File:Fire and sword in the Sudan - a personal narrative of fighting and serving the Dervishes, 1879-1895 (1896) (14593731229).jpg

Identifier: fireswordinsuda00slat (find matches)
Title: Fire and sword in the Sudan : a personal narrative of fighting and serving the Dervishes, 1879-1895
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Slatin, Rudolf Carl
Artist: Robert Talbot Kelly
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Arnold
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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e to the Khalifa.In a few minutes, they were admitted, and soon afterwardsa considerable disturbance took place round the Khalifasdoor. Khalifa Ali Wad Helu, Yakub, as well as all theKadis, received a sudden summons to attend at a council.The Khalifas suspicions had been verified, and Kassala,after a short fight, had been captured by the Italians. It was impossible to withhold this news from the public.The ombeija was sounded, the great war-drums werebeaten, the horses were saddled, and the Khalifa, accom-panied by all his mulazemin and an immense number ofhorse and spear men, solemnly rode down to the banks ofthe Nile. Arrived here, he forced his horse into theriver till the water reached its knees; and, drawing out hissword, and pointing towards the east, he shouted out in aloud voice, Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! (God is mostgreat!). Each time the cry was taken up by the immensecrowd; but the majority were inwardly rejoicing at theKhalifas discomfiture They longed for him to receive
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DISSENSION AND DISCORD. 505 fresh humiliation, thinking thereby to lighten the terribleyoke they bore. After this display, the Khalifa turnedhis horse about, came back to the river bank, dismounted,and sat down on his sheepskin. A great crowd now col-lected round him; and he informed them of the fall ofKassala, declaring that his followers had been taken una-wares by enormous numbers of the enemy, just after morn-ing prayers, and had been forced to retire. He stated,however, that all the war material, women, and childrenhad been saved, that the losses had been insignificant,whilst the enemy had suffered so heavily that they nowbitterly regretted having taken the town. Even his mostdevoted adherents well knew that these words were a merepretext for covering a disgraceful defeat. Almost imme-diately after the three Emirs had arrived in Omdurman, itwas known far and wide that the garrison had been sur-prised, that partly from fear, and partly owing to theunpopularity of Mussaid, they had

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