The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-09-07

| "ioeo ioeoeIo all over the country an
nouncing himself and his mission. H,
was recognized at once as a leader
Whiie many of the more intelligent Mos
lens repudiated him, others, moved botI
10y religious and political motives. ant
VINO, aboye all, hoped that he would
snow them some way to escape the nav
ment OF their taxes, fiocked around hi,
standard. He was secretly encouraged
anu abetted by enemies of the govern
ment residing at Kllartoum. His pres
ence IN SO commanding a position on the
Nile soon became obnoxious to the an.
thorities at Khartoum, and an expedition
was organized to dislodge him. A de.
1achment OF l2omen of the eregnlar army
was sent against him on the island
lhese men We're badly managed, and
atnough they were armed with the best
make OF Remington rifles, while Mo
manned Achmet and his band had only
their spears, they were killed, one after
the other as fast as they landed, till not
one OF the l20 was left. Not shot was
inred. 1t was slaughter like the stick
ing OF SO many pigs The steamer with
It's crew and one or two officers escaped
Dackto khartoum with the sad news.
Of course. after this exploit Mohann-
med Achmet knew that it would NOT do
Tor him with his present forces to remain
where ne was. He therefore gathered
together all his following, men, women
ana children, cattle and provisions,
crossed the Nile to the west bank. and
He'd to avid mountain called Gebil Gedir.
z0O miles southwest of the Island of Alb
Das, and about ninety miles northwest of
the penal colony and military station at
Fashoda- Here, in an easily-defended
and almost inaccessible mountain. he
took up his abode. The Baggara Arabs
now began to flock to his standard in
great numbers. This large tribe is noted
Tor its restless, lawless, unruly spirit.
The Baggaras. were the former slave
hunters of the White Nile, and no doubt
dreams OF the return of the old times of
murder and bloodshed were not want
ing The present, at least, was an op-
portunity that suited them, and they!
determined to take advantage of it.
We saw great numbers of them, with
their spears cleaning in the sun, ,scrowd-
ing along the banks, with their horses.
and their cattle to join Mohammed Ach-
met in his MOUNTAIN fastness. 1t was
however, the policy of the Government
to let the rebels alone, now that they had
left the river, thinking that they would
soon lose their zeal and disperse for want
of provisions. But a new Governor of
Fashoda had been appointed, who con-
sidered it his duty to signalize his LOYALTY
by organizing another expedition against
the rebels. Contrary to orders from
Khartoum, he gathered the military
foEces from Kaka, Fashoda, aud the sta-
tion at the mouth of the Sobat; in all, /
600 soldiers of the regular army. With
these he joined 200 men of the large ma
tive tribe of the Shillooks, under the King
of the Shinooks 800 men all told. With
these he marched six days across the |
desert by forced marches. On the sew
enth day. when the men were all tired
out from the long march, and utterly !
unfit for action, they met the enemy.
Mohammed Achmet was again victor
lous The tight was turned into slaugh-
Ter. Sixty men were taken prisoners by |
The rebels; only seventy escaped by run
ming for it, and all the rest were slain,
The Governor of Fashoda and the King
of the Shillooks were both killed..
Soon after these events we travelled |
through the country as far. as the Sobat
River As we passed the Island Of Alb
oas we saw the spot where the soldiers
anded andwhere they were slain. We |
saw the deserted village, already, oceu-
oied by colony of chattering monkeys:
he hut where Achmet commenced his /
,areer. and a boat which his people had
eft half finished. We found Kaka in a
tate of siege by the Shillooks, who had
aiken the killing Of their King in the
Egyptian service as good pretext for
throwing off the yoke of the Govern
nent that had never wholly subdued
hem- When we landed at Fashoda we
ound the town in constant fear of an
lttack. We saw the wounded and heard
he loud lamentations of those who
their slain. At the Sobat we
ound the Shillooks hostile. Twice on
'ur way back we were waylaid and par
tally surrounded by Mohammed Ach-
nets men, and owed our escape only to
he 'ndercifnl Providence Of God and
ur cwn presence of mind and agil-
~ in '.going away from there On
ur return to the Khartoum we learnedI
hat Raout Pasha had been recalled, al
ew method of governing the Soudan
rom Cairo instituted, and that Giegleri
'asha had been authorized to proceed
nth more vigorous measures against
be rebels. While we were there, an
rmy of some $500 men were gathered
nd sent forward under Yousef
IN oJ,a Na roxu thor, lr;ll;,~ | .