II. TOPOGRAPHY AND STATISTICS 
Roughly, Nigeria may be divided in its topographical characters into three 
regions — the region of mangrove swamp, with but little vegetation beyond the man- 
grove tree, lining the coast and reaching inland to an extent varying from a few to a 
hundred miles ; studded here and there with the low-lying, dirty, swampy towns and 
villages of the African negroes. Beyond this is the thickly-forested belt — the palm 
oil region — with much cleaner and often well-arranged towns ; and natives engaged 
chiefly in agricultural pursuits. Further inland is the deforested tract extending to 
the edges of the central desert. This country is hilly and undulating, and covered 
with a short scrub and but few trees, and is chiefly occupied by tribes professing 
Mohammedism. Here and there the depressing monotony of the extent of mangrove 
swamp is relieved along the course of the rivers or the streams forming the delta, by 
the occurrence of patches of thickly forested land of small area — anticipating the 
character of the forested belt further inland. 
Old Calabar, the chief town of Southern Nigeria and the seat of government 
administration, is situated about fifty miles up the Old Calabar river, on its left 
bank. The river up to here is lined with mangrove swamps and studded with 
islands of mangroves. The town is placed on the edge of the forested plateau which 
lies beyond the region of swamp. The mangrove region extends on the opposite bank 
still some miles further inland. The plateau is about two hundred feet high, where it 
here comes to the river ; it terminates rather abruptly, and slopes rapidly to the 
water's edge. Old Calabar is built on this slope. Two short spurs jut out, so that 
the town is surrounded in a semi-circular fashion by the edge of the plateau. On the 
western half of the slope is the native town of Duketown, which is continued over 
the summit of the spur into the small village of Henshawtown. A creek, some 
swampy district, and a small valley separate this native half from what may be called 
the European half of the town. The European quarters are built mostly on the edge 
of the eastern half of the plateau ; government offices and other administrative 
premises are dotted about on the slope below. Over the easterly spur is the small 
village of Oldtown, and Quatown is another small village about one-half to one mile 
inland on the level plateau. The factories of the various trading companies are dotted 
about on the water's edge from the extreme end of the native town to the end of 
the European half. 
Proceeding up the hill on the European side of the creek from the Queen's 
beach and the offices of the marine department, are met with, first the customs and 
post-offices, and the public works department offices about half way up the hill ; 
