Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-07

camels by the thousands The country
seems to be especially adapted to them
What is the nature OF the land west
OF kordofan?''
] II suppose you mean Darfur That
country is ruled by a sutton who pays
tribute TO us. 1t is billy land ira
Versed by mountain range furnishing
numerous streams. 1t is well popula ted
and was for long time center OF the
slave trade. The natives there are
comparatively quiet at present. although
every now and then war breaks out
between Some of the tribes. This is
are brave and proud. and they have fire.
quent vendettas. The chief want OF
kordofan Is railway communication, and
we hope to supply that as soon as We
I here asked the sirdar to tell ne some
thing OF the mineral deposits recently dis
covered in this part OF the world. lie
repled:
I'VE have not prospected the country
as yet. although We are beginning to do
so We expect to make thorough geolog-
icai survey and have begun by plating
some of the provinces and drawing maps
winch show everything in connection with
them. / refer to maps like these"
The sirdar here showed me careful
sketches of the several provinces, re-
duced TO small scale. and much like
those which our geological survey is max
ing of the United States. AS | looked
over tne!n he went on:
Our surveys. at present, are chiefly
devoted to the topography of the country
and TO data as to their resources and
people. We have not done much in the
way of mineral investigation. We know.
however. that some of the provinces con-
tain iron and copper. This is so of the
Bahr-el-Ghazal. where the people use iron
and steel implements made from the
native ore. They have been mining cop
per there for a long time. 1t is generally
haft <t-A Il . ,..A
parts OF the Sudan. and we have issued a
number of concessions to mining syndi-
Gates. They have their men out pros
pecting. but so far no valuable deposits
| have been discovered"
American Trade With the Sudan.
Have We much to hope for in the
future trade of the Sudan?' l asked.
why not?' replied the sirdar. I'VE
are using many things that the United
States makes. and are glad to welcome
| American goods and American traders
American cottons are popular with the
Abyssinans. and do not see why they
might not compete with those of Man.
chester in the Sudan. In our develop
ment we shall need railroad materials,
and, If irrigation works are undertaken
as they will be. we shall require drills
Aoi ditSSidH Wells. eIiRlHeS, ana
other machinery of that nature. BY our
new road to the Red sea, ships from your
country can land their goods at Port
Sudan within a short railway haul OF
Khartum. and from here they can be sent
almost to the heart of central Africa by
| river
| The conversation here took a personal
turn by my asking his excellency IL he
| would not some day write a new book on
| the Sudan. He is. you know, onOof the
| leading authorities on all matters connect
ed with this part Of the world. He wrote
"Mahdism and the Egyptian Sudan"
eighteen years ago: and few years later
published work entitled" Ten Years
Captivity in the Mahdfs Camp" He also
! translated and edited Slatfn Pasha's Fire
and Sword In the Sudan in 1895. and.
since then. his life has been a part OF the
history of the country and his experle noes
such that no man living knows all about
it better than he. The sirdar replied:
| IT may write another book some day. I
have kept notes of things which I have
observed and which have occurred from
time to time. and the putting them to-
gether may give me occupation when I
retire. At present my chief interest is in
the development of the country. and I
! am too much occupied with that and
with my duties here to find any time for
| literary work"
| FRANK G. CARPENTER.