Present State. 187 During these years Kordofan had been, more from necessity than from choice, passively Mahdist, and submitted peacefully to the Dervish yoke.

In 1891 Kordofan and Darfur became again disturbed, 1891 -and various ineffectual risings took place. Sultan Abbas succeeded in turning the Dervishes out of the Jebel Marra district and governed in his brother, Yusefs, stead ; but the Khalifa appears about this time to have considered Darfur as too far off for active interference, and seems to have acquiesced in this state of things.

In April, 1892, some Degheim and Kenana Arabs in 1892. Kordofan became dissatisfied with Abdullah's reign and deserted, but the Khalifa took no notice, finding probably that dealing with the men of a prospective successor, Ali wad Helu, was too delicate a matter in which to take a strong line. A year afterwards a certain western Saint of Sokoto, 1893 Abu Naal, Muzil el Muhan, collected many followers, and for a time was considered as directly threatening the Khalifa's power. His advance, however, was chiefly confined to the despatch of abusive letters, and the movement died out by itself by the end of 1893.

Since that date Kordofan and Darfur have been uneasy under the Khalifa's hand, and Mahmud, the captive of the Atbara, was for several years engaged with much success in suppressing insurrections in Kordofan. At the present moment, however, the only Dervish garrisons in Kordofan are at El Obeid and Bara,* whilst Darfur has, with the exception of a small and hemmed-in garrison at El Fasher, been evacuated by the Mahdists. The people of both these provinces are heartily sick of Dervish misrule, and would welcome with joy a change of masters.

* These are recently reported to have been annihilated by the Kordofanis.