Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-11
Adventures of an italian Priest IN the
Soudan.

Adventures of an italian Priest IN the
Soudan.
Father Paolo Rossignoli, who, after a
long series of almost incredible adven-
lures and thirteen years slavery in the
Soudan, succeeded in miraculously es-
Gaping from the hands of the caliph, has
been received by tie pope before return
ing to- Africa to the scene of his former
painful sufferings, says the Pail Mall
Gazette. He is a strong, broad, we'll
built man, tanned deep brown by the
African sun, and wears a full beard,
which is rapidly turning white from the
sufferings he has gone through.
Father Rosignoli was a priest of the
Austrian mission of Ell Obeid, in the
Kordofan, and went through the horrors
of the four and half months siege until
January, 1883, when he was taken prls-
oner. 1t would be impossible to describe
all he suffered for thirteen long years
until assisted to escape by the English
man, Maj. Wingate Bey, and Mgr. So
caro-, archbishop of the Soudan.
so you are really returning to Afri-
CAP | said to him the day before he left.
Ion, yes, and | go back with pleasure,
as Africa is for me now a second father
land. l feel that my work is there, and,
fortunate than myself whom | left be-
hind and whom l must do my utmost to
deliver
Are there still many?"
About fifty, including five Italians"
Are there no Englishmen?"
mo- all of them died long ago. Among
those still alive are twelve Syrians, ten
Jews from Smyrna, some Greeks and
SWISS, few Germans and one Austrian,
a certain Niefelit, who is the most learn
ed and intelligent person now in the
hands of the Soudanese. He was a bank
eP at Assouan and three or four years
after the fall of the Khartoum he led an
expedition to the center of the Soudan,
his purpose being to help the Kabba bish
tribe on the other side of the Dongola
against the mahdi. The latter, informed
In time of his plans, surprised the expe-
dition, defeated it completely, the men
being mostly killed or taken prisoners.
among the latter the leader Nefelit, who
was condemned to death. The rope had
already been passed around his neck to
hang him, when he was asked: How do
you die? AS a Christian or a Mussul-
man" Niefelit answered quickly: L die
a Mussulman.'
$50 his life was saved, but he was left
for years in chains until he gave proof of
his ability, and he was then used by the
caliph to manufacture saltpeter and gum
powder. He also endeavored to make
dies for coins, and designed beautiful
tomb for the mahdi, which the calph,
however, did not approve of, considering
it too European and fearing that If ex-
ecuted Niefeit would acquire certain
Importance in the eyes of the Souda-
nese."
Passing to speak of the situation in the
Soudan, Father Rossignoli said that ac-
cording to the latest news received by
him 1t is most unhappy, because of the
fearful misery dreadful anarchy and
widespread corruption. ut Is something
heartrending! exclaimed the mission
airy. 1T seems really that the hand of
God is striking and DISCRIMINATING that
people, on whom lie so many sins. Eng
land could now easily conquer the Sou
dan, especially as large portion of the
inhabitants there would favor 1t to es-
cape the tyranny of the ca1iph.
There is, in fact, a party strong
enough which wishes the Intervention of
Egyptians, English or Italians, or any
stranger, in fact, to end the horrors of
which they are the victims and Witness
es. The party Is becoming so important
that the caliph some time ago had all
the so-called coffee houses demolished in
which they were accustomed to meet
and threatened them with a general
massacre However, 1t is my opinion
that England will not reconquer the
Soudan until her occupation of Egypt Is
permanent, and until she needs no pre-
text to justify her presence on the Nile.
After the recent defeats on the Red sea
side the Soudanese have a holy horror of
the Italians also, and their most terrible
curse is: May you be struck by an Ital-
ian ball."