82 



recorded that more than 100,000 lbs. of seeded cotton were sent 

 from Abeokuta to Manchester, where it sold at 6d. per lb. Prior 

 to this it was not considered worthy of the notice of European 

 merchants ; the natives for want of proper machinery could not 

 prepare it satisfactorily for the European markets. Accordingly 

 gins and presses were sent out to Abeokuta, and the natiyes were 

 encouraged to collect and prepare cotton for exportation. An 

 Industrial Institution was established at Abeokuta by the aid of 

 the Native Agency Committee (established 18 J 5) in conjunction 

 with the Church Missionary Society. The establishment ^vas 

 conducted by two native young men who had been instructed in 

 England, one of whom had spent eighteen months in a Manchester 

 cotton mill. Any native was allowed to send cotton or other 

 produce to be prepared for the European markets (Rev. H. Venn, 

 Memo. Encouragement of Native Agriculture, Dec. 1856). In 

 1857, 1,250 bales were bought from the natives of Abeokuta for 

 the English market, the rate of purchase being ^d. per lb. in the 

 seed. In the same year it was reported that from 1,000 to 2,000 

 packages of from 70-80 lbs. each were offered for sale at Ila near 

 Ilorin on large market days (about every 1th day), for use an the 

 manufacture of native cloth (Dr. Baikie, Jebba, 12th Dec. 1857, 

 to the Sec. of State for Foreign Affairs). According to MacGregor 

 Laird (Memo. Assoc. Cent. Africa Co. Ltd., 10th April, 1858) 

 the cotton country of Central Africa, extending from Lake Chad 

 to within 50 miles of the Bight of Benin, then produced large 

 quantities for local use, but little for export, owing to the expense 

 of land carriage for so bulky an article. 



In 1869 the cotton exported amounted in value to £76,957, and 

 the exports for ten years following, gradually went down to 

 £526 (in 1879). The principal supply came from the Egba 

 country (Col. Rep. Ann. No. 400, 1902, Agric. Lagos). In 1889 

 the Royal Niger Company were growing cotton at Abutshi, and 

 Mr. Woodruff reported that it would do well there on good soil, 

 but only one crop could be obtained in a year ; the plants then 

 growing (Nov. 30th) were flowering. In 1890 the Director of the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, sent to Lagos a supply of Egyptian 

 Cotton, the varieties " Ashmouni " and " Bahmieh " (cf. G. 

 peruvianum). Particulars of this attempt to revive the industry 

 are given in the Kew Bulletin (Add. Ser. ii. pp. 11-19). In 1902 

 he had occasion to urge that the most effective method of dealing 

 with the cotton problem was to secure the temporary services of 

 an expert from Egypt or America. About the end of the same 

 year, through the interest of Messrs. Elder, Dempster & Co., an 

 expert was appointed to S. Nigeria, and since that period the 

 British Cotton Growing Association have established plantations 

 and ginning centres in various parts of the two colonies (see also 

 Bull. Imp. Inst. 1904, p. 13). The production for export has, 

 accordingly, within the course of the past few years, expanded 

 yearly from £150 in 1902 (Brit. Cotton Assoc. Rep. No. 16, 1906, 

 p. 26), to £72,277 in 1906 (Govt. Gaz. S. Nigeria, 2'ind. May, 1907, 

 app. B. 1). In 1907 the value of the amount exported was £97,043 

 (11,147 bales, or 4,089,530 lbs.) Cotton seed to the value of 

 £10,938 (93,820 bags, or 10,416,143 lbs.) was also exported (I.e. 

 Feb, 19th, 1908, p. 319). The figures for 1906 and 1907 include 



