170 Rise of the Mahdi.

On the departure of Gordon, however, and in the absence of a strong central government, the slave dealers again showed themselves in other parts, and before long, slave caravans were once more on their road to Lower Egypt and the ports of the Red Sea.

Early in 1880 the railway scheme again seems to have occupied the attention of the Khedive, who then visited the Sudan, and expressed himself strongly in favour of a line from Berber to Saakin.

In September, 1880, Gessi, finding his position intolerable under Raouf Pasha, Governor-General of the Sudan, resigned his post, and, after having suffered great hardships on the way, on account of the steamers being stopped by the sudd, he at last reached Khartum ; meeting with a cold reception there, he managed to get to Snez, where he soon after died, 30th April, 1881, from the effects of the suffering he had endured. Lupton Bey, an Englishman,* succeeded him in the governorship of Bahr el Ghazal.

In April, 1882, the Sudan was reorganised on paper, and was to be again under one Governor- General with four subordinate governors for the West Sudan, Central Sudan, East Sudan, and province of Harrar. Schools and seats of justice were to be established, and special arrangements to be made for the suppression of the slave trade.

Insurrection of the False Prophet, 1881.

The Mahdi. The next great cause of disturbance in the Sudan was the appearance of the False Prophet.

For many years the creed of Mohammed has been making immense strides in Central Africa, where it seems to have a peculiar fascination for the native races ; and high authorities estimate the number of converts to this religion at from eight to twelve millions. The idea of the regeneration of Islam by force of arms has gained a strong hold over the enthusiasm of these new converts, and on the appearance of the False Prophet in August, 1881, thousands flocked to his standard.

The person in question was a Sheikh named Mohammed Captain of a Red Sea merchant steamer.