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Abbeokuta, Jan. 1855.
Rev. and Dear Sir,
I could not complete my notices of the countries and languages on the banks of the Niger and Binue, in Central Africa, by the time I left the ‘Bacchante’ which sailed for England last month, so I hope at this time to put you in possession of those notices, trusting they will be helpful in some respects in future researches in those countries.
You will be aware that the people we passed in our ascent are the Oru and Abọ in the Delta, the Igarra on the left of the Niger, the Kakanda at the Confluence of the Kowara and Tshadda, the Igbira, Bassa, Doma, Mitshi, and Djuku, otherwise called Apa, or Akpa, or Baibai, the language of Kororofa, and the Fulah on the Binue.
1. The Oru, or Ijo, or Udṣọ of Koelle are identical with Brass, at the mouth of the Nun, on the coast, otherwise called Itebu or Nẹmpe, by their Ibo neighbours. This language is spoken to the extent of 100 miles from the mouth of the Nun, to the boundary of Abọ territory: how far inland towards Benin, on the right and towards the Ibo country, on the left of the Niger, is yet unknown.
2. The Abọ is a dialect of the Ibo language, commencing from about the Benin branch of the Niger, and extending to Asaba (Onia market of Trotter).
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- Journal of an Expedition up the Niger and Tshadda RiversUndertaken by Macgregor Laird, Esq. in Connection with the British Government, in 1854, pp. 197 - 234Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010First published in: 1855