THE DOMINATION OF KANO 249 at Lokoja, a little south of the eighth parallel of latitude — whence their combined flood flows under the one name of the Niger very nearly due south for upwards of 250 miles to the Gulf of Guinea — form within the boundary of the British Protectorate of this part of Africa the figure of a large and loosely outlined Y. The connection of the Benu6 with Lake Chad is a matter of controversy ; but the southern portion of this great inland sea, lying north of the sources of the Benue, completes the easterly development of the Y-shaped water-system of the country.

It is within the branches of this Y that Bornu and Haussaland proper are contained. One state — Borgu — included now within the limits of Haussaland, though not a Haussa State, lies altogether outside this figure on the west bank of the Niger ; but the most southerly extension of Borgu carries it only to the ninth degree. We may say that all the countries with which we are now about to be concerned lie between 8° and 14° north latitude. And the original seven states of Haussa have an even more northerly extension, being all situated to the north of 10°. The southward course of the united rivers runs through pagan countries to the sea.

We are necessarily obliged, in making use of the Kano chronicle, to view the life of the Haussa States through Kano eyes ; but for that very reason it is perhaps the more to be trusted when It presents to us a picture of constant strife, with varying fortune, between itself and the other states, leaving us to learn from foreign sources that from time to time a submerging tide of external conquest swept over the country, and reduced all alike to the equality of submission. There can be no doubt that Kano occupied from early times a leading position in Haussaland, but so evenly do the strokes of fate appear to have been distributed, that, notwithstanding the predominant rank of Kano, it is probable that the history of that province offers a fair type of the history of any one of its legitimate or illegitimate sister states. We take it up at a point in the general history of Haussa-