Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-11
THE MAHDi.
a Pen Portrait of the False Prophet
a Remarkable Career.

~ rem FOTtFd VI lflc dlSc TEOPUet-
a Remarkable Career.
Now that the fate Of General Gordon is at
there are doubtless many who will be inter
ested in a short sketch of the Mahdi, the man
with whom General Gordon has had to con-
tend. The following from the Catholic
World will enlighten those who wish to
know:
Imagine man about forty years of age,
of medium height, as lean, as the saying l.,
rs shotten herring, with a mahogany COM
plexion, coal-black beard and eyes, and three
vertical slashes on his pal,il checks; add to
this long cotton shirt as garment, a nar-
row turban a head dress. a par of wooden
sandals, and in the hands-dry as those of a
mummy-a string of ninety beads, cores
ponding to an equal number of divine at
tributes, and you have the Mahdi.
Those who have seen him say
that Mohammed- Ahmed plays TO perfection
the part OF visionary dervish, waving his
head when walking, and murmuring con-
slant prayers, his eyes fixed on heaven. His
father was carpenter on Naft Island, In the
Nubian province of Dongola, and about 1852
came, with his four children. to Chind, a
small city on the banks of the Nile south of
Berber. When still very young he WAS
placed "a an apprentice under the care Of
one of his uncles. shipbuilder of Chaba-
kah, opposite SEMINAR. It seems that the
future prophet was not without his failings,
for one day his uncle thought well of fog
9ing him In a regular French style. The
proceeding was not appreciated. and the
child ran away until he arrived In khartoum.
where he entered n sort of school or convent
of begging dervshes, who were in charge of
the monument erected over the venerated re-
mains of Cheisk Hoghali, patron of
the city. There his life was a
remarkable one for his party;
but as to education, he never learned how TO
write or even how to read nuently. Later he
went to n similar institution in Berber. then
To one in Aradup. on the south of kena. In
the latter city he became. IN 1870. the favor
tie disciple of nm eminent fakIr. Cheick Nur-
el-Daim. and finally was ordained by him
and went TO Abbas Island, White Nile. His
fame as sanity man was every year on the
increase lie lived in n kind of PIT or sub
terranean repository for grain. called silo.
which he had dug up with his own hands:
and there he passed his life, fasting and
praying. burning incense dAy and night, and
repeating the name of Allah for hours ut n
time until he would fall 20 the ground pant
ing and exhausted. If anybody spoke TO
him be gave back no answer, except sen
teuces from the books OF Islam.
Earthly things seemed TO inspire him
only with disgust and pity. He had made
a vow TO absorb himself in the cOnteupla-
ton OF divine perfecfions aid 20 weep al
his life for the sins of mankind. But his
tears did not destroy his powers of vision.
and he kept his best eye wide open % busi
ness: and the faithful coming by thOu'and-
and depositing rich offerings at the mouth
| Of his silo. be never failed 20 see the gifts
nor TO stow them away carefully for stormy
| days. In 1878 he had become 80 veal hy that
he felt the necessity To- declare that Allah
| had ordered him to leave his silo and 10 take
unto himself large collection Of wives,
/ whom. "a a truly practical man. be chose
| among the most Influential families Of ths
country. especially that Of the Bagaras. hs
most opulent slave traders on the White
| Me.
Every one has still fresh in his memory
the appalling determination Of Hicks
| Pa<ha's eleven thousand men. surrounded
| on the sth Of November. 1SSl-fhe first dry
Of the fourteenth century Of the Hegira -
at Kssghh while marching on Fl Obeid
This horrible butchery. happening on tie
/ threshold OF the century announced as tn
/ one Of the Last Prophet, gave blsotiy err
seeratiou 10 Nohammed Ahmed. Who. sfteT
/ the three days battle. went All over the bat
I tie field. piercing with hrs suear the rhssi y
corp-es Of his enemies and exc'sfminC. -
Is I. I. the Prorhsf vhS desru yed the he~s
TIC = Compar. to him AoAammed as n
more. in his mind. than a small prophet. tie
se1e was the only great and poweffn Mess
ish announced hy Mohammed himself 1hs
3aitan OF Constantinople was no more ths
/ supreme Caliph, the chief Of sSlamfsm: 1
ws> be. Nota4aFnesi- Ahmed. aud he ordered
hi> oxn name 20 be invoked in public wor.
/. ship in the place of Moaanmed's. :. rSshf sftsl
| ~ neDs - Aliah'