304 JAS. J. SIMPSON — ENTOMOLOGICAL 



lies approximately within the parallels of 7° and 14° North latitude, and between 

 the meridians of 3° and 15° East longitude. It is bounded on the north by the 

 arid regions of the French Sudan, on the west by the lofty Kameruns, on the east 

 by the French Colony of Dahomey (or French Nigeria), and on the south by 

 Southern Nigeria. Commercially, its position is excellent, inasmuch as it enjoys 

 all the advantages of magnificent waterways. Its area is approximately 255,700 

 square miles of which the greater part lies in and north of the obtuse angle 

 formed by the two main waterways, the Niger and the Benue. In the north-east 

 corner is that perplexing inland sea. Lake Chad ; while the north and north-west 

 portions practically adjoin the southern limits of the Sahara. These fundamental 

 features must be borne in mind in connection with much of the entomological 

 matter which follows. 



The headquarters of the Protectorate are situated at Zungeru, which is now 

 joined by railway M'ith Lagos, the capital and main seaport of Southern Nigeria, 

 and also with Kano, an ancient and important city in the extreme north. It is, 

 however, more a political than a commercial centre. 



Lokoja, situated as it is at the junction of the Benue and Niger, must always 

 remain an important commercial and geographical centre, though of recent years, 

 owing to the extension of the railway from Lagos to Zungeru and the north, it is 

 somewhat less important than formerly. All heavy transport must pass up the 

 Niger, and the only inlet and outlet for the Southern Provinces, Kabba and 

 Bassa, as well as for the Baro-Kano Railway and the whole Benue system, Muri, 

 Yola, and Bornu, must therefore culminate at Lokoja, which consequently, as at 

 present, must remain the headquarters of the river traffic and a main commercial 

 centre of Northern Nigeria. 



The Baro-Kano Railway, as the name implies, joins the towns of Baro, on the 

 Niger near the mouth of the Bako River, and Kano near the desert region of 

 the north, by way of Minna, where it joins the Northern Nigerian extension of 

 the Lagos Railway. Consequently, Baro must, as trade extends, become an 

 important commercial centre, as it is the extreme limit to which ocean-going 

 steamers can ascend at the season of high water in the Niger. 



Therefore Zungeru, as the headquarters of the Protectorate ; Lokoja, as the 

 commercial and river centre for the Sovithern provinces and those oE the Benue 

 system ; and Baro, as the last port-of-call for ocean-going steamers and the 

 terminus of the Baro-Kano Railway, must always be the chief centres of 

 European activity, and, as such, must be the primary foci to which attention 

 should be directed in preventing the dissemination of disease. If at any time 

 any of these places should become sleeping sickness centres (as seemed likely 

 recently in the case of Baro), the infection might spread to Europeans with 

 disastrous results. As much, however, has already been done to prevent this, 

 and as each locality will be considered in detad. later on, it is unnecessary to enter 

 further into this question here beyond pointing out that geographical and topo- 

 graphical position must be considered in the selection of sites for towns, and in 

 the choice of routes, railway or otherwise, in opening up new country. These 



