Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-10-10


IL appeared very curious article on
the campaign in the soudan between
the English forces and the Mahdy
The events connected with it are not
recent enough. to justify aud recapitu,
lation, but there arc some remarkable
statements IN the Figaro's article
which deserve attention and COM
ment. ..
Speaking of the tactics of the False
Prophet, in his campaigns against the
| Egyptians, the writer observes that
although the Egyptians we're we'll
armed with Remington rifles, the
Mandy never attacked them except
with cold steel, and Invariably de.
feated them. In fact the Prophet OF
the Soudan refused to allow either
cannon or rifles in his army, saving
that the sword was the true weapon
oil the faithful, and would invariably
prevail against the mechanical inyen.
tons Of the in6del. But the Figaro
continues: sr.4.i -.-,l aearl yff
The most curious fact is that the
swords they use are very similar to
those used by the Crusaders in form.
and their hilts are crossAshaped. The
war costume Of msny Of the Bageara
1 Arabs consists OF coats of mail, gaunt-
lets and helmets, whereof the fashion
dates backs to the period OF The Cru.
saders The Sheikh Mahmoud Lebekh,
Of the Halawin tribe, who accompanies
Gen. Hicks, wears a splendid steel
helmet, precisely like those in use in
the time OF Godfred de Bullion. He
has also a coat Of mail, and is armed
with a straight bladed sword with a
cross guard. The head Of his horse is
protected with steel, and covering
thick enough to turn the point Of
lance, and made in the style Of those
caparisons pictured in Froissarts
Chronicles, covers the body Of the AMI
NAL. Is il not singular to find in
the heart of Africa, in the nine
teenth century, the very costume
worn by the Knights Of the Middle
Ages 7 When asked where he had pro-,
cured his armar, the Sbeikh Mahmoud
Lebekh said it had been in his family
for more than $50 years, and had been
handed down from father TO son
he could not trace its history further
back; but he believed il had been
made in the country far south Of Kor>
! dolan-the country bordering on the
White Nile, from Ghebel Ain to the
south of FashodaI Tradition has it
that the SaTacens, driven. from the
Holy Land by the Crusaders fed to
Egypt and thence migrated south be-
you'd the Egyptian frontier; they ruled
over the interior from the eighteenth
70 the tenth degree Of latitude"
These facts are worth dwelling upon,
but there is no reason whatever for
attempting to find an origin for them
In the history Of the crusades. Long
psior to the birth Of Mahomet, the
Arabs Of the desert wore helmets Of
steel and coats of mail; and the ira
ditions of Wackidy and others con.
tain lengthy descriptions Of the
prophets armor. During the early
campaigns Of Islam we read frequently
OF a capture Of fifty coats Of mail,
sixty stands Of complete armor, ETC.,
and this 500 years before the Cru
sades.
But the fact that armor closely re-
sembling the armor worn by the Nor
mans at the time Of their invasion Of
England according to the testimony
OF the Bapeux tapestry is actually
manufactured and worn by the black
Moslems Of Central Africa to. day. is
nothing new. In the Voyage en- Gus
adar," translated BY DIR. Pefron from
the Arabic Of the Shiek Mohammed.
Q Tounsy, at Cairo, in 1855, will be
found not only a full description of
this armor. but plates representing it.
The hemlet conioal, and occasionally
ornamented with crest, has a thor
oughly Norman aspect--n0se piece and
alE but the warriors Of 0uada wear
the coat of mail under the outer gar
ment instead Of over it-aud some
times covered the steel-shirt with
vest of crocodile skin. The horses are
caparisoned with a quilted stuff capa-
Bile Of turning the point of lance or
arrow To the helmet is attacked a
neck covering Of steel mail, descend.
ing to the shoulders. The swords are
straight. cross hilted, oand double
edged. The whole aspect of this Sou.
dsnian armament-( Ouaday is a king
dom OF the Eastern Soudsn)-dOes
really seem very medieval; but the
trustworthiness Of the Arabs nara
tive has never, We believe, been ques-
toned. Undoubtedly the armOrer's
science was first brought into the
black countries by the Arabs, who
founded Mohammedan Kingdoms in
the Soudan about six centuries ago.
The FigarO's article seems to us 9TH
erwise confirmation Of certain state
ments in the Voyage au 0uaday,