Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/297

 COMMERCE AND COMMUNICATIONS. ETC.

245

There are rich reefs of galena carrying a considerable silver return. Pockets of native silver have from time to time been discovered in the vicinity of Orufu and Wukari. There are also deposits of manganese ore, lignite, and monazite (which contains thorium).

Mining rights are vested in the Government, but under an agreement made with the Royal Niger Company at the date of the revocation of the charter, that Company receives half the gross profits derived from royalties on minerals won between the main stream of the Niger on the west and a line running direct from Yola to Zinder on the past for a period of 99 years with effect from January 1, 1900.

Commerce and Communications, &c— The principal ports are Lagos, Varri, Burutu, Forcados, Sapele, Brass, Degema, Port Harcourt, Bonny, Opobo, and Calabar. Numerous rivers and creeks form the chief routes for transport, and there are many well-made roads driven through the country. There is now a metalled road between Kano and Katsena, a distance of 95 miles, and it is probable that an attempt will be made to establish motor transport between these two centres. At Lagos, and Calabar, there are engineering and repairing workshops and slip-ways for the repair of hulls.

At Lagos moles are being constructed, and a deep channel is being made over the Bar which admits ocean steamers entering the harbour.

Considerable trade is carried on in the Northern Provinces, and several new trading stations have been recently opened. There is, besides, a large trade by caravans which, coming from Salaga in the west, the Sahara in the north, and Lake Chad and Wadai in the east, make use of Kano as an emporium.

The trade and shipping of Nigeria are shown as follows (bullion and specie air included): —

Trade

Shipping entered

and cleared

Tear

Import!

Export*

Total

Brit:ah only

£

£

Tons

Tons

1913

7,201,819

7.352.377

1,735.036

1,04'.

1915

5,016,951

5,660,796

1.06S.030

1916

5,780,118

0,W'

1,043

976,957

1917

7,532,730

939,159

883,448

191 S

8,S1S,39S

9,564,

805,981

- :4S

1919

12,015,832

14,726.:-;.:.

1.07

The chief imports 1919 were: cotton piece goods, 3,262,9334. : cuopers' stores, 917,8962. Chief exports 1919 : palm kernels. 4.947.995*. : palm oil, 4,245,893/. ; raw cotton, 484, 745*. ; tin ore, 1.324.074/. ; cocoa. 1.0*57,675/. ; groundnuts, 698,702/. ; hides and skins. 1.262,140/.

Imports from the British Empire, 1919, 10,400,703/., and from U.S.A. 1,528,000/.

There were (1919) 1,126 open miles of railways. A weekly boat-train with sleeping accommodation and a restaurant car runs between Lagos and Zaria. A new trunk railway has been constructed, from Port Harcourt (discovered March, 1913, on the Bonny River), to the Udi coalfields (151 miles). Construction beyond the coalfields was suspended during the war. Total capital expenditure on Nigerian railway to end of 1919, 9,277,041/ ; Gross receipts, 1919, 1,466,872/.; working exp'enses, 843.767/. ; net receipts,'