The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-23
KHARToUM As 1T Is.
Description of the BeIeaguered City by Lieu
tenant-COlOncl stewart.

Description of the Beieaguered City by Lieu
tenant-CoIoncl Stewart.
Notes made in February, 1888,
The town of Khartoum, the capital of the
Soudan, and chief trade emporium for the whole
country, is built on a barren, s%toneless, and
wide plain, on the western bank Of the Blue
Nile. and about a mile above its junction with
the White Nile. Its river frontage is about one
and a half mile; its depth inward from the river
about a mile. AS its site is somewhat lower
than the point reached by both rivers when
in flood, a dyke fifteen to twenty
feet in height has been made along
the banks of the Blue Nile, another somewhat
lower, Immediately at the back of the town. to
protect it against the overflow of the White
Nile. When at their lowest point both streams
are from 600 to 500 yards in width, and have
several islands, which are cultivated. The
White Nile Is unfordable except in one or two
places far up the river, but the Blue can be
forded in many places above the town. When
in food the White Nile increases its width to
a very great extent, but not so the
Blue Nile, as its banks are much sleeper
Around Khartoum are several small villages.
Both above and below the town are small
plantations of date palms and plantains, also a
number of vegetable gardens. According to an
old custom or privilege none of these gardens pay
any taxes; with the exception of the river banks
the country is bare and t~reeless.
During the hot season, which lasts from the
beginning of April till the middle of November,
the heat is severe, averaging in the shade 80 to
10 degrees dlr6DH6lU. ne rains generally Ue-
gin about the middle of July and last till the mid
die of September. They are, however, said to be
very irregular, and sometimes there is little or
no rainfall. In the rainy season the barren
ground stretching between the two rivers is COW
cred with grass. affording very good pasture.
The rivers begin to rise on June l, and reach
their highest points about the beginning of Sep
TENDER. They remains stationary at that point till
about the 18th, and then begin to fall. The cold
weather begins about the middle of December,
and 1actc fill tha mid0la of EabpuarV-
From November till March high north
winds prevail. and during the remainder
of the year south. In winter sometimes
the thermometer goes down as low as forty-six
degrees Fahrenheit; except in the regular rainy
season there is no rain. The unhealthy season
is during the months of June, July, October.
November, when typhoid fevers and dysentery
are prevalent. The winter is the healthy season.
The resident population is generally estimate
at from 80, 900 to IS, 900 souls, Of whom two
thirds are slaves. There is also a floating popu-
lation estimated at from l 500 to 1000 souls, and
consisting of Europeans, Syrians, Copts, Turks,
Albanians, and a few Jews. The free resident
population are mostly Makhass or aborigines,
DOngOlawees, from DongOla; Shaghiyes, from a
district along the Nile, north of Khartoum, and
Rubatat, a district north of Berber. The slaves
belong mostly to the Nuba Dinka, Shulook, Ber-
ia and other negro tribes. Both the free popu-
lation and the slaves are all Mohammed
ans of the Maliki school of divinity, and
are also followers of either the Rufai, Kadri.
Hamdi or Sadii sect of dervishes. They are
very superstitious. Their political creed is
to side with whichever side is the strongest.
The free inhabitants are mostly engaged in
trades or ommerc and the slaves in agricul-
ture. or else hired out as daily laborers by their
masters. But few are employed as domestic
servants. 1t is said that a master always makes
a point of marrying his slave as soon as posi-
bic, partly to attach him to the place and partly
for the profits he will derive from the children.
1t is also reported that slaves born in the coun-
try improve greatly in appearance as compared
with the parent stock. OF the floating popula-
ton the CCpts are mostly employed in govern
ment service or trade. The Turks, Albanians,
etc, are generally irregular soldiers or %loafers.
The European element is represented by about
100 individuals, mostly Greeks. There are also
some Italians, French, Austrians, and Ger
mans.
Except the manufacture of mats, cotton CLOTHS.
a rope made from palm leaves, and some tiligree
silver work, there is no manufacture worth
speaking of. The bazaar is of considerable size,
and tolerably well supplied with Manchester
goods, cheap cutlery, etc. The export and inn
port trade is considerable, and, besides numerous
caravans, is said to employ over 300 boats Of va
rious sizes.
In shape the town is very irregular. It's APP
pearance is also poor and miserable. EXceptthe
government house and one or two other build
ings, there is hardly a house worthy of the
name. The houses are mostly built Of sun
dried brick, generally without an up
< olC11N anu NhtA w.
by court-yards with mud walls. To prevent
these houses crumbling away during the rains
they are every year p~lastered over with dung be-
fore the rainy season commences. This plaster
ing process is doubtless the cause of a good deal
of the illness. AS the town is so low there is no
drainage, and the consequence is that during the
rains the whole place is deep in water. and it IS
almost impossible to move about. AS there is no
stone throughout the whole district the streets
are full of dust during the summer and mud
during the rains. The chief buildings
are: Government house and offices,
large brick building on the banks
of the Blue Nile; arsenal, with smithy, carpen-
ters shop. smelling furnaces, stoves, etc: at
tached to this arsenal are some fourteen steam
ers for the navigation of the rivers, and also
boats of various kinds; a large, commodious hos
pital. built by Colonel Gordon; a mosque or
jami, built by KhGrshid Pasha; a sibi or small
mosque, provided with a well and some rooms
for the convenience of travellers and poor people;
a large barracks of mud, without an upper story,
and "a large barrack square; powder magazine
and workshop for the reflling of cartridges: a
large Roman Catholic missionary building, es-
tablished in 1S4S; stone building; with garden,
church, etc. a small Coptic church.
As to the attitude of the population, Lieuten-
ant-colonel Stewart wrote on Jan. 1G, 1880:
''Of the 80, 600 or %, goo inhabitants (1nclud-
ing &c, 900 slaves of Khartoum, if l am to be-
lieve what l hear, [ must consider the majority
as unfriendly to the government. | have been
assured that many government employees, and
nearly all the native traders, are secret parti-
sans of the Mahdi, in the hope that he will re-
establish the slave trade. 1t is questionable
how far these statements are justified, but per
haps [ shall not be far from the truth in saying
that the majority will take whichever side they
see is the strongest"