"In 1799 the Lamido (king) Ndjidda came from Mali with his Fulani warriors, and decided to settle on the edge of the Mayo-Rey River in Cameroon. (Yes, ancient history, but hang in there; it is relevant.) He built a palace with a surrounding wall that was 800 meters long and seven meters high. Today, these very same walls shelter one of the most traditional sovereigns of Africa. By tradition, the Lamido of Rey-Bouba is the center of the world and the kingdom. This Lamido rules over 55,000 subjects, and his territory is as large as Belgium and Luxemburg reunited (35,000 square kilometers).
"When the hunting zones of northern Cameroon were set up, one block was set aside for the Lamido. To date the Lamido has never exercised his rights to hunt the zone, only allowing royal guests to have that privilege. My father, a missionary doctor, was awarded that privilege when we lived in Cameroon in the 1960s. I was awarded that privilege last year when I stopped by to pay my respects to the king of Cameroon.
"This led to an invitation to look over his land and, just yesterday, the formal request to take over his 114,000-acre concession as a hunting block. To say the least, I am stunned and pleased by this offer. One does not get to work with a living king very often!
"As the only US-based PH registered........(continued)
