The Portland daily press., 1882-08-03
The False Prophet.
Interesting Account of the Moslenn Lead
.s--s4-sstg er in the Soudan. ass

Mohamme1 Achmet, the False Prophet OF
the Soudap, was born in the region of Dongo-
la. on the western bank of the Nile, where it
makes its great bend. He was poor man,
carpenter and boat builder by trade. He first
came into notoriety on the large island of Alb
bias, situated about 200 miles south of Khar-
toum. Here. after the fashion Of the fakirs
and holy men, he withdrew from society, and
devoted himself to prayer and meditation. He
soon had large following, and proclaimed
himself the expected prophet and deliverer of
the people. He wrote letters all over the coun-
try announcing himself and his mission. He
was recognized at once as a leader. While
many of the more intelligent Moslems repudi-
ated him, others moved both by religious and
political motives, and who, above all, hoped
that he would show them some way to escape
the payment of their taxes, focked around his
standard He was secretly encouraged and
abetted by enemies of the Government resid-
ing at Khartoum, and an expedition was Or
ganized to dislodge him. A detachment Of 100
men of the regular army was sent against him
on the island. These men were badly man
aged, and, although they were armed with the
best make of Remington rifles, while Moham-
med 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 fired. 1t was slaugh-
ter like the sticking of SO many pigs. Inc
steamer with its crew and one or TWO oncefs
escaped back to Khartoum with the sad news.
OF course, after this exploit, Monammed Acn-
met knew it would not do for him with his
present forces to remain Where ne was. lie
therefore gathered together all his following
men, women and children, cattle and provis-
ions-crossed the Nile to the west bank and
fled to wild mountain called Gebel Gedir,
200 miles southwest of the land of Abbas, and
about 80 miles northwest OF the penal colony
and military station of Fashoda. Here, in an
easily defended and almost inaccessible noun
tain, he took up his abode. The Baggara Arabs,
the former slave hunters of the White Nile,
now began to flock to his standard in great
numbers. This tribe is noted for its restless,
lawless, unraly spirit. 1t was 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 Tor
want of provisions. But new Governor OF
Fashoda had been appointed, VINO considered
it his duty to signalize his loyalty by organic
ing another expedition against the rebels.
Contrary to orders from Khartoum, he gath
cred the military forces from kaka, Fashoda,
and the station at the mouth OF the SoDat; IN
all, 600 soldiers of the regular army. With
these he Joined 200 men of the large native
tribe of the Shillooks, under the King OF the
Shillooks-800 men all told. With these he
marched six days across the desert by forced
marches. On the seventh day, when. the men
were all tired out from the long march and Ut
terly unfit for action, they met the enemy.
Mohammed Achmet was again victorious. The
fight was turned into a slaughter. Sixty men
were taken prisoners by the rebels; only seven
ty escaped by running for it.: and all the rest
were slain. The Governor OF Fashoda and the
King of the Shillooks we're killed.