The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-20


me He pointed 10 the scene
in the valley before US
At the foot Of the hill ran the White
Nile; between its paIm-tree fringes on
every side stretched out the fertile sun
swept garden spot OF the Sudan.
Just beyond, at the west bank Of the
river, was what looked al first sight
Ike an enormous rectangular ant hill
It was a city laid out in regular streets
Of one-story mud huts, with one or two
spindling mosques and an occasional
lofty building OF saTish new stone In
closing il all was a high wall, broken
at regular intervals by tower This
was Omdurman, home and military
headquarters Of AbdalIah the Heaven
born, commander Of the faithful The
sQUaIid streets SWaTmed with people,
and huge camps were pitched outside
the walls
But IL was less upon this new mud
CITY that my gaze dWelt than upon
rambling pile OF ruins running down 10
the river grasses on the opposite side OF
the Nile. For this ruined city was All
that remained Of khartum, once capt
tai OF the Sudan and scene Of Chinese
Gcrdon's splendid defense since Jne
DAYS whereof 1 write KhartuEn has been
rebuilt AT that time It was wrecked
and deSOlate-
neared OmdUrman, a motley horde ran
forth 10 meet US Sudanese soldiers,
tall cCaI-black NUbians- rlu-ran OF
all Asia Minor, beggars who were
miracles of filth, "a IS, ard defOTmlty-
sCareG-IOOkinE tO|nsfOlk- Wild-eyed
-'hoIv men" who cursed deliTlouSly at
sight OF the white faces among Us
and = score Of other such type as the
heaven-bOr and the Jenad Iao
caused 10 gather at the stronghold OF
Islam The mob formed Eer1tabie
kaleidoscope Of brilliant gaudy color
A line Of foot soldiers cleared lane
through the rabbIe with the flats OF
their swords and long whips striking
men. women and cnlidTen VITA
charming and vigorous Impair tia4lty-
Down this lane rode procession OF
eorgeCusIy appareled emirs and other
diznitarfeS Of the khalifah's personal
court TO greet the mighty BaSracul
and his desert warriors
Here We heard later news OF the war
as ground was appOruOnec OUTSIDE
the gates for our encampEnenL me
British. with their Egyptian and rene
Eade SuCaneSe allies. were nOF4ns
steadily upon Omdurman- At AJDaras
in April. they had won victory over
the advance guard OF derVlsnes
there they had paused for months.
only recently continuing their inva-
Now the Heaven-born was resolved
TO mass his troops in full force q few
miles north of the capital and launch
his entire power on the Blush Wlp-
ing them out Of existence once ana
for all Within the week the general
march was to begin
BY the tenth sun prOpheSied our N
foruaut Loudly. the FeTinEee viii be
bIotted forever from the land
And delighted shrleks of Amen
and Allah burst from the thTongS
camp was pitched and Basraoul,
RafiZ, myself, and a handful Of the
elders rode on escorted into the capital
! shall not try to describe Ouadurrnan
First, because one cannot describe doors
IN writing and If ever OdOrs were in
desCTibabie. those Of Ou1duTuan were
There were perhaps naf million in
habitanIs- and a SOTTieT. more deDTaved
looking lot Il has never been my fortune
70 see
The place bUzzed ike a monster hive
Besides the regular inhabitants. the SOL
dieTE and scum o. the Sudan filed the
UnDaVed streets The racket made Bed
lam seem quiet IS a summer. sea This
was the HEADQUARTERS Of the faith.
On every side BasraOul was greeted
with cheers and yellS OF applause as We
made our way TO the city's center,
Whcre, q open spaCe- stood the new
palace Of the khalifah Quilt Of bricks
and stones ferTied across the river from
the ruins Of KhartuT)-
In the dirty vide entrance hail the
rest Of OUT party waited while BaSraouI
khaifah-
There We STAYED for some minutes. 7
terest the thronC about ne. OF dis
cipline-s11ch as We Americans know #
there was no veStice This vast djsor-
gained mass was held together by one
bond. and one alOne-reIigious fanat-
ictsn.
IN the NAME OF their faith they had
doing all IN their mower to ruin that
fair land and to reduce its Inhabitants
TO mere animals So successful had
thev been that the former Y,Op1lIa+ior Of
T~-rr7 = Id -
" one-haIf- Trade was dead. so was
agriculture On the land lay the aborlf-
nation % desoTation-
As 7 watched an over-in1portant uer-
chant cIamOred at the gateway for a6-
mission 70 the palace. 4 guard thrust
him back The luckleSS man returned
70 the quest and the EUaTd Co0llv drove
4 spear through his body. The hrTFtn'S
comrades lsughez as Z woman rushed
from the crowd and threw herself
Srrea min and weeUing. upon the diving
cTlrglT'E reverence as ha7F--a ESed holy
man with matted heard and long. claw
Ike na1' = lt-1Ded U1oD0oSed- past the
S'1a rds and into the build'us-
How lou- 7 stood there 7 90 not know
but by and bv q ka--aSS hustled out in
TO the passage and made his way TO
ne
''TFA Sheik Nassau he asked. viii,
~ odd mixture OF se1f-funportance and
6efereDre-
9odde5-
''Mav the smile Of Allah brighten
VOW roadt" he declared.
And NAV vours be the light Of that
smile. Q brother 7 retorted. native
wise FOR the fellow seemed to be of
cO7~0uue0ce
-''The IHe7ven-horn.' ha went on. has
deicnad 10 send for YOU The Eroir
fSasraou l-mav his DAYS be a. the
sands OF f7e RiShareen-has told him
Of rhe n1irscles v-herevvffl7 Allah hsS
StTeWn YOUR pGfh- Ard he would
sneaE with YOU Veil YOUR eyes lest
bic giorv ST7fte Won Sight1eSs
Honor is iDdePd uDon ne and hlfss
mast nv merit responded y,ers,a-
tcalIv. as : followed in the kavass'
wake toward the audience chamber.