432 THE SUDAN AND EQUATOEIAL PROVINCE. 



5. The Sudan and the Equatorial Province in the Summer 



of 1882. 



THE REVOLT OF THE MA'HDI — A VOYAGE UP THE NILE FROM 

 KHARTUM TO LAD6. 



The condition of affairs in Khartum was so very disagreeable 

 that I was really glad to leave the place [June 15, 1882]. 

 You know, of course, from the newspaper reports — which, by 

 the way, are often rather coloured — that a year ago a certain 

 Mohammed Ahmed, who had been held by the Arabs to be a 

 kind of prophet, on account of his contemplative life, suddenly 

 gave himself out to be the Mahdi — the last prophet — and com- 

 menced his new career by sending letters to the Governor- 

 General, and the governors and chiefs of the tribes, requiring 

 them to recognise his superior (spiritual) authority, to turn 

 from their bad way of life, to cease oppressing the people, and 

 to be ready to obey his orders. A small group of excited 

 Arabs, mostly those of his own tribe, nocked to him. Now, 

 instead of immediately sending an intelligent officer and a 

 detachment of troops with an order to take the prophet a 

 prisoner at once, the Governor-General thought it good to send 

 as Commissioner the noted Abu Saud to investigate matters, 

 and at the same time to send a company of soldiers to bring 

 the prophet to Khartum. Now, whilst Abu Saud, after several 

 theological discussions, returned with his steamer to rest on 

 his laurels, the soldiers attacked the prophet the same night, 

 but were annihilated, and their arms and ammunition fell into 

 the Arabs' hands ; Abu Saud steamed to Khartum and reported 

 his theological results. 



»■ If, even then, energetic action had been taken, the whole of 

 the affair would have been ended in a few days, for such reli- 

 gious assemblies, even on a larger scale, are far from rare in 

 the East. Only call to mind the Babite movement in Persia, 

 the Wahabite war in Nejd, and similar proceedings in Yemen. 

 Unfortunately, the Governor of Fashoda received a command 

 to punish the rebels ; and whilst the Mahdi, with a well-armed 

 and largely recruited following, crossed the Nile, marched to 



