The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-04
THE BLACK MANS RUIN.
Gallons of Gin Consumed by the M
tives of Nigeria.
From the London Chronicle.


From the London Chronicle.
We have received a long letter from
correspondent in Legos, dealing with The
liquor traffic in Nigeria. from which we
make the following extracts:
1t is a mistake for people at home to
suppose that statements which are made
from time to time in regard to The effect
of gin drinking upon The natives are eth
er falsehoods or eXaggeralions. As one
who has lived for a considerable time in
the Niger territories, and has actually
sold gin to the natives, not on my own
account, but for others. | consider mat l
am qualified to speak on the subject. 1
have resided for some years on the Niger,
and during the time | was there l did a
brisk trade with the natives in gin, rum
and other barter goods, and had many OPP
portunities of judging what effect the
drinking of continental distilled spirits had
upon different tubes of natives with whom
] came into contact Little or no trade
in spirits is done up the Benue owing TO
the fact that the Niger Company does not
import spirits above the seventh parallel.
What gin docs reach there is struggled
up by the NUpe Brigade of canoemen, or
by the block hands on the steam launches,
helOusing 20 the company, which ply 20
and fire. between the Benue stations. Most
Of the urge owns on tlt 6tllue are Nh
hOmetan. and the degree of ls,amism the
native profess is just and only just suffi-
Client 20 stem the tide of drink. if il should
ever become possible TO obtain gin there
in any quantity. But 1t must not be for
gotten that there are many towns on and
in the neighborhood of the Benue, inhab-
tied by pagans, wno have either resist ed
or failed to he enconpasseJ by The tide
of Mahometan Influence sweeping down
the river. TO them The gin trade is Vet
unknown The spread of civilization has
not reached them.
Smuggling With ImpUnitN.
Al Lokoja the present imperial military
headquarters in Nigeria. no sin is sold by
the Royal Niger Company but it can nev-
vrtheiesS always be bought i'm the native
market. / have often seen drunkenness AT
Lokoja Cerninly, the Niger company
prohibits spirits from being landed there.
bus / do nor think the companys custom
house officers exercise sufficient vigilance
in The discharge Of their duties. Hundred :
of cases arc smuggled up there. Working
downward toward the Niger mouth the
next town Of importance is Idah. 1t has
a pagan population. but Mahometanism is
gaining ground in The ueisaborhood. ana.
indeed. throueh out the Whole lgdrra coun-
try, of which ldah IL the capital. Before
the advent OF the Niger Company in The
Niger as an administrative body. spirits
used to be introduced by native middlemea
into Idah from European merchants settled
i'm the river. When the Niger Company
obtained influence however and began TO
negotiate treaIes vita lie Mahometan
emirs in the North. the Sultan of Sokoto
vino is the religious head of the Mahome-
tans in Nigeria objected 10 spirits being
sold TO the Isarras. among whom Mahom-
etan priests were working. The Niger
Company very wisely agreed not TO do so
aud subsequently prohibited the importa-
ton of spirits above the seventh para lei
But-and IS shows row difficult Il is 10
eradicate tine craving for gin among heath
en- tribes when once IL has taken firm
hold-the Idah people have constantly civ