Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-14

Nubia and the SOudan, which are now
overrun by the hordes of Ell Mahdi, are
dependencies Of Egypt. They comprise
all the territory bounded on the north by
Egypt proper, on the east by the Red
Sea, on the south by Abyssinia and the
Dinka country, and on the, west by the
great desert of Sahara, and the total area
is about 100000 square miles. Sinkat,
recently captured by the rebels, is tOrti-
fed town of several hundred inha bitants
about 125 miles west of Suakim, the port
Of Nubia on the Red Sea. Probably
the larger part of this immense territory
is desert, the Nubian desert alone being
nearly 800 miles in diameter. 1t is wa
terless waste of sand, and is broken here
and there by mounds of volcanic Stag and
hills of black basalt. The Nile winds
like huge serpent through mountain
ranges Of sandstone and granite, and only
occasionally is there found more than
narrow strip of tillable land along the
waters edge.
Near the centre of this territory is the
great island which comprised the an
cient kingdom of MerOe. The climate is
hot and dry, except in the Southern por-
ton, where 1t is rendered moist by fire.
quent rainfalls and numerous water
courses, tributaries of the White and Blue
Nile The principal grain of the country
is the Dhurra corn, recently introduced
into the United States, and now culti-
waited as a curiosity in many parts of the
South. A great part of the people, es-
~. a.,
of the dOum palm. Melons are raised in
immense quantities in certain sections,
and pumpkins, tobacco, beans and barley
are also grown. Cotton has been very
successfully cultivated, but official extor-
ton on the part of the tax gatherers has
prevented the development OF its produc-
ton.
The country is well stocked with camels,
sheep, goats, cattle, dogs and domestic
fowls. The natives also possess a fine
breed of horses, but in limited numbers.
Among the wild animals are hippoDatami,
giraffes, hyenas, gazelles, crocodiles, ba-
bOons, etc.
The principal exports are gum arabic,
grain, ivory, honey. ebony, leeches and
musk. Coarse wooden and cotton cloth
are manufactured by primitive processes,
and nearly all articles for household use
are made out of the leaves of the date
tree.
Theinhabitants are handsome mulattOes,
and are said to be mentally, morally and
physically much superior to the Egyp-
tians. They are bold, frank and cheerful,
but extremely fanatical. They live in
tents and huts of mud or stone, rooted
with dhurra straw, except in the large
towns, where a plain but substantial
style of architecture obtains, and there
are many ancient ruins all along the
banks of the Nile.
1t is said that this country constituted
a powerful Christian nation during the
seventh century, and it remained tribu-
tary to the Mohammedan conquerOrs Of
Egypt until the fourteenth century. The
Arabs conquered the country, overturned
Christianity, and divided the rule among
a number of independent chiefs, whose
authority, to a certain extent, has con-
tinued to the present time. Mehemit Ali
extended the dominion Of Egypt over this
territory in 1921, and soon subjected to
him the whole country to the borders Of
Abyssinia. The people have been OPP
pressed for many years by the eXactiOns
of the Egyptian Government, and it
hardly needed the religious fanaticism
of the False Prophet to lead them into
open revolt.