The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-06-07

's"'N""' rs "ehs bf9 anu It's
People Dispersed.
In the course OF letter written from
Kassala on Dec. correspondent OF
the London Times gives the following
description OF the city, over which the
Egyptian flag has just been rehoisted:
The old city OF Kassala can be describ-
ed in few words. The dervishes were
here for some time. which signifies that
but very little remains OF the former
buildings Here. as elsewhere In the
lost Egyptian provinces. the followers
OF the mahdi destroyed all they could.
leaving behind them. OF what was once
a prosperous city OF a. 1000 inhabitants.
only ruined walls and deserted. Jungle
oyergrown streets. which are still
strewn with the bones OF the massacred
citizens and garrisons. The modern
native town consists chiefly OF straw
tokuls. and there are but few brick
buildings. which have been erected by
the Greek traders. We have often
heard OF the famous pilgrimage OF Kat
mia, the mosque containing the shrine
Of the Morgani saint. II stands at the
foot OF the grand mountain Kassala Fl
Luz, whose steep lower slopes. riyen by
gullies, where long grass and ebony
trees find root. are crowned by stupen-
dous barren granite peaks and preci.
pices Inaccessible 10 man The katmia
Is large and beautiful building OF
brick. which was designed by an able
architect and cost large sum. The
graceful mlnaret still stands. but the
dervishes have hewn through the base
OF several OF the columns supporting
the editice. so that the roof and many
OF the shapely arches within the cloist-
cred mosque have fallen In. They have
also torn the ornamental copper work
from the gates. windows and elsewhere.
not for any use that Il might be to
them, FOR Il still lies broken and twist
ed on the ground. but out OF sheer wan
ionness. as Is the derylsh way So now
the katmia stands. rooness. with floor
oyergrown with jungle. a picturesque
ruin amid this wild scenery. is cham
beers haunted nightly by the jackalls
and hyenas. The wrecked tomb OF the
Morgani Is now closed against the pro-
fame boy wooden door and Is yearly
visited by a great number OF pilgrims
Hard by the Kaimia. amid what Is
now a waste Of high halfa grass and
bush. are TO be seen the remains Of
many ruined houses. These were the
villas Of the Weather citizens OF Kas-
sala. who here had pleasant gardens
and shady groves. 20 which they used
to repair during the summer heat. OF
what was once Kassala but one build
ing Of any consequence remains whole.
As one approaches this place the first
object one sees. a conspicuous land
mark rising above the Undiscovered
plain. Is a lofty brick chimney belong
ing 70 the factory which was establish.
ed here in the days Of the Egyptians.
The deryishes destroyed the machinery.
but spared the extensive building.
which they converted into their Belt 81
Nal. or public store The new Italian
fort now onclOscs the disusei factory.
whose capacious engine room and 9th
er chambers are used Tor the armlry.
The officers mcssroom and other mill
tary purposes. while some uf the boUs-
plates have been utilized in the con-
struction ~ a fort draWbrIdgc This
fort, erected by the Italians shortly
after the capture 90 Kassala. could boz
held with a small force against any at.
tack the deryishcs are now capable OF
making. It's stout walls. about eleven
feet In height. form a reCtangle $50
feet long and 3lj feet broad. they are
surrounded by a deep moat and wire
entanglcments. There are 40 present
six nine-centimeter guns on the walls
The garrison tot native troopsl Is now
small, but no fewer than eighteen Ital-
Ian officers muster at the pleasant mess
kassala fort commands a position Of
very great strategic importance. Il
stands Immediately 10 the westward Of
the outermost of the parallel ranges
which run from north % south through
Erithrea and AbysslnIa Looking west
ward one has before one the bush
grown, dead level plain which extends
20 the Nile. the horizon being unbrokcp
by even a slight cmincnce. so that al
the outlook posts beyond tho fort the
sentries have 20 stand at the summit
Of wooden scaiioltIngs erected for the
purpose In order that they may com
mand a view over the plain. Looking
eastward one sees about three miles
OF the last Of the wild. rocky ranges
rising abruptly from the plain and
stretching far 20 the north and south.
and due east to the fort. within range
OF It's guns. a broad opening in the
mountains the main gateway to Firth
rea and the sea coast. through which
passes the high road by which I had
ridden from Massowah. On the west
side Of Kassala. and about half a mile
from It. is the River Cash. a tributary
Of the Atbara. It's sandy bed Is dry
for the greater part Of the year. and II
Is doubtful whether lts waters reach
the Nile even In time Of food. Like
the waters Of many another African
river they are probably sucked In by
the thirsty sands Of the desert