nglish ,

ladi e s (from th e Missions and e ls ewh e re ) a r e t o b e f o und ,

’
r eli e v e th e monotony of th e O ffic ia ls e xist enc e ; whil e
such pastim e s as crick e t lawn t ennis g olf and e v e n cycling
, , ,

— things unheard o f o n th e W e st Coast of A frica a few

y e ars a go h a v e b e come popular forms o f amus e ment
m
.

T h e int e rior of th e district has b ee n e xplor e d in s e v e ral

dir e ctions and advanc e d p o sts hav e b ee n e stablish e d
,

at Uw e t at I tu (sixty mil e s up th e Cross R iv e r ) and at

, ,

E diba (e ighty mil e s high e r up ) Th e Cr o ss R iv e r furnish e s

.

th e most important wat e rway in this part O f th e Pro

t ec tora te and as far back as 1 8 42 was asc e nd e d b v
, , ,

B ee croft for a distanc e of n e arly 2 00 mil e s — to the rapids ,

which now form one of th e A ngl o G e rman boundary points -

.

T h e whol e cours e of the riv e r lying in British t e rri

t o ry has now b ee n brought und e r th e control of th e S outh
e r n N ig e rian Pr o t e ctorate and is patroll e d by an arm e d
st e m wh eel st e am e r Th e nativ e s have giv e n som e
-
.

troubl e and s e v e ral punitiv e e xp e ditions have be e n found

,

n e cessary ; but th e country is gradually acc epting th e

n ew o rder of things and is s e ttling d own to p e ac e ful pur
,

suits On e O f th e first e xp e diti o ns o f th e N ig e r Coast

.

T h e o th e r im p o r ta n t n a tiv e tow n s in th e im m e d ia te n e igh

b o u rh o o d a r e F is h T o w n a n d C r ee k T o w n .
1 1 8 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

th e wat e rways must e v e r remain the principal trad e rout e s

of this V e nic e — lik e Prot e ctorat e and th e sol e m e thod o f
,

advanc e is to push military posts and trading stations

to th e h e ads of th e s e wat e rways T h e tim e may c o m e .

wh e n it may be p o ssibl e to r e mov e all Gov e rn m ent and

c o mm e rcial headquart e rs away from th e p e stil e ntial
n e ighb o urhood of th e coast t o th e high e r and h e althi e r
re gions o f th e interior ; but until th e nativ e o ffi cials hav e
b een su f fi ci e ntly e ducated to carry on th e administrativ e
duti e s o n th e coast this cannot b e hop e d for S ir R alph .

Moor (th e Consul Gen e ral ) with r e f e r enc e to this said

-
.

in his r eport for 1 8 97 I would sugg e st that som e

'
“

sch e m e might b e drawn up for th e s e nding of nativ e s ,

wh e n th e y have O btain e d su ffici e nt profici ency in th e

sch o ols of W e st A frica to I ndia or C e yl o n wh e re aft e r
, , ,

a short cours e in th e native coll e g e s and sch ools th e y ,

might for a p e riod b e e mploy e d in th e d e partm ents o f

administration By this syst e m of e ducation in a country
.

wh e r e th e O bj e ct l e ssons of m o r e advanc e d civilisation

would b e b e for e th e m th e y could no doubt b e c o m e c o m
, , ,

”
p e t ent and capabl e administrat o rs in th e ir own country .

I n th e matt e r of t h e rudim e ntar y education o f th e

nativ e s of th e O il R iv e rs Gov e rnm ent scho o ls hav e no t
,

*
as ye t b ee n e stablish d but grants hav e b ee n mad e t o
e ,

t h e various Missions f or th e d e v e lopm e nt o f industrial

schools which hav e prov e d of in estimabl e b en e fit T h e
, .

chi e fs v e ry frequ e ntly s e nd th e ir sons abroad to b e e d u

c a te d ,
and a consid e rabl e numb e r com e to E ngland
som e O f th e m r e c e iving a Univ e rsity e ducation This .

class of nativ e will doubtl e ss becom e of gre at assistanc e

, ,

in th e administrati o n O f th e country ; but th e ov e r

e ducation of th e poor e r class e s has b ee n found in n e igh ,

b ou r in g British Col o ni e s t o pr o duc e idl e n e ss and ev e n

, ,

d e stitution sinc e nativ e s who hav e acquir e d a smatt e ring

,

o f E n gli s h consid e r that any e mpl o ym e nt o th e r than tha t

of cl e rk in an O ffic e is to o hard and t oo d e grading .

In 1 8 9 8—9 a bou t
 CH A PTE R IX .

THE N E W A DMI N I S TR A T I ON .

A S t u d y in C ol o n ia l E v ol u t io n— T h e F o r e ign O ffi c e L e tte r—T h e

T r e a s u ry M in u t e —T h e R oya l N ige r C o m p a ny A c t—T h e T w o
P r o t e c t o r a t es .

HE raw mat e rial is work e d into shap e by th e

F or e ign O f fic e until th e tim e arriv e s wh e n th e
fin e r proc e ss e s o f th e Colonial Office are applic
abl e . Thes e words o f a w ell known statesman e xplain
-

fully th e m e thod adopt e d as consid e r e d most suitabl e

, ,

for th e gradual e xpansion O f our E mpire and th e a d ,

ministration o f B ritish N igeria in th e pas t and in th e

pr e s e nt is an e xc e ll e n t e xampl e of the st e p b y st e p d e - -

v e lop me n t O f a B ritish poss e ssion A t first w e find th e

.

F or e ign O f fic e acting as guardian of a Chart e r e d Com

pany in one part an d in the other part as guiding star
,

to a totally di ff e r e nt form O f gov e rnm e nt viz Consular , .

J urisdiction Th e n follows th e transition — the F or e ign

.

O ff ic e has play e d its r ol e and th e Colonial Office st e ps

,

in to apply the fin e r proc e ss e s Th e Chartered Com

.

pany o f th e N ig e r and th e N ig e r Coast Prot e ctorat e pass

away and from th e ir ash e s aris e the British Prot e ctorat e s
,

of N orthern N ig eria and S outh e rn N ig e ria .

Le t us how e v e r s ee how th e gre at transformation

, ,

sc e n e was work e d on th e stag e That th e machinery .

was in good ord e r th e last thr ee chapt e rs hav e shown and ,

for the final shift all that was r e quir e d was the pull of
t h e string — the stroke of a p e n — when two n ewly nam e d
British Colonial poss e ssions app e ar e d b e for e th e fo o t
lights That th e whole thing was som ewhat sudd e n th e r e
.

can b e no d e nying ; e v e ryon e w h o kn e w anything o f

N ig e ria was awar e that dir e ct I mp e rial control ov e r th e
north e rn p arts was m e r e ly a matt e r o f tim e but few con ,

t e m p l a t e d that th e tim e was so n e ar at hand E v e nts .

,
 1 20 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

hav e howe v e r mov e d rapidly of lat e y e ars in this quart e r

, ,

o f th e glob e and th e dr e ad o f fre sh int e rnational com

,

plications comp e ll e d th e Gov e rnm e nt t o tak e th e one

st e p which could av e rt di fficulti e s with oth e r E urop e a n
P o w e rs .

I n J un e 1 8 99 t h e following l e tt e r was addr e ssed to

, ,

t h e Tr e asury by th e F or e i gn O f
fic e

F oreign Oflice ,
1 5th j n n e, 1 8 99 .

SIR,
Th e Mar qu ess alis bury h a s for s ome time past h a d
of S

un d er con si d erati on th e qu es tion O f appro achi ng th e R oyal

N iger Compan y with a vi e w t o relievi n g th em O f th eir righ ts
a nd function s o f administration on re ason ab le t erm s H is .

Lord sh ip h as arriv e d at th e Op inion th at it is d e sirabl e o n

grou n d s o f nat ional p olicy th at th e s e righ ts a n d function s
sh ould be tak en ove r b y H er Maj esty s G ove rnmen t n ow th at ’

th e ra tific a tion s o f th e A n glo Fr e n ch Con ve n ti on o f J u n e 1 4th

-
,

1 8 98 ,
h ave b een exch ange d a n d th at th e fronti ers o f th e tw o
,

c ountrie s h ave b e en cle arly e stablish ed in th e n eighb ourh oo d

o f th e t e rrit o ri e s a dmi n is t e re d by th e Compan y Th e state .

o f af fairs cre ate d b y this Con v en ti on mak es it i n cumb ent o n

H er Maj esty s G overnmen t to maintain an immediate c ontr o l
’

o v e r th e fro nt i e r a n d fiscal p ol icy o f Briti sh N i geria such a s

c an n o t b e e x e rci s ed s o long as th at p olicy is dictated a n d e xe
c u te d b y a Company w hich c om b i n e s c omme rcial profit w ith
a dministrative resp onsi b il it ies Th e pos sib il ity o f th e e arly
.

claim b y th e Fr ench G overnmen t t o profit b y th e ad vantages

in th e Low e r N iger w h ich a re s e cur e d to th em b y th e Con
v e n tion ma k es it e ss enti al th at a n I mp erial aut h o rity sh oul d
,

b e on th e spo t t o c ontrol th e d ev elopm en t o f th e p olicy w h ic h

a ctuat e d H e r Maj e st y s G ov e rnm e n t i n gra n tin
g t h o s e a d va n
’

tage s a n d to prevent th e d if
,
fi cultie s w hich w oul d b e sure t o
arise w ere th e Compan y s o fficials al on e t o r epre sen t B ritis h
’

int ere sts .

Th e re a re moreover o th e r c ogent re asons for th e step

, ,

n ow cont emplat e d Th e W est A frican Fro n tier F orce n ow

.
,

u n d er I mp erial officers ca lls for direct I mp erial control ;

,

t h e s ituat ion cre at e d t o w ar d s o t h er firms b y t h e c omm erci a l

p os ition O f th e Company w h ich alth ough s trictly w ithin th e
, ,

ri g h ts d ev o lvi n g up o n it b y Ch art e r h a s su c c ee d e d in es ta b lish

,

ing a practical m on op oly o f trad e ; th e man ne r in w hich thi s

1 22 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

O n th e transfer to th em of th e ab ove mention e d p ow ers -

,

d uties a n d righ ts H er Maj e sty s G ov e rn m en t will ass ume

’

, ,

e nt ire lia b ility f or th e annual pa ym en t o f n ow a ch arge

u p o n th e a d mi n istrativ e re v enu e o f th e Compan y b ein g in t eres t ,

at 5 p er cen t on th e pu b lic d e b t o f th e N iger t e rri

.

t orie s repayab le at par on I s t J anuary 1 93 8

, , .

T h e righ t to re d ee m th e stoc k or a n y part o f it at £ 1 2 0 p e r

£ 1 0 0 st oc k o n I s t J anuary o r I s t J uly i n a n y previous ye a r
o n gi vi ng th ree month s n o tic e is res erv e d b y th e Gov ern
’

men t .

W ithin on e month aft er th e revocati on o f th e Ch arte r ,

H e r Maj esty s G ove rnmen t w ill pay to th e Company a sum

’

of as th e price o f th e righ ts afores ai d a n d a s ,

c omp ens ation for th e inte rrupti on a n d d islocati on o f th e

Company s b usin ess w h ich w ill r esult from th e revocation o f
’

th e Ch art er .

With i n th e same p eri od H er Maj esty s G ove rnmen t will ’

p a y to th e Compan y a furth e r s u m o f in r epaym ent

o fsums a d van c e d b y th e Compan y fro m t i me to time i n cluding ,

in t erest t h e re on f or th e d ev el opm ent a n d

, ext ensi o n o f th e

N ige r t errit ory in e x c ess o f th e re v enu e from cust oms d utie s

a n d ch ar e s l evi e d b y th e Compan y u n d e r th e pr visi s of
g o o n

th e Ch art er such ad van ce s b e in g in exc ess o f an d d ist in ct

,

from th e n ecess ary e x p ens es o f th e o rd inary civil a d m in is

tr a tion o f th e t e rr it ori es .

H er Maj e sty s G ov ernm ent on as sumi n g th e p ow ers righ ts

’

, , ,

a n d d uti e s afo r esai d w ill impos e a royalty on a ll min e rals

,

w h ich may b e w ork e d in such p ortion o f th e B ritish provinc e

o f N o rth ern N i g e r ia a b out t o b e es ta b l is h e d as i s b o un d e d o n

th e w est b y th e main str e am o f th e N ige r a n d o n th e e ast b y

a l in e ru nning d ire ct from Yola to Zind er provid ed th at such ,

mi n erals a re e x port e d from a B ritish p ort or pass t hrou gh a

B riti sh Custom H ous e .

H e r Maj e s ty s G ove rnm en t w ill pay t o th e Co mpan y o r

’

its a s s ign s o n e h a lfo fth e r e ce ipts fr om any r oyalty s o imp os e d

,

for a p e r iod o f 99 years fro m th e r evocat ion o f th e Ch art e r ,

a n d n o sp e cific ta x ati o n s h all b e imp o s e d o n th e m i n in g inte res t ,

a s s uc h w hic h w oul d pr e v e n t th e imp ositi o n o f suc h a n am ount

,

o fr oyal ty as may b e c ompat ib l e w it h th e d ev el opm en t o f t h at

in d ustry in th e t e rrit or ie s in qu esti on .

O n th e rev oc ation Of th e Ch art e r H er Maj esty s G ov ern

’

m en t w ill tak e ov e r from th e C ompan y its war mate rial s a n d

 TH E NE W A D M I N I S T R A T I ON . 1 23

buildings for a dministrative purp os es a nd fiso much o f th e ,

Co mp a ny s plant i n clu d ing st eam e rs build ings a n d l a n d a t

’

, , ,

stati ons wh arves store s e t c as is spe cifie d in th e s ch e dul es

, , , .
,

attach ed t o th is Min ute A n i n v ent o ry o f th e store s tak en

.

o v e r is to b e s e ttl e d b y an o fficer n ominate d by th e G ove rn

ment a n d an Office r n ominate d b y th e Compan y n ot late r th an
I s t O ct ob er n e x t A sum o f
. is t o b e p ai d to th e Co m
pan y for ev e rything inclu d e d in this claus e .

My Lord s approv e th e t erms o f th e A greement as state d

to th em b y th e Ch anc ell or o f th e E x ch e q u e r a n d d ire ct th a t ,

a n or d e r may b e su b mitt e d t o th e Q u e en in Co unc i l r evokin g

t h e Ch art e r o f th e Company on a d at e to b e s p e cifi e d in such
ord er.

Le t c opi e s o f th is Mi nut e b e lai d b e fo re b o th H ous es o f

Parliam ent .

’
This practically s e ttled ev e rything for Her Maj e sty s ,

Com m ission e rs for th e N ige r Coast Prot e ct o rat e and for

N igeria *
had alr e ady valued on th e spot th e various plots
o f land buildings steam e rs stor e s etc to b e taken ov e r
, , , ,
.
,

from th e R oyal N ig e r Company— th e sum agre e d up o n

b e ing as m e ntion e d abov e
,
A nyon e wishing
,

for full information as to how this sum was arriv e d at

will find th e it e ms o f th e valuation giv e n in d e tail in th e
Blu e Book of 1 8 99 (C and w e will only summaris e
th e m h e r e und e r two h e ads v iz Land and buildings
, .
,

“
v e ss els and fighting material Th e ,

R oyal N ig e r Company A c t (6 2 and 6 3 V ict c 43 ) s et .

,
.

forth what is contain e d in th e abov e l e tt e r and Tr e asury

Minut e th e Tr e asury b e ing e mpow e red to issu e out of
,

th e Consolidat e d F und sums to th e amount o f

for th e purpos e of p aying o ff th e R oyal N ig e r Company .

T h e Bill pass e d thr o ugh Committ e e without am e ndment ,

and third r e ading o n J uly 2 7th 1 8 99 , .

A y e ar lat e r (v iz 7 th A ugust 1 900 ) th e Tr e asury

.
,

issued an A ccount O fth e Mon e y E xpend e d and Borrowe d ,

an d th e S e curiti e s Cr e at e d und e r th e R oyal N ig e r Com

,

p any A c t ,
as follows

A C o m missio n er for N ig e ria h a d b ee n a p p o in t e d so m e y e a r s

b e fore th e R oy al N ige r C o mp a n y s u r r e n d e r ed its c h a r t er .
1 24 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

R O YA L N I G E R C O M PA N Y A CT , 1 8 99 , 6 2 e 6 3 V I CT . C .
43 .

A CC O U N T OF MON E Y E X PE N D E D AN D B OR R OW E D ,
AND SE CU R I T I E S
CR E ATE D .

I —A. cc ou n t o fM on ey E xpen d ed ;
In r ed e m p tio n (a t £ 1 2 0 p er £ 1 00 S toc k ) o ft h e

Pu blic D e b t o f th e N ige r T e rr it o rie s

P a id t o th e R N ige r C o m p a n y
oy a l

Pr ic e o fL a n d a n d M in in g R igh ts , and C om
p e n s a tio n for I n te rru p tio n Of B u s in ess

e tc .

I n R e p a y m e n t w ith I n te r e s t of S um s A d
v a n c e d b y t h e C o m p a n y in e x ces s o f th e

R ev e n u e , t o d e v e l o p th e T e rr it o ry
F or S to r e s , B u il din gs , S t ea m e r s , e tc .

Th e w h ol e O f t his S u m w a s iss u e d fr o m th e C o n so lid a t e d F u n d ,

but w as su b se q u en tly re
p a id and c h a r ge d t o th e Vo t e for

C o l o n ia l S e r v ic e s (s ee S u p p l e m e n ta r y E s tim a te , H ou se o f C o mm o n s

Pa p e r , N O .
48 of

II .
—A ccou n t ofM on ies B or r owe d a n d S ec u r ities C r ea ted .

B o rr o w ed ,
r ep a ya ble by a T e r m in a l A n n u ity , to be
c h a r ge d t o Vo t e s o f Pa r lia m e n t , th e fi rs t p a ym en t
a l l d u e in 1 9 0 1
to f —2
T r ea s u ry C ha mber s ,

7 th A u gu s t, 1 900 . E . W . H A M I LT O N .

M e anwhile o n th e I s t J anuary 1 900 th e I mp e rial

, , ,

authoriti e s took charg e o f th e N ig e r Company s t e rri ’

tori e s about ,
square mil e s o f which w e r e hand e d
o v e r to th e N ig e r Coast Prot e ctorat e to b e j i n c orp o r a t e d

in th e n e wly nam e d Prot ectorat e of S outh e rn N ige ria

,
-
,

whil e th e bulk r e main e d to form th e Prot e ctorat e of

N orth e rn N ig e ria *
T h e following a re th e arrang e m e nts
.

which hav e so far b e en mad e for administ e ring th e two

Prot e ctorat e s
E s tim a t e d a r ea o f S o u th e r n N ig e r ia s q u a r e mil es of ,

N or th e r n N ige ria s q u a r e m il e s
,
.
1 26 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

has b een slow and must always b e s o for if d o n e in a hurry

, ,

and with no thought for th e w e lfar e and improv em e nt o f

the p e opl e it would tak e a v e ry short tim e for th e c o untry
,

”
t o fall b ack again int o its f o rm e r stat e But in S pit e .
,

o f t his h e maintains that as r e gards financ e s and pros

,

p ee ts of futur e d e v e lopm e nt S outh e rn N ig e ria is in a

m o st flourishing condition .

W ithout w e arying th e r e ad e r with a mass of statistics ,

it will doubtl e ss int e r e st him to know s o m e thing o f th e

s tat e of a ffairs which induc e s th e High Commission e r
to hav e th e s e gr e at e xp e ctati o ns I n th e first place th e r e
.
,

is the r e cord of ten y e ars to go on (for th o u gh its nam e ,

‘

has b ee n chang e d th e Prot e ct o rat e r e mains virtually th e

,

sam e ) and this r e cord is c e rtainly a r e markabl e on e

,

ii only from a financial p o int o f vi e w A n e w B ritish .

p oss e ssion has b ee n acquir e d has paid its w a y through

,

out and has a balanc e in hand of n e arly

, Than
this th e r e can p e rhaps b e n o bett e r proof of success and
, , ,

it is satisfactory to be abl e to say that this has not b e e n

produc e d by a m o n e y grubbing policy but has r e sulted
-
,

from th e car e fully work e d out sch e m e O f th e first Consul

G eneral and his staff .

N I GE R CO A S T PR O T E CT O R A T E .

t u re .

Th e r e v e nu e is d e riv e d alm o st e ntir ely from duti e s

on c e rtain imports such as liqu o r gu npowd e r salt a n d
, , , ,
 TH E NE W A D M I N I S TR A T I ON . 1 27

tobacco oth e r articl e s b e ing import e d fr e e Th e duti e s

,
.

imp o s e d on liquor will be d e alt with in a lat e r chapt e r

wh e n discussing th e probl e m of th e liquor tra ffic Th e .

natur e of th e e xports will b e s e e n from th e list giv e n in

A ppendix I and th o ugh littl e h Op e is e nt e rtained of fin d
.
,

ing n e w vari e ti e s o findigenous products suitabl e for export ,

th e r e is e v e ry e vid enc e that th e nativ e s a re b e coming

y e ar by y e ar more industrious and th e trad e in rubb e r , ,

timb e r and a few other commoditi e s is likely to incr e as e

,

v e ry consid e rably .

Th e Pr o t e ct o rat e it must b e r e m e mb e r e d is still in

, ,

its infancy and has still much uphill work b e f o r e it ;

,

num e rous barbarous trib e s hav e t o b e d e alt with and for ,

at l e ast another d e cad e w e must e xp e ct an annual puni

tiv e e xp e dition or two F or this purpose th e forc e a t
.

t h e disp o sal O f th e High Commissi o n e r viz th e 3 r d , .

N ig e r B att al ion W e st A frican F ronti e r F orc e ( 3 0 O f

,
fic e rs
and m en with a proportion of art ill e ry ) is non e too
,

strong ; but training disciplin e and arms o f pr e cision

, ,

mak e up for num e rical d e ficiency a n d th e prox imity o f ,

o th e r British (nativ e ) troops— in L agos an d N orth e rn

N ig e ria— giv e s confid e nc e S o far th e most important
.
,

work that this S outh e rn N ig e rian forc e has be e n call e d

upon to carry out has be en th e subj ugation of th e notorious
A ros inhabiting th e country b e tw e e n th e O pobo and Cross
,

riv e rs T h e e xpedition
. launch e d in D e c e mb e r 1 90 1
, , ,

”
had for its principal O bj e ct th e d e struction of Lo ng J uj u ,

and though i t e v e rywh e r e e ncounter ed obstin at e r e sist

,

a nc e it succeed e d in suppr e ssing for e v e r th e inhuman

,

practices of the J uj u pri e sts of A r o Chuku thus fr ee i n g -

t h e wretch e d pagans from th e f e tish yoke und e r which

th e y had liv e d from tim e immemorial * .

N O R T HE R N N I GE R I A .

Th e boundaries o f th e N orth e rn Protectorate a re as

f o llows : On the south the north e rn limits o f S outh e rn
,

N ig e ria and o f Lagos Colony ; on th e e ast the G e rman ,

Vid e Ch a p te r X VI .
128 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

Cam e roons and that p o rtion of Lak e Chad which li e s

within th e F r e nch sph e r e of influ e nc e ; and on th e w e st
and n o rth th e F r e nch sph e r e s of Dahom e y and S udan .

T h e principal off icials a re a High Commission e r a D e puty ,

High C o mmission e r R e sid e nts and A ssistant R e sid e nts

, ,

S e cr e tary t o th e A dministrati o n Tr e asur e r Chief J ustic e , , ,

A tt o rn e y G e neral Marin e S up e rint e nd e nt and Dir e ct o r

, ,

of Public W orks Th e h e adquart e rs of th e A dministra

.

ti o n hav e so far b e en at Lo k o j a but as soon as th e n e c e s ,

sary buildings hav e b e e n e r e ct e d th e y will b e mov e d to

a m or e salub ri o us sit e on th e K aduna R iv e r som e fifty ,

mil e s to th e north of Bida .

E v e rything is s o e ntire ly di ffer ent to that which p r e

vail s in th e south ern Pr o t e ct o rat e that m e thods which ,

apply to the latt e r cannot b e appli e d to N orth ern N ig eria ,

wh e r e for instanc e in plac e of a population o f barbarous

, ,

pagans inhabiting foe tid swamps w e find that th e maj o rity ,

of th e p e ople a r e s e mi civilis e d Mohamm e dans dwe lling

-

in a c o mparativ ely h e althy land ; and wh e r e mor e o v e r , ,

th e nativ e s hav e ye t t o l e arn that as subj e cts of th e ,

Great Whit e King (b e th e y pagans or M ohammedan s )

th e y will hav e e qual rights and e qual prospects Th e .

e stablishm e nt of th e Pa x B r ita n n ica in this e normous tract

o f country is a big und e rtaking but during th e short tim e ,

that th e n e w A dministrati o n has b ee n in e xist e nc e im

m e ns e strid e s hav e b ee n mad e and th e great e r part of ,

th e c o untry has b ee n divid e d up into administrativ e

districts and placed in charg e o f British political O f
,
fic e rs .

T h e districts thus e stablish e d or on th e point of b e ing ,

e stablished a re : I lorin
,
Kabba Middl e N ig e r (or Bida )
, , ,

Low e r Benu e Upp e r B e n u é N up e Kontagora B o rg u

, , , , ,

Zaria Bassa Muri Bantshi Yola and Upp e r and Low e r

, , , , ,

Bornu A glanc e at th e map will S h o w that the r e maind e r

.

o f th e Pr o tectorat e contains thr e e gr e at c e ntre s v iz ,

.

Gando S okot o and K ano e ach o f which will d o ubtl e ss

, , ,

e v e ntually b e com e th e h e a d quart e rs of a p olitical O ffic e r ,

thus c o mpl e ting th e arrang e m e nt o f districts at any rat e ,

for th e tim e b eing .

O n th e ability and e n e rgy of th e political offic e rs

 TH E NE W A D M I N I S TR A T I ON . 1 29

d ep e nds the futur e of the country Th e F ulahs r e gard .

with suspicion the intrusion o f th e whit e man since th e y ,

know that British o ccupation m e ans th e d e ath blow to -

slav e raiding Much c a n b e e ffe ct e d by diplomacy bu t

.
,

in d e aling with th e s e p e ople dipl o macy m ust be back e d

up by f o rce— troops must b e availabl e should the political
Of fic e rs r e quir e th e ir support This fact was w ell und e r .

st o od by th e pr e s e nt High Comm iss ion e r wh e n h e first

kn e w that th e Gov e rnm e nt int e nd e d taking ov e r th e ter
rit o rie s from the R oyal N ig e r Company and as e arly as ,

1 8 97 h e commenced to rais e and organis e the I mp e rial

H ausa C o nstabulary now known as th e N orth e rn N ige ria ,

R e gim e nt W e st A frican F ronti e r F orc e

,
The fighting .

stre ngth of this force at th e pr e s e nt tim e is about 1 00

British o fficers 50 British non commission e d o f
,
ficers -
,

and m en d ivid e d as follows : Three b att e ri e s o f

,

artill e ry (Hausas ) two battalions of infantry (Yorubas

, ,

Haus as and oth e rs ) and d e tachm e nts of sapp e rs mount e d

, , ,

infant r y e tc I n these troops e very confid e nce is placed

, . ,

and they h ave had ampl e opportunities o f proving their

ef fici ency and of displaying their fighting qualities I t .

is O f cours e a small forc e to e v e n police thes e far

, ,

e xtending r e gions m uch less to supply th e mat e rial

,
“

for th e e xp e ditions which from tim e to tim e b e come

n e c e ssary ; but at the sam e tim e it may perhaps
, , , ,

b e consid e red a h e althy si gn that th e officials de e m i t

p ossibl e to establish British supr e macy in a country
c o v e ring some squar e miles with nativ e
soldi e rs .

What has b e en don e in N orth e rn N ige ria sinc e th e

1 s t J anuary 1 900 and what r e mains to b e don e will b e
, , ,

fully e nt e r e d into elsewh e r e in th e se page s and in d e ,

scribing in detail th e territori e s administ e re d by th e

High Commission e r we shall adh e r e to th e old divisions
O f th e country into S tat e s ; for th e n e w administrativ e
districts a r e only t emporarily plann e d out and it is mor e , ,

ov e r e vid ently th e int ention to pr e serv e th e old nativ e

,

S tat e s a n d t o grant th e m such aut o nomy as is possibl e

,
.

T h e principal of these S tates may be briefly e num e rat e d

 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

as follows : On the e xtreme east Bornu ; th en S okoto

, ,

o ccupying a c entral position and includin g A damawa

, ,

Muri th e O ld Hausa S tat e s and s ev e ral minor kingd oms ;

, ,

whil e on th e e xtr e m e w e st lie Gando (with N up e and I lorin )

,

a n d th e pagan S tate of Borgu .

 1 32 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

e ve n th e F ulahs , but its constant succ e sses in war pro

d u ce d in th e p e o pl e and th e ir rul e rs that unfortunat e
co nfid ence that b eg e ts call ousn e ss Th e B ornus imagin e d .

th ems elve s to b e invincibl e ; th e arm y was n egl e ct e d ,

and th e ruling class e s b e came luxurious in th e ir habit

o f living — a tast e which soon spr e ad t o th e p e opl e o f th e

t owns T h e nation from b e ing warlike s o on d e v eloped

.
, ,

that e ffe minacy so fatally e vid e nt in th e p e ac e ful O ri e ntal ,

with th e r e sult as w e know now that B o r nu r e c ently b e

, ,

c a me an e asy pr e y to th e adv entur e r R ab e h *

and h is
hord e o fpartially train e d troops .

Of th e origin of th e Bornu p e ople it is impossibl e to

say anything d e finite for o f p r e r e cord tim e s littl e is ,
-

kn o wn and it must b e r e m e mb e r e d that until th e last

,

c e ntury no E urop e an had approach e d the c o untry S till .

,

such A rabic historians as I b n S aid (A D I bn B a . .

tuta (A D . . Makrisi (A D and Le o A fricanu s . .

(A D . . and th e F ulah S ultan B ell o giv e it as th e i r

O pinion — found e d with o ut doubt on th e best informa
, ,

ti o n obtainabl e— that th e earli est kno wn B o rnu kings wer e -

o f B e rber origin and that furth e rmor e th e B o rnu p e o pl e

, , ,

h eld th e tradition that th e y th emselves w e re d e sc end e d

from th e B e rbers I t is also r emarkabl e that the Hausa s
.

“ ”
still call the B orn u s B e rb e r e That th e pr e s ent in .

habitants are d e sc e ndants of th e aborigin e s of the countr y

is most improbable and e v e rything t ends to S how tha t ,

Bornu was in th e e arly days of Mohamm e danism conquer e d

, ,

by A rabs fro m the n o rth who in all probability consist e d , , ,

of s e veral trib e s and who having forc e d I slam on th e

, ,

conqu e re d rac e gradually form e d a mixed nation

, On e .

thing how e v e r is c e rtain : B o rnu is th e O ld est M oham

, ,

medan kingd o m in this part of A frica its rul e rs if not , ,

also th e maj ority o f its inhabitants having b ee n follow e r s ,

o f th e Pr o ph e t s e v e ral hundr e ds of years b e fo re th e ris e

of th e F ulah p o w e r .

T h e B o rnu E mpir e app e ars at di f fe r ent tim e s sinc e , ,

The f o r m er s l a v e O f Z u b e ir P a s h a H e h a d a b rillia n t c a r e e r .
,

b u t w a s u t te r ly d e fe a t e d a n d k ille d b y a F r e n c h e x p e d itio n n e a r
, ,

L a k e C h a d in 1 9 00 ,
.
 O U T L YI N G S TA TE S OF N OR TH E R N N I GE R I A . 1 33

A D
. . to h av e pass e d through s e v e ral distinct e pochs ,

in e ach of which on e or oth e r of th e n e ighbouring trib e s

gradually incorporated its e lf in the E mpire and b e cam e ,

*
t h e dominant pow e r Th e aborigin e s w e re .according ,

t o th e most r eliabl e accounts pagan n e gr o e s o f th e trib e ,

of S o w h o w e r e e v e ntually conqu e r e d by th e K anuri

,

( Ti b u s ) fr o m t h e adj ac e nt kingdom of K an e m ; and th e

K anuri language has r e main e d th e languag e of th e p e opl e .

Le o A fricanus t ell s us that th e early kings o f B o rnu cam e

from th e Libyan trib e of t h e B a r d oa o r B e r d o a T but , ,

B arth w h o studi e d th e s e matt e rs r e gards it as no t im

, ,

r o b abl e that by B er d o a was m e ant rath e r th e T e da or Tibu

p
t han th e r e al B e rb e r or Mazigh Wh at e v e r th e ir origin .
,

th e r e s ee ms to b e littl e doub t that th e kings introduc e d

n o rth e rn bl o od into th e c o untry f or until about A D 1 1 00 , . .

th e sultans of Bornu a re said to hav e b e e n of a r e d

”
c ompl e xion like th e A rabs and e v e n in th e s e v e nt ee nth
,
.
,

c e ntury it is r e cord e d that th e B o rnu army consist e d of

t w o parts — th e R e ds and th e Blacks .

Curi o usly e nough Bornu ow e d its ris e to importanc e ,

t o its n e ighbour Kan e m who with th e assistanc e of t h e , ,

T e da found e d th e pow e rful d ynasty o f th e Bulal a and

, ,

e stablished the gr e at M o hamm e dan E mpir e call e d by

Leo A fricanus G a ogo e xt e nding at th e b e ginning of th e , ,

s ixt e e nth c e ntury from K an e m e astwards to Dong ola

,

on th e N il e N ow K an e m as w e hav e s ee n had had a

.
, ,

h and in th e f o undati o n O f th e Bornu E mpir e and though , ,

t h e latt e r had d e clar e d its ind e p e nd e nc e th e f o rm e r still ,

c ontinu e d in on e way or anoth e r to hav e gr e at in fl u

, ,

e nc e o v e r th e small e r kingdom This was th e stat e of .

a ffairs fo r many y e ars until e v e ntually th e pow e r o f ,

B a r th m e n tio n s th e foll o win g s u l ta n s as h a v in g r e ign e d in

e a rl y tim e s o v er B o rn u A D
. . 1 00 0 , A yu m a 1 08 6 , H u m é ( th e firs t
M oh a mm e d a n r u ler ) ; 1 2 2 1 D a n a m a D ib a l a m i 1 3 07 I b r a him
, ,

N ik al e m i ; 1 3 53 E d ris b e n I b r a h im ; B a n d ; 1 3 8 7 , O th m a n b e n
,

E d ris ; 1 3 9 3 O m a r ; 1 4 7 2 A li D u n a m a m i ; 1 50 5, E d ris Ka ta r
, ,

k a m a bi 1 57 2 , E d r is A l a w o m a 16 26 H a j O m a r ; 1 6 4 5 A li b e n , ,

H aj O m a r .

T
“
W h er e t h er e is h a r d ly a n y th in g b u t s a n d , s cor p io n s , a n d
m o n s t ers ”— L eo A f
r ic a n u s
. .
1 34 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

Kan e m comm enc e d to d e clin e wh e n in the sixt eenth , ,

c e ntury th e Bornu sultan E dris Ka ta rk a m a b i compl e t ely

,

subdu e d th e rival kingdom and r e duc e d it to th e condi ,

tion of a pr o vinc e of Bornu S uch it r e main e d for m or e .

than two c e nturi e s whil e its suz e rain rapidly incr e as e d

,

in stre ngth a gr e at e mpir e was being built up Moham

m e dan C ivilisati o n had s e t in and th e warlik e rul e rs of ,

Bornu struck t e rror int o th e h e arts of e v e ry A frican trib e

within a radius o f hundr e ds o f mil e s .

F o r two hundre d years Bornu had no rival worthy o f

th e nam e and having d e f e at e d all com e rs comm e nc e d
, , ,

to look ab o u t for fr e sh conqu e sts This brings us to th e .

middle of th e e ighte e nth century w h en S ul tan A li Om a rm i ,

turn e d his att e nti o n to th e Tuar egs of th e north (th e v e ry

p e opl e in whom th e B o rnu dynasty had its origin ) T h e .

Tuar e gs had b e com e th e inv e t e rat e e nemi e s of Bornu ,

and although th e energ e tic A li Om a rm i succe ed e d in h o ld

ing th e m in ch e ck his succ e ssor A hm e d was f o und want
, , ,

ing and early in the last century th e Tuar egs w e re on the

,

point O f ove rthrowing the S efuw a dynasty when a n e w ,

en e my app e ar e d T h e F ulah rising (with which w e shall

.

deal at l e ngth in th e n e xt chapt e r ) was alr e ady an a c

complished fact and th e weak e r parts of the Bor nu
,

E mpir e had b ee n attack e d and subdu e d by this n ew an d

unfores ee n foe w hose operations w e r e swift and compl e t e
,

wh e n j ust as th e gre at kingdom was about to r e sign its elf

,

to th e domination of the F ulahs th e r e came o n th e sc e ne ,

a d eliv e r e r for Bornu I t was again K an e m that was

.

r e sponsibl e for th e maint e nanc e o f B o rn u s p o w e r for a ’

,

sheik of K an em birth took upon hims elf to pr e ach a j ehad

against th e F ulah invad e rs and rais e an army to d riv e ,

—
th e m out o fth e country Moh a m e d el A min el K an e mi .
* -

, ,

was born in F e zzan o f K an e m par e nts and having tra

, , ,

v e lle d in E gypt cam e as S h e ik o f th e K oran

, ,
to Kan em , ,

w h e r e he s o on gain e d imm ens e popularity on acc o unt

o f his b e n e vol ent disposition ; whil e as D e nham says ‘

, ,

“
the miracl e s and cure s which h e perform e d by writing ,

S o m e tim e s c a ll e d La m ino .
1 36 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

W hen Barth visit e d Bornu in 1 8 51 S h eik O mar was , ,

’
still r e igning though during th e gr e at trav e ll e r s s o j ourn
, ,

in th e c o untry an att emp t was mad e by th e O ld dynasty

t o d e thr o n e him and his br o th e r A b d er a h m a n actually
,

succe e ded in usurping th e throne for a few m o nths Omar .

,

h ow e v e r c o ntinu e d to r e ign until 1 8 8 1 but in spit e of

, , ,

his many go o d qualiti es h e was undoubt e dly a w e ak rul e r , ,

and his kingd o m c o mm e nc e d that d e clin e from which it

has n e v e r b e e n abl e to r e cover A cc o rding to th e strict .

l e tter of th e Koran succ e ssi o n follows from broth e r t o

,

broth e r now S h e ik O mar as w e kn o w h ad originally

, , ,

f o rty on e broth e rs of wh o m A bba N a s should hav e in

, ,

t h e natural cours e of e v e nts b e com e sultan but Omar , ,

by e vading th e Koran arrang e d that he should b e suc ,

c e e d e d by his s o n S h e ik B o ubak e r who accordingly r eign e d

, ,

until 1 88 4 H e was popular frank and g e n e rous and

.
, , ,

display e d sup e rior warlik e abiliti e s which how e v e r w e r e , , ,

c u t short by his pr e matur e d e ath whil e planning an ex .

p e d it ion against W adai B o ubaker was follow e d b y his .

broth e r S heik Birahim who again was succ ee d e d a y e ar

. , ,

lat e r by S h e ik A shim Under S h e ik A shim th e great

,
.

sultanate crumbl e d away sinc e h e had always b e e n ,

av e rs e to w arfare pref e rring to liv e a peace ful and r e

,

ligious life to o n of conqu e st and bloodsh e d

e .
*
His id e as .

wer e n o t thos e of his subj e cts and h e had cons e qu e ntly , , ,

nev e r be e n popular ; whil e his utt e r disr egard for th e

saf e ty o f his kingdom ev e ntuall y le d to th e burning of
the capital and his flight t o Zinder .

Th e abov e sketch of the history o f B o rn u is e nough

to show that th e inhabitants O f th es e inland parts a re far
sup erior in e v e ry way to th e natives of th e coast their ,

sup e riority of cours e lying in th e fact that for s e v e ral

, ,

c e nturi e s th e y hav e b ee n under th e civilising in fl u enc e o f

I slam and hav e had int e rc o urs e by m e ans of r egular
, ,

M o n t eil w h o ,
v isite d B orn u in 1 8 9 1 —2 , sa y s t h a t S h ei k A s him
was a b o u t fi fty o u r h u n d r e d wiv es a n d inn u m e r
y e a r s o fa ge , h a d f
a ble c hild r e n . A bb a Kia ri, s o n o fS h e ik B o u b a k er ( a gr e a t w a r rio r ) ,
w a s h e ir p r es u m p tiv e to t h e th r o n e
-
D e S a in t Lo u is 21 T r ip o li, .

“ Lie u t e n a n t C o l o n el P
p a r l e l a c T c h a d . L M o n t eil Pa r is , 1 8 9 5
-
. . . .
 O U T L YI N G S TA T E S OF N OR T H E R N N I GE R I A . 1 37

caravans with N orth A frica B e twe e n Tripoli and Bornu

,
.

th e re hav e always e xist e d fri e ndly and comm e rcial rela

tions ; Bornu suppli e d slav e s ostrich f e ath e rs and oth e r , ,

produce whil e Tripoli r e turn e d E urop e an goods T h e

,
.

latt e r th e r e for e have become a nec e ssity to th e p e opl e

, , ,

and cons e qu e ntly this C e ntral A frican S tat e offe rs a valu

abl e mark e t for British m e rchandis e T h e fact that th e .

’
N ig e r Company s st e am e rs can c o nv e y goods to a point
o n th e B e nu e within two hundr e d mil e s of th e capital

is su ffici e nt to prov e that wh e n trad e with Bornu by this

rout e b e com e s firmly e stablish e d th e products of th e
c o untry will n a tiir a lly flow in this d ir e cti o n F rom Trip o li .

t o Kuka is a land j ourne y of roughly mil e s ; th e

*
c o st of transport is e norm o us ; and it is unn e cessary ,

th e r e f o r e t o dw ell on th e advantag e s to B o rnu of th e

,

south e rn outl e t for her trad e Th e on e drawback at pr e s e nt .

is th e natur e of th e commodity that sh e most d e sires t o

dispos e o f v iz slav e s for which th e re is a r e ady sal e in
, .

Tripoli and oth e r M e dit e rranean ports ; to put a stop t o

this trad e and to induc e th e p e opl e to substitut e for it
,

som e thing o f value to E urop e wi ll req uir e tim e That ,

.

Bornu will become in th e n e ar futur e a highly remunera

tiv e British poss e ssion is c e rtain though wh e th e r this ,

will b e brought about by op e ning th e rout e from th e

B e nu e or by a raila
, conn e cting Kuka with S okot o
and Lag os r e mains to b e s ee n
, .

W e will now consid e r what may b e e xp e ct e d of Bornu

in th e way of produc e oth e r than S lav e s but first it will , , ,

b e n e c e ssary to say som e thing of th e c o untry its elf Bornu .

prop e r is situat e d in the basin o f th e Ch a d T and li e s as , ,

w e hav e stat e d on the e xtrem e north east of N ig e ria

,
-
.

T u ar eg ro bb er s h a v e a l wa y s in fe s te d this r o u te b u t (in s p ir ed , ,

it is s a id , by t h e S h e ik R I S e nn u si th e f
,
a l s e M a h d i o fN o r th er n A f
rica )

t h e ir d ep r e d a tio n s in th e s u m m e r o f 1 90 1 in crea s e d t o s u c h a n e x
t e n t t h a t th e c hie f t ra d e r s d e c id e d t o s e nd no m or e c a r a v a n s a c ro s s

th e S a h a r a . I f this b oy c o t t c o n tin u es , th e wh ol e o f th e tr a d e m us t
p a ss s o u th ,t o th e N ig e r .

T C h a d is th e sim p l e s t fo r m o f s p ell in g . I t is a ls o r e q u e n tly

f
writ t e n T ch a d a nd T sa d , th e l a t ter a p p r oa c hin g n e a r es t to th e
n a tiv e p r o n u n c ia tio n o f th e n a m e .
1 38 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

O n th e ast it is b o und e d by Lak e Chad the R ive r S hari

e , ,

and a portion of A damawa within th e G e rman sph e r e o f

influ e nc e ; its north e rn boundary is practically th e 1 4th
parall el N lat ; on th e w e st it adj oins th e S okoto pro
. .

vinc e s (Old Hausa S tat e s ) of K ats e na K ano B antshi , ,

and Muri ; whil e to th e south it is cut O ff from th e B enu e

by a portion o f Muri and British A damawa A ltog e th e r .

it may b e said to include an ar e a of som e squar e

m il e s and a population of about
,
though th e s e
fi gures cannot b e consid er e d anything m o r e than a m e r e
approxim ation sinc e th e outlying trib e s (m o re e specially
,

thos e who hav e r emain e d pagans ) a r e e v e r strivin g— an d

somet im e s successfull y — to throw off th e ir all e gianc e t o
the Mohamm e dan rul e r Th e country is wat e r e d by the .

Kom a d u gu Yob e (or W a u b é ) an d its a fll u en ts ent e rin g

*
,

Lak e Chad a littl e e ast of th e old capital o f Yo and th e ,

Ko m a d u gu N G a la flowin g into th e lak e from t h e south ;

’

wh il e th e S hari (th e principal f ee d e r of th e great inlan d

s ea ) e mpties its e lf within a S hort distance of the Kom a d u gu
’
N G a la T .

The soil is e v e ry where e xtrem ely f e rt il e but a gr e at ,

part of th e coun try is subj e ct durin g th e rainy s e as o n , ,

to exc e ssive floods as with th e exc eption o f the mountain

, ,

ous region to th e south o f Lak e Chad th e land lies in a ,

depression S till it is capabl e of producing valuabl e

.
,

crops and (wh e n the ruling class es can b e p e rsuad e d t o

,

give up slave raiding for agricultur e ) cotton indigo wh e at

-
, , ,

mill e t and various c e r e als will y i eld rich harv ests

,
As .

’
matt e rs stand it is not worth th e p e opl e s whil e to cul
,

t iv a t e th e s o il mor e than j ust su ffici en t to supply th e ir

own imm e diat e w ants though wh er e v e r such small patch e s
, ,

of cultivati o n a re m e t with th e re is proof en o ugh o f th e ,

luxuriance o f the land ; and th e dum and dat e palms ,

K a m a du gu in Ka n u r i, m ea n s a m a ss o f w a t e r e ith e r a riv e r
, ,

or a l a k e it is n o t t h e n a m e o f t h e riv e r a s m o d e r n m a p s a r e n o w ,

w ritin g it .

T La ke C h a d h as no o u tl e t . E v a p o r a tio n a c co u n ts f
or its
d iminishin g a r ea . T he wa t er is s we et ,
n ot b r a c kis h ,
as w as a t one

t im e im a gin e d .
1 40 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

oi B arth Kuka always ow e d its importanc e to its central

.

s ituation and its conn e ction by a fairly saf e and dir e ct ,

c aravan r o ut e with F e zzan and Tripoli thus filt e ring

, , ,

a s it w e r e n e arly all th e trad e e xisting b e tw e e n N orth and

,

W e st C e ntral A frica E normous A rab caravans with long

.
,

s trings of cam els w e re (until R a b eh s conqu est ) c on ’

,

s t a n tly passing thr o ugh t h e town wh e re a w e e kly mark e t ,

was h eld for th e s a le o f various go ods though p e rhaps , , ,

t h e most important trad e has always b ee n in slav e s ,

*
cam ls and hors s
e ,
e Th e sc e n e at th e Monday fair is
.

d escrib e d by B arth as of gr e at int e r e st

calls t oge th er th e inh ab itan ts of all th e e ast ern parts

It
o f B ornu th e S hu w a a n d th e K oyam with th eir c orn a n d
, , ,

b utt er ; th e forme r th ou gh o fA rab ori gin a n d still pr es e rvin g

, ,

in purity h is an cient ch aracte r al w ays carryin g h is m e rch an d is e

,

o n t h e b ac k o f o x en th e w ome n mount ed up on th e t op o f it
,

w hile th e A frican K oyam employs th e camel if n ot exclusiv ely , ,

at l e ast w ith a d e cid e d pre fe re n c e ; th e Kan embu w ith t h e ir

butte r a n d d rie d fish ; th e i nh a b itants o f Mak ari with th e ir
t o b e s ; e ven B u d d u ma or rath er Ye din a T a re v ery O ft en s ee n
, ,

in th e mark e t s ellin g w h ips mad e from th e s k in o f th e h ippo

o t a mu s or s om e ti m e s e v e n hipp op o tamus m e at o r d ri e d fish
p ,

The town its elf wh e n R abeh sack e d it c o v e r e d an ar e a

, ,

o f two or thre e squar e mil e s lying in a long and narr ow ,

r e ctangl e east and w e st and was divid e d into two distinct,

parts s eparated by a S pacious mark e t place T h e e ast e rn

,
-
.

portion was o ccupi e d s o l ely b y royalt y th e w est e rn by ,

t h e A rab m er c h a n ts i and th e p e opl e of Kuka and through ,

t h e c e ntr e of th e latt e r quart e r ran (d u e e as t from the

main w est e rn gat e ) th e De n d a l or principal thoroughfar e ,
.

A whit e clay wall som e tw e nt y f e et high surround e d

e ach quart e r o f the town and a mosqu e with walls of th e , ,

s ame mat e rial s t o od j us t outsid e th e palac e which was

, ,

built of mud with a shingl e roof A few of th e bett e r

,
.

T h e p re s e n t v a l u e o fa g oo d h o r s e in B o r n u is s a id to b e t w elv e
M T d olla r s a c a m el , fi fte e n t o tw e n ty d olla r s
. . T h e d o lla r is s till .

t h e s ta n d a r d o ft h e c u rr e n cy , c o w rie s f
o r m in g th e s m a ll c h a n g e

T Pir a te s w h o d w ell o n th e I sl a n d s o f L a k e C h a d .

C hi fl f m e r c a n til e h o u ses in T rip o li a n d M u r z u k

1 e y a g e n t s o .
 O U T L YI N G S TA T E S OF N OR T H E R N N I GE R I A . 1 41

class o f hous e s w e r e construct e d o f th e same mat e ri a l ;

but as a rule th e wall e d in e nclosure containing th e
, ,
-
,

C ircular straw huts o f th e family pr e vail e d Luxury ,

.

had howe v e r of lat e y e ars tak en poss e ssion of th e w e alth ie r

, ,

m e rchants who had introduc e d solid looking buildings

,
-

of sun dri e d bricks with flat roof tops which gav e almost
-
,

an O ri e ntal app e aranc e to the t o wn .

O f th e or inhabitants th e maj ority w e r e ,

M o hamm e dans born and br e d as such and non fanatical

,
— *
,
.

I n this latter r e sp e ct th e y diff e r e d consid e rably from th e

mor e z e alous F ul ah conv e rts to I slam who hat e th e i r ,
“ ”
c o religionists O f B o r n u T d e scribing th e m as
-
luk ewar m
, ,

principally becaus e in th e Bornu E mpire wom e n con , , ,

trary to Koranic d o ctrin e s hav e usually b ee n all ow e d ,

to have a voic e in public a f fairs and to play an importan t ,

part in privat e lif e This is c e rtainly a gr e at p e culiarity

.

o fB o rnu as w ell as of K an e m wh e nc e possibly it originat e d , ,

and in Kuka th e wom e n w e r e unt il S h eik A sh im s flight ,

’
,

v e ry indep e nd e nt th e lat e Q u e e n Moth e r (Maguira ) for

, ,

instanc e b e ing consult e d on all public matt e rs and having

, ,

charge of c e rtain provinc e s This stat e of a ffairs so s eldom .

,

m e t with in a Mohammedan c o untry m a y hav e aris e n ,

from the indol e nc e of the ruling class e s who a r e c o nt e n t ,

nowadays to l e ave e v e rything to their head slav e s in -

,

ord e r that th e y th e ms elv e s m a y liv e at e as e Th e arm y .

of Bornu su ff e r e d in this resp e ct as th e chief o ffic e rs had ,

no ambition b e yond drawing th e ir e molum e nts and passin g

th e ir time p e ac e abl y at home S till for C e ntral A frica .
, ,

the army of S h e ik A shim was fairly w ell arm e d and w ell -

train e d though som ewhat b ehind th e tim e s I t c on

,
.

sist e d o f about m en of whom p e rhaps o n e f o urth , , ,

-

w e r e rough irr egular cavalry partly clothed in quilt e d ,

suits and chain armour T h e fr o nt rank carri e d lanc es .

,

M o n te il sa ys th a t th e r e are th r e e s e c t s in B or n u —viz . T id ia n i,
of which th e S h e i k is h ea d Q u edir eh m o s t ,
n u m e rou s and S en

n u ss iy eh , c o m p a r a tiv e ly m od e r n .

T h e F ula h s a n d H a u sa s c a ll B th e la n d f l i ” The
T or n u o e s .

B orn u s r e ta lia t e , a n d to c a ll a n a tiv e o fB o r n u a F u l a h is th e gr oss e s t

in s u l t .
1 42 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

th e r e ar rank swords and e ach troop was accompani e d ,

by a third rank of infantry arm e d with a sp e ci e s of boom

*
e rang with s e v e ral S harp p o ints int end e d to b e hurl e d ,

at th e e n e my T h e arms of th e infantry consist e d of a

.

few mod e rn rifles a larg e prop o rtion of flin t locks sp e ars

,
-

, ,

s words knives and bows and arrows whil e some O f th e

, , ,

m en w o r e a zouav e uniform similar to that worn by th e

Hausa Constabulary on th e coast Th e artill e ry was .

poor ; a fe w guns had b ee n intr o duced from Trip oli and ,

oth e rs had b ee n cast in th e country but th ey w e r e of a ,

very O ld patt e rn and not capabl e of b e ing mov e d about

,
.

O f R a b eh s c o nquest o f Bornu it is nec e ssary to s ay

’

som e thing b e cause although in a few y e ars time it will

, ,
’

probably hav e b ee n f o rg o tt en it has c ertainly thrown th e ,

whol e country int o disord e r and has indir e ctly affe ct e d ,

o ur p olicy in th es e r e gions v e ry c o nsid e rably A bout .

th e all conqu e ring

-
Black N apol e on much has b e e n
writt e n ; but without e nt e ring into th e d e tails of his wild
, ,

a dv e nturous car e e r i t will b e su ffici ent to say that by

,

1 8 95 h e had subj ugat e d Baghirmi and shortly afterwards ,

pick e d a quarr el with S h e ik A shim captured th e capital , ,

and proclaim e d hims elf S ultan of Bornu Had h e be e n .

c o nt ent with his n ew conqu est and sought th e fri endship

of Gr e at Britain possibly it would hav e b ee n ben eficial
,

t o all parties but after th e d e struction o fKuka h e e stab ,

l is h e d his h e adquart e rs at Dik w a T whenc e h e p e rmitt e d ,

his troops to raid far and wid e and unfortunately for him , ,

s elf h e f ell foul of a F r e nch e xpediti o n in 1 900 and was

,

k ill e d in action On his d e ath his son F adl Ullah b e cam e

.
,

S ultan of Bornu and although only tw e nty six y e ars of a ge

,
-

’
h e had gr e at w e ight with his fath e r s troops and r e tain e d
t h e confid e nc e of th e war chi e fs I t having b ee n a s c e r -
.

t a in e d that th e n ew sultan was anxious to throw in his lot

with th e British and t h us e scap e F rench p e rs e cuti o n
, ,

T h is we a p on is c a r r ie d p rin c ip a lly b y th e T ib u s it is k n o w n
in t h e S a h a ra as dia nga r or m a nga l , a n d is u s e d al so b y th e B a g
h ir m is .

TIn th e G e r m a n S p h e r e o fin fl u e n c e .
1 44 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

at his c o mmand and th e many sm al l e xp e ditions on hand

it was imp ossibl e for th e High Commission e r to occupy
th e whol e c o untr y I n 1 902 how e v e r a str o ng forc e
.
, ,

w a s d e spatch e d to th e Chad r e gions to r e stor e th e Bornu

dynasty and to att empt to e stablish something lik e ord e r
,

in th e land with British R e sid ents and garrisons a t Guj ib a

,

and at M aiduguri n e ar Lak e Chad , .

E nough has b ee n said of B o rnu to giv e th e r e ad e r

som e idea of th e country its past history and th e a d v a n, ,

tag e s lik e ly to b e d e riv e d from it by th e e stablishm e nt

of p e ac e and th e op ening up O f trad e betwe e n th e B enu e
,

and Kuka w e will now pass to th e w e st e rn ex

tr omity of N orth e rn N ig e ria l e aving th e F ulah E mpir e ,

(in which w e includ e S okoto and Gando ) fo r s e parat e

chapt e rs .

Borgu th e w e st e r n boundary S tat e of N ig e ria is a

, ,

pagan kingdom situat e d alm o st entir e ly on th e right b ank

o f th e Kw o ra or Middl e N ig e r and is known als o by th e
, ,

n am e o f B ariba ; in fact Bariba is th e nam e b y w hich ,

t h e country and its p e opl e a r e always locally spok e n of .

Littl e is known of its early history though nativ e r e port ,

says that at som e p e ri o d many c enturi e s ago e migran ts , ,

from th e B arbary S tat e s s e ttl e d in th e country and gav e ,

it th e name by which it is still known These B e rb e r .

s e ttl e rs it is said w e re driv e n out of N orth e rn A frica

, ,

by the Mohamm e dan c on qu e rors T and brought with th e m ,

th e ir own r eligion which app e ars to hav e contain e d som e

,

B e s id e S Ku k a th e r e are fe w t o w n s o f a ny g r ea t im p o r ta n c e .

Z in d er is , p e r h a p s , th e o n ly o n e w o r th y o f m e n tio n , b u t it is n o w
w ithin t h e F r e n c h s p h e r e , t h o u gh its t r a d e p a s s e s e ith e r t o Ku k a o r
to Ka t s e n a a nd Ka n o . T h e re is a lso a c a r a v a n r o u te rom
f Z in d e r
t o t h e n o r th , t h r o u gh A ir o r A s be n .

T I t is p r o b a b l e th a t b o th B o r gu a n d B or n u h a d th eir o rig in in
th e B a r b a r y S t a t e s , t h e s e ttl er s or m e r
in th e f b ein g e x p elle d on

re fu s in g to a c cep t I sl a m , th o s e in th e l a t t e r at firs t c o n te n t to a d o p t
th e n ew fa ith , b u t l a te r on d e c id in g t o q u it t h eir h o m e s . As a

c orr ob o r a tio n it m a y b e m e n tio n e d th a t th e B o r gu s c l a im r el a tion

s hip w ith th e B o r n u s a n d t h e n a tiv e n a m e f
,
or B o r n u is B e r e b e r e

o r B a r ib a r i w h ic h,
lik e B a r ib a m a y b e c o n s id e r e d to b e s y n o n y
, ,

m o u s w ith B a r b a r y a n d B e r b e r .
 O U TL YI N G S T A TE S OF N OR T H E R N N I GE R I A . 145

*
o f th e doctrin s of Christianity e By their Moham m e dan .

n eighbours the B a r ib a s have howev e r a lways been , ,

considered p agans though th e y thems elves ass e rt that

,

th e ir b e li e f is in one Kisra a J ew who gave his life for , ,

t h e sins of mankind W hat e v e r they may a f f

irm th e r e
.
,

is littl e doub t that at the present day they are no better

than pagans the only trac e that r em ains O f their b elief
,

b e ing an annual festival at which a r e comm e morated

c e rtain e vents in th e lif e o f Kisra int ermin gl e d with ,

s trang e h e athen rit es The country is divid e d into s e v e ral

.

small kingships and so far th e r e has been littl e int e rcourse

,

b e tw ee n th e p e tty chi e fs of the int erior and E urop e ans .

Dun c a n T r e ached A d afo d ia ( due north of A bomey ) in

1 8 45 ,
but was murd e r e d as had be e n W olf b e for e him , ,

and no furth e r att e mp t to e nt e r the country was mad e

until 1 8 94 wh e n Captain Lu ga rd i; V isit e d th e principal
,

towns for th e purpos e of making treaties on b ehalf of th e

R oyal N ig e r Comp any I t is to this intrepid trav eller
.
,

th e r e for e that w e a re ind e bt e d for our knowl e dge O f the

,
”
int e rior O f Borg u Geographically . he tells u s § the , ,

country do e s not pres en t any features of mark e d int e rest .

I t is an undulating country with f e w and small hills and , ,

no large riv e rs T h e wat e rsh e d is towards the N ig e r

.
,

which forms its east ern boundary and the most imp o rt ,

an t riv e rs a re the Moshi (which in th e last fifty m il e s ,

o r so forms the south e rn fronti e r of Borgu ) and th e Or i

, ,

which rises near th e capital N ikki and r e ach e s th e N iger , ,

in B o u ss a s territory I n th e e xtr e m e w e s t th e wat e rshed

’
.

w o ul d app e ar to be towards th e V olta Geologically .

th e r e is a gr e at sam e n e ss about the country Mass e s .

o f gr e y granite alt e rn ate or app e ar simultan e ously with ,

It s ee gr ea t p a r t o f th e B er b er s o f th e d es er t
m s c l e a r th a t a

w e r e o n c e C hr is tia n s ( th ey a r e s till c a lled b y so m e A r a b s f th e

C h r is tia n s o f th e d es e r t a n d t h a t t h ey a f ter w a r d s c h a n ged t h e ir
r e ligio n and a d op te d I sl a m ” .
—B a r th .

T Vid e p a ge s 1 3 a n d 3 2 ( foo t n o te s ) .

i
t N o w B r iga d ier G e n er a l S ir F L u ga r d
-
.
,
CB . .
,

H igh C o m miss io n e r o fN o r th e r n N ig e ria .

G eo gr a p hic al J o ur na l ” Vo l . VI . 1 8 9 5, p a ge 205 .
, ,

K
1 46 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

th e copp e r colour e d hon e ycomb lava which forms th e

-

pr e vail ing f e ature o f W e st A frica as it does of th e gr e at e r ,

‘
part of British E ast A frica This iron ston e d e riv e s .
-
’

*
its col ur from the v ry gr e at p e rc e ntag e of iron which
o e
”
i t contains Th e two important t o wns of Kiama a n d
.

N ikki ( th e capital ) w e r e visit e d a s w e ll as I l e sha towards , ,

th e south wh e n h aving succ e ssfully conclud e d th e tr e ati e s

, , ,

th e missi o n pass e d into Y orub a (I l o rin ) .

Th e e astern portion of Borgu adj oining th e Middl e ,

N ig e r b elongs mostly to th e King of Boussa whos e

, ,
.

capital is famous in conn e ction with the d e ath of Mungo

Park W ith th e king th e R oyal N ig e r Company was a l
.
»

ways on fri e ndly t e rms though comm e rcially Borgu h a s

‘

up till now prov e d of littl e valu e C e rtain main trad e .

rout es pass through th e Borgu int e rior and A frican towns ,

.

situat e d on such highways a re always c o nsid e r e d to attract

trad e though in the cas e of Borgu (inf est e d with cut
,

throats and robb e rs ) i t will r e quir e many y e ars of car e fu l

administration back e d up by forc e to d e velop th e r e sourc es
, ,

of th e land A ll this is w ell known to the British a u th ori

.
~

ti es who a re even now busily e ngag e d in curtailing th e

,

want o n e xc e sses of th e B a rib a s W h e n this has b e e n .

brought about Borg u will doubtl e ss s e ttle down to p e ac e

ful pursuits The chi e fs a r e alr e ady displaying gr e at
.

e n e rgy in making roads and th e country has a gr e at agri

,

cultural futur e for th e bulk of the p o pulati o n lik e th eir

, ,

neighbours o f Yoruba a re born agriculturists waitin g

, ,

only fo r th e e xt e rmination of th e num e rous raiding band s

to show what th e ir land is capabl e of producing Th e s e .

raid e rs a re a v e ritable curs e to th e country ; th e chi e fs

th ems elv e s would willingly carry out th e t e rms o f th e ir
tr e ati e s and e nc o urage comm e rcial int e rc o urs e with
E ur o peans ; but th e r e e xists among th e young e r g en e ra
“ ”
tion a sp e ci es of J ingoism which can n e v e r p e rmit
,

i t to b e forg o tt e n that for e ight or nin e c enturi e s B o rgu

has b e en a warlike nati on and th e only pagan S tat e abl e
,

t o r esist th e F ulah invasion This invincibility th e y

.

T h e ir o n is s m e l te d b y th e n a tiv e s a n d m a d e in to h o es w hic h ,

fo r m a s p ec ies o fc u r r e n c y in t h e c o u n try .
 CH A PTE R X I .

TH E F U LA H EM PI R E .

T he O rigin of th e F u l a h s —T h e “
Ye ll o w M e n —T h e F u la h
La n gu a ge —I t s T w o G e n d er s : H u m a n a n d B r u te —T h e Yea r
1 8 0 2 — S h e ik O th m a n— H is S o n B ellO —B e llo a nd th e H a u sa s

-
T h e M e r c h a n ts of th e W e stern S u d a n— H a u sa a nd F ul ah
-
W hic h will S u rv iv e — T h e S ok o to E m p ire — N a t iv e Ad
m inis tr a tio n — T h e A d a m a wa Co u n try— M u ri— Ka n o .

E
have tr e at e d so far of what may b e call e d th e
, ,

outskirts of N orth e rn N igeria pr e f e rring to r e s e rve ,

t h e h e art o fth e t e rritory for s eparat e discussion as , ,

in so doing w e a r e e nabl e d to o ffe r to th e r e ader a mor e or

,

l e ss conn ected acc o unt of th e ris e and progr e ss of a compara

tiv ely mod e rn A frican nation That th e gr e at F ulah E mpire
.

m e rits a chapt e r or m o r e t o its elf w ill b e appar e nt wh e n

it is known that within its ar e a is c o mprised m o re than
half th e country kn o wn as British N ig e ria and probably ,

all th e most valuabl e and important parts of that country .

I ts h e ad (now und e r th e prot e ction O f Great Britain ) is

the S ultan of S ok o t o —Lord of th e F aithful and in F ul ah , ,

e yes ,
second only to th e S ultan of Turk ey— whos e
*
dominions e xt end from Bornu to Borgu and from the ,

S ahara to th e Lagos boundary How this E mpire has .

grown up in the pr e s e nt c entury is one of th e most inter

e sting and r emarkable e ve nts in th e history of W e st ’

A frica To sp e ak of th e adv en t of th e F ula h s T as an

.

I t is im p or ta n t to d is tin gu is h b e tw e e n t h es e tw o c o un tr ie s ,

wh o s e n a m es a re a sou r ce o fe n d less c on fus io n t o th e E nglish p r ess ,

a n d c o n s e q u e n tly t o t h e B r itis h p u b lic .

T C a ll ed F ulb e ( sin g Pullo ) b y th e M a n d ingo s ; F e lla n i ( s in g

. .

B afe lla n c h i ) b y th e H F ella ta b y th e Ka n u r i F u lla n b y th e

a usa s

A ra bs F e lla n i, F o u lfo u ld e , Pe u l , Po u l , b y th e F r e n c h T h er e a r e .

a l s o c o u n t l e ss s u n d iv is io n s , e a c h w ith a lo c a l n a m e , b e a rin g n o
-

m bla n c e to t h e fo r e go in g Vid e L e s Pe u lh s
’
r ese . : E t u d e d E th
"
n o lo gie Af
r ic a in e .
J . d e C r o z al s , Pa ris , 1 883 .
N O RT H I G E RI A N C U RI O S
N

S a d al
n s H
, a t, R i di g B t n oo s ,

S la
ve \ V h ip , S l ip p r B wl
e s, o s,

A rml e ts Ba gl H air p i &

,
n es , ns , C .
 1 50 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

The earli e st r e cords go to prove that the F ulahs had

t heir first known s e ttl e m e nts along th e lower cours e of
t h e S enegal and that th e y gradually spre ad towards th e
,

e ast and this as far b ack as th e fourt e enth c e ntury

,
Th e ir .

intellig e nc e and ability w e r e always consid e red to b e o f

a sup e rior ord e r and although th ey liv e d in small coloni e s
, ,

as simple sh e ph e rds th ey w e re r egarded by the n e gro ,

rul e rs with a c e rtain amount of suspicion sinc e o n sev e ral ,

o ccasions the littl e band of wand e r e rs had shown signs

o f a desire to ass e rt th e mselv e s and to bring th e ir r eligi o us ,

o pinions to the front E arly in th e fourt e enth century

‘

w e find that th e y s e nt a Mohamm e dan mission from th e ir

west e rn s e ttl em e nts to Bornu (th e n a Moham m edan king
do m ) ; by th e sixt ee nth c e ntury they were w e ll estab
lish e d about th e Middl e N ige r and by th e b e ginning O f ,

t h e s e v e nte e nth century th e y had spr e ad as far e ast as

B aghirmi Thus th e y had ov e rrun the whol e o f t h e
.

W e stern and Central S udan from what is now th e F rench ,

S udan ev e n up to th e borders o f th e province of D arfur ;

,

but the trib e was so scatt e r e d that its memb e rs had no

r e al power in the land and the paucity of their numb e rs ,

forc e d them to be subservi e nt to th e pagans amongst

who m they dw elt Th e chi e f m e n of th e tribe were how .
,

e v e r much r e spect e d by th e dominant race for their l e arn

,

ing and astut e n e ss and in th e e ight eenth c entury it was ,

n o uncommon thing to find a F ulah pri e st acting as w a tla in

( i e. l.e arned ) or right hand man to the,
rul e r of a Hausa -

S tat e .

I n 1 8 02 occurred e v e nts which though trifling in ,

th e mselv e s brought about th e great revolution which

,

si mil a ritie s a re th e wo r d s for fi sh a n d sp e a r . T h e F u la h la n gu a g e

r o m m os t
is d is tin gu ish e d f ma r k a b le p ec ulia rity o th e r s
It by a re .

m a k es n o d is tin c tio n b e tw ee n th e m a s c u lin e a n d fe m in in e ge n d e rs ,

b u t d iv id e s a ll th in gs a n ima te o r in a n im a te in to t w o gr ea t c l a ss es
, ,

h u m a n b e in gs a n d e v e ry t hin g b elo n gin g t o m a nk in d o n t h e o n e

h a n d a n d o n t h e o t h e r e v e r y thin g e l se , w h e th e r a n im a te o r n o t
,
.

T h e fo r m e r b el o n g to wh a t is c a ll e d t h e h u ma n o r r a tion a l , th e l a tt e r
”
to th e br u te or ir r a tion a l gen d e r .
-
Ke ith J o h n s t on . A fe w
n u m e r a ls in th e F u la h a nd Ka f
f r ic a n ) l a n gu a g es
i r ( S o u th A f a re

id e n tic al .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 1 51

r e sulted in the compl e t e overthrow of th e p agans and the

e stablis hm ent of Mohamm e dis m in this p art of A frica .

Ther e was at that ti m living in Gob e r at th e villag e

e
*
,

o f Da gh el an ima m or high pri e st of the F ulahs nam e d

, , , ,

O thman whose r eligious z e al had alr e ady b e gun to t e ll

,

u pon th e pagans F earing loss o f pow e r among his sub

.

B awa h e rul e r of G O b e r summon e d O thman and

j e c t s t -

, , ,

his chi e fs to his pr e s enc e and publicly upbraid e d th e m ,

for e nd e avouring to win ov e r his p e opl e to th e ir r eligion .

S o inc e ns e d was O thman at this that h e forthwith a p

‘

p e al e d to all F ulahs t o uphold I slam against t h e h e ath e n ,

inspiring th e m with religious s ongs until th e y w e r e s e iz e d ,

with the wild e st fanaticism and fl o ck e d to his standard .

B awa was how e v e r too strong fo r his O ppon ent and the
, , ,

M o hamm e dans su ffe r e d s e v e r e d e f e ats ; but this only add e d

fu el t o t h e fir e an d O thman assist e d by h is e ld er br o th e r
, ,
.
,

A b d A llahi and his son Mohammed B e llo soon com

, , ,

m e n c e d to gain d e cisiv e victori e s o v e r th e pagans .

Gradually th e sh e ph e rd h o st was transform e d into a dis

c ip lin e d army and the war cry o f A llahu A kber
,
-

s o und e d far and wid e throughout th e H ausa S tat e s ; suc

c ess iv e l y the ev e r V ict o rious Mohammedans r e duc e d the
-

p agan kingdoms to subj e ction until in a few y e ars all ,

that vast r e gion which li e s b e tw ee n th e S ahara and th e

R iv e rs N ig e r and B e nu e f e ll int o th e hands o f th e F ulahs
m o r e o v e r th e kingd o m of Y o rub a ( I lorin ) was lat e r on
, , ,

s ucc e ssfully attack e d and conqu e r e d .

S h e ik O thman Dan F odio S h e ik of the Koran e stab , ,

l ish e d his capital at S o k o t o T but almost imm e diat e ly ,

r e tir e d from th e gov e rnm ent o f his n e wly acquir e d e mpire ,

which h e divid e d b e tw e e n his son Mohamm e d B ello and ,

his n eph e w Mohamm e d B en A bdallah (son of his broth e r

A b d A llahi ) To B ello w e r e giv e n th e kingdoms of Zanfara
.
,

K ats e na D aura Ka z or i Kan o H a d ej a h B antshi and

, , , , , ,

A damawa ; whil e Mohamm e d B en A bdallah rece iv e d

Gand o N up e I lorin ( Yoruba ) and La fla N o soon e r
, , , .

T h e m os t n o r th ern o f th e H a u sa S ta te s .

T Cla p p er to n a n d o th er s write it S o c ca to o w hich a t a ny r a te , ,

h a s th e m erit o fs h o win g t h e p r o n u n c ia tion .

1 52 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

was this partition of the F ulah E mpire compl e t e d than

its found e r b e cam e religiously mad although his subj ects ,

stil l c o ntinued until his death to re gard him as a pr o ph e t

, , ,

and to this day his tomb at S okoto is a plac e of pil grimage

for d e vout F ulahs *
That O thman was a v e ry r e mar k able
.

m an is c e rtain and it is p e rhaps worthy of not e that the

,

p e riod of his power coincid e s with that of th e Great

N ap o l e on To compar e the two m en is o f cours e out of
.

the qu e stion ; th e y w e r e at work at such e ntir ely dif

f e re n t O bj ects yet it is a strang e fact that in 1 8 02 N apo
l e on was proclaimed first Consul of F ranc e and O thman
first S heik of th e F ulahs in 1 8 04 N apoleon and O thman ,

both found th e mselv e s E mp e rors and th e ir car e e rs e nd e d ,

al most at th e sa m e tim e— th e one d e feat e d and in e xil e ,

the oth e r victorious and glorifi e d as a saint but minus ,

his r e ason— both victims to th e ir ambition .

O n th e d e ath of S heik O th m a n T his son A tiku a t ,

tempt e d to usurp the S okoto E mpire ; but Mohamm e d

B ello T quickly subdu e d his broth e r and having k e p t , ,

hi m in C onfin e ment for a y e ar continu e d to r ule without ,

furth e r troubl e on his account During his r e ign the .

di ffe rent Hausa S tat e s end e avour e d to throw off the

F ulah yok e but Bello who had in h e r it e d his fath e r s ’
, ,

warlik e qualiti e s succ e e d e d in establishing his power

,

in his empir e and at his d e ath ,

h e left to his suc
c e ssor a dominion as w ell organis e d as was possibl e § Of .

B o th H a u sa s a nd F u la h s b eliev e t h a t th e f
o u n d er o f th e

E mp ir e , D a n F o d io , p osse ss e d s u p e r n a tu ra l p o w ers , t h a t h e r a n k s
ne x t a f ter C h ris t , a n d th a t his p o w e r o f b les s in g a n d b a n nin g h a s
d e sc e n d ed o n his s u c c ess or s B u t t h e H a u sa s b elie v e al s o in a
.

p r o p h ec y t h a t o nly th ir te e n S u l ta n s will r e ig n , a fter w hic h t h e

ble ssin g will d ep a r t, a n d a n o th e r p o wer will s u c c eed th a t O f th e
F ula h . The p re s e n t S ul ta n is th e e l e v e n th of his ra ce .
—
W .

W a lla c e 1 8 96
. .

T A bou t 1 8 1 7 .

1 G e n er a lly k n ow n S a riki N M u ss u 1m i— i e C o m m a n d er of
’
as . .

th e F a ith f
ul .

A tik u , th e wo uld -
be u s ur p e r , s u c c e ed e d his b r o th e r ,
a nd a fte r
o llo win g h a v e
him th e f b ee n S u l ta n s o fS o k o to A l ib u , s o n o fB e l lo ,

by a fe m a le sla ve ( 1 8 3 7 —1 8 55) A mad u, s o n o fA ti uk ( 1 8 55

1 54 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

the subj ugati o n of th e scor e s of pagan trib e s to whom

I slam had only app e al e d in a half h e art e d manner -
.

T h e gr e at e r part o f B e llo s sultanat e c o nsist e d of th e ’

O l d Hausa S tates * w hos e p e opl e hav e always b e en

,
a nd ,

a r e to this day the m e rchants of th e W e st ern S udan

,
.

Wh e n th e R e fo rm e r O thman comm e nc e d his conqu e sts ,

t h e Hausas had b e en in undisput e d poss e ssion of th e ir

various S tat e s for many c enturi e s ; th e y w e re for th e
m ost p art p a ga n s T though th e ir rul e rs w e r e gener a lly
,

Mohamm e dans who from long int e rc o urs e with A rabs

, ,

and various S aharan trib e s had acquir e d su fficient en ,

l igh ten m e n t to administ e r th e gov e rnm e nt of th e ir coun

tries with a c e rtain amoun t of m e thod and int elligenc e .

S om e writ e rs affirm th at th e H ausas w e r e not indigenous

but lik e the B orn us B orgu s F ulahs and oth e rs had
, , , , ,

e migrat e d at some r e mot e p e ri o d from th e north and

, , ,

p roofs of this a r e said to e xist in th e ir l a n gu a ge l To

t h e British public th e n am e Hausa is nowadays familiar
e nough chi e fly in conn e ction with th e word c o nstabulary
, .

Ye t littl e is known o f the origin of th e W e st Coast soldier ,

o r of his country although for som e y e ars th e r e has b een

,

“
e stablish e d in E ngland t h e H au sa w ith

B a r th t ells us th a t t h e t o wn Of B ira m ( b e tw e e n Ka n o a nd

H a d e ah or
j Kh a d e j a ) is t h e o l d es t s e a t o fth e H a u s a p e o p l e . B ira m ,
D a ura , G o b er Ka n o R a n o Ka ts e n a
, ,
a nd,
Z eg z e g a r e ,
th e w ell
k n own o r ig in a l s e v e n H a u sa S ta t es , th e H a u sa b o k k oi ( th e s ev e n

H a u sa ) whil e
,
se v e n o th e r p r o v in c es or c o u n t r ies , in w hic h th e
H a u sa l a n g u a ge h a s sp r e a d g r e a t e x t e n t , a l th o u gh it is
to a not th e

l a n g u a ge of th e a b o r igin a l in h a b ita n ts , a r e c a lle d o co s ely j ba n z a

5

b ok k oi ( th e u p s ta r t ille gitim a t e ) ;
or t h es e a r e Z a n fa ra ,
Ke bb i ,

N u p e, o r
N yffi, G w a ri, Ya u ri, Yo r u b a , or Y a r ib a ,
Koror o fa
and .

T M o h a mm e d a n is m had, by th e s e v e n t ee n t h c e n tu r y , m a d e

r a p id a d va nc es in to H a n s a la n d fro m B orn u a nd t h e n o r th .

1 M o d er n m a in ta in t h a t th e H a u s a l a n gu a ge is
a u th o r itie s

c l o s e l y c o n n e c t ed w ith t h e S e mitic l a n gu a g e s a n d t h a t it is m o r e ,

spo k e n t h a n a n y la n gu a ge in A fr ic a I t h a s b ee n a writ te n la n gua g e .

( A r a b ic c h a r a c t e rs ) fo r u p wa r d s o f a h u n d re d y e a rs .

F or p r o m o tin g th e s t u d y o f th e H a u sa l a n gu a g e a nd p eo p l e
fo u n d e d in m e m o r y o f t h e R e v .
J . A . la t e s c h ol a r o f

C o lle ge , C a m b r id g e , w h o d ie d his wo r k in th e e mp l o ym e n t
’
C h ris t s at ,

o f th e a t Lo k oj a ,
N ig e r T e r r itories , on t h e 2 5th J une ,
1 89 1
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 1 55

*
a Le cturer in H ausa at th e Univ e rsity o f Cambridg e .

T h e situation is a p e culiar on e th e Hausa S tat e s a re now

n ominall y part and parc e l of th e F ulah E m pir e but th e ,

conquer e d rac e still r e mains morally sup e rior in many ways

t o its conquerors ; H ausa not F ulah is the lingu a fra n ca , ,

o f th e W est e rn S udan and far into the neighbouring

r e gions ;T the trade of the country is practically in th e
h ands of th e Hausas H ausas a re among our most trusty
soldi e rs in W est A frica and it has b e en estimat e d that ,

1 p er cent of t h e w hole
,
population o f t h e world
a re Hausas Wh y th en it may w ell b e asked has th e
.
, , ,

v e ry name H ausa disapp e ar e d from m od e rn maps of

A frica ? Th e reas on is that cartograph e rs hav e thoug ht
it n e c e ssary to k ee p p ace with the times and swamp ,

H a u sa lan d by S ok o to which th e y appear to r e gard as ,

a species o f G e rman E mpir e Time alone will S ho w which .

s u r viv e s t h e o ther wh e th e r th e Haus a or th e F ula h i

,

A s far as we are conc e rn e d th e name matt e rs little ,

for we hav e gone farth e r e v e n than th e cartograph e rs ,

and hav e compris e d in the one term N orthern N ig e ria

H ausa F ulah S okoto and a doz e n other n am e s By
, , ,
.

F ulah E mpire— which h e ads the pr e s e nt chapt e r— w e

imply all th e S tates acquir e d by th e gr e at O thman D an
The R ev . C . R o b in s o n a u th or o f H a u sa l a n d who
C l a im s th a t t h e H a u sa s a r e s u p e r ior in tell e c tu a lly a nd p h y s ic a lly
”
to a ll o th e r n a t iv e s o fE q u a t oria l A frica .

T The C o u r t l a n gu a ge a t S o k o to or r a th er W u r n o , ,
is H a u sa , but
in p r o vin cial c a p it a l s it is F u l a h .

TIn th e N u p e E x p ed itio n of 1 8 97 s ix hun dr ed H a u sa s (l ed b y

B ritish Of
fic e r s ) d ef
e a te d thir ty thou s a n d F u la h s Mr . W illia m
W a ll a c e ,
fo r m e r ly A g e n t G e n e r a l o f t h e R o ya l N ige r C o m
-

p a ny , a n d n ow D ep u t
y H igh C o m m is sion e r fo r N o r th e r n N ig e ria ,
-

It s h o uld
s ays be c l ea r l
y u n d er s to o d th a t t h e F u la h s , w h o o r igin
a lly c o n qu er e d th e H a u sa S ta te s b y t h eir m il it a ry s up e riority a n d
th e a d v a n t a ge t h a t h o r s e m e n h a v e o v er u n dis cip lin e d f
o o t s o l dier s

in a l e v el a n d sc a n ti
ly woo d e d c o u n tr y , n o w h ol d th eir va st E m p ir e
of S o k o t o th r o u gh t h e s u p er s t itio u s d r ea d wh ic h th ey h av e man s

a ge d t o in s til in to t h e H a u s a s . I f it w er e no t for t h e fe a r o f th e

F u la h p r a y er s c a llin g d o wn c u r s e s o n th e m , th e H a u s a s w ou ld a t
o n c e s tr u ggl e fo r th e ir in d e e n d e n ce
p G eo gra p h ic al . J ou r n al ,
"

V ol V I I I
. .
, p a ge 2 16, 1 8 96 .
1 56 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

F odio , the peopl e of which hav e nev e r b e en able to r e gain

th e ir independ e nc e and such parts as hav e sin c e b ee n
,

tack e d on eith e r to S okoto or to Gando S ummarising .

th e principal S tat e s or provinc e s as now existing w e find ,

th e m to b e as follows z— T ribu ta ry to S ok oto A damawa ,

Muri (H a m a ruw a ) B antshi ,

K ano K ats e na , ,

Kon tagora G ober Ka z ori K e bbi Zanfara D aura B a

,
'
, , , , ,

kundi Zaria (2 02 0 or Ze gz eg ) and N assarawa T r ibu

, , ,
.

ta ry to G a ndo z— N up e Yorub a (I lorin ) and La fia T But , , .

it must b e r e memb e r e d that s o m e of th e se provinc e s hav e

“

an int e rm e diat e suzerain and may perhaps b e rank e d , , ,

as second class S okoto provinc e s ; such for e xampl e

-

, ,

are N assarawa paying tribut e to Zaria and B akundi

, , ,

owing all egianc e to Muri Moreover G ando its elf a c .

,

kn o wled g e s the spiritual and t emporal sup e ri o rity o f

S o k o to and the E mir el Mu m e n in (a s th e S ultan o f S ok o to
,
- -

is styl e d ) considers that Gando and its d ep end e nci e s a re

as much his vassals as are a ny other of th e provinces o f
th e e mpir e .

I t will b e int e r e sting p e rhaps to giv e a sk e tch of th e , ,

n ativ e administration of th e S okoto E mpir e sh o wing ,

th e m e thod adopt e d by th e S ultan for e nsuring th e goo d

gov e rnment of his dominions I n th e first plac e e ach .
,

province is placed in charg e of an e m ir (of cours e a ,

F ulah ) who is virtually sov e r e ign of a small kingdom

, .

Th e o f fic e is h e re ditary but an e mir can b e depos e d at ,

th e will o f the sultan though as a matter of fact this , , ,

e xtr e m e measure is s eldom r e s o rt e d to S econdly th e .

,

s e veral p rovinces are group e d into districts each of which ,

has a sp e cial ov e rse e r or insp e ctor appointed by th e ,

sultan Of thes e there a r e at pr e s ent (or w e r e quite r e

.

c e n tly ) four v iz th e G h a la dim a in charg e of K ats e na

, .
, ,

Ka z o r i Ma ga z inga ra (n e ighb o urh o od of Magami N D id i)

’
, ,

and K e bbi ; the S araki N Ke bb i supervising th e admin ’

,

is tr a tion o f S okoto and W urn o ; the S ariki N S a f fa r a T

’
,

A ls o c a lle d G a r im B a n t shi .

T I n th e e v e n t o fw a r , S o k o to c a n c al l o n a ll or a ny o fits p ro v in c e s
t o fur n is h a c o n tin ge n t a n d d ef
ra y e x p e n s es .

1 S on o f t h e s u l ta n .
 TH E F U LA E M PI R E
’

.
. 1 59

r m issiont o trade in the country A trading hulk .

1 3 accord i ngly towed up t t Yola but in the meanwhil e ,

emir appears to h ave Ip en t ed O f his goo d n ature ,

id t o h ave o rdered the 1q away Th e Compan y

“
.

h e n commenced trading b i er up the river at B ub an

g ,

idd a * and R ib a o an d lett er h aving b een O b tain ed fro m

g ,

h e S ultan o f S okoto th Co m p any was promised ,

wr o t ec tion by the e m ir t ough i t w as so m e year s ,

ae f o r e h e would permit tr ae to b e reopened at Yola

Lb elf I n 1 8 8 9 D r Zin tgra fm ade an overlan d j ou rne y
. .

t o m the Ca m eroons to Yol ; bu t the

1 1 audien ce an d o rdered hi ; away
I a j o r Claude Ma c D o n a ld T er ,

o ugh received in a f r ie n dl rn
-
y
r— app aren t ) failed to s e t ,

at ti m e though o ccasion i att

.

r e n ch e x lo r e r s i f
p T to sti r u p s t r e

h e B ritish trading c o m p a n yt
n th e country with p o li tic al

lw a y s however li abl e to I:
, ,

m ir .

With its headqu arters a

u tlyi ng p rovin ce it was ,

l ake its pr e sence fel t b y

ware o f the in ability o f t
fN igeri a o f tro ops at a ll ,

i th a very high h an d .

one i m prov e after h e

3ritis h Gove r n m en t h ad
f the coun try ; an d so
h at it was d ecid e d to de
th e first O pportunity .

N ow in G e
T Vid e Up
sio n to

T N o ta b ly M M iz o n
. . .
1 58 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

twice b e fore s ending a punitive e xp e dition so far afi eld ,

th e y do pr e tty much as th e y pl e as e so long as th e y do not ,

fail to pay th e ir annual tribut e r e gularly I t is in th e s e .

non H a usa provinc e s that th e F ulah power has don e

-

most damage sinc e the e mirs consid er th e pagan abor

,

igin es fair game for slav e raiding with th e result that -

,

t h e country onc e f e rtil e and p o pulous has b ee n d e vas

, ,

t a te d I n d e aling with th e m o r e important of th e F ulah

.

provinces w e will comm enc e with thos e which lie furth est
,

from th e capital o f th e E mpir e and graduall y work from ,

e ast to w e st A damawa th e east e rnm o st kingdom ov er

.
, ,

which the F ulahs pr e t e nd to hold sway is situat e d in ,

th e upp e r reach e s of th e B e nu e riv e r and mainly on its ,

southern or l e ft bank Th e gr e at e r part o f th e country

.

is within th e G e rman sph e r e o f influ enc e though

Yola th e capital is includ e d in th e British S ph e r e an d
, , ,

c o ns equ ently forms part o f N ig e ria I t was doubtl e ss .

, ,

a som ewhat fa ul ty arrang em e nt which sancti o n e d thi s

partition of th e kingdom though littl e troubl e is lik ely ,

to arise from it as G e rman A damawa is h eld by th e emi r

,

with a very light grasp and is pr o b abl y nothing more than ,

a slaving pr e serve for the Yola chiefs .

A damawa is the name appli e d by the F ulahs to that

portion of the old pagan kingdom of F u mb in a which was
conqu e r e d by o n e Mallam A dama during th e F ulah inva ,

sion an d until visited by Barth in 1 8 51 was unknown

, , ,

t o E uropeans We m ention e d when d e scribing that

.
,

trav e ller s visit to Yola that as h e cam e from Bo rnu h e

’
, , ,

was inhospitably received by th e e mir an d was oblig e d ,

to quit th e town aft e r a stay of only a few hours N o .

further att e mpt was mad e to r e ach A damawa until 1 8 8 0 ,

when memb e rs of th e Church Missionary S oci e ty ascend e d

th e B en u é in a launch and sought an audi e nc e of th e ,

E mir o f Yola who how e v e r r e fus e d to s e e th e m

, ,
Tw o ,
.

years lat e r the German e xplor e r F legel r e ached Yola

and int e rview e d th e e mir but was soon ord e r e d to l e av e ,

the country I n 1 8 8 3 Mr W illi a m W allac e (N ational

.
, .

A frican Company ) convey e d num e rous pr e s ents to t h e

e mir who received him graciously and granted h im
, ,
1 60 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

might have b e en done in th e way of agriculture R ang e s .

o f hills e xt e nd in all dire cti o ns from th e riv e r attaining ,

a c o nsid e rabl e e levation abov e th e g e neral l e vel O f th e

land which is its elf
, or f ee t ab o ve th e se a .

A mongst thes e mountains t h e last r e mnant of th e fr e e

p agan aborigin e s hav e th e ir strongholds whenc e th e y ,

issue forth to raid th e Hausa ivory caravans and d e fy ,

the hat e d Mohamm e dans Yola th e capital is the most .

, ,

important town of this part of N orth e rn N ig e ria and ,

stands at a distanc e o f about thr ee mil e s inland from

t h e river though in th e w e t s e ason th e flo ods e xt e nd
,

almost up to th e town which may th e n b e r e ach e d in

,

cano e s B e tw e en th e st e am e r anchorage and Yola th e re

.
-

is a ridg e 3 00 or 400 f ee t in h eight studd e d with flou rish ,

ing farms and from th e summit of this th e first vi ew of

.

A damawa s capital is O btain e d

’
A t a distanc e ther e i s .

littl e to be s e e n of th e town itself whos e c o nical straw ,

roofed huts lie hidd e n among num e r o us magnific ent tr ee s ;

ye t on clos e r acquaintanc e o n e finds that it c o vers a c o n
si d era b le ar e a Th e sandy natur e of the soil on which
.

it stands giv e s it a cl e an and n e at app e aranc e ; narr o w

winding lanes run in all dir e ctions b e tw e en the matting
e nclosur e s o f th e various family compounds wh er e in ,

a r e littl e circular huts and a certain amount of cultivation ,

w ell shaded by tr ee s ; whil e in the c e ntral part of th e

town high mud walls enclos e th e r e sid e nc e s of the emir
and his chief o fficials who live a life of privacy befitting
,

th e ir dignity Comm e rcially Yola is unimportant ; it

.

has no industri e s and slaves and ivory f o rm th e principal

,

*
trad e of th e place P e rhaps nowh e r e in A frica has slav e
.

raiding b ee n carri e d on to such a n e xt ent as in A damawa ,

fo r the principal r e as o ns as w e shall m e ntion when d e aling

,

with th e subj e ct of slav e ry that th e d istance o f Yola ,

from the various trad e c e ntr e s n e c e ssitat e s e norm o us

numb e rs o f carri e rs to transport ivory and oth e r good s T ,

M os t o ft h e iv o ry c o m es fr o m th e gr ea t iv o ry m a r k e ts o fB a n y o

a nd N ga u n d e r e , in G e r m a n A d a m a wa E l e p h a n ts s till a b o u n d in a l l
.

the co u n t ries so u th O ft h e B e n u é , as w el l a s to th e s o u th o fLa k e Ch a d .

T C a m els a r e r a r e ly me t with as fa r s o u th as t his .

P ho to : Mr G
N AT IV E OF N I G ERIA I HIN G
F S .

. F Pa c k e r .

113 1, B EN UE R IV E R H E A DQ U A RTE RS .

P h ot o : A . F . Mo c k/e r Fe r r y ma n
-
.
162 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

m en wound e d whil e th e e n e my l o st about 1 50 kill e d and

,

w o und ed A m o ng th e munitions of war capture d w e r e

.

tw o F r e nch 9 pound e r guns 1 05 fus e d sh e lls 6 0 F r e nch

-

, ,

rifl e s with C artridg es and a ton of gunpowd e r a ll of which

, ,

had d o ubtl e ss b e en suppli e d to th e e mir by M Mizon * A . .

w ee k lat e r th e e xp e dition re e mbark e d a str o ng garrison

-

r e maining to uphold British authorit y .

Th e north e rn boundari e s O f A damawa adj o in Bo rnu ,

wh il e w e stward s ev e ral wild pagan trib e s s e parat e it

, ,

from th e F ul a h provinc e s of Muri and B akundi th e f o rm e r ,

mostly on th e north th e latt e r e ntire ly on th e south bank

,

of th e B e nu e Bak undi is quit e a m o dern provinc e (if

.
,

ind ee d it may b e t e rm e d a provinc e at a ll ) having b e e n

, ,

found e d b are ly thirty y e ars a go by th e th e n E mir of

Muri who having b e e n d epos e d by S okoto cross e d the
, , ,

river and carved o u t a n ew kingdom for hims e lf by the

conqu e st of th e pagan inhabitants T h e found e r o f B a .

kundi was B a rub a W h o se bro ther Mohamm e d Yn a h

, , ,

’
succ e e d e d him as E mir o f Muri and practically B a r ub a s , , ,

d e p o sition r e sult e d in th e str e ngth e ning of the Muri pro

vinc e since th e tw o broth e rs (curi o usly e n o ugh ) alw ays
,

r e main e d on fri e ndly t e rms and work e d t o g e th e r to in

,

cr e as e th e F ulah influ enc e o n both banks of th e B enué .

T h e town O f B akundi is situat e d about thirty fiv e mil e s -

up th e T a ra bb a R iv e r (which flows into th e B e nu e fr o m

th e s o uth e ast ) and with in a sh o rt distanc e of th e A ngl o
-

G e rman boundary I t is similar in c o nstruction to Y o la

.
,

and said to c o ntain inhabitants o f whom p e rhaps ,

a r e fighting m e n B e yond th e fact of its b e ing th e

.

capital of th e provinc e Bakundi is of n o gr e at im ,

portanc e ; it is not o n a main trad e rout e and th e ,

uns e ttl e d stat e of th e country has div e rt e d e ls ewh e r e

e v e n th e small trad e which was at on e tim e carri ed on
in ivory .

Muri th e sist e r (o r rath e r th e par e nt ) kingd o m is

, ,

s e cond only in importanc e as a B e nu é Mohamm e dan

c o untry to A damawa I ts principal town o f th e sam e
,
.
,

S e e C h a p ter X I I I :
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 163

n am e stands ab o ut fift ee n mile s from th e gr e at rive r

,
*
,

on a spur o fth e Muri m o untains and was form e rly kn o wn ,

as H a m a ru w a T Baiki e ( 1 8 54 ) was th e first white man

.

to visit it and he was r e c eiv e d by th e E mir Mohamma

,

with e v e ry mark of r e sp e ct Th e t o wn is much fr e qu e nt e d .

by Hausa caravans passing fro m such north e rn towns ,

a s S okoto K ano a n d B antshi to Yola th e m e rchants

, , ,

from th e Hausa country bri nging t o b e s cloth and , ,

Mediterran e an goods to e xchang e for slav e s and ivory .

T h e n e xt F ulah pro vinc e is B a u t sh i T which ext e nds ,

from th e B e nu e northwards to th e bord e rs of K ano lying ,

w e dg e d in b e tw e en M uri and Zari a though s e v e ral small ,

pagan trib e s still e xist in th e n e ighbourh oo d of th e B e nu e .

Th e capital B a u tsh i o r Yak o b a (Garo N B a u tsh i)§ is

’
,

situ at e d in a dir e ct lin e b e tw ee n th e towns O f Muri and

K an o o n th e wat e rsh e d of th e B e nu e and Mid d le N ig e r
, ,

and at a h e ight of f ee t abov e th e s e a I t is sur .

round e d and c o mmand e d by lofty mountains fr o m which ,

flow d o wn on all sid e s num e rous str e ams and riv e rs wat e r ,

in g a m o st f e rtil e country ; whil e th e plat e au wh e r e on

C a ll e d Ku n di b y th e J uk os . B a k u n d i is p os sib ly a co n tr a c tio n

o fB a r ub a Ku n di .

T It c o mm a n d s a x te n siv e V ie w T h e r iv er is s e e n
fine a nd e .

s tr e t c hin g a l o n g lik e a n a rr o w s t rip o f w hit e c l o th b e t w e e n th e ,

s h a d e s o f l igh t gr e e n g r a s s whic h frin g e s th e w a te r s e d ge a n d a

,
’

l it tl e fa r t h er b a c k is t h e d a r k e r gr ee n o f tr e es a n d th e n t h e b l u e ,

r a n e s o f F u m b in a w ith t h e l o f
g ty M a u r a n u m o u n t a in in A d a m a wa ,

O n th e l e f
-
t a n d t h e M u ri M o u n ta in s in H a m a r u w a with t h e ir m a n y
, ,

fa n c ifu l p ea k s o n th e r igh t s id e e a c h a t a d is ta n c e o f t w e l v e mil es

, ,

fr o m th e riv e r I n th e v a ll ey s b e lo w th e t o wn h o m o n e to tw o
.
'

”
h u n d r e d c a ttl e w e r e fe e d in g a n d this ga v e life t o t h e s c e n er y
,
.

j ou r n a l ,
’
C r owth er s 1 8 55 .

T The B o lo b o lo a nd B ole wa o f B a r th .

E d w a r d V o ge l , a c co m p a n ie d b y C o r p o r a l M a gu ir e , R E , it . .

will b e r e m e m b er e d , tr a v ell e d fr o m B o r n u t o Ya k ob a , in 1 8 54 , a fter

p a r tin g with B a r th No . r e c or d , h o we v e r , re m a in s o f th eir tr a v e ls .

Vid e p a ge 4 7 ( foo t n o t e ) . R e clu s s u gg e s t s th a t Ya k o b a d e riv e d its

n a m e e ith er fro m its F u la h fo u n d e r , Y a k o b ( J a c o b ) o r fro m t h e n e igh
,

b o u r in g p a ga n Ya k o t r ib e . N o wa d a y s th e to wn is wa y s c a lle d
al

B a n ts hi ( o r B a u c hi) , th o u gh th e n a m e Ya k o b a is k n o wn to th e
n a t iv e s .
 B R I TI S H ZI G E R I A

men wound e d whil e th e e n e m lost abou t 1 50 kille e

,

wounded A m o ng the m a nitiu s o f war cap tured

.

two F ren ch 9 pound e r guns 3 5 fused sh e lls 6 0 F rel

-

, ,

rifles with cartridg e s and a t or o fgunpowder all of t

, ,

had doub tless been suppli d e t o: h e emir by M Mizon *

I . .

w e e k lat e r the e xp dition

e re —(n b a r k e d a strong garrison ,

r e maining to uphold Bri tish a th o rit y .

The northern boundaries A dam a wa adj oin Bornu ,

whil e w e stward s e veral W ll( pagan trib e s s e parate i t

, ,

fro m the F ul a h pro vinc e s O f M ri and B akun di the former ,

m ostly on the north th e la t te ie n tir e ly on the south b ank

,

of th e B enu e B akundi is q it e a mod e rn province (if

.
,

indeed it m ay b e t e rm e d a p ) v ince at a ll ) having b e en

, ,

founded b ar e ly thirty y e ars go by the th e n E mir of

M uri who having be e n d ep o ed by S oko to cross e d the
, , ,

river and carv e d ou t a new ln gd o m for himself by the

conquest o f th e pagan inh a b nn ts The foun der o f B a .

kundi was B a ru b a whose I o th e r M ohamm e d Yn a h

, , ,

succeed e d h im as E mir o f Mu ) and practically B a r ub a s , , ,

’

d e position result e d in th e s tr agth en in g o f th e Muri pro

vince since the two broth e r s (cu riously enough ) always
,

remained on friendly terms nd work e d tog e ther to in ,

creas e the F ulah influ e nce o n b o th banks o f the B e nu e .

The town o f B akundi is s itu te d abou t thirty fiv e m iles -

up the T a r a bb a R iv e r (w h ic hfl o w s in to th e B e nu é from
the south —e ast ) and with in a i ort distan c e o f th e A nglo
Ge rm an boundary I t is sim ar in construction to Yola
.
,

an d said to contain inhb it a n ts o f whom perhaps ,

are fighting m e n B e yo d th e fact of its being the

.

c apital of th e province B a undi is o f n o gr e at im

'

portance ; it is no t on a rain trade route an d the ,

unsettl e d state O f th e c ounry has diverted elsewhere

e ven the small trad e which as at one time carrie d on
'

in ivory .

Muri th e sist e r (or ra th the p aren t ) kingdom is

,
c
,

secon d only in importance is a B enu e Mohammedan

country to A dam awa I ts Tin c ip a l town of th e s a m e
, .
,

S ee C h a par X I I I
1 64 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

th e town is built is r e markabl e for i ts exc e ll e nt climate .

W ithin th e hard en e d mud walls and ditch which e ncircl e

*

th e plac e is th e usual F ulah arrang e m e nt of walled and

”

mat e ncl o s e d compo unds H ausa huts patch e s o f c ul

-
, ,

t iv a tion and labyrinthin e lan e s with h e re and th e r e a

, ,

swamp or a r o cky mount I n size Bantshi rivals K ano .

(th e numb e r of its inhabitants w e r e e stimat e d by R ohlfs

in 1 86 6 at 1 50 000 ) T and its importanc e is altog e th e r
, ,

d u e t o its b e i ng a m e e ting plac e of s e v e ral caravan -

rout e s for it produces nothing of its elf e xc e pt p e rhaps

, ,

a fe w ostrich e s hors e s sh ee p and c a ttle a little rub

, , , ,

b er iron and tin (from Mount J e r en d e )

, ,
Th e mark e t .

is g o od and w ell stock e d with Manch e st e r g o ods and

,

th e lik e .

E arly in 1 902 E mir Omoru (an inv e t e rat e slav e —

, rai d e r ) ,

was d e posed and Ch erom a was install e d as e mir of Bantshi

, .

H e w ill b e support e d by a British R esid ent and an

I mp e rial garris o n .

B e tt e r kn o w n than Bantshi is Za ria T w hich adj oins ,

it on th e west and which compris e s all that tract of country

,

which is situat e d b etw e e n Bantshi and N up e and b e tw e e n ,

t h e B enu e and K a no This h ow ev e r is only a r o ugh

.
, ,

d e scripti o n o fits boundari e s and it w ould b e mor e accurate ,

t o say that o v e r this ar e a Zaria claims j urisdiction th o ugh ,

o n t h e bord e rs of th e kingdom and am o ng its mountains

th e re a r e t o b e f o und many unsubdu e d pagan trib e s d e .

s c e n d a n ts of t h e original inhabitants S till Zaria is con .

,

si d e re d t o b e th e larg e st of t h e S ok o t o provinc e s but not ,

by any m e ans t h e most valuabl e for c o mm e rcially K an o , , ,

stands unrivall e d I n Zaria is includ e d th e s e condary

.

S tat e O f N assara w a which alth o ugh tributary t o th e

, ,

larg e r pr o vinc e has o fr e c e nt y e ars gro w n int o importanc e

.
,

principally b e caus e of its int e rcours e with th e R o yal N ig e r

T h e p e r im e te r is 4 1} m ile s T h e r e a r e n in e g a te w a ys , with
.

d o o r s o f p a l m w oo d a n d s h e e t ir o n i in c h t hic k
-
F r o m th e t o p o f .

th e w a ll t o th e b o t to m o fth e d it c h is 24 fee t .

T The p o p u la tio n h a s d ec r ea se d c o n s id e r a b ly ,
a nd is n ow no t

m ore th a n

1 A ls o k n own as 2 02 0 a nd Z e gz e g .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI RE . 16 5

C o mpany I ts . C h ie f
t wn li e s s o m e few mil e s north
o
*

of th e B en u é but in Lok o it poss e ss e s a port wh ich until

, ,

quit e r e c e ntly s e rv e d th e d o ubl e purp o s e of a trading

,

stati o n and a bas e of O p e rations for slaving e xp e ditions

to th e south of th e riv e r N o w th e slav e raiding is held .
-

in ch e ck by a small I mp e rial garrison .

O n th e dir e ct rout e b e tw ee n N assarawa and Zaria ,

the capital O f th e provinc e th e r e is but on e town of any ,

siz e v iz Ka ffi (or Ke ffi ) whic h is re markabl e o nly fo r its

,
.
,

slave mark e t Th e nc e to Zaria a d istanc e o f ab o ut 1 8 0

.
,

mil e s th e country gradually ris e s until i t attains a lev e l

, ,

of f ee t abov e th e se a its f ertility e v e rywh e r e b e ing ,

b eyond disput e I t is wat e r e d by s e v e ral riv e rs and t h eir

.

tributari e s th e principal b e ing th e K aduna which aft e r

, , ,

flo w ing in a s o uth w e st e rly dir e c tion e v e ntual l y pass e s

-

Bida and empti e s its elf int o t h e Middl e N ig e r at a point

som e fifty mil e s abov e E gga .

T h e town of Zaria is t e n m il e s in circumfe r e nc e but ,

within its walls (40 f ee t high a n d cre n ellat e d ) p e rhaps as ,

m uch as half t h e spac e consists of cultivation and th e ,

popula t ion d o e s n o t e xc e e d th o ugh S t a n d ige r

( 1 8 8 6 ) puts it at to I t poss e sses what
is consid e r e d th e fin e st mosqu e in N ig e ria and a larg e ,

m ark e t plac e wh e re c o nsid e rabl e b usin e ss is transacted

, ,

and in more l e gitimat e articl e s than at th e t o wns which

w e hav e hith e rt o b e e n disc ussing tho ugh it cannot b e ,

d eni e d that th e traf fi c in slav e s surpass e s e v e rything else T .

S till Zaria b ing within mil s f Kano — th e gr e at

,
e ,
1 50 e o

e mporium of th e W e st e rn and C e n tral S udan — and on

th e dir e ct ro u t e t o N up e Y o ruba and vario u s oth e r plac e s , , ,

r e c e iv e s and e xchang e s a gr e at amount of nativ e and

im port e d go o ds and pr o duc e Good h o rs e s a r e to be .

found on sal e ( 1 5s to as w ell as w e ll tann e d l e ath e r

.
-

N wa a r e d m u d wa lled t o wn s a id to c o n ta in
a ss a ra ,
-
,

in h a b ita n t s a bou t fi f ty mil e s f r o m th e B e n u é a n d 550 f e e t a bo v e ,

t h e s ea T h e t r ib a l m a r k o f t h e p a g a n in h a b ita n ts o f th is p a r t o f
.

th e c o u n tr y is a s ca r b e n e a th e a c h e ye .

T M r C R o. b in s o n ( 1 8 94 ) s a w 3 00 s l a v e s e x p o s e d in t h e m a r k e t
.

on on e o c c a sio n .
1 66 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

b e autifully carv e d calabash e s tob e s K ano cott o n cloth , , ,

kola nuts tobacco and the vari ous nec e ssari e s and
, ,

luxuri e s of life .

W e n ow c o m e to th e most important of all th e F ulah

S tat e s — th e c e ntr e of Hansaland — whos e capital K ano , ,

w e hav e a lr e ady had fr e qu e nt o ccasi o n to m e nti o n E ven .

b e fo r e th e F ulahs comm enc e d t o ass e rt th em s e lv e s Kan o ,

had b e com e und e r its Hausa rul e rs th e m e tr o polis o f

*
, ,

W e st A frica and such it has re main e d to this day ; it is

,

worthy th e r e fo r e of a som ewh at full e r account than space

, ,

has p e rmitt e d us to devot e to th e oth e r provincial capitals .

T h e e arly history of K ano is that of th e Hausas though ,

it s e ems doubtful if until th e sixt ee nth c e ntury th e pr e s ent

capital was anything mor e than an ordinary for t T A t .

that p eriod Bornu was th e principal C entral A frican king

dom and claim e d j urisdicti o n ov e r K an o a fact which
, ,

was h o w e v e r disput e d by th e King of Koro ro fa or J u k o T

, , ,

( on t h e B e nu e ) which app e ars to hav

. e b e e n alm o st as
p o w e rf ul a kingdom as B o rnu The traditions o f K ano .

go back abo ut y e ars wh e n it is said som e Hausa , , ,

p e opl e cam e from D aura ( thr e e days n orth of Kano ) ,

and und e r on e Kano found e d th e t o wn Kan o hims elf

, ,
.

was a pagan and tw e nty f o ur pa gan kings succ ee d e d him

,
-

th e n f o llow e d Mahom e d R um fra th e n six pagan kings , ,

aft e r whom non e b ut M ohamm e dans hav e r eig ne d (sinc e

1 8 02 F ulahs ) T o com e d o wn t o m o r e mod e rn times §
.
,

K ano has of lat e y e ars b ee n in consid e rabl e troubl e I n .

1 8 92 the E mir B ello || di e d and w a s s ucc ee d e d b y T uk r , ,

whos e harshness soon stirr e d up insurrection I s u fu .

Ka n o o wed its p r o s p e rity t o th e d ow n f a ll o f Ka ts e n a , w hic h

p r ior t o th e F u la h in v a s io n , w a s th e c hie fc o mm e r c ial town o f t h e s e

p a r ts .

T D a la a r o c ky hill n o w e n c l o s e d w ithin th e t o wn
,
w all s .

1 S o u th e r n c a p ita l W u k a ri n o r th e r n c a p ita l G a ta ri
,
th e J uk os
a r e s t ill p a ga n s , a n d in h a bit th e c o u n try a t th e b a ck o fI b i, t o th e
s o u th o f t h e B en u é R iv er , as w ell as a p or tio n o fth e c o u n tr y t o th e
n o r t h o f th e B en u é .

I n C l a p p e r to n
’
s tim e M oh a mm e d D a b o was e mir in B
’
a r th s ,

O th m a n .

[I N o t to b e conf
o u n d ed with th e gr e a t S u l ta n B e llo .
 168 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

trav e ll e r not to inquir e too s e archingly in t o d e tails As .

*
to th e g e n e ral arrange m ent of Kan o l e ss than half o f th e ,

e nclos e d S pac e is inhabit e d th e re maind e r c o nsisting ,

of a c e rtain pr o p o rti o n of wast e land but princ ipally o f ,

cultivati o n in fact it is e stimat e d that K ano if b e si e g e d

-
, ,

c o uld n e v e r b e r e duc e d b y starvati on T h e to w n its elf .

— that is t h e inhabit e d ar e a of th e gre at e ncl o sur e— li e s

t o th e south w ards th e s o uth e rn wall b e ing th e only o n e
,

w hich actually adj o ins t h e d w e llings W ithin i t th e re .

a r e s e v e ral distinct q u a r t e r s T though practically it may ,

b e divid e d into two parts s e parat e d by th e sh ee t o fwat e r ,

calle d J akara which stre tch e s from e ast t o w e st almost

,

thr o ugh o ut th e width o f t h e t o wn N o rth of J akara .

dwe ll th e Hausas and most of th e A rabs that h av e s e ttl e d

in th e plac e th e hous e s of th e latt e r b e ing g e n e ral ly som e
,

wh at pre t entious in app e ar a nc e with flat roo fs and y er ,

a n d ah s whil e th e Hausas and F ulahs (w h o liv e t o th e

,

south of J akara ) a re c o nt ent w ith th e ir comp ounds and

circular huts The gr e at mark e t plac e is in th e Hausa
.
-

divisi o n of th e to wn abutting on th e J akara lak e and pro , ,

bably in no part O fA frica do e s o n e se e a stranger gath e r

ing of p e opl e o r a m o r e h e t e rog e n e ous s el e cti o n o f m e r
ch a n d is e i than h e r e The su mptuously appar ell e d A rab .

C l a p p e r to n fo u n d th e l a t itu d e b s e r v a tio n ) t o b eof Ka n o ( b y O

N ; t h e lo n git u d e ( b y d e a d r e c k o n in g f r o m Ku k a
° ’ "
12 0 19 .
)
R o b in so n fix e d th e l o n gitu d e b y o b s e r v a tio n 8 2 9 1 5 E
’ ° ’
20 E .
, .

T T h e o ld e s t q u a r t er is D a l a c lo s e t o t h e h ill O f th e s a m e n a m e
, ,

a nd fro m a c o mm e r c ia l p o in t th e m o s t im p o r ta n t . B a r th m e n tio n s
t w e n ty tw o o th er H a u s a q u a r te rs a n d n o le s s t h a n for ty fiv e F u la h
- -

q u a r te r s o fth e la t te r th a t c o n ta inin g th e r oy a l r e s id e n c e is k n o w n
,

a s Yo l a wh ich h a s giv e n its n a m e t o t h e n e w c a p ita l o fA d a m a wa

,

( th e n a tiv e s o fN e gr o l a n d b ein g n o t l e s s a n xio u s th a n E u r o p e a n s to

fa m ilia ris e t h e n e w r e gio n s w h ic h th e y c o lo n is e b y n a m es t a k e n fr o m
”
t h e ir a n c ie n t h o m e s ) T h e fix e d p o p u l a tio n o f K a n o is a b o u t
a n d M o n te i l sa y s t h a t u p w a r d s o f tw o m illio n s O f n a tiv e s
( tr a d e r s a n d o th e r s ) p a s s t h r o u g h th e tow n in t h e y ea r .

I A r tic le s o n s a l e in t h e Ka n o m a r k e t S la v e s c a m e l s h o r s e s , , ,

a sse s ,
c a t tl e n a tr o n ,
l ea th e r wo r k to b e s
,
t u r b a n s c o t t o n c l o th
-
, , ,
-
,

t a n n e d h id e s s ilk k o la n u ts s a l t iv o r y o s tric h fe a th e r s s u ga r
, ,
-

, , , , ,

M a n c h e s t er goo d s b e a d s p a p e r n e e d le s s w o r d b l a d e s r a z o r s
, , , , , ,

s
p ic e s , c o p p e r , a n d e v e r y v a r ie ty o fp r o v isio n . O fE uro p e a n goo d s
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 1 69

is to b e found bart e ring wi t h t h e alm o st n ak e d pagan ;

Tuar e gs of t h e S ahara a r e int e nt on a d e al with m e rchants
from Borgu o r W adai Yorubas N up es B e nu e trib e sm e n , , ,

B a gh ir m is and c o untl e ss oth e r p e opl e a r e r e pr e s e nt e d

, ,

and all with o n e id e a— th e e xchang e o f th e ir m e rchandis e

o n as favourabl e t e rms as p o ssibl e This is n o o rdinary .

E ast e rn bazaar and wh e n w e say that

, in th e ha s wa
(mark e t ) e ach d a y th e r e a r e n o l e ss than p e opl e ,

i t can b e imagi ne d what an am o unt of busin e ss is transact e d .

But it is not th e mark e t alon e which mak e s K an o pros

p e r ou s fo r th e plac e is a gr e at industrial c e ntr e c e l e ,

b ra t e d throughout W e st A frica for its cott o n cloth and

leath e r Th e form e r is wov e n in long narro w strips
.
, ,

a few inch e s wid e and g e n e rally dy e d with indigo which

, ,

gro w s e v e ry w h e r e in th e c o untry th e strips b e ing mad e ,

up n e atly into tob e s and o th e r garm e nts S o fam o us is .

this K ano cloth that th e n ativ e s o f t h e S udan will hav e

no o th e r and it is c o nv e y e d by th e m e rchants to all parts
,

— e v e n to Lag o s on t h e s o uth and to th e sh o r e s of th e M e di

t e rr an e an Th e l e ath e r also is an important articl e o f

.

c o mm e rc e b e ing e xc ell ently tann e d and mu ch us e d fo r

.
,

a vari e ty of purpos e s ; t h e skins of g o ats and sh e e p ,

which a r e usually dy e d r e d a re e xp o rt e d far and w id e , ,

a n d t h e softn e ss of t h e l e ath e r (produc e d by a l e ngthy

proc e ss o f manipu lati o n ) mak e s it invaluabl e for such

things as slipp e rs bags and c o v e rings for box e s— in fact
, , ,

a gr e at quantity of it pass e s int o N orth A frica and is ,

nothing mor e nor l e ss than th e Morocco l e ath e r of c o m

m e rc e T h e p e culiar thing about th e s e K an o industri e s
.

is that th e plac e contains no big factori e s and th e r e is ,

nothing to S how that i t is a manufacturing t o wn all th e ,

w e aving and tanning b e ing carri e d on in th e hom e s of t h e

w o rking class e s B esid e s th e s e th e r e a r e many minor
.

industri e s which h o w e v e r it is n o t n e c e ssary n ow to

, , .

touch o n ; w e hav e said e nough to S h o w that trav ell e rs

it is s a id th a t m el l o a d s a r e b r o u gh t a n n u a ll y to Ka n o fr o m
ca -

th e M ed it er r a n e a n . A ll im p o r t a n t p u r c h a s e s a r e c o n d u c te d t h r o u gh
a b ro ker ,
w h o ge t s a c o m mis s io n o f a b o u t fi v e p e r c e n t th e m o r e
.

v a l u a bl e a r tic l e s a r e not e x p ose d f

or s a le , b u t d is p ose d o fp r iv a t ely .
1 70 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

hav e not e xagge rat e d th e imp o rtanc e of K ano wh e n d e

scribing it as th e most famous mark e t in a ll T ro p ic al .

”
A frica , th e Lond o n and th e Manch e st e r o f th e S udan .

I t is p e rhaps n e e dl e ss to m e ntion that th e Hausas a re

r e sp o nsibl e for th e stat e o f prosp e rity at which K ano
has arriv e d ; th e y alone furnish th e industrial class and
th e m e rchants th e F ulahs pr e f e rring th e e xcit e m e nts
,

o f slav e raiding— always a m o st lucrativ e e mploym ent

-
.

Th e s e raids a r e dir e ct e d agai nst th e small pagan villag e s

in th e n e ighbourho o d o f th e t o wn and th e M o hamm e dan ,

H ausas a r e n o t mol e st e d th e ruling class b eing cl e v e r

,

e nough to und e rstand th eir valu e T h e F ulahs h ow .

,

e ve r ,r egard th e Hausas (although of th e same r eligion

as th e ms elv e s ) as an inf e rior rac e which is onl y natural , ,

consid e ring th e e as e with which th e c o untry was con

qu e r e d .

I n th e n e ighbourh o o d of th e capital and for a distanc e

o f e v e n e ighty to a hundr e d mil e s in all directi o ns is a

perfe ct gard e n and nothing strik e s th e trav ell e r to K ano

,

so much as this vast e xpans e of cultivatio n W h e th e r .

h e approach e s th e gr e at city from th e north south e ast , , ,

o r w e st the same sight gr ee ts him ; hith e rt o h e has s e e n

,

nothing like it in A frica for th e m o st f e rtil e lands in other

,

parts a r e m e r e patch e s O f cultivati o n compar e d with th e

pr o vinc e o f K an o A cr e s of Guin e a corn a re succ e e d e d
.

by acr e s of I ndian c o rn wh e at ric e or o th e r c e r e als ;

, , ,

th e n follows a str e tch o f cotton and m illet th e two sown ,

t o g e th e r in alt e rnat e rows s o that the latt e r may pr o t e ct

,

th e f o rm e r wh e n y o ung fr o m th e fi e rc e rays o f th e sun ;

h e r e is a fi eld of indigo th e r e a plantation of cassava
,

( manioc ) or o f gr,
o und —
nuts ; whil e b ey o nd again is a
v e ritabl e kitchen gard en w ell st o ck e d with p e as beans , ,

bananas sw e e t p o tato e s onions and e v e ry vari e t y of

, , ,

v eg e tabl e and h e rb A ll th e s e crops a r e pr o duc e d with

.

littl e actual labour b eyond sowing and r e aping : th e h oe

is th e only agricultural impl e m ent and th e soil is hardly ,

turn e d and n e v e r dr e ss e d th e r e st b e ing l e ft to N atur e

, .

V aluabl e tr e e s a ls o stand scatt e r e d among th e corn fi e lds ,

and fr o m th em th e farm e r O btains simply fo r th e gath e ring

, ,
 CH A PT E R X I I .

TH E F U LA H E M PI R E ( continu ed) .

The Pr o v in c es of Ka t s e n a a nd Z a n fa r a —T h e C ity of S o k o to
T h e C ity of W ur n o —T h e G a n d o D iv ision of t h e F ul a h E m p ire
—Nu e
p
—
The N up e N a tiv e —H is H a n d ic r a fts - H is H ap py

T e m p e ra m e n t— B id a a nd R abb a fi
I lo r in — C o n tr a s t with N up e
—T h e I lor in s .

B E T W E E N th e to w ns o f K an o and S o koto lie tw o o nce

imp o rta n t pr o vinc e s viz Kats e na and Z a nfara (o r S a m
,
.

fara ) though n e ith e r n o w t o b e c o mpar e d with K an o

, ,

which as w e said abov e r e ap e d th e advantag e O f K at

, ,

’
s ena s d e clin e Th e r e ason o fthis d e clin e was th e invasion
.

of th e F ulahs ; for pri o r to 1 8 07 th e capital O f K ats e na

, ,

was th e gre at comm e rcial en trepot o f th e S udan The .

Hausas o f K ats e na r e sist e d fi e rc ely and fo r s e v e n y e ars ,

succ ee d e d in maintaining th e ir ind ep e nd enc e ; only at

l ength h o w e v e r to b e starv e d int o submission by th e ir
, ,

F ulah e n e mi e s Th e s e s e v e n y e ars of c o ntinu o us war

.

far e follow e d by a furth e r l engthy p e ri o d of unr e st dr o v e

, ,

away all th e A rab m e rchants and div e rt e d th e n o rth e rn ,

trade to th e more inland town o f K an o and K ats ena has

n e ve r b e e n abl e t o r e cov e r its p o sition Th e to w n it .

*
s e lf th o ugh spars e ly inhabit e d is surround e d by a solid
, ,

wall forming almost a p e rf e ct squar e of sid e s thr e e mil e s

,

in l e ngth and having e ight gat e w a ys ; its app e aranc e

,

i s that o f d e s o lation ; for w ith th e e xc e pti o n o f about ,

a squar e mil e in th e n o rth e ast c o rn e r n e arly th e wh ol e -

,

o f th e vast e ncl o s e d spac e is an aba n don e d wast e T he .

The s m a ll a mo u n t of tr a d e s till c a r r ie d on with th e o u ts id e

w o rl d is al m os t e n tir e ly in t h e d ir e c tio n O fN u p e, t o w h ic h t h e re is a

g o o d c a m el r o u te . K a ts e n a h a s a re
p u ta tio n as a s e a t o fl e a r n in g
,

a nd H a us a o r m is t h e r e
in its p u re s t f spo k en .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 1 73

country surrounding th e town also shows signs of th e

unfortunat e stat e of a ffairs for th e still unsubdu e d H ausas
of G o b e r and Maradi a re constantl y planning warlike
excursions with th e obj e ct O f r e gaining from the F ulahs
th e kingdoms which th e y hav e conquered Th e villages .

a re f ew and far b e tw e e n and g e n e rally str o ngly fortifi e d ;

,

cultivation is scanty ; and th e p e opl e e v e rywh e re liv e

in t e rror o f th e numerous bands o f robbers .

Zanfara (or S a m fa ra ) th e pr o vinc e which adj oins

,

K ats e na on th e we st e xt e nds n o rthwards to Gob e r and

, ,

su ffers also at th e hands o f th e G o b e r is and Ma ra d is I t .

poss e ss e s no actual capital th e p e o pl e of th e old capital

, ,

Zu rmi having r e b e ll e d against th e ir F ulah mast e rs soon

,

aft e r th e d e ath of O thman th e R e f o rm e r sinc e which tim e ,

th e S ultan has consid e r e d it advisabl e t o k ee p th e pro

vince und e r his dir e ct sup e rvisi o n Gov e rnors a re a p .

’
point e d to th e principal towns and th e S ariki N S a ffa r a ,

(at pre s e n t th e eldest s o n of the S ultan ) is r e sponsible

that th e y do not b e com e disaffe ct e d Like K ats e n a .
,

th e country is n o w d e populat e d and in all dir e ctions a re ,

to b e s ee n th e ruins O f towns and v illag e s and a wast e d ,

land— a condition of things which is th e m o r e r e mark

abl e wh e n w e consid e r that Zanfara is th e near e st provinc e
to th e capital of th e empire .

A bout t h e minor S okoto provinces such as K e bbi , ,

Daura Gob e r and Kontagora th e r e is nothing of p a r

, ,
*
,

t ic ul a r int e r e st to r e lat e ; w e will th e r e for e pass to th e

capital (or rath e r capitals ) o fth e gr e at S ultan el Mu m en in .

T h e city o fS okot o as th e r e ad e r will r e m e mb e r was founded

, ,

by O thman Dan F odio w h o had pr e viousl y e stablish e d

,

himself at Gando and at S ifa w a T n e ith e r of which

‘

A p o r tio n o f Ke bb i b elo n gs t o G a n d o T h e c a p ita l o f D a u r a

.

lie s a b o u t 1 00 m il e s n o r th e a s t o fth e t o wn o fKa t sen a a n d w a s o n c e

-
,

a fl o u r is hin g H a u s a t o wn wh ere tra d itio n s a ys r e sid e d D od o

, , , ,

th e c hie fH a u sa d e ity G o b er is s it u a t e d b e tw e en S ok o t o a n d th e
S a h a ra. Kon t a go r a is a b o u t six ty mil e s fr om t h e le ft b a n k o f
th e M id d l e N ig e r a n d h a s n o w a B ritish R esid e n t with e s c o r t
,
it ,

is a w e ll b u il t a n d c le a n t o wn with a h a n d s o m e m os q u e
-
,
.

T G a n d o is a b o u t fi ft y fiv e m il es s ou th w e s t S ifa wa eigh t ee n
- -
,

mil es so u th o f S o k o to
,
:
1 74 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

apparently pleas e d him I n e v e ntually fixing on S okot o .

,

h e was influ e nc e d by various c o nsid e rations th e sit e had

th e advantag e of high ground th e n e ighbourhood was w ell ,

*
wat e r e d by a riv r and its tribu taries and h e r e t h e S ultan
e ,

would b e in a mor e c e ntral position for l o o kin g after th e

di ffe r e nt provinc e s o f his vast e mpir e S okot o th e re .
,

f o r e b e cam e the capital and r emains such in nam e at

, , ,

any r a t e at pre s e nt though th e S ultan and his c o urt hav e

, ,

for many ye ars r e sid e d at the town of W urno twenty mil e s ,

away T h e walls bu ilt by S ultan B ell o t o prot e ct his

.

capital from the G ob eris and oth e rs of th e Hausas whom

h e and his fath e r th e J ehadi had only partially subdu e d
, , ,

a r e tw e nty f ee t in h e ight and e nclos e a regular squar e , ,

e ach sid e of which is yards in length A s a further .

d e f e nc e S o kot o has a d ry ditch outsid e th e wall an d a d

, ,

mitta n c e to the city is O btained by e ight gat e s two on ,

e ach side I n th e days of O thman th e whol e int e rior

.
,

space was thickly populated— a t one tim e i mb abi

tants ; with th e r e moval of th e court t o W urno howe v e r , ,

t h e population rapidl y decr e as e d and B arth ( 1 8 53 ) e stimat e d ,

it at only Th e high ground li e s to the north of

th e city and th e market plac e on a r o cky sl o p e in th e
,
-

north — e ast angl e whil e th e form e r palac e is situat e d at

,

a short distance from the e astern gat e s I n th e south .

w e st corner of th e city a re th e r emains of a once famous -

mosque adj ac e nt to which is th e shrin e of th e gr e at

,

O thman still visit e d by pi o us F ulah pil grim s who

, ,

r e gard it as a l o cal M e cca A s a commercial town .

'

S o koto is o f small account though it is th e r e nd e zvous ,

o f m e rchants from all parts and its markets often e x ,

b ibit a fair st o ck of m e rchandis e th e mor e imp o rtant ,

articl e s on sal e being slav e s hors e s cattle ir o n and , , , ,

l e ath e r a r ticle s T S till S okoto as a gr e at m e tropolis

.
,

has c e as e d to exist ; in fact at the pr e sent day it is ,

quit e a minor town r e markabl e as m e r e ly poss e ssing

,

T h e M a y o Ke bb i ( c a ll e d b y t h e H a u s a s G o u l bi N Ke bb i, o r
’

G o u l bi N S ok o to ) I t e n t er s t h e M id dl e N ige r a t a p oin t O p p osit e

’
.

G u m b a , a b o u t 1 00 m il e s a b o v e B o u ssa :
T B rid l e s a nd h o rs e t r a p p in gs , b a gs ,
c u sh io n s , a n d s lipp e r s ;
1 76 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

w ell to th e fro nt G o b e r is und o ubt e dly th e w e ak spot

.

in th e F ulah E mpir e which c o nsid e ring that it was th e , ,

S tat e in which O thman c o mm e nc e d his j eha d is strang e ; ,

ye t s o far n o S ul t a n has b ee n str o ng e nough t o r e duc e

, ,

t h e G ob e ris to compl e t e submission T h e task is too .

e xt e nsive ; sinc e if driv e n back this bord e r trib e has

, ,

b ehind it th e whol e O f th e S ahara t o r e tir e into .

Th e above is a rough outlin e o f t h e S o k o t o divisi o n

of th e F ulah E mpire ; w e must n ow conc e rn ours elves
*
with the Gando divisi o n in r e ality of far l e ss import ,

anc e though as having within its limits two provinc e s

,

which w er e a few Ve a r s a go en eviden ce not t o b e pass e d

’

ov e r I t w ill b e r e m emb e r e d that as stat e d in th e last

.
,

chapt e r wh e n O thman Dan F odio had compl e t e d his

,

conqu e sts h e divid e d up th e vari o us provinces a n d a p

, ,

portion e d th e m to his son and n e ph e w th e latt e r b e ing .

proclaim e d first S ultan of th e G a n d o T or w e st e rn half , ,

of th e F ulah E mpir e e xt ending fr o m th e bord e rs O fS o k o to

,

across th e Middl e N ig e r and as far south as I l o rin or to ,

what is now th e n o rth e rn boundary of th e hint e rland

of Lagos Colony O f this vast t e rritory th e S ultan is
.

still th e nominal rul e r and th e vassal S tat e s continu e ,

t o p a y him tribut e th o ugh as a matt e r o f fact his do , , ,

mini o n ov e r such pr o vinc e s as N up e and I lorin is but

lightly f elt ; m o r e ov e r h e hims elf pays h o mag e to his ,

r eligi o us sup e ri o r o f S o k o to and b eing h e avily subs id is e d , , ,

and und e r British prot e cti o n is for all pr a ctical purpos e s , , ,

a s e rvant O f Gr e at B rita in th o ugh a t th e s a m e tim e s o m e , , ,

of his provinc e s a re within th e F r ench sph e r e o fin fl u e nc e .

B a r th ( 1 8 53 ) enu m e r a te s t h e v a rio u s p ro v in c e s o f G a n d o as

fo ll ow s The w e s te r n h a l f o f Ke bb i, M a u r i or A r e wa , Za berma ,

B e n din a ( co m p ris in g Ke n ga k oy -
a nd Z a gh a ) ,
a gr ea t p a r t o fG u r m a
( c o m p r is in g th e p r o v in c e s o f G a l a ij o , T o r o d e , Ya gh a , a n d L ib ta k o ) ,
with a s m a ll p o r tio n o fB o r g u or B ar ba ,
a l a r ge p o r tio n o f Yo r u b a
w ith th e c a p ita l A l o ri o r I l o r in , a nd , o n th e e a s t s id e o f th e r iv e r , t h e

p r o v in c e s o fYa u r i, a n d N u p e o r N y ffi .

T M a h o m e d B e n A b d a lla h , th e fi rs t S u l ta n o fG a ndo , w as s uc

c e ed ed b y h is b ro th er ,
M a h o m ed W a ni ,
a ft e r wh o m a n o th e r b r o th e r ,

Kh a lil u ,
ca me to th e th r o n e a nd b e it w a s wh o m B a r th

v isite d in his c a p it a l in 1 8 53 .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E : 1 77

His capital is at Gando a town situat e d about e igh ty ,

m il e s from the Middl e N ig e r in a narrow valley ( through ,

which flows a tributary o f th e S okoto R iver ) and com ,

m a n d e d on a ll sid e s by rang e s o f b ill s I t is of no v e ry .

gr e at siz e but th e land within th e walls b e ing well irri

, ,

gated and exc e ssiv ely f e rtil e is a mass of cultivation , ,

and the dw ellings of th e p e opl e a re almost entir e ly hidden

by th e wid e spr e ading tr e e s and grov e s of ban anas F or
-
.

*
its fruits and v e g e tabl e s Gando is fam e d and it is cer ,

t a inly a most pictur e squ e spot though its mark e t is small , ,

and ther e is nothing ab o ut th e place to mark it as a capital

of a great e mpir e Ye t its n e ighbourhood besp e aks pros
.

p erity for larg e farms and villag e s surround e d by a con

, ,

s id e r a b le amount o f cultivation li e scatter e d in all d irec ,

tions and th e r o ads l e ading to S okoto J e ga an d other

, , ,

large to wns at all tim e s pres e nt a bus y sc e n e Lik e S okot o .

,

i t is troubled by raiding bands of ind epend e nt H ausas ,

and the v illag e s and towns of th e hom e provinc e a r e con

t inu a lly subj e ct e d to the attacks of th e A r gun gu s and
oth e rs against whom Gando do e s no t take anyth ing lik e
,

such strong m e asur e s as S okoto .

O f th e maj ority o f th e provinc e s tributary to Gando

it will b e su ffici e nt h e r e to mention merely th e g e ographical
situation r e s e rving a mor e l e ngthy description for th e
,

two gr e at S tat e s of N up e and I lorin (Yoruba ) Gando .

,

th e capital is in W est e rn K e bbi the divided provinc e

’

, , ,

which also has th e h o nour of including within its e ast e rn ,

portion th e city of S okoto N orth of Kebbi which com

, .
,

pris e s all th e country b e tw ee n S okoto and the Middl e

N ig e r li e s Mawri or A r e wa betw e e n Mawri and the N ig e r
,

is Zaberma or Z e rma and w e dg e d in betwee n th e last,

thr e e provin c e s and the great riv e r stretches Den d in a ,

both the latt e r b e ing n o w within the F r e nch sph e re whil e

th e riv e rside provinc e o f Ya u riT s e parat e s K e bbi from

B d a t es , p a w p a w s , th e f
a na na s, r u it o f th e d u m o r
-
d el e b

p a l m ,
s h e a —b u t t e r , t a m a rin d , o nio n s ,
y a m s , p e a s , b ea n s , e t c .

T h l h m r d e r e d M u n o Pa r k w er e n a t i v s o fYa u ri,
T e p e o p e w o u g e

o p p o s it e B o u ssa ( or B u ssa ) .

M
1 78 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

N up e . A cross th e N ig e r
on its right bank we have, ie
. .
,

*
Gurm a on th e north with Borgu adj oining it on th e
,

south and farth e r south still I lorin or N orth ern Yoruba

, .

Th e numb e r of E urop e ans who hav e visited all or a n y

of th e s e inland F ulah (o r Hausa ) S tat e s can b e almost
count e d on o n e s fing e rs W ith N up e matt e rs a r e dif
’
.

fe r e n t for it has h e ld continuous in t e rcours e with E nglish

,

me n for m o re than forty years and I l o rin is no l o ng e r ,

a term in cogn ita Both a re d e stin e d to play a great part

.

in th e futur e history of N orth e rn N ig e ria if not also of ,

Gr e at B ritain in A frica .

T h e e arli e st information about N up e was that coll e ct e d

by Cla p p e rton during his first e xp e dition ( 1 8 2 2 and
’
consist e d chiefly of S ultan B ello s d e scription O fth e countr y ,

fr o m which w e l e arn that it was g en e rally consid e r e d that

the pagan N u p és T originally cam e fro m K ats e na Zaria , ,

Kano and o th e r parts The first E urop e an known to

, .

hav e r e ach e d N up e was H orn em a n n T but as h e l e ft no ,

r e cords of his trav els it was not un til Cla p p e r t on und e r

,

took his s e cond e xp e dition ( 1 8 2 5—7 ) that any auth entic

account of th e countr y was forthc o ming Land e r ( 1 8 3 0 ) .

wrot e full y of his e xp e ri e nc e s in N up e and as it was the ,

first Mohamm e dan kingd o m m e t with b y th e subs e quent

Gov e rnm e nt e xp editi o ns a consid e rabl e amount of his ,

t o ric a l information has b e en hand e d d own by th e ir c h r on i

cl e rs I ts story sinc e th e F ulah conqu e st is not unlike
.

that of most of th e o th e r provinc e s of th e E mpir e t h o ugh ,

it has had th e advantag e o f comm e rcial int e rc o urse with

E urop e ans for a much long e r p e riod and ev e n if th e pagan ,

aborigin e s hav e not b en efit e d th e r e by it is c e rtain that ,

th e pow e r of th e M o hamm e dan rul e rs has incr e as e d v e ry

consid e rably so much so in fact that for m any years past
, , ,

th e j urisdiction of Gando ov e r N u p e has gr e atl y diminish e d .

Vid e C h a p te r X . O n ly a m a ll p or tio n o f B o r gu is
v e ry s .

m ed b y G a n d o a nd e v e n
c l ai ,
this c l a im is m o r e th a n d ou b t ful .

T T h e t rib a l m a r k s o fth e N u p e p a ga n s a r e t h r ee e llip tic a l g a s h es

r o m th e t e m p l e to t h e m o u th a n d o n e h o r iz o n ta l g a sh a c r oss n o s e
f ,

a nd ch ee ks .

“
1 Vid e p a ge 10 .
1 80 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

of both Ma m a gia and E d e ris i S um o proclaimed hims elf ,

e m ir of all N up e .

History is e v e r r e p e ating its elf and in th e s e p e tty ,

Mohamm e dan kingdoms th e Koranic law of frat e rnal

succ e ssion pr o vid e s a n e v e r e nding caus e fo r dynastic -

squabbles— th e r e v o lt o f on e broth e r against an o th e r .

Th e y a r e born of di ffer e nt m o th e rs (v e ry fr e qu ently of

d if fe r e nt trib e s ) and e ach imagin e s that with th e sup
, ,
’
port o f his mother s p e opl e h e will b e abl e to gain th e ,

thron e I nstanc e s will b e found in e v e ry S udan S tat e

.
,

and N up e is no e xc epti o n we hav e alre ady s e e n how th e

first two rul e rs act e d and on th e ir d e ath with o ut h e irs
,

a similar stat e of affairs at o nce comm enc e d S um o .

,

th e n ew emir of N up e was as w e hav e stated a son o f , , ,

Mallam D endo who als o had (by a N up e wife ) an o th e r

,

son nam e d D a s a b a or Masab a

,
*
N ow b e for e S um o .
,

had b e en e stablish e d by th e F ulahs in R abb a a quarr el ,

had aris e n b e tw een th e half br o th e rs th e r e sult of wh ich -

,

was that Masab a fl e d t o Ladi o n t h e south e rn bank O f ,

the Middl e N ig e r H e r e h e gain e d gr e at influ e nc e o v e r

.

th e N up es principally owing to th e fact that his moth e r

,

was of th e ir rac e wh er e as S umo was of F ulah par entag e

,

on both sid e s and by 1 8 45 matt e rs wer e rip e for r eb elli o n

, .

Masab a attack e d R abba d e f e at e d his br o th e r (who fl e d,

int o th e Hausa country ) sack e d and burn t th e town , ,

and proclaim e d hims elf E mir o f N up e w ith his capital ,

at Ladi But th e p e opl e w h o had assist e d him s o o n dis

.

cov e r e d that th e y had mad e a mistak e fo r Masab a o nc e , ,

e stablish e d on t h e thron e turn e d o u t to b e cru e l and

,

tyrannical in all his d e alings with th e m ; cons e qu ently ,

in 1 8 54 th e c o untr y r o s e and drov e th e ir king into e xil e

, , ,

app o inting B a z ib a son o f Ma m a gia to b e th e ir rul e r

, , .

Masaba w ent to I lorin w h e r e h e was w ell r e c e iv e d by th e

,

F ulahs and in th e c o urs e o f a fe w m o nths h e p e rsuad e d

,

t h e N up es t o r e c e iv e h im back H e now m o v e d his c o urt .

fr o m Ladi to R abba which had grown up again to b e a,

town of s om e siz e and h er e h e r emain e d fo r th e n e xt fe w

,

ye ars .

A c o n t r a c tio n e ith e r o f M a ll a m S a b a or M o h a mm ed S a b a .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 181

This b rings us to th e tim e wh e n Baiki e took up his

*
c o nsular appointm ent at Lokoj a and it is d u e to Masaba ,

to say that th e goodwi ll which h e show e d towards the littl e

British s e ttl e m ent was th e m e ans of firmly establishing
our commercial position on th e N iger though probably ,

th e frequent pr e sents which h e r e c e iv e d act e d as an in

c e n tiv e to his fri e ndship A s a rul e r h e was n e v e r popular.

am o ng his own p e opl e but h e took th e gr e at e st in terest ,

in th e whit e trad e r and e nd e avour e d to increas e his own

,

w e alth and pow e r in th e land by comm e rcial transactions .

His capital was R abba (on th e le ft b ank o f th e Middl e

N ig e r ) a plac e which from its situation appar e ntly ful
, , ,

fill e d e v e ry r e quisit e o f th e chi e f to w n of an important

provinc e ;T wh e th e r Masab a dislike d th e town w e a re
no t told but certain it is that at th e first opportunity
, , ,

’
h e l o st no tim e in leaving it T h e e mir s c o mmand e r in .
-

chi e f was on e O moru who aft e r on e of his p e ri o dic al , ,

slaving e xp e ditions found e d th e town of Bida and being

, , ,

pl e as e d with his ch o ic e o f a sit e p e rsuad e d his mast e r ,

to pay him a visit th e r e sult of which was that Masab a

,

proclaim e d it his capital and forthwith transfe rr e d his

.

c o urt to the s p o t T O moru was n ow in high favour and

. _ ,

as a r eward for the f o unding of th e n ew capital th e e mir

ordain e d that h e should succ ee d to th e thron e at his ow n
d e ath This actually occurr e d in 1 8 73 and Omoru r e ign e d
.
,

ov e r N up e until 1 8 8 2 wh e n h e was succ e eded by Mal e k e

, ,

a M asaba .

T h e e l e vation to the thron e of O moru who was not ,

e v e n of royal desc e nt naturally cr e at e d disaff e ction an d

, ,

this e xtra o rdinary d e cr e e of Masab a has giv e n ris e to no

small amount of tr o uble ; for not cont en t with making ,

O m o ru e mir h e mad e a furth e r s e ttl e m e nt as to th e suc

,

c e ssi o n v iz that aft e r Omoru th e r e should b e succ e ss ive ly

,
.

Vid e C h a p ter V .

T T h e t o m b s o f th e N u p e k in gs a r e s till t o b e s ee n a t R a bb a .

1 A ft e r M a s a b a h a d e s t a b lis h e d him s e l f a t B id a h is tr e a t m e n t ,

o f his p a ga n su b j e c ts w as so h a r sh th a t h e w a s a g a in r om
d riv e n f
th e t h r o n e . H e th e n s o u gh t th e a id of S ok o to and r e ga in e d his
p o s it io n .
1 82 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

two Masaba e mirs th e n one O moru e mir to b e fo llow e d , ,

again by two Masabas and so o n A ll this in a c o untry ,

.
,

wh e r e intrigu e is th e v e ry e ss e nc e o f lif e produc e s a stat e ,

o f af fairs fr e qu e ntly v e rging on civil war though for , ,

t u n a tely th e pr e s e nc e of th e R oyal N ig e r Company and

, ,

more rec ently o f I mp e rial troops has so far k e pt matt e rs

, ,

*
fairly straight S ti ll to th e o uts id e r N up e politics a r e
.
,

most confusing ; th e main p o ints how e v e r to r e m e mb e r , ,

a r e that th e r e a r e two factions : th e d e sc e ndants o f th e

int e rlop e r O m o ru and o fth e r o yal hous e of Masaba Until .

r e c ently th e r e w e r e always thr e e grad e s of h e irship to the

thron e with distinct titl e s thus th e first h e ir was known
,

a s th e S h ia b a T th e s e cond as th e Princ e P o tun (both

,

Masabas ) and th e third as th e Markun i (the h e ad o f the

,

h ous e of O moru ) During the r e ign of Mal ek e t h e first

.
,

title c e as e d to e xist principally b e caus e th e Omoru facti o n ,

s ucc e ssiv e ly poison e d o f f anyon e who fill e d it and wh e n ,

Mal e k e di e d in 1 8 95 th e Potun A b u B akri (or B ok h a ri)

, , , ,

b e cam e e mir § I t was with this latt e r rul e r that th e

.

R o yal N ig e r Compan y s e ttl e d acc o unts in 1 8 97 and on ,

his deposition th e Markun M ohamm e d (O moru ) was , ,

’
install e d as emir (F e bruary 5th Masaba s arrange ,

m e nt th er e for e was up till th e n carri e d out

, ,
.

I t was not long ho w e v e r b e for e A b u Bakri r e turned , , ,

and having driv e n out th e Markun pro claim e d hims elf

, ,

e mir A s such h e w a s r e c o gnis e d by th e R oyal N ig e r

.

Company wh o se tr o ops w e r e t oo fully occupi e d to e mb ark

,

on anoth e r Bida campaign E arly in 1 900 A b u Bakri .

a n d his n e ighbour th e E mir o f K o ntagora comm e nced , ,

a n ext e nsiv e slav e raiding campaign and e v e n w ent so-

,

fa r as to app e al to th e E mir of I lorin to j oin th e m in

driving th e British o u t of th e country D e tachm ents .

o f th e W e st A frican F ronti e r F o rc e w e r e mov e d up to

The e m ir O m o r u w a s in d a n ge r of b e in g d e th r o n e d in 1 882,
a nd th a t t h e b e llio n w a s p u t d o w n w a s e n tir e ly d u e to th e N a tio n al
re

Af
ric a n C o m p a n y w h o s u p p o r t e d O m o r u with a n a r m e d fo rc e
,
.

T H e ir
a pp aren t-
.

T C o m m a n d er in C hie f - -
.

H is t h r e e e ld e r b r o th ers h a d d ie d
 1 84 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

is appar en t to anyon e who visits th e ir c o untry though ,

unch e ck e d oppr e ssion has gradually told o n th e ir natural

charact e ristics A s blacksmiths w o rk e rs in brass l e ath e r
.
, , ,

and glass as w e av e rs and as cano e build e rs th e y pr o b

, , ,

ably e xcel all th e trib e s o i C e ntral A frica Th eir work .

manship shows a skil l and tast e in d e sign which although ,

som ewhat crud e lacks only d e v el o pm e nt to b e com e artistic

,
.

Brass bowls v e ssels o f various p att e r ns trump e ts swords

, , ,

and sp e ars saddl e ry embr o id e r e d slipp e rs bags bask e ts

, , , , ,

and glass arml e ts and bangl e s a re amongst th e ir sp e ci al i

ties ; whilst in th e country parts ther e is e vid e nc e
, ,

e nough o f th e ir tast e for agricultur e A p e culiar trait .

in th e charact e r of th e h e ath e n N up e is his ch ee rfuln e ss

und e r th e most adv e rs e circumstanc e s ; his villag e may
b e raid e d b y th e Mohamm e dans and his friends and ,

relations carri e d O ffint o S lav e ry y e t in a fe w days h e will ,

r e turn from his hiding plac e r ebuild his hous e and s e ttle -

, ,

down as if nothing had happ en e d .

The principal towns and villages a re situat e d in the

im m e diat e n e ighbourhood of th e main riv e r or its num e r
o us tributari e s Bida * th e capital (wh e r e th e r e is now
.
,

a British R e sid e nt and e scort ) li e s som e thirty fiv e mil e s ,

-

inland from th e l e ft bank o f th e Middl e N ig e r and is ,

reach e d in th e rainy s e ason by asc e nding th e W on a n gi

R iv e r to a town O fth e sam e nam e but in th e dry season
th e j ourn e y from th e N ig e r is usually mad e by road and .

tak e s about two days T h e city cov e rs an ar e a of about .

four square mil es is circular in shap e and is surround e d, ,

by a mud wall and ditch Lik e Gando it is built in a .

,

hollow commanded on a ll sides by low hills while two

, ,

small str e ams flowing from th e south and west unit e

, ,

wi thin th e town befor e proce e ding to j oin th e R iv e r

K aduna which pass e s within half a mil e or so of th e n o rth
,

e rn walls Th e r e a re altog e th e r te n gates th e largest

.
,

b e ing known as th e Hausa gat e on th e n o rth th e I lorin ,

gate on th e w e st th e B om os u Barra gat e 011 th e south

,

Lie u te n a n t C F . . S . Va n d e l e u r , D S O . . . mad e th e m ea n
” '
l a tit u d e
°
ofB id a 9 N
° ’

5 1 3 . t h e l o n git u d e 6 1 E .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 1 85

w e st and th e Wona ngi gat e on th e south e as t f

, fiiC omp a r ed -

with other F ulah provincial capitals Bida isf g

arc h ite c tu r ,

al ly r e markabl e ; outwardly it is v e ry similar it o other

towns with the usual m ud —
,
enclosed p a lac es Em a t enclosed -

dw e llings tr e e shaded open spac e s and market places

,
-
,
-

but th e int e riors of som e of th e palaces display an amount

of artistic taste surprising in such an out O fth e way part - - -

of th e world The hard clay of th e walls is beautifully

.

polished and in many cas e s c e ramic ornam entation is

,

found ; while the Moorish ceiling and the h ors e sho e arch
are by no m e ans uncommon .

The only oth e r town of any importanc e in N orthern

N up e (i e the portion of th e kingdom S ituated on the
. .

left bank of the Middle N ige r ) is R abb a— th e old capital ;

and perhaps the only r e as o n that it is still of importanc e is
that it is a crossing plac e for caravans and that the N ig e r ,

Co mpany has her e a trading station which (e xc e pting ,

W ushishi on the K aduna ) is th e only on e on this bank

,

of th e river I n r e ality th e place is littl e more than a

.

larg e villag e and with th e e xc e ption of th e tombs of th e

, ,

kin gs th e r e is nothing to show that it was at on e time

,

th e c a p it a l of a flourishing S tat e and a trad e c e ntre I ts

,
.

app e aranc e is how e v e r d e cid e dl y pictur e sq ue th e clust e rs

, ,

of little grass huts d e sce nding to th e wat e r s e dg e and ,

standing out against a b ackgr o und o f handsom e dark

gre e n tr e e s whil e j ust abov e th e town high sandstone
,

cli ffs cast ruddy r e fl ecti o ns across th e far e xt e nding river -

.

The gre at e r part of S outh e rn N up e— th e portion of

th e kingdom situat e d on th e right bank of th e Middl e
N ig e r and now known as K abb a— pass e d int o th e hands
of the emir only in th e latt e r p art of th e last c e ntury ,

and was for many y e ars practically th e N up e slaving

pr e s e rv e I t adj oins th e kingdom of I lorin on th e s o uth
.

and west whil e towards th e e ast it str e tch e s an ind e finit e

,

distanc e into th e country inhabit e d by various pagan

trib e s notably th e Ya gb a s th e Ogid is and the Kukurukus
, , ,
.

I n this wid e tract th e r e a re s e v e ral larg e towns most of ,

which o w e their e xt e nt to having b ee n hitherto war camps ,

or bas e s of operations for the F ulah slav e raiders— now

,
-

,
1 86 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

thanks to th e succ e ssful 1 8 97 e xp e dition of the R oyal

N iger Company a thing of th e p ast ,
*
To E gga which .
,

li e s on th e right bank of th e riv e r som e three hundred mil e s

abov e Lokoj a this old ord e r of things never applied for
, , ,

e v e r sinc e th e white trad e r e xtended his in flu e nce to N up e ,

E gga has b ee n th e chief trading port of th e kingdom .

That it has fr e qu e ntly su ffe red at th e hands of th e e mir

and his F ulah warriors is true ; but though more than ,

once bu rn t to th e ground it has always been imm e diat ely ,

r e built S ituat e d as it is on th e direct rout e betw e e n

.

K ano and I lorin it naturally forms a great m e eting plac e

,
-

for n ative m e rchants wh o are doubtless also attract e d , , ,

to th e spot by th e knowl e dg e that they can her e purchas e

E urop e an goods at a far ch e aper rat e than anywh e re in
land .

A nother town of som e consequence on this bank is

S honga— a starting point for I lorin and within three days
’
,

m arch of that t o wn A small navigabl e riv e r flows from .

S honga Town into th e N iger which it e nt e rs at a point ,

almost O pposit e R abba and traders goin g south adopt ,

this rout e as it short ens th e ov e rland j ou rn e y from th e

,

N ig e r to I lorin and Lag o s by two days— a matt e r of som e

consid e ration wh e n the cost of carriers has to b e tak e n
into account Of N up e and its towns ther e is littl e mor e
.

to b e said e xc e pt that the startling e v ents of 1 8 97 and th e

,

subs e qu ent I mperial administrati o n hav e brought about

vast chang e s in th e country with imm e ns e b e n e fits for ,

the pagan p op u la tion T .

T h e kingdom of I l o rin which lik e N up e has b e en much , , ,

under discussi o n of lat e ye ars is th e southernmost F ulah ,

provinc e and is situat e d b e tw ee n N up e and Yorubaland

,

prop e r i e th e hint e rland of Lagos Colony A t on e tim e

,
. . .

i t form e d a part of th e pagan kingdom of Yorub a T bu t ,

T he j o u rn e y fr om E gg a t o B id a c a n b e a c co m p lish e d in on e

d a y , th o u gh , as a r u l e , it o c c u p ies t w o o r e v en t hr ee .

T Vid e C h a p ter V I .

T S ul ta n B e ll o s a y s o f th e Yo r u b a s :
-
T h ey o rigin a te d r om
f
th e r e m n a n t s O f th e l d r e n o fC a n a a n ,
ch i wh o w er e o f th e t ri be of

N imr o d . The c a u se of th e ir e s ta blish m en t in th e w es t of A f

ric a
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E . 1 87

w as inc o rp o rat e d into th e F ulah E mpir e at th e b eginning

o f th e last c e ntury by Dan F o dio who h o wev e r n ev e r , , ,

compl e tely c o nquer e d it A ft e r th e R e fo rm e r s d e ath .

’

Mohamm e dan influ e nc e gradually spread south th e town

o f I l o rin was proclaim e d th e capital of th e provinc e * ,

and th e F ulahs ov e rran th e whol e of Yorubaland— almost

t o th e s ea F o r many y e ars th e Yorubas r e main e d sub
.

s e rvie nt to th e F ulahs th o ugh I slam mad e but fe w ,

conv e rts among th e s o uth e rn trib es and e v e ntually th e ,

p e opl e of I badan rais e d a r eb elli o n wh e n with th e assist , ,

anc e of th e n eighb o uring pagan trib e s th e y succ e e d e d ,

in driving th e F ulahs b ack to th e ir capital at I lorin This .

e v e nt o ccurr e d s o m e f o rty y e ars a go sinc e which tim e ,

hardl y a y e ar o f p e ac e has b e e n kn o wn though now that , ,

t h e e ntire country has pass e d und e r th e pr o t e ction of Gr e at

Britain a m o r e satisfactory stat e of a ffairs may b e ex
,

ec t ed and t h e Mohamm e dans will hav e t o ad o pt som e

p ,

m e thods of conv e rsion o th e r than by th e s w o r d T .

T h e I lorin c o unt r y is p e rhaps on e o fth e most pl e asant

, ,

and fe rtil e parts of W e st A frica south O f th e Middl e N ig e r ,

with a climat e almost fr ee from t h e p e stil en tial malaria

o f th e coast S ituat e d in th e basin of the N ig e r it is
.
,

w e ll wat e r e d b v num e rous riv e rs and str eams which in ,

the w e t s e ason (J un e t o O ctob e r ) can o nly b e cross e d by

cano e f e rry though at oth e r tim e s g e n e rally fordabl e
-
, .

w a s, as it is s ta ted ,
in c on s e q u e n c e o f th eir b ein g d riv en b y Ya a
R oob a , s on o f Ka h t a n ,
ou t o f A r a b ia t o t h e w e s t e r n c o a s t b e tw e e n
,

E gy p t a n d A by s s inia F r o m t h a t s p o t t h e y a d v a n c e d in t o t h e
.

in t e rio r o f A fr ic a , t ill th e y r ea c h e d Y a r b a , wh e r e t h e y fix e d t h e ir
r e s id e n c e . T h e t r ib al m a r k s o f th e p a ga n Yo r u b a s w e r e o r igin a lly
s e v e r al fin e cu ts a lo n g th e Ch ee ks ,
b u t n o w a d a y s t h e p r a c tic e o f
m a r kin g a p p e a r s t o b e g o in g o u t o ff
a s h io n ( s ee p .

T his w a s b r o u gh t a b ou t by a M oh a mm e d a n p r ie s t nam ed

A limi, w h o p e r s u a d e d th e p a ga n kin g A fo n a , t o a s k th e F u l a h s t o j
a id him in his f ro n tie r w a r s Vid e U p t h e N ig e r ,
.
p a ge 1 7 2 .

T T h e fi r s t F u la h E m ir O f I l orin w a s A b d u l S a l a m i ( s o n o f
A limi) , a bou t 1 83 1 he was s u c c e e d ed b y his b r o th er S it t a , 1 840
18 58 ; afte r w h om th e fo llo win g h a v e r e ig n e d : Z ob e ir u (s o n of

A b d ul S a l a m i) , 1 8 58 —1 8 6 7 A l ib u ( son of S it t a ) , 1 8 6 7—1 89 1

S u l im a n (s on of A lih u ) , 1 891 .
1 88 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

V ast rolling plains alt e rn ate with low rang e s of forest clad -

hills th e bush b e ing in plac e s d e ns e in oth e rs almost park

, ,

lik e in app e aranc e T h e paths from vill age to village

.
,

and from farm to farm a re nowh e re mor e than thr ee f ee t,

wide a nd in th e rainy s e ason a re fringed with c o arse grass

, ,

o ft e n growing to a h e ight O f e ight or t en f e e t The .

villages are at no great distanc e apart and m any of th e m ,

c o nsist of m e r ely on e or two adj ac e nt farms for th e ,

p e opl e a re mainly agriculturists and pay gr e at att e ntion ,

to the cultivation of the land which they hav e cl e ar e d

in th e n eighbourhood o f th e ir hom e s Yams grow in abnud .

anc e and form th e principal food of th e inhabitants ;

,

whil e plantains bananas millet Guin e a corn I ndian

, , , ,

corn sugar can e ground nuts sw ee t potato e s and to

,
-

,
-

, ,

bacco are e xt e nsiv ely cultivat e d Ye t th e country is .

so w ell peopl e d that it only suppli e s su ffici e nt food stu ff

for its own wants .

Trav elling from the north one is much struck by th e ,

di ffe r ence in app e aranc e betw ee n th e buildings of th e

I lorins and thos e O f th e ir n e ighbours t h e N up es Th e ,
.

dw ellings of th e latt e r are all circular in shap e with th e ,

n e at e st of c o nical roofs whil e thos e of the f o rm e r a re long

, ,

low and untidily thatch e d sh e ds Towns vill ages and

,
-
.
, ,

farms a re construct e d on t h e sam e principl e and c o nsist ,

of a high e nclosur e wall of mud on th e inn e r sid e of which ,

are rang e d th e dw e lling apartm en ts e ach family having ,

a s eparat e enclosur e with a central court yard containing

,
-

num e rous littl e mud granari e s -

.

T h e maj ority of t h e inhabitants a r e pagan n egro e s

of th e dark e st colour though th e upp e r class e s of th e country
,

a r e M o hamm e dans and b e ing O f a light e r colour than

, ,

the r e st claim d e sc ent from the F ulahs who in many

, ,

cas e s hav e marri e d h e ath e n wiv e s Th e m en a re fin e .

,

sturdy A fricans good horsem en and inure d to hardship ;

, ,

whil e th e wom en wh e th e r slav e s or fr ee born a re w ell

,
-

proportion e d ch ee rful and light h e art e d I n this latt e r

, ,
-
.

r e sp e ct th e I lorins both m en and wom e n a re r emark

, ,

abl e ; they app e ar t o hav e few car e s and e v e ry e v ening , ,

from dusk to midnight th e ir towns and villag e s a re fill e d

,
1 90 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

is only on e of any importanc e and e v e n that woul d b e ,

r e gard e d by M ohamm e dans of oth e r parts of th e world

as nothing b e tt e r than a b arn S till I lorin is n o t with .
,

o u t its charms for th e r e is som e thing of th e pictur e squ e

,

in th e groups of shady b aobab and oth e r tre e s which grow

e v e rywh e r e among th e huts of th e nativ e s and spr e ad ,

th e ir wid e branch e s ov e r th e op e n mark e t places T h e .

palac e of th e e mir and th e hous e s o fth e principal B al ogun s ,

or war chi e fs a re surround e d by solid and high walls

-

, ,

within which a r e oth e r e nclosur e s with patch e s of cul ,

t iv a tion and occasi o nally a wild gard e n R o ads run .

fr o m th e c e ntre of th e city in all dir e cti ons passin g through ,

*
th e num e rous gat e s and into th e country lik e spok e s fr o m
th e nave of a wh ee l ; whil e th e R iv e r A s a flowing to ,

wards th e N ige r r e c e ives a littl e north of I lorin tw o tribu

, , ,

tari e s on th e ground b e tw e e n which th e city stands

,
.

Commerciall y I lorin must always r e main from its

, ,

situation of v e ry consid e rabl e importanc e all trad e b e

, ,

tw ee n th e N ig e r and Lagos passing through th e t own ;

mor e ov e r its mark e ts a r e visit e d by th e surrounding
,

pagan trib e s and now that th e country has comm enc e d

,

to s e ttl e down und e r th e n ew administration a gr e at im ,

p e t u s will doub tl e ss be giv e n to t h e d e v e l o pm e nt of t h e

r e sourc e s of a most productiv e land S uch natural pro .

ducts as sh e a butter rubber and gum a re abundant ;

-

, ,

iron is found in larg e quantitie s ; num e rous farms a re

alre ady in a high stat e of cultivation wh il e th e pagan p e opl e
a r e n aturally industrious and as e xp ert in th e ir various
,

manufactures as ev e n th e ab o riginal inhabitants of N up e .

O n e thing only has be e n wanting all th e s e y e ars to mak e

both th e town of I lorin and t h e whol e o f th e pr o vinc e
thoroughly prosp e r o us— p e ac e Hith e rto plund e r and o p .

pression have overshadowe d th e land ; to be robb e d of

his property if not of his free d om was th e prosp e ct o f
, ,

e v e ry pagan ; and e v e n th e Hausa m erchant trading

b e twe e n th e N ig e r and th e coast had to submit to h e avy

T h ere a re t w el v e a c tu a l g a tewa y s ; b u t a b ou t a m il e o f th e

w a ll in th e n o r th ea s t c o r n er
-
h a s d is a p p ea r ed .
 TH E F U LA H E M PI R E : 19:

blackmail or run the risk o f his caravan being loot e d on

,

the ro ad A ll this we trust now that a B ri tish R esid ency

.
, ,

has be e n established in th e capit a l has p assed away for

,

e ver
,
and the outlook for I lorin is full of gr e at promis e .

The railway from Lagos to I badan is being pushed north

*

wards whereby it is r e asonabl e to suppos e that within a

, , ,

few years this vast fe rtil e tract will b en e fit e normously ;

,

its produc e will be able to r e ach th e coast at small cost ,

and th e p e ace of the country will b e doubly assured .

G a u ge 3 fee t 6 in ch es
 CH A PTE R XI I I .

P
I N TE R N A T I O N A L C O M LI C A T I O N S .

M cQ u een
’
s W a r n in g— T h e D ev el op m e n t of S eneg a l— T h e
“
G ame
” ”
o f G ra b -
Th e B e r l in C o n fe r e n c e S ph eres of I n fl u en c e
T h e N ig er R e gio n — F r e n ch
a n d E n glish — M o n t e il s M is sio n
’

M iz o n s — T h e F r e n ch W a r with D a h om ey — T im b u c t o o b e
’

c o m es a F r e n c h Pr o t e c t o r a t e — L u ga r d v D e c oe u r — A Ve rit.

a b l e S t e e p l ec h a s e — L u g a r d W in s— T h e C a s e o f C a p t a in T o u t é e

— A n gl o -
F r e n ch T r e a t ies .

LI TT LE m e ntion has b ee n m ade so far in th e se pag e s of

the attempts of for e ign Powe rs to st e p in and oust us from
th e position which w e had s e cur e d for ours elv e s by long
years of e xploration and comm e rcial e nt erpris e in th e
N iger Districts Ye t a study of th e e v e nts of th e last
.

quart e r o f a century r e v e als an extraordinary story I t .

was w ell known that th e foundati o n of a mighty e mpir e

in A frica had b ee n th e dr e am of F r ench stat e smen e v e r
since th e e arly y e ars of th e nin e t eenth c e ntury and as ,

far back as 1 8 2 1 Mc Q u een — the proph e t of the N ig e r

for e saw the trouble which e v entually cam e to pass I n .

o n e of his warnings he wrot e : F rance is already estab

lish e d on the S en e gal and commands that riv e r and if
, ,

the supinen e ss and car el essness of Gr e at Britain allow

that pow e rful e nt e rprising rival to st ep in and fix h e rs elf
,

securely on the N ig e r then it is e vid ent that with such

, ,

a s e ttlem ent in addition to h e r command of th e S enegal ,

F rance will command all N orth e rn A frica T h e c on .

s e qu ences cannot fail to b e fatal to the b e st int e rests of

this country and by m e ans sur e r than ev en by war
, ,

and conqu e st t e nd ultimat ely to bring ruin on our b e st

,

tropical colonial e stablishm ent .

N o notic e was taken of this warning with th e r e sult ,

that F ranc e gradually cr ept forward in all dire ctions ,

whil e Gr e at Britain did littl e or noth ing to check h er

1 94 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

in A frica G e rmany in th e summ e r of 1 88 4 swooped down

.
, ,

on the Cam e roons and Togoland an e v ent so unfor e s ee n ,

and startling that o ther Powe rs with claims in W est

A frica imm e diat ely s e t to work to incr e as e their poss e s
sions right and l e ft s o as to pr e v e nt the r e maind e r of the
,

country falling into th e unyi elding tal o ns of th e G e rman

E agle . Thus Gr e at Britain proclaim ed th e N ig e r Pro
,

te c t or a te and F ranc e who had already b e come poss e ss e d

, ,

of considerabl e territory on th e b anks of th e Upp e r N ig e r

above Timbuctoo and had plac e d a gunboat on th e riv e r
,

at B amaku str e ngth en e d h er hold on the I vo r y and S lav e

,

Coasts reviving h er old Porto N ovo settl e m e nt which ,

s h e h ad practically ab andoned twenty y e ars b e for e In .

ord e r to check this g e n e ral scrambl e the B erlin Conf e r ,

ence of 1 8 8 4—8 5 was assembl e d wh e n fourt e en Pow e rs ,

met to discuss th e qu e stion of th e Congo and incid e nt ,

ally to com e to an und e rstanding about th e N ig e r as w ell ,

as to formulate ge n e ral rul e s concerning the matt e r O f

“
annexations I n th e . Gen e ral A c t of th e Conf e r ence
of B e rlin w e find th e t erm sph e r e of influ e nc e us e d
o fficially for th e first ti m e but onl y with r e f e r e nc e to c er
,

tain parts O f A frica Lat e r in th e vari o us A gr ee m e nts

.
, ,

it was applied to all parts and the principl e was int end e d
,

to ward off unpl e asant disputes b e tw e en th e di ffe r e nt

E urop e an Pow e rs who had launch e d exp e ditions and
d e spatched o fficials to ann e x n ew countri e s in A frica .

I t was in r e ali ty a mod us viven di and th e map of A frica ,

was periodically divid e d up with rul e r and pencil the ,

lin e s thus drawn forming t emporary boundari e s

ing the actions of th e diff e r e nt Pow e rs int e r e st e d .

P o w e r r e tain e d what e v e r t e rritory it could at th e time

establish a claim t o— as a rul e c e rtain portions of the
coast line — and in ord e r that trade with th e interior might
-

remain unhamp er e d th e se coast poss e ssions were a p p or

,

t ion e d a giv e n amount of background or as it was termed , , ,

“ ”
hint e rland within which the particular E urop e an
,

Pow e r should b e p e rmitt e d to e xt end its influ enc e Th er e .

was no actual distribution of the land but merely an ,

und e rstanding among th e Powers that e ach should have

 I N T E R N A T I ON A L C OM P L I C A T I ON S . 1 95 .

c e rtain spher e s within which the oth e r Powers would n ot

int e rf e r e .

This briefly is what was int e nd e d by th e term sph e re :

of influ ence as originat e d at the B e rlin Confe r e nce

, .

Th e re w e re of cours e numerous provisos the principal

, , ,

o f which related to the annexation of fr e sh t e rritori e s .

I n th e cas e O f intended annexation * (or e xt e nsion by pro

t ec tion ) by a Pow e r it was n e c e ssary that th e oth e r Pow e r s
,

should r e c e iv e information of th e claim which might i f , ,

n e c e ssary hav e to be p r ie d by th e production of tr e ati es

y
,

made with th e n ative s Theoretically th e sph e r e of in

.
,

fl u en ce arrang em ent was e xc ell e nt practically how e ver , ,

th e r e w e r e many difficulti e s in th e way o f its workin g

smoothly I t was n e ver f o r a mom e nt imagined that the
.
'

p e ncil lin e s on th e map could r e main as d e finit e boundari e s

o f t e r ritory p o ss e ss e d by di f fer e nt E urop e an n ations since , ,

for instanc e th e y might run through th e c e ntr e of a tribe

, ,

or e v e n of a town ; it was th e r e for e arrang e d that wh en , ,

a Power had ann ex e d or proclaim e d a Protectorat e over

,

its hinterland up to th e t e mporary b oundary line th en ,

th at Powe r and any oth e r Powe r w ith an adj ac e nt sph e r e

of influ e nce should appoint Commission e rs to proce e d to
t h e spot in ord e r to surv e y and lay down th e actu al
,

b o undary lin e S e v e ral O f th e s e frontier d e limitation s

.

have al ready tak e n plac e and others a re now in progr e ss , ,

’

though it must b e many y e ars befor e th e boundaries of .

th e whol e count ry a re cl e arly d e fined .

S uch w e r e the gen e ral arrange ments arriv e d at at .

B e rlin but in addition to th e mutual agr ee m e nts about

,

sph e r e s it was decid e d that th e Congo and the N iger

,
'

should b e O p e n e d to fr e e navigation S o far as th e latter .

riv e r is concerned this soon b e cam e an impb r t a n t matter ,

for th e F r e nch more than once e ndeavour e d to interpr e t

th e Gen e ral A c t for th e ir own purpos e s ; thus in 1 8 92
'

the F r e nch gunboat A r dent pass e d up the Lower N ig e r

I t is err on e o u s to s u pp os e th a t a nn e x a tion in A f
rica ca rries .

with it ac q u isition y it im p lie s m ere ly a righ t to

o fl a n d p r a c tic a ll
'

s ee th a t th e co u n try is p r o p e rly go v er n e d ; a n y l a n d d e sir ed b y

E u ro p e a n s h a s t o b e b ou gh t o r r en te d fr o m th e n a tiv e s .
1 96 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

fully lad en with munitions of war alt o g e th e r contrary ,

to the principl e s o f fre e n avigation as e stablish e d by th e

Final A c t o fth e C o ngr e ss of V i e nna 1 8 1 5 and as appli e d to
, ,

the N ig e r by th e B erlin A c t F r ee navigation as laid d own

.
,

by internati o nal law— for th e Danub e th e N ig e r or any , ,

oth e r riv e r— m e ans simply th e fr e e transit of v e ss els

carrying m e rchandis e and for a f o r e ign man o i—
, war t o -

e nt e r with o ut p e rmissi o n a riv e r fl o wing through th e t e r

ri t or y of an o th e r Pow e r is a dir e ct br e ach o f law In .

th e cas e of th e A rdent how e v e r t h e v e ssel did not asc e nd

, ,

any gr e at distanc e b e for e sh e ran aground and b e cam e

pow e rl e ss and r epr e s entations having b e e n mad e to th e
,

F r e nch Gov e rnm e nt th e usual r e ply was r e c e iv e d — that

,

th e command e r was acting without o rd e rs and that h e ,

had b ee n r e call e d A n o th e r matt e r which has also b ee n

.

misinterpr e t e d is that of fr ee trad e on th e N ige r for wh e r e as ,

th e C o ngo was O p e ned to fr e e trade as w e ll as to fr e e

navigati on att empts w e re mad e to ass e rt that th e sam e
,

a ppli e d to th e N ig e r A r e f e re nc e how e v e r to th e B e rlin

.
, ,

A c t at o nc e shows th e fallacy O f this noti o n only fr ee d o m ,

of n avigati o n b eing guarant ee d .

To r e turn to th e sph e r e o f influ enc e arrang e m e nts

initiat e d at th e B e rlin Conf e r e nc e of 1 8 8 4—8 5 : br o ad
lines o f d emarcation w e r e as we hav e said laid d own
, ,

confining e ach E ur o p e an Pow e r to c e rtain districts (with

foundations o n th e coast ) within which that one P ow e r
,

alon e had th e right to e xt e nd its influ enc e This c o uld .

b e done by making tr e ati e s with th e nativ e s and n o tifying ,

t h e sam e to th e oth e r Pow e rs wh e n th e tr e aty making

,
-

Power was without furth er inquiry (or e v e n e xamin ati o n

o f t h e tr e ati e s ) regard e d as the d e f a cto suz e rain I t is .

worthy of not é as b e aring on lat e r e vents that Gr e at

, ,

Britain sugg e st e d that e ffe ctiv e occupation should f ollow

t h e conclusion of a tr e aty but F ranc e ,
*
diss e nting this ,

was n egativ e d e xc ept with r e gard to th e actual coast

r e gions it b e ing c o nsid e r e d impossibl e to e stablish posts
,

in the int e rior oth e rwis e than by a v e ry gradual advanc e .

A t th e in s ta n c e o f B a ro n d e C o u rc e l .
1 98 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

k i n gdom of S o k o to th e line
, to b e d e t e rm ined by th e Commis
sion e rs to be appoint ed .

Th e state of affairs in th e n e ighb o urhood of th e N ig e r ,

t h e r e for e as far as th e British and F r ench w e r e c o ncern e d

,

in A ugust 1 8 90 may b e summaris e d as foll o ws

, ,
Th e
west e rn boundary of th e Gold Coast was fix e d from th e s ea
t o as far as the 9th d egr e e of north latitud e and th e w e st e rn ,

boundary o f Lag o s to th e sam e parall el ; w hil e th e S a v B aru a -

lin e s e parat e d th e British N ig e r Prot e ct o rat e from th e

F rench M e diterran e an poss e ssions A ll this is cl e ar e nough .

a s far as it go e s ; th e northern limits O f th e hint e rlan d

of the N ig e r Prot e ct o rat e had b e e n s e ttl e d as had b e en ,

th e boundaries of th e oth e r adj ac e nt coast poss e ssi o ns on

t h e w e st up to the 9th paral lel A bout th e limits e astward .

o f th e hint e rland o f F r e nch S e n e gal th e limits w e st w ard ,

o f th e N ig e r Prot e ctorat e and Lag o s Colony north o f

t h e ninth parall el or ab o ut th e north e rn limits o f th e
,

Gold Coast C o lony n o arrang em ents had b ee n mad e, ,

fo r th e r e as o n that at that tim e th e distanc e int e rv e ning

, ,

b e tw ee n th e advanc e d line of British p o sts an d F r e nch

p osts was so gr e at as t o mak e it improbabl e that th e
q u e stion of mor e d e finit e boundari e s w o uld aris e for many
y e ars W ith wh at rapidity this int e rv ening distanc e was
.

c over e d w e will now S how .

By 1 88 7 th e F r e nch had r e connoitr e d th e Upp e r N ig e r

a s far as K abara t h e p o rt O f Timbucto o and b e t w e e n
, ,

1 8 8 8 and 1 8 91 Col on e l A rchinard to o k S e gu conqu e r e d ,

th e Bamako trib e s farth e r d own str e am and dr o v e S am o ry ,

out of his str o nghold to th e s outh I n th e tw o f oll ow ing .

y e ars Colon els Humb e rt and C o mb e s c o ntinu e d th e pur

suit o f S amory w hil e A rchinard push e d f o rward to w ards
,

Timbuct oo capturing (A pril 1 8 93 ) th e imp o rtant t ow n

, ,

of Dj enn e and e stablishing a military p o st th e r e A

,
.

flotill a o fgunb o ats n o w advanc e d d own th e riv e r t o M o pti ,

wh er e a d e p Ot was f o rm e d and aft e r s o m e min o r O p e ra

,

ti o ns against S amory C o l o n e l B o nni e r w h o was n o w in

, ,

c o mmand d e cid e d o n th e captur e O f Timbuct oo F o r

,
.

t his purp o s e h e ass e mbl e d his forc e s at S e gu and c o mm e nc e d ,

 I N T E R N A T I ON A L C OM P L I C A T I ON S . 1 99

the d e sc e nt of the riv e r on Christmas Da y 1 8 93 I n the ,

.

m e an tirn e how e v e r Lieut e nant B o itea u x who had b e en

, , ,

l e ft in command of th e flotilla at M o pti with strict inj une

tions not to advanc e towards Timbuctoo conceived the ,

id e a of gaining for himself th e honour of s e izing th e great

p riz e A ccordingly h e st e am e d down to Timbuctoo
.
, ,

land e d his doz e n rifl e s and aft e r e xchanging a few shots

, , ,

hoist e d th e Tricolor in th e cit y on Christmas Day wh e n ,

Bonni e r and his forc e w e r e still 3 00 mil e s away The .

audacity o f this und e rtaking was astounding ; but on the ,

a rrival o f his sup e rior on th e 1 oth J anuary 1 8 94 t h e u n , ,

fortun at e B oite a u x was s e v e r e ly r eprimand e d and award e d ,

’
f o rty fiv e days simpl e arr e st Thus by 1 8 94 th e F r e nch
-
.
, ,

wer e in poss e ssion of Timbuct o o and though th e y suf ,

fer e d sev e r e ly from tim e to tim e at the hands o f the

surr ounding Tuar e g trib e s th e y succ e ed e d in holding the
,

which h ad so long b e e n their obj e ctiv e .

was going on th e F r ench w e r e busy

,

e ls ewh e re
,
striving to e xt e nd th e ir influ ence both by
o rganis e d military e xp e ditions and by duly accr e dit e d indi
vidual e missari e s T h e ost e nsibl e obj e ct of th e military
.

e xp e ditions was t h e ov e rthrow o f th e great S amory and ,

his occasional r e puls e or voluntary r e tir em e nt naturally

l e d t o th e advanc e o f th e F r e nch and th e e stablishm e nt
,

of posts to prot e ct th e ir lin e s of communication S p e aking .

first of th e in dividual e missari e s w e will mention tw o

Mont e il an d Mizon th e form e r making a v e ry r e markabl e
j ourn e y and proving hims elf w o rthy of having his nam e
add e d to th e long roll of A frican e xplor e rs Th e action .

of th e F r e nch Gov e rnm e nt in d e sp atching th e se m e n to .

th e British N ig e r Territori e s w e n ee d not h e re discuss and ,

wh e th e r th e r e sults of th e ir r e connaissanc e s (to use a t em

p e rat e e xpr e ssion ) w e r e consid e red by th e ir employ e rs
as satisfactory th e world has ye t t o discov e r .

N o soon e r was th e agr e e m e nt of 1 8 90 sign e d than Mon

t e il start e d from S en e gal with an e scort of t en T ou couleu rs
,

to r e connoitr e th e S a y B ar ua lin e W hat his instructions

-
.

w e r e we c annot d e finit ely t ell, though it is fair to pr e su m e

from h is subs e qu en t pro m otion that h e carried the m out
2 00 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

to the l e tt e r and th e account of his trav els which h e

,

afterwards publish e d disclos e s suffi ci ent to e nabl e us

*

to arriv e at th e t r u e natur e of his mission Comm encing .

his j ourn e y on the 2 0th A ugust 1 8 90 h e went to K ay e s , ,

by stea m e r and th en march e d to S egu th e F r en ch out

, ,

post F rom S egu h e trav e rs e d th e whol e b end of th e

.

N iger (hitherto un e xpl o r e d by E uropeans ) and e ight ,

months lat e r struck th e N iger at S a y H e n ext visit e d .

S okoto and K ano and e v e ntually reached Kuka wh e nc e

, ,

h e pass e d vid Bilma to Murzuk and Tripoli N ow

, .

for the obj e ct of his m ission Th e agre e m e nt of 1 8 90 .

had said that the S a y B arua line was to b e drawn in such

-

a m ann e r as to compris e in th e sph e r e o f action o fth e R oyal

N iger Company all that fairly b e longs to th e kingdom o f
”
S okoto the reason for this latitud e b eing principally
,

the doubt that e xist e d as to wh e th e r A ir (or A sb e n ) lying ,

consid e rably to th e north of th e lin e was still tributary ,

to S okoto .

Had Monteil trav elled direct to A ir to institut e his

inquiries there would be littl e m o r e to b e said but as a , ,

matt e r of fact he n e v e r w ent north o f th e S a y Baru a

,
-

lin e and what h e did was to e nd e avour to mak e treaties

,

in the name of th e E mp e ror o f th e F r e nch with all

thos e chi e fs who had alr e ady conclud e d tr e ati e s with the
R oyal N ig e r Company ’ H e comm e nc e d with th e S ultan
.

of S okoto whos e tr e aty with th e N ig e r C o mpany h e was

, ,

fully awar e f o rm e d th e basis O f th e whol e agr ee m e nt o f

,

1 8 90 and who h e also kn e w was h e avily subsidis e d by the

,

Company h e approach e d oth e r chi e fs wh o w e r e similarly ,

situated and through o ut his book h e go e s out of th e way

,

on all occasi o ns to abus e and sn ee r at th e British O flic ia ls

who had b e en b e fore him W e a r e not now e nt e ring into.

th e qu e stion of th e validity o f tr e ati e s but as th e r e ad e r , ,

may wond e r how a chi e f alr e ady subsidis e d by and und e r

, ,

tr e aty obligations to o n e P o w e r could conclud e a s e c o nd

,

treaty with an agent o f anoth e r Pow e r w e will say that ,

p ossibly in th e cas e of minor chi e fs gr e ed migh t induc e

D9 S a in t Lou is a T r ipoli, pa r l e l a c T c ha d .
2 02 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

c ann on 1 50 rifl es w ith

,
c ar t n d ges a n d 1 00 r ev olv e rs ,

with cartri d ge s Th e Compan y pro t est e d e a rn estly

.

against th is e x trao rdinary d emand on th ree gr oun d s

(1 ) Th at th e passage o f such large mu n itions o f war int o
th e in t erior o f A fric a u n d e r th e ch arge o f an unc on tr oll ed
,

ad ven ture r w oul d b e a d istin ct b reach o f th e E urop e an agree

,

m en t k n o w n as th e B russ els A c t a n d w oul d b e calculat e d to ,

d o gre at misch i e f to th e n ativ e p opulati ons b e yon d th e t e rri

t orie s o f th e Company .

(2 ) Th at M Miz on h aving e x pr essly d eclare d a n d claim e d

.
,

cred it for his int en tio n to preven t th e e x t en si on O f th e B ritish

a n d G e rman sp h er e s it w o ul d b e on th e o n e h an d u n patrio t ic
, , , :

a n d o n th e o th e r h an d unfair to a fri e n d ly Po w e r t o faci

, ,
litate ,

such a n aggre ssive e x p e d iti on .

(3 ) Th at as th e Company h a d d ispl e as ed s eve ral Moh am

m e d an emirs in th e B ritish sph er e th rou gh h aving st e ad fastly ,

refus e d to furnish th em w ith a s in gle rifl e or cartri dge to assist

th em in carrying o n th eir slave raid s on th e n eigh b ouring
pagan tri b es a n d th rough h aving also f orcibly preven t e d such
,

rai d s it w oul d b e most imp ol itic to al low M Miz on t o pre se n t

, .

h ims elf to th e s e e mirs as a n all y w ith cann on ri fl e s a n d a , ,

large supply of ammu niti o n .

U nfortu n ately at th at m om ent (A u gust 1 8 92 ) th ere w as

, , ,

for practical purp os e s n o Min istry in Gre at B ritain w hil e

, ,

t h e F r en ch G ov e r nm e n t w as carri e d o f f its fee t b y a pass in g

wave o f p opular e n t husiasm T h e veh eme n t pro t e sts o f th e .

Compan y w er e th ere fo re o f n o avail a n d M Miz on re turn e d

, , , .

to th e N ige r a n d B enu e in S ept em b e r last w ith six F r e n ch

compani ons a n A ra b att end an t name d H amed a n d a large
, ,

force o f sh arpsh oo te rs from S en egal Th e foresigh t o f th e .

N i ger C ompan y f ou n d ed o n e x p erien c e o f M Miz o n s ch ar

’
.
,

act er a nd m e th o d s h a s b een fully j ustifi e d as sh o w n b y th e

,

e vi d e n c e o f M Miz o n s F rench compan io ns

’
. .

Unluckily for M Mizon h e f ell out with his o ffic e rs

.
,

and o n e o f th e m (th e doctor of th e e xp e dition ) l e ft him

and r e turn e d t o F ranc e wh e r e h e at o nc e r eport e d to his ,

G o v e rnm e nt th e tru e stat e o f a ffairs — how his lat e c om

manding o ffic e r in o rd e r to mak e tr e ati e s and to ingratiat e
,

hims elf with th e M ohamm e dans o f th e Muri provinc e of

F ro m a n o tic e in th e T imes ( J un e ,
1 8 93 ) of
-
F r e n c h S la v e
R a idin g in B r itis h T e r rito r y .
 I N TE R N A T I ON A L C OM P L I C A T I ON S . 20 3

*
S okoto was assisting th e m with F r e nch ar m s
, to raid , ,

th e p agans on all sides T h e n ewspapers at first r e garded

.

t hes e statements as an e xagg e ration actuat e d by p e rsonal

a nimus against M Mizon but a s e cond o fficer of th e
.
,

e xp e dition shortly arriv e d to corroborat e th e stat e ments ,

”
and F r e nch O pinion chang e d Mizon we nt to A frica .
,

s aid a F r e nch n e wspap e r of the day to mak e F rench ,

influ e nce p e n e trat e th e r e H e has compromis e d it . He .

has allied hims elf with th e Mosl e ms against th e pagans ,

whom th e m o r e practical E nglish hav e always taken car e

t o pr o t e ct Le t us hop e that th e Minis try will tak e m e asur e s
.

t o withdraw from Miz on s authority his unfortunat e sub

’

o rdinat e s and to recomp e ns e as it merits his e xtraordin ary

,

”
c o nduct .

A tel e gram was d e spatch e d r e calling M Mizon and .

,

instructing M N eb o u t (s e cond in command ) to proc e e d for

.

sci e ntific purpos es to Yola T h e re call howe v e r n e ver .

, ,

r e ach e d M Mizon who had gon e on to Yola and conclud e d

.
,

a tr e aty with th e E mir o f A damawa T h e attitud e of th e .

F r ench e xp e dition which had all along b e e n watched by

,

Th e R oyal N ige r C o mpany b e cam e so aggr e ssiv e that th e ,

A ge nt G e n e ral now d e cid e d that th e time for acti o n had

-

arrived and accordingly h e ord e r e d up troops to s e iz e

,

th e F r e nch vess e ls I t was ev e ntually agree d to r e fe r th e

.

matter to th e Gov e rnm e nts conc e rn e d and M Mizon le ft ,

.

fo r hom e shortly aft e rwards .

On his arrival in F ranc e at th e e n d O f 1 8 93 h e gav e a

good account o f hims e lf and amongst oth e r things claim e d , , ,

to hav e e stablish e d a F r ench prot e ctorat e ov e r A damawa .

His stat e m e nts w e re contradict e d by both th e N ig e r Com

’

p a n y s A g e nt G e n e ral and th e G e rman o f ficial Herr v on

-

S t e tt e n but th e y w e r e doubtl e ss b e li e v e d by th e F r e nch

, , ,

public and th e F r e nch Pr e ss n aturally s e iz e d th e opp or

,

t un ity to stir up an anti British fee ling in the country -

.

Th e a fia ire M iz on r e main e d long aft e r th e d e ath of its ,

a uthor to kee p alive amon g a c e rtain s e ction of th e

, ,

F r e nch public suspicion of E ngland , Wh e th e r t h e r e c e nt .

Pr ob a bly it w a s th e s e a rm s th a t fell in to o u r h a n d s a t th e
c a p t u r e o fY o l a in 1 90 1 s ee p a ge 1 62 .
2 04 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

award o f M le Baron Lamb e rmont with r egard to the

.

s izur e of th e S ergen t M a la min e by the N ige r Company

e *

in 1 8 93 will clos e th e a fia ir e is a matt e r of o pinion We .

hav e how e ver said e nough to show the m e thods ad o pt e d

, ,

b v th e s e F re nch ag e nts and it is n o t diff icult to s ee with

,

what obj e cts th e y we re d espatch e d on th e ir missions .

Mont e il it was hop e d would b e able to cut down th e

, ,

limits of th e kingdom of S o koto whil e Mizon at th e sam e ,

tim e pav e d th e way for th e e xpansion of th e F r e nch

C o ngo towards Lak e Chad .

Tha t n e ith e r wh olly succ e e d e d in his task was c er

t a in ly not d u e to lack o f e n e rgy or of scrupl e s B oth .

m e n did e v e rythin g possibl e to pro duc e in th e minds of the

nativ e s of th e countri e s visited distrus t of Gr e at Britain ;
a n d if Mizon did nothing e ls e h e at any rat e creat e d in ,

A damawa a state o f unre st which culminat e d a few ,

y e ars later in op e n d efiance of B ritish authority

, .

R e v e rting to th e military e xp e diti o ns e v e ryon e must ,

admir e th e imm ens e e n e rgy display e d by F rance in the

att e mp t t o s e cur e for h e rs e lf a n ew e mpir e in W e st A frica .

R apidly s h e advanc e d acr o ss t h e b e nd o fth e N ig e r and had ,

alr e ady follow e d th e S ofas into w hat Gr e at Britain con

s id e re d to b e th e hint e rland o f th e G o ld Coast (i e the . .

c o untry north of A shanti ) I n this way sh e was abl e to .

c o nn e ct S en e gal with th e I vory Coast and probabl y at ,

th e clos e of 1 8 92 th e m o st ambitious o f h e r stat e sm e n

imagined that sinc e Timbucto o w a s about to b e cap
,

t u re d wh e n F r e nch influ e nc e would practicall y e xt e nd

,

from A lg e ria to th e I v o ry Coast th e limits of th e ir dream ,

had b e en realis e d But an un exp e ct e d d e v elopment.

,

o ccurring in 1 8 93 a fr e sh sch em e was imm ediat ely S e t

,

F ra n c e , N o . 1 A wa r d s giv e n b y B a ron L a m b er
m o n t in th e c a s e s o f t h e W a im a o f th e S e r ge n t ‘
I n c id e n t , a n d
M a l a m in e ; B r u s s el s J u ly 1 5 1 9 0 2
’
,
Pr es e n t e d t o b o th H o u se s
,
.

o f Pa r l ia m e n t b y c o m m a n d o f H is M a e s ty A u gu s t 1 90 2 j
The , ,
.

S e r g e n t M a l a m in e A r b it r a tio n w ill b e fo u n d in full in A p p e n d ix

B a r o n L a m b e rm o n t s a w a r d a s s e t f o r th s h o w s c l e a r ly t h e
’
III .
, ,

ill e ga lities O f t h e M iz o n E x p e d itio n a n d is w or th y o f v e r y c a re f,

ul

p e r u sa l .
2 06 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

for Dahomey on th e 2 4th J uly 1 8 92 ; four days lat er ,

Captain Luga rd l e ft E ngland I t was as th e Paris pap e r s

.
,

“
said a ,
v e ritabl e st eepl e chas e but it w a s won on th e
,

1 0th N ov e mb e r by Captain Lu ga r d who mad e a treaty ,

with th e King o f N ikki and l e f t th e plac e on his r e turn

,

j ourn e y fiv e days b e fore Dec oeu r put in an app e aranc e .

Th e r e ason th e F r e nch gav e for initiating this rac e was

that the chi e f with whom the N ig e r Company had con
clud e d th e ir 1 8 90 treaty was not th e acknowl e dged King
o f B o rgu the King of N ikki was they said th e r e al rul e r , ,

o f all Borgu and it is inter e sting to not e that Dec oeu r

,

and A lbi r e turned from N ikki in th e b eli e f that they had

b een succ e ssful in making a valid treaty .

The cas e of Captain T ou té e is som ewhat r e markabl e ,

and c e rtainly throws a flood of light on F r e nch m e thods .

The first that was heard of him was an application mad e

o n his b e half to th e R oyal N ig e r Company to grant him

a fr ee passage to Boussa sinc e h e was d e sirous as a privat e

, ,

individual of proc e eding to th e F r e nch outposts in th e

,

n e ighbourhood O f Timbuctoo How h e changed his role.

fr o m privat e individual to p olitical ag en t history do es

not r elate but his n ext appearanc e was as h e ad of a F rench
,

expedition that e stablished a f o rt o n th e right bank of th e

Middl e N iger in Boussa t e rritory and opposit e to Baj ib o ,

on th e l e ft bank (in S okoto t e rritory ) This raid in to British .

t e rritory was protest e d against and the F r ench Gov e rn

,

ment ord e r e d T ou té e to withdraw M e anwhil e oth e r .

F r e nch e xp e ditions had e nt e r e d Borgu but th e se w e r e ,

trav elling expeditions for treaty making and by th e cl o s e ,

of 1 8 95 a ll had withdrawn to Dahom e y aft e r which for , ,

a whol e year no F r e nch r epr e s entativ e s w e re to b e found

,

in Borgu Twelv e m onths lat e r h oweyer th e pr e para

.
, ,

tions of the N iger Company for th e N up e and I lorin war

gav e th e F r e nch colonial party an opportunity o f induc
ing F ranc e to disre gard all pr e vious agr e em e nts by a
r e n ew e d invasion of B o rgu and to propound th e th e ory
,

(which in 1 8 8 5 w e may remark sh e had r e fus e d to ent e r

, , ,

tain ) that tr e ati e s must be follow e d by e ffe ctiv e occupa

tion The dang e rs attending such a course wher e a n y
.
, .
 IN A N U PE MA R KET .

P h o to '
Ca p t . H . N e e d /1 a m .

RIV E R S I DE S C E N E .

M I DD LE N I G E R .

P h oto : Ca p t . H Ne e d /1a m .
20 8 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

F r e nch had about a d o z e n posts— all situat e d in t e rritory

claim e d by Gr e at Britain by right of tr e aties to which ,

matt e r w e a r e now coming .

A frican tr e ati e s may p e rhaps in many in stanc e s

, , ,

be of doubtful valu e ; still th e Powers assembl e d at th e

,

B e rlin Confe renc e of 1 8 8 5 agr ee d to abid e by th e m and

n o t to qu e stion th e ir validity wh e n th e fact of th e ir having

be en ent e r e d into should b e made known by on e Pow e r t o

th e oth e rs . Pr e sumably th e r e fore if Great Britain con
, ,

clud e d tr e ati e s with the n ativ e chi e fs whos e t e rritori e s

lay within what could b e r e asonably consid e r e d to b e th e
British spher e of influ e nc e thos e tr e ati e s on b e ing c ommu
, ,

n ic a t e d to th e oth e r Pow e rs would give Gr e at Britain

,

an e ff e ctive claim to th e t e rritori e s and any att e mpt ,

on the part o f anoth e r Pow e r to mak e lat e r tre ati e s

with th e sam e chi e fs would b e (not to speak t oo stro n gly )
contrary t o th e c o mity of n ations But as in th e abs enc e .
,

of tr e aties th e r e could be no claim to t e rritory and as with ,

t h e fall of D ahom e y F ranc e conceiv e d a n ew sch e m e

o f colonial expansion she s e t to work to mak e tr e ati e s
,

thr o ughout the pr e viously m ention e d d e batabl e hint e r

lands The w o rth o i thes e tr e ati e s was doubtl e ss dis
.
, ,

cuss e d fully by th e Paris Commission but about th e ir ,

priority th e r e could have b ee n no question as th e follow ,

ing list will show

PR I N CI PA L T R E A T I E S CO N CLU DE D BY G R E A T
B R I T A I N A N D F R A N CE .

DA T E OF S I GN A TU R E .

TR E A TI E S .

B RI T S I H . F R E N CH .

Wa 1 8 94 and 8 97 1 1 895
Ya n d a
.

3 I s t J u ly , 1 8 9 2 2 4 th A
p ril , 1 8 9 5
G a m b a ga 2 8 th M a , 1 8 9 1 8 th A p ril , 1 8 9 5
y 4
S a n sa n e M a n gu 8 t h A u g u s t , 1 8 94 2 8 th J a n u a r
y, 1 8 9 5
1 0 th N o v e m b e r 1 8 94 2 6 th N o v e m b er 1 8 94
, ,

1 3 th O c to b e r , 1 8 I s t F ebru a r , 1 8 9
94 y 5
2 2 n d O c to b e r 1 8 94 r 1 th F e b r u a r , 1 8
, y 95
1 2 t h N o v e m b er , 1 8 8 ,
5
a nd

2 0 th J a n u a ry ,
1 8 90 3 rd J u ly ,
1 895
 I N TE R N A T I ON A L C OM P LI CA T I ON S I 2 09

P R I N CI PA L T R E A T I E S (continued) .

DA TE OF S I GN A TU R E
T R E A TI E S .

B RI T SI H; FRE N CH .

M o s si Kin gd om 2 nd J u ly 1 8 9 4
,

W a ga d u gu 2 nd J u ly 1 8 94
,

L eo 6 th F e b r u a ry 1 8 97
,

T u mu 6 th F e b r u a ry 1 8 97
,

D a sim a I 8 97

D a w k ita 1 8 97

B un a 1 8 94

B a ul e 1 892

B u su nu 5th O c t o b e r , 1 8 94
D a b oy a 1 8 9 2 a n d 1 8 94

T r u gu 1 8 9 2 a n d 1 8 94

S al a ga 1 s t S e p t e m b e r , 1 8 94

G a n d o S u l ta n a t 1 8 th J u n e , 1 8 8 5

G and o 1 8 8 5, 1 8 90 , 1 8 94

B o r gu Kin gd o m 1 8 90

S o k o t o E m p ire . 1 8 8 5 a n d 1 8 90

9 th S e p t em b e r , 1 8 9 6
2 o th J a n u a ry , 1 8 9 5

2 o th J a n u a r y , 1 8 9 5
1 895
1 9 t h F e b r u a ry , 1 8 9 5

9 th F e b r u a ry , 1 8 9 5
1 2 t h A u gu s t , 1 8 9 5

2 I s t D ec e m b e r , I 8 94

A comparison of this list of treaties with the list of

military posts as o ccupied in the spring of 1 8 98 e stab
lish e s two int e r e sting facts v iz that Great Britain o c c u
,
.

pi e d no post where F rance had priority in the mat ter of

tr e aties (becaus e wh e r e v e r double treaties had b ee n con
clud e d th e British tre ati e s were the first sign e d ) and ,

that F ranc e occupi e d numerous places whos e chiefs had

m ad e tr e ati e s with no other Power than Great Britain .

A bout th e priority of th e s e treaties ther e is no mor e to

b e said and although from the fact that the British
, ,

Governm e nt had car e fully e xamin e d and ratified all

th e treati e s conclud e d by th e R oyal N ige r Company o n
b ehalf of Gr e at Britain their validity should hav e been
,

0
2 10 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

consid e red b e yond qu e stion th e F rench Gov e rnment ,

app e ar e d to think oth e rwise To dispos e of this point

.
,

w e will quot e th e wording o f th e m o r e important claus e s

of a typical tr e aty— that c o ncluded b e tw ee n th e R oyal
N ige r Company and Borgu in 1 8 90
We th e E mir and ch ie fs o f B oussa (o r B orgu) in council ,

ass embled repre sen ting ou r c oun try its d ep en d encies a n d

, , ,

tri butari es on b oth b an k s of th e R iv e r N iger a n d as far b ac k

as ou r d omini on e x t en d s in accor d anc e w ith our law s a n d
,

customs d o h ereby agree on b eh alf of ourselves a n d ou r su c

,

c ess or s for e v e r .

T o grant t o th e Compan y full a n d a b solute j uris dictio n

o v er all fo re i gn e rs to ou r t e rrit o ri e s— th at is to say o v e r all ,

pe rs ons w ith in th e te rrit ori e s w h o a re n ot ou r n ative b orn -

su b j ects S uch juris dicti on sh all inclu d e th e righ t o f p ro

.

tec tion o f such fo reign e rs o f ta x at io n o f such fo re ign e rs crim

, ,

i n al a n d civil j uris d icti on ov e r such fore igne rs .

Th at w e w ill n o t at a n y t ime w h ateve r c e d e a n y part o f

ou r t e rrit ori e s to any o th er p ers on o r S tat e o r e n t er int o any ,

agreement treaty or arran ge men t w ith a n y f oreign Govern

, ,

ment e x cept th rough a n d w ith th e c on sen t o f th e Compan y ,

or if th e C ompan y sh oul d at a n y t i
,
me s o d esir e w ith th e c on ,

s ent o i th e G overnm ent o f H er Maj esty th e Q u een o f Gre at

B ritain a n d I relan d a n d E mpre ss o f I n d ia .

T o plac e ou r t e rritori es if a n d w h e n call e d up on u n d e r th e

protection o f th e fla g of G re at B ritain .

A llthe British tre ati e s w e re in similar form and clear ,

and d efinite in e v e ry particular To d e ny th e ir value was .

hop eless so all that F ranc e could assert was that th e

,

chiefs who sign e d awa y th eir kingdoms wer e not what

th e y prof e ss e d to be D e f e at e d howe v e r by th e conclu
.
, ,

sion o f fr e sh treaties with their own acknowl edge d chi e fs ,

the F r e nch took up th e n e w lin e o f e ffective occupation ,

to which w e have alr e ady refe rr e d .

The principal t e rritory in dispu t e was this kingdom

o f B o rgu and the r e ason is not far to se e k
, F ranc e .

d e sir e d acc e ss to the n avigabl e wat e rs o fth e Middl e N ig e r

and an outlet to th e s e a which unt il the Dahom e y railway
, ,

r e ach e s th e interior and that from S en e gal is e xtend e d

,
 212 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

( 1 8 90) was th e
popular F r e nch acce ptanc e of th e t erms
of the ag re em e nt w e m a y m e nti o n that the R epu bliqu e
,

F ra nca is e comm enting on th e agr e em e nt said :

, Th e ,

lin e drawn from S a y on th e N ige r to Lak e Tchad plac e s

, ,

the kingdoms of B o rgu S okoto and Bornu th e rich e st , , ,

and most p o pulous parts of th e S oudan within th e sph e r e s ,

of the British p o ss e ssions This was e ndors e d by th e

.

j ourn a l des D eba ts th e S iecle and th e T emps whil e th e

, , ,

latt e r pap e r publish e d a map sh owing th e British sph e r e

as limit e d by a lin e from S a y to B arua and b y a lin e fr o m
S a v to the L agos boundary S in ce th e n h o w e ver affairs
.
, ,

hav e chang e d and th e T emps of th e 2 n d March 1 8 98

, , .

’
av e rr e d that from th e 9th parall e l to S a y was a no man s -

land b elonging t o th e first com e r— in F r ench opin ion

, ,

F ranc e .

Ther e is littl e m o re to b e said about what constitut e d

t h e British and F r e nch claims to th e s e hint e rlands wh e n
t h e Paris Commission of 1 8 98 ass e mbl e d but b e for e dis ,

missing the subj e ct it will b e int e r e sting to sum up th e

m ain points which so far as t h e public e v e r b e cam e awar e
, ,
'

w ere s u b 7udice F ranc e claim e d vast tracts of country

.

t o th e north of th e Gold Coast and of Lagos Colony ( 1 ) ,

as being hint e rlands of S enegal and D ahom e y ; (2 ) by

p riority o f valid tr e ati e s ; (3 ) by right of e f
f e ctiv e o c c u

p a t io n S
. h e d e ni e d that t h e S a
y B arua lin e was int -
e nd ed ,

in any way to limit e ith e r Pow e r t o th e w e st or e ast r es p e c

,

t ively of S a y or of B arua sh e r e fused to admit t h e tr e ati e s

conclud e d by th e R oyal N ige r Company until communi

c a t e d to her by th e British Gov e rnm e nt and s h e d emand e d
t h e examinati o n and comparison o f all tr e ati e s e nt e r e d
into by the two Pow e rs with th e sam e chi e f Gre at Britain .
,

on th e o th e r hand claim e d th e same tracts of c ountry

,

( 1 ) as b e ing hint e rlands o f th e Gold Coast and Lagos

C olonies ; (2 ) by priority of valid tr e ati e s ; (3 ) by th e
duly communicat e d and duly pr o claim e d Protectorat e
assum e d (J anuary 1 8 95) ov e r all countri e s e ast of a lin e
,

*
drawn fr o m th e Lagos b o undar y to S a y S h e r e fus e d .

*
Th e E a rl of S elb o r n e , r e p ly in g to aq u es tion in th e H ou s e of
“
L or d s (M a r c h , s a id : B o u s s a a nd N ikk i w h ic h
,
are in B or g u ,
 I N TE R N A T I ON A L C OM P LI C A T I ON S . 213

to admit th e doctrin e of e ffe ctiv e occupation as a pplying

t o any b ut the coast r e gions ( B e rlin Conf e r e nc e ,

and s h e put forward an ind e mnity claim on account of the

British loss e s at W aima or W arina near S ierra Le on e , .

T h e r e sul ts of the C o mmission which conclud e d its labours ,

o n th e 1 4 th J un e
89
1 8 may, p e rhaps b e consid e r e d satis
, , ,

fact o ry to both parti e s and a study of th e t e xt of the,

A nglo — F r e nch Co n v e n tio n k sign e d on that dat e will S how

2

h o w th e various claims wer e amicably adj usted A t the .

sam e tim e it m ust b e r e m e mb e r e d that th e d e marcati o n

,

o f th e north e rn and e ast e rn boundari e s of N orthern

N ig e ria hav e ye t to b e mad e and it is by no m e ans im ,

probabl e that wh e n this is in pr o gr e ss F ranc e will find

, ,

a loophol e in th e C o nv e nti o n which will enabl e her to

att e mpt to advanc e h er fronti e r I t is w e ll known that .

s h e is dissatisfi e d with h e r positi o n in th e Chad r e gions ;

s h e has long s e t h er a f f e ctions on Bornu ; and if r e ports ,

b e tru e h e r o f
, ficials in thos e parts hav e no more scrupl e s
than had M Mizon and oth e rs . .

Coming now to th e s e cond part of th e C hapter — Ger

many— w e have s ee n h ow sh e sudd enly e stablish e d pro
t e c t or a te s ov e r th e Cam e ro o ns and Togo in 1 8 8 4 prior to ,

which dat e sh e had no poss e ssi o ns in W e st A frica I n .

th e matter of the Cam e roons had th e British Gov e rnm e n t ,

paid att e ntion to the advic e of its Consuls at F e rnando

Po— B urt o n and oth e rs — who p o int e d out t h e value of
this part of W e st A frica th e Union J ack would hav e b ee n
,

flying in th e Cam e roons half a c en tury a go N o b e tt e r .

h a v e b y t r ea ty a c c ep t e d B r itish p r o te c tio n T h e B ritis h Pro te c to r a t e

.

o v e r B o r gu w a s f o r m a lly n o tifi e d t o t h e F r e n c h G o v e r n m e n t o n t h e

1 st J a n u a ry ,
1 8 9 5, a nd t h r o u gh in for m a l co mm u n ic a tio n s th e F r e n c h
G ov e r n m en t h a d b e en a w a r e o fit fo r n e a r ly th r e e y e a r s b e fo r e th a t
d a te . B ou ss a w as o c c u p ie d b y F r e n c h t r o o p s in F e b r u a ry , 1 8 97 , a nd

N ikki in N ov e mbe r ,
1 8 97 . H er Ma j G o v e r nm e n t h a v e p r o
e s ty s
’

t e s t e d a ga in s t th es e o c c u p a tio n s . T h e Kin g o fB o u s s a h a s a p p e al e d
fo r p r o te c tio n a g a in s t th e F r e n c h . O n e o fth e p o in ts to b e d e ter min e d
b y th e C o mm is s io n n ow s it tin g in Pa r is is th a t as t o th e r es p e c tive

c lai ms o fG r ea t B r it a in a nd F r a n c e t o th e p osses s io n o fB o u ss a a n d

N ik
Vid e A p p e n d ix I I . to this vol u m e .
2 14 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

illustration is to b e found of th e apathy display e d in past

y e ars by r e sponsible Minist e rs conc e rning things A frican .

I n 1 8 57 Captain F A Clos e H M S T r id en t wh ile in th e

. .
,
. . .
,

Cam e roons R iv e r was r e qu e st e d by th e nativ e s to tak e

,

o v e r t h e country for Gr e at B ritain I was much sur .

pris e d , h e says as th e r e was no A frican land hung e r

,

in thos e days Th e W e st Coast of A frica was l o ok e d

.

on not o nly as th e r e fug e for th e d e stitut e whit e man

, ,

but as th e whit e man s grav e as it is now N e v e rth e l e ss

’
,
.
,

I s e nt th e carp e nt e r s cr e w on shor e to cut d o wn a tr e e

’
,

a n d mad e a flagsta f f hoist e d th e British flag and t o o k

, ,

poss e ssion r e porting it to th e British Consul at F e rnando

,

”
Po . T h e Consul appar e ntly took no st e ps in th e matt e r ,

as th e country was n e v e r formally ann ex e d I n 1 8 6 4 .

much th e same o ccurr e d again th e Commodor e o fth e W e st ,

A frican S quadron at th e r e qu e st of th e inhabitants h o ist

, ,

ing th e British flag at Port V ictoria A mbas Bay T h e ,

.

st ep h e had tak e n was r eport e d to th e G o v e rnm e nt by

th e Commodor e who how e v e r was told
, ,
to c o nfin e him ,

s e lf to the suppr e ssi o n of th e S lav e Trade and not att empt ,

th e acquisition of Col o ni e s A t l e ngth in 1 8 79 th e

.
, ,

’
Cam e ro o ns Chi e fs p e tition e d H e r Maj e sty Q u e e n V ictoria
to proclaim a prot e ctorat e o ver th e ir country stating ,

that th ey had c o ntinuously but unavailingly p e titi o n e d, ,

t h e British Consul on th e subj e ct S till no action w a s .

tak e n by th e British Gov e rnm e nt until 1 8 8 4 wh e n half ,

h e arted instructions w e r e giv e n t o C onsul H ew e tt to mak e

tr e ati e s with th e Chi e fs of th e Oil R iv e rs and Cam e roons .

G e rmany had how e ver in th e m e an w hil e d e spatch e d

, ,

Dr N achtigal to W e st A frica to f o r e stall th e British C o nsul

.
,

and th e latt e r found hims elf too lat e by a few days t o rais e
t h e Union J a ck in th e Cam e roons only saving t h e O il ,

R iv e rs by th e m e r e st good luck I t is e asy to b e wis e .

now but had a littl e wisdom b e e n sh ow n a few y e ars a go

,

Gr e at Britai n w o uld hav e b een sav e d an imm ensity o f

troubl e and th e map o f A frica w ould b e v e ry di ff e r en t
,

from what it is at th e pr es ent day .

Lik e F ranc e G e rmany had hop e s of ousting us fr o m

,

our N ig e r h e ritag e and e arly in 1 88 5 H e rr F l e g e l was

,
216 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

inte rfere w ith th e free passage of good s o f th e o th er P ower,

with out paym ent of transit d ue s to a n d from th e sh ores of
,

Lak e Chad .

A ll tre ati es mad e in te rrito ri es interv e n i ng b e twe en th e

B enu e a n d Lake Ch ad sh al l b e n o tifi ed b y o n e Power to th e
o th e r
.

At th eB e rlin Conf e r e nc e ( 1 8 8 5) th e A nglo G er man -

boundary wa s described roughl y as r unning from the

R io d el R ey to the R apids on the Cross R iv e r ; in 1 8 8 6
this lin e was e xt e nd e d north east to a point about thirty
-

miles e ast of Y o la on the Benu e R iv e r and finally in 1 8 93, , ,

a furth e r e xt e nsion of the boundary lin e was agreed to

as follows
F rom a point on the Benu e thirty m il e s above Yola
to th e point where th e thirt e enth d egr ee of longitud e
e ast of Greenwich is int e rs e ct e d by th e tenth d e gree of

north latitud e ; th e nce to a point on th e south er n shore

of Lak e Chad situat e d thirty fiv e minut e s east of th e
-

m e ridian of the centr e o f th e town o f Kuka this being th e ,

distanc e betw ee n th e m eridian of Kuka and th e fourt e enth

meridian e ast of Gr e enwich m e asured on th e map pub
,

lish e d by the G e rman Kolonial A tlas of 1 8 92 S o far .

,

th e r e for e as A nglo G e rman boundari e s in the n e ighbour

,
-

hood o i N igeria a re conc e rn e d th e r e s e e ms to be little

,

likelihood of troubl e arising .

B e for e concluding how e v e r w e must mention the final

, ,

agr e e men t as to their r e sp e ctiv e boundari e s in th e n eigh

b o u rh oo d of Lake Chad b e tw e e n F ranc e and G e rmany
which was approv e d by Gr e at Britain and which , ,

th e r e for e once and for all pr e v e nt e d th e e xt ension of

, ,

British influ e nce e astwards in th e dir e ction of Darfur and

th e N il e provinc e s. By this agr ee m ent F ranc e was e nabl e d
( at any rat e on pap e r ) to r e alis e h er dr e am of conn e cting
h e r M e dit e rranean poss e ssions with th e F r ench Cong o ,

and sh e m o reov e r acquir e d an outl e t for h e r Chad re gi o n

, ,

trad e by th e K e bbi B e nu e N ig e r rout e S uch an outl e t

- -
.

F rance consid e re d of vital importanc e and s h e th e r e fore , , ,

insist e d on pushing h er boundary w e stward so as to touch ,

 I N TE R N A T I ON A L C OM P LI CA T I ON S . 2 17

*
th e highest navigable point on th e Kebbi riv e r by which ,

m e ans (and with the freedom of n avigation of the B enu é

and Lower N ige r ) she could convey h er products to the
s ea — a distance of a thousand mil e s or mor e The F ranco .

Germ an boundaries thus arriv e d at will b e s ee n marked

on the m ap .

T his p o in t is th e vill a ge o f B ifa r a , whic h n o F r e n c h m a n or

G erm a n h a d visite d u p to 1 8 94 I t w a s l o c a t e d o n th e m a p
. of

Afric a b y th e a u th or o f t his b o o k , w h o m a d e a tr a c k s u r v e y o f th e

Ke bbi R iv er w h e n it w a s fi r s t e x p l o r e d b y M aj or Cl a u d e M a c D o n a l d :
Vid e “ Pr o c ee d in gs R G e o g S o c
. . .
”
V ol X I I I
. . 1 8 9 1 , p a ge 4 49 .
 CH A PT E R X I V
TH E P E O P LE AND T HE I R C U S T OM S .

H a mit ic , N e gr o id , a nd N e gr o —W h er e th e Cl as sifi c a tion f ai ls

T h e Kr u b oy Th e I r is h m a n o f W e s t A fric a 2’
H is Pe c u lia r -

Lin go -
H is Lov e of H om e —T h e Pa ga n T rib e s of S o u th er n
N ige r ia — Pa ga n M a n n er s a n d C u s t om s —W e st A f r ica n O c c u p a

tio n s —
D r e s s a n d A d o r n m e n t— T h e F a m ily S y s t e m — M a r ria ge
C u s to m s — B u rial Rit e s — “
T h e N a tu r e of an O a th in W est
Af
r ic a .

UST divides the rac e s of A frica linguistically— a syst e m

*

which has many p o ints in its favour but is n o t e ntir ely ,

satisfactory and in a c o untry such as N igeria which

, ,

has be e n overrun at di ffe r e nt p e riods by various wand e ring

p eopl e s is not by any m e ans r eliabl e S till if grouping
, .
,

by language is not to b e d e p end e d upon th e sam e may ,

b e said of any oth e r classification of th e pr e s e nt inhabitants

of British N ig eria for a long p e riod of int e r marriag e b e
,
-

twee n m e mb e rs o i wid e ly di ffe r e nt rac e s has result e d in

th e d e fac e m e nt of distinctiv e p e culiarities This appli e s .

mor e particularly to the trib e s dw elling at som e consid e r

abl e distanc e from the c o ast wh o hav e b ee n influenc e d ,

by th e immigrati o n of such p e opl e as th e F ulahs A s far .

as th e indig enous pagan n egro is conc e rn e d th e r e is little

di fficulty and in th o s e parts still untouch e d by the Mo
,

h a mm e d a n invad e r th e vari o us aboriginal tribes c a n b e

group e d both according to th e ir languag e and to th e ir
g e n e ral out w ard app e aranc e .

The most popular m e thod of classifying th e nativ e s

of this portion of A frica is und e r thr e e h e ads v iz Hamitic ,
.
,

N e groid and N e gro,

T h e Hamit e s are suppos e d to have
.

had th e ir origin in south we st e rn A sia to hav e im migrat e d

-

into A frica at some unknown tim e and to b e r e pr e s ented ,

A S k e tch M o d er n L a n gu a ges "

f‘ of th e ofA f
rica , by R . N :

Cu s t 1 883 .
2 20 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

t h e A frican subj e cts o f Gr e at Britain H e is as a rul e .

, ,

the first native with whom th e E nglishman com e s in contact ,

as gangs of Krum e n a r e tak en on board all m e n o fwar - -

and mail steam e rs imm e diat e ly o n arrival on th e coast .

Burt o n says of him that h e was cr e at e d for th e palm oil -

trad e and as paddle r labour e r and g e neral servant h e

, , ,

is found wh e rev e r th e re is a colony of whit e m en Without .

”
th e Kr ub oys life in th e s e r e gi o ns would b e ber e ft of
,

alm o st all its charms or at any rat e of on e of its gr e at e st

,

sourc e s of amus e ment fo r th e qu ee r m e mb e rs of this uniqu e

,

trib e furnish th e E nglish e xil e with many a mirthful mom e nt

— and at tim e s when mirth c o m e s not too r e adily Pr o b .

ably th e re e xists no p e opl e in th e world in whos e c o m

position are gath e red so many opposit e charact e ristics .

I n physiqu e th e y a r e p e rf e ct mod els of manly str e ngth ,

ye t f or fighting purpos e s th e y a r e absolut ely us e l e ss ,

having be e n prov e d tim e aft e r tim e to b e arrant c o wards .

A s s e rvants th e y a r e m o st hard working and loyal though

,
-

whil e prot e cting th e ir mast e rs from th e e xtortions o fo th e r

natives th e y will not h e sitat e to rob th e m fr eely th e m
,

s e lv e s A gain to m ee t th e m on British territory th e y

.
, ,

app e ar to b e th o r o ughly civilis e d and fri endly ; yet instanc e s

hav e occurr e d o f British v e ss els b e ing wr e ck e d on th e ir
coast when th e y have prov e d th ems e lv e s to b e the v e ri e st
,

savag e s th e ir t e rribl e gre e d for loot o v e rcoming ev e ry

,

thing although e v e ry man had a t on e tim e or other

, , ,

s e rv e d E urop e ans as a faithful s e rvant Th e ordinary .

E nglishman how e v e r s ee s m o r e of th e ir go o d points than

, ,

of th e ir bad shipwr e cks o n th e Kru coast a r e fortunat ely

rare and it is s e ld o m that Kr u b oys a re call e d upon to fight
,

e v en in s elf d e fe nc e ; whil e p e tty th e ft and dish o n e sty

-

a r e things which though annoying can b e guard e d against

, , .

Possibly th e N igg e r Minstr e l had his origin in th e Kr ub o y ,

for fe w o th e r n ativ e s of th e coast a re o f a particularly

wi tty natur e wh e r e as th e Kru b o y is full o f chaff and wit
,

the I rishman o f W e st A frica as h e has b e e n call e d, .

Lik e th e Chinaman h e has a n E nglish of his own and

, ,

th e r e is a c e rtain fascinati o n for th e n e wly arriv e d E nglish

man in picking up this A frican “
pidgin j argon— h e
 TH E P E OP LE AND TH E I R C U S T OM S . 22 1

has the satisfaction of feeling that he has l e arnt a n e w

language without h aving recourse to any l e ngthy Oll en
d o rfiia n process Many of their words a re d e rived from
.

*
the Portugu e s e and though th e ir vocabulary is v e ry
,

limit e d th e y can always make th e ms elv e s understo o d

,

to E nglishm e n th e ir r end e ring o f th e languag e quaint

, ,

as it is being thoroughly e xp ress iv e rl

,
‘

Th e peculiarity o f this small trib e is their gr e at lov e

of hom e ; th e ir wom e n r e fus e to trav el c o ns e qu e ntly th e ,

m en go away o nly for short p e riods of tim e Th e y hir e .

th e ms elv e s out in gangs und e r a h e adman who mak e s ,

th e bargain with th e e mploy e r and who is r e sponsibl e ,

for th e s e rvic e and b ehavi o ur of th e gang th e e ngag e m e nt

” ’
g e n e rally b e ing for O n e tim e yam com e up tw e l moon ,
.

T h e hom e coming of t h e Kr u b oy aft e r the p e rformanc e

-

of his s e rvic e is on e of th e most int e r e sting sights t o b e

witn e ss e d on th e W e st C o ast A s th e st e amer conv e ying .

t h e Kr ub oys n e ars th e ir hom e s— Cavally Cap e Palmas , ,

Grand Cess or what e v e r th e plac e may b e— a gun is fir e d

, ,

wh e n imm e diat e ly scor e s o f cano e s shoot out from th e

“
shor e and com e alongside T h e st e am e r li e s to for .

a few minut e s and th e Kr ub oys throw th e ir y e ar s earn

,
’

ings (guns p o wd e r b al e s of cloth e tc ) into th e cano e s

, , , .

The c o mm o n e s t Kr u E n glish
-
w or d s are s a bby (k n o w) and

pa l a ver ( ta l k ) ,
b o th of Po r t u g u e s e o rigin . Pa l a v e r h a s d e v el o p e d
”
in to a wid e r m e a n in g , r e se mb lin g t h e C hin a m a n
’
s p id gin , ia. .

b u sin ess .

1 Wh at c o u ld b e m or e x p re s siv e th a n S we e t m on f p al a v er
’
e
“
f
or b l a r n ey fool p a l a v e r
,
fo r n o n s e n se , s a r c e p a l a v er fo r
a b u s iv e l a n gu a ge , G o d m a n p a la v e r fo r m is sio n a ry t e a ch in g ?
-

O r wh a t c o u l d b e s im p l e r th a n th e ir p r o v er b , O ne d a y n o b e a ll
qu iv a l e n t It l o n g l a n e th a t h a s
" ’
d ay , e to s a no tu r n in g The
“ ”
w or d lib (liv e ) h a s , b y a n a t t e m p t t o r e p r o d u ce t h e n a tiv e

id io m , a s su m ed a p e c u lia r a n d im p o r t a n t c h a r a c t er in Kru E -
n glis h ,

a n d v a ries c o n sid er a bly in it s m e a n in g ; th u s , fo r a s e r v a n t t o t e ll a

”
c a ll e r th a t his m a s te r n o l ib m e r ely im p lies th a t h e is n o t a t
h om e , a nd in this s e n se th e w or d is u sed r e e ly f
f or a n im a t e o r in a n i
m a t e t hin gs . A n o th er u se o f lib , ” is in j
c o n u n c tio n with th e word
“
fo r , wh e n its m e a n in g is q u ite d if
fe r e n t . H lib fo r g o w e
e

c o u n tr y s ign i es fi th a t a c er ta in Kr u b o y h a s r e tu r n e d t o h is n a tiv e

la n d lib for d ie , t h a t h e is d e a d .
222 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

or into th e wat e r th en go ov e rboard thems elv e s into a

,

cano e if on e is handy oth e rwis e into th e s e a — it app e ars

,

to matt e r littl e which E v e ryon e y ells and j abb e rs and

.

laughs and by th e tim e th e hom e com e rs hav e r e ach e d

,
-

th e sh o re th e y hav e prob ably h ad all th e ir goods appro

p r ia t e d by t h e occup ants of oth e r cano e s ; ye t so l o ng ,

as the community g e ts th e e arnings of its m emb e rs e v e ry ,

body is thoroughly satisfi e d .

I n S outh e rn N ig e ria th e r e dw ell num e rous pagan trib e s ,

speaking a vari e ty of languag e s but sinc e th e y hav e n e v e r ,

b e e n thor o ughly studi e d by ethnological exp e rts it is ,

impossibl e to classify th e m oth e rwis e than according to th e

l o caliti e s in which th e y dw ell and th e languag e s which
th e y sp e ak W hat r elati o n on e trib e b e ars t o anoth e r will
.

probably n e ve r b e kn o wn and th e most that w e can hop e

,

to do is to f o rget th e past and d e al with th e various p e o pl e s

as w e find th e m I n th e n e ighbourh o od o fB enin th e p e opl e
.

a r e known as Binis ; e astward c o m e th e S ob o s ; and be ,

tw e en th e latt e r and the s e a th e gre at J a k r i trib e I n th e

,
.

N ig e r D elta a r e found th e I d z o s or I j os (w ith s e v e ral ,

off shoots ) and th e I bos who a re sub divid e d into many

-

, ,
-

minor trib e s whil e in th e e ast e rn division o fth e S outh e rn

Prot e ctorate a re a gr e at vari e ty of p e opl e though mostly ,

alli e d in languag e with t h e I bos A mong th e mor e im .

portan t of th e I b o trib es in this part of th e country are

th e A r os who inhabit f o urte e n to wns e ncircling th e sit e of
, ,

”
th e r e c e ntly d e stroy e d Long J uj u Captain Ven ou r sa ys .

that the A ros a re intimat ely c o nn e ct e d with th e I n ok un s ,

th e only di f fe r e nc e betw e e n th e m b e ing that e v e ry

“
tru e A ro must be fre e born on both sid e s for s e v e n
-

”
g e nerations and that th e term I nokun is applied to
,

thos e memb e rs of the same trib e whos e p e digr ees will

not bear a careful scrutiny I n th e immediat e n e igh
.

b ou rh oo d of Old Calabar the inhabitants b e long to th e

E fik rac e suppos e d by som e auth o riti e s to be conn e ct e d
,

with th e I bos but by oth e rs to b e a distinct p e opl e ; t o

,

th e north and north west th e trib e s a r e almost e ntirely

-

pur e I bos ; whil e in th e country wat e r e d by the Upp e r

Cross R iver the languag e of th e p e opl e shows traces of a
2 24 B R I T IS H N I GE R I A .

distinct languag e s (with various dialects ) the prin cipal ,

of which so far as th e y hav e b een investigated b eing

, ,

I d z o I b o I gara I gbira Mitshi J uko and B a t ta w a

, , , In , , ,
.

additi o n to th e se th e r e a re th e thr ee important langu age s

,

— N up e F ulah and Hausa— th e last named und e rstood

, ,
-

by n e arly e v e ry nativ e in th e country O f th e num e rous .

dial e cts in m any cases di ff e ring wid ely from th e par e nt

,

tongu e w e may m ention that lan guag e s r e s e mbling Yoruba

a r e spok e n by s e v e ral of th e trib e s inhabiting th e country

w e stward of Lokoj a whil e many Y o rub a words a re m et ,

with in th e I gara languag e Dial e cts of N up e a re also .

found among th e outlying trib e s of N up e prop e r .

1
i I n treating of pagan mann e rs and customs it should
x ,

be born e in mind onc e and for a ll that th e ir customs are

, ,

*
altog th r bas d on r e ligious m o tiv e s whil e th eir mod e
e e e ,

of living wh e r e it is u n in flu en c e d by r eligion is that of

, ,

man in th e e arli e st stage s of e mancipation from barbarism ,

or not un fr e qu e n tlv of man living in a stat e of actual bar

b a r ism Th e tribes vary in th e scal e of s e called civilisa
.
-

tion according to th e ir situation and according to the ,

l ength o f time they hav e had intercours e with E urop e ans ,

for although it is true that in th e main th e coast trib e s

, , ,

hav e alt e r e d littl e within th e last four c e nturi e s still , ,

in comparison with th e mor e inland pagans th e y c e rtainly ,

hold e nlight e n e d vi e ws A t th e sam e tim e it must b e a c .

knowl e dg e d that with this e nlight enm e nt has grown up

a measure of vic e— drunk e nn e ss and a low stat e of morality
—non e xist e nt among th e more primitive pagan p e opl e s
-

of th e int e rior I n an enormous tract of country lik e that

.

under discussi o n th e ways of th e natives of cours e di ff e r

, , ,

very consid e rably and in th e fe w pag e s of on e short chapter

,

we can do no mor e than g en e ralis e l e aving the r e ad e r wh o , ,

is so inclined to study th e anthrop ological and ethnological

,

d e tails of th e tribes in th e w o rks of trav ell e rs who hav e

d e vot e d th eir att e ntion to o n e or two distinct p eop les sf
Vid e C h a p te r X VI .

T A n in tere s tin g a c c o u n t o f th e n a tiv es o f th e O il R iv e rs , c om

p il e d b y M l e C o m te d e C a r d i, is giv e n in A p p e n d ix I o f
. .
“
W es t
b y M iss M a r y Kin g sl ey ; L o n d o n , 1 8 99
"
A fric a n S tud ie s , .
 TH E PE OP LE AND TH E I R C U S TO M S . 225

Physically the n e gro dwelling on the coast is inf e rior

,

t o his broth e r of th e int e rior an e xc e ption perhaps b e ing , , ,

th e Kruman who can hold his own in str e ngth and pro
,

portions with th e m e mb e rs of alm o st any A fric a n tribe ) “

T h e r e as o n g e n e rally giv e n f
o r this inf e riority in t h e coast

natives is th e ir craving for drink with which for s e v e ral ,

g e n e rations they hav e b ee n abundantly suppli e d by t h e

E urop e an trad e r ; but though possibly this may have so m e
,

thing to s ay to it th e fact sh o uld not b e f o rgott e n that

,

th e cli m at e o f th e coast is almost as ban e ful to th e black

man as to th e whit e Th e native born and br e d in the
.

swamps do e s not b e com e acclimatis e d to his surround

ings but suffe rs from f e v e rs and oth e r dis e as e s altoge th e r
,

unkno wn to th e trib e s of th e int e rior W ith r egard t o .

t h e h u ts T in which t h e p e opl e dw ell w e may say bri e fly ,

that their archit e ctur e is o f a v e ry simpl e d e scription ,

and d e p e nding almost entir ely on th e building material

a fford e d by th e p articular part o f th e country Th e rule .

is that th e nativ e s liv e in famili es a c e rtain numb e r o f ,

families constituting a community or village and a certain ,

numb e r of village s again forming what is g e n e rally term e d

a trib e E ach family with th e h o us eh o ld slaves and att e nd
.
,

ants liv e s apart on th e p atriarch a l syst e m ; and th e

, ,

group o f huts wh e r e in th e family has its abod e is usually

surround e d by som e kind of e nclosure wall Th e ground .

plan of th e hut may b e e ith e r r e ctangular o r circular th e ,

form e r usually found n e ar th e coast th e latt e r in th e in ,

t e r io r though why on e should be prefe rr e d by c e rtain trib e s

,

to th e oth e r has n e v e r b ee n discov e red T h e mat e rials .

us e d in th e ir construction a r e alw ays v erv similar th e ,

w alls b e ing e ith e r of mud or wick e r work or occasionally -

, , ,

p e c u lia rity a b ou t th e Kr u m a n s p h y s iq u e a b ov e
’
T h e re is on e

th e w a is t h is m u s c ul a r d e v elop m e n t is a lm o s t H er c u le a n , b u t h is
l e gs a re d ec id e d ly w ea kly in a p p ea r a n c e .

T T h e fur n itu r e u s u a lly fo u n d in t h e n a tiv e h u ts co n s is ts of

n o thin g m o r e th a n a fe w s to ols s o m e c oo k in g p o ts , a n d m a ts
,
a nd

s k in s . I n s o m e p a r ts th e y b u ild s e a ts a n d c o u c h e s o f m u d , a nd

t h e N u p es sl e ep on bed s o fh a rd en e d m ud u n d er which a re c h a r co a l

fir es :
P
2 26 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

a combination of th e two (wattl e and daub ) and the r o of ,

*—
a lways of thatch som e tim e s palm l e aves som e tim e s ,

grass or r e eds .

The natural occupations of all W est A fricans a re agri

culture and commerc e th o ugh owing to th e fact that in ,

many parts wat e r forms the s ole m e ans of c ommun ic a

t ion in the country s u ch e mploym e nts as can o e building
,
-

a n d paddling a r e adopt e d by a consid e rabl e pr e portion

o f th e inhabitants ; and th e craft of fishing is also much

pursu e d A mong th e industrial trib e s w e find w e aving

.
,

d y e ing working in l e ath e r brass and o th e r m e tal iron

, , , ,

s m e lting iv o ry carving pott e ry making and e l e phant

, , ,

and hippopotamus hunting— al l follow e d as r e gular pro

fess ion s r j Th e r e a r e fe w trib e s that a re not p e riodically
‘

a t war with th e ir n e ighbours and in such parts as a r e ,

adj ac e nt to th e Mohamm e dan S tat e s e very pagan go e s

a bout his busin e ss arm e d with fl i n t l o ck sword dagg e r -
, , ,

s hi e ld b o w and p o ison e d arrows sp e ars or som e o th e r

, , ,

weapons of d e fenc e at all tim e s dr e ading the raid of the

,

conqu ering peopl e Towns and villages are fre qu ently

.

found fortifi e d in various ways to r e sist attack though ,

t his stat e of turmoil is gradually passing away b e for e th e

steady advanc e of British authorit y A s a matt e r of fact .
,

the pagans with p e rhaps a few e xc eptions would wil

, , , ,

lingly s e tt le d o wn to p e ac e ful pursuits wer e th e y sur e of

prot e ction ; an d m e mb e rs of many of th e trib e s with v e ry ,

l ittl e e ncourag e m e nt w ould b e com e skill e d artisans

,

workers in m e tals l e ath e r and s u n d r v oth e r things ;

, ,

S om e o fth e p a ga n t r ib e s in s u c h o u tlyin g d is tr ic ts as th e u p p e r
r ea c h e s o f th e s with m u d
B e n u é R iv e r p l a s te r th e ir r oo f a n d in

l a r ge t o wn s , lik e Ka n o a nd Ku k a ,
fla t r oo f
s of mu d are fo u n d ,
t h o u gh th e s e h a v e b ee n in tr o d u c e d c hie fly b y A r a b tra d e r s f
r om

N o r th Af
r ic a .

1 T h e re a re fe w p a s to ra l b es
t ri a m o ng th e tr ue a b origin a l
n e gr oes , p rin c ip a lly fo r t h e r e a s o n th a t c a ttl e d o n o t th riv e n e a r th e
c oa s t t h e p a ga n s o f t h e in t e r io r k e e p h e r d s a n d fl o c k s , b u t o n ly t o
s u p p ly th e ir o w n wa n ts ,
a nd th e B o r o r oj i, or w a n d e r ing F u l a h s ,
s t ill

r e t a in t h eir p os itio n as a g r e a t p a s to r a l p e o p l e . T h e p a ga n B a sa m a s

( B enu e R iv e r ) a re g r e a t c a ttl e b r e e d e rs .

I The N u p es a n d Yo r ub a s in p a r tic ul a r .
228 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

w e aring caref ully cultivat e d tufts on th e chin which give ,

*
th e m a most diabolical app e arance .

T h e principal ornaments worn a re rings neckl ac e s , ,

brac el e ts or bangles armlets and ankl e ts and e arrings

, , , .

I n N ig e ria i t is very e xc eptional to find o rnam e nts of e ith e r

gold or silv e r though h e r e and ther e trading w o men
, , ,

a re met with wearing E nglish silv e r coins s e t as rings .

Coral n e cklac e s a r e much affe cted by the w e althi e r chi e fs ,

and such m en as N ana on S tat e occasi o ns oft e n w e ar , ,

’
thr ee or four hundr e d pounds worth of coral round th e ir
n ec k s T B e ads of E urop e an m anufactur e are much
. in
r e qu e st for necklaces and th e diff e rent kin ds a re carefully
,

classifi e d according t o shap e c olour I and siz e by th e

.
, ,

nativ e s Barth t ells us that h e coll e ct e d th e native nam e s

.

for ov e r thirty vari e ti e s and this probabl y do e s not r ep r e

,

’
s ent o n e fourth of th e numb e r for th e gr e at trav ell e r s
-

observations wer e confin e d to the S udan C o wri e s som e .

tim e s tak e th e plac e of b e ads for orn amentation b e ing ,

strung t o g e th e r or sewn on to cloth and in th e O il R ivers ,

unmarried girls wear nothing but a singl e string of cowri e s

round the hips F or earrings long cylindrical b e ads of
.

O pal and corn e lian are popular among the wom e n of many

trib e s ; brac el e ts of iron ivory copp e r brass or glass , , , ,

arml e ts (worn abov e th e elbow ) of th e sam e m at e rials

mor e usually s e e n on the m e n than on th e wom e n ; and ,

in th e matter of ankl e ts w e may m e nti o n thr ee curious ,

vari e ties worn b v th e wom en of di ffe r e nt trib e s o fth e N ig e r

D elta The w e althi e r of th e trading wom en w e ar massiv e
.

ankl e ts “ of ivory form e d from a h ollow e d tusk through

, ,

which th e f o ot has to be pass e d b e fore it has stopp e d

M o h a m m e d a n m e n s h a v e th e h e a d a n d gr o w s c a n ty b ea r d s .

N ig e r ia n F u l a h w o m e n u s u ally w e a r th eir h a ir in p l a its w hil e N u p e ,

and H a u s a wom en a f fec t a l a r g e h e l m e t s h a p e d a rr a n g e m e n t -

.

M a n d in go s a n d W e s te r n F u l a h s o f b o th s e x e s w e a r l o n g h a n gin g
p l a its .

T A ll p u r c h a s e d fr o m E u r o p ea n t ra d e r s .

1 T h e c o lo u r d e n o te s th e w e a r er s p a r tic u l a r d e ity
’
.

T h e N u p es a re e x p er ts in fu s in g gla s s , a nd make b a n gl es ou t

o f o ld b o t tle s .

O ft e n s ix o r e igh t in c h e s d e e p .
2 30 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

*
with accuracy This is the m or e to be regr e tt e d b e caus e
.
,

th e custom will probably die out as the tribes b e com e

civilis e d .

That the negro does not ov e rwork hims elf is p e rhaps , ,

tru e ye t he has to work hard e n o ugh to e arn a livin g to

,

sow and gath e r in his crops ; to obtain food by fish ing

or hunting ; to w e av e or work in m e tals ; or to coll e ct
the natural products of the country for bart e r to th e
E uropean m e rchants On th e wom e n fall s the h e aviest
.

shar e of th e daily work ; th e ir duti e s a r e to pr e par e th e

food of th e household to look aft e r th e hut to do all th e, ,

m arketing and carry the produc e to th e factori e s whil e ,

th e y m ay b e s e en (with th e ir babi e s slung on th e ir backs )

toiling in th e fi elds or paddling cano e s on th e riv e rs from
sunris e to suns e t The wond e rful f e rtility of th e soil
.

m ak e s agriculture easy and s o pl entiful are th e crop s ,

that it is doubtful if any part of N igeria has e v e r known

a fam in e or ev e n a scarcity of food suppl y Th e family
,
.

syst e m has been previously r e f e rr e d to and to such an ,

extent is this carri e d that a villag e or community amounts

to a small c o o p e rativ e soci e ty T h e individual is sunk in
-
.

th e family villag e or trib e and am o ng most trib e s t h e land

, ,

is h e ld by famili e s in comm o n On th e d e ath of th e h e ad .

of th e family th e childr e n inh e rit in e qual shar e s and should

, ,

o n e of th e m d e sir e to ali e nat e his portion h e can only do ,

so to a m e mber of his own trib e ; whil e in th e e v e nt o f ,

ther e b e ing no childre n to inherit th e prop e rty pass e s ,

to the community I n m any parts succ e ssion is through

.

th e fe mal e a g when a man di e s his childr e n do not succ e e d

,
.
,

but th e prop e rty is tak e n by th e children o f his sist e r .

A chi e f e xplains th e r e ason thus :

’
My sist e r s childr e n
are my blood r elations but wh e th e r th e chil dr e n my wiv e s
,

”
bear a r e so o r n o t I cannot tell T .

Th e s e nativ e laws a re int e r e sting as showing th e stage

of civilisation at which th e various tribes hav e arrive d ,

A s u rv iv al o f this p r a c tic e is t o b e fo u n d in I n dia , wh e re th e

p a in te d c a s te - m a r ks a r e p oss ib ly m e r ely a s u b s titu te f o r t h e t rib al

c u ts .

T E d in bu rgh j u r id ica l R eview , J uly ,

1 8 8 9.
 TH E PE OP LE AN D TH E I R C U S T OM S . 231

and al though such matters as cer e monials at birth

,
s
,

marriag e s and d e aths a r e mor e intimat ely associated

,

with r e ligion than with anything e ls e it will not p e rhaps , , ,

be ou t of place to d e scrib e th e m h e r e W ith r e gard to .

th e c e remoni e s att e nding the birth of an infant among ,

most of th e trib e s it is customary to call in the pri e st som e

tim e b e for e th e child is born so that th e woman may b e
,

adorn e d with ankl e ts brac e l e ts and n e cklac e s of sacred

, ,

b e ads as charms against e vil S pirits Charms also a r e

,
.
, ,

fast e n e d to th e child imm e diat e ly it com e s into th e world ,

and a n am is conf rr d
e e e o n it —
g e n e rally that of the par
t ic u l a r d e ity worshipp e d by th e child s par e nts
’
Thi s .

is o nly th e first nam e and a s e cond is giv e n lat e r wh e n a

, ,

cl e ansing c o rr e sponding to o u r baptism tak e s place Th e .

wat e r which is always in th e e arth e n v e ss els place d befor e

th e imag e s of th e gods is b rought to th e hous e and
,

thro wn up on th e th atch e d roof and as it drips down from

,

th e e aves th e moth e r and child pass thr e e tim e s through

th e falling drops The priest next mak e s a wat e r of puri
.

’
fic a tion with which he b ath e s th e child s head h e r e p e at s
thr ee tim e s th e n am e by which th e infant is to be known ,

and th e n holds hi m in his arms so that his f e et touch the

gr o und A ft e r th e s e ceremoni e s hav e b ee n duly per
.
,

f orm e d th e fir e is e xtinguish e d and th e e mb e rs carri e d

,

away ; th e hous e is th e n car e fully sw ept out live coal s ,

a r e brought and a fr e sh fir e lighted We thus appear

, .

to h ave a combinati o n of a purifica t ion by wat e r and a

purification by C e rtain births a re considered u n
lucky ; in th e N ig e r D elta fo r instan c e a woman wh o
, ,

b e ars twins is proclaim e d an outcast and h er o ffspring ,

d e str o y e d Childr e n who cut th e ir upp e r t e e th first are

.

als o suppos e d to be und e r e vil influ e nce and a r e mad e ,

away with and th e child of a m o th e r dying in giving it

,

birth is buri e d aliv e But th e s e sup erstitions a re no t uni

.

v e rsal for in som e districts twins a re consid e r e d th e greatest

,

good luck ; a n d wher e as som e trib e s offe r up al bin o

b abi e s as a sacrific e to their gods others r e v e r e nc e th em T
, .

A ll h es e in h u m a n p r a c tic es gr a d ually b ein g swep t a wa y

T t a re .
232 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

Marriage is a rit e h eld in high e st ee m by all th e pagan

trib e s and though wher e th e pri e sthood is al l powe rful
, ,
-
,

the c e r emoni e s a r e m o r e or l e ss of a r eligious n atur e origin ,

ally it was a pur ely s o cial institution T h e actual c e r e .

moni e s di ff e r som ewhat among th e various trib e s ; b u t

th e r e are always th e proposal th e b e trothal and th e , ,

m arriage f e stiviti e s in some form or oth e r

, Wh e n an .

unb e troth e d girl arriv e s at th e a ge o f pub e rty she a d v e r ,

tises th e fact by d e cking h e rself out in h er b e st cl o th e s

and o rn am ents and parading the town or villag e a e com
, ,

p a n ie d by a b e vy o f g ir ls This usually produc e s a suitor

,
.
,
’
who mak e s his offe r of marriag e to th e girl s par e nts by
m e ans of on e o f his fri ends T h e pric e to be paid for th e.

girl is arrang e d on busin e ss lin e s and when this matter ,

has been satisfactorily s e ttl e d a b e trothal of long or short ,

duration tak e s plac e during which tim e the in t end e d ,

brid e is care fully fatt en e d up by h e r r e lativ e s * A s th e .

wedding day approach e s th e brid egroom pr e par e s the

f e ast sending pr e s e nts of tobacco and intoxicating liquor
,

’
to all the brid e s r elations and fri ends bidding th e m to ,

t h e f e ast A t th e appoint e d hour th e brid e is e scort e d

.

to th e house of th e brid e groom wh e r e s h e is formally hand e d .

o ver by her par e nts aft e r which f e asting dancing and

, , ,

rev elry a re k e pt up fo r a consid e rabl e l ength of tim e .

S ometimes b e trothals tak e plac e at a v e ry early a ge and ,

t he brid e groom has t o wait s e veral y e ars for his brid e ,

but in this case all paym e nts a r e mad e on the engag em ent
, ,

taking plac e and wh e n the girl b e comes m arriageabl e she

, ,
’
is conduct e d to h e r futur e husband s hous e without furth e r
ceremony .

A nything lik e l ov e T as w e und e rstand th e t e rm is

, ,

altogether unknown to th e A frican ; wom e n are regard e d

Th e n e gr o es tim a tes a w o m a n s b ea u ty
’
b y h er co rp ul e n c e a n d

t h e glos sy bla c k n es s o fh e r s kin .

T Lo v e r s n e v er kis s o n e a n o th er , n or d o m o th er s kis s th eir b a b e s ,

fo r th e p r a c tic e is t o th e m q u ite u n m e a n in g T h e p e o p l e o f th e .

s e a co a s t t o wn s h a v e in v e n t e d a v e r b t o d e sc rib e t h e p r o c e ss ( whic h
-

t h ey h a v e h e a r d o f f ro m E u r o p e a n s ) , v iz fewf a l mu , w hic h m ea n s ,
—
.

l ite r al ly , to su c k m o u th .
’
E l lis .
2 34 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

e xpr e ssions of g rie f pr e s e nts of various kinds b e ing giv e n

,

by th e mourn ers to th e d e ad man s r elativ e s A g en e ral ’

.

fast is proclaim e d from th e mom e nt of d e ath un t il the

b o dy is int e rr e d (usually two or thr e e days ) but this do e s ,

not includ e abst e ntion from liquor so that by th e tim e ,

t h e actual burial tak e s plac e e v e ryon e is in an advanc e d

stat e of intoxicati on T h e nativ e custom is to bury a man .

und e r the flo o r o f his hous e but this is forbidd e n (for ,

sanitary r e asons ) in th e coast t owns and th e grav e is c on ,

s e qu e ntly pr e p ar e d outsid e S up e rstition do e s not p e rmit .

of th e corps e b e ing carri e d through a d o or and a hol e for ,

its e gr e ss has t o b e mad e in th e wall I n th e coffin with th e .

body a re plac e d many valuabl e orn am e nts cloth e s fo o d , , ,

tobacco rum etc to accompany th e d e ce as e d to th e

, ,
.
,

oth e r world for th e id e a is h eld that al l th e se articl e s hav e

,
'

spirits capabl e of following th e spirit o i th e man into the

F or a sim il ar purpose sacrific e s of sh e e p ,

goats and fowls are made at th e grav e sid e and th e int e r

,
-

m ent is announc e d by salvo e s of m usk e try Gin and .

rum a r e fr eely distributed and drinking and f e asting are ,

indulg e d in for a l ength of tim e d e p ending on th e importanc e

of the dec e as e d N e ith e r is this th e en d o f all things for
.
,

p e riodical c el ebrations of th e b urial with att e ndant d e ,

b auches a re customary and portions of food and drink

, ,

a re daily plac e d b y th e sid e of th e t o mb T T h e position .

in which th e corps e is laid in its last r e stin g place vari e s -

consid e rably some tribes burying the body upright some

, ,

sitting others lying on its sid e

,
.

T h e fun e ral rit e s a m ong thos e pagan tribes who dw ell

at a safe d istance from th e British o f ficial a r e r e plete with
e n o r miti e s —including cannibalism and human sacrific e s .

S uch things still go on s u b r osa within th e British sph e r e

of influ e nc e but wh e n d e t e ct e d and brought to book all
, , ,

who have conniv e d at th e m suff e r th e extr e m e p enalty

as murd e r e rs Prior to our administration of th e country
. ,

Vid e C h a p te r X VI :
T S om e so r t o f s h e d is ge n e r a ll y e r ec t e d o v er th e t o m b The .

I b ibios ( C r o ss R iv er ) b u ild tw o s m all m u d c h a m b ers b y t h e s id e o f

th e t o m b ,
fo r th e u s e o fth e s p irit o fth e d e c ea s ed :
 TH E PE OP LE AND TH E I R C U S T OM S . 235

the burial of no pagan chi e f was consid e red to b e su ffici ently

c elebrat e d unless a c e rtain numb e r of his wiv e s and slav es
were buri e d with him in ord e r that h e might e nt e r on his
,

new life accompani e d by att endants b e fitting his rank .

This c an not b e c o mpar e d with th e s u ttee or s elf immolation ,

-

o f th e Hindoo widow as n e ith e r th e widows nor th e slave s

,

o f th e A frican chi e f e v e r d e sir e d to o ff e r th e mselv e s as sacri

fic es. On the contrary n o soon e r was th e d e ath of a chi e f
,

known than all his wiv e s and slav e s im m e diat ely att e mpt e d
to e ffe ct th e ir escap e to frustrat e which th e d e ath was
,

conceal e d until th e r e quisit e numb e r o f victims had be e n

s e cured The sacrific e of human b e ings is in its e lf horribl e
.

e nough ,
but it b e c o m e s doubly horrible wh e n w e know
with what r e v o lting cru e lti e s it is ev e n now in som e out
lying parts accompani e d and it se e ms almost impossible ,

t o conc e iv e that any p e opl e can b e so d e grad e d as to

p e rmit such atrociti e s to tak e plac e Ye t th e r e are to day . ,
-
,

within a day s j ourn e y of a British court house plac e s in

’
-
,

N ige ri a wher e on th e d e ath of a chief scor e s of innoc e n t m e n

, ,

and wom e n a re cast aliv e into th e grave their l egs and arms ,

b e ing brok e n to prevent e scap e wh e r e victims a r e bro ught

forth and slain and th e n e at e n by th e mourn e rs ; and
,

wh e re th e sacrific e o f virgins is consider e d as th e high e st

honour to the d e ad E llis maintains that th e se human
*
.

sac rifices a re not d u e to any inh e r e nt bloodthirstin e ss ,

but to an e xagg e rat e d regard for th e dead E v e n years .

’
aft e r a man s d e ath slav e s and captiv e s a r e sometim e s
sacrific e d to his m e m o ry in th e b eli e f that th e ir ghosts
,

will sw e ll th e throng of his att e ndants But it is no t .

only at fun e rals that human sacrifices tak e plac e for among ,

the p riest ridd e n trib e s p e riodical sacrific e s are o ffe r e d

-

to the gods for th e purpose o f staying or av e rting some

,

great calamity A lbino childre n and young girls a r e

.

o ffer e d as sacrific e s to sharks o r prior to a gr e at p a ,

laver ; slav e s a re slaught e r e d at th e n ew moon and a t ,

all religious f e stivals ; whil e th e murd e rs committed at

the ins tigation of the pri e sts for the glorification o f ,

N Th e T s hi sp ea kin g Peop l es
-
o f th e G old Co as t } 3
2 36 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

th e ms elves and their gods are o f the most wanton ,

description .

L ; Coming to the m att e r o f oaths th e o ath of all e gianc e

"
,

or fri e ndship is tak e n b e fore s e veral witn e ss e s in a pre

scrib e d form I n s o me districts th e principal c e r e mony
.

p e rform e d by th e parti e s is th e washing of e ach other s ’

f ee t A mong th e trib e s inland from O pob o a goat is

.

brought out b e for e th e tw o parti e s its h e ad is struck off ,

at on e blow and th e blood sm e ar e d with th e finge rs o ver

,

t h e for e h e ad and br e ast of all pr e s e nt aft e r which pi e c e s ,

of raw fl e sh a re cramm e d by o n e party into th e mouths

of th e o th e r Captain R ou p ell D S O giv e s th e foll owing
.
, . .
,

* ”
account of th e c e remony of blood broth e rhood as
p e rform e d in the country of th e Upp e r Cross R iver
“
Th e chopping of imbia m or doctor is th e nativ e form
of o ath th e cer emony of which is as foll ows : F our six
, , ,

or e ight young m en fr o m e ach trib e b e ing s el e ct e d sit ,

down facing e ach oth e r ; o n e man from e ach tribe rises

’
and clasps th e oth e r s right hand fing e rs int e rlacing ; ,

a m utual friend then lances th e wrist of each until the blood

flows fr e ely ; a grain of I ndian corn on e of Guin e a corn , ,

and a pi e c e of k o la nut are brought and rubbed in the blood

-

of e ach ; this being don e th e two m e n e ach eat the corn

,

’
and nut and blood o ff th e other s wrist Th e y then rep e at .

an o ath to the e ffect that h e who harms or takes gun

against his broth e r—which th e oth e r man now consid e rs
hims elf to b e—may be kill e d by th e for e st god if he goes
into the forest ; if h e go by wat e r may h e d ie by water ; ,

if h e tak e fir e to cook m ay the fire kill him and so forth

, ,
.

Th e y then hug e ach other and a r e plac e d back to back ,

wh e n th e n ativ e administ e ring the o ath s eparates th e m

by dr o pping som e e arth b e tw ee n th e m Palm wine b e ing .

then produced th e y sip alt e rnat ely from the sam e glass
,
.

This form of oath is consid e r e d so binding that the bad

characters a re among thos e s e l e ct e d to partak e of it being ,

thos e most lik ely to b ring troubl e o n th e r e st of th e tribe .

I t is suppos e d to b e binding as long as the actual parti e s

F o r eign O f
fi ce , 1 8 97 , A nn u al S e ries : rica , N o :
Af
2 36 B R I T I SI N I GE R I A

themselves an d their gds a r e o f th e m os t w ,

description .

Co m ing to the m atter ) I o at h s th e o ath o f a llegia ,

o r friendship is taken b e ire se ve r al w i tn es ses in a p l

scribed fo rm I n so m e ( st ricts th e p rin cip al c e re m on)
.

m
’
erfo r ed by the a r ti
es is the w ashin g o f each o ther s
p p
feet A m ong the t ri b es nl an d fro m O p o b o a goat is
.

brough t ou t befo re the tw p a rties its h ea d is s t ru ck o fl ,

at on e blow and t h e b lo d s m e ared with the fin ge rs o ver

,

the forehead an d breas t 0 a ll p resent a fte r which p ieces ,

o f raw flesh are c ra m me db y one p a rt y in to th e m ou ths

o f the o ther C a p tain R o pell D
. giv e s th e foll owing
,

”
accoun t o f the c e rem o n o f
*
bloo d b ro therh o od as
p erfor m ed in the coun tr y o f t h e Up pe r C ro ss R iv e ,
“
The chopping o f imbia fl o r d oc to r is the n ative to
o f o ath the ceremony o fwhic h is as fo llows : F our
, ,

o r eigh t young m en fro r e ach t ri be be in g selected

do w n facing e ach o ther o n e m an fro m ea ch t ribe
an d clasps the o ther s g h t h an d finge rs in te rla
’

a mutual friend then lan c e t h e w ris t o f each u n t il the

fl ows freely ; a grain o f l di an co r n o n e o f Guine a ,

an d a piece o f kola nu t a r eb r ough t an d ru bb e d in th

-

o f each ; this being d on e th e two m en e ach e at

,

and nu t and blood o ff th e it h e r s wrist They ti ’

.

an o ath t o the e ffect t h t he wh o h a r m s o r

—
against his brother wh ic the o ther m an n
hi m self t o b e— m ay be k ied by the fo res t g
‘
into the forest ; if he go y water m ay h e c ,

if he t ake fir e to cook m e the fire kill him

, ,

They then hug e ach o the an d are placed

when the n ative a d m in ie n n g th e o ath s
’

b y dropping so m e earth btw ee n the m P .

then produce d t hey s ip tt ern a t ely fro m

,

This for m o f o ath is co n d e r e d so b in d i

characters are a m ong th o s selected t o p a
those m ost likely t o b rin gt r ouble on th q
I t is supposed to b e bin dig as lon g a sr

F o r eign O f
fic e , 1 8 97 , A n ual S eries
to who m it 15

n a m ed ; in this ca se a
fro m the spot where the

The Krub oy is
p al m o f his h and and e

t akes the witn ess 5 h an d and

2 38 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

It is p e rhaps needl e ss to say that th e guilt or innocenc e

, ,

o f th e party d ep ends e ntir e ly on th e str e ngth of the poison ,

and on th e g o odwill or oth e rwis e of th e individual who

pr e par e s it T h e peopl e of Brass e mploy th e f e ather
.

ord e al in which th e f e ath er from a fowl s wing is thrust

,
’

thr o ugh the accus e d s tongu e by th e j uj u man I f the

’
-
.

quill br e aks b e for e p e n e trating th e t o ngu e the man is

innoc e nt ; if i t can be push e d right through h e is guilty , .

Trial by ord e al is of cours e forbidd e n b y th e British a u th or i

, ,

ti e s and consid e ring e v e rything th e nativ e laws (wh e n

, , ,

sup e rvis e d by our o fficials ) a r e as j ust as can b e expect e d .

But in a land wh e re a vici o us pri esth o o d is all powerful -

,

and wh e re sup e rstition is rife it is imp o ssibl e that wh at

,

w e consid e r j ustic e can e xist .

2 40 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

to und e rstand how th e civilised nations of the world e ver

c o un t e nanc e d it Ye t for n e arly four hundre d y e ars
.

E urop e ans profe ss e d to see no harm in th e trad e and it ,

is o nly now long years aft e r it has c e as e d that we a re

, ,

abl e to fully r e al is e th e e vils that hav e r e sult e d from it

to A frica .

W ith re gard to slav e raiding w e find b e fore us on e of-

,

the gre at A frican pr o bl e ms of th e day —a matt e r of such

importanc e that unl e ss m e ans a re found to suppr e ss it
, ,

E urop e can hop e to d e riv e but little ben efit from the coun
tri e s sh e has appropriat e d W riting m e r ely of W e st A frica.
,

and of that of only British N igeria th er e is ampl e e vid e nc e ,

of th e stat e of a ffairs e xisting throughout the whol e of

Tropical A frica for slav e ry and slave raiding a re as ram -

pant in the e as t as in th e w e st of th e gr e at contin ent .

This slav e — raiding has gon e on for countl ess ag e s ; it was

in full force c e nturi e s b e for e th e e stablishm ent of th e
ov e rsea slav e trade though doubtless that traffic gav e it
-
,

a gre at e r imp e tus slav e ry as w e hav e said is indig enous , ,

to the country and th e n e c e ssity for poss e ssing slaves

,

has made slave raiding always a most lucrativ e oc c u

-

p a t io n . Thus t h e whit e man is not e ntir ely r e sp o nsibl e

,

for th e present positi o n of th e A frican slav e but at t h e ,

sam e tim e h e has had a g o od d e al to say t o it I n e arly .

tim e s i e some fiv e or six c e nturi e s ago slave raiding

,
. .
,
-
,

as n ow practised was possibl y unkn own slav e ry e xist e d

, ,

it is tru e but th e slaves w e re mostly captiv e s of fair war

,

and th e ir d escendants who o f cours e remain e d slav e s, , ,

.

The demand for slav e s wh e n th e ov e rs e a trad e commenc e d

was gr e ater than the slave owning chi e fs could supply -
,

a n d so t e mpting wer e th e induc e m e nts o ffered that th e y

soon f o und means to fill th e barracoons Q uarr els we r e .

pick e d with th eir n eighbours and fi e rc e struggl es took ,

plac e b e tw e en th e various trib e s until e ventually legiti ,

mat e warfare b e cam e alm o st a thing of th e past and th e ,

coast trib e s w e r e nothing more than slav e catch e rs and

kidnapp ers .

T o suppl y th e E urop e an slav e d e al e r was now t h e sol e -

id e a of th e W e st Coast chi e f whose craving for E urop e an ,

 S LA VE R Y . 24 1

c om m oditi e s was insatiable ; h e want e d the spirituous

liquors which th e whit e m a n had to dispos e of and slav e ,

catching was a quick e r and more remun e rativ e busin e ss

than th e production o f palm oil I n order to compl e t e -
.

th e work w e apons and g unpowd e r w e r e r e quire d and th e se

, ,

w e re also suppli e d by th e white man A s far as th e coast .

was conc e rn e d therefor e whil e the ov e rs e a slav e trad e

, ,
-

w a s in e xist e nce th e amount of ch e ap d rink arms and

, , ,

ammunition pour e d into the country was e normous Thus .

drunk e nn e ss and its att e ndant vic e s w e r e larg ely incr e as e d

b y th e accurs e d trad e and th e civilisation of th e p e ople
,

r e tard e d by sev e ral d e cad e s if not c e nturi e s E ven when

, .

trading in palm o il took th e plac e of trading in human

-

b eings th e d e mand for liqu o r and munitions of war con

,

t in u e d. S lav e s w e re now r e quir e d in gr e at numb e rs by

t h e chiefs th e ms e lv e s in ord e r to carry on t h e palm oil -

trad e and slave raiding cons e qu e ntly did n o t ab at e but

,
-

if anything incr e ased Littl e att e ntion was paid to a ll

.

this : Gr e at Britain— virtually th e only E uropean Pow e r

r e present e d — had quit e e nough to do to look aft e r th e small
coast poss e ssions which sh e o ccupi e d and her pow e r a ,

few m il e s from the s e a was nil W ith trad e matt e rs th e .

trad e r alon e was conc e rn e d and a consid e rable part of

,

t h e trad e was carri e d on wh e re Gr e at Britain had n o j uris

diction wh at e v e r Th e se w e r e th e days of th e Palm Oil
.
-

R u flia n who car e d little how he ob tain e d his o il so long

, ,

as he was able to enrich hims elf Th e black man ask e d .

for spirits and w e apons and th e y w e r e accordingly bartere d

,

with him What was it to the whit e man that d e pravity

.

and vice w e r e on the increas e or that his method of trade

was producing int e rn e cine warfar e among the coast tribes
Coming down to mod e rn times twe nty y e ars ago (or ,

in many parts m uch mor e r e cently ) th e re was hardl y a

trib e wh o kn e w what a y e ar of peac e m e ant slave raiding -

w e nt on within a mil e of the small British poss e ssions ,

and dom e stic slavery was not int e rfer e d with but rather ,

acknowledg e d by th e British authoriti e s Concerning

,
.

this domestic slav e ry a word of e xplanation is necessary

, ,

for on e is apt to imagine that anything connect e d with

Q
242 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

slavery is bad Dom e stic slav e ry pur e and simpl e is

.
, ,

an institution as natural to th e A frican as fre e dom is to

th e Briton h e is born a slav e and his parents have b een ,

slaves b e fore him he is oft en w ell tre ated by his mast e r ,

rec e iv e s his prot e ction works for him and tak e s an in t e r e st

, ,

in his affairs H e has many privil eg e s and by hard work

.
,

c a n e v e n sav e mon e y b e com e w e althy and b e hims elf

, ,

an own e r o f slav e s S uch is th e bright sid e of dom e sti c

.

slav e ry ; there is als o a dark side Th e children born .

o f the slav e s of a hous e hold a r e not su f fi ci e ntly num e r o u s

to supply the wants of th e ir owner and in cons e quence , , ,

th e d e fici e ncy has to be m e t by raiding and kidn apping .

Th e captive b e ing of a trib e di f

, fe rent fro m that of h is
o wner naturally r e s e nts his e nforce d s e rvitud e a n d suffe rs
, ,

ill tr e atm e nt and hardships culminating not infrequently ,

in his d e ath W e r e the chi e fs cont ent to hold none but

.

slav e born dom e stics— born that is in th e ir own hous e

-
, ,

h olds— then it is doubtful if any gr e at crusad e would have

been mad e against th e sta tu s of slav e ry at any rat e for ,

som e y e ars to c o m e But th e p e rp e tual raiding of p e ac e

.

ful trib e s has thrown the whole country into such a stat e
of unr e st and cons e quen t backwardness that unless imm e ,

diat e action b e taken it bids fair to b e utt e rly ruin e d

, .

S o far w e have be e n sp e aking onl y of th e pagan tribes

in th e vicinity of the coast amongst whom slav e raidin g ,
-

is n o t carri e d on to anything lik e th e e xt ent that it is

among th e Mohammedans farth e r inland I n the Moham .

m e dan countri e s i a th e gr e at e r part of N orth e rn N ig e ria

,
. .
,

slav e raiding is a profe ssion follow e d by every Mohamm e dan

-
,

who can must e r a band o f arm e d m en Their obj e cts .

a re to captur e as many pagans as th e y c a n e ith e r re ,

taining the m as camp and domestic s e rvants or disposing ,

o f th e m by public sal e A v e ry large numb e r also a r e

.

r e quir e d for the paym e nt o f tribut e by th e small e r chi e fs

to th e ir sup e riors and in th e S okoto e mpire wh e r e e ach
, ,

year th e F ulah raiders hav e to trav el farth e r south to mak e

their captur e s th e d e vastati o n o f pagan vil lages is almost
,

incre dible The E mir o fA damawa it is said until quite

.
, .

r e c e ntly s ent slaves annually to the S ultan of

 S LA VE R Y . 243

S okoto ; th e distance is roughl y 8 00 mil e s and th e hard ,

ships e ndur e d on a j ourney o fthis l ength must have bee n

so gre at that probably not one half of those who left Yola
reached W urno This is only on e of a scor e of instances
.
,

and to t e stify to th e number of pagans who are continually

,

*
b ing captured we have th e e vid e nc e of Mr C H R obinson
e , . . .
,

who had e v e ry opportunity during his r e sidenc e of thr e e

m onths in K ano of looking in to th e stat e of a ffairs H e .

tells us that parti e s of Mohamm e dans we r e constantl y

arriving with gangs of newly captur e d slav e s and that on ,

o n e occasion he saw upwards o f a thousand captiv e s brought

in by a singl e raiding party We know also what w e n t .

on in N up e only fiv e years ago and it is the same in all ,

th e se Mohamm e dan S tat e s ; slav e s as m atters stand a re

a n e c e ssity and th ey m ust be ob tained at a ll costs ; c on
,

s e qu e ntly th e r e m ust be perpetual raiding But th e slav e .

tribut e e normous as it is do e s not accoun t for a tith e

, ,

of th e pagans captured and the r e mainder go to the slav e

,

m ark e t which e xists in every town of any siz e H e r e

. .

they find a ready sale th e ir purchasers employing th e m ,

eith e r as dom e stic s e rvants labour ers or c a rriers T Th e , ,

.

mor e land a man poss e sses the more slav e s he r e quire s ,

to cultivat e it and the larger his household th e gr e at er

,

number of har e m att e ndants concubines and s e rvants , , ,

though p e rhaps the maj ori ty of the slav e s are e mploye d

as carri e rs or what m ay b e term e d b e asts of burd en To
,
.

und e rstand th e situation aright th e read e r must b e ar in ,

mind thr e e things viz that in these countries th e re is

, .

no fre e labour no portable currency worth sp e aking of

, ,

and no m e ans of transportin g goods from place to place

exc e pt on th e heads of native s F or thes e r e asons th e .

trav elling merchant is obliged to u s e slav e s and w e will ,

giv e an e xampl e A merchant is going from K ano to

.

the ivory mark e ts in German A damawa and propos e s ,

taking with him a stock of tob e s and cotton goods and ,

“
H a n sa l a n d .
” 1 8 96 .

TA few sl a v e s a r e t ra n sp or te d a c r os s th e S a h a ra to t h e M ed i
t erra n ea n p or ts , w h e n ce th ey p a s s to T u r k ey a nd o th e r M oh a m
m e d a n c o u n tries ;
2 44 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

a supply o fco w ri e s for making small purchas e s on th e road

-
all bulky articl e s A ccordingly h e go e s to th e slave
.
,

mark e t and purchas e s th e numb e r of slav e s n e c e ssary to

c arry his m e rchandis e and provisions for th e j o urn ey .

A ft e r trav elling for a few days h e finds that th e c on s u m p

t ion of th e provisions has r e duc e d th e loads o fhis carri e rs ,

and h e is able to disp e ns e with th e servic e s of o n e or two

of th em and for th e s e h e can always obtain a fair pric e
,
.

A t B antshi or Yola h e sta y s fo r s e v e ral days to e nj o y him

s elf and pays his bill by dropping a slav e
, Thus in r e ality.

slav e s a re a curre ncy— flu c tu a tin g p e rhaps but portabl e, ,

far mor e so than th e ir valu e in cowri e s th e onl y oth e r ,

u niversal curr e ncy of th e country .

A s with th e o v e rsea slav e trad e so with th e int e rnal

-

s lave trad e -
th e whol e matt e r r e solv e s its elf into a qu e stion
of demand and supply W e have giv e n an id e a o f what
.

the d e mand is and how th e supply is k ept up but it sh o uld

, ,

b e not e d that the supply— raid as the Mohamm e dans do

is n e v e r e qual to the d emand ; what has n ow to b e c on
s id ere d is h o w t h e d e mand can b e abolish e d or at a n y ,

rat e l e ss en e d W ith r e gard to t h e d o m e stic slav e s and

,
.

l abourers of th e Mohammedans nothing much can b e don e , ,

at l e ast for s o m e consid e rable tim e though w h e n our posi ,

tion in the country b e com e s strong e r t h e l egal s ta tu s of

slav e ry will of cours e b e abolish e d in th e Mohamm e dan
, ,

S tates as it has b ee n in most of our coast poss e ssi o ns ,

*
and quit e r e c e ntly as far north as th e Middl e N ig e r .

Until this st ep is tak e n th e re must b e a d emand for slav es ,

but not n e c e ssarily a v e ry e normous on e and w e re i t ,

possibl e to do away with th e carri e r slav e th e n in all prob ,

ability th e annual amount of captur e s would b e r e duc e d

b y som e thing lik e two thirds I f w e assum e that 3 0 per
-
.

c e nt of the pagans captur e d d ie b e for e b e ing p u t in harness

.

( a low estimat e ) and that 6 0 per c ent a re e ventually used

, .

for carri e r work then by abolishing th e carri e r w e should

,

reduc e th e numb e r of captur e s by n e arly 8 0 p e r c ent .

This would b e a good beginning and th e sugg e st e d m e thods

,

Vid e p a ge 8 4
2 46 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

cost of th e transport of m e rchandise would b e small in ,

p lace of being a v e ry heavy it e m and th e c o untry and its ,

inhabitants would b e com e s e ttl e d wh e r e by the resourc e s ,

o f th e former and th e industrious habits of th e latter

, ,

would have a chanc e of b e ing fully d e v elop e d F ortunately .

t h e Government has all this in mind a n d th e pushing ,

forward of advanc e d posts and th e improv em ent of com

,

m un ic a t ion s in the F ulah E mpire are ev e n now b e ing put ,

into e x e cution .

W e n o w come to th e qu e stion of curr e ncy about which ,

we have said something in r e lation to the trading op e ra

tions of the N iger Company I t affe cts slav e raiding in .
-

this wise : There b e ing practically no portable curre ncy

in th e country an immense numb e r of slav e s a re r e quire d
,

to carry h e avy goods for barter which would not b e the ,

cas e did mon e y exist F or in th e instanc e giv e n above

.
,

of th e K ano merchant trav elling to th e ivory mark e t at

B anyo although h e might hav e to purchas e slav e s to carry
,

his ivory on th e r e turn j o urn e y h e would probably s e t ou t ,

from Kano alon e with his money ti e d up in th e corn e r of

,

his tobe ; and this h e would certainly do w e r e th er e good

roads protect e d by military posts Th e e xtraordinary
,
.

thing is that th e country has gon e on for such a l ength

o ftim e without a r e al curr e ncy considering that th e Hausa ,

m erchants are probably as business lik e a class as is to be -

found anywher e out of E urop e But the n ativ e s th e m .

selves are w ell aware of th e advantag e s of a curre ncy ,

and would certainly w elcome any r eliabl e form of mon e y .

A s a proof of this it may b e mention e d that a great numb e r

,

o f the trib e s employ some sort of currenc y other than

slav e s and cowri e s Thus in the O il R iv e rs for s e v e ral
.
,

c e nturi e s bun dles of brass or copper rods * (import e d from

E ngland ) hav e had th e ir fix e d valu e by means of which ,

oth e r purchases c a n be made and in two or thr e e of th e ,

rivers hors e sho e lik e pi e c e s of mix e d metal known as

-
,

ma m lla s a r e still us e d in plac e of mon e y

’

, S imilarly .

som e of th e pagan trib e s o f th e B en ué employ pieces of

O n e h u n d re d a n d twe n ty r od s ( v al u e 2 53 to form a .

c a r r ie r s
’
loa d .
 S LA VE R Y: 2 47

iron r e s embling a small h oe which are tied up in bundl e s , ,

thirty six b e ing th e pric e of a prim e slave I n Borgu also

-
.
, ,

iron ho e s have th e ir fix e d valu e the slave as usual being ,

the standard Barth t ell s us that th e ancient standard

.

o f Bo rnu was the r otl ( a pound of copper ) while four ,

a b a a s (str i ps of cotton cloth ) w e nt to th e r otl and on the

g g , ,

introduction of cowri e s eight of th e s e to the ga ba ga *

, .

B e sid e s these and various lik e curre nci e s ther e is on e ,

o f v e ry considerabl e i m portanc e sinc e it shows that in ,

B ornu an d th e Hausa S tat e s sp e ci e would be pop ul ar

a mong the merchants We re fer to th e dollar which
.
'

, ,

mor e than half a century ago had become a standard in ,

K ano and oth e r large trad e centres with a val ue of ,

c owri e s . Th e s e dollars a r e said to have be e n originally

introduc e d into Bornu from the Mediterran e an a n d though , ,

s ome f e w S panish and M e xican are found t h e principal ,

a r e th e Maria Th e r e sa numb e rs of which a re still brought

,

t o th e count r y fro m th e north A s th e peopl e do not .

r ead i ly understand the principl e of new dies and a re sus ,

p ic iou s of a strange coin th e old patt e rn of dollar (with

,

d at e 1 78 0) is still struck in A ustria for special e xport to

C e ntral A frica Th e eage rness with which th e se coins are
.

r e c e ived is proof su flic i e n t that t h e ti m e is r ip e in the Mo

h a mm e d a n S tates for the introduction of a mon e y curren cy .

The cumb e rsome methods of barter and the use of slav e s ,

and c o wri e s as mediu m s of exchang e a r e al toge th e r b ehind ,

t h e t imes and most of our oth e r W e st A frican poss e ssions

,

have long since in troduc e d th e u s e of E nglish mon e y .

Macgr e gor Lair d soon aft e r h e commenced operations

,

in the N ig e r becam e convinc e d that barter was too pre

,

c arious a m e thod of co nducting busin e ss and had so m e ,

special coins stru ck fo r trad e purpos es Ve ry possibly .

he was pr e matur e in his id e as but in any cas e th e syst e m ,

w as n e v e r giv e n a trial as th e circulation o f th e coin s

,

was h eld to be ill e g al A fter this as far as the N ig e r was

.
,

c onc e rn e d no att empt was m ade to introduce E uropean

,

m on e y though ind e p e ndent trad e rs from ti m e to time

,

Kno wn in s om e p a r ts a s leppi .
2 48 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

took to th e N ig e r new E nglish silv e r coins which w e r e ,

much priz e d by th e nativ e s who conv e rt e d them into rings ,

and oth e r ornaments Later on spurious imitations w e re .

import e d but th eir w o rthlessness soon b e cam e known

, ,

a n d th e e ff e ct of their introduction was to make the peopl e

suspiciou s of all coins .

N ow how e v e r th e authoriti e s a re aware of th e import

, ,

anc e of substituting a mon e y curr e ncy for the old m e thods ,

in both S outh e rn and N orthern N ig e ria W ith r egard to .

th e form e r the Consul G eneral in his R e port (N ig e r Coast

,
-
,

—
Prot e ctorat e ) for 1 8 97 98 said : “
Th e o ffic e rs o f th e Pro
,

t e c to ra t e hav e mad e e v e ry e f
fort to t e ach th e nativ e s th e
advantag e of a coin curr e ncy with a V i ew to i t e v e ntuall y ,

taking the plac e of th e pr e s e nt syst e ms This coin c u r .

ren c y b e ing brought into u se would not do a w ay with t h e

stock of manillas brass rods cowri e s etc in th e Pro

, , , .
,

t e c to ra te but would si m ply m e an that th e importation

.

of such manillas etc would c e as e and ev entually only cash

,
.
, ,

would b e us e d T h e nativ e s quit e s ee th e advantag es

.

of cash and the disadvantages of th eir pr e s ent bart e r

syst e m and when th e time com e s fo r th e introduction o f
,

the former t h e nativ e s g e n e rally will b e v e ry r e ady t o

acc ept it One of the man y advantages of cash which
.

recommends itself to th e chiefs almost more than any ,

oth e r is th e fact that th e maj ority of m en th ey hav e now

,

to u s e in carrying manillas and brass rods will wh en cash ,

is introduc e d b e availabl e for working on th e ir farms

,

”
and plantations A gain in th e n ext R e p o rt ( 1 8 98
.
,

h e said I t is notic e d that t o som e e xt e nt but in por ,

ti o ns onl y of th e t e rritori e s cash curre ncy is making h e ad ,

way more particularly in those p o rtions wh ere th er e is

,

no e xisting currency but i t has als o mad e slight headway

in districts wh e r e brass rods c o pp e r w ire and manilla , ,

curr ency are in u s e betw e e n th e nativ e s for transactions

”
among th e ms elves A s far as N orthern N ige ria is c o n
.

cern ed a v e r y g o od b eginning w a s mad e by paying the

,

I mp e rial tro o ps in E nglish coin which gav e a start to t h e ,

circulati on of coins of the r e alm I S 6d and 3 d ) .

,
.
,
.

in t h e mark e ts a dj ac e nt to th e military stati o ns th o ugh ,

2 50 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

larg e Th e r e 1 5 of cours e only one method of ch e cking

.
,

this d e mand v iz ,th e suppression of human sacrifices

. ,

and owing to the e n e rg e tic action of British o flic ia ls

, ,

th ey a r e happi ly b e coming e ach y e ar less common W ith .

such human sacrific e c e ntr e s as Brass and B e nin brok e n

down a gr e at blow has be en d e alt to the practic e ; but
, ,

at th e same tim e it is a mistak e to suppos e that th e p e ople

,

s e e the e rror of th e ir ways ; for w e re all E ur o p e ans to ,

wi t hdraw fro m th e Coast it is mor e than probabl e that ,

human sacri fic e s would b e immedi at ely indulg e d in by

trib e s who are now h eld to b e civilis e d A fricans But .

E uropeans hav e no int e ntion of withdrawing ; m o reover ,

th e y are year by y e ar e stablishing th e ms elves mor e firm ly

, ,

i n the country and th e total abolition of human sacrific e s

,

i s merely a matter of time .

To sum up th e matt e r of slavery and slav e raiding as -

now existing in British N igeria We have s e en that slav e .

raiding is followe d as a profe ssion by a vast numb e r of

Mohammedan chiefs and that kidnapping and int e rtribal
,

warfar e for the purpose of capturing slav e s is pursued

by the pagans of a ll parts which are not und e r th e imm e
d iat e supervision of British o flic ials T h e slav e s thus .

captur e d are r e quired for various purpos e s as dom e stic ,

s ervants trading boys har e m attendants concubines

, , , ,

a n d carri e rs for p rmdial labour and as soldiers to swell

, ,

th e ranks of th e raiding chi e fs ; while among th e pagans , .

they have the furth e r use of furnishing the mat e rial for
human sacrifices F or th e extirpation of slav e raiding
.
-

it is proposed besid e s the emplo y m e nt of force t o e nd e avour

, ,

t o diminish th e demand for slaves o f th e carrier class by

the construction of roads tramways and e ventually rail , ,

ways and by th e rapid d e v elopm e nt of a m on e tary curr ency

—both f easible plans ; to diminish th e demand for slave s
,

o foth e r kinds by the gradual substitution of paid labour for

s lav e ry and furth ermore to stamp out human sacrific e s

, ,
.

I t r e mains o nly to discuss th e qu e stion of t h e abolition

o f t h e l e gal s ta tu s o f slav e ry about the rights and wrongs ,

o f which opinions di ff e r very consid erably Th e r e are .

m any good points conn e ct e d with dom esti c slav e r y and ,

 S LA VE R Y .
2 51

could the chiefs b e prevented from increasing th e ir stock

of slaves exc e pt by th e births in their households then it ,

wo ul d p e rhaps b e wise to let well alon e But this is

, ,
.

impossibl e for while domestic slavery in any form e xists

,

n o amount of legislation is able to pr e vent the chiefs from

smuggling slav e s into th e ir hous eholds fro m outsid e an d ,

slav e raiding must go on A t the same tim e it is doubtful

-
. ,
.

i f a ll p arts of British N ig e ria a re r e ady for th e abolition

of this domestic slav e r y ; in our older A frican coloni e s
no form o f slavery is recognised and domestic slav e ry .

is dying a natural d e ath To issue ; in our n ewly acquired

.

t e rri tori e s a sw e eping proclamation making th e holding

,

of slaves ill egal and r e quiring existing slave hold e rs to at

,
-

onc e giv e up their slav e s would lead to hardships alm os t

,

impossibl e to r e alise S lav e ry is so ingrain e d in the p e ople

.

that to h e suddenly thrown on th e ir own resourc e s would

r e s ult in half the slav e s dying of starvation What e v e r .

st e ps a r e taken must b e gradual and in such Moham m edan

,

countries as the Hausa S tates (N orthern N ig e ria ) if an ,

abolition proclamation is to m ean anything there must ,

b e sufficient force at han d to back it up A ll that c a n b e

.

hop e d for th e pr e sent in our n ew e r possessions is what

, , ,
’
was done in 1 8 97 in a portion of th e R oyal N iger Compan y s
t e rritories viz the abolition of the legal s ta tu s of slav e ry
, .
.

By this is impli e d not that it is ill e gal to hold slav e s but

, ,

that the own e r of slav e s will no longer be support e d by the

British Gov e rnm e nt with regard to his prop e rty in h is slaves ;
h e cannot d e mand their r e storation should th e y run away ;
whil e th e slave himself is free to leave h is owner and
claim his fre e do m whenev e r he d e sires to do so an d the ,

liability of the owner for the wro n gdoings of the slave

is no gr eater than that of mast e r for servant in E nglish
law By thus applying the thin end of th e wedg e it can
.
,

gradually be driv e n ho m e until the time arrives for splitting

.

asunder a system so re pugnant to civilised sentim e nt To .

do more t han this or e v e n as much during th e n e xt few

, ,

y e ars in N ig e ria would probably b e to court complet e failure ,

for it is an open question wh e th e r th e abolition of th e legal

s ta tu s of slavery is really b e n e ficial to the slaves th e ms e lves .
 CH APTE R xvr .

TH E R E LI G I O N OF TH E PA G A N S .

Ch ris tia n ity , M o h a mm e d a n is m and Pa ga n ism

R eligio u s T he
—
,

B e lie fs o f th e Pa ga n s T r ib a l a n d F a m ily D e it ie s —M a kin g a

—
G o d — C h ar m s—L o c al G o d s —I d o l s F e tish — S a c rifi c es— H u m a n
V ic tim s —T h e S o u l a nd th eI n d w e llin g S p irit s— T h e O th e r
W o r l d —G h o s ts o f I n a n im a t e j
O b e c t s— C a n n ib a lis m S e c re t -

S o c ie t ies —E gb o—J u j u Lon g Ju j u -

T o t e mis m .

HE r eligions or b eli e fs of th e p e opl e of t his particula r

, ,

quart e r of A frica m a y b e divid e d for c o nv e ni enc e into

Christianity Mohamm e d a nism and paganism th e two
, , ,

form e r h aving b e e n intr o duc e d fr o m outsid e in mor e mod e rn

ti m es I n d e scribing paganism as a religion w e u se th e t erm
.
,

r eligion in its wid e s ense i e a syst e m of faith and worship

, . .
,

and b e for e dw elling on the adv e n t of th e Cresc e nt and the

Cross into this part of W e st A frica w e will glanc e at som e ,

of th e pagan beli e fs of th e aborigines for savag e though , ,

the vari ous trib e s may b e th e r e is non e d e v o id of a b elief

,

in som e deit y and most hav e an id e a of the soul and of

,

a futur e stat e Thes e id e as may b e confus e d a n d to th e

.
,

Christian or Mohamm e d an absurd but after all th e y are ,

n o mor e p e culiar than w e r e th e p re Christian beliefs of -

our own anc e stors The pagan is n e ith e r ath e ist nor
.

agnostic ; and his r eligion with its sup erstitious rit e s , ,

so call e d
-
f e tish and j uj u binds him probabl y mor e ,

tightly than do th e doctrin e s of Christianity or I slam

th eir foll ow e rs .

A lth o ugh th e trib e s a r e widely scatt e r e d and hold ,

r eligi o us vi e ws di ff ering in many particulars from each

oth e r ther e h a s b een found to b e a c ertain similar ity in
,

th e c o nc e ptions of all th e W est Coast pagans I n the .

main th eir b eli efs a r e id e ntical with what in E urop e we

“
n e w t e rm superstition two centuri es ago v e ry similar
id e as w er e h eld by such northern Christians as th e
2 54 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

sev e ral trib e s or e ve n to two or mor e nations ; other

,

deiti e s a re worshipp e d by a singl e t rib e or family ; whil e ,

lastly e ach individual of any importance h as a god of

,

his own Th e pagan ther e for e has t o be perp e tuall y

.
, ,

thinking of a numb e r of deities al l of w hom r e quir e to b e ,

propitiat ed with o ffe rings and sacrific e s to lighten w hich ,

task priests b e com e a necessity Th e duty of these .

priests was originally to tak e care of the offerings and guard

the localit y where th e g od resid e d ; but as time went on
th ey formed thems elv e s into a distin ct class and gradually ,

assum e d th e r ole of int e rc e ssor between th e m an an d his

‘

god until e v e ntually they cam e to be consid e red almost

,

as powerful as th e god hims elf whos e mouthpi e c e th e y ,

professed to be B y cunning a n d trick e ry th e priesth o od

.

b e cam e paramount and to this day in such parts as the

,

Oil R ivers th e j uj um a n rul e s the p e ople with a rod of iron .

B e tween the chi e f deities and his worshippers ther e is n o

direct int e rcourse the pri e st alon e b eing able to h old
,
’
co m munication with the god ; but with the man s privat e
god matters are di ff er e nt — it is his own particular affair ,

and brooks no outsid e int e rf er enc e for by th e man hims elf

w as the god cr e ated E llis r elat e s f ully how a nativ e pro
.

cur e s for hims elf a god H e betakes himself to a gloomy .

r e cess o f the forest wh e r e on e of th e local high e r d e iti e s

is known to resid e and propitiates the dei ty by pouring
,

rum on the ground A fter this he proce e ds t o make his

.

god which may consist of on e o f four materials v iz a

, ,
.

bough cut from the spot and shap e d roughly into the figur e ,

of a man a pi e c e of stone th e root of a plant scr a ped , ,

and ground into a paste with th e blood of a fo w l ; or

some red e arth mix e d with bl o od or rum Th e l a st two .

’
mat e rials are k e pt in th e m an s h o use in a brass pan
’
a dorn e d with parrot s f e ath e rs a n d are always cov e red ,

with sh e a butt e r A s soon as th e mat e rial for a god has

-
.

been prepar e d a furth e r ceremon y is gon e thro u gh in

,

ord e r to induce t h e higher d e ity to pass a spirit into it ;

and wh e n all has been satisfactorily accomplish e d th e god
is tak e n home giv e n a name and care fully looked after
, ,
.

A small p o rtion of the daily food is placed upon it and it ,

 TH E R E LI G I ON OF TH E PA G A N S . 2 55

’
b e co m es part and parc el of the man s life I t protects him .

from inj ury mak e s him prosp e rous and through it its
, , , ,

worshipp e r can procur e th e d e ath of any o f his en e mies .

I ts actions whether good or e vil are worked by means o f

, ,

charms mad e for it and d e dicat e d to it—a bundl e of twigs ,

a bunch of feathers and a vari e ty of articl e s into which

, ,

th e virtue of the god pass e s by a process of incantation .

The higher d e iti e s consist for th e mos t part of one o r

two superior on e s worshipp e d by a whole nation Th e s e .

are usually h eld to b e visibl e only to th e pri e sts and th e ir ,

spirits dwell in a grov e or on a hill in som e sequ e ster e d

spot whil e a hous e with al l conveni e nc e s is s e t apart for
,

t h e god in the t o wns and larg e villag e s H e (or it may .

b e she ) is repr e s e nt e d by an imag e in grote qu e and hid e ous s

human form before which o fferings a r e mad e of every

,

con c e ivabl e t hing from th e human victim to a glass o f

,

gin . D ays are s et apart for its worship and th e wild e st ,

orgi e s a re indulg e d in by th e p e o pl e human sacrific e s , ,

follow e d by sm e aring th e blood on the imag e s forming ,

a sp e cial featur e of th e f e stivals at places outside British

j urisdiction Th e se more important d e iti e s control a ll
.

minor d e iti e s ; thus t h e num e rous local gods a r e cr e at e d

by th e m wh ile th e local gods in their turn spiritualis e
t h e tut elary d e ity o f th e individual T h e local d e iti e s .

are many and various ; a ny accid e n t that occurs is a t tr i

but e d to th e mal e vol enc e of som e spirit and if th e spot ,

had pr e viously no d e ity one is imm e diat ely institut e d

,
.

Thus in a ll parts are s e en tr e es rocks and such lik e things

, ,
-

which a re h eld by th e p e opl e to b e sacred a n d wh e r e o ffe ring s ,

a re p e riodically mad e Th e r e is n o riv e r without its god

.
,

who in the sh ap e of a crocodil e or other prob abl e anni

,

h il a t or of mankind must b e propitiat e d b e for e e mbarking

,

on its wat e rs A larg e tre e by the w a y sid e might fall and

.

crush a p ass e r b y ; it is th e refor e consider e d to b e th e

-

abode of a go d and rev e r enc e d accordingly I n thi s

, .

m ann e r e very striking obj e ct in N atur e is worshipped ,

’
not b e cause it is on e o f N a ture s wonders but b e cau s e it ,

is though t that it contains th e spirit of an evil working -

deit y B en e fic en t spirits a re almost unknown to th e

.
2 56 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

p e ssimist ic A frican to who m e xistenc e must s ee m a v e rit ,

abl e struggle fo r though he has th e consolation of praying

,

t o his privat e god h e is all th e whil e awar e that th e spirit

,

in th e b e fe a th er e d brass pot is as it w e r e a vassal o f the , ,

great god that liv e s b e n e ath th e shad e of the bomba x tr e e .

Th e r e is one thing about this W e st A frican paganism

that is c e rtainly pecu liar I n mo s t primitive r eligions .
,

a lmost t h e earliest form of worship aft e r th at of tr e e s and ,

s tones was that of the heav e nly bodi e s th e principal of

, ,

w hich w e r e regarded as man — lik e gods The anci en t .

Gr ee ks R omans Hindus Persians N e w Z e aland e rs N o rse

, , , , ,

m en and o th e rs all bo w e d down b e for e th e sun the m o on

, , , ,

and th e stars But a s a rul e the W e st A frican appar ently

.

pays n o att e ntion to th e se things th e y do not app e al

to him b e caus e h e tak e s th e m as obj e cts t o o far away
,

to a ffe ct him t h ough not uncommonly his principal d e ity

,

i s th e g e n e ral controll e r o f th e firm a m en t— a J upit e r or

sky god in fa c t T Lightning h e knows harms him ; rain
-
.
, ,

a ssists in t h e producti o n of his crops wind and tornado e s

w ork d e struction ; such things th e refor e a re c o ntro lled , ,

b y a god whom it is n e c e ssar y to worship

,
T h e stars .
,

the moon and the sun r e main in the h e av ens and d o not
, ,

conc e rn t h ems elv e s i n the a ffairs of this world for which ,

r e ason th e A frican r egards th e m m e r ely as harmle ss e m a

ments hu n g in the ski e s W ith r e gard to th e gods of the .

e l e m e n ts th e wind god of the Yorubas

, says Burton -
, ,

is shut in a cav e und e r a guardian call e d W u o hun t o ,

- -
,

who aft e r oi ling his own body which would o th e rwis e

, ,

b e c u t up b y th e wind op e ns th e gat e and l e ts his charge ,

”
issu e to torm ent th e world S hango th e god of thund e r .
,

and lightning is thus d escrib e d b y E llis ,

H e dwells
in th e clouds in a n imm ense braz e n p al ac e wh e r e h e main ,

tains a larg e r e tinue and k e eps a gr e at numb e r of horses ;

for b e sid e s b eing th e thund e r go d h e is also the god of
,
-
,

the chase and of pillage F rom his palac e S hango hurls .

T h er e a r e s o m e s lig h t t r a ce s a mo n g th e Yo r u b a s o fth e wors hip

o f th e su n a nd th e moo n .

T O lor u n ,
th e p rin c ip a l go d of th e Yor u b a s , is c o n s id e r ed to b e ,
as t h e n a m e im p l ie s , o w n er o fth e sk y .
2 58 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

plac e th e obj e ct w ould be discard e d a s valu el e ss We

, .

hav e m entioned how spiritual virtu e is pass e d int o various

charms which th en p o ss e ss powe rs of working good or
,

evi l and it is to th e s e things in particular that th e t e rm

,

“
f e tish is so fr e qu e ntly appli e d by E uropeans Charms .

or amulets (unlik e imag e s for e xampl e ) a r e not suppos e d

,

to contain th e spirit of a d e ity but obtain th e ir virtu e ,

by b eing c ons e crat e d by th e pri e sts and a r e usually worn ,

round the n e ck o r arm th e w e arer b e li e ving that by th e s e

,

distinguishing marks h e will b e known to his god and pro

t e c ted from misfortun e V arious oth e r kinds of charms
.

a r e also in u se and where th e pagans com e in c o ntact

, ,

with Mohamm e dans v e rs e s o f th e Koran writt e n by th e

,

latt e r and s ewn up in cloth or l e ath e r a r e consid e r e d to

b e p a rticularly e ff e ctiv e ; but in this matt e r th e h e ath e n
is not p e culiar for th e Mohamm e dans th ems elv e s have a
,

firm b e li e f in the valu e of such things .

F o r his god or gods th e pagan d e e m s it n e cessar y to

show his r e v e r e nc e by o ffe ri n g som e form of s ac r ific e
som e thing w hich in t h us o ff ering is an actual sacrifice
or d en ial to hims elf a portion of his daily food is s e t apart
for his go d or b e f o r e drinking his palm win e h e pours
, , ,

out a littl e of it as a libation A gain th e m e rch ant r e .

,

turning fr o m a succ e ssf ul j ourn e y will o ffe r a part of his

gains to th e d eit y w h o has b een instrum e ntal in bri n gin g
him good fortun e ; whil e on gr e at occasions sacri fices
of living animals are mad e th e sh e ddi n g o f blo o d b e ing
,

consid e red an act in partic ul a r favour w ith t h e more im

portan t g o ds Th e hi gh e st f o rm o f bl oo d off e ring is of
.
,

cour e th e sacr ific e of hu m an bein gs and it is e as y to un d er

s
, ,

stand wh y this should b e so fe r as th e goat has a high e r ,

mon e tar y valu e than th e f o wl s o th e slav e (tr e at e d as a m e re

.

chatt el ) is worth c onsid e rabl y mor e than any oth e r a nimal .

But this is n o t th e only r e a son why human sacrifices take

the first rank and probably th e r e al o rigin of this for m
,

o f human sacrific e is to b e found in th e anci en t b eli e f o f

all p eopl e s that in warfar e th e invisibl e gods of on e side

cont en d e d with th e invisibl e gods of th e oth e r sid e and ,

that th e victorious d e iti e s r equired as a thank o ff e ring -

,
 TH E R E L I G I ON OF TH E PA GA N S : 2 59

for having aid e d t heir worshipp e rs the sacrifice of a c e rtai n ,

numb e r of th e captives taken from th e e n e m y F ro m .

thi s i t b e cam e usual to k ee p the prison e rs of war not r e

quire d for immediate sacrific e as slav e s until the gods
d e mand e d furth e r propitiation and furth e r sh e ddi n g of
blood I t is th e slav e s lot th e r e for e to b e sacrific e d
.
’
, , ,

a n d if misfortun e or dis e as e attack th e p e opl e th e ir chi e f ,

d e1 ry has to b e app e as e d by a slaught e r of slav e s .

Passing from human sacrifice in its tru e s e nse to the

s l aught e r of human b e ings f o r ot h e r purpos e s w e com e ,

t o th e mor e popular acc e ptation of th e t e rm v iz the ,

.

killing of sl av e s on th e d e ath of th e ir mast e r t o a e com ,

pany him to th e o th e r w o rld B e fore how e v e r discussin g

.
, ,

this s e cond form of h uman sacrific e it will b e n e c e ssary ,

to say som e thing as to th e beli e f of the W est A frican pagan

in th e soul and th e future state S oul is p e rhaps har dl y .

th e right wor d f o r th e man s k m (a s it is call e d in some

’
,

parts ) is som ewhat di f f e r e nt from our conc e ption of th e

s oul . S till most pagan s who hav e ris e n a bov e a co n dition
,

of absolut e savag e ry maintain that man (lik e th e imag e of

his god ) is th e dwelling plac e of th e guardian spirit who
-
,

e nt e red t h e body of th e man at his birth and who l e aves ,

i t at his d e ath This k m at d e ath says E llis b e com e s

.
, , ,

a s is a but can r e v e rt to th e positi on of km by being r e

,

b o rn in a n ew body B e fore this latter e v e nt tak e s place

.
,

h ow e v e r t h e s is a r e mains n e ar t h e grave of th e d e c e as e d
, ,

and i t is for it that part of th e food is provid e d by th e

.

m ourn e rs o therwis e th e s isa b e com e s a malignant spirit ,

and brings misfortun e on th e d e ad man s h ous e A fter ’

.

a p e ri o d of a few months th e s isa (should it not in th e m e an

whil e hav e b e co me a km ) must d epart to s isa lan d wh ence -
,

it has the pow e r of issuing and e nt e ring th e body of a

man w h e n his k m is t e mp o rarily abs e nt— a n e v e nt which
takes plac e when th e man is sick or asl e e p But th e s is a .

is now an e vil spirit and th e man is as it were

, poss e ss e d
, ,

”
of a d e vil requiring th e sp e cial exorcisms of the pri e sts
,

for its e xpulsion T h e k m its elf th e r e f o r e is an e arthly

.
, ,

S pirit and has no c o nnection with the Land of th e Dead

, ,

which is p e opled by shadowy human forms or ghosts of

2 60 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

m en—exact repres e ntations of w hat they had b ee n in:

life .

S uch is the beli e f of a gr e at many W e st A frican trib e s ,

and th e others di ff e r in th e ir vi ews only slightly The .

k ra e xists in all cases though som e tim e s th e man is c on ,

s id e r e d to be th e a bod e of mor e than o n e spirit A mong

“

som e of the tribes th e r e are two indwe lling spirits a good ,

and a bad (f e mal e a n d mal e ) who promp t the man t o ,

good or b ad actions thus fo rming what w e w ould call ,

his conscienc e Th en again the Yorubas h av e thr e e

.
, ,
'

such spirit s v iz Olori in the head ; I pz u ij eu n in th e

, .
, ,

stomach ; and I porz in the great toe— e ach distinct but

’
'

, ,

n e verth eless working more or l e ss in unison S imilarly .

,

th e p a gan maintains that b e asts and plants poss e ss a

s e cond individuality or indw elling S p irit and th a t all ,

such a n imate o bj e cts tak e th e ir plac e e qually with human

b e ings in the Land of t he D e ad F urth e rmor e the [era .
,

of a man ma y aft e r passing through th e stage of s is a or

,

be re b om in an animal or plant and if r e born

-
,

in an anim a l show its disposition towards mankind by

,

inhabiting a f e rocious or a h arm ess b e as t N e ith e r is ~

this all for inan im a t e obj e cts are capable when buri e d
, ,

with a corps e o f transmitti n g th e ghosts o f th e ms elv es

,

to the world of shadows .

B y a kno wl e dge of th e s e vi e ws regarding the pag a n

her e aft e r it is easy to und e rstand t h e r e ason for a wh ol e
,

sal e sl a ught e r of wiv e s and slav e s at th e burial of a gr e at .

man His ghost will b e lik e hims elf in e v e ry particul a r

.
,

and his new stat e will b e a r ep e tition of his life on e arth ,

.

but in o rd e r th at this may b e so it is n e cessary to s e nd ,

.

aft e r him slav e s and att endants su ffici ently numerous

Th e ghost of the slav e or of
’

to maintain his dignity .

the wif e accompani e s th e gh o st of th e mast e r who on ,

h is long j ourn e y r e fr e sh e s hims elf by partaki n g of th e

ghost o f th e f o od that his r elativ e s pl a c e by th e sid e o f
his corps e whil e th e ghosts of his pipe tobacc o w e ap on s , , ,

e tc , buri e d with him c o ntinu e to hav e th eir us e s T h e

,
.

The E wes ( D a h o m ey ) c a ll t o a d s tool s n ol i- s h e l ters , wh ich .

ma y b e c om
p a r e d to o ld E u r o p ea n id e a s a b ou t f
a iry r in gs , e t c .
 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A

on a small scal e b e ing c o nc e al e d in a h u t in front of th e

,

j uj u h o us e at Bonny T h e occasi o n was th e sacrific e of

-
.

on e man o nly but it is not di f ficult to imagin e from th e

"
, ,

Consu l s acc o unt o f what h e saw what w o uld tak e plac e

’
,

at th e slaught e r o f a hundr e d victims as a s m gle sacr ific e

to an important d eit y A ft e r d e scribi n g how th e u n .

fortunat e man was b e head e d and th e h e ad conv ey e d ,

away to b e cook e d for th e h e ad j uj u man Hutchins on -

con tinu e s : A y ell such as remind e d m e of a c o mp a ny

,

of t ig e rs aros e from th e multitud e ; cutlass e s w e r e fl o u r

,

ish e d a s th e y cr o wd e d round th e body of t h e d e ad man ;

sounds of cutting and chopping ros e amidst th e clamour
of th e voic e s and I b e gan to qu e stion mys elf wh e th e r
, ,

if I w e r e on th e oth e r sid e o fth e R iv e r S tyx I sh o uld s ee ,

what I was looking at h e r e through the littl e slit in th e

wall o f my hiding plac e A crowd of human v ul tur e s
-
.

gloating ov e r th e h e a dl e ss c o rpse of a murd e r e d broth er

n e gr o ; boys and girls walking away from th e cr o wd .

holding pi e c e s of ble e ding fl e sh in th e ir hands whil e th e ,

dripping lif e— flu id mark e d th e ir road as th e y w e n t along ;

and on e woman snapping fr o m the hands of anoth e r
both of th e m raising th e ir voic e s in clamour— a part o f
th e body of that poor man in whom th e br e ath of life
was vigorous not a quart e r of an hour a go .

T h e e ating of human flesh is also indulg e d in at sp e ci al

tim e s by th e pri e sts of cannibal trib e s and in some parts it is ,

a qu a lificati on for b e co m ing a witch or fo r m e mbership of such

“
s e cr e t soci e t ie s as th o se known as human l e op a rds and
”
human cr o codil e s but in e v e ry case i t forms pa r t of th e
,

r eligi o n o fth e n ativ e s W ith r e gard to secr e t soci e ti e s we

.
,

m ention e d wh e n tr e ating of th e customs of the p e o ple that

most of th e p a gan tribes hav e som e kind o f freemasonry
or s e cr e t organisation and though a few of th em app e ar
,

to b e unco n n e ct e d with r e lig ion th e m aj ority a re c e rtainly

,

altog e th e r of a r eligious character Littl e has so far b e e n .

disc o v e r e d conc e rning th e rit e s c e r em oni e s or law s of , ,

any of th e s e s o ci e t ie s and so well is th e s e crecy main

,

t a in e d that though th e y a re gradually b eing abolish e d

, ,

as harmfu l i t is doubtful if th eir tru e nature will e v e r b e

,
 TH E R E L I G I ON OF TH E P A GA N S . 26 3

brought to light The soci e ty with w hich E urop e ans .

hav e com e most in contact is the E gbo of th e Oil R iv e rs .

This has num e rous branch e s subdivid e d int o various grad e s , ,

and its pow e r is supr em e By m e ans of th e E gbo all e nemi e s .

a re d e t e ct e d or pr e t e nd e d to b e s o and th e pri e sts or j uj u

, ,

m en a re as a rul e th e h e ads of th e vari o us branch e s with

, , ,

fr ee lic e nc e to p erp e trat e e very sp e ci e s o f e n o rmit y Dis .

guis e d in hid e ous wood en masks and strang e dr e ss e s ,

th e y issu e forth to pr e y on th e m inds o f th e mis e rabl e

p e o pl e t o whom th e sound of th e E gb o h o rn or b e ll is
,

th e signal for a g en e ral stamp e d e f or a n yon e f o und abr o ad ,

by th e E gb o is s e ve r e ly b e at en if not torn t o pi e c e s Th e , .

j uj u man is at onc e pr i e st o racl e d e t e ctiv e j udg e and

-

, , , ,

e x e cuti o n e r and h e has th e pow e r of placing a r eligious

,

prohibition on an y thing h e pl e as e s which is th en said to ,

”
be j uj u I n th e d e t e cti o n of crim e h e has r e cours e
.

to witchcraft sorc e ry and o rd e al o f fir e f e ath e r or of

, , , ,

poison e d wat e r and to fall foul of th e j uj u man mean s

,
-

alm o st c ertain d e struction

‘

T h e word juj u found only in th e n e ighbourhood of the ,

O il R iv e rs is us e d indiscriminat ely by E urop e ans for a ll

,

’
matt e rs which may b e consid e r e d to f o rm part of th e pagan s
r eligio n and as a s y n o n y m for fetish thus th e pri e st is
, ,

a j uj u man his t e mpl e a j uj u hous e to tak e an o ath is

-

,
-

”
to sw e ar j uj u and so on Lik e fetish it is o fE urop e an
, .
,

origin b e ing as Miss Kingsl e y t e lls us nothing mor e than

, , ,

a corrupti o n of th e F r e nch j ouj ou though i t is e xt e nsiv ely ,

us e d by the E nglish speaking n ativ e s of th e s e r e gions -

.

I n th e int e ri o r nor th of N e w Calabar and O pobo li e s

, ,

t h e A ro country *
famous until th e rec ent e xpedition as
,

poss e ssing th e S upr e me J uj u Court kn o wn as Long ,

”
J uj u . This by s o m e was said to b e at th e town of B en d i T ,

but th e h e ad pri e sts al o n e w e r e awar e of th e e xact locality ,

and the s e cr e t was gu a rd e d most j e alously T h e acc ounts .

giv e n of th e plac e vari e d v e ry consid e rably though it ,

A n in t e r es tin g a cco un t of t his c ou n t r y , b y C a p ta in V e n our ,

‘

is giv e n in t h e G eogr a phica l j ou r n a l , V ol X X . .

, p . 88 .

T Vid e p a ge 1 1 5
264 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

app e ared c e rtain t hat it was the c o urt of final ord e al

to which a ll cas e s that th e local j uj u m en for on e r e ason -

or anoth e r did not wish to d e cid e w e r e r e f e rr e d The

, , .

thr e at of Long J uj u
”
was held over his trading — boys
by th e chi e f and it b e ing the g en e ral opinion that th e re
,

was n o r e turn for the person sent the hold thus e stablish ed .

was tol e rably compl e te S till cases occurr e d of slave s

.
,

whos e misd e e ds had b ee n rep e at e dly punish e d and whom ,

their mast e r wish e d to ge t rid of ; th e master ass embled

a court o f th e chi e fs and th e o ffender was s e nt e nc e d to
,

be d e port e d to Long J uj u He then proc e e d e d on his

.

j ourn e y und e r the car e o f a j uj u m a n who th e nativ e s

,
-
, ,

af fi rm e d conduct e d him bl indfolded and by a circuitous

, ,

rout e to th e fatal spot .

Vihat e ventually took plac e h as n e v e r b ee n div ulged ,

and th e popular accounts w e re probably spr e ad b y the

chi e fs to ov e rawe th e ir slaves The supreme j udge was .

said to be a pri e st e ss poss e ss e d of the powe r of kn owing

all things ; wh e n brought b e for e her th e o ffend e r was ,

mere ly told that h e could depart ; if guilty he b e came

transfix e d to th e spot and wat e r gradually ros e around
,

him until h e was subm e rge d A noth e r v e rsion was that .

the plac e was situat e d on an island and that th e victim , ,

on b e ing hand e d o v e r by his conductor went through ,

some form of mock trial always resulting in conviction , ,

wher e upon he was cast aliv e into a hug e tank of boiling

human blood J uj u m e n stood round arm e d with two
.
-

e dg e d swords with which th e y hack e d the body to pieces

,

and stirre d up th e contents o f th e tank .

O f lat e y e ars the chiefs of the Oil R iv e rs hav e shown

ev e ry inclination to refe r th e ir cas e s to th e Consular Courts ,

”
so that Long J uj u with its t e rrors has b ee n passing
, ,

into disuse That how e v e r it continued to hav e consid e r

.
, ,

able hold on the wr e tch e d pagans of th e more r emote parts

of th e N ig e r D elta is vouched for by an int e r e sting occur
r e nc e which took plac e in 1 8 99 A party of 1 3 6 strange .

n ativ e s cam e in o n e day to th e British o flicia l at th e a d

v a n c e d p o st at E k e t ( Cr o ss R iver ) and app e al e d to him for ,

pr o t e ction A cc o rding to th eir story th e y wer e inhabitants

.
2 64 B R I TI S H N IGRIA .

a p p eared certain th at i t w a s t l: cou rt o f final ordeal ,

t o which all cases that the l oc al u j u m en for on e reason -

,

o r another di d n ot wi sh t o de d e were re fe rred The

, , .

“ ”
threat of Long J uj u w a s h é o v e r h is t rading boys -

by the chief and it being the g ue r a l o p inion that there

,

was n o retu rn fo r th e p e rson s en t t h e hold thus es t a blished

was tolerably co m pl ete S till as es oc cu rred o f slaves .
,

whose m isde e ds had been re p e a tdlv p unish e d an d who m ,

their m aster wish ed t o ge t rid o ; the m a s t e r a s se m bled

a court o f th e chiefs and the o e nd e r w as sen t e nced to
’

“ ”
be deported t o Long J uj u 13 th e n pr oc e e d e d on his
.

j ou rney und e r the care o f a j u t ma n w ho the natives

,
-
, ,

af fi r m e d conducted hi m bl in d f
. ole d a nd by a ci rc uitous
,

route t o the fat al spot

,
.

Wh at eventu al ly took place a s n e v e r be en d im l ged ,

an d the po p ular accounts w e re oro ba blv s prea d b y the

chiefs t o overawe their slaves The su p re m e j udge was .

said t o be a p ri estess possessed f the p ower o f knowing )

a ll things ; when brough t be foz h e r the o f fend e r was ,

m erely told th at he could d e p rt ; i f g uilty he bec am e

trans fixed to the spo t and wa ir gr a dually ros e a roun d
,

hi m until he was submerged n other versi o n w as that .

the place was situat e d on an isln d a n d that the vi ctim . ,

on being h an ded o ver by h is o n d uc tor w en t through ,

so m e form o f m ock t ri al alwa s r e sulting in c onviction , ,

whereupon he was cast alive in ) a huge tan k o f bo iling

.

hu m an blo od J uj u m en s too d r o un d arm ed w i th two

.
-

edged swords with which t hey a cked the bo d y to p iec es

,

and sti rred up the conten ts o f : h e t a nk .

O f late years the chiefs o f t e O il R i ve rs h ave shown

every inclin ation to re fer their c ans to the C on sul a r Cou rts ,

”
so that Long J uj u wi th its ze r ro r s h as be en p assing
, ,

into disuse That however i t c itin ue d to h ave consider

.
, ,

able hold on the wretched pagan o ft h e m ore re m o

o f the N iger D elta is vouched ft b y
rence which took place i n 1 8 99 A p a rty o f 1 3 6
n atives ca m e in on e d ay to th e B r it is h offi cial a t
v a nce d pos t at E ket Cro ss R ive r and a
( pp e aled to ,

p rotection A ccordin g t o their so ry th e y w ere inh

.
 PA G A N S us
TH E R E LI G I CJ OF TH E .

w N ig ) I l l
o f villages a b o u t A ss e h a
r eek an d A bo ( Lo e r e r »

d es p atched fro m their om es

v iou sly to consul
“m
,

o fwitchcr a ft an d v ar iou s nth e r crim a ,

a nd had 13

the Lo ng J uj u cou n y they ha d ,

been 01 “ a
win din g p aths about t henush for thr e e mont hs u .

then acco mm odat e d in z village .

twen ty o f the m were t ee n each

J uj u and as n o o ne e$ r re
,

that re m ain ed u
t ook to f l igh t .

t o their o wn coun t ry ad do ubtles sum M

l "

“
,

m in ds o f their fellow triirs men of t he M -

tion co mm enced o pe rati c ; a t the d ose 41 an a n

t u all y discovered th e myg r iou s m .

A nythin g m ore extr ard inary t hin 1 ” i “ ,

j uj u den i t is hard to hagine h i 2h " .

bush lay a deep h ollo w bou t two w

”
,

cumf er en ce an d surrouned by p m
,

seven ty feet high The sp inach was b l

.

a t on e end and j ust be f

, c th e n
,
M
the m e m bers o f the expefi m fi-i t
ri fic ial slab shaded by a [ I n m in ‘
,
3 ‘ U I

a live goat ; wh le on the fl wa s 1

i C

j us Within the h ollow q 1 fl d

.
a

in dep th ) full of crow d“ a “ a

e nc ir

Two
and skul ls the other d un-t
,

feathers blood and W it h

, ,
U

and at the far end ol the h a

fro m beneath it stood g,

t fl

p ile of human skulls .

The actual cu m 0 3 1
;
 B R I T IS H N I GE R I A .

e laps e b e fo r e th e n ative s will hav e su fficient confid enc e to

r e v e al th e s e cr e t though it s e ems pr o babl e that th e pri e st s
,

”
we re accust o m e d to allow about half the pilgrims to
g o fr e e — o f cours e aft e r e xtracting h e avy toll That th e .

s ecr e t has b e e n s o w ell k ep t is pr o bably d u e to t h e facts

that in th e first plac e th e pilgrims who w e r e to e scap e
, .
,

d e ath w e r e usually blindf old e d throughout the cer e m o ny ;

and s e c ondly that i t was impress e d on th em that it w a s
, ,

imp o ssi bl e for any man to e nter t h e sacrificial grotto an d

r e turn to th e world alive I t is diffi cult for matt e r of—
. fact -

E ur o p e ans to r e alis e this but th e t e rror inspir e d by th e

,

j uj u me n r e duc e s an A frican s mind t o a sta t e of absolut e

-
’

chao s . That h e had b e en to Long J uj u and r e turn e d

aliv e he would n e v e r acknowl e dg e ; n eith e r w o uld any
of his fri ends b eli e ve him if h e r e lat e d his exp e ri e nc e s .

H e hims e lf would firmly b eli e v e that wh e n h e e nt e r e d t h e

myst e ri o us gr o v e h e c e as e d to liv e and that h e r e turn e d ,

”
to th e world e ith e r a s a spirit o r as som e e ntir ely d if ,

fe r e n t p e rs o n . His o wn moth e r might m ee t him but sh e ,

would r e fus e to b eli e v e that what sh e saw was anythin g

b u t the spirit of h er son .

B e for e concluding this sk e tch of th e r el igion of th e pagans

we must say som e thing about t h e v e ry mark e d trac e s o f
t o t e mism which a re found in we st A frica I n n e arly .

e v e ry trib e there a re individuals who b elong to a clan

nam e d aft e r an animal or pl a nt ; this is not univ e rsal

that is to say it is not t h e rul e that e ach m emb e r of a trib e
,

p oss e sses such a distinctiv e app ellati o n but in on e trib e ,

th e r e may be found two or thr e e m en with a surnam e o f

Le opard Dog Crocodil e or th e l ik e and th e Le opards
, , , , ,

etc of o n e trib e would claim with thos e of anot h e r tribe

.
,

comm o n d e sc e nt from an original Le o pard T h e Le opard .

b ec o m e s th e badg e or cr e st o f th e clan and th e animal ,

*
its elf is sacr e d to e v e ry m emb e r of th e clan its fl e sh b e ing ,

forbidd e n to b e e at e n T h e mor e comm o n nam e s o f th e s e

. .

clans a re t h e Le opard Bu ffalo Dog Crocodil e Bush cat

, , ,
.
-
,

Monk e y Lion S nak e I guana Parrot Plantain Corn

, , , , , ,

Vid e U p th e N iger , ~ p a ge 3 09 .
 C H A PTE R X V I I .

THE CR E S CE N T A N D T H E CR OS S .

M oh a mm e d a n is m in N ige ria —Con v e r sio n o fth e Pa ga n s —A d v a n t a ge s

a n d D is a d v a n t a g e s —S l a v e ry a n d P o ly g a m y — C h r is tia n M issio n s

—T h e F o u r a h B a y C oll ege —B ish op S a m u e l C r o w th er — H is

W o r k —M issio n S c h o ol s —Va l u e o f a Kn o wl e d ge o f M e dic in e
B ish o p T u gw ell a n d t h e S u d a n M issio n —D if fic u l tie s—Pr os p e c t s
.

R OM a p e rusal of the g e ographical d e scription c o ntained

in pre vious chapt e rs the r e ader will hav e already
,

grasp e d th e fact that B ritish N ig e ria from a r eligiou s ,

point has a tol e rably cl e ar boundary line marking th e li m its

,
-

of M o hamm e danism The lin e p e rhaps is not drawn as

.
, ,

r e gularly as that d efining th e spher e of influenc e of a Pow e r ,

but n e verth e l e ss if w e look at th e map we can l a y down with

, ,

fair accuracy the sph e re of influence of I slam and of h e athen

dom W e know from th e accoun ts of the F ulah pr o s ely
.
,

t is in g wave how vast r e gions of W e st A frica originally

,

p eopl e d by pagans hav e b e com e a hot b e d of M oh a m -

m e d a n ism ; what w e n o w propose to discuss is the result

—wh e ther it h a s been beneficial or oth e rwise to th e natives .

Wh e n tre ating of such matt e rs it is di fficult for th e Christian

to forg e t for the time the p e culiar circumstanc e s o f the
cas e and as th e r eligious qu e stion has usually b e en d e alt
,

w ith by mor e or l e ss biass e d m e mbers of th e Church of

E ngland ev e n thos e who hav e striven to be impartial
,

hav e p e rhaps unwittingly b een inclined to mi n imise

, ,

th e g o od work done among t h e pag a ns by Mohamm e dans .

Th e doctrin e s and t e n e ts of I slam are too w ell known

t o require any mention A s first preached by th e Pr o ph e t
.
,

i t was und o ubt e dly a pure charitabl e and good r eligion

, ,

b u t lat e r in lif e when th e man of peace took up arms for

,

the F a ith and comm a nd e d th e whol e sal e slaughter of

,

unb eliev e rs char it y di s app e ar e d though it must be a d

, ,

m itt e d that in t h e O ld T e stament are to b e found ampl e

 TH E C R E S CE N T AND TH E C R OS S . 269

proofs of the recognition of th e j ustice of warfare in th e

nam e of r eligion \Vith ou t howev e r ent e ring into a theo
.
, ,

logical discussion w e would point out that b e tw e en Moham

,

m e d a n is m as originally taught by its found e r and that

of to day th e r e is a wid e diff e r e nc e ; purity and charity
-

a r e now conspicuous by th e ir abs e nce and in their plac e s ,

h ave aris e n bigotry and fanaticism S t ill th e re is much .

,

that is good in the teachings of th e Mohamm e dans and a s ,

far as A frica is conc e rn e d I slam is c e rtainly b e tt e r for ,

t h e w e lfar e of the natives than th e w r e tch e d stat e of pagan

ism which w e d e scrib e d in th e last chapt e r “
W h en ”
.
,

* “
says Mr Clo dd . w e h e ar good m e aning peopl e lam e nt
,
-

t hat n e gro e s should b e come Mohamm e dans l e t us r e ,

me mb e r that this was not the f e eling o f J e sus wh en His

discipl e s told Him that th e y had forbidd e n a m an who
‘
was casting out demons in His name A n d J e sus said .

F orbid him n ot : for h e that is not against us is for u s .

A n d this I am sure He would say to day of th e Moham

, ,
-

”
m edan m ission a ri e s if H e w e r e amongst us .

We do not at all pr e t e nd to maintain that Moham

m e dan influ enc e is wholly beneficial to th e pagan A fricans ,

for w e hav e had frequen t occasion to abuse th e ir slav e

raiding propensities but it is impossibl e to deny that in
,

t h e scal e of civ ilisation th e Moham m e dan is far abov e

th e pagan T h e R e v C H R obinson who is no support er
. . . .
,

of A frican Moham m e danism says : I n the compara ,

t iv ely f e w cases in which it has succe e d e d in gaining an

influ enc e ov e r cannibals and degrad e d savages it has n u ,

doubt e dl y rais e d them to a m uch higher l e v el of civilisation ,

and it has don e this mor e ra p id lv p erhaps th a n Chris

”
t ia n ity would have don e i t 1 A g a in w e hav e th e e videnc e
“
.
,

of th e F r e nch e xplor e r Mont eil who in s e tting forth th e , ,

advantag e s of I slam ov e r h e ath e ndom claims for th e ,

M o h amm e dans that th e ir habits a re productiv e of h e alth ,

that th e y a re no t habitual drunkards that th ev hav e n o ,

T h e C h ildh ood o fR el
i
gion s ,
"
b y E d wa r d C lo d d , N e w E d itio n ,
1 89 1 .

1
'
M o h a m m e d a n is m : H as I t A n y F u tu r e P
2 70 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

human sacrific e s and oth e r barbar o us customs that they ,

hav e notions of e quality b e f o r e God and t e mp e r j u stice ,

with m e rcy On the other hand e vid ence is n o t wanting

.
,

to disprov e som e of Mont e il s ass e rtions A noth e r F r e nch ’

.

t raveller Bing e r although an uphold e r o f I slam in W e st

, ,

A frica s a ys of th e F ulahs
, A ll a re M o hamm e dans without
,

e xc e ption , and a re all drunk e n in th e full e st acc e ptance

’
o f the word Towards fiv e o clock in th e e v e ning it is
.

no long e r possibl e to hav e a s e rious conv e rsation with

th e m— young p eople adults a n d old m en a r e all
, ,

Lu ga r d also is a witness against th e Mohamm e dan s

O ver vast areas of W est A frica
”
h e writ e s Moh a mmed , ,

an i s m has b e come so det e riorat e d by int e mp e ranc e that

its influ e nc e for good has be e n larg e ly discount e d The .

Mohammedan n e gro is inflat e d with a s ens e of his sup e ri

o r ity ,
which has taught him a supr e m e cont empt for
”
human life o utsid e t h e p al e of his ow n cre e d .

But e ven acknowl e dging that th e Mohamm e dans of

We st A frica a re intemp e rat e that th ey a r e invet e rat e ,

slav e raid e rs and oppr e ssors of th e pag a ns and that th e y

-
,

a r e somewhat lax in th e ir morals th e fact r e mains th at ,

t h e countri e s ov e r which they rul e a re mor e prosp e rous

than the lands of th e ind ep end ent pagans and th e people ,

far pl e asanter to d e al with The Mohammedan of the .

W e st e rn S udan is n ot such a rabid fanatic as his c o religion -

is ts of certain oth e r parts of th e world and he is by n o ,

m eans av e rse to int e rcours e with E urop e ans T h e Hausa .

C o nstabulary with which E ngland holds h e r N ig e rian

,

poss e ssions is compos e d almost entir ely o f Mohamm e dans

,

-
not of cours e F ulahs but Mohamm e dan n egro e s
, , ,

and probably n o m o re loyal b od v of m en e xists in the

British E mpire But th e Mohammedans of whom M
. .

Bing e r and S ir F Lu ga rd writ e a re th e F ulahs w hose

.
,

c entury of conqu e st has produc e d in their natur e s a wild

and car ele ss mod e of lif e bord e ring on p r ofliga c y and im

morality ; with th e h igh e r class e s matt e rs a r e diff e r e nt ,

T h is , w e n eed h a r d ly sa y , is a gre a t e x a ggera tion o f th e s ta te

o fa f
fa ir s .
 TH E CR E S CE N T AND TH E C R OS S . 27 1

a nd the sultans e mirs imams and m allams a re by n o

, ,
,

m e ans d e fici e n t in e nligh t enm e nt or ev e n cultur e T h ey , .

hav e th e ir vic e s but for that m att e r so h av e E urop e an

,

Christians and if a strict inquiry cou ld b e mad e into th e

,

inn e r lif e of any of th e large towns o f th e W e st e rn S udan ,

in all probabili ty th e moral standard of th e F ulahs w o uld

b e found to b e far higher than that of any o f our own
manufacturing towns .

A lthough the M o h a mm e dans f o rc e th e ir r eligion o n

thos e whom th e y conqu e r ye t th e y hav e oth e r m e thods , ,

a n d the F aith is wid e ly preach e d by ea rn e st missi o nari e s * ,

t h e conv e rts thus mad e s eldom aft e rwards forsaking I slam .

Th e r e a r e many points in th e M o hamm e dan d o ctrin e s

which app e al to th e pagan A frican far mor e r e adily than
do e s Christianity S lav e ry and p o lygamy both n atural
.
,

to all A fricans is permitt e d by th e Mohamm e dans but

, ,

forbidd e n by t h e Christians ; again th e preach e r is lik e ,

th e ms e lv e s a black man an d an inhabitant of th e ir own

,

country A ll that the pagan has to giv e up on e mbracing

.

I slam is th e worship of his old gods and th e h e ath e n customs

conn e ct e d with th e m I n most cas e s he is only t o o willing
.

t o shak e o ff th e t e rrorism of th e pri e sthood knowing as , ,

h e do e s that in his n ew faith h e will b e support e d b V

"

Mohammedan arms I f th e re w e re no good in th e creed

.

o f th e F aithful is it likel y that it would have wit h sto o d

,

t h e t e st of tw e lv e centuri e s and hav e spread far m o re ,

r api dl y than Christianity ? W e a re not d e crying Chris

t ia n ity nor in any way supp o rting Mohamm e danism against
,

it but th e r e can b e no two o pinions as to th e sup e riority

,

of th e Mohamm e dan ov e r th e pagan I fh e could b e c e rtain .

that all th e Mohamm e dan conv e rts would ev e ntually b e

r e conv e rt e d to Christianity
-
th e n probably th e r e would ,

b e no mor e ardent supp o rter of th e pr e ach e r of I slam than

t h e Christian missionary .

Coming now to th e matt e r of Christi anity and Christian

The e m issa ries of E l S e n nu si N ig e ria , a n d
a re o v e r - r u nn in g

g a in in g m a n y c o n v e r ts Wh e th e r th ey will r e s tric t th e m s el v e s t o
.

p ea c e fu l m e th o d s , or wh e th er t h ey wil l p rea c h a j eha d a ga in s t

C h r is tia n s and p a ga n s , is as ye t u n c er ta in .
2 72 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

Missions w e hav e b e for e us a subj ect of the gr e at e st inter e st

,

and i m portanc e and on e o ffering a wid e field for discus

,

si o n Th e prin c ipal soci e ti e s which hav e e stablish e d

.

Prot e stant Missions in this part of A frica are th e Church

Missionary S oci e ty th e W esl e yan Missionary S oci e ty
, ,

and th e S cotch Unit e d Pr e sbyterians (Old Calabar ) W ith .

r egard to R o man Catholic Missions the chi e f r e pr e s e nta ,

t iv e s a re the F r e nch who still maintain stations on t h e

,

Lo w e r N ige r and at a few other places though th e ir e n e r ,

gi e s a re now b e ing chi e fly direct e d to work within th eir

own sph e r e s of influ e nc e T h e Church Missionary S oci e ty
.

comm enc e d op e rati o ns in W e st A frica among th e S usus ,

(n o rth of S ierra Leon e ) in 1 8 04 a m ong th e Bulloms in ,

1 8 1 2 and at oth e r plac e s n e ar S i e rra Leon e in 1 8 1 5

,
O wing .
,

how e v e r to th e opposition of the n ativ e s in 1 8 1 7 and th e

,

burning o f th e mission stations m emb e rs of the soci e ty ,

we re forc e d to r e strict th eir labours to F r e e t o wn wh e r e ,

the s ee ds of good work w e r e sown among th e coloni e s of

lib e rat e d slave s I n 1 8 2 7 th e F o u r a h Bay I nstituti o n
.

was establish e d one of th e first students b eing th e after

,

w ards famous S amuel Crowth e r Bishop of th e N ig e r ;,

in 1 8 40 th e s o ci e ty b e gan a missi o n to th e Timani p e o ple

and sinc e th en it has l o st no opportunity of br e aking fr e sh
ground wherev e r possibl e I n the Yoruba country mis .

sion stations wer e e stablish e d in 1 8 46 at A beokuta and

oth e r plac e s and in 1 8 52 at Lagos ; while in th e N ig e r
,

R e io n s Lokoj a was occ u pi e d in 1 86 5 Bonny in 1 8 6 6

o
, ,

Brass in 1 8 6 8 and num e rous other stations in subsequ ent

,

years .

Th e W e sl e yan M e thodists follow e d th e Church Missionary

S oci e ty to S i e rra Le o n e in 1 8 1 1 ; O p e n e d a stati o n at
Bathurst (Gambia ) in 1 8 2 1 and at Mc Ca r th y s I sland in,
’

1 83 1 d e v eloping rapidly until in a few y e ars all th e more

, ,

imp o rtant plac e s on th e G old Coast Lagos and t h e Yoruba , ,

int e ri o r w e r e o ccupi e d ; whil e th e S cotch Unit e d Pr e sby

t e ria n s start e d work in Ol d Calabar in 1 8 46 and hav e b e e n ,

cont e nt t o confin e th e ir op e rations to th e nativ e s of this

o n e district .

F ro m th e abov e summary i t will b e se e n that th e amount

272 B R I TI S N I GE R I A .

Missions we h ave befo re u s subj e c t o f th e gr e a t e s t in teres t

,

an d i m portance and on e d e ring a wi de fi eld for disc us

,

sion The princi pal s oc t ies which h a ve es tablis hed

.

Protestan t M ission s in th i p ar t o f A f ri c a a re the Church

Missionary S ociety t h e Wesl eyan M is s ion a r y S oc iety
, ,

and the S co tch Unit e d Prcb yt e ria ns (O ld Ca la bar ) With .

regard t o R o m an Ca t ho lit M issio ns th e c hie f re p rese nta ,

t iv es are the F rench w h s til l m a i n t a in st a tions on the

,

Lower N iger and at a f e wo t h e r p l a c es th ough their ener ,

gies are n ow being c hie fl dir ec ted t o w ork wi t hin their

own s p heres o f influence Th e Chu rch M i s sion a ry S oc iety
.

commen ced O perations in Wes t A fri ca a m on g th e S usus ,

( n orth o f S ierra Leone ) 1 1 804 a m on g the B ull o m s in ,

1 8 1 2 an d at o ther place s in r S ie rr a Leon e in 1 8 1 5

, Owing .
,

ho w e ver t o the o p p o s itio o f the n a tives in 1 8 1 7 an d the

,

burning o f th e m ission s rtio ns m e m be r s o f the s oc iety

,

were forced to restric t t hi r la b o u rs t o F re e to w n where ,

the seeds o f goo d w ork e re so wn a m on g the colon ies of

liberated slaves I n 1 8 7 the Po u r a h B a y I nsti tution
.

was established on e o f t o fi rs t st uden t s be in g the after

,

wards fa m ou s S a m uel ( o wt h e r Bish o p o f the N iger ; ,

in 1 8 40 the society bega na m iss i on t o th e Ti m an i p eo ple

and sin ce then i t has los in o op p o rt un i ty o f brea kin g fresh
groun d wherever p oss ib l I n the Y o ru b a c ou n t ry m is
sion station s were es ta b s h e d i n 1 8 46 a t A b e o kuta an d
o ther plac es and in 1 8 5 a t Lago s ; wh ile i n the N iger
,
-
.

R e gi on s Lokoj a was oc ap ie d in 1 8 6 5 B o n n y in 1 8 66 , ,

B rass in 1 86 8 an d n um eo u s o the r st ati on s in subs equent

,

years .

The W esleyan Me t h od t s foll owed th e Church M issiona ry

S ociety t o S ierra Le o n e in 1 8 1 1 ; o pen ed a st ation at
B athurs t ( G a m bia ) i n 1 8 1 an d at Mc Ca rt h y s I slan d in
,
’

1 83 1 developing r a p idly nn til in a few years all the m ore

,

i m portan t places on the (old Co as t Lagos an d th e Yo ruba , ,

interior were occupied ; Ivhile the S co t ch United Presby

t e r ia n s started work in Oi C al ab ar in 1 8 46 an d h ave been ,

conten t t o con fin e th e in p e r a tion s t o the n atives o f this

o ne district .

F ro m the above s u mmry it will b e seen th at the a m oun t

o f ground covered by
s id era b le an d although
,

the step by step deve

cert ain
which
a m ong
two de
of getting su f fi cien t
Mission ary S ociety
fo r the purpose o f sp re a
Pourah B ay College was
o bj ect o f training n ative
s aid that th e insti tution
h aving been a ffiliated ,

s tudents h ave sin ce the

withou t the n ecessity o f vis
o n the rolls o f th e C o lle g e
S a m uel Crowther t o wh o s ,

d ue in n o s m a ll me asure
, ,

h ave always been

fell ow coun trym en S amuel
-
.

re m ark able one an d s o in ti ,

the d e velop m en t o f m ission s i

o f the w ork o f the Church
would b e complete wi thou t s o re
old B ish op of the N iger .

I n 1 8 2 1 the F ulah s ra id e d a n
o f O sh o gu n in Y o r ub al an d ad
, ,

c a r ried o ff in to sl avery was

ch ildren — a b oy o f eleven an d 1 0 girls ,
7

was at o n ce sep arated fro m th o th e rs

a horse b u t the b argain n o t p rvin g s a
,

after awhile retu rn ed H e w a s n ex t 5 .

m arket at I j a ye p assed through he ,

an d even tu ally beca m e on e o fa

T h e C oll e ge h a s b ee n su

p ete n t p r in c ip a l b u t it h a s at

o fo n e , o win g to s ic k n ess or d ea
S
2 74 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

Portugu e s e slaving captain at Lagos W ith 1 8 0 oth e r victims .

h e was plac e d on board th e slav e r to comm e nce th e voyag e

across the A tlantic but th e day aft e r leaving Lagos the
,

ship was captur e d by H M S M yr mid on and its human

. . .
,

cargo taken to S i e rra Le one and s e t fre e A d j a i was .

plac e d und e r the care of the Mission schoolmast e r at

B athurst and pr o v e d hims elf so apt a pupil that within
,

six months h e h ad l e ar ne d to read and had b e e n mad e ,

a m onitor in t h e school H e acquired also a kn o wledge

.

of carp e ntry and masonry and in on b e ing b aptised

, , ,

he took th e nam e o f S amuel Crowth e r I n th e following .

year he visit e d E ngland with the schoolmast e r and h is

wife and for som e months att e nd e d th e p arish school
,

at I slington ; it was th e n decid e d that h e should r e tu rn

to S i e rra Le on e to form one of th e firs t batch of students
at the new F ou ra h B a y Coll e g e N o t long aft e rwards .

he was promoted to be an assistan t teach e r in th e coll e ge ,

and in 1 8 2 9 h e marri e d a girl who like h ims elf had b e en

, , , , ,

cap tur e d and se t fr ee in childhood F rom 1 8 3 0 to 1 8 3 4 .

he and his wif e had charge of di ffe r e nt mission schools ,

and in th e latter y e ar S amu el Crowth e r return e d to the

Coll e ge as tutor r e maining th e re for nearly s e v e n y e ars
, .

Th e N iger E xp e dition o f 1 8 4 1 gave the Church Missi o n ary

*

S oci e ty th e opportunity of putting to th e t e st th e value

of nat ive ag ency a n d Crowther was selected to accompany
,

Mr S ch on who formed such a high opinion of th e young

.
,

A frican that he recommend e d him to th e soci e ty for ordina

tion A ccordingly in 1 8 42 the future Bishop o f th e N ig e r
.
, ,

was sum m on e d to E ngland and after und e rgoing a course

, ,

of study at th e I slington College took h olv ord e rs at the ,

hands of th e Bishop of London on the 1 1 th J un e 1 8 43

—the first on the r oll of native A frican clergy
,

S amu e l Crowther s retu rn to W e st A frica was t h e occa

’

sion for great r ej oicin g among th e native Christians of S i e rra

Le on e but h e was not destin e d to stay long with th e m
, ,

for in 1 8 45 he was d eput e d to assist th e v e t e ran G ollm er

, ,

in founding th e m ission to the Yorubas Thus th e form er .

Vid e p a ge 3
2 76 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

survive but a short r e sidenc e on th e Coast which pre ,

clud e d th e ir acquiring a thorough knowl e dg e of th e num e r

ous nativ e languag es More over th e influ enc e e x e rcis e d
.
,

by a n egro pr e aching to negro e s was n aturally far great er

than that of a w hi t e man the n egro kn e w the ways of his
f ellow countrymen he could talk to t hem in th eir own
-
,

languag e wh e r e as th e E urop e an missionary who addr e ss e d

,

his congr egation b v m e ans of an int e rpreter was r egard e d

wi th a c e rtain amount of suspicion Th e white man s .
’

God must b e white the simpl e pagan would argu e and co uld
, ,

h ave no conc e rn in th e affairs of th e black man ; but t o

see a man o f th e ir own colour upholding th e n ew faith
gav e th e m confid enc e Gradually a native Church was .
.

raised up at S ierra Leon e with w ell ord e r e d congr ega ,

-

tions and nati ve minist e rs I t b e cam e s elf — supportin g .

and s elf ministering and as it gr e w i t aim e d a t high e r

-
, , ,

things — th e d e spatch of nativ e evang elists into th e h e ath e n

a n d Mohamm e d a n count r i e s N ative missions were rapidly
.

establish e d throughout W est A frica and th e matt e r o f ,

sup e rintend e nc e b e came a gr e at difficulty it b eing im ,

possible for th e Bishop of S i e rra Leon e to look aft e r such

distant stations as for instanc e thos e in th e N ig e r T er
, , ,

T h e C hu r ch M is sion a ry I n telligencer of May

'

rit ories .
,

1 8 6 4 thus sums up t h e si tuation

, Th e opportun e mom e n t
a ppears to hav e arrived wh e n th e N ativ e Church shou l d

be still furth e r e mpow e r e d to go forth a n d with a hol y , ,

’
free dom do th e Lord s work in A frica and as the N ativ e
, ,

Christian has b ee n rais e d to th e m inistry so th e nativ e ,

ministry b e permitt e d to culminat e into a N ativ e E p isc o

”
pate .

S uch in brief was th e outcome o f the Church Mis

, ,

forts in W e st A frica and the W esleyan

s ion a ry S o ci e ty s e f
’ ’

and oth e r soci e ti e s we re at th e sam e tim e doing equally

good w o rk T h e heath e n was attack e d in all directions
.
,

and ministers Bibl e r e a ders and catechist s w e r e dis

,
-
,

tribut ed throughout thos e r egions which were at all inclin e d

to r e c e iv e th em until now wherever the British fla g
, , .

has b e e n h o ist e d th e r e will be found the Mission S tation

,
.

E ducation is o n e of the principal obj ects of all th e

 TH E CR E S C E N T AND TH E C R OS S . 2 77

M issionary S o ci e ti e s in W e st A frica and it is undoubt e dly ,

a most satisfactory way of ci vilising th e p e opl e and of ,

making th e m und e rstand th e sup e riority of Christianity

t o paganism . T h e more importan t of the chi e fs although ,

th e y th e ms elv e s may b e unwil ling to los e th e pow e r which

th e y wi eld through the j uj u man a re g e n e rally anxious
-

that their children should att e nd th e schools and acquire

a g o od e ducation which m ay aft e rwards be turn e d to account
,

for trading purpos e s R eligion is of course taught in

. .
,

th e s e schools and it is in th e n e xt g e n e ration that the

,

results may be expect e d to show th e ms elves to fuller

a dvantag e . Many Missi o ns mak e a point of t e aching
u seful trad e s to th e nativ e s and th e ir industrial schools
,

h av e done e xc ell en t s e rvic e in turning out w ell train e d -

c arp e nters coop e rs and th e lik e who hav e no difficulty

, , ,

afte r wards in fi nding r e m un e rativ e employm e nt .

'

T h e Church Missionary S o c ie tv has also of l a t e ye a rs

r e cognis e d th e fact that the p e opl e especi all y in th e more ,

r e mote parts a re immensely i mpr e ss e d by any m e dical

,

s e rvic e s which E urop e ans are able to rend e r to th em ,

a nd ef forts are now being made to put in th e fi eld a c e rtain

number of qualified m e dical missionari e s I n addition .

to this missionari e s a re e ncourage d to und e rgo a nine

m onths course of elementary m e dicin e and surgery at
the Livingstone Coll e ge Le yton for t h e purpos e of gaining
, ,

su ffici e nt knowledge to tak e car e o f thems elv e s and to be ,

abl e to treat simpl e cas e s among th e natives ; while dis

p e n s a r ie s a r e rapidly b e ing e stablished in conn e ction with

W est A frican mission stations A ll this is a mov e in th e .

right dir e ction for it is quit e c e rtain that th e h e aling of

,

o n e n e gro will bring more converts to Christianity than the

*
p r e aching of a scor e of s e rmons A knowl e dge of
. m e dicine ,

h ow e ver slight is looked on by the nativ e as witchcraft ;

,

M cw illia m wr o te in 1 8 4 1 99 I feel confi d en t th a t m ed icin e a nd

,

s u r g ery j u d ic io u sly e x er c is e d will f

, ,
o r m im p or t a n t e l e m e n t s in a ny

e n d ea v o u r t o c iv i l is e th e t rib es o n th e b a n k s o f th e N ige r The .

s a m e wi ll o b ta in I b e l ie v e th r o u gh o u t A fric a
, ,
The A f ric a n s h a v e
.

t h e m os t s a c r e d c o n fi d e n c e in t h e p o w er o f m e d ic in e M e dica l .

pr a c titio n e r s a r e n o w h er e m o r e r e s p e c t e d a
.
’
2 78 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

a cur e e ffe cted is r e gard e d as a miracle and soon b e come s ,

nois e d abroad ; th e missionary is th e hero of the hour ,

and th e p e opl e b egin to think that there must b e some

truth in what th e y have b ee n told of th e whit e man s ’

God I n this r e sp e ct th e Mohammedan is as e asily ln

.

flu en ced as the pagan for with all his vaunted sup e riorit y
,

he has a firm beli e f in the e fficacy of charms as e vid enc e d ,

by the common cur e for all il ls A ma lla m writ e s a v e rs e .

of the Koran on a pi e ce of paper or on a board which ,

is th e n wash e d in wat e r a n d th e water administ e r e d to

,

the pati e nt Thus in all probability th e re is n o more

.
, ,

eff e ctual m e thod of approach ing th e Mohamm e dans o f

the W e st e rn S udan than by the m e dium of medical
missionari e s and the att empted evang elisation of th e s e
,

Mohamm e dans is th e gr e at problem which Bishop

Tugw ell and th e m e mb e rs of th e Church Missionary S oci e ty
a re now endeavouring to solve .

The probl e m is of very gr e at int e r e st for a s is w ell , ,

known Christianity in other p arts of th e world mak e s

, , ,

littl e or n o way with Mohammedans H e r e howev e r .

, ,

it is claim e d that circumstances are di ffe rent the ma j or itv

of th e Mohamm e dans are conv e rts and not in any way ,

fanatical and th er e for e it is thought th e y will be lik ely

, , , ,

to list e n to Christian preachers I t is on t h e Hausas that .

the S udan missionar ie s propos e making a b egin ning thei r ,

langu ag e b e ing wid ely spoken and suitabl e for purposes ,

of translation ; and now that th e country is b eing brought

m ore und e r British control th e danger o f preaching against
I slam ( the punishm e nt for which has hith e rto been d e ath )
will b e gr e atly minimised That th e r e are enormous dif
.

ficul ties t o b e ov e rcom e e v e n t h e most sanguin e supp o rt e rs

of this nobl e schem e will admit ; th e Mohamm e dan
might p e rhaps be p e rsuad e d to substitut e the Cr o ss
, .

for th e Cr e scent were h e p e rmitt e d to r e tain such social

habits as he d ee ms e ss ential to his v e r v e xistenc e
slav e holding a n d polygamy for instanc e
~
Wh e th e r
, .

th e s e things c a n b e mad e to disapp e ar like th e c a n

n ib al is m and human sacri fic e s of th e pagans or wh e th e r ,

the infl u enc e of Christian missionaries will br e ak u p th e

 CH A PT E R X V I I I ;
S O ME S CR A PS O F F O LK- LO R E .

F ol k l o r e
-
a nd A n th r o p o l ogy —I bo T win s —T r a dit ion s — C r ea tion
M y t h s—G od s a nd M a n —H is t or ic al Le ge n d s
G ia n ts —
O rigin of

L o c a l L e ge n d s — T h e Le o p a r d Kin g o f I d d a h —M a gic a n d
- -

W it c h cra ft F o r tu n e —
t ellin g B ir d s o f O m e n S u p er s tit ions
a b ou t A n im a l s—S n ee z in g— Fin ge r n ails— F o l k t a l e s A n im al - - —
F a b le s—F a iry T a l e s a n d F a iry M u sic —Pr ov er b s .

O S S I B LY th e more g eneral term A nthr o pology 4‘

w o uld at first sight s ee m to b e more appropriat e to the

matter to b e d e alt with in this chapt e r ; but having ,

already treat e d of th e customs and religious b eli e fs of th e

pagans we propos e c o nfining ourselv e s now to th e native
,

superstitions traditions myths etc the origins of which are

, , , .
,

usually unknown to th e people th e mselv e s and in laying .

befor e th e r e ader som e of the folk tales of th e country -

,

we hop e to enabl e him to compare th e m e ntal condition

of th e n ativ e of th e se parts with that o f oth e r savage s .

A primitiv e country lik e that under discussion o f fe rs to

th e stud e nt of folk lor e much that is inter e sting sinc e he
-
,

finds actually in e xist e nce customs and b eliefs which ,

among mor e civilis e d people are m ere ly th e survival s ,

of der elict beli e fs and anci e nt traditions A few c enturies .

h e nce doubtl e ss th e pr e s ent religious ideas of th e n egro

, ,

will have be e n r e l egat e d to the domains of folk lor e pure -

and simple though ther e will b e littl e di fficulty with th e

, ,

pl e thora of lit e ratur e on th e subj ect in solving many of ,

the various m v s teries A visitor to the N ig e r say in the

.
,

A n th r o p ol o gy is th e s c ie n c e wh ic h d ea ls with s a v a ge b elie fs
a nd c u s to m s in a ll th e ir a sp e c t s fol k l o r e d ea l s with th e m in o n e
-

o f t h e ir a sp e c t s o nly — n a m ely ,
as fa c to r s in th e m e n t a l lif
e o fm a n
,

w hic h ,
h a vin g s u r v iv e d in th e high es t c iv ilis a tio n s , w h e th er o f
m o d e r n t im e s , a re
a n c ie n t o r c a p a b l e o f s u rr e n d e r in g m u c h o f t h e

h is to ry o f t h a t m e n ta l l ife t o t h e s c ie n t ific o b s erver .

” —
F o lk -
Lo r e
S o cie ty P u blic a tio n s
’
s .
 S OI lI E S CR A P S OF F OLK LOR E -
. 281

twe nty second century may find the picaninni e s insulting

-

each other by th e holding up of two fing e rs the o rigin will

n o t be far to se e k wh e n r e f e r e nc e is mad e to old books on

t h e country for nowadays no grosser in sult can b e o f

,
fe red
to an I b o wo m an—implying as it do e s that she is the mother
*
of twins .

The traditions of th e p e opl e are as a whol e d e ci d e dly , ,

poor and d e void of a ny gr e at imagination Th e ir cr e ation

, .

myths wh e re such are found not unfre qu e ntly show trac e s

, ,

of E urop e an or A rab origin and e v e n in cas e s wh e r e the ,

p e ople hav e sp e culated as to th e beginning of all things ,

th e y app e ar to hav e got no furth e r than th e id e a that the

w o rld always e xisted in its pr e s e nt form but that its inhabit ,

ants have und e rgone a chang e I n those parts wh e re .

t h e pri e sthood has b e com e full y d e v eloped we find toler ,

abl y compl e t e accounts of th e dawn of th e world handed ,

do w n from g e neration to g e n e ration of th e pri e sts and ,

d o ubtl e ss added to and impro v e d by each g eneratio n .

B e fore the e arth was peopled b y men say th e Yorubas , ,

th e r e was always Olorun t h e gr e at god of th e firm a m en t

, ,

and by him anoth e r god Ob a tal a was creat e d and plac e d, ,

in charg e of all things conn e cted with th e firm a m en t and

e arth F or Ob a t a la was created also a godd e ss wife
.
-
,

nam e d O d ud u a who bor e a boy and a girl nam e d r e sp e ct

,

iv ely A ga nj u and Ye m a j a The broth e r and sist e r mar .

ri e d and had a son call e d O rung a n whos e e vil d o ings brought

, ,

ab o ut th e violent d e ath of his mother at which e vent th e re ,

sprang fro m h er body fifte en gods a n d godd e sses On the .

sp o t w h e r e Yema j a di e d runs th e l e gend th e town of , ,

I fe was built and was for many c e nturies consider e d as

,

a sacr e d city I n this mann e r the Yorubas account for

.

t h e cr e ation of th e ir gods by whom at one time th e world ,

w a s t h e v maintain al o ne inhabit e d
, , A s to th e p e riod .

o f m an s cr e ation opinions di ffer some holding that the

’
,

first coupl e w e re mad e out of mud by Ob a t a la ; oth e rs

that th e y came from Ye m a j a s body with th e gods a n d ’
,

Vid e p a ge 2 31: In B e n in th e h ol d in g u p o ft w o fi n ge r s has an

e n tir ely d if
fer e n t m ea n ing , as e xp la in e d b y C a p ta in B oisr a go n in his
9! B e nin M a ss a c r e .
"
282 N I GE R I A
'

B R I TI S H 4

that they w e re named Ob alofun (Lord of S peech ) and

I ya ( Moth e r ) .

A mong o ther trib e s the following myth is not u h

c om m on : I n th e beginning a god cr e at e d t h r e e whit e
.

m en and three whit e wom e n and a similar numb e r of black ,

men and wo m en Before th e tw elv e h e plac e d a c over e d

.

calabash and a fold e d pi e c e of pap e r commanding th e m ,

to choos e b e twe e n the two T h e black p e opl e chose th e .

cal abash and the whit e p e ople the pap e r ; and wh e n e ach
,

was op e n e d i t was found that the form e r contain e d som e

,

scraps of m e tal whil e on the latt e r w e re inscrib e d full in

,

s tr u c tion s for m a king ev e rything which impli e d that th e ,

black peopl e w e r e to be for ever subs e rvi e nt to the whit e .

This myth cannot b e of v e ry anci e nt origin as six c en ,

t u ries ago w hit e p e ople w e r e probably unknown to the

*
negro s and at any rate pap e r was a thing unh e ard o i
e , , ,
.

A s with most pri m itive co n ceptions of the original p op u

lation of th e e arth th e manlik e gods wer e follow e d by giants
, ,

who issu e d from th e sea and th e riv e rs and live d with m en ,

fighting their battl es performing marv e llous f e ats an d , ,

leaving their marks beh ind th e m in th e shape of colossal

rocks into which th ey wer e fr e qu e ntly turn e d by the
,

wi tchcraft of som e cunning man But the giant h a s not .

r e tained such an important plac e in n e gro folk tal e s as he -

has in our own fairy stories ; in fact he is but seldo m ,

mention e d possibly because the pagan b eli e ves that giants

,

an d spirits o f all kinds though usually invisible still , ,

actually e xist and a re not to b e trifled with O fhistorical

, .

l e g ends th e r e are few if any r elating to very e arly tim e s

, , ,

and th e p e opling of the coast r egions is ascrib e d to a p e riod

c o nsid e rably aft e r th e introduction o f I slam into A frica ,

t h e pr e s e nt inhabitants holding th e tradition that the y

originally came from the int e rior wh e nce th e y w e re driven ,

south by Mohammedan warriors The r e ason that th e y .

w e r e not w holly e xterminat e d i s account e d for b y th e f a ct

that th e Mohamm e dans fought on hors e back a n d were ,

B y s o m e o f th e W e s t C o a s t tr ib es t h e o rigin o f m a n is tr a ced
to a i n ti id e b t t his is e r h a s m e r el t h e o u tcom e o f
g g a c s p r ,
u , p p , y
to te mis m ;
2 84 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

to see once a gain his strange fost e r mother The l e opardess -

.

was about to die and cam e to tak e a last far ew ell of the
,

chil d sh e h a d r e ar e d T h e A ttah recogn is e d h e r and .

,

clinging to h er b e gg e d that she would r e main with him

, .

This was howe ver not to b e for th e ag e d b e ast fr eeing

, , , ,

h e rs elf ran to a c e rtain spot in the town and throwing

, , ,

h e rs elf do w n e xpire d The A ttah foll owing on her tracks

, .
, ,

flung hims elf on th e corps e and di e d also and th e p e ople ,

finding th e two d e ad bodi es buri e d th e m toget h e r wh e re ,

th e y lay with all th e honours due to royalty Th e burial

, .

spot has ev e r since b ee n h eld sacr e d and is called A zaina , ,

or the Grave of the Le opard where to t his day the A ttahs ,

”
of I ddah are i n t e rred .

I n a country W h e re superstition r e igns supr e m e and ,

wh e re e very misfortun e is ascribed to the evil disposition

of som e kind of spirit wh e r e d e ath e ven in old a ge is , , ,

r egard e d as unnatural and the r e sult of witchcraft it is ,

not wond e rf ul that om e ns good and ill a re e xt e nsiv ely , ,

b eliev e d in S ee rs fortune t ell e rs magicians and witches

.
,
-
, ,

a r e to be found in e v e ry tribe — ge nerally eith e r b e longing

to th e priesthood or in the e mploym e nt of th e pri e sts .

The methods adopt e d b y th e fortune t eller a re n o t p e culiar -

to W est A frica and sm e e th e simple mind e d peopl e are

, ,
-

over awed by the very nam e of magic it requires but

-
,

littl e ingenuit y to d e c e iv e them A handful of nuts a .

,

fe w cowries som e scraps of l e ath e r or pieces of stick are

, ,

thrown on the ground and from th e positions in which ,

th e y fall the fortune t ell e r prof e ss e s to b e abl e to r e ad the

-

e vents of a lif e time A part from t h e wizards and th e for

.

tune t ellers th e re e xist v ery numerous popular b eli e fs

-

, ,

uph eld n o doubt by th e pri e sts but appar ently as old ,

as th e tribes whos e m e mb e rs put faith in th e m and in most ,

cas e s without e ven a myth to accoun t for them Th e r e are .

lucky day s and unlucky days but thes e when a ffe cting , ,

a whol e trib e are usu al ly connect e d with som e historic a l

,

o r traditional ev e nt the d e f e at of a powerful e n e my or

, ,

the tragic death of som e old king or warrior and so far , , ,

Zadki el and th e h e av enl y bodi e s hav e pl a y e d no part in

shaping the d estin y of th e n e gro .
 S OM E S CR A P S OF F OLK LOR E -
. 285

In the m att e r of o m ens each trib e has its own

p e culiar beli e fs though a comparison shows that m any
,

of th e ideas are v e ry wid ely di ffus e d Thus th e cri e s .

,

or actions of c e rtain birds for e tell calamiti e s to th e

individuals who h e ar the m or to the village ov e r which
they fly while utt e ring the cry I mp e n ding war is.

for e told to the I gbiras of the B en u é R iv e r by the cry of

th e crest e d cran e as it is to the p e ople of th e S lave Coast
,

b v the flocking of th e hood e d crow and of v ul tur e s Th e .

owl is e v e rywh e r e a bird of ill om e n and his cry h e ard at

-
,

night impli e s death in th e family of th e h ea rer u su a lly fl

”
a sudden or viol e nt death kno w n as Owl s d e ath
,
So ’
.

dr e ad e d is the owl in fact that th e p e opl e fe ar ev e n to

, ,

m ention its nam e speaking of it as th e bird that mak e s

,

”
one afraid or by som e similar e xpr e ssi o n and th e E w es
, ,

r e gard it as a cannibal and th e m e sseng e r from

cannibals Th e crow also has an evil r e put e and is con
.
,
~
si d ere d to b e in l e ague with cannibals and with variou
malig nant spirits ; no rain falls wh e re it lay s its e ggs ,

and th e most pow e rful j uj u can b e made from it s f e ath e rs .

and fl e sh W hil e on the subj e ct of bird omens we may

.
-
,

give a fe w oth e r instanc e s cocks that crow in th e m iddl e

of th e night b e sp e ak d e ath which can only be av e rted
,

by th e imm e diat e d e spatch of th e o ffending bird T h e .

cry of th e black and whit e kingfish e r is a good omen wh e n

heard to th e right a b ad o n e if h e ard to the left Th e
,
.

long tail e d Vt d a h bird is h eld sacr e d in D ahom e y b e

- -
,

cause on e o i the e arly kings r e turning from a v ic t or v is

said to have been met by a fl ock of thes e birds who sang ,

his praises ; and certain wom e n not o nly of D ahom e y , ,

but also of Yoruba a re suppos e d to b e abl e to conv e rs e

,

wi th th e bird Th e n ther e is th e A frican ph e asant w hos e

.
,

shrill not e of alarm is c o nsid e r e d to have the pow e r o f

bursting th e g un of anyone firing at it— a pow e r ascrib e d
a lso to a sp e ci e s of monkey and to a sp e ci e s o f ant e lop e .

Th e sup e rstitions conn e cted with ani m als are as num e r

ous a s those r elating to birds The fur of a har e prot e ct s
.

th e house from fire ; to kill a j ackal brings calamity ;

a dog b e at en to death and hung by the heels to a scaffo ld
2 86 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

in the mark e t plac e prev e nts dis e ase ; th e tail of a cow

-
,

hors e or goat wav e d in front of a man turns the missil e s

,

o fhis e n e my while it is b eli e ved that any town in which

the wild cat beats its tail thr ee times on the ground will
s hortly be des e rt e d T h e Yorubas and adj ac e nt trib e s
.

sa
y that th e porcupine b e for e going to look for food shak e s
, ,

its quills in ord e r to divin e what th e resul t of th e s e arch

will b e and the tortois e is cr e dited with causing mirages ,

by making a subt e rran e an fire to burn and d e stroy the

*
r ots of tr ee s
o . Th e re a re lik ewis e certain fabulous b e asts
s aid to e xist in the rec e ss e s of th e fore st ; th e A j a of th e

E gbas is a dwarf who carri e s of

, fmen to th e bush and t e ach e s
t hem m agic and m e dicin e whil e a som ewhat sim ilar beast ,

e r e ct
, m an like and loud voic e d t e aches the hunter
-
,
-
,

”
fetish and m ak e s him wondrous brav e
, .

A mong th e I bos children who cut th e upp e r teeth

,

first are kill e d as showing signs of being poss e ss e d o f an

,

e vil spirit . S n ee zing forebodes a coming misfortun e with

most of th e trib e s whil e some suppos e that th e indwelling
,

S pirit of th e sneez e r is in pain and in cons e quence it is

,

customary to wish him long life and good h e alth a survival ,

”
of which is to be found in our God bl e ss you a n d the ,

Mohamm e dan A llah as similarly used The b eli e f in

,
.

magic and witchcraft of course accounts for th e sup e r

s titio n s connected with nail parings and cuttings of h air
-
,

the possessi o n of which by an evil dispos e d p e rson can be -

utilised for working ill against the individual from who m

they have be en r e moved ; and for this r e ason a native
is car e ful to d e stroy such things aft e r p e rforming his toil e t .

To show what importanc e is attach e d to nails and hair ,

w e may mention here that in the case of a man dying

abroad it is quite su f fi ci ent for burial purposes to c u t off
from th e corps e portions of th ese articl e s and co nv e y th e m
home fo r th e due performance of the fun e ral c e r em o ni e s .

W e st A frican folk tales can hardly b e compare d with

-

t hos e of E urope and A sia for though th e advanc e of the

,

Moh ammedans is gradually influencing th e old stori e s o f

Yor ub a sp eak in g Pe op l es ,
' ‘

E l lis -
etc .
Is n
'

55 2 1 2
f ‘

s H O W TO
u
G ET A M A G A ZIN E
m
Re ce nt a g a z in e s — th o s e no t m o r e th a n a y e a r o ld — a re us ua l ly to

be f o und a t the Pe ri o d i ca l De s k (f irst flo o r Ma i n L i bra ry) a ltho ug h

, ,

m a ny a re in o the r lo ca ti o ns fo r e xa mp le the Bi o lo g y Li bra ry

, , .

Ma g a z i ne s mo re tha n a ye a r o ld a re bo und i nto vo l ume s g ive n ,

c a ll n um be rs just a s bo o ks a re a nd s he lve d w it h bo o ks
, .

Ma g a z in e s a re li ste d unde r title in the Li bra ry ca ta l o g s e xce p t fo r

rn l r b ull e ti ns o fa so c i e ty w hi c h a re li ste d und e r the na me o f
jo u a s o

the so c ie ty Exa m p le
.

A me ri ca n c he mi c a l s o c e ty i
The j
o urna l

TH EREFO RE, I F TH E M A G A ZIN E YO U WAN T I S VERY REC EN T

” ”
I Lo o k f
. irst i n the Line d e x (a re vo lving ma g a z ine d ire cto ry) a t
the Pe rio d ic a l De sk fo r the l o c a ti
o n o fthe ma g a z ine .

(8 2 If the ma g a z ine is l iste d the re , fill o ut a c a ll ca rd, g iving its

.

na me d a te a nd vo ume nu l mbe r .
, ,

3 Pre se nt the c a ll c a rd a t the Pe rio d ic a l De sk u n le ss the Line d e x

. ,

ha s d ire c te d yo u to a no the r lo c a tio n fo r the ma g a z ine ; fo r

e x a mple the S o c ia l S c ie nc e s Re f
, c e o r o ne o fthe
e re nc e S e rvi

bra nc h l ib ra rie s .

4 Ifthe ma g a z ine is no t l iste d in the Line de x, a sk a t the Pe rio d ic a l

.

De sk f or i ts lo ca tio n .

I F TH E M A G A Z I N E YO U WA N T I S N O T VERY R EC EN T
I Lo o k up its c a ll numbe r in a no the r Line d e x w hic h is ke pt in the
.

Re fe re nce a nd B i bl io g ra p hy Ro o m ne a r the ma g a z ine ind e xe s .

2 Fill o ut a c a ll c a rd g iving the na me o fthe ma g a z ine , its vol ume

. ,

numbe r,d a te a nd c o mple te c a ll nu mbe r

, .

3 Pre se nt the c a ll c a rd a t t he Lo a n De sk u n le s s the Line de x ha s

.
,

e rre d yo u to a no the r lo c a ti
re f on f o r the ma g a z i o r e x a mp le
ne ; f ,

the Eng ine e ring o r C he mistry Lib ra ry .

4 Ifthe ma g a z ine yo u w a nt is no t l iste d in the Line de x lo o k up the

.
,

na me o fthe ma g a z i ne i n the A UTHO R TITL E CA TA LO G just a s

-
,

yo u w o uld lo o k up a bo o k .

FO R M O R E I N FO RM A TI O N A B O UT TH E I N DEXES , A N D FO R H ELP I N
U S I N G TH EM , A S K A T TH E G EN ERA L R EFER EN C E DES K
288 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A ;

into th e tr ee s which from fear of th e bush cat he has

, ,
-
,

e v e r sinc e made hi s hom e .

I n a Yoruba story of th e hare why it has longe r e ars ,

than most animals and why it runs away w e ge t p erhaps

, ,

”
th e origin of Uncle R e m us
’
Tar Baby T h e s t orv -
.

op e ns with a description of a dry season wh en th e animals ,

suffer e d from hunge r and thirst until at last th e y ass emble d ,

in council and d e cid e d that e ach anim al should cut off th e

tips of his ears that th e fat from them should b e extract e d
,

and sold that th e mon ey should b e devot e d for the purchas e

,

of ho es and that a w ell sh o uld b e dug A ll this was accord

, .

in gly don e (e xc e pt that the hare r e fus e d to hav e his e ars

cut ) and th e animals slaked th e ir thirst at the w ell that
,

th e y had dug A bout midday th e har e cam e along with

.
,

a calabash dragging b ehind him and th e noise that it ,

mad e frighten e d all the oth e r animals away so that th e ,

har e had th e w ell to hims elf F irst h e drank his fill and .

th e n he proce e d e d to bath e and in so doing h e stirr e d up ,

th e mud at th e bottom of t h e w ell T h e n e xt day t h e .

animals discov e r e d what had happ e ned and not knowing ,

who th e o ffender was det e rmin e d to set a trap to catch ,

him Th e y pro cur e d an imag e sm e ared it w ith birdlime

.
, ,

and set it up near the well whil e they conceal e d th emselv e s ,

”
close by in th e bush The hare came says th e Yoruba
.
,

“
story tell e r ;
-
he approached th e image He never sus .

p ec t e d that a ll the animals w e r e hidd e n in the bush T h e .

hare salut e d th e imag e The image said nothing H e . .

salut e d again and still th e imag e said nothing

,
.

’ ’
Tak e care said the har e or I will give you a slap
, ,
.

H e gav e a slap and his right hand r e mained fix e d in

,

th e bird — lime H e slapped with his left hand and that

.
,

remained fix e d also .

’
Oh oh cri e d he le t us kick with our f ee t ,
.

H e kick e d with his fe e t T h e feet r e mained fixed and .

,

the hare c o uld not ge t away .

Th e n the animals ran out of th e bush and came to

see th e har e and his calabash .

S hame sham e O hare they cried toge ther

’
, ,
Did ,
.

you not agree with us to cut o ff the tips of your ears and ,
 S OM E S CR A PS OF F OLK LOR E -
. 289

when it came to your turn did you not refuse ? Wh at ! ,

you r e fused and yet you come to muddy our water ?

,
’

They took whips they fell upon the hare and they , ,

beat him Th e y b e at him so that th e y n ea rlv kill e d him

. .

W e ought to kill you accurs e d hare they said but ,

’

no —run
, ,
’
. Th e y le t him go and th e hare fled S ince then , .

”
h e do e s not leav e the grass .

Th e tortois e is th e h e ro of many a Yorub a story and ,

is th e e mbodim e nt of everything cunnin g outw itting ,

all oth e r anim als *

and e v e n manki nd ; while among the
,

Gold Coast trib e s his plac e is tak e n by the spid e r O cca .

sion all
y there is a moral attach e d to th e tortois e story ,

usu al ly pointing to th e evil s of gre e diness ; but for th e ,

m ost part th e doings of the tortoise are not of a v e ry

,

exciting nature W e will however give one e xampl e

.
, , ,

which describes how th e bald h eaded elf (as th e tortois e -

is designated ) mad e a bet that h e would ride the elephant

into town .

Tortois e went into th e for e st and met the elephant .

He said to hi m My father all the ani m al s say you a re

, ,

’
too stout and big to come to town .

Th e elephant was vexed He said The animals .

,

are fools I f I do not com e to town it is b e cause I pr e f e r

.

th e forest
’
B e sid e s I d o not know the way to town
.
,
.

Oh said th e bal d h e ad e d elf th e n come with m e

-

,
.

I will show you the way to town and you can put all the ,
’
animals to shame .

S o t h e el e phant foll ow e d him .

When th e y w e re n e ar the town th e bald head e d elf -

said My fath e r I am tir e d W ill you kindly allow m e

, , .

to ge t on your back
All right said the elephant
’
, H e kn elt down and .
,

tortois e climb e d up on his back Th e n they went on al ong .

the road .

Th e bald head e d elf said

-
My father when I scratch , ,

your back you must run and when I knock my h e ad ,

against your back you must run faster ; then you will

ta ble
’
C f [E so p
. s o f th e T or toise a n d th e H ar e .
2 90 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

’
m ake a fine display in th e to wn The el ephant said .
,
’
V ery well .

Wh e n they cam e n e ar the town th e bald h e ad e d elf ,

-

’
scratched the el ephant s back and he b egan to run He , .

knocked his back with his head and th e el ephant ran ,

f ast e r .

The ani m als when they saw this were fright ened .

Th e y went into their hous e s but th e y look e d out o f th e ir

,

windows A n d tortois e called out to th e m Did I not say

.
,
’
I would ride my father s slav e to town ?
What do you mean by your fath e r s slave 9 said ’

the elephant growing angry ,

.

’
I am only praising you said tortoise , .

But th e el ephant saw the oth e r animals laughing ,

and grew more angry I wil l throw you d o wn on the

.

’
hard stones h e r e and br e ak you to pi e c e s he cri e d
, , .

’
Yes yes that is right said th e bald head e d elf
, , ,
-
.

Throw me down h er e That will b e all right Th en I

. .

shall not die th e n I shall not b e hurt I fyou r e ally want .

to kill m e you ought to carry m e to a swamp Th e n I

, .

shall die at onc e for th e mud and wat e r will drown

,

me
Th e elephant beli e v e d th e bald h e ad e d elf; he ran to -

th e swamp and thr ew tortois e into th e mud

,
Th e n h e .

str e tch e d out his foot to kick him but th e bald h e aded ,
-

elfdiv e d into the m ir e and cam e up in an o th e r plac e Th e .

other animals w e r e ther e l o o king on and tortois e call e d

, ,

out to th em Did I not say I would rid e my fath e r s slav e

,
’

to town P
W hen the elephant found that h e could not catch the
bald head e d elf he ran a way at fu ll sp ee d to th e for e st
-
, .

S ince then the el e phant has not c o me to town any

”
mor e .

’
S om e times the tortois e s cunning f a ils him as for , ,

instanc e wh e n h e was caught by the own e r of a plantati o n

,

in th e act of stealing his yarns and was smash e d to pi ec e s , .

This misfortune accounts for th e s eams on his sh ell which ,

U n cl e R emu s m a k es B rer R a bb it rid e B re r F o x in a v e ry

simila r ma n n er ;
 2 92 B R I T IS H N I GE R I A :

when rain f ell—a habit which their d e scendants hav e con

tinu e d to the pr e sent
Th e se animal stories a re p e rhaps the most p o pular , , ,

but there are fairy t al e s not unlik e som e of our own th e

, ,

gene ral form being d e scriptiv e of th e visit of a child o r oth e r

hu m an b e i ng to the underground abode of th e goblins ,

and th e accumulation of vast w e alth Th e r e is how e ve r .

, ,

this di fference b e tw e e n th e W e st A frican fairy tal e an d

the E urop e an in plac e of the fortunat e find e r of tr e asur e
bringing it hom e marrying a princ e and living happy
, ,

ev e r aft e rwards th e n egro girl usually com e s to an untim e ly

,

end by b e ing torn to pi e ces by wild b e asts F airy music .

is firmly b eli e ved in as ind ee d i t was bar ely a century

,

ago by the mor e north e rn E urop e ans ; any particularly

p opular tun e is said t o hav e b e e n l e arn e d from th e fairi e s
‘

or wood — nymphs A hunter or a child b e lated in th e for e st

.

s t umbl e s on a gath e ring of fairi e s dancing and singing ;

the tun e s are of cours e mor e b e autiful than anything known

t o human beings a n d th e list e n e r on returning hom e is
, , ,

able to rem emb e r them and t e ach th e m to oth ers xj Mar '

ria ge s betw e e n m e n and m e rm a ids and visits to th e palac e s ,

und e r the sea also form the subj ect of th e high e r class o f
,

s tory ; whil e fairy tales in which th e h e ro is poss e ss e d of

the power of assuming the shap e of a hvena or oth e r wild

b e ast are very fr e quently me t with .

F rom what w e hav e said th e r e a d e r will be abl e to

make his own comparison b e tw een th e stock in trad e of - -

t h e n egro story t e ll e r and th e tal e s r e lated in oth e r parts

-

of th e world A few it will b e notic e d b e ar a d e cid e d

.
, ,

r e s e mblance t o E urop e an stori e s ; wh e th e r this is m e r e

accid e nt or wh e ther a common o rigin is accountabl e for
,

t h e similarity w e will n o t pr e t end to say and it is

, ,

p e rhaps unn e c e ssary to r e mark that th e Uncl e R e mus

stories a re m e r e adaptati o ns of t h os e of W est A frica ,

carri ed by the slav e s to th e W e st I ndian and A m e rican

plantations .

F rom stories w e com e t o prov e rbs w h ich a re h eld in ,

E llis .

"
1 Vid e U p th e N ig e r ,
“
p a ge 2 80 .
 S OM E S C R A PS OF F OLK LO R E
-
. 2 93

high e ste e m by al l the W e st A frican pagans who regard ,

a kn o wl e dge of th e m as a proof of gre at wisdom The .

man who in a palav e r can int e rlard his spe e ch with the
apt quotation of proverbs is look e d on as a high class -

or a tor for to be conv e rsant with the hundre ds of proverbs

,

o f a country which has no writt e n languag e and to b e able ,

to fit in the right o n e must n e c e ssitat e at any ra te a good

, , ,

m e mory Many conv e y littl e or no m e aning to E ur o peans

.

unacquaint e d with th e ins and outs of nat iv e manners

and customs but e quival e nts a re to b e fo und for most
, ,

if not a ll of our own pr o v e rbs and it will b e int e r e stin g

, ,

t o m e nti o n som e of th e s e our e qu ival e nt b e ing e asily

,

r e cognisabl e : H e who boasts much cannot do much

”
Talk in th e hous e mak e s n o man excel ; F ull b elly -

ch ild says t o hungry b ell y child -

k e e p good he art
‘
’
E v e r y m an s charact e r is good in his own e y e s Th e
y o ung cannot t e ach th e e ld e rs traditions Gold sho u ld
b e sold to him who kn o ws its valu e Th e dawn do e s
n o t come twice to wak e a man You cannot kill game
by looking at it The rat has no v o ic e to call the cat
” “
t o account F amin e comp els o n e to e a t th e fruit o f
all kinds of tr ee s On e tree do e s not make a for e st
Wh e re war is th e re th e drum w ill b e
,
”
.

I n th e matter of pr o verbs and pr o v e rbial sayings th e

Yorub as probably e xc e l all oth e r W e st A frican trib e s ,

and th e y a r e v e ry fond of aphorisms in coupl e t form ;

thus th e y say F amiliari ty in duc e s cont e mpt ; but dis
,
”
tanc e s e cur e s r e sp e ct A gain
. S orr o w is after w e e ping
, ,

”
and m or tific a tion is aft e r troubl e Puns also a re much.

indulg e d in and appr e ciat e d as a sign o f r e ady wit ; but

, ,

without a l e ngthy e xplan ation of the meaning of th e nativ e

words it would b e us eless giving any exampl e s ; and th e
,

sam e may be said of riddles which although considered , ,

b y the people th e mselves as remark a bly cl e ver are as , ,

a rul e most commonplac e

, .

Vid e E llis ‘I
Yo r u b a S p ea kin g Pe op les
-
.
 CH A PTE R X I X .

C O N CL U S I ON .

S ome I mp or t a n t Pro b l e m s — M a l a ria — M o d ern S cie n c e — Th e

M o s qu ito T h eory —A n opheles —Liv e rp o ol S c h oo l o f T r op ic a l
M e d ic in e— S a n it a tio n— N e e d e d R e form s T h e L iqu o r T r a me —
I t s C o n n e c tio n with th e S l a v e T r a d e — F o r e ig n Li qu or ver s u s

B r itish G oo d s— R u in o f Le gitim a t e T r a d e —T h e B r u ss el s A ct
S p irit D u tie s—T h e F u t u re o fB r it ish N ige r ia .

N the for e going chapt e rs m any matt e rs int im ately bound

up with th e future of British N ig e ria have b e en perforce
treat e d somewhat lightly ; to n e gl e ct them altogether
wo ul d be unpardonabl e for on th e succ e ssful s olution
,

of the problems which we are about to discuss d ep e nd ,

in no small m e asur e the prosperity and valu e to E ngland

,

o f her two new Prot e ctorates .

The nature of the climat e of this part of A frica and its

e ffe ct on E uropean r e sid e nts w e hav e already fr e quently

ref e rr e d to and e v e n th e untrav e ll e d E nglishm a n is cog

,

misant of the fact that th e re is no more fatal climat e in

t h e world than that of the W e st Coast A t the sa m e .

ti m e it must be borne in mind that N ig e ria is not uniformly

,

unh e alth y for away inland th e r e are many p a rts wh e re

, , ,

E uropeans can liv e for y e a rs and e n j oy as good h e alth

a s in any other tropical country I t is in th e D elta of the .

N iger in th e Oil R iv e r R egions and in the neighbourhood

, ,

o f th e m ain riv e rs that th e white man suff e rs m ost an d

, ,

the principal caus e of the sickn e ss is malaria O ther .

d iseas e s of cours e occur e v e n in th e most h e althy parts

, , ,

but they are not p e culiar to W est A frica Dys e ntery is no .

m ore to be fe ared than els ewh e re in th e tropics and layin g ,

aside for the m om e nt th e matter of fever th e only things ,

’
lik ely as a rule to affect th e whit e man s health a re such
, ,

petty a nnoyances as liv e r bo ils prickly h e at ear ach e

, , ,
-
,

a n d the figger (Pu lex pen etr a n s ) .

2 96 B R I T IS H N I GE R I A :

The origin ator of the new id e a was Dr Koch whose .

,

investigations of rinderpest at th e Cape an d the s o call e d -

Texas fever in E ast A frica le d him to b elieve that

th e diseases were transmitt e d to the cattle by insects .

F ro m this he argued that if ins e cts could inoculat e cattl e

,

with f e ver they would b e equally abl e to produce fe ver

,

in hu m an beings and after a long seri e s of experim e nts

, , ,

he cam e to th e conclusion that th e mosquito tr a ns m itted

“ ” “
m alaria Tropic al mala ria he says is v e ry e asil y
, ,

”
recognised and can be cur e d with c e rtainty th e method
, ,

of recognising the dis e as e b e ing by microscopic exam inatio n

of th e blood of the pati ent from which can be d e t e rmined
,

the e xact mom ent to ad m inister quinin e .

I n 1 8 98 was establish e d the Liverpool S chool of Tropic al

M e dicin e and since then much valuabl e work has been
,

done in W e st A frica by th e staff of the school A suc .

cession of expeditions has attacked nearly every place

on the Coast where E uropeans resid e visiting the Oil ,

R ivers and making investigations e v e n as f

,
a r inland as

Lokoj a . The servic e s of Dr R oss who had alr e ady col

.
,

lec ted valuabl e information on the subj e ct o f m alaria

in I ndia were secured and he and D r A nnett have been
, , .

ind e fatigable in th e ir crusad e s against the mosquito or ,

rather the genus A n opheles which is consid e r e d to be the

,

carri e r of th e disease from an inf e cted to a non infected -

person .

I t has been discover e d that the blood of most native

children contains nu m erous m alarial parasit e s and that ,

*
cons e quently the A n opheles aft e r f e eding on the childre n
transmits the poison to adult natives and to E uropean s .

A ppar e ntly the mosquito is not a great trav e ller as it is ,

consider e d that by keeping the nativ e dw ellings at a distance

of half a mile fro m the E uropean quarters much good will
r e sult ; though it is on th e destruction of the ins e ct in
its various life stages that mo st faith is pinn e d To destroy .

all the mosquitoes of th e genus A n opheles in W e st A frica

sounds an impossible task but th e members of the Liv e rpool
,

Th e fe m ale insec t o nl y .
 C ON C L US I ON . 2 97

S chool are fully convin ced that it is f e asibl e The mosquito .

,

th e y know br ee ds chiefly in puddl e s d itch e s or any holes

, , ,

where water collects and becom e s stagnant ; by pourin g

kerosene oil into these breeding places the ins e ct (in any
stag e ) is d e stroyed ; but pr e vention is bett e r than cure ,

and the most ob vious and reliabl e r emedy is to mak e certain

that no such breeding grounds e xist in the vicinity of
E uropean dwellings This can of course only be br o ught
.

about by careful an d syste m atic surfac e drain a g e and by ,

constant attention on the part of E urop e ans who un fo r , ,

tu n a tely on th e W e st Coast of A frica are pr o v e rbially

, ,

callous in matters of h e al th and in their mod e of living .

The confidence display e d by the o f ficials of th e Liv e rpool

S chool of Tropical M e dicin e in th e ultimat e succ e ss of th e ir
great work is unbounded though th e y demand from the
,

E uropean resid e nts in W est A frica individual support .

Th e y moreover maintain t hat absolute immunity from

, ,

m alaria cannot be e xp e cted by E urop e ans unless they l e arn

to accommodat e th e ms elves to circumstanc e s and liv e in ,

West A frica as E uropeans do in other tropical countries so ,

that their constitutions may not becom e e nf eebl e d and ,

their blood su fficiently w e ak to easil y receiv e the m alarial

parasite fro m the m osquito .

To rid the country of m alaria however must take , ,

time and in th e m eanwhile th e gr e at e st care should b e

,

taken in the s e lection of men for service in N ige ri a A man .

m ust be n e ither too young nor too old I n the first case .
,

an unform e d constitution is m ost liable to su ffe r fro m

fever ; while in the second cas e a man who has adopted
, ,

certain rul e s of lif e is unabl e to sudd enly chang e e verything

—live on indifferent food and giv e up his bee r F or a .

novice the limits of a ge may p e rhaps be placed at twenty

t wo and thirty two though wh e n
-
, s al t e d a m an may
continue his visits to W est A frica up to al m ost a n y age .

Without health th e b e st int e ntion e d Govern men t official

-
,

m issionary or m e rchant is able to do nothing His work

, .

ends when his he al th fails and though he may have planned

,

vast sch e mes for improvin g the country evangelising th e ,

heathens and for developing trade his death or departure

, ,
2 98 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A I

for home leaves m atters much as h e found the m on his

arrival R e vi ewing th e past history of the old e r British
.

possessions in W e st A frica i t is apparent that the princip al

,

cause of failure has been the want of a s e ttled policy N o .

governor has b een abl e to remain long enough at his post

to compl e te any syste m atic r e forms and the s a m e thing ,

has appli e d to th e departmental subordinates Ther e has .

b ee n no continuity of ideas for th e simple r e ason that ,

the climate has hith e rto restricted th e period of a white

’
man s resid enc e to a year or e ighteen m onths at a tim e .

T h e t e rm climate as g e n e rall y us e d is synonym ous in W e st

A frica with malaria ; if th e refor e m alari a can r e ally be
,

mad e to disappear we m ay look to a vast d e v elopment

,

of th e country .

We must not howev e r expect too much of the

, ,

mosquito th e ory ; th e wholesal e d e struction of A n oph eles

may i m p rove the lot of the traders and others who r e sid e
in on e plac e but for the energ e tic o f
,
fi cial constantly on ,

the mov e it can do little To the trav ell e r th e risk o f

, .

m alaria must remain for all time if h e mak e s his j ourney

b y water the cano e which he occupies is th e favou rite
,

br ee ding plac e of A n opheles

-
if he trav els by land ,

h e may find hims e lf (thanks to the carriers ) any night

without his mosquito curtain A t the sam e time it is .

only fair to say that th e oflic ial n e e d not necessarily su ffer

to any gr e at e xt e nt from malaria al though mo squito e s ,

may pursue him wher e v e r h e go e s for it is an establish e d

fact that m en who live a h e althy lif e and tak e pl e nty of ,

exercis e (without over taxing th eir str ength ) are v e ry

-

s eldom invalid e d — at any rate from N orthern N ig e ri a .

By m e ans of such activ e recr e ations as polo cycling lawn , ,

t e nnis e tc the body is k e pt fit and able to throw off the

,
.
,

attack of malaria wh e n it com e s .

But whether th e cause of all malaria is the mosquito ,

as exp e rts declar e or whether th e insect only plays a

,

s e c o ndary part in spr e ading th e diseas e th ere can b e no ,

doubt that the m o squito crusad e s referr e d to abov e a re

of imm ense b enefit since through them th e whole question
,

of West Coast sanitation is b ecoming exposed The .

300 B R I TI S H N I GER IA .

gin ; i t had b e come th e stapl e import th e chi e fs wo ul d ,

take littl e else in e xchang e for th e ir p alm oil and the ,

num e rous Kru labour e rs refused to b e p aid in a nything

but powd e r and spirits .

I t is n ee dl e ss h e re to d e scant on th e e vil e f
f e cts of drink
on the p e ople ; w e have e vid enc e e nough much n e ar e r
hom e of the stat e of d egradation to which it reduc e s the
lowe r class e s and this where drink is e xpensiv e ; what is
,

th e condition of things in a country wh e r e an ordinary

man can ge t drunk for rath e r l e ss than a farthi n g c a n be
e asily imagin e d I t is a qu e stion of which the argument
.

is all on on e sid e for n o san e man however anti t e mp e ranc e

, ,
-

his id e as may be would att empt to d e ny that th e whole

,

sal e introduction of spirituous liquors into W est A frica

has be e n oth e rwis e than a curse to th e country T h e .

e vils may w e admit b e e xagg e rat e d but that any ben e fits
, , ,

accrue to the natives fr o m th eir b e ing abl e to obtain ch e ap

spirits the trad e r hims elf cannot pr e t end Yet h e will .

argu e an d b e support e d in his argum e nt by many colonial

,

of fi cials that th e outcry against the liquor traffic is absurd

,

h e adduces r eliabl e evid e nc e to prove that drunk e nness

in W e st A frica is barely a ppreciabl e and that th e ave rage ,

consumption of spirits on th e Coast is l ess b y a quarte r

of a g all on per h e ad per annum than that of Great Britain .

Th e s e stat e m e nts a re v e ry possibl y quite tru e but th e y ,

f o rm a weak d e fe nce for th e absenc e of visible drunk en

,

n e ss l e ads to the b eli e f that eith e r th e drinking is carri e d

on in private or that th e natives hav e by long u se b e come
, , ,

spirit proof and th e latter supposition would b e uph eld

-

by anyone who witnessed an Oil R iv e r native toss off a

tumbl e r of raw gin On th e oth e r hand ther e is plenty
.
,

of e vidence as to the exist enc e of drunkenn e ss on occasions

of r eligi o us ceremoni e s and f e stiviti e s ; th e R ev J ame s .

J ohnson mentions an instanc e which came to his kn ow ,

l e dg e o f a gre at funeral at which liquor to the value of

,

£ 50 0 was consum e d and it is

,
an acknowledged fact that
nearly every N ig e r Coast chief is an habitual drunkard ,

lying d runk for days tog e ther in his hous e .

But e v e n if it could b e prov e d that th e sal e of a lcohol

 C ON C L U S I ON .
30 1

to the natives did not d e moralise them th e re a re other ,

reasons which sho ul d induc e the British at any rat e to , ,

e nd e avour to check or even suppr e ss t h e liquor tr a ffi c .

Th e rum and gin come almost entir ely from A m e rica ,

F ranc e and German y *

and as Maj or Lu ga r d wrot e in
, ,

1 8 97 , The importation of liquor enormously d e cr e as e s

th e importation of Manch e ster and Birmingham goods .

’
The cry is for n e w markets a n d the daily pap e rs t ee m
‘

with unpleasant statistics which go t o prov e that our trad e

supr e macy is b eing wr e sted from us by G e rmany ; ye t
h e re in our Crown coloni e s and p rot e ctorates w e for e go
t h e market that might b e ours and substitut e for e ign ,

m ade goods for our own from which w e d e riv e no profit,

except such as accru e s from a small portion of th e ca rr y ing

trade S e con dl y th e purchas e of an articl e which wh e th e r
.
, ,

it b e pernicious or n o t is in any cas e a m e r ely sensual

,

pl e asur e e ffe cts nothing towards the e l e vation of the rac e

,

in the standard of living and do e s not promot e habits of

,

thrift or industry I f utensils agricul tural impl e m e nts

.
, ,

or such lik e goods w e re purchas e d inst e ad o f liquor n ot

-
,

o nly would the A frican b e rais e d in the plan e of civilisation ,

but the output of his industry e nhanced by improved ,

appliances would b e great e r and of b e tter

,
A
le adin g article in the T imes of th e 7th J un e 1 8 95 put the , ,

matter clearly : The e xtension of th e trad e in spirits is

made at the cost of th e trad e in oth e r E urop e an goods .

The native who buys gin buys littl e else and in thos e ,

marke ts in which the gr ee n packing cas e s of import e d spirits

are seen other E uropean goods do not app e ar I t is th e
, .

case of o n e trad e or the oth e r but not of b o th The spirit ,

.

trade like a noxious w ee d chok e s e v e ry other growth

, ,

in those districts in which it is all owe d to flourish The .

solution of the mat e rial diffi culty is to be found in this

pr e gnant fact : while w e allow t h e newly opened chann els

In 1 8 94 L a gos ( th e B ritish C olo n y to th e N iger ) im

n ea re s t

p or te d g a ll o n s o fgin a n d ga ll on s o fr u m , o fwhic h
ga llo n s o f gin a n d ga llo n s o f r u m c a m e from
G erm a n y .

T N in eteen th C en tu r y , N o v em b er , 1 8 97 .
3 02 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

of co mm unication with th e int e rior to be us e d for the dis .

s emination of the spirit tra f fic w e d e stroy with one hand

,

”
what we are creating with the oth e r .

Until 1 8 90 no attempt was made (except by the

R oyal N iger Company ) to check the importation o f
spirituous liquors but in that year the B russ els Con
,

fe r e nce (at which the representatives of sev e nt ee n Powers

\

w e re assembled ) took the matt e r seriously in hand ,

as second only in importanc e to th e slav e trad e— the -

primary obj ect of the Confe rence The Powe rs we re unani .

mous in their condemnation of th e liquor traffi c in A frica ,

*
and by the A c t which was pass e d and aft e rwards ratifi e d ,

by th e Powe rs c e rtain r e strictions on the A frican spirit

,

trad e cam e into op e ration on the z u d A pril 1 8 92 By ,

.

A rticl e X C the zon e to b e a f

. fe cted by the provisions of
the A c t was laid down as ext ending across th e entir e
br e adth of A frica (including adj ac e nt islands within 1 00
miles of the coasts ) b e tw ee n the 2 0th paral l el of north
latitude and th e 2 2 n d parall el of south latitud e A rticl e .

X CI prohibit e d absolut ely the importation of spirits into

.
,

or th eir manufacture in any part of the zon e wh e r e the

,

trad e had not so far p en e trat e d or wh e r e the religi ous b eli e fs

of the people were against th e introduction or u se of S p irits j .
‘ '

This A rticl e also impos e d a minimum duty (6 5d per gallon ) .

on all spirits import e d into those parts of the zone wh e r e

there was an e xisting spirit trad e A gain by the sam e .
,

A rticle e ach Pow e r agre e d to d e clare within six months

,

th e e xt e nt of its possessions inf e ct e d by or free from a

traf fi c in liquor ; whil e A rticl e X C V provid e d that th e .

Powe rs shoul d p e riodically give full information to each

oth e r about th e tra ffi c in alc oholic liquors carri e d on in th e ir
r e sp e ctive possessions or sph e r e s A n optional revision .

of th e G e neral A c t of th e Conf e r enc e was arranged to take

plac e on th e z u d A pril 1 8 95 and a furth e r obligatory
, ,

r e vision on th e z u d A pril 1 8 98 N e ith e r of thes e r e visions

,
.

t o ok place but th e Pow e rs m e t at Bruss els in 1 8 99 and

, , ,

K n o wn as th e B r u s s el s G e n er a l A c t , 1 89 1 - 2 .

T i e T h e M oh a mm e d a n
. . c o u n tr ies
3 04 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

must n e c e ssarily b e gradual though whatev e r lin e E ngland,

adopts in ord e r to r e duc e th e evils of th e tr a fiic to a m ini

m u m th e support of the oth e r Powers concern ed is a b s o
,

lu t ely imp e rative .

I n th e inf e ct e d regions of the Coast events must as we ,

say mov e slowly and w e must be cont e nt with ev e n the

, ,

smallest signs of pr o gr e ss towards th e e v e ntual abolition or

curtailm e nt of th e traffic it is in th e non infect e d r e gions -
,

which a r e now b e ing rapidly connect e d with the Coast by

roads and ra ilways that imm e diate action is nec e ssary
, ,

so as to pr e v e nt th e introduction of spirits into N orth e rn

N igeria This by th e provisions of the Bruss els A c t
.
, ,

Gr e at Britain has pledg e d hers elf to do though th e r e a re , ,

unfortunately loophol e s by which the A c t can be partially

,

e vaded it being easy to prove that many of th e chi e fs

,

of the interior have for a long whil e b ee n supplied with

gin and rum by nativ e s trading with th e Coast and that ,

e v e n th e Mohammedans ( contrary to t h e commands of

th e Prophet ) hav e b e com e addicted to drink To r em e dy .

this th e High Commissi o ner of N orth e rn N igeria has

,

prohibited in th e prot e ctorate th e sale and e v e n the poss e s

sion of trad e liquor ; and he has moreover e stablish e d , ,

a pr e v e ntiv e s ervic e along the south e rn frontier to check

smuggling so that no intoxicating liquors can pass into
,

the Mohammedan countri e s .

The whole qu e sti o n of the liquor traffic it will b e se e n , ,

is on e of v ery gr e at importanc e and worthy of the att e nti o n ,

of all E nglishm e n w h o have at h e art the reputation and

commercial prosperity of th e ir own country and the welfar e
of the natives of A frica By th e continuance of the tra f
. fic
on the coast we rep e at Manch e st e r and Birmingham a re
, ,

losing valuable mark e ts for th eir goods while the gin pro ,

d u c e rs across th e Chann el a r e growing w e althy ; this fact

alon e should appeal even to th e E nglishman (if ther e e xists
such an o n e ) who is avers e to philanthropy moralit y , ,

temp e rance missionary labours or th e civilisation of

, ,

t h e n egro W e wi ll conclud e by quoting from a spe e ch

.

mad e at Grosv enor House by S ir G e org e Gol d ie (May

’
3 r d ,
I speak fro m sixteen y e ars e xperi e nc e
 C ON C L U S I ON : 3 05

and I say confidently that unless im m ediat e st e ps

a re taken to stop this t ra f fi c— not by higher duti e s but ,

by absolut e prohibition — a state of things will soon be

brought about that must ultimat e ly l e ad to th e e ntire
ab andonm e n t of th e countr y I cannot beli e v e that
.

t h e conscienc e of E urop e will long allow that the vast

populous regions of tropical A frica should b e us e d only as
”
a c e ssp ool of E urop e an alcohol .

W e have dwelt on these two matters becaus e a ffe cting as ,

th e y do th e h e alth of th e whit e man and th e h e alth an d

morality of his black brother w e d ee m th e m of vital im
,

portanc e to th e futur e of N ig e ria (and ind ee d o ft h e whole

o f British W e st A frica )
'

Unl e ss th e y a r e s e riously and im

.

m e diat e ly grappled with littl e g o od can result from th e

,

l o ng y e ars of toil th e vast e xp e nditur e of mon e y and th e

, ,

s acrific e o f th e lives of th e countl e ss brav e E nglishm e n

that th e d e v e lopment of th e c o untry has so far r e quir e d .

F orce of arms will do much t o put down slave raiding -

,

human sacrifices and cannibalism and to e stablish the

, ,

Pe w B r ita nn ica of which w e j ustly boas t ; but th e e n

c o u r a ge m e n t of sci e n c e and morality must n ee ds go hand

in hand with th e strong e r m e asur e s .

That N ig e ria was acquir e d for th e British E mpire ,

and not allow e d to pass into the hands of F ranc e and G e r

m any was as we hav e shown th e m e r e st chanc e But
, , ,
.

for th e for e sight and en e rgy of on e E nglishman — S ir G e orge

G oldi e — th e pr e s ent N orth e rn protectorat e would prob
ably long sinc e have be e n add e d to th e F r ench S udan ;
and it was only by what may b e d e scrib e d as a short
”
n e ck that the race for th e Oil R iv e rs was won from
G e rm any T h e past is how e v e r don e with ; e xp e ri ence
.
, ,

has p e rhaps be e n d e arly bought ; but th e cost must

, ,

be buri e d with th e past and th e sol e thought h e of th e

,

futur e British N igeria has b e com e a Gov e rnm e nt a ffair ;

.

i t is part of the E mpir e and though th e present g en e ration

may not live to see th e e xtirpation o fth e m o squito slav e ry ,

and slav e raiding abolish e d o r a Goth e nburg syst e m con

-

tr olling intoxicating liquors in t h e S o uth e rn prot e ctorat e ,

y e t it will c e rtainly hav e th e satisfa ction of knowing that

U
3 06 B RI TI S H N I GE R I A :

th e country is on th e road to prosperit y But it may be .

,

ask e d how will this prosp e rity b e nefit Gr e at B ritain ?

,

O n th e I s t J anuary 1 900 m o r e than thr ee quart e rs of

, ,
-

a milli o n of mon e y was inv e st e d in N ig e ria it is unlik ely

that this colossal sum was intend e d to b e spent o n pure
philanthropy ; what r e turn ther e fore is th e n ati o n to
, ,

g e t for its inv e stm e nt

The answe rs to such qu e sti ons as t h es e a r e obvious
a trust ee do e s not inv est trust mon e y wi t hout som e kn o w
l e dge o fth e valu e o fth e inv e stm e nt and British Minist e rs
,

a r e th e e l e ct e d trust ee s of the nation S o uthern N ig e ria .

we know to b e a paying c o nc e rn of N orth ern N ig e ria w e

’
kn o w onl y that th e R oyal N iger C o mp a ny s trading trans
actions always paid th e shar ehold e rs 6 p e r c e nt p er annum .

and that th e r e v e nue (from customs etc ) produc e d , .

su ffici en t to pay int e r e st at 5 p er c ent on th e Public D e bt .

of th e N iger Te rritories viz ,

a n d to maintain
.

th e e stablishm e nts n e cessary for th e administrati o n of

th e c o untry . But still it must b e r e memb e red that
, ,

although th e R oyal N ig e r Company as trader paid a , ,

h e althy divid en d it was never abl e a s administrator

, , ,

to rais e su ffici ent r e v e nue to cl e ar o ff its initial outlay ,

or to op en up th e country as i t would hav e wish e d I f .

w e acc e pt as a fair v a luation t h e sum paid b y Gov e rn m e n t

to the R oyal N ige r Compan y on th e r e voc a tion of th e Chart e r ,

th en w e may consid e r that th e e xp enditur e up to th e 3 I s t

D e c e mb e r 1 8 99 e xc ee d e d the r e v e nu e by
, , Of
cours e for many y e ars to com e th e r e is n o t th e r e m o t e st
,

chance of any of this sum b e ing wip e d o ff I fth e r e v enu e .

of N orth ern N ig e ria can m ee t th e curr en t e xp enditure

on th e administration and opening up of the country it ,

will b e as much as c a n b e e xp ected for th e pr e sent — in

r e ality far mor e than can be exp e ct e d consid e ring th e ,

work that has to b e d o n e .

F ranc e and G e rmany do no t grudg e a fr ee e xp e nditure

of m o n e y in their sph e r e s adj oining British N ig e ria ; th ey
a re confid en t of th e ir inv e stm e nt ; and kn owing full w ell ,

that th e outlay w ill e ventuall y co m e back to th em th e y ,

a r e cont e nt to put their hands in th e ir pock e ts f o r th e

3 08 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

the paym e nt to th e R oyal N ige r Company that th e Gov e rn ,

m ent is to all int e nts and purposes subsidising a monopoly

, , ,

in that it has tak e n o n i tself th e burden of administ e ring

t h e country for the sol e b en e fit of th e N ig e r Company 011 .

t h e oth e r hand the amalgamation of small firms with th e

,

N iger Company f o rms as it w e r e a c o operative soci e ty -

r e pr e s e nting th e trading int e r e sts of Great Britain *

and ,

o n this point it will b e int e r e sting to again quot e from

S ir F Lu ga r d s r eport I f fair d e aling e nterprise and

’
. .
, ,

e n e rgy be assur e d an amalgamation of E urop e an int e r e sts

,

may pr e v ent th e u ndu e e nhanc e m e nt of pri ces and e nable

the amalgamat e d trading corporation to se t aside capital
for e xt e nsion and d e v elopment which els e would b e a b
sorb e d in th e struggl e of comp e tition W hil e the wants .

o f nativ e s in a primi tiv e state r e main f ew enh a nc em e nt ,

of prices no doubt d e cr e as e s supply for the producers , ,

h aving acquire d all th e goods th e y ne e d will not e x e rt ,

t h e mselv e s to tap to th e full the resourc e s of the

”
l and .

R egarding th e whol e matt e r from a common s e ns e point -

o f V i ew it would s ee m that in r e voking the Chart e r of

, ,

t h e R oyal N iger C o mpany and in tituting dire ct I mperial s

a dministration th e B ritish Gov e rnm e nt has met t h e wish e s

,

o f British m e rchants That th e latt e r do not ben efit

.

ther e by to th e e xt ent that th e y imagin e d is no fault of

the Government ; a n d th e onl y possibl e question that
c a n arise is whether t h e amal gamati o n o f firms trading

in N orth e rn N ig e ria has su f fi ci ent capital to carry on a

trade capable of paying t o the Gov e rnm ent such duti e s ,

etc as will pr o duc e a r e venue c o v e ring th e expen d itur e

.
,
.

I t is h o w e ver early ye t t o work out d e tails of r e v e nu e

. ,

and e xp enditur e for th e gr e at e r part of th e e xp en d i

,

t ur e is still initial outlay and until th e gre at expanse ,

o f country from S okoto to Lake Chad is thrown op e n

The sa me th in g e x is ts
in S o u th e r n N iger ia ; fo r , in 1 8 90 ,

p r a c t i a l ly c a ll th e o n R iv er m e r c h a n ts a m a lg a m a te d with th e
Liv e r p oo l Af
r ic a n A s so c ia t io n , Lim ite d , wh ic h ,
fo u r y ea r s l a te r ,
ca me t o t er ms with th e R oy a l N ig e r C o m p a n y .
 I G
T RA D N I
S TA T O N N IG ER D E LTA .

P h oto : Mr . G F . Pa c ke r .

IN S A RA GI MA R K ET PLA CE
P h oto : A F
. Mo c k/e r Fe r r y ma n
-
3 10 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A I

a re intend e d to gov ern th e ir own p e opl e und e r British ,

sup e rvision whil e in th e N orth ern prot e ctorat e th e obvious

policy is to stre ngth e n th e hands of th e native ruling class e s ,

and to make th e m r e sponsible t o Gr e at Britain for the w el

far e of th e ir country and its p e ople Th e F ul ahs in spit e .
,

of th e ir slave raiding prop e nsiti e s a r e und o ubt e dl y born

-
,

rul e rs th ey conqu e r e d th e country ov e r which th e y rul e ,

and th e y hav e b ee n for a hundr e d years the dominant rac e .

Th e y a re a shr e wd p e opl e int elligent and w e ll inform e d

,
-

and int e rcours e with th e m h a s shown that th e y a re what

may be d e scrib e d for want of a b e tter t e rm th e g entle
, ,

m en o fth e We st e rn S udan A s a rac e th e y a r e suppos e d

.

to b e on th e d e clin e ; yet th e r e is no oth e r p e opl e r e ad y

to replac e th em fo r it is d o ubtful if th e Hausas— th e only
,

rivals of th e F ulahs hav e su ffici ent capacity or int ell e ctual

-

ability to ev e r b e com e rul e rs I t is through th e F ulahs .

,

th e re fore that N orth e rn N ig e ri a in the futur e must if

, ,

possibl e b e govern e d th e British political o ffic e rs watch

, ,

ing o v e r them holding th e m in check supporting th em

, , ,

and giving them to und e rstand that as j ust rul e rs th e y will

e v e r be uph eld but that any oppr e ssion of th eir subj e cts
,

will b e d e alt w ith summarily .

T h e outlook in British N ig e ria if not actually brilliant , ,

is d e cidedly satisfactory Th e S o uth e rn prot e ctorate is

.

a n fa it a cc ompli and mor e ov e r pays its way

,
th e N o rth e rn
prot e ctorat e is a land of gr e at exp e ctations and with th e , ,

kn owl e dge that th e British Gov e rnment is in earnest ,

E nglishm e n may r e st assur e d that th e s e e ds that hav e

b ee n sown though th e y m a y tak e time to germinat e a n d
,

m ature must e v e ntually y ield a harvest whos e rich e s

,

will b e shar e d alike by whit e man and black man .

 A PPE N DI X I .

N O TE S ON TH E PR O D U C TS O F N GE R A *
I I .

A LO E , s ee FI B R E .

B A O B A B (A da n sonia digita ta ) Mon k e y Bread fr uit E thiopian ,

S our G o urd th e Ku k a of B o rn u
,
T h e trun k o f t h e tree is .

o ft en t w e n ty or th irty f ee t i n d iam e te r w h il e th e h e igh t s el d om ,

e x c ee d s for ty fee t Wi d ely d istri b ut e d T h e b ar k yiel d s

. .

e x c e ll e n t fibr e fo r pap e r ma k i n g e tc -
F ru it aci d w it h me d ic inal
, .

prope rtie s I t is in le af a n d fl ow e r d uring th e rai n s

. .

B E N I S E E D (S es a mu m in dicu m) ; ginge lly s esame Cu lti ,

.

y at e d f or its s ee d s w h ich yi el d a pl entif ul oil use d for s o ap

, ,

a n d as a su b s tit u t e f or olive o i l G r o w s t o a h e i gh t of a bout

.

four fee t ; is cu t a n d d rie d lik e h a y Wh e n th e po d s b urst a n d ,

t h e see d s a re c oll e ct e d wash e d b l e ach e d a n d th e o il e xtract e d

, , ,

b y pre ssure E x p ort e d

. S esa mum in dicmn is k n o w n as b lac k
.

b e n is ee d ; wh it e b e n isee d is a very s imilar plan t a n d is calle d ,

s cie n tifically P olyga la bntym cea or m rz f S ells in th e Live r

’ '

olz a .

p ool mar k e t a t ab out 1 55 p er cw t . .

CA LAB A R B E A N (Physos tigma ven en os mn ) th e O r d e al B e an ,

or E s er e o f O ld Ca labar
, Large pe ren n ial cl im b er
. .

C A M W O O D (B a phia n itz da ) Barw oo d A sh ru b (ind i gen ous )

’

r o w i n t a h i h t f t n f t T h w o d iv e s a d e ep re d
g g o e g o e e e e o g .

d ye much use d b y th e native s t o stai n th eir b o d i e s a n d for

,

fe tish purp o se s .

CA P S I C U M (C a ps icum a n nuu m) ; ch illie s r e d p epp e r Low ,

.

r owi n g an n ual T h e rip e fruit i d r ie d in th e s un a n d gr oun d

g . s ,

t o po w d er S mall e r ki n d s a r e k n o w n as
. b ir d pepp e rs -
.

Lar gely cultivat e d principally for l o cal u s e

,
.

CA S H E W N U T S (A n a r ca rdin m occiden ta le) I n d i ge n ous t re e .

,

re s emb lin g w alnut N uts or see d s e aten r o as t e d a n d from

.
,

M oo r e s C oo k e
’
S ee a ls o Lin d l e y T r e a s u ry o f B o t a ny
a nd
’

,
s

O il S e e d s a n d O il in th e I n dia n M u s e u m Kew B u ll e tin , O liv e r

" ’
- s
”
H o o k er s M olo n ey
’
N iger Flo r a ,
"
F l o r a o f T r o p ic a l A fr ic a
’
s
,

F o r e s try of W es t Af
ric a ,
” e tc .
 3 r2 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

them is extracte d a n oil similar to al mond oil E xp orte d .

principally to G erman y wh ere th ey a re use d for co ok ing a nd

,

chocolate manufacture .

CA S S A VA (M a nihot utilis sz ma a nd M C assad a Ma n

’

.
, ,

d i oc Mani o c
,
Cultivate d for its r oots in many parts th e staple
.
,

f ood of the natives C assava b re ad is mad e fr om me al form e d

.

fr om th e grate d a n d pre sse d r oo t III n tz h ssz ma is k now n as

’ ’ ’

. .

B itt e r C assava th e r oo t ju ice o f w h ich is p ois on ous a n d r e

, ,

q uire s t o b e extract ed b e f ore prepari n g th e me al ; M a ipi is .

k n own a s S w ee t Cassava a n d h as a n on p ois onous r oot ,

-

j uice .

C E R E A LS see G R A I N S
,
.

CO C O A ( T heobr oma ca ca o) ; c u lt ivated in s ome parts o f

N igeria th ou gh s o far w ith n o gre i succ e ss pr ob ab ly o wing
, ,

t o th e fact th at t h e plant r e q uire s car e ful cultivat ion f or e i gh t

ye ars b e fore it arrives at its full b e aring stage .

A lth ou gh tw o k i n d s viz s tenophylla a n d liberz ca

'

CO FFE E .
, .
,

a re cultivat e d succ e ssfully at S i e rr a Le o n e c offee d oe s n ot ,

app ear t o th rive in N igeria E v ery e ffort h a s b ee n mad e to .

cultivate it at th ree o f four plan tati on s on th e Lo w e r N ige r

a n d e ls e w h er e Plants h ave als o b een fre ely d istrib ut e d amon g
.

t h e mor e e nli gh t en e d chie fs b ut th e H igh Commission er f , or

S outh e rn N i geria in h is r ep ort for 1 900 says :

, I am afrai d , ,

u n le ss a c on si d erable rise tak e s place in price th e cultiva t i on ,

o f c o ffee ou t h e r e w ill al w a ys b e r un at a l o ss .

CO I R a nd CO P R A H s ee F I B R E S a n d PA LM S
, .

CO T T O N (Gos sypiu m ba r ba d ense) gr o w s wil d in m any parts

*
,

a n d is e x t e n sive ly cultivat e d in s om e d istricts th ough more ,

for th e purp ose o f supplyin g l ocal d em a n d s t h an f or e xp o rt .

I n th e latte r re sp ect as w e m enti on e d in Ch apt e r V th e tra d e

, .
,

in th is articl e h a s pr ove d a d isapp ointmen t Gre at h ope s .

w ere e n t ertaine d at on e t ime th at Manch est e r w oul d be ab le

t o d ra w largely o n W est A frica f o r h e r suppli e s b ut s o far t h e ,

t otal an nual valu e o f c o tton imp orte d int o G re at Britai n from

t h e w h ol e o f W est A frica h a s n ev er exce e d e d a f ew t h ou s an d

p oun d s Duri ng th e A me rican W ar the price ofco tt on b e came

.

s o h igh t h at t h e We st Co ast me rch an ts sa w a n opp o rtu n ity

for d eve l opin g t h is tra d e th ey acco rdingly s ent ou t mach i n ery

a n d start e d o p e rati ons in ma n y d if ferent parts ch ie fl y in th e ,

ne igh b ourhoo d o f th e G ol d Co as t a n d Lagos Little h o w eve r .

, .

came o ft h e e n t e rpris e for w it h t he conclusion of th e A merican

,

G os sypz n m h er ba ce u m m
’

and a r boreu
3 14 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

fr m
o th e
s s ee d use d for
stuffi ng pill ow s e tc A n oil from the , .
*

s ee d s . A ls o a gu m from th e b ar k us e d m e d icin al ly .

CO LA see K O LA , .

DYE S S ee u n d er h e ad o f CA M W O O D H E N N A I N D I G O e tc
.
, , , .

Th e re a re n umerous o th e r native d yes amon gst w hich may ,

b e mention e d I an chocarpus cya n escens (Cou n try B lu e a sp e ci e s ,

o f I nd i o ) C ochlospermu rn tin ctorz u m t h e r oo t o f w h ich give s

’

g ,

a ye ll o w d e Cra terz sper mu m l a u r in um a n d Xylopia polyca rpa

’

y ,

b oth w ith a yellow d ye from th e b ar k U n ca ria ga mbz r a yell o w

’ '

d ye from th e l e ave s
' '

G r u n ulea psychotrioz des T r ichilz a hen delotti

’

, ,

R hiz ophor a r a cemos a (man grove ) a n d S orghu m vulga re ( G u ine a ,

c orn ) r e d d ye s ; w hile th e s e ed s o f th e c ommon tree Vitex

,

cien k ows k i yi el d a b lac k d e w h ich is us e d f or in k

y .

FI BRE S T h e b ar k o f various tree s yiel d s goo d fi b re use d

.
,

b y th e n at ive s for cor d age e tc T h e b e tt e r k in d s a re o b taine d ,

.

from S ter culia cin er ea Grewz a a sia tz ca S es ba n ia a culea ta j a n d

’ ’
‘

.
, ,

t h e B aob ab A v ery go od fi b r e is pr o d uc e d b y T rz umf

’

. etta

s emitr z l oba w hil e th e large climb e r k n o w n as We s t I nd ian

’

F il b ert (E n ta da s ca n den s ) is much u se d for r op es A m ongst .

o t h e r fibr e pro ducin plan t s may b e m e n tion e d b a n an a c o co a

g
-
,

n u t (c oir a n d C oprah
) b ow stri n g h emp j ut e vario us sp e ci es , , ,

o f al oe : a n d R a hz a am b palm f ric an Bas s

'

l , p vi n i/ er a ( B o o A , ,

Pia s s ava ) ; see PA LM S PI A S S A V A , .

FR U I TS N o n e a re exp ort e d
. Th e foll o w in g a re f oun d e it h e r .

w il d or cultivated in d iffe re nt parts of N ige ria : Banana s ,

c ustar d appl e s c o c o an uts fi s

g g uavas ,
l im e s ma n goe s o ra nge s
, , , , , ,

pi n e a ppl es plantains p omegran at e s p op oWs (or paw paw s )

, , ,
-
,

avocad o p e ars (all igat or p e ars ) plu ms country grap e s l ocu sts , ,
-
, ,

m on k ey b re ad mel on s tamarin d s w at er mel ons e tc

, , ,
-
,
.

G I N G E R (Z ingiber ozfi cz n a le) Cu ltivat e d T h e und e rgr oun d

’

. .

st ems (ab ove th e roots ) a re d ug up a n d w h e n scrape d are k no w n ,

” ”
as w h it e ginger u n scrap e d blac k ginge r ,
Th e e x port is .

s m all .

G R A I N S § T h e principal grains o r c e re als o f th e c ountry

.

A fr ican Mill e t (Penn is etu m typhoz diu m ) Kous G e ro in

’

a re , , ,

B orn u gu ss u b Maiz e (Z ea ma ys ) gro w in g t o a h e igh t o f four ,

or fiv e fe e t from w h ich is mad e b re ad c alle d k a n k ie a n d b ee r

,

c all e d pitta R ice (Oryz a s a tiva ) w il d a n d cul t ivate d ; I n d ian ,

W o r th a bou t £ 5
p e r to n .

1 The
'
D a n c hi o fI n d ia .

I C hie fl y fo r fi s h in g -
n e ts a n d s m a ll c or d s .

N one e x p o r te d .
 A PP E N D I X .
315

Mille t ,
Guine a corn (S orghum vu lga r e) th e da wa o fH a u sa la n d
or , ,

e tc
.
,
w h ich is sow n in A pril a n d r e ap ed at t h e e n d o fDe cemb er .

G R O U N D N U T S (A r a chis hypogaea ) e arth p e a ; wi d ely culti ,

-

va t e d a n d e x p o rt e d T h e see d s a re use d as f oo d ro ast e d or

. ,

b o ile d b y native s a n d E urope an s ma k i n g amon gst o t he r

, , ,

t h ings an excelle n t th ic k p ea s oup Th e y a re export e d to E ur ope

, ,
-
.

e it h e r w it h or with out th e sh ells a n d th e o i l e x tracte d from th em

,

is use d as a su b stitut e for olive oil for d elica t e mach in e ry in , ,

th e manufacture o f b utt e ri n e p oma d e a n d s o ap ; w h ile th e , ,

r e fus e is mad e up int o o il cak e for cattle S ells in th e Liverp ool

-
.

mar k e t at ab ou t £ 1 0 o r £ 1 5 p er t on .

G U I N E A G R A I N S ; G rains o f Parad is e ; Mele gu e ta p epp e r *

( A m om u m m elegu eta ) S e e d s g o l d e n
. b r o w n h ar d a n d o f pun , ,

ge n t tast e Use d in A frica as S pice in E nglan d t o fl av our

.
,

w in e a n d b ee r as w ell as in th e pr eparati on o fcattl e me d icin e s

,
.

This w as t h e pe pp e r e x p orte d b y th e e arlie st E urope an

trad ers (Captain Win d h am a n d o th e rs ) fr om B en in a n d e ls e
w h e re O f lat e Ve ars t h e d emand in E urop e S eems t o h ave
.

almost ce ase d .

G U M S (in clu d i n g fossil re sin gu m c opal N umerous

, ,

vari e ti e s formin g an imp ort an t e x port trad e a re produc e d

, ,

b y b o th large tre e s a n d small S h ru b s S ter culia tr a ga ca ntha (a .

tree fo rt y or fifty fe e t in h e igh t ) yi el d s c ommon gu m arab ic ;

B a ls a mod en dr on a /r ica nu m ( a sh ru b or s mall tree ) mi x e d w ith ,

gu m arab ic f or t h e mar k e t ; C a n a r iu m e l ule a sc e n t e d gu m ; i ,

A n a ca rd iu m occiden ta le C ordyla a f r ica n a (large tr ee ) ; j D a niellia

'‘

thu ri/er a t h e F ran k inc e n s e tre e o f S ie rra Le one (large tree )

. ,

yi el di n g a scen t e d gu m ; Oge a gu m (Yo ru b a cou n try) some ,

w h at S imilar to th e l a t A lbiz z ia lebbek (th e S iris tr ee o fI nd ia ) ;j:

s

A lbiz z ia brown ei a fin e gu m li k e c opal

, S a r cocepha lu s es culen tis
-

(S i e rra Le one p e ach ) ; A ca cia malli/era er u bescen s ver ek ‘

, , ,

n ebou red , a da nson ii, a l bid a , a ra bica , § s en ega l , etba ica , “y se al fl jj

C opa ifer a guibour tia n a
(large tre e ) yi el d s a w hite gu m (copal ) ,

t h e foun d ati o n o f all fin e varn ish e s a n d it fe tch e s in Lo n d o n , ,

O r M a l a gu etta .

T G u m u s e d b y n a tiv e s for m a k in g Si e z fo r whitewa sh .

I T h e l e a v es and t wigs fu r n is h fo d d er fo r c a m els .

G um a ra bic t h e ba bool o fI n d ia .

I! B es t gu m,
a ra bic k n o wn
m m e r ce a s K o rd of
in a n Pic k ed
co ,

T u r k ey whit e S e nn a a r o r S e n e ga l g u m
, ,
.

‘
jj I n ferior g u m a r a b ic , k n o wn in co mm e r c e a s S u a k im T al k a o r ,

T a lk a gu m .
316 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

7 d . to I od .
p e r lb ; . C opa if
era colo p ospermum
h (copal ) iron ,

w ood .

th e se gu m is e xtracte d from man y o th e r i n d igen ous

B e si d e s ,

trees S ome vari e tie s a re all ow e d t o d ry on th e tree ; o th ers

.

a r e f oun d b y di gg g h avi ng dr opp e d from th e t re e a n d su n k

i n ,

i n t o th e e arth Wh en b rou gh t to E urope t h e gums a r e care

.

fully s ort ed for th e mark e t wh ite a n d pure gu m b ei n g th e most ,

”
valuable S enegal
. fe tch es ab out 903 p er cw t ; S ie rra . .

Leo n e copal (C gu ibourtia n a ) I S 6 d p er lb (cl e an e d )

. A ccra ,
. . .

c opal (fos sil re si n ) £5 p er cw t cle an e d a n d h al f t h at price in it s

, .
,

raw stat e T h e gums are use d in E ur op e for t h e foll owin g amon g

.
,

o t h e r p u r p oses v i
, z : Dru gs p h armacy d isti
, llati on confe ction e ry
.
, , , ,

d ressing lac e li n en c o tt o n w ool sil k e t c a n d f

, , or st ic k i n g p u r
, . , .
,

p os e s as w ell as in th e manufacture o fmatch e s in k blac kin g e t c :

, , , ,

H E M P (C a nn a bis s a liva ) B o w string h emp o r A frican F lax .

,

(S a nseviera gu in een sis ) grows w il d a n d yi el d s a goo d fi b r e (fr o m

th e l e av e s w h ich a re th r e e or f our f ee t in l e ngth a b out f orty
, ,

poun d s o fth em yiel d ing ab out on e p oun d o ffi b re ) S ee F I B R E S . .

H E N N A (La wson ia a lba ) a sh ru b a b out six fe e t in h e igh t ;

use d b y th e n ative s (ch ie fl y b y Moh amme d an s ) for d yei n g t h e
fi nge r n ails r e d Cultivate d . .

H I D E S a n d S K I N S o f cattl e S h ee p a n d go ats a re e x p o rt e d , ,

r a w a n d tann e d t h e lat t e r ch i e fl y ov e rlan d fr om N orth e rn

,

N i geria t o t h e Me d ite rrane an a n d t h e nce t o N ew Yo r k

*
.
,

I N D I G O (I n digo/er a tin ctoria a nil trita hirs uta en d eca phylla , , , , ,

enn ea phylla diphylla fi is e x t e nsively cultivat e d in man y parts

'

o f W e st A f ric a :j a n d h a s d ou b tl e ss b ee n k n o w n in th e c ou n try
,

a n d us e d as a d ye from t i me immemorial ye t it c a n scarcely ,

b e c on si dere d an art icl e o f e x p ort Th e ve ry smal l am o unt .

th at h a s b een b rou gh t t o E urope h a s n eve r given re as on t o

b eli eve t h at the lan d pr od uce s much m ore th an su f fi cie n t f or

th e r e q uir em e n ts o ft h e native s n e ith e r is t h e q uality o f W e st

A frican i n d igo h igh e nou gh t o enab l e it t o h ol d its ow n agai n st

t h at imp ort ed fr om I n dia w h e re its cultivat ion h as b ee n b ro ugh t ,

t o th e h igh e st stat e o f p e rfecti o n § .

Vid e p a ge 1 69 .

j A l so L on choca rpu s cya n es cen s ( W es t rica n in digo ) ,

Af a w oo d y
c lim b er tw en ty e e t l o n g , y ield in g
t o thir ty f a good a n d p er m a n en t
blu e d ye .

1 F l ow e r s f
r o m A u gu s t to M a r c h p la n ts cut d o wn b e fo r e th e

fl o w e r ing s ta g e .

In E n gl a n d a p o u n d o fB e n g a l in d igo is wor th a b ou t 75 6 d. .

a p o u nd o f W est Af
r ic a n a bou t 45 .
318 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

o th e r transact ions a re arrange d by me an s of the numb er a nd

c olour o f k ola nuts stru n g t oge th er (or o th e rw is e ) a n d s ent by ,

o ne p a rt y t o an o th e r Th e first a c t o f frien d sh ip a n d h o spi

.

tal ity is a pres ent o f w h it e k ola n uts a n d b e fore comme n cing ,

any d iscus sion o f a p olitic al or o th er n ature th e b re ak ing o f

t h e k ola nut o ffri e n d sh ip is a n e c es sity .

T h e nuts gr ow in b u n ch e s of th ree or f our a n d th e ir e x port ,

i n t o th e co untrie s o f th e S u d an e ven as far e as t a s K h artum , ,

is a ve ry fl ouri sh ing t rade Fo r l ong j ourneys th e re d nuts are .

consi d ere d th e b est a n d th ey a re p a c k e d with th e gre at e st care

,

in large le ath er c overe d b as k e ts h ol d ing th re e or f our th ousan d

,
-
,
.

E ach layer of n uts is c ov e re d with le ave s a n d spri n k le d w ith

wat e r as it is ne cessary for th em to b e k ept moist b ut n o air
,

must re ach th em o th e rw is e th e y d ivi d e a n d b ec ome h ard

, ,

w h en t h ey a re al most valueless A n e stimate o f th eir valu e as .

t h e y trave l furt h e r from th e place o f gr ow th may b e forme d

b y k no w i n g th at a k ola n u t is ori ginally w orth ab out five c o wri e s
at Kano it is w orth 1 2 0 c o wr ie s a n d at Ku k a 3 00 I n th e ,
.

Liv erp o ol m a r k et t h e y fe tch ab out 3 d p er l b A full a n d care . .

ful an alys is o fth e k ola nu t w ill b e foun d in S emler Tropisch e

A gri k ultur 1 8 92 page 2 00
, , .

LE A T H E R s ee H I D E S a n d S K I N S
, .

LO C U S T (Pa r kia biglobos a ) A frican l o cust A large tree , .

,

with e d ib le s ee d s us ed b y th e native s as a su b stitut e for coffee

,

a n d ch o c olat e .

LO O FA H (Lufla ( egyy btia ca ) ; us e d f or b rush e s and sp on ge s .

S mall q uantit ie s e x p orte d Th e s ee d s yi el d an o il . .

MA N I O C see CA S S A VA
, .

MI N E R A LS W ith th e e xcep ti on ofir o n few min erals have b e en

.
,

a s ye t f ou n d in N i e ria T in h a s b een d i s c ove re d in t h e B e nu é

g .

r egions a n d it is imagine d th at it e x is ts in c on s id erable quan titi es

, .

O I LS w it h vari ou s pr op e rti e s a r e e xtracte d from n ume rou s

s ee d s a n d n uts such a s P eotha clethr a ma cr ophylla ; th e I ca co
,

or Co co a plum ; Ma b o s ee d s ; M Poga nuts ; N ik o s ee d s ;

’

s ee d s o f t h e cucum b e r w ate r mel on c olocyn th pump k in ,

-
, , ,

b amb oo palm e tc S ee B E N I S E E D CA S H E W G R O U N D N U T
, .
, , ,

H E M P LO O F A H PA LM S PA LM O I L
, , , .

O S I R I C H FE A T H E R S A c ons id e ra b le trad e e x i s ts in th e s e
’ ‘

b e t w ee n Kan o a n d th e Me dit erran e an .

PA LM S T h e principal palms fou nd in th e c ou n try a re

.

O il p al m (E lce is t w e n ty t o thirty fee t in h e igh t ,

W in e ro m t h e
is m a d e f s a p o f th e o il p alm
 A PP E N D I X .
319

s ee PA LM O I L Coc o a nut (Cocos sixty to on e h un d re d

-

fee t ; th e th ic k fibr ous rin d ofth e fruit yi eld s coir fib re a n d a ,

valuab le o il (us e d for c o ok in g b urn i ng a n d can dle a nd s oap , ,

mak ing) is ob t ain e d from t h e fruit ; D at e (Phoen ix d a ctylif era ) ,

in small quan titi e s ; Palmyra (B ora s s u s fla bellif ormu s o r wthio

p iu m ) ; D o um o r Gin g er
, b r e a d Tr ee H
( yp hwn e theba ica o r

guin een s is ) gr o w s t o a h e i gh t o fth irty fee t th e rind o fth e fruit

, ,

is e aten ; Bamb oo palm (R a phia vin i/era ) le af stal k use d for

-
,
-

p ole s (a su b stitute for b amb oo s ) le ave s us e d for th atch b as k e t , ,

ma k i n g a n d o th e r purp ose s s ee d s yie ld a n oil see R U B B E R ;

, , ,

R a phia hook eri j le av e s us e d for t h atch cl o t h s h amm o c k s

‘ ‘

, , , ,

mats bas k e t s e tc a n d a go od win e is obtain e d fr om th e sap

, ,
.
,

R a phia wclwits chii l e ave s w ove n i n t o cl o th ; C a la mu s ste m s

, ,

us ed for b as k e t ma k in g Phoenix s pin os a you n g l e av e s us e d

-
,

for mak ing h ats fru it e d ibl e w in e mad e fr o m th e sap

,
S celer o
,

sper ma ma nn ii st eml es s palm l e av e s u se d for th atch in g ;

, ,

Pododoccu s ba rteri small tree a b o ut e igh t fee t h igh

, .

PA LM O I L th e prin c ipal e x p ort fr om S o uth e rn N i ge ria is

, ,

o b t ain e d fr om t h e fruit o f E l az is gu in een s is wh ich b oth gr o w s ,

w il d a n d is cultivate d in t h e re gi on s ad j ace n t to th e c o ast .

Th e tree b e ars b e st w h e n gr o w ing in d amp s oil a n d w h e n n o ,

tall e r t h an t w elve fee t th ough it attain s d ouble t his h ei gh t

,

as it ad vanc e s in age Th e fru it gro w s in large pric k ly cl usters

.
,

a n d its sk in is o fa b righ t r e d or oran ge c ol our turnin g t o ye ll ow ,

w h e n r ip e ; its pulp is some w h at b itte r in taste a n d re d dish ,

w h it e in c ol our a n d w ith in th e fru it is a st on e (w it h k ern el )

, ,

about th e S i z e o fa filber t A n ave rage tree comme n ce s t o b e ar .

b et w e en th e s e venth a n d twelfth year lasts in b e aring for a b out ,

fort y ye ars a n d yiel d s t w en ty p oun d s of muts i in a se as on

, ,

o fw h i c h th e re a re tw o in th e ye ar § T h e natives h ave vari ous .

use s f or th e o i l ; in c oo k in g it tak e s th e plac e o f th e gh ee o f

I n d ia a n d a favourit e W e st A frican d ish o f b o th n ative s a n d
,

E urop e ans is palm oil ch op wh ich consists o f me at o r fish

-
,

s w immi n g in palm o il ; a gain it is use d as a p omad e f

-
o r th e ,

h air as a lu b r ican t for th e s k i n a n d for b urnin g in th e primitive

, ,

l amps ofth e h ouses F or th es e pu rp os e s it is s ome w h at r oughly

.

C u l tiv a ted no t in d ig e n o u s t o W e s t A fr ic a .

1 W ild a n d c u l tiv a t e d fo r its win e (so m e tim e s c a ll e d tu m bo)

‘
.
,

j: T h e w e igh t o f t h e o il e x tr a c t e d is qu al to n ea rly h a l f t h e
e

w eigh t o fth e n u t s o n e ga llo n o fp a l m o il w eigh s 9 lb s a n d it t a k e s .

,

a bo u t b u n c h es t o m a k e o n e to n o fo il .

N u ts ga th ere d in th e r a in y s ea s on fu r n ish t h e b es t O II I
3 20 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

p repare d . A fter th e
nuts a re gath ere d th ey a re k ept in a h ot ,

place for th ree or four d ays w h e n th e ston e s a re r emove d a n d , ,

th e pulp is b oil e d in a n iron p ot Th is comple t e d th e mass .

,

is p ou n d e d in a w ood en m ortar th en mix e d w ith w at e r a n d , ,

a ga in b oi le d un til th e oil fl oats ou t a n d is s k imme d off th e

,

surface o f the w at er .

F or e x p ort a more elab orat e proces s is fo ll o w e d The .

bunch e s ofn uts a re c u t fr om th e trees a n d th e h us k s care fully ,

remove d T h e fl esh o f th e fruit i e t h e pulp is at th is t ime

.
, . .
,

hard a n d b efore t h e st on e ca n b e e x tracte d h a s to b e s oftene d

, , ,

th e nuts a r e t h e r e for e b urie d in a d eep p it f or s e v e ral w e e k s ,

w h ich pro duc es d e comp ositi on a n d re n d e rs th e m s oft Th ey .

a r e n ow plac e d in a w oo d e n m o rtar a n d p oun d e d unti l th e fl e sh ,

l e aves th e s t one w h e n a t re atment similar t o t h at d escri b e d

,

a b ove is foll ow e d con clu d in g with th e strai n in g o f th e oil

,

th rou gh a fine n e t ba g Th is is th e gen eral me th o d o fpr epara .

t ion a nd the valu e o f th e o il in t h e E n gl ish mar k e t d epen d s

,

o n th e care w ith w h i c h it h a s b ee n pre par e d a s w ell as on t h e ,

p a rticular l ocality in wh ich th e tree gro w s T h e trad e t erms .

f o r th e d i fferen t qualitie s imp ort e d int o E nglan d from N ige ria

” “ ” “ ” “ “ ”
a re h ard s oft ,
me dium r egular a n d irregular
, , ,
.

”
H ard oil c ontain s a large prop ort ion o f s t e ari n e is use d ,

prin cipally b y can dle mak ers a n d c om e s from the Lo w er N ige r

-
, ,

B ras s a n d N ew Calab ar
,
s oft o il is u se d in th e m anufacture
o f s oap a n d f o r lu b ricati n g purp o s e s mp ort ed from
*
a n d is i ,

B onny Op ob o a n d O ld Calab ar ; w h ile

, ,
med ium oil is
ei th e r o f th e tw o former q ual it ies w h ich s e ts afte r m eltin g T .

“ ” “ ”
Th e te rms re gular a n d irregular r efe r t o th e l ocal ity
from w h ich th e oil c omes (th e forme r from t h e O il R ivers th e ,

latt er from o th er parts o fWes t A frica ) a n d a re use d to specify ,

t h e all ow an ce ma d e t o th e b uye r f or i m p ur it ie s Lagos o il is .

t h e fin es t s ofte st a n d most n eutral a n d is c on s id e r e d q u it e

, , ,

pure ;;t b ut all o th er oils a re an alyse d b e fore s al e (in Liverp ool ) ,

t h e b uye r o f t h e re gular o il ge tt ing a n impurity all o w ance

o f 2 p er c e n t a n d t h e b uye r o f
.
,
irr egular o il rece iving th e
full all o w an c e for impurit ie s .

W ith r e gar d to th e tra d e in palm oil th e follow i ng figur e s ,

a re int e r e stin g as S h ow in g t h e incre as e in th e am oun t imp o rt e d

,

A c er ta in a m ou n t fro m p a l m o il , a n d wh e n
o fg ly c e r in e c o m es

r e fi n e d is u s e d in t h e p r e p a ra tio n o f m e d ic in e s , n it r o gl y c e rin e , e t c
— .

H a r d o il I S as t h ic k a s b u tte r , s o f oil is l iq u id
T t .

1 M u c h u s e d in S o u th W a l es in t in p l a te m a n u f a c tu r e -
.
3 22 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

( R a phia is e x p ort ed , a nd s ells in Liverp ool f

or about
£2 5 to £3 5 p er ton .

PI T H see S O LA H , .

R U B B E R ; I n d ia rub b e r ; Caoutch ouc S ec ond in v alu e .

a s an e xp ort o nly t o palm o i l a nd o f c omparatively r ece n t ,

d e vel opment T h e rub b er is obtaine d from tw o p rincipal

.

vari e tie s of trees v iz Creep e rs o r r u bb er vin es a n d sp eci e s

,
.
,

o f ficu s bo th a re wi d ely d istri b ut e d a n d i n d igenous La n .

d olphia owarien sis (w h it e ru bb e r vin e ) yi el d s th e b est rubb er ;

La ndolphis florid a a large w oo d y climb e r is ab un d ant in th e
, ,

fores ts Li b erian r ubb e r is o b tai n e d fr om F icus (or U r ostigma )

.

oogelii a tre e
, gr ow i n g t o a h ei ght o f tw enty t o th irty fee t ; a
c u t is ma d e in th e tru n k w h e n th e tr ee is a b out fiv e
ye ars old ,

a n d th e sap is c oll e ct e d in v e ss els r olle d int o b alls (th e si z e o f ,

a crick e t b all ) a n d s ol d in this form T h e vin e rubber is c ol

, .

l ect ed in a s ome w h at d i f feren t mann e r in s ome cas e s th e vine

is c u t through in o th ers a sl it is mad e in t h e vi n e from wh ich
, ,

t h e j uic e exu d e s b ut q u ic k ly d ri e s ; in o r d e r th e r e fore t o

, , ,

maintain th e flow th e n ative k e eps th e slit o pen a nd sme ars ,

t h e ru b b er ove r h is arms a n d b re ast aft e r w h ich h e p eels it ,

of f a n d rolls it i n t o b alls Me n t ion h a s b een mad e in pre vi ous

.

ch apt ers o fth e rapi d d evelopment o fthis trad e a nd its prospe cts ,

b ut in o rd e r t o o b tain t h e ru bb er th e i n exp eri e nc e d coll ect ors

h ave almost succe e d e d in k ill ing th e go ose th at lai d th e gol d en
e gg . Wh ol e forests h ave b een d estr oye d a n d th e rubb er in ,

d us try in W e st A frica is l ik ely t o su f fer c onsid erab ly The .

Hi gh Commiss ion er o f S outh ern N ige ria h a s n ow issu ed the

s trict e st rul e s re lat ing t o th e c oll e cti on o f th is valuabl e natural

pro d uct T h e r ubb er s ells in Liverpool at ab out I S t o 2 5 6 d

. . . .

p e r lh acc
. o
,
r d in g t o q uality t h e f o rm in w h ich it is s en t to
,

E n glan d from We st A frica giving r is e t o a vari e ty o f tra d e

t erms such as— C ape Co ast a n d B enin lumps ; S i e rra Le one
,

niggers a n d t w is ts ; G amb ia th imbles ; G ol d Co ast strips a n d

b iscuits ; N iger h e ad s e tc ,
.

S A S S E Y B A R K ; sass w oo d ; or d eal bar k ; a large tree

- -

E h hl m i w it h valua b l d h ar d w oo d
( y r t ro p eu gu n een se ) e a n ,
.

T h e b ar k is a p ow e rful p o is o n a d eco cti o n o f w h ich is use d b y ,

t h e nat ive s f o r o r d e al purp os es as w ell as f or p oi s on in g arr o w s 1

‘

.
,

The n a tiv e s o f m a ny p a r ts p o u nd t h e p e rica r p o f t h is , a n d

m a k e it in to a p a s te , wh ich t h e y t h ro w in to t h e riv e r s a n d c r e e s t o k
s y fi sh
tu p e f .

T A n o th er co mmo n a rr o w p o iso n is th e m ilky j u ic e of th e

E u phorbia i
 A P PE N D I X . 323

SENNA (Ca ssia senn a of commerc e:

obova ta ) , th e
S H E A B U TT E R -
al s o c al le d Galam or Bamb u k butt er ;
, ,
-

o btai n e d fr om t h e fru it o f a l a rge a n d h an d som e tree (B utyr o

s permum Th e tree is i n dige n ous a n d wi d ely d is tr i

b ut e d in t h e int eri or b e i n g fou n d in gre at n umb ers in th e Hausa
,

cou n try I n app earan c e it re s emb l e s th e A me rican O a k

.
,

g r o w in g t o a h e i gh t o f a b o ut f o rty f ee t a n d havi n g a ma s s iv e ,

t run k T h e w o od is re d l ik e ce d ar a n d is c l o se graine d a n d
.
,
-

h ar d T h e fl e sh o f th e fruit is e at e n b y th e nat iv e s and th e

.
,

s o call e d b utt e r e x tract e d fr o m t h e k e rn el ta k e s t h e place o f

-

palm oil in th e inlan d parts o f British N ige ria T h e pr oce s s o f

-
.

m ak i n g th e b utte r is v ery s imilar t o t h at e mpl o ye d in th e manu

facture o f palm k e rn el oil T th ou gh f or n ative u se it is mad e
, , ,

u p i n t o ca k e s a n d w rapp e d r ou n d w ith l e av e s w h e n it w ill k e ep ,

fre sh for s everal month s I t is exp orte d from th e N iger a n d .

,

its sellin g price in Live rp ool ru n s w ith th at o f palm o il as a -

,

s ub stitut e f or w h ic h it is us e d i n E ur op e S h e a gu tta is th e .

n am e appl ie d t o a su b stan c e o f th e natur e o f gutta p e rch a ,

-
,

foun d in sh e a b utte r b u t s o far n o u se h as b een mad e o f it

-
, , ,
.

S O LA H (E s chyn omen e a sper a ) p ith us e d fo r fl o ats h a t mak ing , , ,

e tc . A n o th e r pith , S imilarly use d is H erminier a ela phroxylon ,

.

TA M A R I N D (T a ma rin du s in dica ) th e w ell k now n tamari n d ,

-

tree T h e l e ave s give a yell o w d ye

. .

TI M B E R Th e fore sts o f N ige ria w ith out d ou b t c ontain

.

m an y vari e ti e s o f v al uab l e timb e r tre e s th ough as ye t th e y ,

h ave b ee n little w o r k e d T h e F ore stry D epartme n t o fS outh ern

.

N ige ria is h o w ev e r fully al ive t o op en in g up th e timbe r tra d e

, , ,

a n d c o n c e ss ion s are n ow b e i n ff r d n d ta k n up u n d e r c e r tai n

g o e e a e

r egulations Th e gre at d rawb ac k t o a rapi d d e vel opment o f

.

t h e tra d e is th e w an t o f transp ort a n d f or many ye ars t o c ome ,

o n ly th o se fo re sts a d j ac ent t o th e w at e r w ays c a n b e succ e ss -

fully w or k e d Ma h oga n yi is k n o w n t o gr ow in gre at q uantitie s

.
,

a n d e b ony h a s l o n
g b e en e xp ort e d fro m th is part o fW es t A frica .

T h e e x p ort o fe b o n y acc or ding t o t h e S outh e rn N i ge ria R ep ort

,

for 1 900 h a s d e cl in e d c on sid erab ly d urin g th e last five ye ars

, ,

v iz .from t o n s in 1 8 95—6 t o 6 4 t on s in 1 8 99—1 900 Th e .

e x planat i o n o f th is unsat isfact o ry stat e o f af fairs is I un d er ,

Or B a s s ia pa r hii ,
so n a m e d a fte r F e r d in a n d B a ssi, C u r a to r of

t h e B ol o g n a B o ta nic al G a r d en s , w h o e x a min e d th e fi rs t s p ec im e n

b r ou gh t to E u r op e b y M u n g o Pa r k . H a u sa n a m e , K e d a nia .

T S e e p a ge 3 2 1 :

1: A fr ic a n m a h o ga ny (Kha y a S en ega l en s is ) .
3 24 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

t n d s ays th e H igh Commi ssi oner

s a , th at th e usual siz e of ,

th e b i ll et s has b een alt e r e d a n d th at in or d e r t o pay th e e x

,

porter the wood must b e c u t l a rge r: Th e n atives h o w e ve r are , ,

very cons e rvative a n d it t ak e s a l ong time t o e ducat e th em in

,
”
such matters O ld C al ab ar eb ony w as s elli ng in Live rp ool
.

in 1 902 at £6 t o £7 p e r t on .

TO B A CC O (N icotia n a ta ba cum) cultivate d b y th e natives for ,

h ome c onsumpti on but n o t e x p ort ed , Th e c ou n try d oe s n o t .

gr ow suffi ci e nt f or its w ants .

VE G E T A B LE S N on e e x p o rt e d
. Th e foll o w ing a r e th e prin .

ci p al cultivat ed b y t h e nativ es for th eir ow n u se : Cucumb e r ,

gour d
*
,
sh al o t swee t p otat o ya m T (w ild a n d cultivat e d )
, , ,

o n ions p e as a n d b e an s o fd i f
, ,
fere n t k ind s egg plant o r b rinj al ; ,
-

w il d mustard cassava a n d vari ous o th er native vege tab le s

, ,

wh ose le ave s or r oots a re e aten .

WA X is coll ecte d in vario us parts o f N i geria a n d e x p orted

o n a small scal e .

C u l tiv a t e d c h ie fly for use as c al a b a sh es ( b o wls ,

d r ink in g
v ess e l s ,

T The s ta p l e fo o d of W es t Co a s t n a tiv e s . U n r ip e y a rn s a r e m os t
in j u rio u s ; th e a nn u a l y a m c u s t om - 5’
p r o c l a im s of fi c ia lly w h e n

th e y a re fi t to b e e a te n
3 26 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

Pr otocol .

Th e Un d ersigned Martin G o ss elin , Ministe r Plen ip oten

,

tia ry a n d S e cre tary o f H e r Britan n ic Maj e sty s E m b assy at

’

Paris ; W illiam E v ere tt a Co lon el in H er Britann ic Maj esty s

,
’

land force s a nd an A ss istant A d jutant G ene ral in th e I n telli -

genc e Divisi o n o f th e W ar O f fi c e ; R ené Le co mte Min iste r ,

Pl enipo t en tiary A ssistant S ub D ire cto r in th e D epartment

,
-

o f Political A f fairs in th e Min istry for F o rei gn A ffairs ; Louis

G ustave Binger Co l onial G ov e rn or unattach ed D ire cto r o f
, , ,

A frican A f fairs at th e Ministry o f th e Col oni e s ; d elegat e d

re sp ectively b y th e G ove rnme nt o fH er Britannic Maj esty a n d
b y the G ov ernment of th e F ren ch R epublic in or d er to d raw
up in c onfo rmity w ith th e De claration s e x ch ange d at Lon d on
,

on th e sth A u gust 1 8 90 a n d th e 1 5th J anuary 1 8 96 a d raft

, , , ,

o f d efinitive d elim itat i o n b e t w e e n th e British Co l o n ie s o f t h e

Gol d Coast Lago s a n d the o th e r British p oss essi ons to th e

, ,

west of th e N iger a n d th e F rench p osses s ions o f t h e I vo ry

,

C oast th e S u d an a n d Dah om ey a n d b e twe en th e British a n d

, , ,

F r ench p osse ssi ons a n d th e S ph ere s o f i nfl u ence o f t h e tw o

c ountri es to th e e ast o fth e N iger h ave agree d to th e follo w in g ,

provisi ons wh ich th e y h ave res olve d to submit for th e approval

,

o f th e ir r e sp e ctiv e G ov ernm en ts :

A R T I CLE I .

Th e fronti er s eparatin g th e British Colon y o f th e G old

C oast from th e Fr en ch Col oni e s o f th e I vo ry Co ast a nd S u d an
S h all s tart from th e n orth e rn t ermin al p oin t o f th e fron tie r

laid d o w n in th e A n glo F re n ch A greement o f th e 1 2 th J uly

-

1 8 93 ,
V iz th e i n t e rs e ct ion o f th e t h al w e g o f th e Black Volta
.

with th e 9th d egree o f n orth latitu d e a n d sh all follow th e ,

t h al w eg o f th is rive r n orth w ard up to its i n te rs ecti on w ith th e

1 1 th d egr e e o f n o rth latitu d e F rom th is p oi n t it sh all follow
.

t his parallel o f latitu d e e ast w ard as far as th e riv er sh own on

Ma p N o I ann ex e d t o t h e pre s ent Pro to col as passi ng imme
.
, ,

d ia tely to th e e ast o f th e v illage s o f Zw a ga (S oa uga ) a n d Ze

b illa (S e b illa ) a nd it sh all th e n follo w th e t h al w eg o fth e west
,

ern branch o f t h i s river u p str e am to its int e rs ecti on w ith th e

paral lel o f latitu d e passing th rou gh th e v illage o f S ap e liga :
F ro m th is p o int th e front ier sh al l follow th e n orth e rn l imits
o f th e la n d s b el onging to S ap e l i ga as far as th e R iv e r N u h a u
(N ouh a u ) a n d sh all th en follo w th e th alweg o f t his river up
,
 A PPE N D I X .
327

or d own stream , as the c as e may b e to a p oint situated 2 miles

,

me tres ) e ast w ard of th e road wh ich lead s from Gam

baga to T enk r ogu (Tingou rk ou ) via Bawk u (B au k ou ) Th ence
, .

it S h all r ej o in b y a straigh t lin e th e 1 1 th d egr ee o f n orth lati ~

tu d e at th e inte rs ection o f th is parallel with th e ro ad which
is sh own o n Ma p N o I as l e ad in g from S ansanne Man go to
.
-

Pama via J eb igu (Dj e b iga)

,
.

A R T I CLE II .

Th e fronti e r b e t w een th e British C ol ony o f Lago s a nd th e

F ren ch Co lony o fD ah ome y w h ich w as d e limit e d o n th e groun d
,

b y th e A nglo F r ench B ou n d ary Commission o f 1 8 95 a n d w h ich

-
,

is d escrib ed in th e rep ort S ign ed b y th e Commission e rs of th e

t wo nati on s o n th e 1 2 th O cto b er 1 8 96 sh all h e nc e fo rwar d
, ,

b e r ec ognis ed as th e fron tier s eparatin g th e B ritish a n d

F r ench p o ssessi ons fro m th e se a t o th e 9th d egr ee o f n r th o

latitu d e .

F rom th e p oint o f int ers e cti o n o f th e R iv e r O cp a r a with

t h e 9th d egree o f no r th latit u d e as d e t e rmin ed b y t h e sai d
,

Co mmissi on ers th e fron ti er s eparating th e British a n d F rench

,

p oss essi ons sh all proc eed in a no rth erly d irection a n d foll ow ,

a line p s sing west of th e land s b elon ging t o th e following

a
places viz Tab ira O k uta
, . , B aria Te re G b ani A sh i , , ,

g e r e ( Y a ss ik éra ) a n d D ek ala
, .

F rom th e m ost w e sterly p oint o f th e lan d s b e l onging to

D e k ala th e fronti er S h all b e d ra wn in a n orth erly directi on s o
as to coinci d e as far as p ossibl e w ith th e lin e ind icated on Map
N o 1 an n ex e d t o th e pr es ent Pro t o c ol a n d sh al l stri k e th e
.
,

ri gh t b an k o f th e N ige r at a p oint situated I O mil es

m etres ) up s tream from th e c entre o f th e t own ofG e re (G uiris )
( th e p o rt o f m e asur e d as th e crow fl ie s .

A R T I CLE III .

F r o m th ep o int sp ecifie d in A rticl e I I wh ere th e frontie r .

,

s eparating th e British a n d Fr ench po ssessi on s strik es th e N iger ,

v iz. a p oint situated o n th e righ t b an k o f th at riv er 1 0 miles ,

me tres ) up s tre am from th e c en tre o f th e t own of G ere

( G u iris ; t h e p o rt o f t h e fr o n t ie r s h all f oll o w a straigh t

l in e dr aw n th er efrom at righ t an gle s to th e ri gh t b an k as far

as its inte rs ecti on w ith th e m ed ian lin e o f th e river I t sh all .

th en follow th e m ed ian line of th e rive r up stream as far as ,

-
,
328 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

its intersec tion with a lin e d raw n p e rp end icularly to th e l eft

b an k from th e me d ian lin e o f th e mouth o f t h e d epre ssio n o r
d r y wate r cours e which on Ma p N o 2 ann e x ed t o th e pres ent
-
, , .

Pro toc ol is called th e Da llul Mauri a nd is sh ow n th e re on as

, ,

b eing situate d at a distanc e o f ab out 1 7 mil es me tre s ) ,

measure d as th e crow fl ies from a p oint o n th e l eft b an k oppo

,

site th e ab ove mentioned village o fGere (G uiris )

-
.

F rom th is p oint o f inte rs ection th e fro nti e r sh all follow

this p erp end icular till it mee ts th e l e ft b an k of th e riv er .

A R T I CLE IV .

To th e e ast o f th e N i ge r th e frontier s eparatin g th e British

a n d F rench p oss e ss ions sh all fo ll ow t h e li n e in dicat e d o n Ma p

N o 2 which is ann ex e d to th e pr es en t Pro t oc ol

.
, .

S tarting from th e point on th e l e ft b an k o f th e N iger in d i

c a te d in th e pr evious A rt icl e v iz th e m e d ian l in e o f th e Da llu l
,
.

Mauri th e fronti e r sh all follo w th is m ed ian line u n til it m e e ts

,

th e circumfe r enc e o fa circl e d ra w n from th e c entr e o fth e t own

o f S o k o t o w ith a ra d i us o f 1 00 mil e s me tre s ) F ro m .

th is p oint it sh all follo w th e n orth ern a r c o f th is circle as far

as its s econ d int ers ection w ith th e 1 4th paralle l o f n orth lati
tu d e F rom th is s e con d p oin t o f inte rs e ction it sh all follow
.

t his parallel e astward for a d istan ce o f70 miles m e tres )

th en procee d d u e s outh until it re ach e s th e parallel o f1 3 2 0 n orth ° ’

latitu d e th en e ast w ar d alon g th is parallel for a d istan ce o f

,

2 50 m il es me tres ) ; th en d u e n o rth u n til it regain s

th e 1 4 th parall el o f n orth latitu d e ; t h e n e ast w ard s al on g t h is
parallel as far as its int ers e ct io n w ith th e m erid ian pass ing
'
3 5 e ast o f th e c entre o f th e t o w n o f Ku k a a n d th enc e th is ,

m erid ian s outh w ar d u n til its int e rs ection w ith th e s outh e rn

S h ore o f La k e Ch a d .

T h e G ov ernm ent o f th e Fren ch R epu b l ic rec ognis e s as ,

falli n g w ithin th e British sph e re th e t e rritory to th e e ast o f

,

t h e N ige r c ompris e d w ith in th e a b ov e m enti on ed lin e th e-

,

A n gl o G erman fro n t ie r a n d th e s e a
-

,
.

Th e G ove rnmen t o f H e r Br itan n ic Maj e sty r ec ogn is es a s ,

falling with in th e F f e n ch S p h e re th e n orth ern e aste rn a n d

, , ,

s out h ern s h or es o f Lak e Ch ad w h ich a re comprise d b e t w een

,

t h e p oint o f int e rs e cti on o f th e 1 4th d e ree o f n orth latitu d e

g ,

with th e w e stern sh ore o f th e lak e a n d th e point o f i n cid ence

o n th e S h or e o f t h e la k e o f th e front i e r d e t e rm i
n e d b y th e
F ranco G erman Convention o f th e 1 5th March 1 8 94
-
,
.
3 30 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

A R T I CLE VI I I .

H e r B ritannic Maj e sty s G ov e rnment will grant on l ease

’

t o th e G ove rnm ent o f t h e F r ench R epublic f or th e o b j e cts , ,

a n d o n th e c o n d iti o ns sp e cifi e d in th e fo rm o f l e as e an n e x e d

t o th e pr e s ent Pro t oc ol tw o p iec e s o f ground t o b e s el ect e d

,

b y th e Gove rn ment o f th e F r en ch R epu b lic in c onjuncti on

w ith H er Britan n ic Maj esty s G ove rnment o n e o f wh ich w ill
’
,

b e situat e d in a suitab l e sp o t o n th e ri gh t b an k o f th e N i ge r
b e t w e en Leab a a n d th e juncti on o f th e R ive r Moussa (Mochi)
with th e former rive r a n d th e o th er o n o n e of t h e mouth s o f
,

t h e N i ge r. E ach o f th e s e p ie ce s o f lan d sh all h ave a riv e r

fron tage n o t e xce ed in g 400 me tr es in l ength a nd sh all form a ,

b loc k th e ar e a o f w h ich sh all n ot b e l ess th an 1 0 n or mo re

,

th an 50 h e ctares in e xt en t T h e e x act b ou n d ari es o f th e s e

.

pieces o f lan d sh all b e sho w n o n a plan an ne x ed to e ach o f

t h e l e as e s
.

T h e c on d iti ons up on w h ich th e tran sit o f m e rch an d is e

sh all b e carried on o n th e N iger its a fflu en ts its b ranch e s
, ,

a n d outl e ts as w ell as b e t w e e n th e p ie ce o f grou n d b e t w een

,

Le ab a a n d th e j uncti on o fth e R iv er Moussa (Mo ch i ) ment ion e d

abov e a n d th e p oint up on th e F r en ch frontier to b e sp e ci
,

fie d b y th e G ov e rnment o f th e F ren ch R epu b lic w ill form th e ,

su b j ect o f R egu lati ons th e d e tails o f w h ich sh all b e d iscuss e d

,

by th e tw o Gove rn ments imme d iat ely after th e s ign ature o f

t h e pr e s ent Pro c otol .

H er Britan nic Maj e sty s G ov e rn m ent un d ertak e t o give

’

four m onth s n otice to th e F ren ch G ov e rnment o f a n y mo d i

’

fic a tion in th e R e gulati ons in q u estion in o rd e r t o af fo r d t o

,

th e sai d Fr en ch G ov ern me nt t h e o pp o rtu n ity o f layin g b e fo r e

th e B rit ish G ov e rnm en t any r epr e s entati ons which it may
w ish t o ma k e .

A R T I CLE IX .

Within th e limits d efi n ed on Ma p N o 2 w h ich is ann ex e d .

,

to th e pre s en t Pr o t oc ol B rit is h su b j e cts a n d B ritis h pr o t e ct e d

,

p ers on s a n d F re n ch citi z e n s a n d F rench pro t e cted p ersons as ,

far as r egar d s t h eir p e rs on s a n d goo d s a n d th e m erch a n dise

,

t h e pro duc e or th e manufactur e o f G re at Br itain a n d F ranc e ,

t h eir re sp e ctive Col on ies p ossession s a n d Pro t e ctorate s S h all

, , ,

e nj oy f o r t h irty y e ars fro m t h e d at e o f th e e x ch an ge o f th e

ra ti fic a tio n s o f th e Co nv en t ion m enti on ed in A rticle V th e .

 A PPE N D I X ; 33 1

same tre atment in all matt ers o frive r navigati on o fc ommerce , ,

a n d o f tarif f a n d fiscal tre atment a nd tax es o f all kin d s .

S ubj e ct to th is co n d iti on e ach o f th e two Contractin g

,

P o w ers sh all b e fre e to fix in its own t e rrito ry a n d as may

, ,

app ear to it mo st c onv eni ent th e tari ff a nd fiscal tre atment

,

a n d tax e s o f all k i nds .

I n cas e n e ith e r o f th e two Contracting Powers sh al l have

notifie d t w elve m on th s b efo re th e expirati on o f th e above
m ention ed t erm of th irty ye ars its inten ti on to put an e n d to
th e e ffe cts o f th e pr esent A rticl e it sh all r em ain in force until
,

th e exp iration o f o n e ye ar from th e d a y o n which e ith er o f

t h e Contr actin g P o w e rs sh all h ave d e n ounc ed it .

I n w itn ess w h e re o f th e u n d ersi gn e d D el egate s hav e d ra w n

,

up a n d sign e d th e pre s ent Pr o c o tol .

D on e at Paris in d uplicate th e 1 4th d a y of J une in th e

, , ,

year of ou r Lord 1 8 98 .

S
( gi n e d ) M A R T I N G OS S E LI N .

W I LLI A M E VE R E TT .

R E N E LE CO MTE . .

G BI N GE R . .

A N N E XE S 1 AN D 2 .

M a ps N os . 1 a nd

ANNEX 3 .

A lth ou gh th e d elin e ati on line s o f d emarcati on on

of th e
t h e t w o maps ann ex e d to th e pr e s ent Pr o t o c ol a r e supp os e d
t o b e gen e rally accurat e it cann o t b e c onsi d e re d as a n a b s o
,

lu tely c o rre ct repre s en tati on o f th o s e li n e s u n til it h as b ee n

confirm e d b y n ew surv eys .

I t is th e r e fo re agre e d th at th e Commissi on e rs o r l ocal D el e

gat e s o f th e tw o c ountries h e r e aft er app o int e d to d elimit th e
,

wh ol e or part o f th e fronti e rs o n th e groun d S h all b e gu id e d ,

by th e d escription o f th e fron ti er as se t forth in th e Pr otocol :

Th ey sh all at th e same time b e p e rmitte d to m od ify th e
, ,

s aid lin es o f d emarcati on for th e purp os e of d elin eati n g th em

with great er accuracy a n d als o to r e ctify th e p osition o f th e
,

wat ersh e d s ro ad s or rive rs as w ell as of towns or villages

, , ,

ind icated on th e maps ab ove re fe rr ed to .

N ot r ep r o d uc e d .
3 32 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

A ny
alterati ons or c orr ecti ons propos e d b y common c on
se nt b y th e sai d Commission ers or D elegat es S h al l b e sub
mitte d for th e approval of th eir resp ectiv e G overnm ents .

(S i gn ed ) MA R T I N G OS S E LI N .

W I LLI A M E VE R E TT .

R E N E LE CO MTE .

G . BI N GE R ;

ANNEX 4 .

F orm o fLea se .

I . Government o f H er B ritan nic Maj e sty grants in

Th e
l eas e to th e G overnment o f th e French R epu b lic th e pi e ce o f
lan d situate d o f th e N i ger R iv e r ,

h aving a rive r frontage in l en gth a n d fo rming ,

a b l oc k o f h e ctare s in e x t ent th e exact b oun d ari e s o f

,

wh ich a re sh ow n on th e plan an ne x e d to th is l e as e .

2 T h e l eas e sh all run for th irty ye ars u n int e rrupte d ly

.
,

c ommen cin g from t he b ut in case

n e ith er o f th e tw o Contract in Po w e rs s h all hav e n o tifi ed
g
t w elve month s b efore th e expirati on o f th e ab ove menti on e d -

te rm o f th irty ye ars its i n t ention to put an e n d to th e pres ent

l e ase it sh all remain in f orce until th e ex piration o f one year
,

from th e d a y on w hich e ith er o f t h e Con tracting P o w ers sh all

h ave d en ounc ed it .

3 Th e sai d lan d sh all b e su b j e ct t o th e law s f

. or t h e tim e

b ei n g in fo rce in th e British Pro t e ct orat e o fth e N iger d ist ricts .

4 A p o rtio n o f t h e lan d so l ease d w hich S h all n ot e x c e e d

.
,

1 0 h e ctares in ext ent sh all b e use d e x clusive ly for th e pur

,

p ose s o f th e lan d ing storage a n d tran shipm en t of good s a n d

, , ,

for such purp o se s as m a y b e c onsi d e re d su b si d iary th ere to ,

a n d t h e o nly p e rman e n t r es id ents sh all b e th e p e rs ons e m

ploye d in th e ch arge a n d for th e s ecu rity o f such good s th eir ,

famil ies a n d s ervants

,
.

5 Th e G ov e rnm ent o f th e F r en ch R epu b lic b in d s itself

.

(a ) T o fence in th at p o rt ion o f t h e s a id lan d re fe rre d t o

in A rt icl e 4 o f t h is l e as e (w ith t h e e x c eption o f th e S id e w h ich
faces th e R ive r N iger ) b y a w all o r b y a st ock ad e or b y a n y
, ,

o t h er s o rt o fc ontinu ous fe n c e w h ic h S h all n o t b e l e ss in h e i

, gh t
t h an 3 me tre s Th e re S h all b e o n e d oor o nly on e ach o f th e
.

th re e S i d e s o f th e f enc e .

b
( ) N o t t o p e rmit o n th e sai d p o rt io n o f lan d th e r e c eipt
3 34 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

pe rio d of time wh ich t oge th er with th e sai d t erms o f th irty

,

years sh all n o t excee d nin e ty nine ye ars o f th e c onstructions

,
-
,

a n d installat ions w h ich sh all hav e b e en mad e o n t h e l e as e d

lan d N eve rth ele ss th e G ov e rnment o f H er B ritann ic Maj e sty

.
,

re s erves to itself on th e expiration or d e t e rmi n ation of th e

,

l ease in accor d ance w ith th e con d iti on s S p ecifie d in A rticle 2

, ,

th e ri gh t o f purch asing such c ons t ructi ons a n d installati ons

at a valuation to b e d e t ermine d by e x p erts w h o w ill b e app ointe d
by th e two G ove rnments on th e u n d erstan d in g th at n otifi
,

cati on o f th eir inten ti on b e furnish e d to th e F ren ch Govern

m ent ten m on th s at latest b efore th e e x pirati on or d e termin
, ,

a ti o n o f th e l e as e I n case o f d isagr e em en t b e t w e en th em
.
,

th e exp e rts S h all ch oos e a r e fe re e w h os e d ecis io n S h all b e final

,
.

I n calculating th e valu e o fth e ab ov e m enti on e d c o n structi ons -

a n d in stallation s t h e e x p erts sh al l b e gui d e d b y t h e followin g

,

c onsi d e ration s
(a ) I n th e ev ent of th e l e ase e xp irin g at th e e n d o fth e first
th irty years th e purch as e valu e o f th e prop e rty to b e s ol d
,

S h all b e th e full mar k e t valu e .

(b) I n th e eve n t o f th e l e ase b ei n g d e t ermi n e d at a n y tim e

a ft er t h irty ye ars t h e valu e o f t h e prop e rty t o b e s old s h all
,

b e th e full mar k e t valu e l e ss a fracti o n w h os e num erat or sh all ,

b e th e num b er o f ye ars th e l ease h as r un mi nus th irty a n d , ,

wh ose d en omin ator S h all b e s ix ty n in e -

.

1 0 T h e lan d c ompris e d in th e l eas e s h all b e m e asure d a n d

.

mar k e d ou t w ith out d elay .

1 1 I f a d if
. fe renc e o f opini on sh oul d aris e b e t w e en th e tw o
G ov e rnm ents as t o th e int erpre tati o n o f th e l eas e o r as to ,

any matt er aris in g in c onn e ct ion t h ere w ith it sh all b e s e ttle d ,

b y th e ar b itrati on o f a j uri s con sult o f third n atio n al ity to b e ,

a gre e d up o n b y t h e tw o G ov e rn m e n ts .

(S ign ed ) MA R T I N G OS S E LI N .

W I LLI A M E VE R E TT .

R E N E LE CO MTE .

G B I N GE R . .

Th e pre s ent Conv en ti on S h all b e ratifi e d a n d th e r a tifi ,

c ati ons e xch an ge d at Paris w ithi n t h e p e rio d o f six mon t h s ,

o r s oo n e r if p o ssi b l e .

I n w itn ess w h e re of th e Un d ersi gn ed h av e s ign e d t h e pre s en t

C onv e n tio n a n d h av e affi x e d th ere to t h eir S e als .

D on e in d uplicate at Par is t h e 1 4 th J u ne 1 8 98
, , ,
.

( S ign ed ) E DMU N D MO N S ON .

G . H A N OTA U X :
 A PPE N D I X .
335

PR OTOCO L P R OLO N G I N G TH E P E R I OD FO R TH E
E XCH A N G E O F R A T I F I CA T I O N S .

S ign ed at P a r is , December 8 , 1 8 98 .

TH E Und ersign ed his E xce ll en cy th e R i gh t H on ourable S ir

,

E d mun d Monso n A mb assad or E xtraord inary a n d

,

Pl enip o t entiary o f H er Maj e sty t h e Q u een o f th e U n ite d Kin g

d o m o f Gre at Britain a n d I re lan d E mpress o f I nd ia to th e , ,

P re si d ent o f th e F rench R epu b lic ; a n d his E x c ell e n cy M .

D elcass e Minist er o f F o re ign A ffairs o f th e F rench R epublic ;

,

d uly auth oris ed to this e f fe ct h ave agree d as follow s ,

Th e d elay o f s ix m on th s fi x e d b y th e Con venti on o f th e

,

1 4th J un e 1 8 98 for t h e e xch an ge o f th e r a tific a ti

, ,
o n s o f th e

s ai d Co nv enti on is exte nd e d by six mon ths a n d incre ased to

,

o n e ye ar .

D on e at Paris in d uplicate this 8 th d a y o f Decemb er

, , ,

1 8 98 .

(LS ) (S i gne d ) E D MUN D MON S ON .

DE LcA S S E .

D E CLA R A TI ON .

S ign ed at Lon d on , M ar ch 21 ,
1 8 99 .

[R a tifica tions excha n

ged at P a ris , j un e 1 3 1 8 99 ] ,

TH E Und ersign ed d uly auth o ris ed

, b y th eir G overnments ,

h ave sign ed th e fo ll o win g D e clarati o n

Th e I Vth A rticle o f th e Co n v enti on o fth e 1 4 th J u n e 1 8 98 , ,

s h all b e co mpl e t e d by t h e foll owi n g pro visi on s wh ich S h all ,

b e c on si d e re d as fo rmin g a n in t egral part o f it

H er Britannic Maj e sty s G ove rnmen t e n gage s n o t to
’
1 .

ac quire eith e r t e rrit ory or p olitical influ en ce to th e w est o f

t h e li n e o f fronti er d efi n ed in th e follo w in g paragraph a n d ,

t h e G ov e rnm ent of th e F r en ch R epu b l ic e n gage s n o t t o ac q u ir e

e ith e r t e rrit ory o r political in fl u ence t o th e e a s t o f th e sam e

l in e.
3 36 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

2 . Th e
lin e of fronti e r sh all start from th e p oin t wh ere
th e b oun d ary b e t w een th e Con go F r ee S tat e a n d F r ench t e rri
t ory m ee ts th e w at er parting b e tw een th e w at ersh ed o f th e
-

N il e a n d th at o f th e Con go a n d its a f flu en t s ; I t sh al l follo w

in principl e th at w at er p a rti ng up t o its int erse cti on with th e
-

r 1 th parall e l o f n o rth latitu d e : F rom th is p oint it sh all b e

d ra w n as far as th e 1 5th parall el in such mann er as to s epar
a te ,
in pri n cipl e th e Ki ngd o m o f W a d ai from w h at con sti
,

t u ted in 1 8 8 2 th e Province o f D ar fur ; b ut it sh all in n o c a s e

b e s o d rawn as to pass to th e w e st b e yon d th e z r s t d egree o f
lon gitu de e ast o f Gre en w ich (1 8 40 e ast o f Paris ) or to th e ° ’
,

e ast b eyon d t h e z 3 r d d e r ee o f l on itu d e e ast o f Gre e n w ich

g g
°
(2 0 40 e as t o f Paris )
’
.

3 I t is u n d erstood in principl e th at to t h e n or th o f th e
: , ,

1 sth parall e l th e F rench z on e s h all b e limite d t o t h e n orth

e ast a n d e ast by a lin e w h ich sh all start fro m th e p oi n t o fin t er

s ecti on o i th e Tropic o f Cancer w ith th e 1 6 th d egree o f l on gi

'
tu d e e ast o fG re enwich ( 1 3 40 e ast of Paris ) S h all run th en ce
°
,

t o th e s outh e ast u n til it m e e ts th e 2 4th d egr e e o f lon gitu d e

-

e ast o f Gr e enwich ( 2 1 ast aris s h all t h f oll o w

°
d
’

4 0 e o f P ) a n e n ,

th e 2 4th d egre e until it m ee ts t o th e n orth o fth e 1 5th par al l el

,

of latitu d e th e fronti er o f D a r fur as it sh al l ev entually b e

,

fix e d .

4 T h e t
. w o G o v e rnm e nts e n a
g g e t o app o int C o m m i ssi on e rs

w h o sh all b e ch arge d t o d elimit on th e sp o t a fronti er lin e in -

accord ance with th e ind icat ions giv e n in p ar agraph 2 of th is

De clarati on T h e re sult of th eir w or k sh all b e su b mitted f
.
or

t h e appr obati on o f th eir r e sp ect iv e G ov e rnments .

I t is agr e ed t h at th e provisi ons o f A rt icl e I X o fth e Co n .

v en tio n o f th e 1 4th J un e 1 8 98 sh all apply e qually t o th e

, ,

t erritori es s ituated to th e s outh o fth e 1 4 2 0 parall el ofnorth ° ’

latitu d e a n d to th e n orth o fth e 5th paralle l of n orth latitu d e

, ,

b e tw e en th e 1 4 2 0 meri d ian o f l ongitu d e e ast of Gr e en w ich

° ’

( 1 2 t h d eg r ee e ast o f Pari s ) a n d t h e c o urs e o f th e Upp e r N il e .

Don e at Lon d on th e z r s t March 1 8 99 , ,

.

( LS ) (S ign ed ) S A LI S BU R Y :
(S igned ) PA UL CA MB ON .

[N O T E ab ove Convent ion spe ak s for its elf

Th e t h er e
a r e h o w ev e r t w o o r t h re e p oints th at call f
,
or sp e cial r emar k .
,

A rticle VI I I a n d A nne x 4 d e al w ith th e matt e r o fth e French

.

en cla ves— two small pi e ce s o f lan d l e as e d f or t h irty ye ars b y

 A PPE N DI X I I I .

A WA R D G I VE N BY B A R ON LA M B E R MON T IN TH E Q UE S T I O N or

TH E S E R G E N T M A LA M N E I .

H A V I N G agree d w ith th e K ing s c ons ent t o un d ertak e the

,
’

functi on s o f A r b itrat or w h ich H is B ritann ic Maj esty s G overn

,
’

men t a n d t h e G over nme nt o f th e F re n c h R epu b lic h ave d on e

In e th e h on our t o co nfer up o n m e in a q ue stion caus e d b y th e ,

passage of a Fr e n ch Missi o n th rough th e b asins of th e N ige r

a n d o f th e B e n u e in 1 8 93 a n d b y t h e s e i z ur e b y th e Brit ish
,

auth oriti es o f a F rench v essel th e S ergent M a la mine a n d h er

, ,

c argo ;

B ei ng animat ed b y a d e sire to r e sp on d b y a careful a n d

impart ial aw ar d t o th e confid en c e rep ose d in me
A n d h aving t o th is e n d d uly examine d th e d ocuments
, ,

prod uce d b y th e tw o H igh Part ies ;

I h ave d ecid e d a n d d o d e cid e a s foll o w s
S eein g th at th e d uty o f th e A r b itrat or is thus d efine d in
th e A r b itrat ion Conve n t ion S ign e d b y th e two G ov e rn ments o n
th e 3 rd A pr il 1 901
,
T h e A rb itrat or sh all give a final d e cisi o n
in r egard to th e amount in th e in d emn ity for the l oss of th e
S ergen t M a la min e w h ich sum sh all n o t b e l ess th an
,

n or m or e th an

S e eing th at acc ord in g to th e Cas e a n d Cou n t er Cas e furn ish e d

,
-

b y the Fre n ch G overnme nt t he in d emnity S h oul d be calculat e d

,

o n t h e valu e o ft h e v e ss el o n a part o f a p o stal subsi d y l ost b y

,

t h e ch art e re rs a n d o n t h e valu e o f t h e cargo w hile acc or d i n g , ,

t o t h e Case o f t h e B ritis h G ov e r nme n t t h e in d emn ity s h oul d ,

c orre spon d o nly t o t h e valu e o fth e ve ss el ;

S ee ing t h at t h e q u e st ion h a s u n d er vari ous asp ects a n d ,

w ith out e ve r r each ing a solut io n forme d part o fth e n ego t iat ion s
. ,

w hich for a n umb e r o f ye ars h ave proc e e d e d b e t w een th e tw o

G overnments w it h a Vi e w t o a ge n eral s e ttl emen t of th eir relat ions
in A frica ;
S eein g t h at th e d ocum e n ts pro d uc ed b y t h e Parti e s in
 A P PE N D I X .
3 39

s upp ort of th eir respective Cas es refer to d i fferent ph ases of,

th e litig ati on
I c onsi d er it ne ce ssary to cle ar th e groun d on w h ich my
c onclusi o ns a r e t o b e foun d e d a n d w ith t h i
, s o b j ect to examine ,

t h e c onven ti onal law inv olve d a n d t o in q uire int o th e q u esti ons

,

o f liab il ity with out r eop e nin g c ontro versi es w h ich h ave r e
,

maine d un d e ci d e d .

T h e B erlin Co n fe rence proclaime d a nd provi d e d f or th e

fre e n avi gat io n o f th e N ige r a n d o f it s tributarie s : e q uality

o f all fl ags ; n o d if fere ntial tre atment ; n o t oll b ase d on th e
mere fact ofnavi gati on th os e tax e s alon e b ein g collecte d w hich
,

a re i n th e nature o fpayment f or s e rv ic e s re n d e re d to n avigat ion

free tran sit for sh ips a n d th e merch an d ise w h ich th e y carry ;
e x e cut ive R egulati ons in accor d an ce w ith th e spirit o f th es e
stipulations— th ese a re th e ch ie f guaran tees assured t o th e
navigati on ofth e N ige r a n d its trib utarie s .

But th e Ge n e ral A c t o f B erl in d oes n ot c on fus e trad e w ith

tran sit I t d oes n o t e xte nd t o the t errit orie s w atere d b y th e
.

N ige r a n d its tributarie s A rt icl e I V w h ic h ex e mpte d from

, .
,

impo rt d uti es merch and is e imp ort e d int o th e c onve n t ion al b asin
o ft h e Co n go Me rch an d is e imp ort e d int o t h e t errit ori e s o f th e
.

N ige r a n d its tri b utari e s or e x p orte d from th ose te rrito rie s may
, , ,

unle ss it me rely pass e s in tran sit ove r th e rive r or its tri b utarie s ,

be su b j e ct e d t o imp ort a n d e x p ort d uti es : Ce rtai n p orts a re

o p e n e xclusiv e ly f o r t h e s e purp o s e s .

E v ery cust oms syst em is pro t e ct e d by p e nalti e s f or infracti ons

o f it s la w s .

Th e traf fi c in arms is proh i b it e d in principle E xcepti ons .

a re all o w e d in c e rtain sp e cifi e d cas e s o nly .

S uch b e ing a s ummary o ft h e syst em it remai n s to b e s een ,

w h e th e r th e British auth oriti es h a d p ow e r to put it int o force ,

a n d w h e th e r th e o th e r party vi olate d it .

By th e G en eral A c t of B erlin tw o c on d itions a re n ec e ssary

,

for ta k in g p oss e ssi on of a n ew t e rrit ory or o f a Pr o t e ct o rat e ;

n ot ifica tion t o th e o th e r S ignatory P o w ers o f th e G ene ral A c t ,

a n d th e e x ist e n c e of auth ority suf fici ent to protect existing

righ ts.

Th es e R ul es as th ey apply only t o t e rrit orie s situate d on

,

t h e c o ast o fth e A frican C ont ine nt d id n ot a f ,fe ct Brit ish auth ority
o n th e c ours e o ft h e B e n u e N everth el ess t h e British Pro t ect or
.
,

a t e on th e b an k s o ft h e B enu e as far as I bi was n o tifie d on th e

5th J u n e 1 88 5
,
.
3 40 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

A n o th er N o tific ati on , of th e 1 8 th O ct o b er ,
1 88 7 w as b as ed
,

on , a nd re fe rre d t o th e Ch arte r grant ed t o th e

, R oyal N ige r
Company .

T h e same N otificati on d e clare d th e t errit ori es o f th e N i ge r

or its tri b utari e s w hich were o r migh t b e u n d er the gove rn
,

ment o f th e N i ge r Company to b e u n d e r British pro te ct ion , .

Th is Company e x e rcise d in 1 8 93 over the course of th e ,

B enu e as far as Yola auth ority supporte d b y me an s ad e quat e

,

t o insur e t h e acc omplish men t o f its tas k Th is w as ind eed .

sh ow n b y w h at b e fel th e Fr ench e x pe diti on :

Th is syst em w as d efe ctive n e ith e r in n otification n or in

means o f e x e cution .

O th er stipulati on s r elate d to th e p ositi on o fBritish auth ority

in th ese same r egi ons .

A l ist o fth e n ative ch i e fs w ith w h om th e Compan y h a d c on

,

c lu d e d Tre at ie s w as a nn e x e d t o t h e Ch art er o ft h e N i
, ger Co m
pan y n ot ifie d o n th e 1 8 th O ct ob e r 1 8 8 7 Th e S ultan of Muri
, , .

w as i n clu d e d in th is enume ration .

On th e 5th A ugust 1 8 90 th e F re nch a n d British G ov ernmen ts

, ,

e n t e re d int o an A gre ement b y w h ich th e sph ere s o fact ion o fth e

t w o c ountri e s w er e s e parat e d b y a l in e startin g fr om S a y on ,

t h e N i ger a n d passing al o n g th e n ort h ern fr onti e r o f S o k ot o

,

t o t h e t o w n o f B a r ru w a o n L a k e Ch a d N o e x c epti on w as .

mad e as t o th e B e nu e o n w h ich a re s ituat e d Muri a n d a c on

,

s id e r a b le part o f A d amaw a Th is w as th e p osit ion of th in gs

.

in 1 8 93 at th e time ofth e Fr ench e x pe d it ion

,
.

I t sh oul d b e o b s erve d th at t h e Tre ati e s c onclu d e d b y Li e u

t enant Miz on w ith th e E mir o f A d amaw a a n d the S ultan of
Muri w e re sign e d at a time w h en th e syst em d escri b e d a b ov e
alre ad y e x iste d on th e B e nu e .

T h e Fr ench exp e d iti o n acte d c ontrary t o t h is syst em b y

carrying o n commercial op erati ons at vari ous p oints w h ich w e re
n o t O pe n t o tra d e o r b y r e fusing t o pay th e imp o rt or e x p ort
,

d uti e s imp ose d b y th e R egulat ion s in forc e .

Th e Brus s els Confere nc e paid e s p ecial att enti on t o th e

traffic in arms T h e e x p eri e nc e o fall n atio ns w h o h ave in t e r
.

c ours e w ith A frica says A rt icl e VI I I of the A c t o f th e z u d

,
.

J uly 1 8 90
,
h a s s h o w n th e p er n ic i ous a n d prep o n d erat ing
,

part playe d b y fire arms in S lave Trad e op eration s as w ell as

-
,

in int est in e w ars b e t w ee n nat iv e trib es ; a n d t h is same e x perie n c e

h a s cle arly prove d t h at t he pr e s e rvati o n o f t h e A fric an p o p u
la t io ns w h ose e x is t e n ce it is th e e x p re s s wi sh o f t h e Po w ers to
,
34 2 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A .

Itmust more over b e b orne in min d th at th e obj ect ofth e

, ,

Conventi on is to cl ose th e inci d ent su b mitte d to arbitrati on in

a man ne r corresp ond ing to th e s ense o fe quity a n d ofconciliation
w ith w h ich t h e tw o G ove rn ments ar e imbu ed .

Fin ally it must b e r ememb ere d t h at th e p rinciple of an

,

ind emn ity is a dmitt e d b y th e Con venti on ofth e 3 r d A pril 1 901 , ,

a n d th at d if feren ce o f opini on b e ars only o n th e ground w h ich

it is to cover .

I t is n e cessary t o k e ep al l th e se p oints in Vie w in d e alin g

with th e various elements involved in th e fi n al ass essment of
th e in d em nity .

1 .
—The Vessel .

Wh er eas th e British G overnment offe re d to r est ore the

vess el a n d w h e n it fou n d ere d o ffere d t o r epay its valu e
,

Wh ere as as regar d s th e vess el it is t hus merely n e ce ssary

to e stimat e its pric e ;
Wh e re as th e French C as e re c k ons th e e x p ense of b u il d ing
th e S ergen t M a la min e at fr 75 c a n d calculat in g th e . .
, ,

rate o f d epreciati on at 5 p er cent e stimat e s th e valu e of th e .

,

vess el at th e time ofits s eiz ure at fr 8 0 c . .

Wh ere as alth ou gh the price of const ruct ion c a n b e t ak e n

,

a s c o rr e ct suffi cien t all o w ance h a s n ot b ee n mad e in fi x ing

, ,

th e rat e o f d epr eciat ion for th e fact t h at t h e sh ip w as sa il in g

,

on th e West Coast o fA frica on the w at ers o fthe N i ge r a n d its

tri b utari e s a n d h a d n ot th e facilit ie s for r epairs affor d e d by
,

E urop e an h ar b ours
I n th e s e c ircumstanc e s I d eci d e th at th e rate o fd epr eciati on
must be rais e d to 7 p er cen t .

2 .
—
Obj ections r a is ed in the B ritis h C a se r es p ecting Pos ta l
S u bsidies a nd C a rgo .

Wh ere as th e British Cas e a dmits as b asis o f the ind emni y t

merely t he valu e of th e S h ip itse lf exclu ding al l o the r elemen ts :

,

such as th e l oss o f p ostal su b s id ies or o f c argo ;

Wh ere as th e Brit ish j u d ic ial aut h orit ie s or d ere d th e con
fisc a tio n b o th o fth e S ergent M a la min e a n d als o o fall me rch an d is e
b el onging to t he Fr en ch e x pe d iti on
Wh er eas su b se q uentl y t o t h is or d er the Con ven t ion o f th e
, ,

3 rd A pril 1 901 stipulate d for th e payme nt o f an in d emnity

, ,

for the l oss o fth e S ergent M a la mine

 A PP E N D I X .
34 3

Wh ere as th is Dipl omatic A c t n eith er d eci de s wha t is me ant

by th e loss o f th e S ergen t M a lamin e nor wh o is to b enefit by ,

th e ind emnity
Where as if th e t ext ofth e Conve nti on is ambigu ous th e tw o ,

Con tractin g Parti e s are e qu al ly resp on sib le for this lac k o f

cle arne ss
I c onsi d er th at th e re is n o n ee d t o r ej ect a prior i claims
relating to th e su b si d ie s a n d to th e cargo ;
A n d I d e cide th at th e q u e st ion o f i n t e rpr e tati on rais e d by
th e British Cas e must in th e first place b e s e t tle d in accor d an c e
, ,

with t h e ab ove me n tion e d c o n si d e rati o n s a n d in c onne cti o n

-
,

with th e liability involved .

3 .
— The Posta l
~
S u bs idies .

Wh ereas Compagni e d es Ch arge urs R éunis own ers o f

th e ,

th e S er gen t M a la min e r e ce ive d fro m th e F r e n ch G ove rnment

,

a ye arly p o stal subsi d y o f fr for twelve trips a year .

Wh ere as th e S ergent M a la min e w as w ith th e conse n t of ,

t h e F re n ch G ove rnment place d at t h e d isp o sal o f th e

, Com
p a gn ie d e l A f ran a s e for] a p eri o d of on e year to
’
riqu e F c i ,

e x pire o n th e 1 5th O ct o b e r 1 8 93 ; ,

Wh er e as at th is d at e th e S ergent M a la min e not having t e

turn e d th e Compagn ie d e s Ch arge urs R éun is mad e a n ew
,

Contract w ith th e F rench G ove rn ment b y w h ich th e numb e r ,

o ftrips a ye ar was r e d uce d fr om t w e lve t o s i x a n d th e subsi d y ,

r e d uce d by one h alf from th e I s t Fe b ruary 1 8 94 ;

-
,

Wh er eas th e plainti ff d eman d s two in d emn itie s

(a ) A n in d emn ity for th e p e ri od b e t w ee n th e d a y on wh ich
th e S ergen t M a la min e sh oul d h ave r e turne d a n d th e d at e o n ,

w h ich th e n ew Contract w ith th e A d min istrati on o ft h e French

P osts came int o force
(b) A n in d emnity for th e p eri od b et w ee n th e c oming int o
force o f th e n ew Contract a n d t h e S ignature o f t h e Con ven ti on
o f A r b itrati on— th at is fro m th e I s t Fe b r uary 1 8 94 to th e
, , ,

1 7 th J uly 1 901
, .

( a — r om the 1 5th Octob r

) Period f e ,
1 8 93 to the
,
I st F ebru ary, 1 8 94 .

Wh ere as th e ch arter ers h a d n o part in th e act ions a nd th e

liab ilitie s connect e d with th e s ei z ur e a n d d e tenti on o fth e S ergen t
M a la min e
it j ust t o in demnify th e m for th e i n j ury wh ich
I d eclare
t he y suffered owing to th e ab s e n ce ofth e S ergent M ala mine at th at
3 44 B R I TI S H N I GE R I A :

time a loss calculat e d in th e French Case at

,
fr 8 8 c . .

N everth el ess I am o f op in i on th at th e amount claime d

,

u n d er th is h e ad sh oul d b e s ome wh at re duce d as p ostal su b si dies ,

a re n ot a pr ofit pur e a n d simpl e t o th os e wh o contract f o r t h em ,

b ut a re t o an amount w h ich may re ach ab out h alf th e t otal ,

so calculat e d as t o c ov e r t h e ris k s a n d ch arge s o fpu b lic s e rvices

w h ich Gove rnments d e sire t o st imulat e or t o maintai n .

(b) —Period f
r om I st F ebru ary ,
1 8 94 to
, 1 7th j uly, 1 901 .

Wh er e as virtu e of the ir n ew Contrac t with th e A d minis

in
t ra t ion o f th e F r e nch Posts th e Compagni e d e s Ch argeurs
R éunis w as only b ou n d t o perform h alf th e numb e r o f
trips at first stipulat e d a n d w h er eas t h ey r etain ed th e p ostal
su b sid y c orresp on d in g t o th at h alf
Wh ere as as r egar d s th e o th e r h alf on e a nd th e same Con
,

tract can n o t h ave h a d th e effe ct b oth o fr educing exp en s es and

o fmaintaini n g intact th e righ t t o payme n t

I d e cid e th at th ere is n o foun d ati on for th e claim to an

in demnity for th is s e con d p eriod .

4.
— The C a rgo .

Wh er e as u n d e r th e ir Contract w ith th e Compagni e d es

,
”
Ch argeurs R éunis t h e S ociété Francaise d e l A friqu e Cen
,
’

”
t r al e h a d th e s ol e management o f th e ru nning a nd o f th e
trad e of th e S ergen t M a la min e
Wh ere as th e c on d it ion s und e r w hich th e y carri e d o n tra de
in th e b asin o fth e B e nu e mad e th em l iabl e ;
W h er eas th e y a re t h ere fore liab le for wr on gful acts d on e ;
, ,

But wh ere as th e c ons id erations menti on e d ab ove t en d ing

, ,

t o ext enuat e th e ir r e sp on s ib il ity in a c ertain measure c a n b e ,

applie d t o th e ir cas e
I c onsi d er th at th e re a r e su ffici en t grou n d s for a d ecision
which would alleviat e in part th e loss w h ich th ey su ffere d
F or th is r e ason a n d h av ing r e gar d t o all th e c onsi d e rati ons
,

succe ssively b rou gh t fo rw ard

I fix th e t o tal i n d emn ity t o b e pa id b y th e British G o ve rn
ment at th e sum o f
(Don e at B r uss els in tri plicat e th e 1 5th J uly
, , ,

(S i gn ed ) B A R O N LA MB E R MON T .
346 I N DE X .

a pp o in ts C la pp e rt o n , 21 in c o mm and of B aus s ee B a ous s

ah ar m y 3 ; r a tm t B xt T h ma F a rad
,

t he F ul f 2 his t e en o u o n, o s o w e ll, a n d th e s l ve -t e,
Cl pp a 53 a h r a 53 hi
e r to n , 1
,
as is t o i n , 1 s 32
c hara r 53 c te lida , h F lah
1 c ons o te s t e u
E m p ir 53 ; f r in e, hi 1ap i al 74 ; h i o t es s c t 1 s
a f N pe hi h i r y f th B LE b tw E r p d N ig r ia
,

A
78
Cilli ( f t t )
t
cc oun o u 1 s s to o e e een u o e an e 1 12
Y r ba
, ,
o u 86 (f t t ) s, 1 oo no e oo n o e
B ll fKa 66
e o, o no , 1 C a é h Fr h xpl r r d T imb
t e e nc e o e an uc too ,
B lz i G i a i th x pl r r i it B i , ,

e on ov nn e e o e v s s en n 4 6 (f t t ) oo n o e
Calab ar b a 3
, , ,

i 8 3
n 1 (f t t )
2 1 01 oo n o e e ns , 1 1
B d i O il R i r M i i t 5 d L g Calab a h 3 4 ( f t t )
,

en ve s, ss o n o, 1 1 an on s es, 2 oo n o e
J j
,

u u, 63
”
2 Ca m l 6 e s, 1 6 (f t t ) 4 (f t 1 t )
40 , 1 0 oo n o e , 1 0 oo n o e
B i B igh f 7 98 ; R i r 98 ; Ca m r E g la d
,

e n n, t o d 21 2 ve an l
e o on s , 4; i h G os t t o n n , 21 n t e er
N a a 99 i i d by W i dha m i 553 ph r 5
, , ,

n v s te n n 1 101 m an s e e, 21
rad W i h d i ri ; ma a r Ca mw d
, ,
t e t 1 01 f st ct, 1 02 ss c e o oo 21 1
mi i Ciy f Bl d Ca ib a li m fB m
, ,
“ ”
th 3 ; h ; f O k ik
s s on t o, t t
wi h p aga r lig i 6
e 10 e o oo nn s o ras s en, 1 1 1 o r a ns ,
p i i x p d i i aga i , ,

10 4 un t ve e 5 e t on ns t, 1 0 i ti n co n ne c on t n e on , 2 1
B e R i r di r d by L a d r 6 ,

k w
e nu ve sc o ve e n e 2 3 2

i i d by Bar h 4 Carri r la d
, ,

v s te C h dd d t 1 no n as a a an e s, s 43 t q ve s u se as , 2 e se
th r a m f 4 8 (f t t ) Ca l 3 (f t t ) 6 f t t )
, .

T dd sa 48 a, o e n es o r, oo no e tt e , 1 1 oo n o e 22 oo n o e
Ba iki xp l r 5 t q a iga i f
e e o es, 0 e se n v t on o Ca a lry F lah 3 79 ; N p e 8 I l ri
v u 2
,
1 u 2 o n,
5 ; d i ri f N r h r N ig r ia B r 4 ; A da m a w a
.
, , , , ,

1 st c ts 8 o o t e n e 12 85 6
o nu , 1 1 1 1
ri f Chap r X d X 1 M Crm i b ir h 3 ; m arr iag 3
, ,

c oun t es o te s an e e on e s , a t t s, 2 1 at es , 2 2
M iz A pp d ix I I I ; G rm a y d a h 3 3 ; ak i g a h 3 6
. .
, .

d on an 20 1 en e n at e t s, 2 on t n o t s, 2
rib f 3
.

Chad La k i i d bl d C lapp r
, ,

an d h 6 t e, 2 1 t es o 22 h m e , v s te en a an e
B r b r pp d i w it h B x pl r d by D ha m 6
, ,
e e s, su os e 3 c o nn e c t o n or n us , 1 2, ton, 1 4 t e e o e en 1 ex
d Ham d by Bar h d O rw g 4
,

1 4 ; 2 d B g an 4 4 (f t t ) ;or u s, 1 oo n o e an pl or e t t an ve e 1 e
i te s, 2 1
9 an d A gl G rma b n dary 6 ; La k o- e n ou n
,
21 or e
B ibli graph y N ig ri
o Li ra t r e a n , s ee te u e T d sa 37 (f t t ) ; a r f
1 ry oo n o e n tu e
,

o c o un t
B ida ap i a l f N pe f d i g f 8 ; d r d 3 8 wa r f 38 ; d A g l
, ,

c t o u o un n o , 1 1 e o un 1 te o 1 an r o
rip i f 84 ; a p r f 8 3 Fr h A gr m Cha p r X I I I
, , ,

sc t on o 1 c tu e o e nc d ee e n ts , te an
B ifara 7 (f t t ) A p p d ix I I
, , .

21 oo n o e en
B e
,

B igh t fB i B i
.

o e n n , s ee en n C h dda a see e nu
B igh fB iafra 93 (f t t ) Char m w r by M ha mm da
,

t o oo n o e s, 89o n 58 o e n s, 1 2
Bi lm a 5 , ,

1 2 00
B i i( p pl fB i ) Char r d C mp a i g r m b y d i
, ,
n eo e o en n 1 02 , 2 2 2 te e o n e s. o ve n e nt s
B ird A ll Cap i
-
en, A ll ta n , s e e
,

en c us sed 73 S l R ya l N ig r C m pa y ee a so o e o
,

n
B ird m fr m a i f 8 5 Chap r V I
.
, ,
s. o e ns o c t o ns o , 2 te
B ird lim ( r bb r) 3 Chr i ia i y fir t rt t 4 4 ; i N ig ria
.

e u e 22 st n t s c onve s o, n e
B ir h p aga r m i t 3 Chap r XVI I
, , ,
t s, n ce e on es a 2 1 te
B i h p f h N ig r Cr w h r Ch r h C rp ra l t K ka 4 6 47
, .

s o o t e e see o t e u c o o a u
B l d b r th rh d 3 6 Ch r h M i i ar y S i y 7 t q
, , , , ,
oo -
o e oo 2 u c ss o n oc e t 2 2 e se
B a p r a bl ak La k Chad 4 Ca p ai fir x p d i i 4 t
, , .

o t, o t e, t e n to e , 1 Cl pp
a e r tO ii, t n, st e e t o n, 1 e
B i g
o s ra Ca p a i A h a
on , f th t n is c c ou n t o e se d xp d i i ; d a h f 3 ;
s eco n e e t on , 2 1 e t o 2

B i ma a r 4 ( f t t ) w i h S l a B ll
.
, ,

en n ss c e, 10 oo no e i
re a t on s 53 ; i i t u t n e o, 20, 1 v s ts
B mb a x r 56
o t ee , 2 N pe 78u hi r f ll w d by Bart h 3 8
1 s o u te o o e
B y O il R i r
,

Clim a
,

on n t q ve s , 1 1 2 e se 3te , 1
33 35 94 t q 2, 0, 2 e se
B rg K i gd m f 44 47 F r h a t m p t C l h Ka
, .
, , , .

o u, n o o 1 -
1 e nc t e s ot 69 n o c o tt o n , 1
C a A pp d ix I
,

N ig r C mpa y ray
, ’

on, 5 t se e o n s t e t oc o en
q
20 e
C a A p p d ix I
, .

wi h
.

t 210 o co -
nu t s , en
C ff A pp di x I
.

B rk K i gd m f i F r h ph r 3 3 7
,

o u, n o o n e nc S e e, o ee , en
B r K i gd m f 5 t C lli r J r m y hi a t fth N ig r 7
.
,
o nu , n m y o f 7 ; o 1 e ar p , 1 o e

t m d
e e s c co un o e e

y fO il R i r ) 94
, , ,

i i d by Bar h 3 9 t q d rip i
,

v s te d t e se e sc t on a n C m y (
o e c us o ut o ve s
h i t ry f — 44 S l Chad
,
C mm r T rad E xp r I mp r ,
.

s o o 1 1 1 ee a so o e ce , s e e e, o ts , o ts , e tc
B a i a l G ar O ld Ca la b ar 3 C m pa y fA fr i a M r ha 6 4 ( f t t )
.
, .

ot n c 3 7 e ns a t , 1 2, 1 o n o c n e c n ts , oo n o e
B a N ig r D a h f M g Par k 66 6 7 6 8 A g l A fr i a ri a
, ,

ou s s e e t o un o a t, 1 2 67 W Af n o- c n, est c n,

i i d by C l p p i i d by h 68 ; C ra l A fri a 6 8 ; U i d A fr i a 68
, , , ,

v s te ; a e r to n , 22 V s te t e e nt c n, n te c

La d r par fB rg 46 ; lai m d N a i al A f ri a 6 9 ; F r h 7 ; R yal

,
.

n 6 e s, 2 as t o o u, 1 c e t on c n, e nc 0 o
N ig r Chap r VI
,

b y F ra 7 ; a Br it i h p
.

nce , w20 Ap s o s ses s n, e ,

te .

p endi I I x C fl
on N ig r B
ue nc e , é 4 3 33 35 6 e -
e nu 1 2

B dar i fN ig i ; fN r h r N i g ria L k ia
.
. , , . , ,

oun es o er a , 2 o o t e n e S l
ee a so o o

12 7 ; fS th r oN ig r ia 5; i
ou r a i al e n e 12 nte n t on C a b lary H a a 76 8 96
o ns t u 7 7 us 0, 1 00 , 1 1 12
agr m r p i g Cha p r X I I I p
, , , , , , ,

ee e nts es ec t n te , as x2 9 s4 r

C ra G r m f t a m r N ig r
.
, ,

sz m d A p p d ix I I
an en ont c t, ove n e n t, or s e e s on e ,

B ra N ig r C a arr i a l f h La d r
.
,

ss , e o st, v o t e n e s at 48
2 7; d r ip i f 7 ; r bl
esc t on o 08 10 t ou es at, 1 C i
o n ve n t o n ,A g l Fr h f 898 3 x t n o- e nc o 1 21 te
p i i x p d i i aga i a i b ali m f A p p d ix I I
, , ,

un t ve e e t on ns t , 1 1 1 c nn s o , en .

a t, 1 1 1 d Chr i tia i y an (f t t ) s n t 1 11 oo n o e C ih 3
oo n a 2

C pa l g m 3 5
,

B ra r d d rr y 9 ( f t t )
,

ss o s u se a s cu e nc 22 oo no e o u 1
C prah 9
, , , ,

6 48 o
I a ird i w a b t t ad i 6 ; i
24 2 1

N ig r C a C ,
.
, '
B ro h m e ie . 98 e o s t, 1 00 o t to n , s v e ou r e n, 0 n
Br l C f r 89 9 ; p i m Ka 6 9 rad 3
,

u ss e s d A o n e e nc e a n c t, 0 e to e n o, 1 t e, 12

C r fj i 7 6 94 97 5
,

o fG ra l A 3
e ne ct, 02 o u ts o us t c e , 12
C w ri rr y 9 4 ; i N ig r rad
, , ,

B r ia l pa ga r m i
u n 33 6 ; f
ce e on es a t, 2 2 0 o o es , as c u e nc 1 0 n e t e,

r am mb r f h
, , ,

a il d ha ir 8 6
,

fi g n e r- n s an 2 87 : as 8 ; o n e nts , 22 nu e o to t e

B r S i R i hard C l F r na d P
u ton , r c o n su at e n o 0, d llar 7
o d f t lli g f r
24 84 u se or e n o t unes , 2

93 ; i i B i Ciy
v s ts d ri b w i d
en n
.

t 1 01 e sc es
.

n Cr a i m y h 8
e t on
,

t s, 2 2

g d o f Y r ba o 56 d t h Ca m r
o u s, 2
,
an e e oo ns , Cr k fN i g r C a
ee s o 7 e o st , 1 1

21 3
Cr oss Ri r x p l r d by B r f 3 6
ve e o e e ec o t,
d rip i f 6
,

B r
u u tu, p r t fth N ig r 8 7 6o o e e , , 10 es c t on o , 11
 I N DE X : 3 47

Cr w h r S a m
o t e B h p
A dj a i, is o o ft h e N i e ,
, ue l gr '

r
E t l uo/ e , e lie fofN i e r E x e it io n o f1 8 1
34
g pd
a mp a icc o g r xp d
n es Nie e e it io n s , 3 2 , 54 ; h p
E t io e R ive , 93
4
r
C g
a t Fo u ra h B a y o lle e , 2 74 ; h i s life , 2 73 E xp d i
e t io n , 1 8 3 2 , 0 e t
3 1 8 4 1 . 3 2 et s e
q
75 2 1 8 50 ,
3 7 et s e q of t , 37 1 8 54 , 47 e t s e Bar h
C rr y d llar i B r r xp r r q
Ba k Bar h B r
.
.

u e nc 4 o s n o nu , 1 0, 2 47 ; i on E lo e s , s ee i ie , t , eec of t, B e l
h f N i g r C m pa y b ra
,

47 oe s , 2 o e o n 87 ss z
o n i, C a i llié , C la p p e r ton , en , M o n te il, D ha m
la d ,

d ro9 46 48 s,l 2 2
‘
2 , 2 s v e s u se as, 243 a nd Pa k
r , T o ut é e e t c
la ry i S da E g li h m
,

xp r pp d x I
.
,
s 46
ve n u n. 2 n s o ne y a s , 88 E o ts , 7 6 , 9 1 , 1 2 6 , 3 0 1 e t s e
q A en i .
.

(f t t ) oo n o e
C t m f a i Cha p r X IV
us o s o n t ve s , te .

B LE S 86 t q
A 2 e se
F ad l U llah R b h
, .

'
a e s so n, 1
43
GBO r d F a ir y a l
,

A B e nué R iv e , , si
vi te by the 86 q t e s, 2 e t se
F ar m i Y r b a 9 t ri h
.

A lbu r k a h in 1 8 3 3 , 51 s n
3 9 (f t t )
o u 1 0 os c 1 oo n o e
h m a d F di
D a g h el, th e e s i e nc e o f O t r d n an o o, S l A gri
ee a s o l r cu tu e
, , .

5 Fa m M d l L k j a 33 3 4 3 5
Da l M J T a m pa i 8 54 xp d i
1 1 r , o e at o o
F ar R i r r a h d by Bart h 4
, , ,
to n , r. . c co n es 1 e e o ve e c e 1
F lla ah F lah
.
, , ,
i t o n,
49 e t s ee u
Darf r mp ar d w i h B r rd
,

u co 3 q e t o nu , 1 1 c on ue e F r a d P
e n i la d f i it d by N ig r
n o o, s n o v s e e ex
by B r 3 5 ; i Br i i h ph r
, ,
o nu , 1 337 n t s s e e, p d e 54 C lB
it io ns , r f 93 r a h d o ns u eec o t a t, e c e
Da p a lm 3 8
te 1 by h P l i d 3 4 ; t d La ird
e ra 48
e a an
'
s c on t c t,
D y p i g d pa h d t t h N ig r by La ird
, ,
r /s r n es tc e o e e F r ig O fli o e G ra 03 ( f t n t ) ce ve , oo n o e
F ih
,

56 ; w r k d 57
,
ec e et s
3 3 57 t q d fi i i f 57 S
10 e se e n t on o 2 ee
Df W a ll J j
, , , .
, .

e e n c e s , s ee s la so u u
D ga m a F r m a larial m q it a a f 94
z q
e 1 12 e e , os u oes a s c us e o 2
D l a N ig r a r f 4 ; x p l ra ti f
, , ,
e t , e n tu e o e o on o e se
p i g rad d r ip ti f F lag R y a l N ig r C m pa
, , ,
.

3 0 O55 6 en n t e in , 0 es c on o o
74 f t t e o u oo n o e
F di
,

F di O hma d
, ,

4 2 o o, se e t n an o o
D ha m M aj r w i h th x p d iti f
en o t e e e on o F lk l r
o Chap r XVI I I
-
o e, te
d ath
,

F r ad Ri r m h i h N ig r 93 (f t
, .

O d y u d Cl pp ne 4 t q an a e r to n , 1 e se e o c os ve ou t o t e e oo
f t F r a d P
. , ,

o a e n n o o, t ) 98
no e
5 10

Dr w i h Cipp
1

F r
,

Di k d
, ,
’
c s on , t a e rt o n s s e co n ex o e s ts ,3 3 2

j r y d d at h i Dah m y Wa ll
. ,

p di i e t o n, 2 1 o u ne an e n o e F ifi
or t i ca t o ns , s ee s
F r lli g m h d
,
22 o tu n e - t e f 84 n et o s o 2
h B y C ll g S i rra L
,

D ikw a ( D ik w ) R b h h ad q ar t r
,

or o a a e
’
s e u e s, F o u ra a
7 74 o e e, e e o ne , 2 2, 2
Fr h a b li h m pa i L w r N ig r
, ,

4 1 2 e nc , e st s co n e s on o e e
D i as 69 d if fi l i w i h R y a l N i g r C m pa y
,

se 3 e s.
35 94 99 1 2 -
2 , cu t e s t o e o n
Di g i f ra ll i g 3 8 kill R a b h 3 ( f t t ) i ad
. . ,

s u se or t ve n 77 e 1 2 oo n o e nv e
Dj i B é R i r 5 B r 43 ; i B rg d Br i i h i
, ,

xp d i i w it h M aj r G ay
n, e nu ve 2 o nu ,
47 ; 1 n o u, 1 an t s n
D h d Dr N ig ria Chap r A pp d ix
,
oc ar e e t on o r e te en
, , ,
I I A p p di x I I I ,
.

1
4 en
Fr i 3 4
.
,

D llar M ar ia T h r a rr y i B r
.

o s, e es cu e nc n o nu , u ts , 1
F lah rm y 4 s 8 ;
,

4 (
1 t 0t ) 47 foo n o e 2 u 7 3 35 5
. 1 53 7 2 1 a 1
D m i la r y Chap r XV hi ry Chap r X I d I I
, , , , , , , .

o es t c s ve te s to te s an
F lah
,

Dr f a i ad p d by Bri i h tra ll r
. . .
,

e ss o n t v e s, o te t s ve e s, F lb
u e , s ee u

38 f paga 7o ns , 2 2 F da (
un Pa da) or n 21
Dr k a m g M ha mm da
,
un e n ne s s , 7 on o e ns , 2 0
a m g paga 99 3 5
on ns , 2 -
0
D b i M F elix r m r k a b t T imb
u o e a s ou uc too ,
,
C
.
,

46 ( f t t ) oo n o e A LLW E Y, Lie ut o lon e l, 1 0 2 -

é R i r 53
.

D l ti B
u e nu ve G a mb a i , 6 , 7, 9
D a g i f rma i ab M g Ga d mp r d rip i
, , 0

unc n, e ts n o t on o ut un o n o, E i e o f. 4 5, 1 76 et s e q e sc t on
ap a pr
.

P r k m rd r 3 r a h A d f d o f t he c it l o f, 1 77 ovi of 1 76

w
’
a s u e 1 e c es a o ia , nc e s ,

1
4s
,

(foot n ote) 1 77 ; e l t ions it S o o to, 1 76 ; r a h k

D al M J l
uv d R é C illié ii t u es, an en a
'
s v s t o S ult n s of 1 76 a
G ard b a a
,

T imb t
.
,

4 6 (f t t )
u c oo , oo n o e e ns , ot ni c l, 3 1 2 , 3 1 7
Dy i g Ka 6 9 S l A p p d ix I
e n at no , 1 ee a so en G arr is on , 1 44 , 1 6 2 , 1 6 4, 1 73 2 0 7
Bart h r a 43 G az a wa d Bar h
. . ,

Dy g rr e u,
’
s s e v n t, , vi s ite by t , 39
Gh b gr
e e , N i e , 56 , 6 2
G graph a
eo a
ic l S o c ie ty R oy l, 7 , 2 7, 4 7
G rm a g r C mp a
,

e ny , a nd t h e N i e o n y , 77 ; a nd

E N ( or I b n ) Ba ta m e nti th e Ni gr N i e i , 2 1 3 —2 1 7
g ra
B
tu ons e
6
, ,
G ha la d ima , o f a fi c i l t itle of , 4 5, 1 56 ,
1 57

E bn ( or I bn ) S i , 1 3 2 ad r ra
G in , s ee L iquo t f fic
d ba
E i , Ni e o s t, 1 1 7 g rC a a am
G ir , nc ie n t n C g
e f or on o , 6
d a
E uc t io n o fn t iv e s , 1 1 8 a G r
lo ve , S irJ h wr k d
o n, ec e idd
o n t he M le
Ef fe c ti pa
ve O c c u d tri f 96
t ion,
"
oc ne o 1 21 2 gr w h Ba k
N i e , 57 ; it k ja
i ie a t Lo o , 6 3 ; h is
rb , ,
ar r 6 3 (f t )
G b r w ar w i h h F lah 3 ; i i d by
E fik t i e , 1 1 5, 2 2 2 c ee oo t n o e

gb
,

E o , s oc i e ty , 2 6 3 o e t t e u s, 2 v s te
O rw g 4 b ir hp la f O h ma
,

E gb dd
o n, M i g r
le N i e , 8 1 ve e d 1 t ce o t n an
F di ra id Z fara 73 ; h il
,

E gga w , to
n of , 3 5, 1
86 o 5 o, 1 1 s an 1 ost e to
S k
,

E j a w i, s ee E j o a n d I d z o o 74 o to , 1

r g r D l a 4 8 (f t G d p aga Chap r XVI

.

'
E j o ( I d z o), t ibe o fN i e e t 10 oo o s, n, te
G ld i S i G T i i h N ig r f h fir t
.
, ,
t )
no e o e, r v s ts t e e or t e s

im d R ya l N ig r C m pa y
.
,

E l pha t ar h B é R i r 5 i
.

e n s, ne t e e nu ve 2 n t 68 e, an o e o n
Chap r VI p m ; h i q fN pe
,

B r abl ab
,

39 ; f
o n u, 89 S 1 l e ou t, 2 ee a so te a ss z s c on ue s t o u
d I l ri 8 B rli C
.
,

I ry
.

vo an t q ;o h n, 0 e se at t e e n on
fr r ra ffi 8 3 4
.

E gw
n a 22 89 ;
e e nc e , liq on uo t c, 0

Ri r ( E ra G r I la d i i d by M g ar k
,

E d
s c ar os ) 93 (f t t ) ve or sc vos , oo no e o ee s n , v s te un o , 10
34 8

G r m t Char t r d C mp a y 73 f
ov e n
R ya l N ig r C m pa y 7 6 t
o
en
fN ig r
,

e o
e e
n
o
e se
n ,
o
; o
e
J ba (
e
in N
or
u
J bb a) wr k
p e a mpa ig 84
e
c
,

n,
ec of D a y s fin
’

rgg a t , 57
q
C a Pr ra Chap r VI VI I I f
, .

o st o te c to te , te s o J ega 11 7
h r N ig ria 5 fN r h r N ig r ia J r m y C lli r C lli r
. i

S ou t e n e 1 2 o o t e n e e e o e s ee o e

7 ; F lah 56 ; f N ig r ia i t h r J igg r ( P l x p t
, , ,
12 u f 1 o e n e u tu e , e
) 94 n e en e r a n s 2
J h t S i H H 94 3 (f tn t )
, ,

ag9 i a to o ns on , r 22 oo o e
G rai J lib na m f t h N ig r 9
. .
, ,

4 n, 3 1 o a, e or e e 1 1
G ra y M aj r h x p l r r 4 J j B i i O il R i r
, ,

o t e e o e 1 u u, t a e n n, 1 02 n ve s , 12
7
G r k k w l dg fW t A fri a 6
, ,

Cha p t r XVI p im m a i g f t h
, ,
ee s, no e e o es c e a ss e n n o e
Gr d w rd 63 S l L g J j
, .
,

J uk B é R i r 6 3 (f t t ) 66 3
’
o un 3 5 nu t s , 1 o , 2 ee a so on u u
G j ib a B r
. .

u 43 44
, o nu , 1 , 1 o, e nu ve , 1 oo no e , 1 22
, ,
G m 3 5
u 1 2 24
G r w a B é R i r 53
,

u o enu ve , J ung a vie , C la p p erto n s

’
gra ve a t , 2 3
Gw a p r f B i mi i t rt
,

t o, o t o e n n, 1 02 ss on s a s
fr m o 3 ap r f 5 10 c tu e o , 1 0
BB A 8 8 8 5
,

A 0, 1 2 1

Kad a R i r 8 84
, ,

un ve 12 1
A IR, n ti a
ve m d o es of dr e ss i
n g 227 ; K fi 65
ai 1
, ,

b r ia l a m alia 9
, ,

u of 2 86

r a m K i gd m i i d by D ha m d
, ,

H ma r uw a , Mu i o f, v s t e
rw g r l
a s ee ne n o en an
H a b r ab g ; Bar h
,

r o u s. s e nc e o f 6 4 La os , 1 0 Cl pp a d O
e r to n , 20 t an ve e t a ve
H a a S ta t 4 la g ag di d d B r
,

us , es , 1 8 5 1 2, 1 5 n u e , s tu e i 4 n, 2 33 t q an o nu , 1 e se
by Bar t h d i d by Ba ik i 6 Ka C l p p ; Bar t h it
, .

'
4 0 stu e e, 2 no, 8 a e r to n a t , 1 22 s Vis s to ,
m r ha t ld i r m ar k 6 ; pr
, ,
e c n s. 88 ; 9 ; A so i e s, 12 ss oa a t o n , 46 ;
0, i f
c o t to n et a t, 0 o v nc e o

54 p p l
1 eo e co m par d w i h h F lah 55 e t t e u s, 1 k o 66 ra d i h 6 8 d rip i f
o t o, 1 t e W t 1 es c t on o
la ra id i g i 7 43
, , ,

310 67
1 s ve- n n, 1 1 2
Ka ri fB r 3 3 t q
,
ea lth , 3 3 3 5, 2 94 e t s eq nu o o nu , 1 e se
Hd
, . , .

i es, 3 1 6 g m
a ta 9 u 1 20
H ra d d t rm 94 ; agr pr i fS k a p i al d rib d
, ,

in t e l n , e finitio n o f e 1 ee a t se n a , o v nc e o o o to , c t es c e
m t a b t Cha p t r XI I I p m by Bar h 3 9 44 ; d rip i f 7
,
en ou e a s sz t e sc t on o 1 2
H i t r y f th F lah 4 9 ; f N p é 7 8 t Ka ga
, .
, , , ,

K b b i p r i f 73 7 7
s o o e u s, 1 o u 1 e tu n 22

ft h R ya l N ig r C mp a y Chap t r
, . ,

se
q . o e o e o n e e o v nc e o 1 1
V I ab fa i t 5 s e nce o nc e n
,

K bbiR i r a ffl
e
,

fB é ve 6 7 ue nt o
, ,

e nu 21 21
H pk i C Kr l 6 37
.
, , , ,
o l 93ns , o nsu e ne s , 2, 1
xpl r r i it N p e K ir k S i J h d Bra d i rb a
,

H m
o r ne th a nn , e e o e 10 v s s u r o n, a n ss s tu nc es , 1 1 1
K la
, , ,

78
1 o 3 7 n u ts , 1
H r m F lah 3 79 ; N p e 8 I lor i
o se e n, u 2 1 u 2 n, o nta g o ra ( o r Kw on ta g ora ), 1 73 , 1 82
85 B r 4 ; A da m w a k
, , ,

6
o nu , 1 1 a 1 1 o r or o f
a , s ee lu o
H r r m
,

4 (f t
o s e s, 1 t ) 6 8 (f t t )
0 oo n o e oo n o e r oo boy s (o r j( u en ) 2 2 0, 2 2 5, 2 3 7

Cl p p
1 53 , 21
gh t M aj r xp l ra i f 8 K k a ap a f B r
,

ou on, o e o t on s o u c it l d o o n u, a e r to n an
a i t C l pp t D ha m —5 t q i i d b y Ba h d
, , ,

H M
o u ts o n , r ss s s a e r o n, 2 2 en a t, 1 e se v s te rt an
H lk i O il R i r O rw g 3 8 4 3 ; d r ip i f 3 5 3 9
.
, .

u s n ve s , 1 0 2 , 1 12 ve e e sc t on o 1 1
H ma a r ifi 7 8 B i 5 t d at h d r y d b y R a b h 3 6 i Br i i h ph r
, , .

u n s c ce s , in en n, 1 0 a e e st o e e 1 n t s S e e,
h i f 3 5 ; d la ry 3 9 5 58 A p p d ix I I
,
of c e 2 an s ve 2 2 0, 2 en

( A kw a ) R i r
.
, , ,

t eq se w a 5 or ve 1 1
H hi C l w i h th N ig r E x p d i Kw I b R i r
.
,
u tc n so n , ons u t e e e o- 5 o ve 1 1

O il R i r
, ,
i f 8 54 4 9 i h

H
w i
t on o

d h
a h m a a rifi 6
t n e s se s
i B r
1
93 ;

f p aga
,

u n s c
n t e

ce , 2 1
ve s ,

GOS rad r
uts a n 4 ; o us es , n o nu, 1 0 o ns , A 57, 58 ; a nd c o tton t e, 60 ; o u te
ra r 98
,

225 to Fo c d o s R iv e
La i g M aj r fir rpa
,

n h
, E T im o , t e st u o e n at
b 4 46
IB D
Ba a
I bn
ag ra w a
A A N a n d L os
tu t , 6
il y, 1 9 1 , 2 4 5 .
uc to o , 2
a ird M M a g r g r d h N ig r 9 ;
a m pa i x p di i f 8 3 3 b a i
c co
, r .

n es e
,

c
e
e o
t on o
, an
1
t e
2, 0
e

o
,

t
2
ns
ad
I bn S i , 1 3 2 a ra t fr m G r m 4 8 56 ; q ip
c o nt c o o ve n e nt, e u s
ig r r ib x p d i i 49 ; d pa h
,

I bo , N e t e , 4 , 1 1 5, 2 2 3 , 2 2 4 h t 8 54 e 1 h e e t o n, es tc es t e
I ddah m d ar m d N ig r d Ch r h
'

a n d th e o el f , 33
vi s it e by th e l l d-‘
oza h 49 ; to t e e an u c
g d r ah
, ,
P le z a d , 50 le e n o ft he fi s t A t t of, 2 3
8 Mi m y S i y 5 ss 59 ;n ar m oc e t 1, a t te ts to
I p aga Chap r XV I d l p rad 55 t q ; hi d a
,

d o ls , d
hara r 59 ; h i i w 6 ;
n, te e ve o t e, e se s e t an
i i g hi
. .

I d u, 1 1 2 c c te s v e s, 0 c ont n u n s
g r rb h m 6 6 ; r l f hi w rk 8 7 ; m y
,

I d z o , N i e t i e , 4 , 1 08 ( foo tn ot e ) , 2 2 3 , 2 2 4 sc e e, e su ts o s o one
I gara w r ig r i d by
,

Lo e N e , 50 , 2 2 3 , 2 2 4 c o ne 47 2
I gb ra r b k Cha d Chad
, ,

i , t i e , 2 2 3 , 2 2 4, 2 8 5 a e s ee
I ri Ki gd m m La mb rm Bar hi a w ard i h a f
.
,

lo n , n o of 1 8 6 et s eq os q u e s o f e ont , on, s n t e c se o
A pp d ix I I I
,
xp d agai
, .

1 89 e e i tion n s t , 8 4 e t s eq ht g t lf l m i
e A er cn J 'a a ne , en

La d r R i hard C l p p ra t ;
.

I mp r
.
'
o ts , 7 6 , 8 9, 90 , 9 1 , 1 2 6 , 3 00 et s e q n e c a e r to n s se v n 21

3 ; r N ig r
,

I ha bi a rb
.
, ,
h m ii h
n
I r a
t n ts , se e T i e s
aw
n h e it n c e , l s of , 2 30
whi hNhigi br r h r h i rd6 diii r h hN mig r h f
o C l pp
t
es

s
a
ot
e r to n ,
e 2
2

sc o ve
e v s ts
s t
t
e
e
o ut
e

o
I r i B rg 46 M i ral
,

on, n o u, 1 s ee ne s t e 7 ; e 3 ; 2 t v s t to t e e 0
dah
,

Par k g id
, ,
'
I u t
La d r f
sa a co , s e, 1 1 e 1

u h a m pa i hi b r h r t th
e
,

o n, c co n es s ot e o e
N ig r
,

6 e 2

La g ag Ha a di d by Bar h 4 ; f
,

n u e, us s tu e t 0 o
F lah fH a a 54
, ,

p b
Lapa i ri b
AJA o fO o o, 1 1 4 u49 ; s, 1 o us s, 1

J a k ara la k e in Ka 6 8 no , 1 8 (f t tt ) 83 e, 1 oo n o e
Laii B
,

h r am f
,

J a k ri t ot 1 06 ( foot é 5 e nu

ri b M
e, 99 ; e n es or , , ,
2

n o te ) L a h r 45 69 3 6
e t e 1 1

J a mi d N ig r R i r L d yar d J h x pl r r 7
, , ,

e s o n, r. R an e ve 3 1 , 34 e h o n, t e e o e
L g d Chap r XVI I I p m
, ,

J a mi r
. . , '

e s on R ive 98 e en s, te a s si
ri hi ry f 6 ; B r 3 3
.
,

J a n nah
,

, 22 L Af
eo ca nu s , sto o , on o n u, 1
34 8 I N DE X .

G r m t Char t d C mp a y 73 f J b a ( J bb a ) wr k fD y p g t 57
ov e n en e o n o e or e ec o a s r zn
’

a
i N p e a mp a ig
, ,

R ya l N ig r C mp a 76 t q fN ig r
,
,

C a Pr t ra ( p t V I L V I I I ; f J ga 7
o e o 84 r, e se . o e n u c n,
o st o te c o te , a e rs o e , 1 1

th r N ig r ia fN r h r N ig ria J r my C lli r C lli r

.
, .

S ou e n e 1 7; o o t e n e e e o e see o e
J igg r ( P l p
, ,

7 ; F lah r
,

12 56 ; N ig i i t h u f 1 o ) 94 er a n e u tu e , e u ex en etr a ns , 2

J h Si H H
,

94 3 (f t t ) o n s t on , r 22 oo no e
a m f th N ig r 9
. .
, ,

G ra m 3 4 J lib
J
1 o a, n e or e e 11
j t B i O il R i r
,

G ra y M aj r h xpi r 4
, ,

o t
G r k k w l dg f t A fr i a 6
, ,
e e i e 1 u u, a en n , 1 02 n ve s, 12
7
Cha p t r XVI p m m a i g f th
, ,
" '

w rdB 6 3 é RS l L g J j
ee s, no e e o es c e a s sz e n n o
.
, e
Gr d t 3 5
,

Jk
’
o un nu s , 1 o , 2 . ee a so on u u
G j ib a B r i r 6 3 ( f t t ) 66 3
.

u 43 4 o nu , 1 , 1 u o, e nu ve , 1 oo no e 1 22 ,
, , ,
G m 3 5
u 1 4 22

G r wa B e R i r 3
,
gra t 3
i

J g i C l pp t
’
u o enu ve un av e , a er on s ve a 2
Gw a p r t f B ii m i i tar t
, , ,
to , o o en 1 02 ss on s s
fr m o 3 a pt r 5
10 c u e c 10
A BB A 8
,

8 85 0, 1 2 1

Kad a R i r 8 84
, ,

un ve , 12 1
A IR a ti m f dr ig
,

K fi 65 ‘

H b ria l f 86
ai , 1
n 7; ve os o e ss n 22
u
,

o Ka m a lia 9
2
,

M ri Ka m K i gd m m t d by D ha m d
,

H m o f,
d O rw g t
a w a ru a , s ee u ne , n o a e en an
H ar b r a b ou s , f L g 6 Cl pp
s e nc e o ; Bar t h a l o s, 1 0 a er to n, 20 an ve e ra ve
Ha a S a la g ag di d d B r
,

us 8 t te s , 1 i 4 33 t q n u e , s tu e n, 2 an o nu , 1 e se
Ka C l p p ; Bar t h it t
,

li d by Ba ik i
.
,
'
by E h 4 a rt 6 0 8st e e, 2 no , a e r t on a t 1 22 s Vis s o,
m r ha ia ti m ar k 6 ; pr i
, , ,
ld 46 ;
rad w it h 68 d ripti f
e c 88 ; 9 ; A
n ts . so r s, f 1 2 s s oc on , o, c o t to n e t a t, 0 ov nc e o
154 p p l mp w i h t h F lah
eo e co
55 k 66 ar e t e u s, 1 o ot o , 1 t e 1 es c on o
la ra id i g i 7 43 , , ,

3 10 67 1 s ve - n n, 1 1 2
K a r i fB r
,

H a l h 3 3 3 5 94 t
e t 2 e33 t q a. nu o o nu , 1 e se
Ka ag m 9
,

H id 3 6
, , ,
.

es, 1 t u , 1 20

Ka a p r i fS k t a p ital d rib d
,

H i rla d d fi iti mf r m 94 ; agr

nte n e n o te 1 ee ts e n o v nc e o o o o, c es c e
a b t C h p iI I I p m by B ar h 3 9 4 4 ; d
, , ,

m e nt ou a te i rip i f 7 assz t e sc t on o 1 2
a ga
, , , ,

H i ry f h F l h 9 ; fN pé 78 t
.
,
s to o t e u a a4 o u 1 e tu n 22

f h R yal N C mp a y Cha p t r bb i pr i f 73 7 7
, , ,

seq . o t e o er o n e e ov n c e o , 1 , 1
V I ab bb iR i r affl fB
, ,

f 5 s e nc e o a nc zit, e 6 7 e ve ue nt o e nu 21 21
H pk i C
, ,
.
,
o l 93
ns , on su , l 6 3 7 e rn e s , 2, 1

H or nem th xpi r a nn , i it N p e K ir k S i J h e d Bra

e d i t rb a
e 10 v s s u r o n, a n ss s u nc es, 1 1 1
K la
, , ,
178 3 7 o nu t s , 1
H r m F lah 3 9 ; N p e 8 ; I l r i K tag ra ( Kw t g ) 73 8
J
o se e n, u 2 u 2 o n, on o or on a ora , 1 1 2
85 ; B r k
, , , ,

4 ; A m w o nu, 16 K f 1 r a a, 1 1 o ror o a , s ee u o
H r o ses , 1 4 (f t t ) 6 8 (f t 0t ) b y (
oo n o e Kr m ) 53 1 5 37 oo n o e ro o o s or u en , 21 2 2 0, 2 2 , 2
H gh M aj r K k a ap i al f B r
,

ou p i
to n , f8 o e x r a t on s o l pp t d u c t o o n u, a er on an
a i app D ha m i i d by Bar th
, , ,

H M d
O rw g 3 8 43
o u ts o n , r ss s t s5 t q e r t o n, 2 2 en a t, 1 e se v s te an
H lk i O il R i r d r ip i f 3 5 39
.
, .

u s n ve s , 2 , 1 1 2 ve e -
e sc t on o 1 . 1
d r y d b y R a b h 3 6 i B ri i h p h r
,

H m a a r ifi 7 8 ; B i t d a h
,
u n s
5c ces , i en n, 1 0 a e t e st o e e 1 n t s s e e,
f hi f d la ry A pp d ix I I
,
o c
35 ; e 39, 5 2
58 an ve 2 2 0, 2 en
A kw a ) R i r
.
, ,
et q se w ( 5 a or ve 11
H hi C l h th N ig r E xp d i Kw I b R i r 5
.
,
u tc ns o n , on s u , it e e e o- o ve 1 1
i h O il R i r
,
i f 8 54 4 9
w
t on o 1 t e ve s ,
93 ;
a h m a ifi 6
,

i t n es se s u n sr Ce , 2 1
H u ts a nd h i i 4 f p agao us e s, A G O S 57 58 ; d
n tt t rad
r p u, 6 ;r t 1 0 o ns , , an co on e, 0 ou e
F r ad R i r 98
,
22 5 to o c os ve

La i g M aj r t h fi r t E r p a
,
t T m n , o , e s u o e n a i »

b 4 46
I B AI bD ABaN ad L6 ag ilw y 9 45
n
an
tu t
a ird M M a gr g r d th N ig r 9 ;
a mp a i xp d i i f 8 3 3 ; b ai
os a , 1 1 , 2 .
u c to o , 2

,
r.

n es e
,

c e o
t on o
, an
1
e
2, 0
e
o t
, 2
ns
cc o e
I b S a id a ra t fr m G r m t 4 8 56 ; q ip
,
n 1 2 o ve n en e u s
3 c on t c o
Ib o, N ig r r ib 4 5 3
,

e
4 t t h 8
e,
54 xp d i i 1 1 32
4 9 ; d p a h h 22 e 1 e e t o n,
,

es
,

tc e s t e
I ddah d h m d l im 3 3 i it d by th d Ch r h
,

N ig r
,
'

, an t Pl
e d o h e 49 ; v s e e e za to t e e , an u c
l g d h fir A ttah f 8 3
,

Mi i a y S i y 5 tt m t
'

Pl d 5 eia 0 e en 59 a e t st o , 2 ss o n r oc e t 1, a e s o
I d l p aga Chap r V I d a t nd
,

d l p t rad 55 t
,

h
hara r 59 h i w 6 ; i i g h
o s, n, te . e ve o e, e is e a
Id
h m 6 6 ; r lt f hi w r k 8 7 ; m y
u, 1 1 2 c c te is v e s, 0 c o n t nu n is
N ig r t r ib
,

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l O A N DEPT ,

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