LETTERS FROM THE SOUDAN.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14889, 31 January 1914, Page 8

LETTERS FROM THE SOUDAN.

AX EXCITING INCIDENT AMONG THE DINKAS. (SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR "THE PRESS.") (By T>. N. McDiabmid, BA) I>uiing the last six weeks my work in connexion with the establishment of a new station for the Australian and Xew Zealand Branch of the Soudan United Mission in the Upper Nile Province has brought mc. much into contact with the Northern section of tho great Dinka tribe. An excellent opportunity has thus been afforded of gaining first-hand knowledge of the characteristics and history of this most interesting people. A few years ago the Dinkas used to be a great fighting people, and when opposed by tribes armed like ourselves, with spears and clubs, they usually gave a good account of themselves. Even at the present day the Dinkas in the more remote Tegions of the Soudan occasionally tire of peace and good government, and try their hands onco more at the old familiar game of war. Quite recently. according to tho "Soudan Times," fighting has been going on betweon the Dinkas of the north-west corner of the Bahr el Ghazal Province, and the Rizikat, a powerful well-armed neighbouring tribe. The report speaks of houses burned, men killed, and boys taken away prisoners; and it is rumoured that further raids are contemplated. But for the most part the" strong hand of British authority has put an end to inter-tribal fighting, and such disturbances are only possible in very remoto parts of the country. One of the greatest difficulties the Soudan Government has to deal with at the present time is the gun-running which takes place across tne Abyssinian border. A continual trade in small arms is taking place with the native tribes, despite all the Government can do to prevent it. In one tribe there are now actually more rifles than thero are men to use them, and it is feared that the tribes on the Abyssinian border will become absolutely lawless and a menace to the more peaceably disposed tribes in the Anglo-Egyptian Soudan. The Governor-General, Sir Reginald Wingato, in his latest roport on the Soudan, says, 'Notwithstanding this 'general satisfactory state of affairs, I feel it my duty to call attention to tho 1 serious menace to the security of tlio Soudan which exists along the eastern frontier in the shape of the arms traffic from Abyssinia into the Soudan. There is little doubt that the number of rifles in possession of the Nuer and Anuak tribes in Soudan territory is on the increase, and, in tho absence of loyal co-operation on the part of the Abyssinian authorities, the position of the Soudan Government is a riiost difficult one." Last year a patrol under Major Leveson was sent out to punish some of these Anuaks, and though the expedition was quite successful, tho total losses on the British side wero threo captains, two other commissioned officers, and 42 non-commissioned oflßr cers and men killed, and 14 wounded. But here in the Upper Nile Province fighting is almost a thing of the past, and it is only very occasionally that armed force is resorted to. It was, however, the lot of Bishop Gywnne of Khartoum, Dr. Trudinger, of Adelaide, 1 who is out here for the Soudan United | Mission, and myself, whilo oh a trek 'to some inland Dinka villages, to_ become involved in a tribal quarrel, wnich looked at one time as if it were going to have a most serious ending. The Bishop and I had left Dr. Trulinger in the village where our tent was pitched, looking after • a number of sick people, while wo went out to shoot something for our dinner, but, as often happens in a. district abounding m game, everything fit for food kept well out or reach of our guns, and we had to return with.an almost empty bag. As we approached the camp we saw signs of unusual excitement in the village, and we were met by ono of our servants running out to us with Bishop Gwynno _ rifle in his hands. As soon as he was able, the man explained that a raid was being made on the village, that cattle wero being driven off a.nd that a big fight was likely to take place. _ . Wo were soon joined by the doctor who, on the completion of his medical work, had' been disturbed by an infuriated Dinka warrior brandishing an ugly spear and looking for tho blood of some of his enemies. Together we then all made our way to the'scene of the trouble, anxious if possible to avert bloodshed. We witnessed a scene of great excitement and wildest possible confusion. All round us crowds >of infuriated naked Dinkas in war formation wore wildly waving thenweapons and urging each other on with war cries and gesticulations. Somo were attempting to drive off the cattle from the village, while others were going through all tho preliminaries to a. grand assault on the place. But the matter got no worse than this. By coaxing and threatening, pushing and pulling, the chiefs wero got to one side, and Bishop Gwynne was able to point out most emphatically i and with significant gestures, that I hanging would certainly bo the price the chiefs would pay if any killing were .done in the village. Thi. salutary advice, and perhaps the look of the guns we still carried, proved effective with the chiefs, who thereupon turned their attention to trying to call off their noisy warriors. By and by the authority of the chiefs gained the day, and the" opposing force sulkily retired, sadly disappointed that there was to be no real fighting. We then returned to our camp! We were confidently assured _y tlie people of the village, who were niuch fewer than the raiders, that had jit not been for our presence in the I village there would certainly have been j many heads broken before morning. I Disturbances such as these are now very rare in this well administered part of the Soudan, hut such as do occur tend to show that the fighting spirit is not yet dead,.and that tho task of Great Britain in establishing permanent peace is not yet ended. At present, as in the past, the cause of most of the Dinka quarrels, has been disputes over cattle and tbe payment of cattle fines for moral misconduct. But if this figb+ing spirit ever becomes fanned into a flamo by that most, potent of all causes of war. relieious fanaticism, we may look for worse trouble than mere tribal or inter-tribal squabbles. At present these Dinka people are practically all. pagans, but Mohammedanism is threatening to overran the whole region: if this happens, there is no telling what religions fanaticism, antiChristian, nnd anti-British, may be aroused. There is in the present _ituaI tion a strong plea for Christian misj sions on Imperial grounds. British supremacy, with its accompaniments, good government, pe?ce and prosperity, can be much more easily established and maintained among a Christianised than among a Moslemised -population. It does not seem probable," or possible, that any rebellion as terrible as that raisnd b-c- th» Mahdi in 1864 can ever again take place in the Sondan: hut it is more than probable that small fanatical outbursts, such as that raised last year by A kasha Ahmed in Kordofan, will continue to take place wherever Mohammedan influence is paramount. Mcln + . A. Soudan, 30th November. 1913.