154 The British Campaign in the Soudan.

not believe in me does not believe in Him or His prophets. Whoever fights against me will be destroyed in this world and the next, and his goods and his children will be a prey to the believers !”

After this preamble, he summoned all governors and peoples to submit to his authority and join his standard for the destruction of all Christians, foreigners, and Turks, and the conquest of the entire country. He further proclaimed the abolition of all debts and taxes, and promised that all who fell in battle in his cause would enter at once upon the enjoyment of the delights of the Mussulman paradise.

At first, Raouf-Pasha tried persuasion and sent the exrebel Abou-Saoud to the island of Aba. The Mahdi, as he was now called, received him surrounded by several hundred men in coats of mail and drawn swords. When Abou-Saoud represented to him the madness of rising against the government which possessed soldiers, breechloaders, cannon and steamers, the Mahdi replied: “ If the soldiers shoot at me and my people, their bullets will do us no harm ; and if they attack us with steamers, both steamers and cannon will sink together.”

Negotiations failing to produce submission, Raouf reluctantly had recourse to force, but he made the mistake of underestimating the importance of the incipient rebellion. On the tenth of August, 1881, he sent three hun-- dred regulars and one cannon on two steamers under Abou-Saoud. This foree would have been more than sufficient if the soldiers had not been inclined to believe in the Mahdi’s divine mission. When they landed and met the Mahdi, they refused to fire at the “holy man” ; —nevertheless the holy man and his people killed one