The town extends over a space of more than, half a mile, scattered over with houses, the walls of which are made of hardened sand, of a very red hue, which indicates the existence of numerous beds of iron. Long alleys and well-trodden paths separate the various groups of huts from each other. I counted more than fifty, and each group seems to form a little village. The total population of Onitsha may be eatimated at 15,000 ; the people are active and industrious ; everywhere there are plantations of maize, yams, and bananas ; the palms are carefully pruned, and the cotton-trees or bombax are well cultivated. The natives recognise their value. They clean their cotton, spin it, and weave it on primitive and very simple looms, which they have no doubt learnt the use of from the caravans. But though fabricated at a great expense of time and patience, the cloths they make have, perhaps, greater solidity and durability than our cottons. Before spinning the thread they die it with indigo, which grows wild among them. As there is no occasion to economise it, they use only the heart of the shoot, and thus obtain a blue which can compare advantageously with our dyes.