Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-09-02
ISLAM'S NEW PROPHET.
Mohammedan Legions, Led b : Fan.
attic, Putting Nigritian People
to the Sword.
Pagan Powers In Central Africa Being
Destroyed, and Thousands u
Lives Sacrificed.

t IL WI IsC IN W
Secretary OF State Bayard 10 in receipt Of
a dispatch from Sierra Leone. West Africa,
giving accounts Of the movements OF an
army of 1O0. 900 men in the interior Of
Africa. The dispatch ia dated July IA
last and was sent by United States Consul
Lewis. Mr.. Lewis says:
Il have the honor 10 bring 10 the notice
of the Department Of State the fact of an
extraordinary movement among the Mo-
hammedans Of the Nigritian regions, ex-
tending from Timbuctoo to the West Coast.
II appears that in 1850 a Mandingo
named samudu, Of extraordinary in
telligeuce and energy, conceived the
idea that he was called of God to wage a
war for the suppression of paganism and
for the opening of the roads to the coast.
which in certain districts have been for
generations subjected TO excessive black
mail and to the plundering Of vagabond
tribes. During the last five years he has
collected III army consisting OF foot and
horse Of about 100. 200. Mohammedan
youth, wherever he goes, flock to his
standard. ANXIOUS not only to secure the
reward in the hereafter promised to those
who fight for their religion, but to carry Oh
the rich spoils which these expeditions that
battle for the faith are sure to win.
1T Is sud that Samudu's army In diyid-
ed into three portions. One is operating
near the headwaters Of the Niger. This
portion recently drove certain French troops
from the gold regions Of Boossa. OF which
they hal taken possession. BooSsa is n
large town, the capital Of a province Of the
same name west Of Soudan. o. an island in
the Niger, about latitude 10 deg. IA min.
north. longitude ) deg. 20 min. east, ana
al nn TINA had a vnpv,tofiCn ~ On mn
souls. Here Mungo Park met his death.
Samudu's followers are now b~esieging
Bammakkoo. a large town on the Niger, in
the State Of ! ambarra, occupied about
three years by the French, who have erect
ed fortiticttions there.
Another po ton Of the army is operat-
ing in the regions east of Liberia. and. by
suppressing the disturbing elements, unfet-
tering trade and introducing a knowledge
of religion and letters, is in one sense
opening the country for negro immigrants
of intelligence and energy from America to
push out from the African American repub-
lie to the healthy aud fertile regions Of the
interior. In another sense it is forestall-
ing the whole region for Mohammedanism,
and making it difficult. if, indeed, it is d :
sirable. to convert that country to the faith
imported from America by the immigrants.
The third portion Of the army is ap-
preaching the cons a few miles northwest
of Sierra Leone. 1t has secured the sub
mission by force or by voluntary surrender
Of all the tribes on the way for 500 miles
back.
THE largest and most important pagan
kingdom on this side of the Niger was
Soolima, of which Talaba, a large CONNER
cial city, was the capital. For the last sixty
years the Fulah Mohammedans have been
trying by diplomacy and by arms to SUBJ
due this city to the faith, but it has always
successfully resisted both diplomat and
whelming numbers surrounded it and
ca led upon the king to surrender and pro-
TESS Is,am. This he refused to do. The
town wa then invested and after o terrible
siege of five months the king assem-
bled the royal family and principal
chiefs in his powder house and informed
them that he could hold out no longer. AS
his resources were exhausted; but having
for more than two hundred years belonged
to the ruling element. he was determined
for himself aud family to die rather than
come under Mohammedan rule. He gave
the chiefs Their choice. either to die With
him or go out Of the town and give them
selves up to the enemy. They decided to
die with him. He then set FIRE to the
powder and they were all blown up. This
ended the Soolima power. which for more
than seven generations had influenced the
trade ana politics of ex ensive districts,
and had commanded the principal high
ways to the coast.
Another very important achievement OF
this army is the destruction of the Hooboo
power. an irresponsible organization, which
FOR thirty years has been a source Of an
noyance and loss 10 caravans passing from
the interior to the coast. Samudu gave Or
ders to attack them in their mountain
.strongholds, which until then had proved
inaccessible TO the neighboiing forces.
They were surprised, their chief, Abal, was
captured and decapitated, and his aims aud
legs, severed from the trunk. were sent to
the various countries whose inhabitants
had suffered from his predatory and muir
derous proceedings. The Hooboos are
described as renegade Fulnhs in rebellion
against the King of Timboo. The lo,ds
have now been cleared of these thieves and
murderers, so that nm unprotected child or
female may travel in safety al through that
district.
These operations will not be without a
.salutary effect upon American commerce.
for there is in that country an increasing
demand for American productions.an d many
of the articles produced by the people are
valuable in American trade. SaMudu's
army is now only a few miles from the
coast northwest Of Sierra Leone. It is
said to be their purpose now to deal with
the Timuch and Sherbro countries, whose
constant wars keep the maritime regions in
such a state of ferment that often the cara
vans have struggled through distractions
for hundreds Of miles. They find that
their greatest difficulty is among the coast