River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-04-09
KHART0UM.
The Famous City at the Fork of the
Mile.

The Famous City at the Fork of the
Nile.
The city of Khartoum, which has
fallen into the hands of the False
Prophet, is the capital of the underlined
district known as the Soudan, and the
chief trade emporium fer large sec
ton of the country round about. 1t
is built on a barren, stoneless, and
wide plain, on the Western bank of
the Blue Nile, and about mile above
its junction with the White Nile. It's
RIVER frontage is about one and one
half miles its depth inwards from
the river about mile AS its site is
somewhat lower than the point reached
by both rivers when in flood. q dyke
Is feet to 20 feet in height has been
made along the banks of the Blue Nile,
and another somewhat lower, i'm
mediately 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 600 to 500
yards in width. and have several
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 it's width to
very greater 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 plan
tations of date palms and plantains,
also a number of vegetable gardens.
According to an old custom or privi-
lege none of these gardens pay any
taxes. With the exception of the
river banks the country is bare and
treeless. To the north of the city,
and directly at the confluence of the
two branches of the Nile, lies the
large island of Tut. The channel
between that island and the town
affords slightly nearer approach to
the White Nile, which it enters di-
rectly opposite Omdurman, fortified
camp in the midst of the gardens on
the west bank of the White Nile. 1t
was from this point that Hicks Pasha
started out on his ill-starred expedi-
ton in 1888, but for some time past 1t
has been in the hands of the Mahdi's
forces.
Travellers have described the appear
ance of Khartoum as they approach it
by the river as "a long mud wall, with
few buildings of greater size than
architectural pretentions peeping over
iU;" but they all agree; from Mr..
George Nelly, VINO visited it thirty
five years ago, to Sir Samuel Baker
and General Gordon, in saying that its
external aspect is much to be preferred
to the reality found inside its walls.
This feature it shares with almost
every Oriental town that could be
named. There must, however, have
been something exceptionally disa-
greeable, in the smells of Khartoum
to have raised such unpleasant memo
ries and so strong a feeling of disgust
in the minds of so many experienced
Eastern travellers General Gordon
has explained the reason why the
stencil can be tolerated and how it has
not produced the mortality that one
would have expected. The atmosphere,
except during the rainy season, is so
dry that everything sis dried up hard
in an incredibly short space of time.
The population of the city has fluct-
uated very much, principally in ac-
cordance with the character of the
Governor for the time being. If he
has not exceeded the limits of human
endurance, Khartoum has contained
as many as 10000 people; but some
times official eXactions have been too
many. and the population has fallen
to half that number. Some authorities
place the population as high as $4,000,
but all authorities agree that, while the
proportions of inmates f1uctuates,
there are 5000 houses in Khartoum.
These are of uniform character and
appearance, being mostly built of sun
dried brick, generally without an up
per story, and nearly all surrounded
by courtyards with mud walls. TO
prevent these houses crumbling away
during the rains, they are every year
plastered over with dung before the
rainy season commences. This plas-
tering process is doubtless the cause
of good deal of the sickness which
prevails. Mr.. Nelly, already referred
to, has given the following description
of the place:
1.-The town consists of about 5000
houses, resembling those already de-
scribed Architecture in these regions
being in an extremely primitive con
dition, the arrangement of the streets
is Just what might be expected from
the aspect of the houses. There are
no spacious thoroughfares; here and
there appears something like square
or space, but the perspective generally
is by no means such as would satisfy
the humblest European judgement in
the art of building. The better class
of houses are possessed either by the
Government officials or by the Euro
pean residents. In some there are APP
proaches to luxury, in others to COM
fort; indeed, it is but fair to acknowl
edge that, with the addition of delight
full gardens and pleasant climate,
it is not difficult to reconcile ourselves
to residence within mud walls"