The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-02-12
THE Towv or KBARToUH.

The town of Khartoum, the capital of
the Soudan, and chief trade emporium
for the whole country, is built on bar
rem, stoneless and vide plain, on the
west bank Of the Blue Nile, and about 3
nile above Its junction with the White
Nile. Its river frontage is about one
and one half miles. As its site is some
what lower than the point reached by
both rivers when at food, dixie Is to 20
feet in height has been made along the
banks of the Blue Nile, another some
what lower Immediately at the back OF
the town, TO protect it against the over
flow of the White Nile. When at their
lowest point both streams are frum 900
10 800 yards IN width, and have several
islands which are cultivated The White
Nile is untordsble, except in one or two
places far up the river, bat the Blue can
be forded in many places above the
town. When In food the White Nile
increases it, width TO a very great extent,
but not SO the Blue Nile, g It's banks
are much sleeper. Around Eharsoum
are several small villages. Both above
and below tine town are sAsll plantations
OF date palms and plAntaIns, also q num-
Der of vegetable gardens. According to
an old custom or privilege, none of these
gardens pay 6Dy taxes. Win the ex-
ceptiOn of the river banks, the country is
bare and tTseless.
DuriDg the not season, which lasts from
the beginning OF April till the middle of
November, the heat Is severe, averaging
in the shade from ninety to nInetY-hve
Il Eak,- raj ha
ally begin about the middle of July and
last 10 the middle OF September. They
are. however, SAID 10 be very irregular,
and sometimes there is little or no rain
TALL. In the rainy season the barren
ground stretching between the two rivers
as covered with grass, sfordi1g very
good pasture The rivers begin TO rise
on June 1, and reach their highest point
about the beginning of September.
Fhey remain stationary st that point I'LL
about the 18th, aud then begin to fall.
The cold weather begins about the mid
die of December, and lasts till tina mid
die of February. From November till
March high north winds prevail, and
during the remainder of the year south.
In winter The thermometer goes down
as low as forty six degrees Fahrenheit:
except IN the regular rainy season there
is no rain The unhealthy season 10
during the months of June, July, Octo-
Der and November, when typhoid fevers
and dySenterV are prevalent. The win
ter Is the healthy season.
The resident population is generally
estimated a. from $4,000 10 55 600 souis,
of which two-thirds are slaves. There
is almost a floating population estimated
from l 500 TO 1900 souls and consisting
of Europeans, 5yrians, COpts, Turks, Al
and q f. IGu Tho
dent population are mostly HSkhass, or
ahorigines, DoDgolaWses from DoDgoIa,
Shaghiyes from district along the Nile
north of KhaTtOum and Rubatat, q dis
trIct north of Bsrbsr The slaves belong
mostly to the Nuba. DInkG, Suulook,
Berts, and other negro tribas. Both the
tree population and the slaves are all
Mohammedans of the EalIki school of
divinity, and are also followers of either
the Rutal, Kadri, HamdI or 6aadi sect
of derYisheG. They are very supersti-
tious. Their political creed is to side
with whichever aide is the strongest.
The free inhabitants are mostly engaged
in trades or commerce, and the slaves III
agriculture, or else hired out d daily
lsbOrers by their masters. But few are
employed as domestic servants. 1t Is
said that master always make point
of marrying his slave as soon as posi-
bic, partly 10 attach him TO the place and
partly for the profits he will derive
from the children. It is also reported
that slaves born IN the country improve
greatly in appearance as compared with
tue parent stock. OF the floating popu.
latiou the Copts are mostly employed in
government service or trade The Turks,
AibaniRns, etc, are generally Irregular
soldiers or loafsrs. The European els-
ment is represented by about 100 indi-
viduals, mostly Greeks. There are also
sDme Italians, French, Au5trians and
Germans.
Except the manufacture o] mats, col
ton clOthG . FOPe made from palm leaves
and some tiisGrse silver work, there Is
no manufacture worth speaking of. The
bazaar is of considerable sizs, and tolera-
bly, we'll supplied with manchester
goods, cheap cuIlerly, etc. The export
and import trade is considerable, aud
besides numerous czravaps, il said TO
employ over 800 boats OF various sizes.
In shspe the town is very irregular.
It's appearance is also poor and miseI-
able. Except the Government House
and one or two other buildIngs, there is
hardly house worthy OF the name The
houses are mostly built of sun-driei
brick, generally without an upper story,
snd nearly all surrounded by ccurt-ys ards
with mud walls. To prevent these
houses crumbling away during the rains
they are every year plsstered with filth
before the rainy season commences.
This plasteTi0g process is doubtless the
cause of q good deal of illness. AS the
town is so low, there is no drainage, and
the consequence Is that during the rains
the whole place is deep in wa
ter and il is almost impossible
to move about As there 10 no stone
throughout the whole district the
streets are full OF dust during the sum
mer and mud during ,he rams. The
chief buildings are: Government house
and office, large brick building on the
banks OF the Blue Nile; arsenal, with
smithy, carpentsr's shop, smelling fur
| BGces. stores.; attached to this arsenal
are some fourteen steamers for the usvi-
CATION of the rivers, and also boats of va
riOus kinds; a large, c0mmodlous hos
pital, built by Col. Gordon, a mosque
or iami, built by Khurahi1 Pasha; a
sibil or small mosque, with q well end
some rooms for the convenience Of trav-
elers and poor people; . large barracks,
ut mud, without an upper story, and
large barrack square; powder magazine
and worksbp for the reflliDg of cart
ridges; a large Roman Catholic mission
sry building established 10 1S4S; stone
building. with garden, church, etc, and
a email CoDtIc church