New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-04
THE KINGDOM OF NUPE.

From The London Times.
The FuIahs with whom it is said that l., the DIM
ct,lty has arisen a most refnarKapIe peopr
and the difference between uue-oorn uiah Tha
the negro in the Western Soudan Is striking. me
former is iight-skinned and almost comparable 10
some of the darker inhabitants Of Southern E'u-
rope their features also differ essenay a IRON 9orm o
and the hair straight. These are chiehy TO be
found scattered throughout Nupe and the Hau s
states i'm little settlements, where they carry on
their principal occupaton-that OF herdsmen. ihsy
sneak the Fulah language and except ior traue 10
they may be surrounded. The Nupe princes, now
ever who are spoken of In the present instance as
personally 10 me- are not OF this type. They are
probably descendants OF Fulah adventurous. VINO
bv treachery and instruction managed TO usurP
The throne Of Nupe at the beginning OF TINS CEN
fury but by frequent intermarrage with me peo-
pie Of the country they present no apparent u"e'
These princes speak chiefly the Nupe language;
though most OF their official business Is uasat'eI
in Hausa; they also know certain aI h W,,ah -,
Arabic but few of them know much OF the Euiah
language The princes who share fm fhs Sn ase
Amir Shiaba. KpOtum and Makum. are generally
representatives Of rival dynases VINO haTr a,e me
the throne in succession but OWING 10 Ine ,m' n1d
ryalres that exist all these offices are rarely held
the same time Each prince has town nchsd
10 them a large market and mosque Inc iarSest
OF these is the residence OF the late Amir Maliki
stated and the mosque close to this is covered
with corrugated iron. and is the most conspicuous
object i'm the town viewed from distance
The marke; also which takes place IN the large
omen sDac, between the mosque and the late
Amir's residence is a sight not easily forgotten:
There for one hour before sunset. every kind OF
vares-from manuscripts, ink and paper TO
leathern goods. including shoes, horse trapplngs:
etc-are exhibited for sale. while several thousand
purchasers might he counted at one time. ga hered
from the town itself and the villages around In
one corner of this is the slave market where
about 200 slaves are exposed for sale each even
ing Yet all this great concourse OF people do not
come together till about p. m. and by 6:io p. m
the ground will again be cleared.
Connected with each OF the great houses are
circle OF Mallams or Mahometan teachers who
hold schools throughout the town. and are the con-
0dentiaI advisers OF the particular prince with
whom they may be found Beside. however, pos
eessing a town house. the princes have each large
farms i'm the neighborhood OF Bida, worked by
their slaves 1t Is for this purpose that slaves are
that the princes have TO pay tribute in slaves to
Sokoto to which Nupe is only a vassal kingdom.
In order to procure these slaves the princes have
in their own territory that they are supposed to
raid for slaves. The system Is. In fact, much the
same as obtains in England I'm the case OF noble
mans shooting preserves though in Nupe the anil
mails 10 be sought are human beings BY this fool
ish policy the Nupc princes have brought about
2 reign OF terror throughout their dominion. so
that trade and cultivation OF the soil have alike
been paralyzed. They have, however. gone too
far. and AT last the Royal Niger Company, who
have for long been waiting for the right time to
strike. have given them check from which they
never likely 10 recover.