Chapter II: Preface (2)

At the same time the views of the administrative Southern Protectorate were met by the extension of the Lagos line into Northern Nigeria, with a connection to be established from Zungeru with the Baro-Kano railway, making it possible to travel from Kano either all the way by rail to the coast at Lagos, or by rail to Baro, and thence by river steamers to the mouth of the Niger. It is expected that the bulk of the exports will follow the line to Baro, and thence be carried to the sea by water transport, but the Lagos line serves such a rich and well populated country, that when the Port of Lagos has been rendered accessible by the harbour improvements now in construction, the line should prove of increasing economic value, quite apart from any trade it may attract from the more easterly provinces of Northern Nigeria.

NEW LINE ADVOCATED

The Baro-Kano railway was put in hand at an extremely opportune time, and it was while the work of construction was being rapidly pushed forward that the discovery of tin in the Bauchi Province turned the thoughts of railway construction in an easterly direction, and the continuous and consistently rich finds which rewarded the efforts of prospectors in this region called daily and hourly attention to its remoteness. At first it was considered that the formation of a good road from Bauchi to strike the Baro-Kano line about Zaria would suffice for the needs of the field, but the extraordinary extent and richness of the deposits, and the phenomenal success achieved by the Naraguta (Nigeria) Tin Mines, Ltd., the Lucky Chance Mines, Ltd., and other companies at work there, emphasised the self-evident fact that nothing less than a branch railway would be sufficient to adequately develop the new industry. London capitalists expressed their willingness to find the money to finance the new line, but the question was, and still is, under the consideration of the Colonial Office, and Sir Walter Egerton, the Governor of Southern Nigeria, and Sir Hesketh Bell, the High Commissioner of Northern Nigeria, and Sir William Wallace, the late acting Governor of that colony, all strongly favour the construction of the line by the Government rather than by private enterprise.

SIR WALTER EGERTON’S OPINIONS

Sir Walter Egerton, in an interview he granted to a Press representative in June last, said: “Everybody believes the tin deposits to be very rich, and if only half the reports concerning them are true, there is more than enough to warrant the expenditure of making a branch to the tin fields of the Province of Bauchi. This would give direct access from the sea at Lagos to the tin fields. The reports show that the tin alluvial is similar to that of the Malay Peninsula, which produces more than half the tin of the world. Southern Nigeria has already lent the money required for the construction of the railway to Kano, and it is a question for the consideration of the Secretary of State whether we should not also finance the building of the line to the tin areas. I should think it would be a great advantage to Southern Nigeria to have such communication, as a large traffic might be expected. If the Secretary of State agrees, there is no reason to expect that there will be any opposition in Southern Nigeria to financing the line, for the success of the tin industry will have a wonderful effect not only on Northern, but also on Southern Nigeria, for the Protectorates, though two politically, are one geographically.”

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PROJECTED LINE

Since this interview was published it has been persistently rumoured that the Government have decided to build the suggested line from a point near Rigachiko, on the Baro-Kano line, to a place called Toro, between 120 and 130 miles distant, in the centre of the tin district, and midway between Naraguta and Juga. The country which the line would traverse has been surveyed, and a new road, 12 feet wide throughout, and capable of conveying light motor traffic in the dry season is being constructed, and will probably be completed before the end of the present year. But the Government have not yet announced their decision, and it is doubtful, although efforts have been made to induce them to divert the funds for extending the line from Zaria to Kano for the purpose of the tin fields branch, whether they can be persuaded to do so. It is believed, as Sir Walter Egerton said, that if the Government acts on the recommendation of the Governor of Northern Nigeria, the Government of Southern Nigeria would be willing to undertake the construction of the line, and should the Colonial Office decline to sanction the scheme, representatives of several of the companies interested in the new tin field have expressed their readiness to finance the railway.

As recently as October 22nd a meeting of representatives of the various Northern Nigerian tin companies was held at the London Offices of the Niger Company, when a general committee, to be named the Northern Nigerian Mines Association, was formed, composed of a representative of each of the companies, and a sub-committee, composed of Lord Scarborough, Mr. S. R. Bastard, Mr. O. Wethered, Mr. Godfrey, and Mr. Berry was appointed to deal with urgent business. The chief attention of this meeting was naturally paid to the question of transport, and the first business done was the passing of a resolution urging the Colonial Office to construct the railway to the Bauchi tin fields as early as possible. The Association decided on the appointment of a medical officer, and they have, furthermore, given instructions for a hospital to be built on the field at Joss. It will therefore be seen that everything possible is being done to urge upon the Government the importance of pushing forward this work, which will doubtless be taken seriously in hand before long.

VARIOUS OPINIONS

Everybody connected with the Protectorate or interested in the new tin field is agreed as to the absolute necessity of constructing the line.

Mr. J. Tomson, the chief engineer of the Anglo-Continental Mines Company, who recently returned to England after an extended tour in the Bauchi district, declared that the difficulties of transport are at present tremendous, but he is of opinion that they could best be overcome by running a railway from Minna, a point on the Baro-Kano line to Naraguta, the capital of Bauchi.

“Before I left,” said Mr. Tomson to a representative of the _Morning Post_, “I had an interview with Sir Hesketh Bell, the Governor, and found him most sympathetic towards the mining industry. He recognises that the railway should be built to the tin fields as quickly as possible, but of course it is a question of ways and means. If the Colonial Office came to the rescue and made a special grant for laying the line, or else allowed the united mining companies to construct it themselves, which they are quite willing to do, all would be well. But it is important that something should be done at once. If not, there is going to be a serious difficulty over the food supply, because so many mining companies have gone to the Bauchi district that the farmers are unable to cope with the demand for food. With a railway to Minna and then along the line now being laid to Zungeru, which connects up the Lagos railway and the line from Baro, the ore would reach port in a few days.”

Mr. Beresford, the Secretary of the Administration of Northern Nigeria, in an official letter written to a correspondent, discussing new means of transport in the Protectorate, says:— “A survey for a road has just been completed, and it has been found that the Rishi Pass is not a practicable line, and it is considered that Toro or Tilde, and not Liruei, should be the point of objective. It is hoped that by December next a rough road, fit for carts or light motors, may be completed to Toro _via_ the Gusu Pass, but the Governor is strongly of opinion that nothing but a railway will suit the requirements of the tin fields, even in the near future, and he hopes that it may be possible to find funds for such a project.”

THE ROUTE DESCRIBED

When the work of seeing these pages through the press was nearing completion, a letter arrived at the London offices of the Tin Fields of Northern Nigeria, Ltd., from their engineer, Mr. Jerome J. Collins, describing the means of transport from the coast to the seat of operations in the Bauchi Province. The particulars, which are given from personal experience of the journey, are both interesting and instructive, as they are also the last word to hand on the subject, and the excerpts which follow are published by the courtesy of the directors of the company, by whom the letter was received.

Writing from Kogin Jarawa, under date September 13, Mr. Collins says:—

_Niger River Transport._—Forcados to Baro.

The distance is 407 miles. The Niger Company, Ltd., and the Government run shallow draught steamers carrying passengers and cargo. The Government steamers run a weekly service in connection with the mail steamers from Liverpool. The Niger Company run steamers as inducement offers.

The time occupied is about ten days by both services, but a great deal of this time is taken up with stoppages at the various towns along the river.

The Government steamers are in a very bad state of repair, and much time is lost owing to breakdowns. In the rainy season branch steamers travel between the coast and Baro, at present carrying railway material. They have facilities for handling heavy cargo.

The season extends from July to September.

The Government and Niger Company’s boats have no facilities for handling heavy cargo, being limited to packages capable of being handled by native labour, which is tedious and expensive.

The cost of transport by Government steamers for ordinary cargo from Forcados to Baro is from 40s. to 60s., and down from Baro to Forcados is from 21s. to 33s.

_Railway Transport._—Baro to Rigachiko.

The distance is 225 miles. The railway is not yet completed to Rigachiko, where the Bauchi road starts, but I understand from railway officials that the line will be through by next March, 1911. Railhead at present is at Kogin Serikin Pawa, 172 miles from Baro, but rails are laid to within fifteen miles of Rigachiko, and this part of the line will be ready as soon as the bridges are completed.

The railway is 3 feet 6 inch gauge, and has been constructed with economy always in view. Up to the present there is no ballast on the line, and consequently there are serious delays during the rainy season owing to derailment of engines and the washout of embankments. My journey from Baro to railhead occupied fifteen days; the most of this time was lost owing to breakdowns on the line.

The journey should occupy two days, and I have no doubt that by March next it will be possible to get from Baro to Rigachiko in two days.

The freight on the line at present is 8s. per ton per mile, equal to £7 10s. per ton from Baro to Rigachiko, but at present the railway company will not undertake to transport cargo unless it is accompanied, and even then they will take no responsibility.

I understand that in the next year, when the railway is open to Zaria, the freight will be reduced to 6s. per ton per mile, equal to £5 12s. 6d. per ton from Baro to Rigachiko.

_Road Transport._—Rigachiko to Naraguta.

The distance is approximately 135 miles. On my journey across by this road I took eight days, which is as quick as can be expected.

The Government engineers are clearing a track twelve feet wide, and pulling out tree stumps. They are also grading down banks of creeks to one in ten.

They are expending £20 per mile on this work, and have completed fifty miles in two months.

This road track will come into the tin fields at Toro, twelve miles north-east of Naraguta, and twelve miles west of the company’s property at Federri. This track should be finished by the end of the year.

The country is flat and very easy for road building. There are four large rivers to cross, which would require bridges of over 100 feet in length, and numerous small creeks which could be bridged cheaply.

There is plenty of stone suitable for road ballast, available near the road. When the road track is through to the tin fields it will be possible to transport stores by carrier in seven days from railway.

It may be mentioned here that the Niger Company up to the present have had great difficulty with the prospectors and others travelling up to the tin fields, owing, in some cases, to their not having left themselves entirely in the hands of the company. The Niger Company have practically controlled the country, and have perfected arrangements by which they can supply large numbers of natives for carrying goods from the river to the tin field, but on several occasions their organisation has been interfered with by persons offering the natives three or four times their usual pay in order to get them through quickly to the fields. This, of course, as will be seen, is a dangerous policy, for if a scale is not strictly adhered to, the time will come when the natives will start attempting to dictate their own terms.

The Niger Company are not in favour of the motor route from the head of the Baro-Kano to the fields. Their opinion is that the money would be wasted on such a road, and that the mining community should be satisfied to wait until the railway is made. Their view is that the mining companies should join together and come to an arrangement with the Niger Company for carrying all the goods along their own route from Loko to the field _via_ Keffi and Bukeru. This road, they say, could be reserved for mining business, and they would open up another route, starting from a point near Sinkai higher up the Benue River, which could be used for ordinary commercial purposes. They point out that with the rush of goods required for the mines, they have been unable to get up a sufficient and proper supply of provisions. This question, of course, requires careful consideration, as although the Niger Company wish to be considered as offering this advice in a purely disinterested manner, it should be remembered that they are asking for contracts for the whole of the transport, which would enable them to employ thousands of natives at a very low figure.

THE BAUCHI PROVINCE

Meantime the energetic prospecting and mining work that is being done in the Province of Bauchi is establishing the fact that the new tin area is of enormous extent and value both in the nature of alluvial gravels and the more permanent form of tin lodes. Mr. Lush, the well-known mining authority, who has examined a great part of the Province, estimates that these deposits are scattered over an area of no less than 2,500 square miles, and the tin produced is considered to be some of the best ever imported into Europe, and commands a price equal, if not higher, than the Straits tin. The land is situated about 3,000 to 4,000 feet above sea-level, and the late Director of Mines in Northern Nigeria states that the climate is equal to that of Rhodesia, if not even better.

“Few people have any idea,” Mr. Tomson asserts, “of the possibilities of this country. It is quite a mistake to think it is unhealthy. Naraguta is over 3,500 feet above the sea-level, and is a healthy and fertile district. Here you are hundreds of miles away from the malarial swamps and the coast. If you walk up out of the town of Naraguta on to rising ground, as far as you can see stretch out great plains of waving grass, here and there dotted with masses of the Fulani cattle. It would make a splendid wheat-growing district, for the land requires very little cultivation, and there is no bush country. Kano, which lies nearly two hundred miles to the north, is a remarkable place. Several travellers have stated that it is the largest market in the world.”

CLIMATE AND WATER

Mr. Huddart, until recently Director of Mines, who has declared that the climate of Northern Nigeria is better than that of Rhodesia, and that the country is without a single tsetse belt, says:

“The nights are quite cold, and any man who lives well ought to have perfect health. I do not reckon it in the least like any other part of West Africa; it is more like Eastern Soudan, and it is known as the Western Soudan. With regard to water, which, as you know, is a very important question, it is quite erroneous to imagine that there is very little water here. In Northern Queensland and South-Eastern and Western Australia there is much less water than here; in fact there is no comparison between them. Mr. Lush and I—and I had the pleasure of travelling with him—were never at any trouble in getting water, we never had even to carry water, and those who have travelled know what that means.”

In Nigeria they have only two well-defined seasons, the wet and the dry season. The wet season lasts from April till the end of October, and during that time it is very difficult to do any prospecting work, although, of course, mining can be carried on in certain districts. It is during the dry season, from the end of October to April, that most of the work can be accomplished, especially from a prospector’s point of view.

LIVING AND PROVISIONS

Mr. Lush, writing on the subject of the cost of living and provisions, says “living is cheap, there being plenty of beef, mutton, fowls, milk, eggs, &c. Any kind of vegetable grows well, especially English varieties; in fact very few mining fields that I have visited can be compared to Northern Nigeria in respect of the various sorts of wholesome fresh food that can be obtained. In fact all one requires is flour and a few groceries. The country will provide the rest.”

LICENCES AND LEASES

The new mining regulations, incorporated in the “Minerals Proclamation, 1910,” have already been published in Nigeria, but they are not yet obtainable in this country, and I am privileged to be able to reproduce a copy of them as an appendix to this book. From this document it will be seen that a prospector must either take out a prospecting right, which costs £5 per annum, and entitles the holder to explore for minerals in those parts of the Protectorate not already leased or reserved by Government notice, or an exclusive licence to prospect within an area not exceeding 16 square miles for a fee of £5 per square mile. Mining leases are only granted to holders of either one of these permits, who, upon application, must show that _bonâ fide_ prospecting operations have been carried on on the area applied for, and that they possess or command sufficient working capital to ensure the proper development and working of the mine. Leases of tin areas, which are granted for a term up to twenty-one years, with the option to renew for a further twenty-one years, are three in number, viz., lode mining leases, which may be obtained up to a maximum of thirty claims of 80,000 square feet per claim, at the rental of £4 per claim per annum; alluvial mining leases, not exceeding 800 acres in area, with a minimum width throughout of 400 yards, at a rate of 5s. per acre per annum; and stream mining leases, which shall be confined to the bed of a stream, not exceeding one mile in length, at a rental of £1 per 100 yards per annum. Penalties in the shape of fines or imprisonment are to be inflicted for prospecting without a licence or working a mine without a lease, for interfering with a prospector in the exercise of his rights, for giving false information in an application for a mining lease, or for “salting” a mine, and the Government reserve the power to cancel a prospecting right or revoke a mining lease for certain breaches of the new regulations. Over and above the fees charged for yearly rental of leases, the holder is by statute required to pay a royalty of 5 per cent. to the Niger Company on the value of all metal won, and another royalty of 5 per cent. to the Government, who collect their royalty in the form of export duty.

LABOUR

A population estimated at seven to nine millions is already on the land, and although their labour would not be very efficient so far as skilled work is concerned, there is plenty of rough work to be done, for which about 6d. per day is paid. The costs of treatment are not expected to exceed 6d. per cubic yard. When it is remembered that it is possible for one property to contain many hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of alluvial wash, and that this alluvial tinstone is worth approximately 10d. per lb. at the present time, it will be realised that with the working costs at the liberal figure of 6d. per cubic yard, there is a very considerable margin of profit in these undertakings.

Mr. J. Tomson says of the natives that they make very good labourers: “They insist on being paid with English money, ‘threepenny bits’ being very popular. They have no liking for gold, and do not consider it so valuable as silver. The pagans, who are the farming class, appear to be a most industrious people. They still live in fear of invading Fulani, and always take their bows and arrows with them to the field. Neither men nor women wear dress of any kind. They have a juju or secret oath which forbids them to put on any garment. With these people the missionaries make no headway at all. Neither do they with the Mohammedans.”

The manager of the Lucky Chance Mines, reporting under date 29th August, said he was still paying 6d. per day for ordinary labour, and so far he had had little trouble with the men on day wages, although they had several times tried to get him to raise the rate of pay.

Reporting on a property at Juga in the tin district, Mr. Huddart says:

“The properties are very favourably situated to obtain labour. The men from Bauchi and the east come along the main caravan route looking for work to enable them to earn money to pay the taxes, &c. As this particular property is near the market, and the men usually halt at the market, they can easily be recruited. The cost of ordinary labour is 1d. per hour, and is easily trained. The Bornu and Eastern Kanuri are, in my opinion, the best workers available. A further advantage lies in the position of the property in settled country under the control of the Filani Emir of Bauchi, and the men prefer this to the pagan country.”

Referring to another property about twenty miles further south, Mr. Huddart says:

“When all is in proper working order, I am convinced that ample labour will be forthcoming, as the property is favourably situated in that it can tap the Angass country and the western part of Bornu, as well as the eastern Bauchi territory. When the proper camps are made, markets organised, and the natives learn that a certain income awaits them, I feel sure that labour will come in without any difficulty, and I speak as one knowing their language and having an intimate knowledge of the conditions.”

Mr. H. W. Laws, General Mining Manager of the Niger Company, in his report to the Bisichi Company, whose property is near Naraguta, says:

“There is a good supply of labour in the country; owing to a sudden increase in the demand for labour a temporary shortage was reported this wet season, but the labour market is now rapidly recovering, and in view of the very large amount of labour available in the Hausa States, and the Province of Bornu, no difficulties need be anticipated as to the supply in future.”

The concensus of opinions held by men who understand the amount and nature of the work entailed in this particular form of mining, and are, at the same time, personally familiar with the material that the country has to offer for the purpose, shows that the supply of labour in Northern Nigeria is entirely adequate, and although the development of West Africa depends almost entirely upon the labour question, there is no prospect of any difficulty on this account. Mr. Astley Cooper believes the chief grounds upon which trouble might arise, are the desire of the majority of the natives not to do too much work, the fear that a few months’ work in the mines would give a native sufficient money to live on for a year or two, and the difficulty of getting the right sort of European to take charge of the native labourers. But after all there is little reason to anticipate trouble on any one of these counts. No native in any part of the globe does more work than he is kindly but firmly obliged to perform, and there is no necessity for employers to demoralise the native labourers by a policy of over-payment. But the necessity of employing the right sort of European to put in control over the natives is quite to the point. The West African is more domestic than the Kaffir—of whom there are over 200,000 at work in the Transvaal mines—and there is no more willing worker if he has the proper white man over him. But it is the duty of the Government and the trading companies, and the mining corporations, to select the right men for their purpose, and if they are wise in this respect there need be no fear of labour troubles in either Southern or Northern Nigeria.

THE FUTURE OF THE FIELD

The published opinions of Government officials, engineers of repute, capitalists, traders, and travellers, all tend to prove that in Northern Nigeria we have one of the largest, if not the very largest, of the tin-producing areas of the world. Other minerals are known to exist, and very big developments may be looked for in the near future, as the pioneering efforts of the Niger Company and the Champion Gold Reefs of West Africa are being followed by powerful financial houses, but alluvial tin stands out, and will always stand out, as the leading product of this remarkable mineral country.

Two such astute men and persons so well acquainted with the country as Sir Walter Egerton, the Governor of Southern Nigeria, and the late Sir Alfred Jones, have expressed the strongest views as to the extent and importance of these tin deposits, and the acting Governor of Northern Nigeria in his latest report asserted that “with the introduction of more capital and a good means of transport from the field to the railway a very large development is anticipated.”

Mr. Lush says the Bauchi tin deposits are richer than he has seen in any part of the world. It is, he says, a granite country, and although the existence of reefs has been proved in one part of the district, the alluvial deposits—which yield tin oxide containing about 72 per cent. of metallic tin—are of principal importance.

ALLUVIAL AND LODE MINING

Alluvial mining, has, of course, the demerit of being short-lived. There is no great depth in the deposits, and especially if they are worked economically—that is to say rapidly—they are exhausted in a comparatively short time. But the attention directed to the district in these alluvial workings will certainly lead to the discovery and opening-up of the tin lodes, which in course of time should prove a more lasting source of supply than the alluvials. Indeed, at two points, two tin lodes are already being opened up, and before long a good idea should be obtained of their value. The interests at work in the district will certainly see that every chance is given to this side of the business, but, of course, development upon a lode is very different work to that upon alluvial deposits, and progress may be slower in their case. It is very unlikely, with such an enormous area of stanniferous gravels, that lodes of importance should not be discovered as time goes on, and there appears to be no doubt that the tin production of Nigeria will become quite a factor in the markets of the world. Many things will have to happen before lode producing can be carried out upon a large scale, but as the alluvials are worked out, the labour employed upon them can be concentrated upon the most lasting deposits, and the operations of the alluvial miners should produce a working population which should be fitted to deal with the higher form of mining. Certain facilities will doubtless be given to the district, and some idea of the importance and the developments in this part of Nigeria can be gathered from the fact that the Bank of British West Africa has been earnestly invited to open an office in Bauchi. At present this matter is under consideration, since it is difficult to fix upon a spot which will be most suitable for such an institution to work, but before long it is probable that the tin-mining district will have the facilities offered by a bank.

THE GENERAL PROSPECTS

Mr. Oliver Wethered, whose name is so well known in connection with the tin industry, has described to a meeting of shareholders the peculiar advantages of the country which is now attracting the attention of the tin markets of the world, and in the course of his address he said:

“Now as to the country in which our interests are centred, judging by the information that I have received from all available quarters, I have no hesitation in stating that we are interested in one of the most important virgin alluvial tin fields the world has ever seen, and certainly the most important that capitalists have had an opportunity of working as a new field. In Tasmania, Australia, and other countries which have produced large quantities of alluvial tin, the prospectors have gone in by hundreds, and even thousands, and have washed out large quantities of tin greatly to their own individual benefit. Subsequently the ground has been worked over and over again, and in recent years again re-worked by means of modern appliances. I may say here, that in Cornwall some of the ground must have been worked eight or ten times, and big plants are now being erected for the purpose of working it again by modern methods. It will be obvious to every one that with a practically untouched field, and working in the most economical and thorough way from the start, the results cannot fail to be extremely satisfactory.

“Undoubtedly one of the factors which has delayed the opening up of the tin fields of Nigeria has been the question of economical transport. But the Nigeria tin is of very high quality. It fetches, as a rule, anywhere from £6 to £8 more a ton than Cornish tin, and in this connection I should like to read an extract from a letter which was written to me by the managing director of the largest tin smelting works in Europe, to whom I sent a sample of the tin oxide as it was received here, and of which, in acknowledging it, he says, ‘It is about 75 per cent. metallic tin, of excellent quality, equal to anything being put on the market, so far as my observation goes.’ I am very closely connected with Cornish mining, and there we get Bolivian, Straits, and all kinds of tin, and it is the general opinion that Nigerian tin is one of the very best tins imported into Europe, and will always command a price equal to, if not better than, that of the Straits. Even under existing conditions alluvial tin mining in Nigeria is a highly profitable business, but when the present railway system is completed, and the road made from the Government line to the tin field, the freight should be reduced by many pounds per ton, and the profit largely increased. The completion of the road would enable heavy machinery to be brought to the mines, when larger quantities of the rich alluvial ground would be handled in an economical way, and the work done at a cost much below what is possible under existing conditions. The lodes, too, of which there is undoubted evidence, could be worked. Meanwhile some machinery can be transported in sections, and the output of tin should be rapidly increased and the costs greatly reduced.”

Mr. Assheton Lever, in summing up the situation generally in Northern Nigeria to a meeting of shareholders, said:

“We know that there are considerable areas there which in some cases are very rich in alluvial tin. There are also tin lodes there; but that for the present is another story, because alluvial tin is a thing which is easily and comparatively inexpensively worked, whereas to work a lode mine requires good means of transport, and to be able to get up to the mines easily expensive and heavy machinery. We have a good climate, we have a sufficiency of water, and so far as we can ascertain, we have a sufficiency of native labour. All the companies which are interested in Northern Nigeria appear anxious to co-operate, and are willing to work together generally for their mutual benefit, and for the tin industry in particular.”

Mr. H. W. Lake, the consulting engineer, speaking in a professional capacity at the same meeting, referred to the phenomenal richness of the river banks in the tin district in Northern Nigeria, while very rich alluvials are found on the flats, and when it comes to investigation of the river banks themselves very much larger quantities of black tin to the cubic yard are won. “I am speaking now,” he added, “from a certain amount of experience, because four years ago we had an expedition in the Bauchi district, and our engineer obtained some quite remarkable results from the alluvial. Of course, it is a new country. There is a great deal of pioneering work to be done, and what we have still to look forward to is steady systematic organisation for the next year or two. We do not want to make the mistakes that have been made in the opening up of many new countries—some of them not very far from Nigeria—but we do want to settle down to steady systematic development. As far as the railway is concerned, there seems no doubt that we shall have a line into the tin fields, which is going to simplify the question of transport, and reduce the costs very materially. With regard to the actual working of these alluvials, to begin with, I am of opinion that we should use the simplest methods possible—ground sluicing and so forth, but there will come a time when we shall have very seriously to consider the question of hydraulicing and treating these alluvials on a very much larger scale than would be possible by means of sluicing.”

A DISTRICT FULL OF NARAGUTAS

The extraordinary results obtained by the Naraguta Company might be regarded as exceptional, since it was a proved mine when taken over from the Niger Company, and the actual work done upon it has only confirmed what was previously known of its phenomenal value. But it may be said with great confidence, after careful examination, by not one, but many engineers, that the picture is not in any degree overdrawn. Moreover, the head of a great firm of mining engineers who was inclined to ridicule the values reported, has since admitted that he has altogether changed his opinion, and that he thinks from advices he has received, that the Malay Peninsula fields, even in their palmiest days, were never “in it” with the Northern Nigerian alluvial tin fields. In one place tin has been taken out, on the Dubbo property, belonging to the Lucky Chance Mines, extending over 640 acres, which actually goes 120 lbs. to the cubic yard. That is to say, that the calabashers must be getting out tin almost pure. This may be only a pocket; but the whole character of the reports from the fields makes it perfectly certain that the general nature of the Bauchi district, where the alluvial tin is mostly found, is of an absolutely phenomenal character.

There is no doubt whatever that in this remote district of Nigeria, which until a few years ago, was closed to the white man by the ferocity of its inhabitants, nature has been concentrating tin for thousands and tens of thousands of years, until we have it now in very large quantities in an almost pure condition. To Sir Percy Girouard is largely due the honour of opening up this country, through the discipline he and his subordinates dealt out to the original inhabitants. To his successor, Sir Hesketh Bell, fell the duty and the honour of opening up further the country by a railway system which will make it a great Imperial acquisition.

The work of Sir Percy Girouard and Sir Hesketh Bell may be specially referred to, for they represent the Imperial Government; but we must not forget the work of the directors of the pioneer companies in London, who must have worked continually to do what they have done. In the short space of only twelve months they have accomplished an amount of work which ordinary directors without enthusiasm would have taken years to do. The country has been searched for good properties, engineers have been despatched and machinery ordered, and such is the good work done in a small way with high values, that it is no exaggeration to say that many properties are now paying their way. All has been so swiftly done, and with so little fuss, that it seems like a fairy tale, and the public have no conception yet of the extraordinary value of these alluvial tin propositions in Northern Nigeria.

POLITICAL AND COMMERCIAL OUTLOOK

It is satisfactory to gather from the report of the acting Governor dated 11th December last, that the year 1909 was a very peaceful one, the military operations which it was found necessary to carry out being on a small scale, and chiefly on account of highway robberies. From all the Provinces it is reported that the general feeling of the Emirs and native chiefs towards the British Administration continues to be most friendly. They are beginning to show an intelligent interest and zeal in the political work, and political officers are receiving support in any scheme proposed for the improvement of the Native Administration. The people show signs of wishing to be on friendly terms with the Government, and the agricultural classes are feeling a sense of security which enables them to spread out in all directions and take up new holdings. Their present position is described as “one of progressive tranquillity and content.” The inter-colonial traffic in slaves has already ceased; local slave-dealing is not entirely stamped out, but it is not extensive, and last year 1,392 slaves were freed, practically all by means of native courts, the majority of these ex-slaves being self-redeemed.

The cultivation of food stuffs has increased; new markets have been established, and the present safety of the roads has greatly stimulated the internal trade of the country. A great improvement in the export trade has followed the extension of the Baro-Kano Railway. To the north of Minna there is a most extensive area of shea butter trees, but very little of the produce of this area has so far been placed on the market, partly on account of the cost of transport, and partly owing to the reluctance of the pagans to have intercourse with markets outside their districts. The construction of the railway has done much towards gaining the confidence of these people, and the reduction in the cost of transport, consequent upon the completion of the railway, will render it possible to place profitably this sylvan produce on European markets. Further north the railway will pass through the rich agricultural and stock-raising Lausa provinces, which at present export live-stock, skins, and potass by means of annual caravans. The idea that Northern Nigeria is an especially unhealthy place for European residents is scarcely borne out by the total death-rate of roughly twenty per thousand, calculated on the average resident European population; but the proportion of officers invalided home is still large, though it is much smaller than it was a few years ago, when less satisfactory sanitary conditions prevailed at the stations.

Although the addition of the Nigerian Protectorates to the Empire is primarily due to the prescience and enterprise of the Niger Company, that corporation has no monopoly of trade within their boundaries nor any special advantage over other traders. It takes its chances against rival firms in the many spots in which it comes into competition with them. At Gana Gana, for instance, the company’s first station beyond Burutu, the German firm of Bey & Zimmer has a depôt. John Holt & Co., E. H. Stern & Co., J. T. Palmer & Co., Pagenstecher, and the British Cotton Growing Association are all represented in Nigeria, and the firm of G. W. Christian & Co. has established important trading stations at most of the principal towns on the river. As recently as 1904 Messrs. Christian started operations in Nigeria at a small place named Proropro on the left bank of the Niger; to-day they have branches at Forcados, Burutu, Onitsha, Illah, Illushi, Idah, and Lokoja, and at all these centres they not only conduct a large cash and barter trade, but undertake equipments and accept commissions, and cater in every way for the requirements of both Europeans and natives. The extraordinarily rapid rise and progress of this firm is almost entirely due to the exceptional qualifications for the trade possessed by the principal, Mr. George William Christian, who was born in Liverpool in 1872, and who, from the early age of fifteen has been associated with West Africa, and in twenty-five years has acquired a thorough experience and first-hand knowledge of the British and native needs of the Protectorates.

PARTICULARS OF COMPANIES WORKING TIN PROPERTIES IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

CHAMPION GOLD REEFS OF WEST AFRICA, LTD.

_Capital._—£50,000, in 200,000 shares of 5s. each; all are
issued and fully paid.

_Directors._—S. R. Bastard (Chairman), F. N. Best, Sir Horace
C. Regnart, John Waddington.

_Secretary._—Newman Ogle.

_Offices._—Friars House, New Broad Street, E.C.

To this company belongs the credit of being one of the first to appreciate the almost unlimited opportunities the tin fields of Northern Nigeria offer for the employment of British capital. It is not surprising, therefore, that it has to-day, not merely one finger, but the whole of its digits in the Nigerian “pie,” from which it has already pulled out a “plum” in the shape of a dividend of 100 per cent. paid in March last. It is not always the pioneer in a new mining field who strikes the richest areas, but under the guidance of its highly capable engineers, Champion Gold Reefs of West Africa obtained exclusive rights over some properties and interests in options over others which promise a magnificent harvest in years to come.

It was in September 1909, that the company decided to abandon gold mining in Ashanti and devote attention to tin mining in Northern Nigeria. What were described as “very extensive alluvial tin areas” were acquired on September 20. In a circular to the shareholders, dated October 6, it was stated that the work carried on by the Niger Company, and the investigations of mining engineers in the district had “proved the existence of very rich alluvial ground, and already upwards of 1,000 tons of black tin, won by means of calabashes and sluice boxes, had been shipped.” It was further stated that on one of the properties, over which the company had exclusive rights, there was a waterfall of 480 feet, which would secure cheap and ample power; that the properties were situated some 3,500 feet above sea-level, and the climate was good; that the district was thickly populated, and the natives willing and anxious to work.

The first members of the staff sailed for Northern Nigeria on October 6, and were followed a month later by Mr. Charles G. Lush, the well-known expert on the working of alluvial tin deposits. Mr. Lush was to advise as to the best method of developing the company’s property, which was then stated to be 13 square miles in extent. Parenthetically it may be mentioned that other suitable areas were afterwards taken up and several handed over to subsidiary concerns. Mr. Lush first went to the Juga and Sub-Juga properties, and the first communication received from him was the following cable, dated Bauchi, December 17: “Have visited Juga, am very favourably impressed. Up to the present time proved alluvial extends over 200 acres and averages 9 feet; alluvial contains 4s. per cubic yard; the value of stream tin, £600,000. I will visit Sub-Juga this week.” On December 22 he again cabled as follows: “Sub-Juga—Have visited, am very favourably impressed. I consider admirably adapted for the Australian method of working. It will be necessary to erect a dam; will make survey and report upon. Alluvial extends over 500 acres and averages 9 feet. Estimated value of stream tin, 2s. 6d. per cubic yard.” From these and other communications subsequently received it was evident that Mr. Lush had been most favourably impressed with the field generally, and with the value of the Champion Gold Reefs property in particular.

Four subsidiary companies have been formed to date, viz.:

Naraguta (Nigeria) Tin Mines, Ltd.
Lucky Chance Mines, Ltd.
Juga (Nigeria) Tin and Power Company, Ltd.
Tin Fields of Northern Nigeria, Ltd.

The Naraguta (Nigeria) Tin Mines is not only a productive concern, but one that has already entered the dividend list, 1s. per share having been distributed. The property was originally five square miles in extent, but the area has since been extended. It was held under option by Champion Gold Reefs, who transferred their option to the present company. The purchase consideration paid to the Niger Company was £50,000, payable as to £30,000 in cash and £20,000 in fully-paid shares. The Government and the Niger Company are together entitled to a royalty of 10 per cent. on the profits. Before the present company was formed the Niger Company obtained from the Naraguta property over 1,000 tons of tin concentrates, and it is stated that in one square mile of the property, which has been systematically tested by pits, there are 10,000 tons of black tin awaiting extraction. Up to the present time, the ground treated has produced tin to the value of £3,000 per acre, whereas in other countries, such as Australia and the Malay Peninsula, £1,000 per acre is considered phenomenal. Some of the ground gives fully 5 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. There can be no doubt that Naraguta is going to be one of the “gems” of the district.

The Lucky Chance Mines, Ltd., was originally formed in May, 1905, to acquire property in New Zealand, but at the end of 1908 only seven shares had been issued, and the paid-up capital was £5 5s., the company having no assets or liabilities. Towards the end of last year, however, it was placed on its financial legs by the Champion Gold Reefs of West Africa. The latter company sold certain of its tin areas to the Lucky Chance Company for 200,000 shares, and agreed to procure the subscription of 8,000 further shares. To-day the Lucky Chance Company is a robust and ably-controlled enterprise, with excellent prospects of development. Its properties comprise nearly 12,000 acres. The South Juga property has recently been sold to the Juga (Nigeria) Tin and Power Company for £10,000.

The Juga (Nigeria) Tin and Power Company owns what is known as the Juga property, which is situated on a plateau 3,280 feet above sea-level, having a total area of 1,600 acres, and the Sub-Juga property, which lies upon the lower plateau immediately below Juga, the area in this case being 6,720 acres. As already remarked, the South Juga property has recently been added. Mr. Lush estimates that 200 acres of the Juga property will be highly payable. For the purposes of his estimate, he took the average depth as 9 feet, which, extending over 200 acres, equals 2,904,000 cubic yards, each cubic yard containing 6 lbs. “In valuing the ground at 6 lbs. per cubic yard,” Mr. Lush said, “I am not taking into account only the high results obtained from some of the bottom wash, but am reckoning it as a whole. I do this because working results may prove that the wash does not extend over the whole 200 acres, but the gravel does, and I feel confident will average what I state.” In a similar way he estimated that the Sub-Juga property would yield 3 lbs. per cubic yard over 5,808,000 cubic yards.

Tin Fields of Northern Nigeria, Ltd., is a company owning eight square miles at Federri and nine square miles near Dila River, both in the Bauchi Province.

In addition to having floated these companies—in which, of course, Champion Gold Reefs retains a large interest—the company has also large holdings in the following concerns:

Northern Nigeria (Bauchi) Tin Mines.
Anglo-Continental Mines, Ltd.
Anchor Diamond Mines.

It also still owns a lease over five square miles in Ashanti.

NARAGUTA (NIGERIA) TIN MINES, LTD.

_Capital._—£175,000, divided into 175,000 shares of £1 each, of
which 158,500 are issued and fully paid.

_Directors._—Frank N. Best (Chairman), H. C. Godfray, Herbert
Moir, John Waddington, H. Bousquet, H. S. Reitlinger.

_Secretary._—Newman Ogle.

_Offices._—Friars House, New Broad Street, E.C.

This company owns an area of 3,200 acres at Naraguta, and two further blocks known as the “C” and “Q” areas of eight square miles. It was formerly worked by the Niger Company, who won from the alluvial beds its 1,000 tons of tin concentrates. The company was registered on 15th January, and the property was taken over on 4th February. Mr. C. G. Lush, the company’s consulting engineer, has inspected the property, and has stated that on the Naraguta property they had ground which would give fully 5 lbs. of tin to the cubic yard. He further reported that ten acres had already been treated and given that result, which could be taken as a very fair prospecting whole.

The returns up to and including the month of October 1910 amounted to a total of 350 tons of tin oxide made up as follows:

1910 Tons
February 28
March 34
April 36
May 36
June 37
July 44
August 45
September 45
October 45
---
350
===

Good profits can be, and are being, made under the present primitive methods in use, but the greatly increased profits to which the management is looking forward can only be secured by adopting the most up-to-date machinery, such as is used in Tasmania and other countries. In order to assure success experienced men are being brought from Tasmania by the Champion Gold Reefs group, and the Naraguta Company will have the benefit of their advice.

At the statutory meeting in April last the chairman stated: “We have the proud distinction of owning the property from which the first shipments of tin were made—not only that, but one of the richest out there, and I am quite confident this company can look forward to a very successful career. The extent of our property is four square miles, one mile only of which has been thoroughly prospected, and calculated to contain 10,000 tons of tin oxide. At the present market price of tin this should yield over £500,000 profit. Our engineer tells me that up to the present time every acre of ground so far treated has produced tin to the value of £3,000, whereas in other countries, such as Australia and Malay, £1,000 per acre is considered phenomenal: therefore, I consider we can congratulate ourselves upon being interested in such a unique proposition.”

As an indication of what may be expected when improved working methods have been introduced, Mr. C. G. Lush states that thirty men and one plant will be able to produce as much and even more tin than is now being obtained with three hundred men. “If we put only one plant on the property,” he says, “it will take us, perhaps, a hundred years to work it out, but there is no reason why we should not have four or five plants, and work it out in a lifetime!” In Australia, Tasmania, and the Straits Settlements 1½ lbs. of tin per cubic yard is considered very good, but Mr. Lush is of opinion that in Naraguta the ground will give fully 5 lbs. of tin per cubic yard; in fact, 10 acres have already been treated, and have given that result, which can be taken as “a very fair prospecting whole.” All that is necessary is to get the plant there as soon as possible.