They were armed with Martini-Metford carbines, and each company had a Vickers-Maxim gun.
The batteries were provided with powerful guns, capable of throwing twelve-pound shells.

The men were all Hausas and Yorubas, with the exception of one company of Neupas.

This contingent were supplied with khaki, before starting; and the rest were in blue uniform, similar to that worn by the West Indian Regiments.

There was, in addition, a small battalion of the Central African Regiment; with a detachment of Sikhs, who also supplied non-commissioned officers.
That the men would fight well, all believed; but the forces had been but recently organized, and it was questionable how they would behave without a backbone of white troops.

The experiment was quite a novel one, as never before had a war been carried on, by us, with purely native troops.
The collection of the troops was a difficult matter, and cost no small time; especially from Northern Nigeria, which was to supply a much larger contingent than the others.