Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-06-19


each other for supremacy in Africa the
whites may be called upon before long
to join hands in order to save them
selves from the black deluge which is
said to be threatening to sweep in an
irresistible tide the despoiler of their
lands from the African continent. The
dissensions between the Dutch and
English at the Cape and in the Trans
vaal seem to have had a strange effect
upon the usually placid barbarian.
From one end of the continent to the
other there are rumors of preparations
being made by the natives for attacks
upon the white settlers.
Whether these movements all have
Independent origins, or whether some
subtle means of communication and
affinity of action similar to that which
inspired the great rising in India
against the British power is RESPONSE
BILE for this uneasiness remains to be
shown.
The movement takes particular signi-
ficance from the fact of the strength
shown by the Basutos and Matabebes,
both of whom hitherto have shown
themselves friendly to the British gov
ernment. Apparently inspired with
contempt at the slow results obtained
by the British forces in the Boer war,
these dusky savages, many of whom
are well drilled and dead shots with
the rifle, are, it is believed, from what
can be gathered, planning some move
ments directed against both the com
batants.
From Madagascar come reports of
an equally alarming nature and strong
precautions are being made to
strengthen the French garrisons. In
Somaliland something more than mere
mutterings have been heard, and the
so-called Mad Mullah, who is leading
the natives, is already at the head of
powerful army. This man is more to
be feared, perhaps, than any influence
which is working against civilization
on the Dark Continent His correct
name and title are Hail Mahomed Bui
Abdullah. He was born in the Sulie
man section of the Northern Ogadens,
thirty years ago, and was educated at
"wadad' or theologian.
He has succeeded in making thous-
ands of people believe that he is a re-
incarnation of Mahomet, the prophet,
and pronuonces himself the divine in
strument for the extinction of the in
fidels. His primary object is to obtain
control of the Somali nation and to
rule over them as a Mohamedan poten-
tate. When this is accomplished he
proposes to bring under his sway all
the black races of Africa whom he can
subjugate or control, and in this way
wrest from their mutual enemy, the
while, every vestige of the power that
he has succeeded in establishing in
Africa. From the cruel, crafty and
sagacious nature of this man it is
feared that whether or not he succeeds
in carrying out his designs he will
make hlmsef terror to the whites
in Africa for years to come.
The Mad Mullah has made a number
of pilgrimages to Mecca and is a dis
ciple of Sheik Mahomet Soleh, who is
the head of the mystic religious order
known as TaIika Mahamila What
plots these two men may have concoct-
ed can only be surmised. The order
has ramifications all across the Sou
dan, extending through equatorial Al
rica, sheer to the western coast, where
there have been as ominious signs Of
late as there have been in Somaliland
and the neighborhood
The Mad Mullah began his campaign
by posing as a holy man and making
use of quarrels between the various
tribes to set himself up as an arbiter
or chief. His first step at organiza-
tion was to form a nucleus of about
5000 warriors from among the discon-
tented SOmalis and these were prompt
ly Joined by 5000 warriors of the Hab-
bi Unis tribe, who were under the
British government.
From thence he extended his opera
tions over the Hinterland and along
the borders of Abyssinia gaining so
many adherents that so powerful a
warrior as King Menelek has thus far
not dared to try issues with him.
In fact Menelek has requested the
cooperation of the British, and Colo
mel Swayne has been for some time
engaging in organizing a force of loyal
Somalis to give battle to the new
Mahdi, it being possible only to use ma
tive troops in such campaign
This fact alone shows what poor
chance the whites would have of MAX
ing any effective resistance to their
pusior from the African continent if
black deluge should really sweep
down uDOn their settlements IN the