Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-03-06
PEOPLE IN THE SOUDAN.
A Glance at the Land of Blacks-An
Unconquered People - The Slave
Dealers

Philadelphia Times.
The Archaeological Society of
Washington have just received from
the Anthropological Institute of Lon
don an extremely interesting paper
on the ethnology of Egyptian Soudan,
prepared by Professor a. H Keane,
member of the institute council.
This paper throws much light upon
the characteristics of the warlike and
predatory peoples, who, under a
leader of Islam, are TO day disputing
the occupation of their territory by
one of the most formidable nations of
Christendom. The writer states
that the expression Soudan, or Beled
es-Soudan, Land of the Blacks,
applies to the whole region between
the Atlantic and the Red Sea and
from the Sahara and Egypt toward
the equator. Ethnically speaking,
it is the land of transition between
the Hamites of the north and the
negroes of South Africa. The East
Soudan, the scene of the British
military operations, the writer says,
is the convereing point of nearly all
the African races. In giving the dis
tri5ution of these races he says that
the Somerset Nile connecting Lake
Victory and Albert Nyanza flows
through Bantu territory. The Bahr-
el-Jebel between Lake Albert and the
Sobat confluence is held by negroes
The White Nile between Sobat and the
Blue Nile confiuences, and the main
stream west is occupied on the left
chiefly by Senites and the right by
Hamites. From Dongola to Asnan,
on the Egyptian frontier, the valley
between the Lybyan and Arabian
deserts is held by Nubfan. The whloe
region east of this valley, as far as the
R:d Sea, and between the Abyssinian
highlands and the coast round to
Cape Gardafui and south to the
equator, is held by Haraites. The
ariI wastes and steppes west of the
Nile are held entirely by the Semitic
nomads, while IN the outlaying
provinces of Kordofan and Darfur
Semites, Nubians, negroes and even
Thus along the course of the Nile the
writer shows that the Bantus and
negroes occupy the south, the Semltes
and Hamites the center and Nubians
the north.
Although officially included IN the
Egyptian province of the equator, the
people of this region, the Bantus, have
never been conquered. They have
exclusive possession of the southern
half of the continent, except the
| region of the Hottentots and Bush
men, and extend at points 5 degrees
north of the equator. They are
negroid rather than negroes. Pro
fessor Keane shows that the negro is
numerically the most important Gle
ment in Egyptian Soudan, and
hitherto has held almost undisturbed
possession. Within the area of the
countless head-waters of the White
Nile it this portion of the Soudan is
concentrated one-half the population
of the whole Nile basin, from the
equatorial lakes to the Mediterranean,
and embraces an estimated population
of DC, 00G, 600 of people. This includes
several powerful negro nations still
enjoying political autonomy, as the
Zandeh (Nyam Nyam), the Mittu and
Monbuttu. Some of these occupy
regions within the khGdive's domain.
In these Nilotic people the salient
features of the negro race are less
prominent than elsewhere. Although
Islam has made some pro
gress, the bulk of those peo-
Pile are still nature wcrshipers.
When preparing for battle the
medicine man. tlays an infant and
places the bleeding infant on the war
path, to be trampled by the warriors
marching to victory. Human fat is a
staple of trade. The Monbuttu cure
for future use the bodies of the slain
in battle and reserve their prisoners
for terrible cruelties These Nilotic
races in many cases are skilled in use
| full Industries, as agricultural, iron
smelling and casting, weaving and
the manufacture of pottery. The
form and ornamental designs Of their
utensils display artistic tase, while
their iron implements have temper
superior TO that of European manu-
facture. They are can:oals and yet
show IA regard and devotion to the
weaker Sex
The Semi!es or Caucasic stock of
Northern Africa are described as the
! GoktanideS and the Ismaelites or
| Arabs. Since the Mohanmedan in
vaslon of the seventeenth century this
| element has become predominant and
is the disturbing influence which in
! spires fanatIciSm, promotes dealing in
slaves, and without it there would be
no Mahdis and no Egyptian question
to perpex the counsels of European
craftsmanship and to break up minis
tries.
In describing the characteristics of
these people this paper spea ks of them
as proud, ignorant, bigoted, nomadic
owners of cattle, camels, horses and
slaves, hunters, robbers and warriors.
The life of the men is devoted to car
ing for their cattle, slave hunting and
war, while the women till the fields
| The Arab tribes are described as num-
erouS and powerful, commanding
great influence among the surround
ing populations and often defy su-
preme authority, or compel it to ac-
cept their conditions in the admins
tration of Eastern Soudan.
The same paper then speaks Of the
Hamite races. the true, indigenous
element in North Africa, their kins-
men, the Semites, beng recent intru.
derS from Arabia. The Ethiopian
Hamites. or northern group, the most
important, occupy the Suakim district
and their warriors largely participated
in the operations before and after the
battle of FL Teb They are described
as handsome, of bronze, swarthy or
light chocolate complexion, of eau
casio or European type of features,
with long, crisp hair, falling in ring
lets over the shoulders. They are dc
scribed as Jealous Mohammedans,
occupied chiefly with camel breeding
and as caravan leaders, governed by
hereditary sheikhs, and, like other
Hamitic and Semitic kindred else
where, are distinguished for their per-
sonal bravery aud love of freedom,
From the third TO the sixth century
of the present era they infested the
southern frontiers of Egypt, and
though often defeated by Aurelian and
Probus, continued 10 harass these
outlying provinces of the empire and
finally compelled Diocletiar to with
draw the Roman garrisons from the
region of the cataracts, replacing them
by the warlike Nubatal tribes from
the great oasis of Kargey, in Upper
Egypt.