The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-21

large open square connected with the
mosque by one of the main roads.
Besides his palace, Abdullah possesses
a number of other houses, which he visits
from time to time. OF these one is stu
ated close to the bank of the White Nile,
and its roof is ornamented with two gil
gantic hippopotauRls heads. He has an
other house at the belt el NAL, from
which he can easily reach the river, and
embark on one of his steamers to visit
his eastern hejira, whence expeditions
start for the Gezireh, o. for Abyssnia.
And, lastly. he possesses a large house
on the arda, or parade ground, and at
the northern hejira. In all these houses
he keeps up a large establishment of wo-
men.
"Omdurman is built almost entirely of
mud. the straw huts or tokuls have dis
appeared Every house owner surrounds
his yard with a wall, in order to keep out
thieves ana spies, with which the city
abounds. 1t is not permitted to build
good houses, as they might prove
temptation to their owners to hide money.
Whenever man is known to be well off,
or prosperous, he is almost certain to
have his wealth taken from him.
zone of the most important places in
Omdurman is the market, to which a
broad road leads from the mosque 1t IS
a place full of life, Astounding in buyers
and sellers, as well as idlers, who come
to tattle and pick up any news they can
The proof that Mahdieh is not considered
to be a durable regime is evident from
the feverish anxiety of everyone to hear
the latest news and the market is the rem
devious for all news seekers Here are
collected merchants from Kordofan and
the Gezireh, from Berber, Dongola and
Sawakin, all earnestly occupied in learn
ing each others news.
1T is Impossible to give an idea of the
wild NJ HyiDt
hither and thither. 1t is equally impossi-
Bile to separate the false news from the
true. On this account the market is look
ed upon by the khalifa with the utmost
distrust and he would readily abolish il
IL he thought it was possible to do so
1t consists of a strange medley of shops
and straw huts. Khalifa Ali Wad Helu
has been put in charge of the place; he
has apportioned special quarters for each
variety of goods, and the different marts
are now separated off in lines.
'At night, all goods, working tools, etc,
are removed, as it would never be safe to
leave them there 80 that in the day time
the market is the very life of Omdurman.
while at night it is absolutely empty and
deserted. Since, however, Wad Helu has
taken ii in hand small brick huts have
been run up in which some merchants
lock up their goods, and leave them in
charge of caretakers. Cloth dealers, drug
gists, green groeers, salt and meat ven
doris, all have their special quarters now
as well as gold and silversmiths. carpen-
tiers, tailors and BARRIERS. There are also
special quarters for public eating houses.
coffee shops, flrewood vendors, builders
and shoemakers
THE women have their own separate
divisions, and for the last few years men
have been forbidden to have any dealings
with them. For the settlement of quar-
relS and disputes which frenueptIv occur
in the market, there is a special market
court presided over by a Judge and all
delnquents are inferred in a large zariba
quite open to the suns burning rays.
Close to the zariba are three sets of
gallows. besides two others in different
parts of the town. The gallows are erect
ed close to the market, in the hope that
II the executions are seen by the masses
1t Will have deterrent effect on crime.
THE inhabitants of Omdurman are
conglomeration of every race and nation
ality in the Soudan All these various
nationalities have their own quarters
and marry into their own tribes and Sec
tons. Arabic Is the universal language
and all free Inhabitants of the Soudan
speak it or corrupt dialects of 1t.
THE population of Omdurman amounts
to about 10000 persons; but il is by no
means fixed, for during the winter num-
bers quit the town and go off into the
Kordofan or Gezireh districts to cultivate.
But when the khaifa orders a general
assembly, the numbers of course increase
considerably In 1888 the city was per-
haps larger than at any other time, for
In that year the khalifa ordered all the
inhabitants of the Gezireh to come and
live I'm Omdurmau. The reason for this
was never exactly3 known but it was
thought he feared8a revolt on the part
of the Ashraf"