The Entire Country Is
Subject To Droughts That Occasion A Total Desolation, And The Want Of
Pasture Entails Starvation Upon Both Cattle And Camels, Rendering It At
Certain Seasons Impossible To Transport The Productions Of The Country,
And Thus Stagnating All Enterprise.
Upon existing conditions the Soudan
is worthless, having neither natural capabilities nor political
importance; but there is, nevertheless, a reason that first prompted its
occupation by the Egyptians, and that is, THE SOUDAN SUPPLIES SLAVES.
Without the White Nile trade Khartoum* would almost cease to exist; (*
This was written about twenty years ago, and does not apply to the
Khartoum of to-day. In 1869 The Khedive of Egypt despatched an
expedition under Sir Samuel Baker to suppress slavery in the Soudan and
Central Africa. To the success of that expedition, and to the efforts of
Colonel (now General) Gordon, who succeeded to the command of the
Soudan, was owing the suppression of the traffic in slaves. Within the
last few weeks, under the stress of circumstances, General Gordon has
been forced to promise the removal of this prohibition of slavery. - E.
J. W.) and that trade is kidnapping and murder. The character of the
Khartoumers needs no further comment. The amount of ivory brought down
from the White Nile is a mere bagatelle as an export, the annual value
being about 40,000 pounds.
The people for the most part enraged in the nefarious traffic of the
White Nile are Syrians, Copts, Turks, Circassians, and some few
EUROPEANS.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 169 of 337
Words from 45031 to 45281
of 90207
