10 



" The first originates in the Eastern Hausa states, and, traversing 

 about 300 miles, from West to East, flows into Chad near Yo, on 

 the West shore. It receives no water from Bornu proper, and is a 

 flowing stream for the greater part of the year, carrying most 

 water at the end of December. 



" The Shari is the greatest river of the Chad system. Not far 

 from its mouth it unites with the Logone, and for a great distance 

 is a navigable stream, carrying actually a small flotilla of French 

 steamers. It flows into Chad on ics Southern corner, divided into 

 several arms. 



" For some distance the Shari marks the frontier between the 

 French and German territories. 



" Between Shari and Kommadugu of Yo, there is the Yedseram. 

 It collects its waters from the Western slope of the Mandara Hills 

 and from the Margin country, flows due North for a considerable 

 distance, when it turns East and vanishes into a swamp near 

 Dikoa. 



" The rivers near Ullgo and Wobbio, as well as the channel near 

 Missene, appear to be the continuation of the Yedseram, but these 

 water-channels only have a riverlike appearance for a short way, 

 ending, as they begin, in a swamp. 



" The Alo lagoon near Konduga, British Bornu, to a great extent 

 receives its waters from the Yedseram. 



" The Maiduguri river is in connection with this lagoon. 

 Former travellers called it the Ngadda. It flows for some months 

 in the year from South to North to disappear in the swamps near 

 Chad, a little West of the Yedseram." 



Lake Chad is the only known lake of importance in Nigeria, but 

 it is regarded more as " a permanent inundation than a lake in the 

 true sense of the term," and has no outlet to the sea. It is about 

 1,150 ft. above sea-level, and only 20 ft. deep in the deepest parts, 

 with an area, in the dry season, of 10,000 square miles and of 

 50,000 square miles in the wet season. The ancients called this 

 water Libya Palus, and judging from this name they also must 

 have regarded it as more of a swamp than a lake. This was in the 

 days when Africa was thought to be a province bordering on the 

 Mediterranean Sea and Libya was the name for the then known 

 portion of the continent. 



The administrative divisions, and the topography of the separate 

 Colonies having been briefly described, a few particulars as to the 

 Climate, Peoples, Means of Communication, Transport 

 and CURRENCY, for the whole Protectorate now^follow. 



Climate. 



The whole area of NIGERIA falls within the tropics, and having 

 said this it will only be necessary to give a few figures illustrative 

 of the general climate. These have been taken from records made 

 by careful observers in various parts, and the following details are 

 taken from the Official Reports. 



Temperature.— " The mean temperature for the year 190b* at 

 Lagos Observatory was 80*3°. The highest shade temperature 99° 



