adopted throughout the Sudan.

The Khalifa also abolished the name Fiki, which is given to religious
teachers. There is a Sudan proverb which runs, "El Fiki yefik ed Din"
(_i.e._ "The Fiki analyses religion"), and the Khalifa knew well how
these fikis imposed on the minds of the people, how they wrote amulets
for preservation against the evil-eye, witchcraft, diseases, and
ill-luck; how they pretended to be able to give women the means of
taking revenge on their husbands whose love had grown cold, and help
those who desired to secure the sole affection of their husbands.
Abdullah well knew how credulous were the Sudanese in such matters;
already the Mahdi had given the strictest injunctions that the practice
of writing amulets was to be discontinued, and now the Khalifa was even
more severe; he decreed that any fiki found writing an amulet should
lose his right hand, but in spite of these stringent measures it is
almost impossible to eradicate the people's belief in these
superstitions; the Khalifa himself has openly declared that he has not
the smallest belief in witchcraft, amulets, &c., and that God, who is
alone the Judge of right and wrong, has alone the power to reward or
punish. However, he is a believer in the power of the evil-eye, and will
never permit a one-eyed man in his presence, as it is said the one eye
that is good can do great damage.

The Khalifa, like the Mahdi, is bent on the destruction of the old
towns, so as to further wrap in oblivion the former Government rule.
Thus old Berber has been long since deserted, and a new Berber has been
built just to the north of the old town. Of course Omdurman--the Dervish
Khartum--is by far the most important of all the towns; and being the
place of the death and burial of the Mahdi, it is quite right that it
should be the capital of the kingdom which he founded. Just as Medina is
one of the most holy places of Islam, so is it considered advisable to
raise Omdurman to a similar position.

By far the most important and conspicuous structure in Omdurman is the
Mahdi's tomb; and in spite of the Khalifa's divergence from his Master's
views, still he considers it politic to show that he is grateful to his
benefactor. His desire was to build a tomb which should excel everything
between Omdurman and Alexandria. It is said that the dome can be seen
three days' journey from Omdurman, but on this point I am not prepared
to give an opinion, as I never went beyond Khartum.