THE MAHDI.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 62, 12 February 1884, Page 2

THE MAHDI.

The Yierina correspqndenl. of The Times," Vritingj on "the €jth jijeoembeiy stated :—"The' clerical newspaper Vaterland has published a detailed account of the religious and political revo lution in the Soudan, by a Catholic miusionary, Father John Dichci, who. was a witness of the events in that district until April last. According to his description, the Mahdi, Mahoirted Alined by name, comes from Dongola, H.e is abqut 4Q , T eaT ß -pH ,tal]i A n # powerfully built; liis. skin being of a reddish-black hue.. He, and his two brothers were for a long time employed near Khartoum as ship carpenters, in the building -of .Nile fibats. But hje felt another and went to a , SheikJ} on th« island of Tuti, neaj Khartoum, a little to the .north of the confluence of the White and Blue Niles, to him. Some years afterwards Jie. ifcook an, inferior degree, and began the life-of a dervish of th,e order, Hβ. yetined to >£he inland of Kana, on the White Nile, and there took up his abode in a dried-up oistern. He never left this habitation for six years, except on Fridays, to goto the mosque, and then retired again to bis den. Iv this way he obtained an odour of sanctity over the whole country. Everywhere reporta -were circulated of his contemplative life and his fasting, of his weeping as he read the Koran, and of his kindness to all who approacjt£d'c&ii»i A Kflow man,, an<J to *usk his advice in religious natters. Large crowds of pilgrims came to see, him, who) on their return, spread his fame, When he wag widety as a saint, and was sure of hia influence, he announced his mission to a assembly of Mahonedares*! s < Twice alreaidy,' he said, 'ilihavebeenicaUed. upon by the Archangel Gahrielr:tO.draw. the sword of Faith from the sheath, in order to reform the bad Moslem, and found a Mahomedan worltl-empire, vvhjch will seoure the general..-.peace of the world.' He added that his mission came from the Prophet,(*who had not been able to fulfil it. " Follow inje,: therefore, , he ciied, ; * fot 1 am the Mahdi, and I will lead you into tho kingdom which Allah has prepared fqr the Faithful. , ! He .referred* tf gouy&e, to (■hfi tradition that iinetber and last Prophet is to come, with the name of the is, 'Given by,AHah.^