The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-12
Sixteen Days in Osman Digma's Camp.

Austrian Merchants Narrative, in London News.
The Cadi of Suakim, who had been friend of
mine, told me that if I would not become a Mus
sulman, should without doubt be killed
agreed to become one and was obliged to wear
the native dress consisting of drawers, vest, and
Arab 'gallabich' or smock- -frock, and slippers
then was deprived of my firearms and brought
to Osman Digma. 1 found him amongst circle
of Arabs sitting on the ground. He wore only
a very dirty sheet and a straw cap. He appeared
to me to be very common sort of man-in fact
the least distinguished-looking of the group
gave him the usual salaams, and then told him
wanted permission to remain in camp and live
with his men, as had my friend there He told
me he would be very glad to have me with him,
and that as | had become a Mussulman, need
entertain no fears for my life.
After this short interview was spoken to by
couple of Suakim people, acquantances of
mine who happened to be there, as to the mean
ing of my visit. / was assured by my friends
that they were not at present thinking of the
wrongs they had undergone, but that they were
certain that the real Mahdi had come, who would
overthrow all nations, destroy all his enemies,
and then rule the world according to his own
ideas; that he was man unknown before, sud
denly become so powerful that he was able to
crush every expedition sent against him by the
government; that really there was no power on
earth to restrain him in the accomplishment of
the task he had undertaken; that they had re-
ceived letters from him ordering them to arise
and fight in his cause, thereby gaining place in
Paradise; and that if they disobeyed his com
mands, he himself IN short time would come
and punish them by destroying them and
sending them to hell. They said moreover, that
the men who are fighting under Osman
Digma are not afraid of rifles, cannons or any
thing that could be used against them; that
they have power to capture all guns in perfect
certainty and that if they die III such holy
cause, they will enjoy themselves forever in
paradise; that their swords and spears would
destroy Sinkat and Tokar, and after the fall of
these two forts the people who now besiege them
would together fall on Suakim, encamping by
its wells, and taking the town, they would not
leave stone upon stone in it, that they intended
to go to Jeddah and Mecca, take possession of
Egypt, kill the Sultan of Stamboul and all the
Englishmen and Christians, and then find them
selves free to cope with the Abyssinians. They
said also that they had found out in their books
that this one is the real Mahdi prophesied by
Mahomet, as his career is the same exactly as
foretold by that prophet if he be not the real
''Mandi' how could he have beaten the govern
ment as he has donel They cared neither for
riches, position, nor anything on earth. for
they knew if they fought for him they would
None shall be allowed to property;
they shall be all poor, eat simple
grain, as their General Osman is doing When
their cloth was finished they did not want any
more than was coming from the Christians; they
would make their cloth out of mats. They told
me that at present people who own cattle, grain
and money gave up part voluntarily to Osman
Digma, in order to supply the poor who wanted
food; that Osman might have any amount of
property but did not want any; they had treas
ure places where they put all sorts of valuable
things. People who wanted to join them would
be all well received, and plenty of food found for
them
1 was at Osman Digma's camp sixteen days,
and during this time was not allowed to see
the chief any more. l made the following re-
marks, viz That the Arabs at the camp were
animated by very strong religious excitement;
were most of them Hadendowas, except some
few. Many of them used to stitch to their
clothes, in fancy designs any sort of colors they
could get; others only a small piece of red cloth
They are led mostly by Suakim people. Be
sides reading in the morning Osman Digma
reads to them during other parts of the day
books about the Mahdi, with comments, to ex-
cite their minds.
l found the camp of Dgma moderately pro
vided with grain and now and then l could see
camels loaded with grain arriving from Tokar
The principal food this people rely on is grain
and milk, Milk used to be sent in skins to our
huts every second or third day by the families
Of our men, and we almost always used to take
1t sour, because tie Arabs prefer il SO. | re-
marked that sometimes they poured some fresh
milk on a skin containing some milk three days
old. OF course they never think about washing
up the skins. We had generally twice day
hominy with milk on it, but sometimes when we
could not get the flour they merely boiled the
grain in water and ate it So During my stay of
sixteen days l twice had good mutton to eat;
twice l received few pieces of skin not worth
eating. This scarcity of meat was not agreeing
well with them. The Suakim people of the
camp assured me that every day twenty COWS
and twenty camels are slaughtered to furnish
the poor people of the camp with meat True,
sheep of twenty-five pounds clean meat, worth