The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-26
xHARTOUM..
Timely Description Of the Capital Of
the SOudon.

Timely Description OF the Capital Of
the SOudan.
The town of Khartoum, the capital of
the Soudan and chief trade emporium
for the whole country, is built on bar
rem, stoneless and wide plain, on the
west bank of the Blue Nile, and about
mile above its junction with the White
Nile. It's river frontage is about one
and half miles; its depth inward from
the river about mile. As it's site is
somewhat lower than the point reached
bv both rivers when in flood, dixie fif-
teen to twenty feet in height has been
made along the banks of the Blue Nile
and another, somewhat lower, immedl-
ately at the back of the town, to protect
it against the overflow of the White
Nile. When at their lowest point both
streams are from six hundred to eight
hundred yards in width, and have sew
eral islands, which are cultivated. The
White Nile is unfordable, except in one
or two places far up the river, but the
Blue can be forded in many places above
the town, When in flood the White Nile
increases in width to very great extent,
but not so the Blue Nile, as its banks are
much sleeper. Around Khartoum are
several small villages. Both above and
below the town are small plantations OF
date palms and plantains; also num-
Der of vegetable gardens. According to
an old custom or privilege, none OF these
gardens pay any taxes. With the ex-
ception of the river banks, the country
is bare and treeless.
During the hot season, which lasts
from the beginning of April till the mid,
die of November, the heat is severe,
averaging in the shade from ninety to
ninety-ti degrees Fahrenheit. The
rains generally beg in about the middle
of july and last to the middle of Sep
TENDER. They are, however, said to be
very irregular, and sometimes there is
little or no rainfall. In the rainy season
the barren ground stretching between
the two rivers is covered with grass,
affording very good pasture. The rivers
begin to rise June 1, and reach their
highest point about the beginning of
September. They remain stationary at
that point till about the 18th, and then
begin to fall. The cold weather begins
about the middle of December and lasts
till the middle of February. From No
vember to March high north winds pre-
vail, and during the remainder of the
year south, In winter the thermometer
sometimes goes down as low as forty-six
degrees Fahrenheit; except in the regu-
lar rainy season there is no rain. The
unhealthy season is during the months
of June, July. October and November,
when typhoid fever and dysenfery are
prevalent. The winter is the healthy
season.
The resident population is generally
estimated at from fifty to fifty five thou.
SIND souls, of which two thirds are
slaves. There is also floating popula
ton estimated at from fifteen hundred TO
two thousand souls, and consisting of
Europeans, Syrians, Copts. Turks, AIS.
banians and few Jews. Yhe free resi-.
dent population are mostly Makhass or
Aborigines, Dongolawees from Dongola,
Shaghiyes from district slong the Nile
north of Khartoum, and Rubatat. .
district north of. Berber. y The
slaves belong mostly TOT the1e Nuba,
Dinka. .Shulook. sBerts 81 and
other negro tribes. Both the free popu- !
lation and the slaves are all Mohaun1nef
dams of the, Maliki. school of divinity;
and are also followers of either the Rsrfaf,
Radri. Hamdi, OF Saadi set Of. aervishes,
They are very superstitious. Their Po-
litical creed is to side with whichever
side is the strongest: The free inhabi-
tants are mostly etgaged1 IN tTAde or
and the slaves il agriculture.
or else hired out asa daily aaborers BIT
their masters. But -feY.fare- employed as
domestic servants .. It,is said that. a mash
ter always makesh dsns,ef marrying hiE
slave as soon as p6ssiule, partly to attach
him to the place ahd shart1 Y4or the proiae
he will derive fr6nE the children 1t Ii,
also reported that slaves born in II Is
country improve greatly in. appearanceAs
compared with the parent stock. 6
the floating population the Copts ale
mostly employed in government service
or trade. ThExTnfks, Albanians, etc.,
are generally Irregular soldiers Or loaf
ers The European element is repre-
sented:by about one hundred individu-
ais, mostly Greeks. There are also some
Italians, Frerch, Austrians, and Ger
mans Except the manufacture of cot
ton cloths, rope made from palm
leaves, and some filigree silver work,
there is no manufacture worth speaking
Of. The bazaar is of considerable size,
and toleraoly we'll supplied with Man
chester goods, cheap cutlery, etc. The
export and import trade is considerable,
and, beside numerous caravans. is said
to employ over three hundred boats of
various sizes.
In shape the town is very irregular
Its appearance is also poor and miserable.
Except the government house and one or
two other buildings there is hardly a
house worthy of the nare. The houses
are mostly built of sun dried brick, gen.
orally without an upper story, and nearly
all surrounded by courtyards with mud
walls. Te prevent these houses crumb-
ling away during the rains, they are
every year plastered over with dung be-
fore the rainy season commences. This
plastering process is doubtless the cause
of good deaf of the 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 water, and it
is almost impossible to move about. AS
there is no stone throughout the whole
district the streets are full of dust dur
ing the summer and mud during the
rains. The chief buildings are: Gov
eminent house and offices. large brick
building on the banks of the Blue Nile
arsenal, with smithy, carpenters shop,
smelling furnaces, stoves, etc. attached
to this arsenal are some fourteen steam.
ers for the navigation of the rivers, and
also boats of various kinds; large. com
mOdious hospital. built by Colonel Cor.