NIGERIAN ENTERPRISE 
157 
eroons. A sharp competition ensued for the Adamaua 
country at the end of this line, which was finally ended in 
1893 by the delimitation of a line from the vicinity of Yola 
to Lake Chad, giving both powers an entrance to the lake 
and assigning the most of the Adamaua district to Ger- 
many. In 1890, England and France marked out the limits 
of their respective spheres of influence in the Niger country, 
by a line drawn from Say on the Upper Niger to Lake Chad. 
It has been shown above ! how active the French were on 
the West Coast, and how a contest arose over the possession 
of Nupé, Boussa, and Borgu on the Niger-Dahomey border, 
which was amicably adjusted in the Anglo-French treaty of 
June, 1898. 
Therefore, by 1898, the Royal Niger Company was free 
to organize and develop the country in its own way. This 
work had already been started in the southern districts in 
an efficient and methodical manner. In 1897, the Moham- 
medan Emir of Nupé, who had ignored the messages of the 
British Resident and continued his slave raids and oppres- 
sion, was captured in Bida, his capital, by Sir George 
Goldie and 550 men. He was promptly deposed; and his 
son, promising obedience to Great Britain, was installed 
ruler in his stead. The southern and pagan portion of the 
state was removed from his control to that of the company, 
the people freed from oppression, and slavery abolished. 
The Mohammedan Emir of Ilorin was next threatened with 
the same fate; but he hurriedly made his submission, and 
signed a treaty with Sir George. In 1898, Colonel Frederick 
Lugard came out with a number of assistants and organ- 
ized the military forces. The Hausas, particularly, made 
excellent soldiers and soon Lugard had two battalions of in- 
fantry, two batteries of artillery and one company of en- 
gineers well drilled and in active service. The nest two 
1 Chapter VI, ante.