Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-15
The Soudan Revolt.

A. A'h' W. $1,000
months among the Arab tribes inhablt-
ing the country between the Red Sea
and the Soudan, writes to the London
Times as follows: l think it is a mis-
take to imagine that the disturbances
between Suakim and Berber are entire
ly caused by the Mehdi, or that they
have anything to do with religion.
During my last visit to the country in
1882 l frequently made inquiries about
the Mehdi. The only man ever found
who had even heard of his existence
was a sheik of the Benz Amer tribe liv-
ing near Cassala, and he appeared to
know very little about him and to care
less. However, recent events may have
altered this. l do not consider the
Arabs in that part of Soudan fanatical;
in fact, l was among any Arabs
who seemed to ARE less for their re-
ligion and its !'orms. With the exception
of the sheiks. one hardly ever sees any
OF them at prayer. The Arabs in those
parts haze many serious auses of com
plant against the Egyptian Govern
ment, notably over-taxation, and very
little chance of redressin case of wrongs
from their .~neighbors or the soldiery.
The Government, they complain, takes
everything from them, and gives them
nothing in return. On one occasion
when 1 was staying at the Headquarters
of the Benz Anlers, a neighboring and
hostile tribe made a raid and carried
off several hundred head of cattle, kill
ing the men in charge. The sheik made
a complaint to the Government author
tiles at Cassala, a town distant less than
a hundred miles from where the raid
took place, and containing a large gar
rison of soldiers. He asked for aid, but
was told that no help could be given
him. This shiek bitterly complained
to us that at that very time a party Of
Bashi-Bazouks was in his village ex-
torting taxes, while an Abyssinian en-
voy was there, too, on the same mission
from King John-for he, being in the
unfortunate position of living on the
frontier of both countries, had to pay
taxes to both Governments. Is it Won
derful that these men. who are taxed by
all their ne;ghbors and protected by
none, should make an effort to regain
independence? The Bashi-Bazouks
have been a very important factor in
bringing upon the Government the dis
like of the various Arab tribes. These
men are recruited from the lowest
ranks, and are almost without any dis
cipline. They are sent about tie coun-
try in twos and threes to collect taxes,
generally without any money Of their
w in their pockets, and they live on
what they can steal from the poor
Arabs. So hated are they that we
found the greatest difficulty in getting
supplies when any of these men were in
our camp: in fact, we proved by expe-
rience that the less we had to do with
the officers of the Government the bet
ter we got on with the people.
The rainy season along the Red Sc:
coast, greatly assists the Arabs in their
resistance, as water and grass are moro
plentiful than at any other time. They
too, know OF many watering places I'M
known to strangers, and the existence
of which they have always kept careful
]y concealed. AS a race, the Arabs be-
tween . the Red Sea and the Nile are
very fine, powerfully built men, eapa-
and p~rivation. They are brave and will
fight well. AS IN example of their
bravery, L have known an Arab, in de-
Tending his cattle near our encampment
to kill a full-grown lion with one thrust
of his spear. All the men are armed
with spear and shield, and many carry
swords too. They are thoroughly prof.
Gent in the use Of these weapons, but
few Of them possess or have the
least idea Of how to use a rifle. On the
carrying trade along the various cara.
a routes they depend almost entirely
for their lean Of obtainingmoncy, and
the closingof the country will be "a most
serious blow to them. No one knows
this better than themselves. Let the
sheiks of the Ababdeh, B%ischareen, Ha-
dendowa, Benz Amer, and other tribes
who do the carrying trade Of the Koroski
and Suakim routes lie summoned and
their grievances inquired into, and let
some effort be made to give them re.
dress, with the assurance that they will
in future have a government placed
owe them which shall be under English
supervision, and l think before long we
should see the troops moving without
difficulty to relieve khartoum, and the
northern portion Of the Soudan again in
peace and comparative prosperity. One
thing they must have-the assurance O.
a just government--and when l was in
the country last year they certainly
seemed to think that this would be bcs1
obtained under English direction. My
first visit to the country was during the
rule of Colonel Gordon. The natives
everywhere were loud in his praises
Afterward, on returning to the country.
when it had again fallen under the ruiz
of an Egyptian Pasha, l head nothing
but laments over Colonel Gordon's de
parture, and complaints Of the tyrannie.
to which they were being subjected.
Poor AufhOrifv-