Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-06-06
THE uAlaDI.
something About the Remarkable Man
VINO Bears the Title.

Very little is known of the personal his
tory of the remarkable man who has pro-
claimed himself to be the long expected
regeneratOr Of the Moslem religion, and who
is accepted as such by hundreds of thou
sands of the brave and fauatiCally religious
Arabs of Nubia and the Scudancse provinces
of the Egyptian Empire. His name, &C
cording to Sir Samuel Baker, who says that
he was long known to Ismai Pacha, the
late Khedvc, who knew how to deal with
SUI III fanatics, is Mahomet Achmet, or &C
cording to General Gordon, Mahommed
Ahmed. He was born In tho town OF
Dongola, which is situated on the right
bank of the Nile, about two-thirds Of The
way, following the Nile, from Cairo to
Khartoum. The date of his birth is uncer-
tain, but he is said to be about fitty-six years
of age. He was naturally of very religi
Gus character, and for some years lived the
life of a recluse in cave on the island Of
Abo, near Kama, on the White Nile. by
marriage he became connected with the most
wealthy aud influential sheiks OF the Bag
garas, one of the most numerous and power
full of the tribes of the country west of the
Nile. He very soon became the head aud
leader Of an influential sect of dervishes or
fokrs. This sect proclaimed the immediate
advent of thorough reformation of Islam,
which was to be brought about by the sword
and followed by the universal supremacy of
the Mohammedan religion and law. When
Arab Bey's rebellions had produced disor-
ganization and disorder in Egypt, Mahomet
took advantage of the weakness it caused in
the Soudan to proclaim holy war in order
to effect the purposes which his sect had
in view. lie sent banners to. many Of the
chief tribes; such as that recently taken by
the British forces q. Tokar, made of red and
yellow silk, on one side OF which was in
scribed in Arabic, "Tberc is no God bit God,
and Mahomet is the prophet of God at all
times every one processes the knowledge of
Cod" and on the other side "Wlth the
blessing of the enlightened prophet the des-
cendant of Mahomet, the Lord of the faith
full, the esteemed Seyid Acmet ibm Adres
(who is the NIadhi) the Saviour Of the age,
to Seyid ibrahm al Rashid the father of
Mahomet of Beyoome.' The Arabs, long
oppressed by Egyptian tyranny, welcomed
the proclamation, and many tribes, each with
in its own district, rose in instruction against
the Egyptian Pashas The "Nlahdi," at
the head of a large force, was successful in
one or two pitched battles with Egyptian
troops in DarfOur and Seunar. When Arabi's
rebellion had been put down, the Khedve
sent Hicks Pasha to the Soudan to bring the
Mahdi to his senses. The destruction of
Hicks Pashas army shattered Egyptian pres
tige in the Soudan, and the insur-
rection spread to the Red Sea and
north to the very boundary of Upper Egypt
Then Gordon marched out single handed
through a desert of enemies to save the
Egyptian garrisons, which were in danger
of being massacred. He has saved them,
but he has not succeeded in conciliatng the
Mahdi, quelling the instruction, or organic
ing governments of the various provinces
independent of Egypt. The Mahdl is still
the most powerful man in the Soudan.
General Cord IN wishes to "smash" him, aud
it 10 questionable whether England will not
be forced reluctantly 70 do it.