The Washington herald., 1909-03-28
KHARTOUM AND THE SUDAN.
Changes in Condition of Country
within Last Few Years.

Changes in Condition Of Country
within Last Few Years.
From the LoDdon Standard
Ten years ago the Sudan was the prey
Of famine and war To-day II may be
described. IN the words Of a traveller OF
the wide experience Of Douglas Sladen.
as a tropical Utopia Khzrtoum is grow
ing into a noble city. which as you ap-
?. zach & by the Sudan government rail-
way. the desert railway which Kitchener
built, IS seen IN a beautiful setting og
palm trees among which rises the spIen-
did white palace OF the governor gem
eraL Il has public gardens. a church. a
hotel. and on the river a fine steamer IS
al the service Of tourists who wish 20
make excursions. The territory OF which
Il Is the capital is under a system OF gov
erament which has produced wonderful
results The revenue y the Sudan IN
1sse. when the English took It over, was
estimated al eS000. though Il proved 10
be s35oo0. Eight years later II was es-
tinated ar over eS00.000 This year II ex-
ceeds a million. There was in 1857 an m
crease OF more than - per cent over the
preceding year IN the area under caltivs-
ton. although the Nile was one Of the
lowest ever known
Ten years ago the KhaIlfs. the head of
the Mahdist movement, was stiu alive.
for II was not until November a 1Ss9.
that Col now Lieut.. Gen. Sir Francis
Wingate struck the last blow az the
remnant or the Nahdist forces AT Omde-
brekst When the governor general OF
the Sudan took up his high post the
country was in a deploTable condition
Before the rise OF the Mahdi It supported
eight and a half million people or these
three and a half million had died Of fam
ine and disease. and nearly as many
more 81 fighting against the Mahdl, The
British. and one a-other. Fewer than
two millions surviveE this period Of war
and want Nearly every town and VII
lage was IN ruins. Fi0cks and herds had
disappeared Even The precious Gate
trees had been hewn down In large num-
bers oy the Mahdrs followers
With the exception OF that portion q
the route between ShellaI and Wady Hal-
"a the Sudan can now be reached from
Cairo by rail- but the pleasure Traveller.
Of course. goes By the river as far as
Halfa, where he disembarks and con-
pletes the journey 70 KhartUm by the
railway which was constructed as Part
of the campaign against the Nahdi. Be
tween WGdy Halfa and khart0um thera
are FIVE catarscts. and the difficulty OF
carrying a large army over this part OF
the river would have been 50 great that
/ Kitchener determined 70 fling a railway
across the desert This railway extenied
20 Khartoum. which IS the Sudan govern
ment railway OF to-day, Is about so miles
/ IN length and IN 1897 carried 542.l35 pas
sengers-
The journey across the desert IS more
interesting than might be imagined. The
eject q sunset on the vast stretch Of
sand. which ar such a time Is trans
formed into a lake OF gold, is something
which can only be seen in the Sudan
and you may be fortunate enough 10 Wit
ness a mirage rivaling the palm studded
inUndatiOn OF the Nile a. Sakkzra
Twenty-shree miles beyond Berber the
Atbara River IS reached. over which the
railway IS carried by means OF an iron
bridge. The battle was fought az Max
hila- thirty-seFen miles away Between
the Atbara and Shendi are the pyramids
OF Meroe- tombs OF the rulers OF the is
f land Meroe. alluded 70 by StrabO. FIftv
miles beyond Shendi begins the sixth
cataract where the Nile at the entrance
70 the gorge narrOws down 10 & width ~
only 800 yards. From this point the line
runs 10 KhaTtoum North. whence the
traveller is conveyed 20 the town across
the river by a steamer IN about ffteea
minutes.
Khartoum stands al the confluence of
the Blue Nile and the White Nile. on the
tongue Of land between the two rivers
In the palace or the governor general s.
what for Englishmen Is sacred SPOT
the rOmm. which has been built into the
new palace. where Gordon met his death
Among the sights are the cantonments.
where contingents OF twenty Sudanese
tribes are encsmped, SO that the curious
may see them living under their own
cOndiUiOnS-the fierce BaEgara Arabs. ths
Jaaln, the canuibal Nyan-Nvaus. and
others At Omdurman can be seen re-
mains Of the Mahdfs tomb. DESTROYED
after the occupation. the Khaiifa's house.
exactly as he left IL. the great market
aid Gebel Surgham. the Hill on which the
Khalifa sat and watched the battle which
broke up his power.