The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-07-05
A SCENE ON THE NILE.
Such striking Homage as the Pha~
raOhs Received Now Paid to the
King of England.

Not until several months after the
occurrence of an interesting event in
the Egyptian Soudan has an account
of it been received in London. 1t was
an event that has recalled other events
of the kind which took place in i'm
memorial times and representations of
which may yet be seen by those who
inspect the ruins of the temples of
ancient Egypt, says the New York
Times.
When Lord CYomer made his latest
visit to Khartoum, as the representa-
tive of British authority in Egypt, he
held court (durbar) at the huge red
palace there, which was attended by
many of the Mohammedaa magnates,
who appeared in great pomp. There
was a ceremony of an unusually i'm
pressive character when body of
warlile and stately sheills, mounted
upon their camels, arrived at the pal
ace. They had ridden for 900 miles
from their country far up the White
Nile, and their journey had lasted
three months. There were in the EN-
bassy seven of the greatest sheiks and
one woman of the highest rank, all be-
longing to the ancient tribe of Dlnkas,
whom ethnologists regard as the abo-
riginal inhabitants of that part of
Africa.
The Dinka embassy of sheiks, which
had obtained permission to visit Khar-
toum, received a ceremonious welcome
from Lord Cromer when they arrived
at the palace, after they had an
iounced that it was their purpose to
pay homage to him. As the repre-
sentative of British majesty, he Of
fered them welcome in the Arab Ian
guage, assuring them that they would
be protected, that their welfare would
surely be promoted under the Anglo
Egyptian rule, that they would never
again have occasion to fear the slave
dealer or slave driver, and that the
British troops (who had been drawn
up and set in array for the occasion)
would guard the country as part of
great Egypt
The Dinka sheiks were greatly
pleased with their welcome. They rem
dered obeisance to the potent white
lord, and they chanted world-old
hymn in his praise, after which they
performed the most curious part of
the ceremony. One stately sheik adj
vanced toward Lord Cromer, bearing
aloft the Dinka crown of honor, which
consisted of a black, conical-shaped,
brimless hat, ornamented with plumes
of black ostrich feathers. In ma es-
tic manner he placed the crown on his
lordship's head as mark of homage
on the part of the Dinka tribe and
as representing the traditional tribal
symbol of sovereignty.
Lord Cromer was SO much pleased
with the ceremony that he brought
out presents of various kinds. To the
great sheiks he gave fine new raiment
of the brightest hues, and to the femi-
nine grandee in their company he gave
sundry gifts, among which were
costly parasol and decorated mirror.
In their joy they cried out and again
rendered homage to the shadow" of
British royalty.
Next day they began to prepare fo1
the long journey up the White Nile
and back to their own country.
1t appears that neither the sheiks
nor the other members of the Dinka
clan are either of the Arab race OF
the Mohammedan religion. They are
an autochthonous people, and it Is
probable that they are descended from
ancestors who lived in their country
long before Moses led the enslaved
Hebrews out of Egypt. They worship
one God and possess sacred rites that
antedate any history. Their language.
religion and customs are peculiarly
their own.
The interesting fact has been
brought to notice that such cere
monies as occurred during Lord Gro
mer's last durbar at Khartoum were
but repetitions of ceremonies that had
been witnessed in ancient Egypt under
the rule of the Pharaohs. The follow
ing quotation from letter describing
the scene here spoken of may be taken
as direct proof of the fact:
"The scenes depicted on the Temple
of Amenophis Ill. (B. c. 1850 at Soleb,
and also those on the temples of Ram
eses H., (B. G. 1330), in Nubia, and like
wise those on the temples of later
Egyptian kings at Napata, prove that
exactly the same kind of ceremonial
homage was rendered to successive
rulers of ancient Egypt, after they
had, each of them in his time, crushed
the Soudani tribes in order to extend
the frontiers of the great kingdom"
And so the Dinkas of the earliest
ages live again in the Dinkas of to-day
The elan of the Upper Nile once sub.
ject to the king who was lost in the
Red sea is now under the rule of Ed
ward VII. of England.
Remarkable Position of IA Golf Ball
On one of the golf links not fal
from New York rather curious in
cident happened a few days ago. A
golf player made a miscalculation
The ball, when he hit it, struck a
rock and bounded upon the roof of a
small house situated on the grounds
BY some strange coincidence the bali
rolled up one side of the roof and
down the other, finally lodging be.