The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1857-03-04
The Country of the Niger.

70 CERTAIN questions pTopOUnueu ny Tue
committee of Commerce OF the House Of
representatives.
WASHINGTON, February A, 1856.
DEAR Sin Your note of yesterday
has been brought in this morning, and I
proceed at once 10 answer your inquiries
The extensive country Of Sudan. or
Central Africa lying GU both sides of the
Niger, is very different, 10 most respects
from Western Africa, or Guinea. The
surface of the country is generally undu.
lating the soil more or less productive;
the streams numerous, clear, and rocky :;
and the scenery beautiful. NJ lost Of the
country is open and grassy, with scatter.
ing trees, which gives it very much the
appearance of mesquite prairies in ives.
tern Texas So far as | have seen and
heard from native travellers, there are
no chains Of mountains of considcra BILE
length bat short chains and patches of
mountainous hills are common in some
districts, and we frequently meet with
isolated hills some of which are immense
masses of granite arising abruptly from
the plain. The elevation of the land, as
We proceed from the coast, is gradual, so
as to be favorable to the opening of
roads, and yet SO rapid that Captain
Ciapperton saw frost and ice in the Hau.
sa country within twelve degrees of the
equator. The Pulloh Cor Felath) PEG.
pie, who inhabit that country, have told
me of ice, which they call galada
Wheat is common crop on the table
lands Of Hausa and Kapike, Tor Buruu.)
The people Of Sudan are of two elias.
ses. called in that country {" black men I"
and "red men The latter may be De-.
scribcd as woody headed Indians They
arc numerous on both sides of the Nj.
ger, amounting, perhaps, in all, to twenty
or thirty millions some of them, as the
Pulohs, are Mohammcdans, but others.
mentioned by Caille, like many of the
blocks in Sudan, are heaiheus.
Central Africa includes numerous
kingdoms, most Of which acknowledge
the authority of the Puloh emperor who
resides at Sokoto These countries are
generally populous. Some Of their uu.
merous towns are very extensive, but we
eau scarcely make satisfactory coujec
ture as to the number Of Inhabitants
Abbeokuta, about sixty miles from the
sea, in the little kingdom of Egba, has
been measured 1t is nearly four miles
III length. from one and half to three
miles III breadth. aud perhaps twelve
miles in circuit. Our estimates of the
population vary from sixty thousand to
one hundred thousand.
Between Abheknta and tho Niger
that is, within "A distance of one hundred
and sxty miles. there are more than a
dozen large towns, some of which are
more porulous than Abbeku'a The
greatest of them in reputation. if not il,
slz" also, is Ilorln the capital Of little
Puloh Kingdom Of the same name Here
there are muny red or light colore6 peo.
pie, and Thousands of men vho eau read
and wife Arabic il the only kind Of
writing knovu IN Sudan Large towLs
are found 10 Barha Or Is tghot.) Nupc
lasobu iiaus9, kukc, aud varions
Other kngdons Bl. according to the
people liorrn, the largest # al African
towos is OhwoI, SIX days jmruey. (-ay
one hnndred miles } beyond tho Niger
We have not yet been able 10 visit this
town, owing to the pressure of other
business.
Central African houses are built in
Moorish style, large and low. with many
rooms open into All interior court. The
walls are made of clay, which bakes hard
IN the sun and the roofs are generally
matched with grass. A single house
contains from twenty 10 one hundred
persons. In some respects the Sudan.
ese are considerably advanced from mere
barbarism. Whether heathens or Ma.
hammedans, they are clad in .rowsers
and TUNES. They are remarkably cour.
teous III their social intercourse. Their
women do not labor on the farms. Sew.
eral rude arts are commonly practced,
as the smelling Of iron, and in some pla.
ces of copper and lead the manufacture
of hoes, axes, AIDES, knives and swords !;
the spinning IF cotton and silk, 1.-THE lat.
ter new article, worthy Of our better
ac1uaintanee;) weaving IND tailoring
both OF which are regular professions
dying blue, yellow, and red soap ma.
King brewing corn and millet making
palm sud grass hats; also, of saddles,
brides, and sandals. and sort of shoes
and boots Three towns in Nufe have
the art of working in glass, and they
produce al article which, it is said, can.
not be successfully initiated 10 Europe.
But the great business of the PEG pie
is agriculture, in which they are far more
sk!llful and industrious than we have
supposed. The farms of some large cit.
les extend to a distance of twenty five
miles from the town walls. The prlnci.
pal crops are Indian corn, the same as
our own, and the tropical yams. But
they also plant cotton, sugar cane, beans,
and peas, sweet potatoes, cassaya, ground
peas, ginger, red pepper, &c and the
country is admirably adapted to coffee
and other tropical productions Of great
value to the civilized world.
The domestic animals are the same as
our own-a fine breed of cattle, two
kinds of sheep, the bearded ram being
peculiar to that country, goats. hogs,
horses, asses, &c Some Of the horses
brought to Horiia by the Mcors aud
Arabs. have sold. rs am as,nrcd for