Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-09
A Portrait Of the Matldi.

From the Catholic World.
Imagine a man about 30 years of age OF me-
dunn height. as lean, as the saying is as shotteu
herring, with a mahogany complexion, coal
black beard and eyes, and three vertical slashes
on his pallid cheeks; add to this long cotton
shirt as a garment, narrow turban as a head
dress, a pair of wooden sandals, and in the
hands--dry as those of n mummy-a string Of
ninety beads, corresponding to an equal num-
Der OF divine attributes and you have the
Mahdi. Those who have seen him say that
Mohammed-Ahmed plays to perfection the
part OF a visionary dervish, waving his head
when walking, and murmuring constant
prayers, his eyes fixed on heaven. His father
was carpenter on Naft Island, in the Nubian
province OF Dongoia, and about 1882 came,
with his four children, to Chindi. small city
on the banks of the Nile south OF Berber. When
still very young he was placed as an apprentice
under the care of one of his uncles, shipbuildcr
of Chabakah. opposite SEMINAR. IT seems that
the future prophet was not without his failings
for one day his uncle thought well of fiogging
him in a regular French style. The proceeding
was not appreciated and the child ran away
until he arrived in khartOum. where he en-
tered a sort of school or convent of begging der
wishes, who were in charge of the monument
erected over the venerated remains OF Cheick
Hoghali, patron of the city. There his life was
a remarkable one for his piety: but to
education. he never learned how 10 write or even
how TO read iuenIly. Later he went to a SINH
lar institution in Berber, then to one in Aradup
on the south of Kena. In the latter city he be-
came, in 1870, the favorite disciple of an emf
nent fakir, Check Nur-el-Dain. and finally was
ordained by him and went to Abbas island
White Nile. His fame as a sanity man was
every year on the Increase. He lived in kind
of pit or suberranean repository for grain. called
silO, which he had dug up with his own hands,
and there he passed his life, fasting and pray
ing, burning incense day and night, and repeat
ing the name OF the Allah for hours at time
until he would fall to the ground painting and
exhausted. If anybody spoke TO him he gave
sacred book OF Islam. Earthly things seemed
to inspire him only with disgust and pity. He
had made VOW to absorb himself In the con-
temptation OF divine pertections and To weep all
his life for the sins of mankind. But his tears
did not destroy his powers Of visions, and he
kept his best eye wide open to business: and the
faithful coming by thousands and Gepositing
rich offerings at the mouth of his silo, he never
failed to see the gifts nor to stow them away
carefully for stormy days. In 1878 he had be-
come so wealthy that he felt the necessity to de-
clare that Allan had ordered him to leave his
silo and to take unto himself a large collection
OF wives, whom, as truly practical man he
chose among the most influential families OF the
country, especially that of the Bargaras. the
most opulent slave traders on the White Nile.
Every one has still fresh I'm his memory the
appalling determination ofHicks Pasha's eleven
thousand men, surrounded on the 9th of No
vember, 1ssS-the first day of the 18th century
of the Hegira.-at kasghil while marching on
FL 0beid. This horrible butchery, happening
on the threshold of the century announced as
the one of the Last prophet, gave a bloody con-
secratfon to Mohammed- Ahmed who after the
three days battle, went all over the battle fell
piercing with his spear the CHASTITY corpses of
his enemies and eXclaming: sit is l. /, the
Prophet, who destroyed the heriticsr' Com
pared to him Mohamned was no more in his
mind, than small prophet. He alone was the
Mohammed himself. The Sultan OF CONSTANT
nople was no more the supreme Caliph. the chief
OF lsiamism; it was he, Mohammed-. Ahmed and
he ordered his own name TO be invoked in pub
lie worship in the place of Mohammed's, right
after the name of Allah!
/ have said enough to show what kind OF a
man is the Nubian Mahdi.
ALFRED NJ. COTE, IL d,