News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-16
THE EGYPTIAN MAHDT.
WHO He Is and How lie Comes to Re in
His Present Position.

The Mahdi, as the world has become
accustomed to call him, was first heard
of outside of the soudan about four
years ago. It was suddenly announced
that new prophet had appeared, who
was resolved to take up arms, to restore
Mohammedanism to its old prestige and
power, and to found a new Moslem en-
pire. At first the pretensions of the
''false prophet" were sneered at. He
was denounced by the Grand Chief of
Mecca, and his claims were ridiculed at
Cairo and Constantinople.
But it soon appeared that his followers
were increasing, and that his power was
becoming dangerous. He led his fierce
Arab hordes against the Egyptian fort
resses in the Soudan, and one after an
other of them fell into his hands. At
last his hordes became great army of
barbarians; and it became necessary for
the English to send their disciplined
troops against him.
The result of the long struggle SO far
as it has gone, is that the chief fortress
and town of the Soudan has fallen into
the Mahdi's hands, and that Gordon, the
most heroic figure of our age, has fallen
while vainly defending Khartoum against
him.
The Mahdi's name is Achmet Mahomet.
He is of pure Arab blood, and native
of Dongola, one of the fortified towns
ON the upper Nile. He is the son OF
carpenter, and in his youth followed
that trade. Then he was apprenticed
to his uncle, who was boatman on the
Nile. This uncle was SO cruel to him
that one day he ran away, went to Khar-
toum, and there entered school kept
by Fakir-a sort of priest who teaches
theology.
Achmet now resolved to become a
sheik, or priest of the higher class. As
such he was ordained in 1870. He then
repaired to the island of Abba in the
White Nile, where he lived in cave,
and engaged in almost constant prayer
and decentralization.
1t is said that he was wont, in the
solitude of his cave, to repeat one of the
names given by his sect to the Deity for
hours together; after which he tasted,
burned incense, and lay for long periods
in attitudes of the most abject humility.
In 1881, he prepared himself for the
mission which he declared had been in
trusted to him by God and Mahomet.
And he announced it to the sheiks and
fakirs Throughout the region of the Blue
and White Niles. Many of these soon
attached themselves to his cause, while
some of the wandering tribes of the
Nubian and Soudan deserts joined his
standard.
The Mahdi based his claim to be Ma
hornets successor partly on certain per-
sona1 pecn liarities in which he closely
resembled= the cid prophet. hike Ma
homet, his eyes are of different colors,
one being black, the other brown. Like
Mahomet, too, one of his arms is shorter
than the other. He bears upon his face,
moreover, certain marks which the devo-
tees of Islam regard as signs of prophet
This singular man is described as be-
ing about forty years of age, tall, slim,
erect, with the true Arab clear, yellow
skin, black hair closely cropped, and
long, black, pointed beard. His eyes
are large and stern, and his manners are
naughty, thoughtful and grave. In war
fare he is impetuous and daring, and is
sometimes reused to true Arabic fury
by the din and excitement of the battle
field.
All the while, he strictly adheres to his
religious practices; and always, before
an encounter with his enemy, processes
to seek and receive from Allah guidance
how to meet and overcome the hostile
force.
The Mahdi has without doubt sue
ceeded in winning the faith of thou
sands of the ignorant, faratical, imagi-
native Arabs who swarm in the Soudan
deserts; and SO brilliant has been his
success, that his future career will be
watched with absorbing interest,"
Youths Companion.