EL MAHDI.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 85, 18 April 1885, Page 5

EL MAHDI.

His Appearance'as Described b^ a Tan-

glers Newspaper.

MohamMEd Ahmkd, tho religious head of

tho Soudanese insurrection, is c. man about -10 years of ago. Ho is a native of Dongola, ono of tho oldest town., of Abyssinia. This town, situated on tho Kilo, had its days of .splendour and power in the middloages, but now it ha., ohly 'MO or -100 inhabitants Mohammed Ahmed was born of poor parents, I His father was named Abdellahl, and his mother Amin.i. One of tho few Europeans i who know him personally -M. Ponoy, o_ I Khartoum — gives us the following _9f9tyn| [ of th_ '„-!*_ j When 7 years of ago Mohammed Ahmed | commenced tojattond tho Mussulman school, and when 12 years old ho had completed the ( ."huly of tho Koran. For the means of pursuing his religious education ho was indebted to his brothers, who were established as carpenters and borttbuiklors. They enabled hiirl td piiraiio his studio:' in tho neighbourhood of Khartoum under tho instruction Sf H'-ich-bio !i:as,toi-# sis Elllomauhpm and Ai'dul Ayliii, soli of tho famous ehoik 131 Tnyob. When his cililcution was completed he removed to the island of Dabo, on the White Nilo, Ho li.-id lived there liftcct) yoars, venerated by tho Baggarah, whon he announced himself ,-is tho Madhi, or Uivino Mossongor, destined to regenerate Islam, This enterprise has up to the present tully succeeded. Has not tho East always proved a propitious sphere for till religious innovators . Tho new Prophot enlisted in his train tho majority of the population nf tho Kgyptian Spildatij tad in tki'oo years of warfflW ho succeeded in expelling tho Turks, who had occupied the country for sixty years. Tho insurrection burst forth with fury in ISSO. Tho Governor of tho Soudan sont two suocossivo expeditions in 1881 against tho Madhi. Both met tho same fate -. the Kgyptian soldiers wero annihilated by th * " :. isans of tho Prophet In ISS2 a third i volition followed, but tho insurrection hud ;__ .ten in strength and Importance, and 700 1-'•:«_> ptians were encountered by r>o,ooo Ara'- '■•'■(.. i:cgr-.;cs, Commanded by Moh-'c-incri's two brothers. Thoy wero necessarily annihilated. Tho whole uf Sonuaar then uprose. The Madhi marched on El Obeid, and, after a vigourous siege and a bloody light, captured that city. The succeeding ovents arc in the memory of all—Hick's expedition and his defeat at Kasgcll i thet o f Baker I'aslia at El Tcb • tho departure of Gordon for Khartoum, his blockade and vigourous resistance But it is chiefly to the personality of the Madhi that this articlo is dedicated, and we conclude it by reproducing his portrait as drawn by M. Ponoy. Ahmed Mohammed is a man of middli stature. His complexion is copper-coloured. his board vory black, and on each cheek h' wears threo parallel scars. Ho is extreme!} sparo, the prohablo result of the rigouroui fasts to which he condomns himsolf. Pro vious to his ontcring upon activo lifo hi used to dwell in a subterranean cell or cave whore, according to his follower-, ho wai continually woeping over th. Volvo'.-"! car ruption of h's rii.o. Tho Madhi nlwayi wi'ais as his invariblo costumo a shirt am drawers of dainoni, a conrso material o native manufacture. His feet arc clothci with sandals, and a small turban surmount, his head. Such is the man who now leads tho Egyp tian rebellion. Like all Eastern agitators ho burst forth suddenly from the groatcs obscurity to assumo tho united roles.of.ro termor and conqueror. Yostbrday but ; poor man, to-dry w'.sa'd him at the head o en Innumerable army. What is the secrc of thia rapid change of fortune . It is fount in the fact that tho Madhi has appoalod t< that sentiment which, as history testifies, ii every ago and in ovory clime, has been th parent ot the bitterest rancor, led to th most savage wars, and deluged the earti with blood—religious fanaticism.—"L Kovcil de Maroc."