The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-01

like ours. Their noses are straight,
their lips thin. and their. hair not
kinky, although they are black. Such
boys are not negroes. They are the
descendants of people from Arabia, and
ittEeir ancestors had reached a. high
degree of civilization during the Middle
! Ages. when the Arabic schools and
universities were noted over the world.
For the Sons OF sheiks.
Tho college here Is divided into three
departments. The first Is for the sons
l'of sheiks. and Is devoted to the train
ing of teachers for the MohAmmedan
schools and of judges and other off,
cials for the Mohammedan courts. The
British are governing the Sudan as far
as possible through the natives. They
respect the native religions and the
native Language. and therefore the In
struction in this part OF tho college
is altogether in Arabic. The students
are taught the Koran and the koranic
law they write all their exercises in
Arabic. take dictation In Arabic and
are we'll founded in the Mohammedan
religion, and especially as it bears
upon the government of the people.
They are fine-looking fellows, dressed
almost uniformly In turbans and
gowns, and they have the aristocratic
bearing which shows them to be the
sons of chiefs.
After Government jobs.
The second department. of the college
lis filed by those who hope to get
minor appointments under the govern
ment or by general education to tit
themselves for business and private
citizenship. III this department. both
English and Arabic are taught. Many
of the boys are young. In one class
room found score of brown and
blnck-faced pupils learning to write
English and none of them was over
twelve years Of age. The most of the
boys wore fez caps and black gowns,
They stood up as | entered IN COM
lpany with the president Of the coll
iege and then rose to their feet again
as we left. In this college surveying
is taught. was shown some excellent
mechanical drawings. and some plans
worked up from field notes. These
were, Of course, in the higher classes.
The education is thorough, and boy
can get training that will fit him
for almost any branch of life or for
| any pro fession which can be carried on.
! in the Sudan.
/ was especially Interested in tho
manual training school, which is we'll
tier shops. ] found q score or SO of
young Arabs making various things Of
wrought iron. They were turning out
fences and ornamental iron gates. In
the carpenter shops they We're making
library cases and other furniture and
learning about house building and fin
fishing. There arc also machine shops
where the students work at lathes; and
altogether the institution has a we'll
teQuipped outfit for manual training
Every workshlp is under the charge of
,fack Nly1, IL,
cal mechanic, and tlle boys are given
such instruction that they can, as
soon as they are are graduated, find
places on the plantations OF the Su-
dan Indeed, the demand for such work
Is far in excess of the supply.
I'lley1 Need school Tcnellcrs.
AS 1t is now, the natives OF the Sn-
danSare illiterate. The mahdi and tho
lkhalifa discouraged learning OF all
kinds, because they knew that the elu-
Gated people would discredt the doc
Strines they taught and upon which
their government was founded. The
khalifa ordered that all books should
be destroyed. He had no schools wpr-
one Sudancse in hundred can read
and write. Tho officials say 1t Is llso-
loss to post up government proclama-
tions unless they station a man hes
side each one to- read IL out to tho
passers- by. At the same time the na-
stiyess respect learning They think that
|sailything written must be 4 true, and
sWlndl ers some Ines go "a bout and e.:-
tort money NY 81 no wing documents
sued by I he government s.S4 u Il
The Bri tisli are "a ding all they can I'll
Nchange these condi tons, Y hey arc
gNb as III 3ss 4 sss