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The Ondo road Eastwards of Lagos, c. 1870–95

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2009

S. A. Akintoye
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Extract

Trade with European merchants along the Guinea Coast was very important in the history of the Yoruba in the nineteenth century. But until 1870 almost all this trade was done by the western Yoruba peoples. All the important ports (Porto Novo, Badagry and Lagos) were located on the western sea-board of the Yoruba country, and from these ports trade routes radiated inland. Moreover, along the routes, Christian missionary evangelism spread. The eastern Yoruba country remained out of the stream of these formative developments.

About 1870, however, owing to obstructions to trade on the western routes, the government of the British colony of Lagos tried to open a new route in the east as a roundabout means of tapping the main centres of trade in the west. But this route, the Ondo Road, soon became a great formative force in the lives of the peoples of the eastern Yoruba provinces. Compared with the main western routes, the trade on the new route was quite small. Nevertheless, its demands resulted in vastly increased productivity both in the agriculture and local manufactures of the people. Also it was along this route that missionary work—as evidenced by the building of mission stations, churches and schools—at last began to affect the eastern Yoruba areas.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of African History , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , October 1969 , pp. 581 - 598
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

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References

1 Newbury, C. W., The Western Slave Coast and Its Rulers: European Trade and Administration among the Yoruba and Adja-speaking peoples of south-western Nigeria, Southern Dahomey and Togo (Oxford, 1961).Google Scholar

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5 Glover's Papers: An undated summary of Glover's views on the problems of the Lagos hinterland from 1867 to 1872.

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7 In 1869 he sent a certain Awobikun; and two years later Awobikun and Obayomi. For details see Phillips I/I/I/ (Nat. Archs. Ibadan) Phillips's Diary and Letter Book, 1877–86–Note on ‘Glover and the Ondos’.

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11 C.M.S., CA 26/02, Maser to C.M.S. Secretaries, 18 Sept., 1877. Also CA 2/098, Young's Journal Extracts for second quarter of 1878.

12 CMS., CA 2/078, ‘An account of Charles Phillips's visit to the Ondo country 1877’.

13 CMS., CA 2/078, Journal of C. Phillips for the three quarters ending Dec. 1878.

14 First explored by Phillips in May, these routes were first used by caravans in June 1878, Ibid.

15 For example, CMS. CA 2/078, ‘Journal of Phillips's Journey to Ondo, March–May 1877’.

16 CMS., CA2/078, Journal of Phillips for Aug.–December, 1877.

17 CMS., G3A2/0I, Journal of Phillips for I January to 10 Aug, 1880.

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23 For details of this war, see S. A. Akintoye: ‘The Ekitiparapo and the Kiriji war’.

24 Ibid.

25 Ibid. also article cited in 6 above.

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29 CMS., CA2/098, Young's Journal for second quarter of 1879.

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32 Ibid.

33 CMS., CA 2/078, Phillips's Journal for the three quarters ending Dec. 1878.

34 Ibid.

35 CMS., CA 2/078, ‘An account of Phillips's visit to the Ondo country in 1877’.

36 CMS., CA2/098, Young's Journal for the quarter ending Sept. 1875.

37 For example, on 15 Mar. 1878 Young wrote, ‘Yesterday, a large troop of people came in with numberless tobacco rolls going up to the interior country’ (CMS., CA 2/098, Young's Journal Extracts for second quarter of 1878).

38 Ibid. Young said the caravan which arrived on 14 Mar. 1878 belonged to ‘Taiwo of Lagos who is the head country merchant’. On 7 October 1878 letters were received by Chief Manuwa of Itebu from Taiwo and Animasaun, big traders of Lagos, asking about the welfare of their caravans—CMS., CA 2/078, Phillips's Journal for the three quarters ending Dec. 1878.

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42 Available in the ‘Blue Books’ and ‘Annual Reports’ of the Lagos Colony. For the important years in this analysis, the following were the figures: Year Exports Imports 1874 £;486,327 £348,636 1875 517,535 459,736 1877 734,707 614,359 1878 577,336 483,623 1881 460,007 33,659 1892 577,085 460,550 1893 836,295 681,943

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47 Wm. McCoskry said in his evidence before the 1865 Select Committee that some of the African traders in Lagos enjoyed many advantages in trade from being natives of the Egba country; ‘they have relations in Abeokuta, by means of which they can carry on trade, white the Europeans (in times of disturbances) carry on none’, v (i), 1865.

48 Phillips 1/4, ‘An address delivered at Faji, Lagos, 28 Feb. 1879’.

49 CMS., CA2/098, Young's Journal for second quarter of 1876.

50 For example, one of their leaders, F. Haastrup, established a coffee plantation at Itebu.

51 Phillips 1/1/1: ‘Diary and Letter Book, 1877–86’.

52 Aborigines Protection Society Papers: Lloyd Harrison, T. to , Fox-Bourne, 27 01 1892.Google Scholar

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55 For example Chief Manuwa of Itebu, Adenn of Oke-Igbo, Jinadu of Aiyede, etc.

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60 Phillips 1/1/1, ‘Diary and Letter Book, 1877–86’.

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62 In Nov. 1881, in fact, the Epe claimed that the original understanding between them and the Lagos government was that Lagos traders would not come beyond Lamgbass (between Lagos and Lekki, a short distance from Lagos), and that the Epe would be the medium of communication between the Lagos traders and the eastern tribes, CMS., G3A2/02, Phillips, to Griffith, , 28 11 1881.Google Scholar

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70 Ibid.

71 He asked Phillips to beg the Ondo chiefs to grant his request that the road be opened; he sent gifts through his first son; and said he would send his own children to be held as hostages by the Ondo if necessary.

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76 Phillips 1/1, Phillips's 1887 Diary, Entries for 6 Sept.–10 Dec.

77 CS10/1/13, Denton, to Knutsford, , 19 09 1891;Google ScholarCarter, to Knutsford, , 14 03 1892.Google Scholar

78 Ibid.

79 CMS. G3 A2/03, Phillips's Journal for Jan.–Aug. 1883; Phillips 1/1, Phillips's 1887 Diary.

80 CMS. G3 A2/03, A Memo, entitled ‘Itebu as a basis for Missionary work in the Mahin country’ written by T. F. Cole (a native trader at Itebu) and dated December 1883.

81 Ibid.

82 Compare this with Ayandele's interpretation of the same incident—Ayandele, op. cit. p. 37. He wrongly says that in 1883, ‘the Association [i.e. Ijesha Association or Ekitiparapo Society] employed physical force successfully against the Mahin and asserted their right to use the eastern route unmolested’.

83 CSO. 1/1/13, Carter, to Knutsford, , 14 01 1892.Google Scholar CSO. 1/1/14, Carter, to Ripon, , 27 09 1984.Google Scholar

84 The treaty with the Awujale, through Ijebu representatives in Lagos, was signed on 18 Jan. 1892.

85 CSO. 1/1/13, Carter, to Knutsford, , 14 03 1892.Google Scholar

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87 CSO. 1/1/14, Carter, to Ripon, , 27 09 1894.Google Scholar

88 Phillips 1/1, Phillips's 1892 Diary, Entry for 11 Mar.

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90 CO 147/04, Moloney to Ussher, 19 Jan. 1880, Encl. in Ussher, to Hicks-Beach, , a 02 1880.Google Scholar

91 CMS., G3A2/02, Phillips's Journal for 1 Jan.–10 Aug. 1880.

92 CSO. 1/1/15, Denton, to Chamberlain, , 31 10 1895;Google Scholar CSO 1/1/16, Order made by the Legislative Council applying the laws of the Lagos Colony to the Protectorates of Ibu, Itebu and Aiyesan, End, in Denton, to Chamberlain, , 22 01 1896;Google Scholar CSO. 1/1/19, McCallum, to Chamberlain, , 3 08 1897.Google Scholar