The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-02-02

COLA, was seemingly encompassed by an
mirror. In the distance |
we thought we saw rocks, mountains |
and old mimosa trees, where we knew |
that all was sand. In the afternoon the |
rocks and mountains had gone and
great sheet Of motionless water was
mirrored before us. We thought we
could at times see the waves rippled
by some passing breeze. Up to
within 300 yards of us we Thought
we saw a regiment of relocated
soldiers marching at ease where we
knew no soldier could be. We thought
we saw camels, loaded with munitions
OF war, on the horizon. 1t was mirage
and none of us were deceived by it. But
en- route we saw more than that. Only
yesterday j witnessed q sublime phe-
nomenon. 1t was not a mirage, but a
reality. | saw three sand sponts rising
perpendicularly to great height. Their
heads were lost in swelling capitals,
which appeared to reach the clouds.
They looked like columns which had
the sky as their vault. 1t looked like
the ruins OF some supernatural pantheon.
Other sand spouts looked like balloons
dragging their cars over the plains. On
the desert these sand spouts are danger
Gus, but we Will know how to guard
against then as well as our Beduoin or
Arab guides.
1t is Ii o'clock p. M, and have lust
returned from the mudir's. He invited
seven of us to dinner. There were three
Arab guests, including one military Of
ficer of the mudir's guards. He was
dressed in white uniform and wore
some decorations. His men were prin-
cipally recruited from the Bahr-el-Abrod
tribe. They are all negroes. and make
good soldiers. The dinner was served
in European style. After it was over
we were shown the "kamalalah." This
Is the nightly entertainment of the com
mon soldiers. 1t is the dancing girls of
Wady Halfa, in a coarser way. The
girls who dance the "kamalaha" make
no pretense at decency. Their dress Is
primitive. II could hardly be more so.
The national girdle of leather strips en-
circle their waist only. Their necks,
arms and legs are encased
H. Steel or copper bracelets.
These clinkle as the music goes on. The
room in which the dance took place was
hung with lamps, and we sat around on
the divans, of which there were many.
The mudir was not present, but the Of
hcer of his guard, who acted as our es-
cort, did not appear to see any imnro-
priety in the display. The "kainalalah"
Is not considered particularly indecent.
The girls who took part in it were
nearly black. They were selected be-
cause OF their graceful limbs. 1t was to
admire nature unadorned that the
"kamalalah" was introduced as q public
amusement in the valley of the upper
Nlie. Az the theatre" these girls dance
before all corners. They are engaged to
go to private houses, as the ones we saw
al the mudir's were. They attend "fan-
tasias," reunions and marriages.
Women OF good repute often
witness these displays, and do
not appear to think them demoraliz-
ing. The girls are generally from the
Shygeah tribe, all of whom are noted
for their immortality. But heard news
from Khartoum at the mudir's. 1t will
be old by the time this reaches you, and
II would be waste of time to write it. OF
the place Itself the mudir has much TO
say, lie described its palace, whore
Gordon lives, facing the river, the many
boats on the beach, and the bales of cot
ton heaped on the banks. He told us of
the tusks OF ivory and the stevedore
population, which crowds along the
river front, the stacks of gum hea led in
'front.' oil the steamers and dttnabeghs,
lie reminded us of the LOCO black SOL
diers who garrisoned the place when the
mehdi began his rebellion, and infinitely
described the narrow streets leading to
the quay; the helmeted and casuued
negroes OF the guard, armed with battle
axes, spears, and shields, while the rest
OF the troops are armed with rifles. He
laughed as he spoke of the beer circles
aud the aracki of which the people of
khartoum are said TO be so fond. He
asked for a pencil and some paper, and
appeared proud of his knowledge of the
art OF drawing as he showed us, what
we all well knew, how the city stands
at the junction of the Blue and White
Niles. But he surprised us with the
light and shade he traced on the draw
ing, and then he handed us fairly
finished sketch of the neighborhond.
1t was the "Gate of Central Africa" he
said, as he added with smile, "Maleech
bookrat inshallah." "Never mind; to-
morrow, please God" meaning
that we would see the high
bluffs, stately palms, and large gardens
OF citron and orange trees, which he
told us occupied 80 much space within
the city walls. / cannot say that he
told us anything about Khartoum that
we did not know before. Every man in
the expedition Is prepared to see badly
drained, mud-built, halt-Egyptian, half
Soudanese town; a place where there
are some European traders among its
$4,000 native population; where hunters
come from central Africa to dispose of
the skins of wild beasts, and where
"sue-sue" (beads) are often given in re-
turn. The police and government build
ings we know are built of stone. The
mudir evidently forgot that we have
been supplied with maps of the region,
and yet his conversation was full OF in
terest. He told us stories of the slave
trade, how hippopotamiIwore hunted and
anacondas captured, and we took our
leave of the old man about 10 o'clock
and returned TO our quarters,