The weekly Butte record., 1862-01-04
Central Africa and the Soudan.

Central Africa and the Soudan.
Mr. Petherick is the former British Consul
to Alden, who has travelled extensively in
Africa and the Soudan. His explorations
to the regions of the Equator, over vast
space, as his sketched map testi6es. and they
are noticeable as another contribution to the
recent series which is opening up by degrees
the vast African continent Moreover, imme
date attention is attracted toward them by
the circumstances that at the very date of the
publication Of his book, f. Egypt the Saudan
and Central Africa,") Mr. Petherick was Oh
the point of starting again over the same track
to meet, in the indefinite regions of the Equa-
/ tor, Captains Speke and Grant. who are push
ing thither from Zanzibar, with view to
supply them with his aid and escort down the
White Nile, with which he is hamlar,) after
they have themselves crossed the great African
watershed.
Mr. Petherick entered the service of Me
henlit Ali so long ago as l645, and the first
part of his book describes various expeditions
which he made into Arabia Petra, Egypt and
Nubia, in search Of COAL which the progressist
Pasha was ardenty desirous of finding, and
afterwards of iron, on which he set equal store.
In the end, the Pasha's project for obtaining
coal was unsuccessful, though as regards iron
be was more fortunate, good ore having been
subsequently found in the Soudan.
| MEHEMlr Ais PAcIFIcAroR.-Mr. Peth-
erick tells some frightful stories of the rayages
which were committed in the Soudan, by" the
Defterdar," Mehemit Ais Pacfcator, who
went out to bring the Abyssinians under his
government, and succeeded in making them
regard him as the worst fcnd who had ever
cursed even that unenlightened country. An
old woman came to him one day to complain
that one of his soldiers had robbed her of a
pitcher of milk, which he drank before ber face,
refusing to pay her for 1.-THE value being one
piastere. On being asked if she could recog-
nze the man, and on ber pointing him out, the
Defterdar told her he would convince himself
of the truth Of her assertion, and if false she
should answer with the loss of her head
| Thereupon he ordered the prisoner to be
| thrown upon the ground, and a Mameluke TO
cut open his stomach with hangar and as
the presence of the quantity of milk there was
undeniable, the Defterdar, cooly throwing
dollar to the terrified complainant, remarked TO
the bystanders that the soldier had merited his
fate, by having in the first instance, committed
theft. and afterwards told deliberate lie
both of which acts were disgracefu to sol
der
This frightful parody of the Judgment of
Solomon appears, however, to have contented
him. nor was be in a hurry to sacrifice another
soldier to his scrupulous sense Of Justice On
another occasion, we are told that peasant
who came before him to complain that SOL
dier bad stolen sheep, and to whom he an-
swered with a Dog do you dare to come to
me with such a triae?" Then composing
himself for an instant, and catching a fly, at
which he was great adept, and which in his
wicked moods was favorite occupation, be
ordered his attendants to take the man before
the kadi. In few minutes the man was
blown from the muzzle of cannon, always
ready for summary executions in front Of the
Divon, and which the Defterdar called the
kadi." Again, when bis grooms asked him
for new shoes after tie feast Of the Baram,
when it is customary for servants to receive
presents from their masters, he ordered them
to be shod with iron shoes, and these were
actually nailed 10 the soles of their feet. He
had been known to tie an Arab to a gun to
make it poise better on a camels back, and to
mutilate him in the most horrid ways on the
slightest provocation. Seventy Of his multi
ated victims came under the observation of Mr.
Petherick, and while relating their sufferings,
they bitterly cursed their barbarous author.
Mehemet All, wearied at length with the end
less complaints of his crueltez, is said to have
put an end to the life of his monster son-in law
BY poison.
How They GET MARRIED IN SoUDAN.-l
Among the curious habits OF that hali-known
region, is the peculiarity of the marriage oblga-
tons OF the Hasseuyeh Arabs are too extraor-
dinary to be overlooked, but Mr.. Petherick
assures US that they are nevertheless beyond
contradiction. 1t is the custom to invite al
large company to the tent of the finance to
witness the marriage articles, some of which
are committed to paper. Merissa, the drink of
the country, is served without reserve; while
it goes round the amount of the dowr51
is fixed, and the curious marital stipulation
made which provides the Hassenyeh with an
easy equivalent to the Offices of the Divorce
Court The mother-inlaw on these OCCASIONS, /
draws strongly Oh tradition and her imagina=
ton Of circumstances corroberaiive of the i'm |
portapce of her family; and touching on. the /
youth and .beaNyof the The, will wind up
--ar~ SO -,uifrv ~ ,{ II yr;,s1er f1r