About transporting equipment for Puttkamer and Captains Lenfant and Fourneau, and the discriminatory governmental attitudes towards them; also, secondment of agent Livingston Gunn to report on and 'tackle opposition' below Lokoja.

Referring to Watts's 9 Jul letter [fols. 385-390] and criticising the government's 'suicidal policy' of taxing traders out of the country to raise revenue, and of competing in carrying.

Watts's correspondence: about taxation [see fols. 391-392] commenting adversely and in Miller's phraseology on imposing direct taxation, with the attendant 'very great expense' of collection and preventive services the Coast should pay for hinterland development, and Scarbrough offers to strengthen Lugard's hand by representations to the Colonial Office. ...

Stressing the need for amalgamation since the imposition of a customs tariff and preventive service on the frontier hampers development, absorbs revenue, and promotes smuggling; rejects comparisons with Chartered Company rule.

Also about damage to the rubber trade resulting from the 'close season'; and Lugard's fallacious analogies between the Chartered Company's and present administration's revenue. Miller considers taxation should be delayed until trade is secure.

[Trigge] adds that he is therefore despatching Scarbrough's second cable informing Watts [misplaced; see fols. 445, 472].

Also forwarding fol. 473 and commenting on Stainton's work [in Egga district].

Enclosing a copy of fols. 485-486, dissociating himself from some of Watts's strictures and concentrating on the difficulties of internal taxation, which were one of the causes of Revocation; the Company is prepared to pioneer change, but commercial enterprises must seek profit.

About: (fol. 495) canteens at Zungeru, Wushishi, and 'Guari-jeko' (fols. 496, 501, 502) the timing and route of the mining expedition, and prospecting licences (fol. 501) George Macdonald continuing Orufu (Arufu?) prospecting; Craster, his concession and publicised but unfounded claims for its mineral wealth (fols. 497-498) the river level; its traffic,...

Listing marine equipment requested by Watts [in full version of fols. 502-503].

Also, previous ones jeopardised Lugard's policy toward Kano.

About: the timing and manning of the Badiko expedition salt tax transporting Puttkamer's cargo Company agents up the Benue River warned to be circumspect with Puttkamer's party deck passengers were a profitable undertaking; the Church Missionary Society (CMS) less so Asaba Roman Catholic Mission support for the...

About: the departure of the Badiko expedition Puttkamer the improved market for oil and kernels.

See fols. 535-538 and 595-596.

Includes: (fol. 512) telegram from Trigge (fols. 515-516) letter from Trigge (fols. 513-514) letter from Miller to Scarbrough. Also about the mistranslation of a Company cable that led Watts to accept Puttkamer's entire cargo.

Also about: Puttkamer's journeys on the Benue River the timing of the Badiko expedition, and Scarbrough's wish that Laws use the Loko-Keffi route, whereby tin could reach the Niger considers finding tin a necessity for the 'costly' administration's continuation, and Lugard's indirect taxation not the answer for revenue.