The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-06
WARLIKE TRIBES OF S0UDAN.
CHEAT BRITAIN'S PICTURESQUE
ALLIES IN THE DESERT.

4 War Correspondents Lively De-
scriPtion OF Army Life on the
Egyptian FrOnticr-Wnr Customs
of the Native sOIdIers-The NAH
dist Prisoners and Their wives.
From the London Times.
In the night OF Dec. 81. the Chief ASA
bal. accompanied by a few followers, rode
into Kassala and announced that Aroda
and the other Arab captains, with the GOO
men OF The regular battalion and the ban
da, having returned from their successful
raid on Ell flasher and Osobri, were en-
camped half days journey distant, and
would reach Kassala on the following
morning. IN a farmer letter I described
the wild fantasia with which these troops
had set forth to battle; with still wilder
manifestation of barbaric triumph did they
return from their victory. At about 7
o'clock on New Years morning the SEN
tries on the fortress walls having reported
that they saw afar off in the west the
cloud of dust raised by a body of men on
the march, Col. Parsons, Capts. Wilkinson
and Dwyer. and the Italian Lieuteants
Crispi and Moltedo, who are still here, ac-
companied by Assabala and several of the
local Arab chiefs, with their armed body
guardsf rode out to meet the victorious
troops. Assabaia, mounted on his pranc-
ing Arab stallion, was magnificent in a
green SILK robe OF honor; while the other
chiefs were also clad in their brilliant state
robes of yellow. scarlet and other bright
colored silks Each had his long Dervish
sword at his thigh. l rode out with the
officers and, a l expected l should do, en-
joyed an extraordinary and most inspirit-
ing spectacle.
We crossed the broad sandy bed of the
now dry Cash. and, after riding for a
little distance over the bush-grown plain
beyond, we sighted the troops and canter-
ed up toward them in a body. Their cad
ers, seeing us approach, halted their men,
and when we came up to them we found
the 100 irregulars of the banda drawn up
in line. over them waved four large Der
wish banners, captured at Osobri and Eel
flasher, on which were inscribed in Arabic
characters sentences pToclaiming the Nah
dist faith Many of the men held spears
which they had taken from the enemy,
while one man, mounted on q looted cam
ell, beat the large kettle drums of the brave
Baggara emlr, who had defended Osborn
At a few hundred yards distance stood
the Arab battalion, Both regulars and ir-
regulars were drawn up with the precis-
ion of disciplined troops and maintained
absolute silence. A number of camels
stood behind laden not only with the water
and provisions for the force, but with a
number of captured rifles swords and
spears, and miscellaneous loot. Col Par
sons, riding along the lines, addressed the
banda and the battalion in turn, thanking
= fa1ls Ia.
done good service.
The ceremony over, the chiefs gave The
order to advance, the signal, so it OPP
peared, that discipline was cast aside for
the nonce and that the troops could enter
Kassala with the customary Triumphant
fantasia of victors returning home No
sooner was the word given than the ranks
broke up. and the 600 men, like lot Of
madcap boys streaming out of a school.
were running and leapng like hares for
the town. We who were mounted Euro
peans and bright robed Arab sheikhs can
tered In front, while pressing close on cur
heels-and occasionally even outstripping
us, so that we found ourselves hemmed ia
amid them-rushed on that crowd of Arab
soldiers, raising their shouts of exultati ion.
chanting their fierce war songs and lnvo-
cations TO Allah and the prophet discnarg-
ing their rifles in the air to the no small
n.
while the tomtoms and the kettle drums
were beaten furiously. For quite two
miles was dense clouds of dust enveloping
u.s.
1t enabled one to realize to some extent
what it must be like to be in the midst of
a Dervsh charge such as the fellow
tribesmen of these Hadendoa and Benz
Amer soldiers made on the British square
at Tama They did not check their
|
close under the walls of the fort. Every
eminence outside was crowded with spec
tators, and the stolid Egyptian soldiers
alone appeared to be quite unmoved by
the proceedings. They gave no welcome
to their victorious comrades in arms; but
from time immemoral there has been
no love lost between the Arab and the
Turk in Africa. II was curious to OBJ
serve the meeting OF these wild men and
their wild wives, who, as usual came out
in body. and. stahdng in front of the
zeriba which incloses their encampment
of huts, greeted tner lords with shrln lu-
lungs ana clappinss OF hands. That even
ing there was a great fantasia in the
camp, when much meat was eaten and a
good deal of marissa (dhurra beeD was
drunk; for these Arabs. though Mussul-
mans, are by no means teetotalers none
of the best native troops in Africa are.
The prisoners who had been brought in
by Assabala and Aroda had apparently
been wen treated Among them were a
big Soudarese black ara his wife, who had
been eutivatOrs in The plain of Kassala
and had been captured by Dervsh raioers
three years go, their little son having been
left behind. Tie man Fad been compelled
by his captcrs 10 serve as a rifleman re
celving no pay, and fer rations a small
quantity of dhurra. served out monthly.
] I Il. - l.. 4