, 1884-06-28
THE L PROPHET.
The Personal Peculiarities of tbs
Man of the Soudan.
WIyes-The Black Mans
Prophet a Total
AbstInent.

[Dongola Cor. London News.
Mohammed Ahmed Is in person tall and
powerfully built, but somewhat inclined to
corpulency. His complexion is between
brown and red-what the Arabs call aeder-
that is, green. The expression Of his coun-
tenance is agreeable, and when In repose his
face is lighted up by a constant placid smile.
If the statements of his enemies may be
trusted, thiso outer aspect Of benevolenco fur
uishes but n deceptive key TO bis character.
Against those who refuse to recognize the dt-
vine nature OF his mission he can be severe to
cruelty. He is credited with Jeffreys' tricl,
OF weeping over the fate Of those victims
whom ho or ers to execution, so as to create
the impression that he Furnishes dissent and
d!sobedience with personal regret at the COM
mand of Allah. In barren discussion as to the
nature or authority Of his mission he loses
10 time. II any man be bold enough to
challenge its divine origin or express disbelief,
he is permitted to choose between sub
mission, open acknowledgment, aud decapi-
tation. This method of reasoning has tho
advantage that it is brief and Elective. Few
men are bold enough to sacrifice their heads
for their opinions, and the result is a general
acquiescence in the divine authority OF Mo.
hamme Ahmed's mission. On the other
hand he protects and encourages those who
voluntarily accept hin as the true medhi-
the man sent by Allah to reform mankind.
HIS DIVINE MISSION.
Beyond question Mohammed Ahmed is a
man II considerable Intelligence and extra
ardinary force of character. No ordinary
man could have raised himself from an
humble position and made himself master
over the FESTIVE and Jealous Arab tribes, as
Muhammed Ahmed has succeeded in doing.
1t has Teen customary to represent him as
the in ument or tool of other men, but If
lie ever occupied that position he has ceased
70 do so. To-day Moha mined Ahmed is the
absolute master of the life and property of
every man from Obeid to Fashoda. He
boasts some education, us it is understood in
the east; that is, he reads and writes, and is
well versed in the koran and commenta-
tors. He speaks both the Barabari and
Arabic languages. Some Catholic priests
who have met him personally state that he is
by no means a vulgar impostor, but, ON the
contrary, impressed them as a man thor
GU bly, convinced OF the d vine nature of his
mission and wholly devoted to Carrying out
The religious reforms which he claims he has
been sent to effect, TIE more intelligent
part OF the population do not put any faith
in his divine mission; but among the mass
Of people, who are sunk in almost absolute
- bSA 'ANi@n AAA rs
cdly regarded MS a prophet sent by Allah,
whom it Is sinful to resist. "Hai hGdeclnred
himself a king, " said an intelligent merchant
the other day, "no one would have followed
or obeyed him, but because he comes as n
prophet the people fear to disobey him lest
they should expose themselves to the divine
vengeance"
IN A sTRAw HUT.
Mohammed Ahmed's life is simple In the
extreme. He INDUCES in none OF the Injuries
ar vanities of life, except, perhaps, n weak.
ress for a large number Of wives. He is
riedited with the possession of thirty-nine of
these aids TO happiness, though the orthodox
number allowed by the Koran is only four.
BY n system of temporary divorce it seems
he keeps within the letter of the Mohammednn
the ladies' taking their turn to be
divorced and taken on again. Perhaps
the object of this little family arrange
'nent is to enable him to strengthen his in
luence by liances contracted with the fam
les OF the most powerful sheiks, from among
whom be is careful to select the partners OF
lts joys and sorrows. He has several chill
,iren, but none old enough TO take any part
IN his political or religious work. Since the
capture OF Obeid the mehdi has taken up his
'esidence at the Moudirieh, or governors res
.dence, u fine stone building in the center of
he town; and here, in the audience hall, lie
ITS every day transacting the necessary bust
less and receiving the visits of his followers
iis wives occupy II building situated behind
ihe Moudirieh, but communicating with it
by a garden.
In this garden the prophet has had con.
'tructed for himself "A hut OF straw, in which
re sleeps, or is supposed to sleep, and passes
he time not occupied in business or public
prayer. This he does because one Of the
'enets Of the new Moslem reform as preached
y Mob mined Ahmed is that it Is unlawful
that Is, contrary to the ordinances Of God
TO construct houses or live in them. Houses
IRE etfeminate l~uxuries, and therefore must
e destroyed. In accordance with this new
'ispensation the Bedouins. on the
aup.ure of Obeid, proceeded TO wreck
he houses of tho inhabitants, and
N order was issued forbidding the
owrspeople longer to dwell in them. The
~esult OF this ordinance is that the population
lave been obliged to construct huts of straw
after the approved Bedouin fashion in tie
court-yards Of their houses, and in these they
live, or pretend TO live, IN what is correctly
enough styled by the mehdi his camp Mt
Obeid. In this climate the hardship OF living
II n straw shelter is not very great, as Il
,carcely ever rains except during the fierce
reat Of tho autumn mo tbs, which really cor
~espond with our ~springt,de, in so far as they
4 e the scnsUn for planting the single crop on
which the people of tho Soudnn depend FOR
existence.
II 3CIyILIZED ELEMENT"
The people here and at Kordofan who call
civilized, that Is to say, have
money and live commoIiUusly, regard thess
socialistic rcformers with much the same
feeling that the Quarter St Gsrmain look,
m The communist Of the pufar l,t1a,.oFs Ig
This, however, Does not much affect the
situation, as the "civilized element is, after
all a very small section OF the population,
and ms n rule not over well liked by their
neighboTs, who resent their airs Of superi.
GRITTY and their nifectation OF European
manners and dress. To the vast mass OF the
people it Is n matter Of utter Indifference
whether they live in mud-cabins or straw
huts, but ali Of them are. glad to welcome
any deliverer from Turkish government. By
the government Of the Turk the people OF
the Soudan mean the government Of the
white man. II makes no matter whit your
country or creed is, il your face be white you
are an enemy to he desti Dyed. This state Of
feeling has undoubtedly been produced by
the expressions and eKtortions OF the Turkish
and Circassian officials. who have ruled this
region with a heavy hand.
But it is not the official class alone who are
responsible; the rich aud powerful merchant
have had their share in the work of provok
ing the uprising OF the Arab population
Iruitating the conduct of the official classes,
tn" rich merchants in their expeditions were
accustomed to levy contributions on the
60 The GREAT GERMAN
--n REMEDY