Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-26
SEAT OF THE SOUDAN WAR.

Description of Khartoum, the Most Inn
portant Military Post the Upper
Nile.
This map, says the Chicago Standard Ito
which paper we are indebted for the above
cut), viii give our readers a good idea of
the seat of war in the Soudan, a region
whose geography has hitherto been but lit
tie known to the American people. The
city of Khartoum, which has SO long been
the objective point of public interest, is To-
Gated on the south bank of the Bahr ell
Azrak, or Blue Nile mile above (south of
the junction of that river with the Bahr-el-
Abiad, or White Nile, and the city walls
reach to within less than half mile of
the latter, so that the garrison of
kfSartoum commands both streams.
On the other side of the White Nile is the
terminus of the great caravan route to Dom
COLA and the fortified camp from which Gen
eral Hicks Inflated expedition set out
Opposite Khartoum is the Island OF Tut,
dividing the Blue Nile into two branches.
The city is thus the most important post,
strategIcally considered, on the Upper Nile,
and is the natural center of military power
in the Equatorial Provinces. In one other
respect it is even more important to Egypt.
1t Is at khartoum that the Nilometer records
the rising of the waters, and indicates to the
farmers of the Delta the influence the melt
ing snow will exercise upon the volume of
the stream upon which their prosperity and
very existence depend.
Its early history is unknown. The ruins
in the neIghborhood of the present town in
dictate it to have been an important outpost
OF the Imperial Government of the Phara-
obs. The vicissitudes of centuries finally
reduced it to the position of subordinate
town of Senaar, commercially tributary
to Shendy, which, situated more than
a hundred miles further down the
Nile, had become the business center
of the entire Eastern Soudan. In 1919,
however, Mehemet Ali, toe great Pacha and
first khedive of Egypt, determined to extend
his sway as far as possible. He accordingly
sent up the Nile an expedition command
ed by his sons Ibrahim afterward
Khedive for a few weeks-and Ismail-not
the Khedive of that name of course The
result of this expedition was to conquer the
Eastern Soudan and annex it to the Egypt
ian realm. and Khartoum, at first made the
base of military operations, became in 1928
the seat of Government and outstripped
Shendy in commercial Importance. In
1916 Pope Gregory XVI founded mis-
sion there, which was long conducted by
DR.. Ignaz KnobIecher. Several European
consulates were also established there, that
of England dating from 1S49 to 1864, in
which latter year it was abolished under
circumstances which gave rise to much COM
ment. I
The population of Khartoum has varied
from 10, 900 to SO, 900, according to the poll
icy of the Governor; official exactions fire.
quently causing a sudden exodus of one
third of the inhabitants The town con-
tains. however, about 5000 houses, mostly
of mud and miIlet stalks and in only a
few instances arranged in streets or
squares. The Governors house is the
principal building in the city. 1t stands on
the river bank, and General Gordon said it
was as large as Marlborough House, London.
There have also been constructed some other
buildings of Importance, for in 1871 Dr..
Schweinfurth says he found there a large
number of new brick buildings, spacious
quay on the Blue Nile, and some imposing
structures on the other bank Of the river.
The land sides of the city are surrounded
by wall and ditch. The drainage of the
place is bad, much of it lying below the
level of high water in the river; conse-
quently, it is an unhealthful and foul
smelling city. The inhabitants are Egypt
ians, Berbers, Arabs, Turks, Jews, Negroes
and Europeans.
DISTANCES.
Prom Cairo to Old Dongola, about LOCO
miles.
From Old Dongola to Korti. about so miles.
From Korti to Metemneh, 1S5 miles.
From Metemneh to khartouin, % miles.