The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-07-07
BRITISH CAPTURE
ANOTHER DOMAIN
ADD 100000 SQUARE MILES IN
AFRICA.
Down Bull of Bulls"-Overthrow
Sultan Ali Dinar in Brief But Bril-
liant Campaign in Darfur.

Khartum, Sudan, June 20 (Corre-
spondence of the Associated Pres y
The brilliant little campaign in OAR
fur which ended with the defeat by
the British troops of Sultan Ali Dinar
on May % will bring under British
domain about 100000 square miles of
territory inhabited by a population
estimated at between 100000 and
100000. Descendants of the Sultan
Mohammed have ruled in the country
for approximately 400 years. Until
1874 Darfur was entirely independent,
but then it was conquered by the no.
torious slave dealer Zobeir Pasha, who
carried on savagely cruel rule of
terror over the natives under the
nominal suzerainty of Egypt for ten
yeas until he was custed by the
mahdi. At that time Slatin Pasha,
the Austrian-Egyptian, was the Off
cial representative of the Egyptian
government.
When the Anglo Egyptian forces
later subdued the Mahd and brought
the Sudan back into Egyptian pos
session Sultan Ali Dinar, who had
been confined for several years in one
of the mahdi's loathsome jails, was
placed on the throne and he governed
his people with all the savagery of an
uncivilized Eastern potentate, at the
same time maintaining friendly rela-
tions with the Anglo-Egyptian au-
thorities at Cairo.
The Bull of Bulls" which is one
of the titles of the sultan of Darfur,
apparently thought the time had
come when the world war broke out
to display his strength, and he gath
cred a considerable army of tribes
men on the frontier of his territory
with the intention, it was understood,
of advancing on Egypt, which he had
heard was weakly defended and at
his mercy.
This essemblage of warriors soon
came to the notice of the Anglo
Egyptian staff, and mobile column
was Immediately organized to meet
any advance. The British officer in
command eventually came to the con-
clGsion, when he discovered how
we'll armed the native forces were,
that it would be advisable to strike
the first blow. The British column
tnereupon took the offensive with
the result that the natives were put
to flight after a severe engagement
in which they lost thousands of killed
and wounded. A fighting aeroplane
took part in the engagement and af:
forwards scattered the fugitives fee
ing with their sultan to the hills.
Considerable discussion lis pro-
ceeding here as to the future govern
ment of Darfur, in which subject the
French also are interested, as the ter,
riIcry adjoins their Su,lanese possess
sions. The prevalent IDEA is that a
British resident will be appointed and
that member of the former ruling
family may be placed on the throne
as nominal ruler.
Most Of the inhabitants of Darfur
are of mixed Arab and negro race,
but there are numerous pure Arabs
and pure negroes and a liberal infu-
sion of tribesmen from other parts
of Africa. Many of the people are
quite peaceful camel and cattle own
ers and there is a considerable COM
mercial intercourse between them and
the Immediately adjacent countries.
The general education of the inhabi-
tantS is on very low level, and con-
sists mainly in a knowledge of the
Koran, which is confined to the males.