Trade

General State of Trade. — Trade during the year was far from satisfactory , though an improvement was shown during the last three months of the year as far as the importation of dutiable goods was concerned.

Revenue , and Value of Trade. — The following figures show the amount of revenue, and value of trade: —

Revenue 5,550 7 0

Value of exports 65,141 2 1

imports 73,968 1 10

Total value of trade 139,109 3 11

The small revenue is accounted for by the unsatisfactory state of trade — the reasons for which will be hereafter explained — and very materially owing to the white traders filling up their stores with dutiable

Afrique.

goods prior to the lst August, 1891, thereby escaping the customs duties which came into force on that date.

Trade Products. — Palm oil and palm kernels are the only commodities traded in to any extent at présent. Small quantities of rubber and ivory are occasionally exported.

There is plenty of rubber in the country, but the natives have a great disinclination to start working a new commodity. They are very conservative in their ideas , and prefer to follow in the footsteps of their forefathers rather than striking out in a line of their own. Ivory is seldom offered for trade ; this is accounted for owing to that article being used by the Bénin people almost entirely for the purchase of slaves in the Sobo and surrounding countries , as they consider they get better value by so doing, the Sobos appreciating the article highly. Besides this, the King of Bénin claims half the ivory obtained in his dominion ; when an éléphant is killed, one tusk always goes to the King.

The King stores hjs ivory in very large quantities, and appears very loth to get rid of it even for trade purposes.

Reasons for the présent State of Trade. — The unsatisfactory state of trade during the year was due chiefly to the following causes: —

1. The predominating influence of Chief Nanna, and the monopoly of trade held by him in the early part of the year.

Prior to the lst August, 1891, the trade of the district — more espeeially in the Sobo markets — was more or les monopolized and entirely ruled by one Nanna, the leading Jakri Chief. As late as 1884 — 85 this Chief stopped trade entirely for nine months, the reason being that he objected to take the price offered for oil and kernels by the white traders.

He not only stopped trading himself, but forbade any other persons to trade.

Prior to 1884, and many times since, trade has been stopped more or less on many occasions, and, as a rule, by Nannas ordres.

In 1885 Nanna was appointed Governor of Jakri, and received a stick of office as such from Her Majesty ; consequently , he became more important than ever — espeeially in his own eyes and those of his immédiate folio wers — and his wishes were more or less law. This stick was, however, forfeited by Consul Annesley in 1890, and has not since been reterned to Nanna.

During the past year Nanna hast learnt to understand, br nearly so, that he is simply a Jakri Chief, having power over his own particular people , and must not attempt fo interfère in other people's affaire. He naturally found it very hard at first to relinquish so much power, but he is a fairly sensible man, and clearly sees that to thwart the aims of the Government is very foolish policy,

2. The continuai petty quarrels that eccur between the middlemen and oil producers.

Thèse quarrels were of very fréquent occurrence until about six months ago. They generally arose through the market people , i. e., the oil pro- Nouv. Recueil Gén. 2e. S. XX. Zz

Grande - Bretagne, Afrique.

ducers, failing to pay oil, &c, for the amount of goods they had recéived no »trust« froin the middlemen. The Jakris act as middlemen between the white traders and the Sobos and Bénin people. Thèse quarrels generally took the from of slave-raids , the Jakris carrying off slaves from the offending person or village. Just before my arrivai in the district, in August 1891, Nanna had captured no less than 200 slaves from one man during one of thèse raids. I eventually made him return them ail.

Thèse quarrels naturally caused à temporary stoppage of trade in the particular quarter affected.

Lately thèse petty fights have been less fréquent , buth they cannot be entirely stopped until military posts are established in the Bénin and Sobo countries. There was one very serious case in July last. A large number of Bénin people attacked a Jakri Seulement at a place called Ugbo, in the Bénin country. They suprised the place at daybreak, carrying off nearly 100 prisoners and a large quantity of merchandize. The question was still under seulement when I left my district, but the King of Bénin, who dénies having given any ordres in the matter, as good as promised me to punish the offenders, and to see that fnll compensation was paid to the Jakris.

An event of this magnitude seriously affects trade.