The people were in despair, and the distress and anguish
extended to the hmits of Dar Tama. Here a youth resided
who hailed from Omdurman, and probably belonged to one
of the riverian tribes, but had been driven from his own
home, and, under the shade of a wide- spreading Gemmaiza
(wild fig) tree, sat and read the Kuran. In despair the
wretched, oppressed people turned to this youth, whom
they credited with supernatural powers, and dubbed < Abu
Gemmaiza ' ; placing himself at their head, he fell upon a
small party of Dervishes and annihilated them. This success
led to others, and soon a victorious army of Darfurians were
marching against El Fasher ; but an untoward event now
occurred — Abu Gemmaiza was taken suddenly ill, and,
deprived of their chief, the rebels were completely over-
thrown by Osman Wad Adam within a few miles of the
town. This disaster resulted in AbduUahi's rule being
established more firmly than ever in the western provinces
of the Sudan.
Previous, however, to these occurrences, the Khalifa had



S66 FIRE AND SWORD IN THE SUDAN

again directed his attention towards Egypt. He had ques-
tioned several persons regardmg the country, and they had
excited in him an avaricious longing for the grand palaces,
large gardens, and immense harems of white women (he
himself had black in abundance). Of course, the most
suitable man to undertake operations against Egypt was
Nejumi. He was an exceptionally brave man, and,^ when
a simple merchant, had travelled a great deal, knew the
country well, and, moreover, was an ardent devotee to the
cause of Mahdism, to which he had won over great numbers.
