Brass River Brass River The Brass River is one of the branches of the Nun River, which in turn is a branch of the Niger River, in the Niger Delta in Nigeria. In the 19th century the river was an important trading route, first for slaves and later for palm oil. Brass River Crude Oil is named for a refinery on the river. The name "Brass" is European, said to have been given to the Nembe coastal villages because they traded for brass pans and neptunes to use for salt boiling. The "Brass Ijo" were all the Ijaw people from Cape Formosa
Brass River connected with the main Nun and Brass rivers by numerous winding rivulets. An account of the journey says, In 1838 the boats of H.M.S. "Viper" ascended the Brass river for about . They reported that it was wide, and deep. The banks were fringed with impenetrable mangroves. On the return voyage they were assisted by a current running at along the western shore. An 1842 report to the British House of Commons said that "Slaves may be taken from the Bonny to the Brass River, and are taken there; the Brass River is not under King Peppel, and separate treaties