THE SOUDAN. 27

“ Though the middle and doubtful aged ladies wear a plaited fringe of hair, something after the fashion of a Highlander’s kilt, but—‘ rather shorter.’

“ A race of negroes, very thick-lipped, are scattered thickly among the natives, and I fancy these are slaves—in fact, I saw one poor devil with a heavy ankle lock on the other day.

“ All traffic is conducted by convoys or caravans of camels and donkeys, and there seems to be a very fair share of trade going on.”

The population of the Soudan, north of 11 N. lat., consists chiefly of Mahommedan Arabs, whilst south of that line, negro tribes, mostly pagans, are scattered more or less densely. For centuries past the former have found among the latter supplies for the slave markets of Cairo, Damascus and Con¬ stantinople. Egyptian rule was first extended to these districts by Mehemet Ali, under whom Ibrahim Pasha carried it as far south as Kordofan and Sen- naar. The Arabs sullenly acquiesced in this invasion so long as their slave trade was not interfered with. When, however, Ismail Pasha, under Euro¬ pean pressure, was induced to issue his proclamation against slavery, he alleged the necessity of extending Egyptian rule to the parts whence the traders drew their supplies. Sir Samuel Baker’s expedition in 1870 thus led to the conquest of the equatorial provinces, of which, in 1874, Colonel (“ Chinese ”) Gordon was appointed Governor-General. In the following year Darfour was added to the Egyptian possessions. Two years later Ismail Pasha brought all his Central African provinces under one Government, and this he entrusted to Colonel Gordon. The influence of the just rule of such a Governor-General can be imagined. By treating his subjects on prin¬

ciples of absolute justice, by listening attentively to all their little grievances, by mercilessly repressing all those who defied the law, “Chinese” Gordon accustomed the Soudanese to a much higher standard of Government than they had ever yet seen. But alas ! on the fall of Ismail, economy necessitated the recall of their exemplary ruler, and he gone, a whole horde of Turks, Circas¬ sians, Bashi-Bazouks were once more let loose to harass and oppress the un¬ fortunate Soudanese.

How arose a deliverer, by name Mahomet Achmet, self-called El Mahdi,

Carlyle believes the great man is heaven-sent. To say that the time calls forth the man he declares is “melancholy work.” “The great man,” he says,

“ with his free force direct out of God’s own hand, is the lightning. His word

is the wise healing word which all can believe in. All blazes round him now, when he has once struck on it, into fire like his own. The dry mouldering sticks are thought to have called him forth. They did want him greatly ; but

as to calling him forth—!—Those are critics of small vision, I think who cry :

‘ See, is it not the sticks that made the fire?’ ”