The Nome daily nugget., 1937-09-04

Prepared by the National Geographic Society
 Washington. D. C.-WNU Service TOUMBAN, mandate of Came F roun, Africa, is astonishing. | The city stands upon hill and
 is surrounded by an elaborate system of ancient trench Notifications dating from the years of the Fulah raiders. The trees, which have been planted along every street. give 1t a wooded effect wholly absent among he neighboring grass meadows. One prosperity. civilization.
 Many of the houses of FOumban are of sun-dried brick and are roofed with native tiles or grass thatch. The com pound fences are neatly constructed. The market. made of brick and tile. IS modern in type and perfectly clean. At the center of the town Is an i'm. posing three-story structure set in the midst of elaborate gardens.
 It Is the palace of Njoya, sultan of the BamOum and oyerlord of Foumban Everything-order, bricks. and garden ifs indigenous. Foumban existed when the white man was no more than myth. Even now outside influences nave touched 1t only slightly. The sultan and the majority of his people are Mohammedans. In accord ance with the curious rule that people of the African deserts and prairies readily adopted Mohammedanism, and that the people of the African forests almost invariably did not, the Bamoum scarcely recall time when their life was not strongly influenced by the Arabic belief.
 In the center of the town, facing the sultan's palace, is the mosque. frame building of strongly Moorlsh type, even to the vertical stripes of red and white paint. Here, every Fri day, the elite of the Bamoum gather.
 subchiefs Are a Proud Lot.
 The many n'gi, or subchiefs, of the tribe, some of whom exert far more real power than the sultan himself. come n from their districts, bringing with
 
 make striking picture. Nearly all aristocrats of the Cameroun plateau ride horseback and dress in immense flowing robes covered with bright en. oroidery. Some swathe their heads in white or blue turbans; others wear the characteristic fioppy straw hat of he Fulah cattle herders. All have an air of faiEtly contemptunus majesty.
 They, the rulers. they fondly think are the pure-blOOd cOnquerors from the North, and therefore the superiors of he indigenous peoples with whom they have merged. AS matter of fact, lit tie trace of the Arab strain remains certainly so far south as Foumban The Bamoum, except for unusual stature and the occasional appearance of an isolated straight-featured type. are distinctly negroid.
 The n'gi, when they come to town, are followed, according to their rank by greater or less encourages. Several male members of his family usually accompany the n'gi. also mounted The horses are richly caparisoned in red and green leather. The men carry elaborate spears, with shafts of hard wood and tips of silver or native bronze Behind comes an inconspicu. ous rabble of wives, usually wel-laden with produce for sale at the week end market and several depressed looking burros. not quite as heavily laden as the women.
 While the ceremony at the mosque is In session the women and burros sit respectfully about outside. When the men come out, Foumban stirs with unaccustnmed activity, an activity which continues until the country peo pie stray away home late the follow ing day.
 Markets Are Picturesque.
 All sorts of produce are spread out in the market There are leather boots, scabbards, and decorated harness |; superb pieces of Bamoun embroidery {; rolls of homespun cotton cloth; carved wooden household articles of every de scriptiOn.
 Hardly less picturesque Is the food market. First of all. there are thou. sands Of ca of fine Indian corn. If