The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-09
KING OF klN) N HIS CITY
MISSIONARIES VISIT ..TuE MAN
CHESTER OF CENTRAL AFRICA"
AND ARE "FIRED"
COULDN'T STAY III THE TOWN
Rev. Mr.. Richardson Tells of the
Audience With the Monarch
"A stormy Ten Min
utes.

In the far interior of the Dark Continent
| is the great city of Kano, called by those
few travellers who have seen it 1.-The Man
chester of Central Africa" A missionary
expedition recently was sent to the city
from the west coast Now this CITY of
kano is ruled by a king who does not like
foreigners, and he promptly fired the
missionary band and sent it packing back
to the coast. The king is a VasSal of the
mighty emperor of Sokoto, a great Afri-
can potentate, and the king said that no
foreigners should remain in his kingdom
unless the sultan so ordered it. The Royal
Niger company used to pay yearly trib-
ute to the emperor of Sokoto, but when
the British government took charge of
affairs in that region the tribute was dis
continued, with the result that when the
British recently wanted to build teIe-
graph line across q section of the emper-
or's domains that dusky monarch fatty
refused to let them do It,
WALLED CITY.
The Rev. I. A E. Richardson is the first
member of the rejected missionary ex-
petition to return to civilization When
the missionaries came in sight Of the city
Oh kano there was nothing to be seen
from without except the bare exterior of
a great wall forty feet high, its sinuous
summit standing out red and clear against
lHe deep pIue sky. The length of the
wall, with its roundshaped turret SEEM
eel almost interminable, stretching out a
mile or two on each side of the city gates
Round this was moat eight feet deep.
The porter at the gate did all he could
to prevent their entrance, but they sue
ceeded III reaching a shady place just in
SIDE, where they awaited the arrival of
horsemen to conduct them into the inhab-
tied portion of the city. They rode up the
steep pathway which led over the moat
to the city gate, and entered strong
tower which protected the massive wood
en- door. well covered with strt1s of iron
Two huge beams of wood rested against
the wall. These are nightly proDned
against the door to prevent entrance into
the city, for Kano's gates have nei+he.r.
lock nor key The town has the appear
ance of a big, beautiful garden, the red
mud standing out in striking contrast
against the green foliage. The market
was found to be enormous Almost any
thing could be bought there. The money
OF the country is still the coWrv shells
OF winch the king sent 100000 as a pres
ent, but the Maria Theresa dollar is
taken. and the great men gladly buv I'm
any quantity of gold and silved coins
for the Hausa is an adept at WORKING h,
silver and gold, and is as proud as he js
skillful. The city has thirteen oa+ee
it,
twelve or fourteen miles In circumference
For two hours the procession wol,nd
through. the city until it reached a
large, cool house. The third man i'm tho
kingdom, known as the maaje was de-
puted to look after the party. while his
chlet steward gave advice in matters of
detail. - u
SAW THE KINGS EYES
They were told that they would have
audience with the king the NEXT ds,y
early the next morning a dozen brilliant,
dressed horsemen came to conduct
Them to the country house where ~
King was stopping The nIonarcb Hras
taxing his ease at T'ano one of his MN
erous country seats about six miles from
the city of Kano. A procession wae
formed and royal courier was told off
TO ride alongside of each of the strang
efs. Inc road to T'ano was full of horse
men. The attendants of the missionaries
beguiled The time on the ride out to the
country house by giving minute instruc
tons as TO what the visitors should do
when they reached the presence of roy
atty. They. We're told that they must re- 4
move their shoes and stockings before
they entered the royal presence; that
they must not stand while before the
king ana must hold their heads to The
floor for six hours This programme does
not seem to have been carried ont what
did take place is thus told bv Rev. Mr.
Richardson:
1--WE had to wait for three hours in
mud hut until the king should deign to
see US, but at last a messenger came to
take Us into the royal presence. The
palace, a splendid specimen of mud
architecture. was a mass of people. and
the court yards were crammed. While
we stood in the Judgment hall, which Was