The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-08-19
The Curious Kingdom Of Wadai.

The merchants of the Nile. according to
the African traveller. DR.. Nachtigal, are
opening I'D the interior of the Kingdom of
Wadai, lately accepted as a tributary of
Egypt, and the whole of the country will
probably be accessible to foreign traders
within the next few years. The Pail Mall
Gazette, in abridging the travellers inter
esting account of his experience, laid be-
fore the meeting of the Berlin Geographic
cal Society, describes the Kings rule as
extending far beyond the limits of his own
country, and comprising the numerous
desert tribes up TO the land of the NAM
Mans. The area of his country is about
three thousand square miles, and the pop
ulatiOn DR.. Nachtigal estimates at about
2, 800, 600. The ground rises from east TO
west, and attains an elevation of from
1000 to 1900 feet above the sea-level. The
religion of the people is Mohammedan,
and their customs resemble those of most
uncivilized Mohammedan countries. The
King is looked upon as a sort of divinity ;
his mother must be of the dominant race
he must be without any physical or men,
tai defect, always eat alone, and never
drink beer. The Kings drinking-vessels,
and the wells from which they are filled,
are covered with cloths, to protect the wa
and the women and girls who take the wa
ter TO the Kings palace are always accom-
panied by a guard. The royal insignia
are crown. sun-umbrclla of ostrich
feathers, and the family Koran. The
Kings harem consists of about 900 women,
and when the King dies his daughters are
married at the expense of his successor
the sons, except the heir to the throne, be-
ing blinded with hot irons. The highest
dIgnitaries of state, when they are sum-
moned to appear before the King, always
approach him on all-fOurs, with down-cast
eyes The administration of the country
is entirely in the hands of the officials,
who are taken mostly from certain PRIV
legged families. A separ tie and generally
despised class, though for what reason does
not appear, is formed by the smiths. To
call man a smith in Wadai is an insult
which can only be atoned for by blood
They have sort of king, who has TO
shave the real Kings head once a week.
This liking of the Smiths" is also the
surgeon of the harem, and performs the
operation of binding the Kings relatives
on his accession. One of the most profit
able appointments in the civil service Is
that of I" searcher." The duty of this
official is to look for beer-drinkers. He
has a number of spies under his orderf,
who go into each house to seek the for
hidden liquor, and every man on whose
premises 1t is found is liable to Rave his
whole property contiscated and his wite's
head shaved. Generally, however, the
" searcher :" is satisfied by the payment
of a heavy fine. The taxation of the
country is very heavy. or every ten fish
that are caught, eight have 10 be given to
the King; he also gets as taxes, every
three years, about 200 cwt. of ivory, 1000
slaves, 5000 camels, and l0,OOO cattle.
All the horses born in the country, which
are not required for breeding, belong to
the King. besides which he receives large
contributions of skins, mats, honey, rice,
ostrich and guinea-iowl eggs, water-Jars,
butter, and salt. The King is the judge
in all criminal cases affecting the royal
family and the higher officials. Murderers
are usually given up to the families of
their victims, who may either accept COM
pensatiOn (u, ually consisting of 100 camels
and 100 hOrses) or take the murderer's
life. theft Is punished the first and sec
Ond times with fine, and the third time
with death. The sentence in such cases is
executed by the Kings musicians. The
penalty of death by shooting is inflicted
on the higher officials only other male
factors are either straneled or impaled
The army consists of 10000 infantry and
5000 to 6,0O0 cavalry. A third Of the lat
ter Wear armor and although there are
600 muskets in store, only 1,C00 of the
TROOPS know how TO use them. In time
of war the army is divided into three de-
tachments, with the King in the middle.
The battle is fought by the two wings,
and when it ends unsuccessfully, the King
sits down on carpet and calmly awaits
his fate