Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-10-25
WHOLE NO. 249.
The Haussas.

Haussa is a vast country of the Sou.
dan or Western Central Africa, watered
oy the Niger i'll that part of its course
where 1T IL known as the Quorra; and
the Haussa language, like French, is a
cosmopolitan tongue, in which traders
and dlpiomatists of many countries are
accustomed to converse when they are
on their travels. The sultan of Haussa
was once a great monarch but Othman,
the famous prophet of the Foulas or
Felatahs. conquered their country, and
made one of their towns, Sokoto, the
capital of a military empire, which is at
present beginning to decay. A pro-
vince of Haussa, called katsena, has
always preserved its independence. The
most important city of Haussa, and, in
deed, of negro Africa, is KanO, inhabi-
ted by Haussas, and governed by Fela-
tabs. 1t is known for its manufacture
of indigo-dyed cloths, and the fields far
and vide round the city are covered
with cotton-plants, displaying their
beautiful yellow flowers, or white-turfed
sced-vessels. Immense quantities of
cloth are exported from Kano to Tim
buctoO, and even across the desert TO
Morocco and Tripoli. The imports are
various, and the market is celebrated
sight. There one may see Manchester
dry-goods, Sheffield cutlery, red cloth
from Saxony, fancy ware from Nurem-
berg, French dOuble-barreled guns,
writing paper. copper, from Tripoli,
crude antimony and tin, products of the
country, sword blades from Malta,
Egyptian linen striped with gold, scis-
sors and knives of native workmanship,
end English gingham umbrellas. The
European traveller there meets Arab
merchants, who will cash at once his
bills on the consul at Tripoli, payment
being made in cowries, a shell which is
the money of the country. The popu-
lation of Kano is about thirty Thousand
but, during the fairs, a hundred thou
sand people are sometimes present in
the town; and, in such crowd, O
Haussa recruiting-sergeant from Lagos
would find many candidates for the
queens shilling. In fact, if it were
desired 10 organize an African army,
nothing would be more easy tho Haus-
sas are numerous enough, and their
neighbors of Bornou and Bagirmi could
be made equally efficient.
Cotton is king in Haussa, and occu.
pies all classes the women spin it, and
The men weave it. The cotton is spun
out of basket, or q slender spindle
and this basket always contains q small
mirror, which the spinster uses at leas'
once every five minutes for admirine
herself. The weaver's loom is very sim
pie. having fly and treadles like ours
bnt no beam; the warp, fastened to
stone, is drawn along the ground o.
wanted; the shuttle is passed by tn
hand.
The Haussas are exceedingly polite
Both sexes chew snuff. The wemen dy'
their hair and eyebrows, and also thei
hands and feet blue, 50 that they lool
at q distance as if they were wearing
blue glo, es and boots. Their teeth ar
dyed red. When bride is first con
Quoted to the house of the bridegroom
she is attended by q great number o
friends and slaves bearing presents o
melted fat, honey, wheat, and cloth, q
her dowry. The Haussas are Moham
medans in religion, but have retaine'
many pagan customs, and are alway
buried in their houses.-PaH Mall Ga
zette.