NIGERIA 185 
are provided by the Government. For the purpose of more rapidly 
getting about, a bicycle, motor, or horse may be kept, and an allow- 
ance is given for maintenance. The cost of living is high, even when 
furnished quarters or a bungalow are provided. 
Lagos is the first port of call in Nigeria, and there is a railway 
journey of 123 miles before reaching Ibadan, the temporary head- 
quarters of the Forest Department. Olokomeji, 90 miles from Lagos, 
is the old headquarters, and from here the forestry work of the 
Southern Provinces is directed. Zaria, situated some 450 miles from 
Lagos, is the headquarters of the Forestry Department in the Northern 
Provinces. 
A newly appointed officer would be liable to be sent to either of 
these last-named places; but owing to the larger number of men 
being stationed in the Southern Provinces, the majority are sent to 
that centre. Olokomeji is in the middle of a Forest Reserve 
26 square miles in extent, and is also the headquarters both of the 
Western Circle and of its northern division. In each circle there is 
a Conservator of Forests in charge, and he has an assistant to manage 
each division. In the event of a shortage of staff it may happen that 
a new man is put in charge of a division and thus has an opportunity 
of learning all about the work much more quickly than would other- 
wise be the case. In the ordinary way he only corresponds with his 
Conservator and the timber interests of his division on purely local 
matters. 
Since 1901, a moderately large Arboretum has been planted at 
Olokomeji, containing quite a number of indigenous trees growing 
under natural conditions, according to the type of climate found in 
that locality, and also some exotic trees which grow in similar climates 
in Asia or South America. In a comparatively short time the new 
Forest Officer can get a very fair idea of the most important timber 
trees found locally, as well as elsewhere. In connection with the 
work of renewing the labels on specimen trees, ocular demonstration 
of all these trees is obtainable. The local Ranger can usually supply 
the vernacular names, and here is a wide field for linguistic qualifi- 
cations. Yoruba is the local language, Benin is spoken by a large 
number of people in the Central Circle, and Hausa by nearly all 
itinerant traders throughout the country. Ibo, another language, 
is spoken by nearly 3,000,000 inhabitants, while many of the Cross 
River people (Eastern Circle) speak Efik; some, however, speak 
New Calabar or Ibibio, while again, in a large part of the Niger Delta, 
Brass or Ijor is spoken. Sooner or later the language of the locality 
should be acquired, and in fact this is prescribed by Government 
order as a necessary preliminary to the granting of the first increment. 
The routine office work includes simple book-keeping, analysis 
of records, appointments of staff, the engagement of native labour 
