The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-08-20
LOVE AFFAIRS
CAUSE SLAUGHTER
Wild Shullas of Soudan Kill Rivals,
Just az Civilized" Men Do, Says
Returned Missionary.

same the world over. ln PARKWAY
Egypt the native men, wild and un-
civilized as they are, are Jealous
minded when IL comes to love af-
fair and they kill their rivals with
about as much regularity and dispatch
as Is displayed IN this and other civ
ilized countries under similar circum-
stances.
This condition was vouched for by
DR.. II. T. Mclaughlin, OF Topeka,
Kan, who, with his wife, has just re-
turned from Egypt, where he worked
as q medical missionary, and Is now
visiting In the home OF his brother,
J. II. Mclaughlin. No. 1875 Grummond-
ave.
DR.. Mclaughlin and his wife wen;
to the Egyptian missionary fields
about IL years ago, as representatives
OF the United Presbyterian church. In
Egypt they Joined DR.. Giffin and his
wife, American missionaries, who
have been laboring in the foreign
field for some years. The party OF
four, the two doctors and their wives,
after getting q stock Of provisions
and building materials together, start
ed on trip to the district Of the
Shulla tribe, a distance OF 1000 miles
beyond Alexandria. Finally reaching
their destination after many trials
and fluctuations, they built little
mud house on the shores Of the Sobat
river, about ak miles from the point
where the Sobat empties into the
White Nile. They were not given a
very cheerful welcome by the Shullas.
for the reason that they were looked
on with suspicion. The Shullas. In
years gone by, had received similar
visits from the Turks and were sorry
for II, for the Turks killed many men
of the tribe and carried away the
widows and children.
just One Convert.
when we explained to a man, who
seemed to be the representative Of
the tribe, just what we had como
for" said DR.. Mclaughlin to The
Times, he said they would wait and
see whether we were just az repre-
scented. He they told us Of the way
they we're treated by the Turks. Nat
urally they were suspicious OF us In
view of what they had suffered. How
ever, we don't feel that we have lab
ored among them in vain. for, though
We have had only one Shulla convert
In the 10 years we were there, the
young men, who went about naked
when we arrived. are now wearing
some clothing. Moreover, the Shullas
are beginning to learn the value OF
money and are gradually picking up
other ideas OF civilization. In mission
airy work, We believe that civilization
shall come first, education second and
Christianity third.
1.-The Shullas are located In what Is
now known as the Egyptian Soudan,
GOO miles above Egypt proper. This
territory. though possessed by the
British, Is really governed by king
of the Shullas. He has power to ex-
ercise the old Shulla laws and he
seems to be able to control the tribe
pretty we'll. Yet there are crimes
among the Shullas, just as there are
In this country. For instance, trouble
frequently arises at the Shulla dances
over one man paying too much atten-
ton to another's girl. While l was
there one sutton killed another as a
result Of a quarrel over a girl at a
dance. The father OF the man killed
demanded of the murderer SO many
Cdttit lOt ulb bOii NV WhiSh 10 shO
customary way of atoning for q crime.
The murderer refused to turn over
the cattle, with the result that ter
rible battle followed among the
friends of the two sides. Forty per-
sons were killed and many injured.
I was near at hand at the time and at
tended some of the injured.
Cattle Given for Wives.
Speaking of the matrimonial Gus
toms of the Shullas. Dr. Mclaughlin
said that the girls were courted In the
6oudan much the same as here, but
that no man got his bride without
paying for her, He Is obliged to pay
the father of the girl from two to
eight cattle, the number being in &C.
cordance with the quality Of the bride,
the doctor said.
Many marriages take place. said
the doctor, "in spite OF the fact that
1t Is pretty hard for some OF the
young men to produce the necessary
cattle. Polygamy Is practiced by the
Shullas, a man being entitled to as
many wives as he can pay for. The
king Of the tribe has 40 wives. The
British tolerate these conditions In
order to keep peace among the tribe"
DR.. Mclaughlin says the Shullas
regarded him and his wife as pro-
phets or persons with superhuman
powers after they had been there a
while. and In one instance the doc
tor relates that his wife made good"
with the natives. One OF the men
complained to the doctor that the
crops were being destroyed for want
OF rain.
"You must bring us rain,' the ma
tive said TO the doctor
The doctor started to explain that
he was unable to bring a shower. but
Mrs. Mclaughlin was more daring.
She took a look at the sky and then
reported to the native that there
would be rain the following day. And
rain 1t did, as Mrs. Mclaughlin pre-
dicted. Needless TO say, she was
"solid" with the natives after that.
The .shullas Awe almost entirely on
durrah. which has the consistency or
mush when prepared for eating. They
also eat some fish. The diet Is not
very nourishing and for that reason
the Shullas are all thin and scrawny.
futr tot q