The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-03
RACES OF NIGERIA
TALK MANY TONGUES
Women Do the Fighting and
but One White Man Ever
Escaped Alive.

LONDON, April I'm a description
of the kingdoms of Nigeria, Lady Lugard
wife OF Sir Frederick Lugard, high com
missioner for Northern Nigeria, said that
the reIgnIng chiefs were of the semi-Arab
race of the FOulahs. or Fulani, and what
the Great Mogul of Delhi was to the In
dia Of Gives day such was the Great
Foulah Of SokOtO to the Nigeria of four
years ago.
The Fulani were a striking people dark
in complexion. but of the distinguished
features, small hands and fine rather
ariStocratic carriage of the Arabs on the
Mediterranean coast. They were of the
Mohammedan religion, and were held by
those who knew them to be naturally
endowed with the characteristics which
fitted them for rule Their theory of ius-
tice was good, though their practice was
bad; their scheme Of taxation was most
elaborate and was carried even into a
system Of death duties, which left little
for an English chancellor of the excheouer
to improve. The caravan trade across the
desert, which was already old when the
Arab historian, FL Bekri wrote of the
country a thousand years ago, and which
then supplied the ports of Southern Eu-
rope with the leather known TO us as
morocco leather. and with many other
articles of luxury which English people Of
that day had not yet learned to use con-
tinued and paid It's toll to the Fulani.
The Fulani had come to be the ruling
people, but the HauSsa, who were also for
the most part Mohammedan, formed q
very important industrial and CONNER
cial portion of the population. The cotton
cloth Of Kano was famous through the
world Of Africa long before the Fulani had
made their appearance as a governing
race in history. Iron smelling and smiths
vfNN.l- IL T.
script, not yet properly translated which
carried them back to the mythical an
cestry of the founders of Kano. Weaving,
dyeing, tanning, brass work, leather work
were among the local industries and
trade in these as we'll as in the raw ma
terials with which the country abounds
is largely carried on by the Haussa peo-
pie.
Abiding to the condition Of the country
before the transfer to the crown. Lady
Lugard said that Borgu, the westernmost
province of Nigeria. when her husband
first entered the country boosted that no
white man ever came out of 1t alive. In
connection with the occupation of Borgu
her husband had curious adventures, and
on one occasion put his life absolutely in
the hands of Kama, the king who had
he knew, been plotting to kill him only
few days before. The upShOt was that the
king became his fast friend, and having
advised him never again to trust a Borgu
man as he had trusted him. had shown
himself ever since worthy of trust He
still sent yearly offerings to his friend"
and Borgu gives them no trouble. In ad-
dttion to the Fulani and Haussa races,
who spoke either Arabic or Haussa, the
country teemed with local tribes having
each their own habits and their own
language Haussa was the first language
which the English officer learned. but he
had to learn many others If he wished to
make himself fully understood by the
native peoples with whom he had to deal
Many Of the tribes were pagans, and it
was not very long since some were canni-
baIs. One tribe was reported to have tails
There was another which would appear to
justify the Greek legend of the Amazons;
all their public fighting was done by
women, and their public offices were also
filed by women. She was told, but could
not Vouch for the accuracy Of any of those
statements, that in that tribe the women
were physically larger and stronger than
the men. In the worst of the pagan re-
glons civilized trade was not at present
possible. In Borgu the people claimed that
they had never been conquered by the
Fulani and they had traditions of a re-
ligfon which would appear to be Chris
tan.
Speaking of the slave trade, Lady Lu-
gard said that at the time of the transfer
the principal currency of Nigeria was in
slaves. Large sums were reckoned not
in pounds, but in slaves; public tribute was
paid in slaves, and all labor was slave
labor. The result Of the slave trade was
seen in depOpulation. Where Barth de-
scribed in 1854 a population of so, 900 900
there were probably not more today than
10000. 900 or $4,000, 900. Yet SO welded
were the Fulani rulers to the system that
when. on the assumption of power by the
British government. the Emir of Bautchi
was demonstrated with and asked to give
pledges of abstaining from slave trading
for the future, his reply was, Can you
stop cat from nursing? When l die l
shall be found with slave in my mouth