St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-15
THE FALLEN CITY.

Khartoum may be called the Gate of Cen
trail Africa. European civilization enters at
one side Of the city and African barbarism
comes at the other Beyond Khartoum
from the north few tourists have ever made
their way, and beyond Khartoum from the
south few savages have ever ventured.
From the south the Nubian sends his stores
Of ebony, ostrich feathers. ivory, skins of
animals and other products OF the equatorial
lake district, while from the north the trader
carries grain, cotton, gum, Brummagim
knack-knacks and beads to feed aud clothe
the ''savages poutiug at the line" As the
entrepot Of the products Of Central Africa,
khartOum is "a place of some commercial i'm
portance. Among the 80, 600 people who
make up its population there are many
Greeks ana Italians, while two or three
Americans here find profitable investme uts
in furnishing the savages from kordofan,
RI Obeid and Dafour. The traders sell
canned fruits, meats and vegetables and
make the DOugolOwee howl through the streets
after taking some of their rski as 4 refresher.
1 Arabs in their bOuruaises, Turks with the
/ traditional fez, Copts With their bashc, and
/ Birhareen Arabs with their kuOtted and com
/ bined locks of hair, standing up like quilts
OF the porcupinc, wander through its irregu-
/ lar. narrow AMI badly drained streets. Il is
no wonder that Khartoum is unhealthy.
When it rains, great pools Of stagnaut water
are formed, and from these fevers are gen
Grated aud the deadly miasma does its work
among the people.
The street that borders the river side looks
down upon the water from an elevation
along which stately palm trees and large gar
dens of citron aud orange trees stand.
Many whiteWashed buildings stand along the
river bank, and these are relieved by the
miuarets aud mosques which give the place
the air Of a city IN upper Egypt, like Beuisooef
or ROda in a large way. There are, Ok
course, the characteristic mud houses, the fJli-
age, the broad palms aud weeping domes,
the deGebahas hauled on the beach for re-
pairs, the bales OF cotton hcspcd or the
shore. the sacks OF gum. the tusks Of ivory
and toe stevedore population who brave
/ crocoiiles for their pIltry paras.
The palace OF the Governor, is an ugly
looking building facing the river, and the
heimetci and casqued negroes VINO form
F the guard OF honor are dressed in white uni
forms There is good deal OF complex
>couudrclism in the city. Il Is the result OF
/ dlpy years slave trade This has attracted
I tlc Sors- class ~ TIE ruGue> WDo i've on tuc
l Lcvaut An army Of men as large as the
army Of the United states is eugagsd in
cspturing The negroes Of the Upper Nile,
and il IS said that i30. 600 slaves worth about
I $50 a head, yearly pass through the tortuous
tho7uuEhfsre Of tbis gateway city. The
TurS. With his Moslem religion. SEES no great
+ BARN in tie traffic for he is taught polyGa-
/ my aud TIE servituis OF one race u another.
9 At hhsrtoam tae hareu Is regarded - 50
cred Institution, as tus Koran Is the inspired
! laN ~ the majuriiy Even 81 the mountain
Z passes Of Ab5ysinia were sealed up. the sea-
Z ports Of the Cape % Good Hope blOckaGcd.
aud ST the outlets 81 Central Africa barrica-
dad, vet e Is believed that the same silent
| caravans viii be starting over the deserts,
I aud tbe same suspicious siave-deslers sneak
{ ing through khartoum across the Red Sea o.
thu Persian Gull For st0 miles south Of
I Knartoum TIE White Nile Is covered Nth
Tich cotton fields, which slope avay from the
banks OK the river from I'VE 90 fftv miles
into the interior. Toe resources OF the couu-
Try are immense. sud Khartcum Is destined
10 play &C important part in tie Development;
* the resources 81 Central Africa