Dear reader, if you are interested in how the Niger Delta looked like in the early colonial days, here is a travelogue for you.
By C. W. Barton
The West Coast of Africa from Sierra Leone from 2000 miles down the coast has backwater ways, and cross rivers and deep creeks running from one river to another. One can cut through, say, 100 miles up the Niger to Brass, from there to Bonny, and so on to Opobo, and others, without coming out of the mouth of any one of these rivers into the Atlantic Ocean.
The palm oil and palm nuts come from the Jackri country, and on the passage down to the English factories on the various rivers duties are levied by every chief through whose territory you are travelling.
Having secured a very large, roomy canoe with a palanquin arrangement (thick native matting to protect my paddle boys from arrows), I loaded her well up with trade and foodstuffs, for I intended to get right away to the Jackri (ITSEKIRI) country. We left Nimbe, the capital of Brags River, at midnight, with all best wishes and “doe eboes” (“good-bye”) (NEMBE) from the natives. My crew consisted of 14 paddle boys, my head man, Jacko, and a giant of a savage named Grand Cess, from the Kroo Coast, who acted as “lookout” forward, always armed, and always ready.
At Warri With Chief Essedi
Our arms were six Winchesters, three revolvers, and tomahawks, some hand grenades, and coloured signal lights. We made the Forcados River the following night. This river was then neither charted nor navigated by white men. Here at Wari lived Chief Essedi, who was indebted to us to the extent of six puncheons of oil. We lay off until daybreak. My boys were very timorous about getting close in, so I
hailed a canoe and got ashore, where I received a very hearty welcome from Essedi and his wives and family. The whole place was in the holiday mood, the occasion being the launching of a new war canoe. On the understanding that my people would not be molested. I signalled to Jacko to come along close up and camp on the shore. The war canoe about to be christened was gaily decorated with flowers and shells, and with conch shells blowing, and horns and tom-toms, the noise was formidable. Pre-the ju-ju man appeared; he had
a young goat whose throat was cut and the blood allowed to trickle all over the bows of the canoe. Then a fowl was despatched and thrown overboard after the goat; a fish of some dimensions was offered to the gods, and finally, much to my horror, a new-born piccaninny was brought along, and, with many ejaculations of delight, thrown after the rest of the offerings. This was all done to propitiate the river gods and crocodiles.
Essedi sorely wanted me to stay the night, as also did his many wives, who had of course accepted our hospitality to the full when visiting Brass River. They were anxious to return it. Jacko, however, got restless, and the canoe boys were in a strange country, and naturally timorous, so I decided, much against my will, to continue my journey.
Visit to Chinomi (CHANINOMI OF ITSEKIRI)
I left Wari (Forcados) and the hos- pitiable Essedi with six puncheons in two canoes manned by Essedi’s boys, with instructions to deliver to Mr Townsend at Brass River. I had previously made arrangements with him to sell the same on my account. All being clear, I left Wari and struck the main river as far as Forcados Creek, through that into Nano (NANA) Creek, and so to Deli (DALE-OKETA) Town, and by the evening of the second day I arrived at Chief Chinomie’s (CHANINOMI OF ITSEKIRI) place, and from him, I had some oil to collect. The old chief was seated smoking amidst a dozen of his wives, two or three girls of about 14 or 15, completely nude, stand- ing near him, and two boys with large skin fans, fanning him. Preparations
for supper were made. I produced some good whisky, some dozen bottles of which I had had the caution to bottle from the cask and bring with me. It was very, very late before I retired to rest in the next room to the chief. Upon awakening in the morning I thought at first there had been a heavy fall of snow. It was the bolls of wild cotton that had fallen from the giant cotton trees. Here the natives spin and weave on their native-made looms—their mattresses are stuffed with wild cotton.
Chinomie (CHANINOMI OF ITSEKIRI) had a very large double brass bedstead, presented to him by Queen Victoria in recognition of his efforts to suppress the slave trade in his dominions. I was shown the idol
house; the shelves were stacked with idols of all sizes and shapes, of ivory, brass, wood, and clay. Some
were 6ft high, with two faces and four hands, eyes and tongues always rolling and moving, being cunningly fixed on wires. The storehouse was a wonder.
It was full of the most miscellaneous lot of lumber I had ever seen—figureheads from old sailing ships, mostly Spanish and Portuguese, anchors, and ships’ gear, old sea chests, brasswork from all parts of the world, china bowls, filled with gold and gilt ornaments, brass bowls beautifully engraved, and skulls tened and decorated much after the style of General McCarthy’s skull that I saw at Coomaasie, fitted with gold
handles, and used as a kind of stirrup cup. There were crucifixes, damaged statues of saints, sailcloths, &c. Altogether, I put in a very happy time here and finished up with a grand native dance. I dispensed trade-gin freely, received from Chinomie (CHANINOMI OF ITSEKIRI) the oil due to me, and, with his canoes and boys under the same conditions despatched it to Mr Townsend. I now overhauled my store and made ready to call upon Chief Nana, of Brohemie (EBROHIMI) Town.
Visit to Nanna
NANA OF ITSEKIRI was the head chief of the Benin River natives, a Jackri (ITSEKIRI), and an ex-
tremely powerful and rich man. His town, Brohemie (EBROHIMI), made by his father, Alluma (OLOMU), was a wonderful sight, the ground on which the greater part of it was built having been reclaimed from
the mangrove swamp by millions of canoe loads of sand poured on it. The whole place was kept extremely clean, and the houses were built in streets running at right angles to the main road -as broad as Piccadilly, London—which connected Nana’s part of the town with his father’s, Alluma (Olomu), which lay some
half-mile distant.
Bohemia (EBROHIMI) was approached by a narrow, winding creek, from the Benin River (IN ITSEKIRI COUNTRY). Nana was the greatest and most powerful of all the trading chiefs in Benin River(in Itsekiri country), and, as a consequence, his name, and prestige were well known to the King of Benin.
Brohemie (EBROHIMI) was fortified with cannon, and his fighting men were armed with Winchester rifles.
In 1894, after terrible losses, he was captured and deported to St. Helena, with six wives and £809 per annum. Over £4000 in gold was found buried, in iron pots. I was received by him with great hospitality. On his visits to us at Brass to collect the ground rent of our factory he was always received with a most liberal and hearty welcome. Chatting, I told him about the altered state of things, the latest quotation for palm oil and nuts, and the general unrest that was felt about Benin City. I said I was curious to see Benin itself, as so few white men had ever been allowed to enter and depart in safety. He questioned me keenly about the strength of the armed forces at Sierra Leone and Accra, and, before leaving, gave me a very large ivory bracelet with his name inside as some security for my safety upon presentation at Benin.
I now had a long journey from Brohemie (EBROHIMI) to Ologbo, where I intended to stay for some little time. Late on the third day after leaving Nana Creek we were paddling along steadily to the chanting of the boys; “Alumbah (Olomu Nana’s father),” “Alumbah,” with each stroke of the
paddle, when suddenly a shower of arrows greeted us on our starboard side. Some of them struck the matting and fell into the water. The next moment I heard loud cries, and, cautiously peering out, was surprised to see a native girl of about 16 years of age dive from the shore and make for our canoe. Her pursuers came up in full force, and the foremost dropped their weapons and took to the water—three in all. The main body stopped short and watched events.
When the girl was near the canoe she dived, and came up on the other side. Jacko, with great promptitude, had armed himself and was waiting for my word of command. I said. ‘Fire,” and the foremost boy sank like a stone. The remaining two boys dived and came up a long way aft of the canoe, and Jacko sent another shot, which, as the boy was not seen by anyone to rise, I concluded had taken effect. In the mean-
time Grand Cess had helped the girl into the canoe, and there she had thrown herself down exhausted. My first act was to give her a spoonful of brandy, which made her splutter a bit, and then a refreshing drink of palm wine, which we had a goodly store on board for the use of the crew. All this time I kept the canoe going at racing speed, with short stoppages. I kept going all night until I felt we were well clear of
pursuit. Jacko was requisitioned to act as interpreter, and so I found that the girl’s name was Innimiko. She was one of a party sold to a slaver on the Upper Niger, escaped from them, and had fallen into the clutches of the roving tribe from which she had just escaped.
I gave her a necklet of pipe coral, assured, her (through Jacko) that I would put her ashore at any town or village she named, and that no harm would come to her; or, if she liked, I would take her down to any river and leave her under the protection of any white man at his factory. None of my proposals was accepted. She elected to stay with me. Nothing of any importance happened en route. We reached Olgbo safely, and
Jacko secured suitable houses for himself, Grand Cess, and the canoe boys; he also arranged with a native and his wife to house Innimiko and myself. We were made very comfortable, and here she became my wife.
- Source: Nigeria Nostalgia (1960-1989) project