FASHODA.

Evening Star, Issue 10783, 18 November 1898, Page 4

FASHODA.

Fashoda, formerly called Denab, was passed by Hir Bimuel linker in the course of his first expedition up the White Nile in 1861, bat he does not mention it by name in 1 Tne Albert Nyarza. 5 The country of the HhiHooks was then, and indeed for some time afterwards, a hotbed of slavery, and Baker made strong representations on the state of this region in his general report on slave-dealing in the Soudan. On his return, in ISOd, he found that the Khedive Ismail had taken action in the matter, and that a Government station had now been estab-li-.hcd o,t Fashoda, the town being fortified by a wall with fiinkisg towers completely dominating the river and garrisoned by an Egyptian regiment. In January, ISG9, Faphoda was visited by Dr Schweinfurth, who speaks of it in ‘The Heart of Africa ’ as the limit in those days of the “Egyptian Empire.-!’ 'ihe town was the seat of a mudir, and the tubjagation of the Shillooks was then in active progress. All passing boats were at thet time compelled to stop for several days at Fashada, partly to complete their corn stores, and partly on account of the poll-tax, which necessitated examination of the lists carried by boats of their crews and passengers. In 1870 Baker subdued the Dinka tribes inhabiting the villages beyond the eastern bank of the Nile at this point, and a little later the country of the Shillooks was regarded as finally incorporated in the Egyptian dominion?. In 1873 Yussuf Effendi, afterwards Pasha, was made Governor of Fashoda, and in October of,the following year distinguished himself by intercepting a convoy of 1,600 slaves from the Bahr Zeraf. In 1876 the Shillock tribes revolted, but the disturbance was quelled by Gessi, who happened to be making a tour cf inspection of the Bahr-el-Ghazel, of which he subsequently became Governor. In January, 1880, Fashoda was visited by Dr Wilhelm Junker, in company with Gessi Pasha. At that time the place was maintained chiefly as a penSl settlement. Dr Junker makes special allusion to the subjection of the Shillook country to Egyptian authority, and mentions that long journeys into the interior cound be undertaken with an escort of a few Egyptian soldiers only. In May, 1882, the Mahdist rising having gained Yussuf Pasha, Governor of Fashoda, was ordered to advance against theMahli. This ho did, but on June 7 he was suddenly attacked by the rebels and utterly eleated near Jebel Gadir. An indica ion of the importance attached by the Egyptian Government to Fashoda is afforded by the fact that within a few days very considerable reinforcements weie hurried up from Khartoum and placed uader the command of Rashid Pasha, afterwards Governor of the Red Sea provinces. On the 23rd of November, 1883, Sir Evelyn Baring telegraphed to Lord Granville that certain measures of withfbawal were suggested. “Boats will alts be sent to Fashoda on the White Nile to bring down the garrison to Khartoum.” But months elapsed before the final evacuation of Fashoda took place, and by that time Kharloum itself was seriously meeaeecf.