conveniently to Old Calabar town, about 45 miles from the sea 

 and for 10 or 20 miles beyond. The Cross river is navigable 

 nearly to the German boundary in the wet season by launch, and 

 in the dry season only as far as Itu (a distance of about 50 miles 

 from the junction with the Old Calabar river). In the dry 

 season it is possible to travel the whole distance by canoe, but in 

 places, owing to the numerous sand banks in the bed of the river, 

 it is a matter of much difficulty. 



The Engenni river is an inland stream which takes its rise in 

 the Oguta lake, about 110 miles to the north from the sea coast, 

 and meets the Sombreiro near Degema, about 30 miles from the 

 sea. An idea of the strength of the current may be gained from 

 the fact that it takes 3 days to ascend by canoe as far as Idu, 80 

 miles or so from Degema, paddling hard against the stream ; 

 whilst paddling hard with the stream it is possible to descend 

 the same distance in one day. 



Northern Nigeria was constituted January 1st, 1900, being- 

 proclaimed at the same time as the Southern Colony, and was 

 made to include the country north of Idah on the Niger. The 

 total area of the territory is about 258,000 sq. miles. 



It is divided for Administrative purposes into 1*1 Provinces, 

 viz. : — Sokoto, Kano, Bornu, Borgu, Kontagora, Zaria, Bauchi, Yola, 

 Nupe, Nassarawa, Muri, Ilorin, Kabba and Bassa. 



An outline of the History and Progress of each Province is 

 given in the High Commissioner's Report for 1904,* and from this 

 and other sources, the following brief particulars are quoted. 

 Sokoto has an approximate area of 35,000 sq. miles. Horse-breeding 

 and cattle raising form the chief sources of wealth, and it is 

 estimated that there are some 100,000 head of cattle and 40,000 

 sheep in the province. Ostrich farming is carried on in the 

 north. Except in areas where lack of water precludes cultivation, 

 there is extensive agriculture including rice and cotton. Special 

 crops are grown in the river valleys by irrigation. Weaving, 

 dyeing, and tanning are the principal native industries. 



The province of Kano comprises an area of about 31,000 square 

 miles and includes the emirates of Kano, Katsena and Daura, which 

 are among the most ancient of the Hausa States. 



The industries which have made Kano famous throughout and 

 beyond the Sudan have remained unchanged, and the weaving 

 and embroidery of cloths, the tanning of goat skins, and orna- 

 mental leather work, with other minor trades form to-day its 

 staple industries, as they did centuries ago. Its large market is the 

 commercial centre of the Western Sudan, the destination and the 

 starting point of the caravans which traverse the country in all 

 directions. The imports of local origin are chiefly : 1. Salt from 

 the north and east (Asben and Manga); 2. Natron from 

 Damageram and the east; 3. Cattle and horses from Sokoto an I 

 Bornu ; 4. Kolas from Ganja and Lagos ; and 5. Antimony from the 

 Benue. Imports of European origin are : 1. From Tripoli. English 

 cloth, magenta-coloured thread, beads, sugar, scent, mirrors, 

 needles, spices, pepper, burnooses, horse-trappings, and writing 



* Col. Rep., Ann. No. 176, VJor,. 



