The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-16
HELD AS A SLAVE IN SOUDAN
Adventure of an italian Priest Among the
Tribes of the Egyptian Desert.

| Adventure of an italian Priest Among the
Tribes of the Egyptian Desert.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.
Father Paolo Rossignoli. who, after a
| long series of almost incredible adven-
lures and 10 years slavery In the Sou
dan, succeeded in miraculously escap-
ing from the hands of the caliph, has
been received by the pope before re-
! turning to Africa to the scene of his
former painful sufferings. He is a
strong, broad, well-built man, tanned a
deep brown by the African sun. and
wears a full beard, which is rapidly
turning white from the suffering he has
gone through. Father Rossignoli was
a priest of the Austrian mission of Ell
Obeid, in the Kordofan, and went
through the horrors of the four and a
half months siege until January, 1888,
when he was taken prisoner. 1t would
be impossible to describe all he suffer-
ed for Is long years, until assisted to
escape by the Englishman, Major Win
gate Bey, and Monsignore Sogaro, arch
bishop of the Soudan.
80 you are really returning to At
rica?" / said to him the day before he
left.
"Oh. yes, and / go back with pleas
ure as Africa is for me now a second
fatherland. L feel that my work is
there; and. besides, think of all the
prisoners, less fortunate than myself,
whom l left behind, and whom l must
do my utmost to deliver"
Are there still many?'
About so, including five Italians"
Are there no Englishmen?"
mo, they all died long ago. Among
those still alive are II Syrians, 10 Jews
from Smyrna, some Greeks and Swiss,
q few Germans and one Austrian, GER
tain Niefelit who is the most learned
and intelligent person now in the hands
of the Soudanese He was a banker at
Assouan, and three or four years after
the fall of Khartoum he led an expedi-
ton to the center of the Soudan, his
purpose being to help the Kabbabish
tribe on the other side of the Dongola
against the mahdi. The latter, in
formed in time of his plans, surprised
the expedition, defeated il completely,
the men being mostly killed or taken
prisoners, among the latter the leader
Niefelit, who was condemned 10 death.
The rope had already been passed
I about his neck to hang him when he
was asked: How do you die? AS a
| Christian or a Mussulman?" Niefelit
answered quickly: Il die a Mussul-
/ man"
so 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 salt
! peter and gunpowder. He also endeav-
ored TO make dies for coins, and de-
! signed beautiful tomb for the mahdi,
| which the calpih, however, did not ap-
prove of, considering it too European,
and fearing that If executed Niefelit
| would acquire a certain Importance in
the eyes of the Soudanese."
Passing to speak of the situation in
the Soudan, Father Rossignoli said that
| according to the latest news received
by him 1t is most unhappy, because of
| the fearful misery, dreadful anarchy,
| and widespread corruption. 1T is
something heartrending!" exclaimed
| the missionary. 1T seems really that
the hand of God is striking and exter-
minating that people on whom lie so
many sins. England could now easily
| reconquer the Soudan. especially as a
| large portion of the inhabitants there
| would favor it, to escape the tyranny of
| the caliph. There is, in fact, a party
strong enough which wishes the inter-
| vention of Egyptians, English or Ital-
ians, or any stranger. in fact, to end
the horrors of which they are the vic
| tins and witnesses. This party is be-
| coming so important that the caliph
| some time ago had all the so-called cof-
fee houses demolished in which they
were accustomed to meet, and threat
| ened 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 preteXt to justify
her presence on the Nile. After the re-
cent defeats on the Red sea side the
| Soudanese have a holy terror of the
| Italians also, and their most terrible
curse is: May you be struck by an
Italian ball"
Father Rossignoli has left a large
quantity of notes on his slavery in the
Soudan, which Will be arranged and
published by Count Pagani Incononati.
secretary of the heraldic commission.