Three Months in the Soudan

Chapter I. Voyage Out

My Step-daughter and myself start from England — Passengers on Board — Algiers — Ritualistic and Low Church Controversy — Malta — Its Churches — Governor's Palace — Divers — News of Disaster — Port Said — News from my Husband — Taken off by the Gendarmes — Cafe" Chantant — Post-boat in Canal — Ismailia — Anecdote of Late Khedive's A.-D.-C. — Marks of British Occupation — Lines of Tel-el- Kebir — The Egyptians ploughing — Drawing Water — Zagazig — Its Manufactures and Station — First View of Cairo — Meet my Husband ...' ... ... 1

Chapter II. Cairo

Egyptian Watchmen — Our House — Shoobra Eoad — Catholic Convent — Celebrated Gardens of Cicolani — Fashionable Drive — The Khedive — Sir Evelyn Baring — A Visit to General Baker — Shepheard's Hotel — General Baker's Diabeah — Party to the Pyramids — The Howling Dervishes — Superstitions of the Egyptians — Coptic Church — Eg3*ptian Flies — Citadel — Donkey-boys — View of Cairo and the Surrounding Country from the Citadel — Houses of Egyptian Fellahs — Boulak Museum — Discovery of Pharaoh ofthe Bible — Cairo Dogs — Turkish Gendarmerie refuse to go to the Soudan — Parade before the Khedive — Extraordinary Scenes at the Station on Departure of Troops — Our Servants — My Husband has an Audience with the Khedive — Visit to the Vice-Queen— The Esbekiah Restaurant — Train goes off without us — The Wooden Army — Mr. Clifford Lloyd's Idea of the Hopelessness of Anybody coming back safe — Our Departure — The Bitter Lakes — The Egyptian Postal Steamer Zagazig ... ... CONTENTS. VI PAGE 43 60 69

Chapter III. The Mahdi And General Hicks Pasha

The Mahdi's Early Training— His Piety— He claims Power as a Great Sheikh— State of the Soudan— His First Victories— Hicks Pasha —His Difficulties— Intended Soudan Committee— Expedition to Gebelain— Steamers laid up for Want of Fuel— Egyptian Troops object to Outposts— Extract from Hicks's Despatch about his Skirmish at Marabia— Colonel Farquhar's Correspondence- Report respecting Yusef Pasha's March from Fashoda — Destruction of his Force for Want of Guards— Mr. O'Donovan— Mr. Power— Difficulties about Water — Disgraceful Reinforcements

Chapter IV. Tokak And Sinkat

Suleiman Pasha — Soudan Fortresses — Defeat of the Egyptians — Mahomed Tahir Pasha — Relief sent to Tokar — Osman Digma's Claim to Direct Inspiration — Another Egyptian Reverse

Chapter V. The

GENDAR_TERD_. The Gendarmerie —Arrival of General Baker in Egypt — Organization of the Gendarmerie — Arrival of Sir Evelyn Wood to form the Army — The Two Organizations clash — The Sorry Quality of the Egyptian Soldiers — Baker Pasha's Plans for the Composition of the Force — Gendarmerie for the Provinces — Police for the Towns — Reserve of Turks for Fighting Purposes — Signal Success of Scheme for the First Six Months — Outbreak of Cholera — Army Useless — Cordons entrusted solely to Gendarmerie — Arrival of Mr. Clifl brd Lloyd, who wishes to change the Gendarmerie into English Policemen — Unsuitability of his Plans to People like the Egyptians — Increase of Crime in Consequence — Appeal for Help in the Soudan — Wood's Army would not go — The Khedive applies to General Baker Pasha, who reluctantly accepts the Command — Reasons for this Objection — English Authorities in Egypt — Zebehr Pasha — His Son killed by General Gordon, who removed all the Bashi-Bazouks CONTENTS. VII PAGE

Chapter VI. Voyage To Suakim

Composition of Force going to Suakim — The 1st Brigade — The 2nd Brigade — Zebehr Pasha, commanding the 2nd Brigade, not permitted to come — Colonel Harington starts with 1st Detachment — Occupation of Soldiers on Board — Officers useless — Characteristics of the Fellah Soldiers — Their Superstitions and Powers of Endurance — Their Prayers — Teaching them Signalling — The Bashi-Bazouks — Their Music and Dancing — Their Dress — Our Pilot — Arrival at Suakim — Captain Darwell's Bad News — Mr. Wylde, our Host, and his House — His Servants — Principal European Inhabitants — Complaints against the Bashi-Bazouks — Visit to Suleiman Pasha — The False Rumours he brings— Untrustworthiness of our Spies — The English Officers ... ... 85

Chapter VII. Suakim

Difficulty of getting Information from the Officials — No Cattle, no Forage — Mr. Brewster despatches his Spies to Tokar and Sinkat — Suakim and Environs as seen from Roof of our House — Coral Houses — Pretty Windows — The Bazaar — Houses built Cornerwise — Our Washerwoman — Female Water-carriers ; their Ornaments; their Ugliness — The Causeway and its Defences — Shenowi Bey's House — Mainland Bazaar — Shock-haired Arabs — Mode of dressing Hair — Interviewing Spies — Sinkat — Attempts to relieve it, and the Garrison there ... ... 98

CHAPTER VIIL LITE AT SUAKIM.

Appointed Mess-President — Camel Meat — Difficulties of Bazaar Account — The Lines of Defence at Suakim — The Water Supply — Camels like Saline Water best — -The Bashi-Bazouks refuse to Drill — Attempt at Mutiny — The Persuasive Koorbash — Everybody Satisfied except the Governor of Suakim — Suakim Donkeys — Under Fire— A Country Ride— Magnificent Sunsets — Cook-shops — Under Fire again — Ismail from Madame Tussaud's — Zebehr Pasha's Nephew — Prisons and Prisoners in Suakim — Provisions scarce — My Husband proposes to march out to relieve Sinkat — CONTENTS. PAGE 123 Plan of Sortie— General Baker's Consent necessary— Inspection of Troops— Quality of Soldiers— Major Giles and the Enemy's Spies— Sharks in Harbour— Heroic Conduct of Krooman— Arrival of Euryalus with Admiral Hewett— General Aspect of Affairs— Mahmoud Aly fails to relieve Sinkat— Number killed in Major Cassim's Fight— Behaviour of Old Soldiers of Suakim Garrison— Complaints about a Mosque being used for Stores— Mr. Brewster appointed Chief of the Commissariats— Arrival of a Spy from Sinkat— His Adventures— Social Customs of Arabs— Threat of Attack— Osman Digma's House at Suakim ' — Embroidered Mat and Camel's Ornaments — Inner Fortified Lines— Arrival of Mahallah with European Police— Tea on board the Ranger ...

Chapter IX. Christmas In Camp

My Husband makes a Reconnaissance towards Handub — My Nervousness owing to his Delay — Relieved by seeing Camels — Their Speed — Bashi-Bazouks driving them in — Numbers taken — Suleiman Pasha wants to give them up — His Ideas — Refuses to allow Massowah Soldiers to remain — Want of Revolvers for Officers and Shoes for Men — Our Farmyard — Horses and Camels always saddled, as in the "Lay of the Last Minstrel" — Major Giles's Reconnaissance — Bashi-Bazouks not to be trusted under Fire — Dinner to the Admiral — Guests — Wild Flowers and Table Ornaments — More Firing from the Enemy — Arrival of General Baker — Vessels in Harbour — News of Zebehr Pasha's Nephew — Parade for General Baker — Dinner on Board the Euryalus — Luxury of Naval Officers — Christmas Day at Suakim — Thoughts of Home — Christmas Dinner-party — Members of the Mess, all Vagrom Men — General Baker determined to go to Massowah — The Last Day of the Year — Summary of Events — Arrival of Sheikh Magranee 149

Chapter X. Sheikh Magranee

New Year's Visits — My Husband interviews Sheikh Magranee — His Quarters — Reception of the English Officers — The Sheikh's Sermon — Arrangements for his Official Reception — We go up to Camp to see it — Description of Procession — Women screaming the " Zaghareet " — Reception by my Husband of the Sheikh — Old Woman cured by Touch of Sheikh — Dinner given by Abdul Russak — Speeches — Band plays " God CONTENTS. IX TAGF. Save the Queen " — Fireworks — News from Kassala and Sinkat — Tewfik Bey's Letter — The Complaints of Want of Provisions, Cold, and the Number of the Enemy — Story of Messenger — His Narrow Escape — News from Tokar — The Enemy seize Part of the Town, and plunder the Principal Mer chant's House— Arabs anxiously about New Governor- General — Major Giles — Bashi-Bazouks — Their Want of Disci pline — Mr. Bewley appointed Chief of Transport — Number of Camels required for Army — Glanders — Mahdi's Intentions — Wreck of the Tantah — Melon-fields — Camels eating Thorns — — Bottle-birds — Native Huts in Town — Colonel of Bashi-Bazouks — Old Pistols — Eastern Auctions — Sale of Things recovered from Wreck of the .Surras — Natives looking on... ... ... 171

CHAPTER XL ZEEEBAS.

General Baker returns from Massowah— Complaints of Abyssinian Government — Ras-ul-Riah, the Head of the Bandits— Route from Massowah to Khartoum — Its Advantages for an Advancing Army — Escort of Eg3*ptian Soldiers practising " How*ling Dervishes" — Hand-charges — Cricket-match and Sports — Attack by the Enemy — General Baker goes to examine Trinkitat — Making a Zereba — No Troops coming — Arab Tribes — Zebehr Pasha's Men at last — Colonel Fred. Burnaby — General Baker's Reconnaissance — False Reports of Defeat — My Husband marches out — Meets General Baker — The Cadi deserts to the Enemy, leaving a Letter behind — Dinner to my Husband at Foreign Officers' Mess— Chorus by Italians — Dance by Albanians — Our Camels stolen — Coral Reefs — My Husband is attacked in Zereba — Egyptian Soldiers object to stopping out all Night — Behaviour of Doctor of the Turkish Battalion — The Enchanted Camel 191

Chapter XII. Embarkation Of Troops

Arrival of Last Battalion of Zebehr's Soudanese — Bad Arrangements as to Pay and Rations — Mahomed Aly will not advance to relieve Sinkat — Many Things wanted for the Army, but Delay no longer possible — Arrangements for Water — Embarking Troops — Abyssinians object to be clothed — Sphinx returns from Trinkitat — Fanatic Boy — Heartrending Letter from Tewfik Bey— My Husband's Answer — Telegraph Ship Chiltern — — Scare of Garrison — Departure of my Husband in the Zagazig X CONTENTS. l'AOI! 209 224 244 Extraordinary Way of pulling Camels into the Boats — A Spy from Tokar — Adventures of Levi the Merchant — Firing at Night — Return of Levi — Messenger comes in from Berber

Chapter XIII. Battle Of El-teb

Departure of my Husband — Colonel Iskander Bey left in Command En route to Trinkitat — Arrival there — The Camp — Fortifications — Proposed Order of March — Forts on Other Side of Morass — Arrival of Bashi-Bazouks without Arms — Troops all cross to the Fort — Mr. Watkins joins my Husband's Staff — Night before Battle — Early Morning March — Composition of Force — Orders for Formation in Case of Attack — Reasons for the Above — First Gun fired — Signs of the Enemy — Their Cavalry tried to turn our Flank — Major Giles's Cavalry sent to charge them — Skirmishers begin to fire — Sudden Appearance of Enemy — Squares rapidly formed — Sunheit Battalion not obeying Orders — One Side left open — Scare of Gendarmerie — Tremendous Rate of Firing — Cover themselves with Smoke, and then bolt — General Sartorius tries to reform them — Useless — Narrow Escape of General Baker — General Sartorius forms Turkish Battalion — Complete Break-up of Egyptian Soldiers — In their Rout carry away with them Bezingers and Massowah Men — Gallant Behaviour of Colonel Kamal Bey — Last seen of Captain Walker, Colonel Morice Bey, and Dr. Leslie — Gallant Conduct of Mr. Scudamore, Times Correspondent — Re-embarkation of Troops— Our Losses — Review of Battle

Chapter XIV. Departure From Suakim

Arrival of Ranger from Trinkitat — Captain Goodall brings News of my Husband's Safety — Names of English Officers killed — Disembarkation of Troops — Soudanese Women mourning their Husbands — English Sailors manning Forts — Captain of the Tor and his Condenser — Sir W7illiam Hcwett appointed Governor- General — -Mr. Brewster Sub-Governor — Fall of Sinkat — ■ Massacre of Garrison — Biography of Tewfik Bey from Home News — We embark on board Negilah — Regrets at leaving Suakim — Arrival at Jedda — Eve's Tomb — Arabs' Superstition about Adam — Description of Town — Re-embark and Arrival at Suez — Cairo again — Abolition of Gendarmerie by Mr. Clifford LJoyd — Recollections of Ministers and others we met in Cairo LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. On our Camels ... ... ... ... ... Frontispiece A Group of Generals Baker, Hicks, and Officers To face page 52 Mr. Wylde's House at Suakim ... ... „ 100 General View of Suakim ... ... ... „ 108 Caricature of Bazaar Account ... ... „ 126 Caricature of our Donkey Ride ... ... „ 160 Greek Consul's House ... ... ... ,, 168 A Group of Sheikh Maghranee and Egyptian Officers... ... ... ... ... „ 176 Shaiab Tribe on their Camels ... ... „ 194 General Sartorius's Quarters m Camp ... „ 210 Suakim from the Harbour ... ... „

Chapter I. Voyage Out

My Step-daughter and myself start from England — Passengers on board — Algiers — Kitualistic and Low Church Controversy — Malta — Its Churches — Governor's Palace — Divers — News of Disaster — Port Said — News from my Husband — Taken off by the Gendarmes — Cafe Chantant — Post-boat in Canal — Ismailia — Anecdote of late Khedive's A.D.C. — Marks of British Occupation — Lines of Tel-el- Kebir — The Egyptians ploughing — Drawing Water — Zagazig — Its Manufactures and Station — First View of Cairo — Meet my Husband. As the cholera epidemic had passed away in Egypt, and it was considered quite safe to return there, my step-daughter and myself took passages by the British India line of steamers, and on the 14th of November, 1883, started from the Royal Albert Docks, in the Eldorado. I must say, she was not a good specimen of the line, for she was very dirty, and the food was very badly cooked.

The saloon tables were decorated with an attempt at finery, in the shape of artificial flowers of every description, and B these, though good of their kind, failed like all shams. The waiters were all natives of India, as is usual with lines plying to the East. Consequently, until they put on their own white native costume at Malta, they looked excessively dirty and miserable. It was a very fine day at starting, but as we ap proached the Isle of Wight it got so very foggy that the steamer nearly ran aground there. The sea was, however, comparatively calm, thus allowing the passengers to make each other's acquaintance from the beginning. Principal amongst them was Mr. Plimsoll, M.P., his daughter, and a friend, who were going to Calcutta ; a Major and Mrs. Empson, and about twenty others, proceeding to other places in India.

We caught it, though, on reaching the Bay of Biscay, for we came in for tlie roll left by a big Atlantic storm. This made every one disappear below; and, indeed, we were very uncomfortable until we got into the Mediterranean. 20th. — What a contrast it is to-day, to the cold, damp weather in England which we have only left six days ago ! Here, in view of Algiers, with its Oriental buildings glowing in the rays of a Southern setting sun, the bright hues of the Mediterranean Sea, so com pletely in harmony with the gorgeous scene, making everything so bright, peaceful, and quiet, it seems hard to believe that little more than a hundred years ago this picturesque town was still the seat of a pirate horde. But here are four bells striking, and the dinner-bell going, so we must rouse ourselves from our reveries and return to everyday life.

On the 21st we passed the island of Panteliari, one of those volcanic productions of the Mediter ranean, which even now are growing up, rising, and disappearing. The town on the island is made up of square, flat-roofed houses ; they are invariably white washed, and therefore give the appearance, in the distance, of a lot of tombstones, the vegetation being so scarce that it does not take way from this effect. A very amusing story has just been told me, re lating to the controversy between a swell and very advanced Ritualist, and a by no means clever, but very determined member of the Low Church. These two were sitting opposite to each other at dinner, when the Ritualist happened to observe that they always had matins in his church. The other immediately pricked up his ears at this, and taking it as a challenge, shouted, much to the amusement of the company, " Why, mats, only mats !

We have in our church kamptulicon right up to the altar ! " We arrived at Malta at 5 a.m. the 23rd of Novem ber, and, passing the splendid lighthouse of St. Elmo on our right, and port Ricasoli on our left, anchored close to the Custom-house. The captain having told us the ship was to remain until the afternoon, everybody hurried off to the town. Our party landed at the steps and walked on to the square in front of the Government-house, to enjoy fresh bread and butter, and good coffee — a luxury we had so long been deprived of. After that we visited the Church of St. John, which, crowded as it is with remembrances of the old Knights of Malta, in the shape of various relics of that time, and the chapels to the different nations situated on either side of the aisle, brings vividly back to one's mind the romantic history of their struggles with the infidels.

Besides the above the most remarkable things are the following : — In the Portuguese chapel a group of statuary, representing Charity and Justice, by Mariano Gavano, a Maltese sculptor, who died in France. He has also another group behind the altar, supposed to be his master piece, and especially remarkable as being carved out of one block of marble. The subject is the Baptism of our Saviour by St. John. In the French chapel the sculptured figure on the tomb of the Comte de Beaujolais, brother of Louis Philippe, representing him as having fallen asleep on the camp ground, is very good. The artist was an Italian. In the Italian chapel was a very fine picture by Michael Angelo, representing St. Jerome studying a book. An ex tremely interesting portion of the church is the marble flooring, inscribed with the arms of the various knights of the order who are buried below.

Every great family of Europe has its representatives, and it would be in the highest degree interesting to study their various histories. I fancy many a book more than vieing with even the best of Sir W. Scott's could be made out of the materials so gathered ; but we have no time to examine them all, and so go on to the solid silver gates at the entrance to the Irish chapel, though, after all, these have very little effect, as the brown painting with which the silver was coated in order to give them the effect of bronze, and thus to prevent the French soldiers looting them, still remains. After leaving the Church of St. John, we went to the market, a very dirty and not at all interesting spot, with nothing much to be got there but Mandoline oranges, not yet ripe enough to be good eating. From the market we went to the Governor's palace, where there is a very fine ball and council room.

The walls of the latter were covered with tapestry eight hundred years old, representing the four quarters of the globe. We also saw, in the same room, several chairs, including the Grand Master's, all relics of the Knights of St. John. Passing on, we came to the armoury, filled with old armour that had belonged to the same knights. On the walls of this room, were the colours of the 63rd and another regiment, looking strangely out of place amongst all this armour, for somehow one expects old colours to be put away in some church, and not in a store like this. Inside the courtyard of the palace was a lovely garden, filled with large trees, and looking all the brighter for the want of anything of the kind in the rest of the town. There was a very large poinsettia in full blossom, also orange trees with plenty of oranges on them, and a lovely bougainvillea in full flower, climbing up the west wall.

I saw also a blue ipomæa on the opposite side. Flowers in Malta are very cheap, and we were offered a large basket of roses and heliotrope for a shilling. I bought a large bunch for a penny, and they lasted three days on board ship. Time passing, we had to put an end to our roamings and return to the ship, which sailed soon afterwards. While waiting to start, we had an opportunity of seeing the wonderful diving powers of the Maltese, who, helped by the clearness and buoyancy of the water, rapidly pick up the shillings and sixpences that are thrown down, before these have sunk to any depth. They showed their real powers by diving under the ship frorh one side to the other without any apparent difficulty. It is evidently a regular trade, and the divers get very sharp about it, as they wall not go down for anything but silver.

They know the glint of the latter very well, and though a gentleman on board threw down a well burnished farthing, no one would go after it, for all knew that none of the passengers would throw them gold. The clanging of the bells is another curious circumstance. The Maltese have a superstition that this ringing drives away the devil, so they go at it as fast as they can, without reference to time or tune. By-the-by, this is just the contrary to the Mussulman idea, who think that ringing brings the devil, and therefore have no bells in their mosques, but call to prayers by means of men shouting from the minarets. The Maltese themselves do not as a whole bear a very good character, though a great many work very hard indeed, and become respectable members of society; but there is no doubt the scum of the Mediterranean population is com posed of Maltese, Southern Italians, and Greeks, and it is notorious what a very bad scum this is.

They are exceedingly superstitious and very vain. An amusing instance of the latter quality occurred on the occasion of a grand public dinner which was given here to the officers returning from the Crimea. One of the officers of the Malta Fencibles, rising, proposed the toast of " Malta and England," adding that as long as they were allied together, they could face the whole world. Before leaving the island we heard the great and unfortunate news of the defeat of General Hicks's army in the Soudan, and the total massacre of his troops. This news much excited us, for we thought it might have some effect on my husband's future movements. From to-day, the 26th, we were enabled to sit on deck and enjoy the warmth. It really seemed to give one new life, and we enjoyed it all the more because, while basking in this lovely sunshine, one's thoughts recurred to the climate that we had just left.

After leaving Malta we did not see land until we arrived at Port Said, on the 28th of November at 5 a.m., when we were awoke by the whistle of the boat making a great noise ; so, despair ing of getting any. more sleep, especially as there were several other boats whistling at the same time, we got up, dressed, and went on deck, and amused ourselves by watching the busy life around us. I was expecting news of my husband, and, none coming, got impatient and sent him a telegram saying I had arrived. At about 12 o'clock, the Comte de Montjoie, who was commanding the police at Port Said, came on board, introduced himself, and gave me a letter from my husband, who wrote that on account of the preparations for the war he could not meet me, and that the Comte de Montjoie would do all that was necessary.

Accord ingly the latter returned to the shore to send off boats with two or three of his men and his brigadier, who took entire charge of the boxes and ourselves too. We were very much chaffed by the passengers, who said we were being taken off by gendarmes, but it was a great comfort, and very pleasant having everything done for us. When we arrived at the hotel, our room and luncheon had been ordered at the only good hotel there, the " Pays Bas." In the evening Mr. Burrel, the English Vice- Consul, took us to the great Cafe' Chantant, a place kept up most respectably, though greatly on the proceeds of a rouge-et-noire table belonging to the house. Major Shakespeare, of General Wood's army, Mr. Baker, Consul for Khartoum, and the Comte de Montjoie also came w7ith us. All the principal people have their regular seats ; in fact, it is almost a theatre.

A rather good actress was there that night, and she raised a furore by singing the " Marseillaise " with great entrain, the greater part of the audience being French troops on their way to Tonquin, who had just come in by a French troop-ship. What delighted these soldiers most was the compliment she paid to their country by coming on to the scene, wearing three ribbons across her dress, arranged according to the French colours. The applause was deafening even at the very first, and when she finished her song, it was repeated over and over again. One reason for staying so late was the inconvenient hour the postal launch starts down the Canal, viz. midnight, and it was only after a good deal of trouble that, getting the baggage to the wharf, we started with several other passengers, all crowded up in a small saloon.

We might have stayed till next day, but were in a hurry to see my husband, for we were much startled by hearing he would have to go to the Soudan almost immediately. What a night we had of it ! The seats were narrow ; the people were many of them foreigners, who would try and shut out all ventilation ; the sides of the cabin were straight up, and so gave no rest to one's back ; and we had to go on all night, not arriving at Ismailia till nearly 7 a.m. At that place there is a rather nice little hotel close to the water, but by mistake we passed it, and went on to a small French one, where luckily they gave us a decent breakfast, and at 11 a.m. got into the train for our final day's travel. Before quite leaving off all notice of the great salt-water Canal, I could not help thinking what a splendid instance this was of the late Khedive's power of will, and how lucky it was for the world he had this will, for without him the Canal could not have been made.

It is as well not to look too closely at the history of its construction, nor the lives lost over it, amounting to hundreds of thousands. The Bulgarian atrocities did not cause more misery. The poor wretched gangs of fellahs starved and driven by the Koorbash to work to their last gasp, present an awful picture of misery that is almost too painful to think about in spite of the great results obtained. His magnificent extrava gance is well exemplified in the small palace he built for the Empress Eugenie, and which has never been occupied since. Here, too, an instance of thorough Oriental arbitrariness occurred. The Empress, while thanking the Khedive for the magnificent reception he had given her, happened to say that the only thing she had not seen was an Arab marriage. " Indeed," said the Khedive, " this shall soon be remedied."

So he sent for his A.D.C., gave him one of his Circassian slaves from the harem, presented him with a large dowry, and told the astonished official that everything was to be ready in two days. Accordingly, on the second day there was a grand marriage a TArabi. The Empress was greatly pleased, and the A.D.C., a man far more European than Egyptian, and who spoke several European languages, splendidly found himself indis solubly attached to a Mahomedan wife, while all along it had been the dream of his life to marry a European lady, one educated like himself, and with whom he could associate. But he knew he dared not refuse, and so an accident settled his whole future life. While going out of the Ismailia station our attention was attracted to the marks of the late English occupation, in the shape of notices written on the walls of various buildings, to the effect of this being the bakery, that the artillery store, another the commissariat, etc.

From what we saw of the place, one cannot but come to the conclusion that the French manage to make up a much neater town than we do. The roads are all at right angles to each other, very well kept, and there are small and pretty public gardens in the centre ; not only that, but the native town, equally straightly laid out, was kept, with all its stinks, well away from the European quarter. To get to Nefish one has to cross a large fresh-water canal, and on it we saw our first diabeah. I was rather interested in this, as we were to have lived in one at Cairo. From this station the rail runs through the desert, nothing but sand the whole way until just before we got to Tel-el-Kebir, where cultivated ground steadily begins to dominate. Coming up to this latter place, there were all along the route unmis takable signs of the passage of English troops, in the shape of empty meat-tins of every kind, bits of telegraph wires strewed about, the little well-known fireplaces of the Indian troops, broken crockery, and even bits of paper blowing about.