MAHDI, THE FALSE PROPHET.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3914, 5 February 1884, Page 4

MAHDI, THE FALSE PROPHET.

The Vienna correspondent of tho Times, writing on December 0, stated: —"The clerical newspaper Vatorland has published a detailed account of the religious and political revolution in tho Soudan, by ii Catholic missionary, Father Johann Dichtl, who was a witness of events in that district until April last. According to his description, tho Mahdi, Mahomed Ahmed by name, comes from Ho is about 40 years old, tall, and powerfully built; his skin being of a reddish-black hue. Ho and his two brothers were for a long timo employed npar Khartoum as ship carpenters, in tho building of Nile boats. But he folt another vocation, and went to a Sheikh on the island of Tuti, near Khartoum, a littlo to tho nort'i of the confluence of tho White and Blue Nilea, to study with him. Some years after he took au inferior degree, arid began the lifo of a dervish of the strictest order. He retired to the island of Kami, on the Wliite Nile, and there took up his abodo in a dried-up cistern. He never left this habitation for six years, except on Fridays to go to the mosquo, and then retired again to bis den. In this wuy he obtained an odour of sanctity over the whole country. Everywhere reports are circulated of his contemplative life and his fasting, of his weeping as he read iho Koran, and of his kindness to ad whonpproHchedhim. A practice' aroso to know this wonderful man, and to ask his advice in religious mutters. Large ciowds of pilgrims carno to see him, who, on their return, spread his fiiino. When ho was widely known as a saint and was sure of his influence, he announced his mission to a largo assembly of Mahomeduns. "Twice already." he said, "1 have been called upon by tbe Archangel Gabriel to draw the swoid of Faith i'ioiu the sheath, in order to reform the bad Moslem, und to form a Mahomcdan world-empire, which will secure tho general peace of the world." He added that his mission camo from tho Prophet, who had not been able to fulfil it. "Follow mo therefore," he cried, "for I am the Mahdi, and I will lead you into tho kingdom which Allah has prepared for the Faithful." Ho referred of course, to tho Mahomcdan trudition that another and last Prophet ia to come, with tho name of Mahdi —thr.t iH, " Given by Allah."