The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1885-03-21

His Appearance as described by a
Inngters Newspaper.
lie Reveil de Maroc.l !

Mohanmed Ahmed, the religious head
Of the Soudanese insurrection, is a man
of about 40 years of age. He is native
of Dongola, one of the oldest towns of
Abyssinia. This town, situated on the
Nile, had its days of splendor and power
in the middle ages, but now it has only
300 or 400 inhabitants. Mohammed
Ahmed was born of poor parents. His
father was named Abdellahi, and his
mother Amina. One of the few Euro.
peans who know him personally M.
Peney of Khartoum-gives the following
account of this man:
When seven years of age Mohammed
Ahmed commenced to attend the Mussul-
man school, and when IL years old he
had completed the study of the Koran.
For the means of pursuing his religious
education he was indebted to his broth.
crs, who were established as carpenters
and boat builders. They enabled him to
pursue his studies in the neighborhood OF
khartoum under the instruction of such
able masters as Ell Gomaehem and Abdel
Avim, son of the famous sheik Ell Tayeb.
When his education was completed he
moved to the island of Dabo, on the
White Nile. He had lived there fifteen
years venerated by the Baggarah, when
he announced himself as the Mahi, or
Divine Messenger, destined to regener.
ate Islam.
This enterprise has up to the present
fully succeeded. Has not the East al.
ways proved propitious sphere for all
religious innovators? The new prophet
enlisted in his train the majority of the
population of the Egyptian Soudan, and
in three years of warfare succeeded in
'expelling the Turks, who had occupied
the country for sixty years. The insur.
rection burst forth with fury in 1850.
The Governor of Soudan sent two sue.
sessive expeditions in 1881 against the
Mahdi. Both met the same fate; the
Egyptian soldiers were annihilated by
the partisans of the Prophet. In 1882
another expedition followed, but the in.
surrection had grown in strength and
Importance, and 700 Egyptians were en-.
countered by $4,000 Arabs and negroes
commanded by Mohammed's two broth
ers. They were necessarily annihilated
The whole of SEMINAR then uprose
The Mahdi marched on FL Obeid, ant
after vigorous siege and bloody fight
captured that city The succeeding
events are in the memory of all-Hicks
expedition and his defeat at Kasgell
that Of Baker Pasha at Ell Teb; the de
parture of Gordon for Khartoum, hi
blockade and vigorous resistance. Blu
it is chiefly to the personality of tn
Mahdi that this article is dedicated, an,
We conclude it by reproducing his por
trait as drawn by M. Peney.
Mohammed Ahmed is man of middl
stature. His complexion is copper col
ored, his beard very black, and on eacl
cheek he wears three parallel scars. H
is extremely spare, the probable result @
the rigorous fasts to which he condemn
himself. Previous to his entering upol
active life he used to dwell in subter
ranean cell or cave, where, according t
his followers, he was continually weer
ing over the universal corruption of hi
race. The Mahdi always wears as hi
invariable costume shirt and drawer
OF damoni, coarse material Of nativ
manufacture. His feet are clothed wit
sandals, and a small turban surmoun'
his head.
Such is the man who now leads tn
Egyptian rebellion. Like all Easter
agitators, he burst forth suddenly frol
the greatest obscurity to assume ii
united roles of reformer and conquero
Yesterday but n poor man, to-day "
see him at the head of an innumerab
army. What is the secret Of this rap
change of fortune? 1t is found in Il
TACT that the Mahdi has appealed to tn
sentiment which, as history testifes, .
every age and every cline has been Il
parent'o the bitterest rancor, led to Il
most savage wars and deluged the ear
with blood--religious fanaticism.