The Egyptians Seldom Had Less Than Twenty Thousand Troops In The
Soudan Provinces; The Principal Stations Were Khartoum, Cassala,
And Dongola.
Cassala was close to the Abyssinian frontier, and
within from fifteen to twenty days' march of Souakim, on the Red
Sea, to which reinforcements could be despatched in five days
from Cairo.
Khartoum had the advantage of the Blue Nile, that was
navigable for steamers and sailing vessels as far south as
Fazogle, from which spot, as well as from Gallabat, Abyssinia
could be invaded; while swarms of Arabs, including the celebrated
Hamrans, the Beni Amer, Hallongas, Hadendowas, Shookeriahs, and
Dabainas, could be slipped like greyhounds across the frontier.
Abyssinia is entirely at the mercy of Egypt.
Moosa Pasha subsequently started with several thousand men to
drive the Abyssinians from Gallabat, which position they had
occupied in force with the avowed intention of marching upon
Khartoum; but upon the approach of the Egyptians they fell back
rapidly across the mountains, without a sign of showing fight.
The Egyptians would not follow them, as they feared the
intervention of the European powers.
Upon our first arrival in Khartoum, from 11th June until early in
October, the heat was very oppressive, the thermometer seldom
below 95 degrees Fahr. in the shade, and frequently 100 degrees,
while the nights were 82 degrees Fahr. In the winter, the
temperature was agreeable, the shade 80 degrees, the night 62
degrees Fahr. But the chilliness of the north wind was
exceedingly dangerous, as the sudden gusts checked the
perspiration, and produced various maladies, more especially
fever. I had been extremely fortunate, as, although exposed to
hard work for more than a year in the burning sun, I had
remarkably good health, as had my wife likewise, with the
exception of one severe attack while at Sofi. Throughout the
countries we had visited, the temperature was high, averaging
about 90 degrees in the shade from May until the end of
September; but the nights were generally about 70 degrees, with
the exception of the winter months, from November until February,
when the thermometer generally fell to 85 degrees Fahr. in the
day, and sometimes as low as 58 degrees at between 2 and 5 A.M.
I shall not repeat a minute description of Khartoum that has
already been given in the "Albert N'yanza;" it is a wretchedly
unhealthy town, containing about thirty thousand inhabitants,
exclusive of troops. In spite of its unhealthiness and low
situation, on a level with the river at the junction of the Blue
and White Niles, it is the general emporium for the trade of the
Soudan, from which the productions of the country are transported
to Lower Egypt, i.e. ivory, hides, senna, gum arabic, and
bees'-wax. During my experience of Khartoum it was the hotbed of
the slave-trade. It will be remarked that the exports from the
Soudan are all natural productions. There is nothing to exhibit
the industry or capacity of the natives; the ivory is the produce
of violence and robbery; the hides are the simple sun-dried skins
of oxen; the senna grows wild upon the desert; the gum arabic
exudes spontaneously from the bushes of the jungle; and the
bees'-wax is the produce of the only industrious creatures in
that detestable country.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 283 of 290
Words from 147529 to 148078
of 151461
