EQUATORIAL AFRICA

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 5 December 1929, Page 5

EQUATORIAL AFRICA

LIFE IN NIGERIA NEW ZEALANDER’S EXPERIENCES MB. O. C. WHITTINGTON’S IMPRESSIONS. Sun-tanned under tropical skies, and the embodiment of peidect health, Mr Charles C. Whittington, son of Mr H. K- Whittington, arrived in Hawera on Tuesday flight after an absence of about three years spent in England and in Nigeria—portion of the western section of Central Arica. Well known in Taranaki railway circles from his boyhood days, Mr. Whittington will also remembered throughout South and Central Taranaki as a prominent athlete and Rugby footballer. On leaving the railway service Mr Whittington took passage to England, and after a few months’ stay proceeded to Nigeria under engagement as a traffic inspector on the British Government railways. He its now enjoying a three months’ furlough and is due back in Ehgland on March 31 in readiness to resume his duties in Nigeria. Chatting to a “Hawera Star” representative he gave an outline of conditions generally, in that comparatively small section of Africa’s vast territory in which his duties were cast during the past two years—Makurdi, 291 miles by, rail from Port Harcourt, one of the many mouths of the lordly Niger River. In connection with this name it might incidentally be mentioned that the Glasgow engineering firm, Sir William Arroll and Co., Ltd., at present engaged in building a bridge over the Benue River at Makurdi, jocularly insist that the town should be called MacKurdy. The contract price for the bridge is £1,000,000. but it is estimated that the ultimate cost will be nearer £1,250,000. Mr. Whittington’s duties at first concerned a length of 300 miles of rail, but in consequence of construction work nearing completion the territory over which he has supervision is now reduced to about 150 miles. Leading a busy life, Mr..Whittington has had little time at his disposal to gather more, than a scant knowledge of native life and conditions. He has remarked, however, that the influence of the numerous Dutch and American missionaries, Tvho inculcate the principles of brotherhood, is tending to the detriment of discipline, it being a recognised fact that all branches of the negroid type are prone to presume upon the slightest inclination towards equal.,r the white and coloured races. EDUCATED NATIVES. “The Hams a," he said, “is rather a superior type of native, and many are drafted into military and police ranks. Nigeria is fast assuming the level of India in regard to education of the natives, numbers of whom are already practising various professions, such as law, medicine, dentistry and theology. Engineering is not so much favoured as anv of the foregoing pursuits. Many natives hold Oxford and Cambridge University degrees. Latterly, large numbers of West Indians have been introduced into the country to lill subadministrative positions in the 'Government service, such as chief clerks of various departments, engine drivers and stationmasters, though the lastnamed positions are usually filled by Europeans. “Possibly the lowest caste of native is the Munshi (bushmen of Nigeria), who still wear only a loin cloth and carry a spear. He stops and stares at the white man, whom he regards as a god. They are usually employed as labourers, and will grovel to his taskmaster and work like a galley-slave for eightpence or minepence a day irrespective of how long the day may be. The Yoruba and Ibo tribes are on a slightly higher intellectual plane. The natives, generally, _ make good telegraphists and are finished penmen. SANITARY CONDITIONS IMPROVED. “In recent years sanitary conditions and medical supervision have been vastly improved, and the country is not so subject to epidemics of sickness as is generally supposed'. Smallpox occasionally breaks out among the natives, though the ravages of this malady are not so much in evidence as in years gone by, as the authorities insist on every native being vaccinated. A medical or sanitary officer treks back into the heart of a specified district in which the tribal chief has been previously instructed by the Resident (the magistrate and practically the governor of the particular province) to muster all the “people” for vaccination. The Chief, or Sera kin, who is paid a nominal salary by the Government, has his own staff of police, who are used mainly to enforce* discipline according to native law. The medical or sanitary officer concerned receives a fee for every native vaccinated, with the natural consequence that a® many as possible are treated and the incidence of smallpox i;si materially reduced 1 . TAX RESENTED. “Two years ago a tax was imposed upon file nativesi (really an income tax on acreage or earnings or both) much against tneir will and inclinations., as is probably the case everywhere and with all classes.”. . . Speaking generally, Mr Whittington says that the natives of Nigeria are anything but models of cleanliness. •They llave chiefly in squalid mud huts, lin which the accommodation is sorely over-taxed* and grass mats take the place: of bedding. j Polygamy is general and though] there is no limit to the number of wives any native may possess the number ranges: from two to six, according to the husband’s financial status. There arc no marriage laws, or ceremonies, and wives are bought, the medium of exchange being, in most cases, cattle or goods and chattels. The natives are averse to European foods, cookery or manner of living much preferring herding conditions. The chief exports of the country are : Tin from the Bauchi Plateau (500 miles inland) where the climate varies considerably from that of Makurdi owing to the ‘altitude, being extremely hot during the dav and correspondingly cold at night;'ground nuts (pea-nuts) which are grown in vast quantities on the verge of the Sahara Desert and in the oases thereon; palm or Kola nut oil; and Benni seed, used mainly as the foundation of perfumes and hair oils. The export of fruit is negligible, though oranges, pineapples, mangoes, coconuts, bananas and paw-pawe _ are everywhere in evidence, more especially near the coast. The cultivation of cotton and cocoa is being extensively developed and may before long prove a staple export. Forest vegetation' becomes more sparse as one advances inland, trees giving place to a specie© of coarse

grass, .resembling cocksfoot, up to ten feet in height. Vast 'belts of country near the coast are covered with palms. RAILWAY SURVEY. A railway survey is now in progress from Lafia, 87. miles north by rail from Makurdi, to. Lake Chad on Abe interior border of Nigeria, which will open up a vast well-watered and productive territory. In the 300,0QQ square miles contained in the province of Nigeria there arc about 1000 miles of railway of the same gauge as in New Zealand—3ft 6in. The staffing—99 per cent, native—-is much heavier than in European countries. Makurdi, Mr Whittington’s headquarters is accessible only ‘by rail from Port Harvourfc, roads for vehicular traffic over this route being nonexistent, though from the Port to Ernigu, 140 miles inland, there is one good passable road made, with laterite, a binding, gravelly clay. In the western area of the province there are quite good bituminous roads, which favour motor transport competition with the Government railways. Mr Whittington says he rather Ekes the life under Nigerian conditions and it suits him. The climate is essentially tropical, the country being only five degrees north of the Equator. Long spells of dry weather are experienced in the region in which he 'has spent the last two years, during which he never saw a thoroughly wet day. Torrential rains occur at night and climatic conditions, on the whole, are the direct opposite of those at Port Harcourt, which is subject to muggy weather and an abnormally heavy .rainfall at all times. OUTDOOR RECREATION. Golf, tennis, cricket and association football (no Rugby) are the .principal forms of outdoor recreation, 'but these pastimes are indulged in only after 5 p.m. on account of .the excessive heat. Without a sun helmet recreation of any description would be a source of danger and games are, therefore, practically impossible during the daytime. Ground, game and antelopes are in plenty and afford good sport at any time, while big game shooting is more or less a matter of imagination, though the bush cow (a very fierce type of small buffalo) which usually plays the part of the hunter, instead of that of the quarry .occurs in close proximity to Makurdi. Crocodiles were also plentiful and gave a fair amount of exciting sport until engineering activities on the adjacent, rivers drove them into quieter and more distant haunts. On account of climatic and social conditions ai Government official must obtain the permission, of the Colonial Secretary before any female member of bis family is allowed to take np residence in Nigeria, where practically the only white female population is confined to nursing sisters. The only , exception is in regard to female members of missionaries’ families. During his boyhood days and throughout his commercial career, in Taranaki Mr Whittington was a popular figure in sporting circles and his temporary sojourn in the land of his birth will no doubt be productive of many joyous reunions.