The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-06-17

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington d. Co
Nigeria, one of the principal coun
tries visited by the prince Of Wales OF
his recent African trip, is Great Brit
aims most valuable west coast posses
sion, outranking both Sierra Leone
and the Gold Coast colony in area and
Importance.
1t is the innermost of the group OF
countries, beginning with Liberia, that
cling like huge bats under the great
overhanging "eave" of Africa. Nigeria
straddles the Niger river and its chief
tributary, the Benue, and extends from
within 300 miles of the equator in the
south to French territory in the north.
The country is very roughly square,
and both north and south, and east
and west has an extent Of between
900 and 700 miles. It's area is nearly
$4,000 square miles, considerably
greater than that Of Texas and Okla
homa together. At Its northeast cor
ner, Nigeria touches the extensive salt
marshes of Lake Chad, Africa's great
est center Of inland drainage. This Is
the region upon which France, Great
Britain and Germany all had their
eyes before the World war, and marked
point where the territories of the
three great powers came into contact
Since the war the German. territory,
the Cameroons, has been divided be-
tween Great Britain and France as
mandates.
Along its southern shore Nigeria has
many of the disadvantages Of most
African tropical countries from the
point Of view of the white man. This
Is especially true of the fully one
third of the 6OO-mile coastland which
is occupied by the sprawling delta of
the Niger. That stream. one Of the
four great rivers of Africa, breaks into
the gulf of Guinea through maze
Of almost countless passages, varying
from channels of reasonable size to
tiny creeks and bayous. Between the
waterways are vast mangrove swamps.
This seems hopeless region for the
white man, but at FORBADE toward the
western edge of the delta, and more
recently at Port Harcourt, near its
eastern extremity, the British have
drained and filed and made over sites
on which they have established reason
ably healthful and prosperous ports.
Lagos an Important City.
1t is near the southwestern corner
OF Nigeria, however well to the west
OF the Niger delta, that Nigeria's most
important port is situated. This is
Lagos, the most English port on the
west coast of Africa, and, in climate
and conveniences, one of the most COM
Portable. 1t boasts good hotel cleo
trio lights, modern water works and
numerous brick houses. About 500
Europeans and $4,000 Africans live in
the town.
One Of the distinguishing features
Of Lagos is that 1t is one of the very
few coast towns Of tropical west Al
rica where horses can live. Horses
are not depended upon to any great
extent for transportation, however. but
are used in the polo matches that help
to make residence in Lagos more bear
able for the few European inhabitants.
For transportation chief dependence is
placed on the rickshaw drawn by two
black boys"
The Niger river Is navigable for
about 300 miles and its river steamers
are used for much of the freight that
goes In and out of Nigeria. But Lagos. |
far from the river, is the great Nige- |
rian gateway. 1t is the coastal ter |
minus of the railway that extends
northeast almost to the northern bor-
der OF the country. Over this rail-
way move most of the passengers and
much of the more valuable freight.
It's services In developing and modern
izing the country can hardly be ex-
uggerated.
The railway from Lagos cuts an in
'"rc9'in. cross-section of Nigeria.
Af,er The forested coastal lowlands are
left behind the traveller encounters a
country alternating between forests
and parkland This Is thickly pom
ulated region where 1t is believed cot
ton can be grown to advantage. Two
hundred and fifty miles from the coast
the railroad cuts across the Niger
river, and then climbs to bush-coy-
cred plateau. parts of which are
sparsely populated.
Toward the end of the run, how
ever, the line enters a prairie country
OF superlatively rich black soil, dense
~ peopled with prosperous agricul-
tural and stock raising tribes. Kano,
the raifhead, the center Of this region.
mas been called 1.-THE Chicago of the
Central Sudan" 1t is ruled over, un-
der British control, by the emir Of
kano, whose subjects number 1000. 900.
kano's Great Market.
xano u no mushroom railroad town.