Encyclopaedia Britannica > Volume 8, DIA-England

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EGYPT.
Egypt, believed to cherish schemes of ambition still more gigan-
tic than any which his past career has disclosed. The
caliphate and an Arabian empire have, it is thought, long
floated before his wishful eye; and there can be little
doubt that, in the event of a new rupture with Turkey,
Bagdad and the holy cities would be irrecoverably lost
to the Porte, and restored to the successors of the Sara W
cens. Wherever the Arabic language is understood the'
power of Egypt seems destined to prevail.1 But our bu-
siness here is not w ith speculation, but facts.
the spoon was away ; the knife and fork soon shared the same fate ; and the unfortunate stranger was at length reduced in tv, ,
necessity of tearing his meat, and lifting it with his fingers and thumb, like the Arabs themselves. Many persons were near Ht
one saw the theft committed ; and all search for the recovery of the property was in vain. We now took leave of the viceroy w"0
him in the gi-eatest good humour; he said we might go everywhere, and see every thing we wished, and that he honed to'hav7iug
pleasure of seeing us again.’ In reference to the freezing experiment, we may mention, that Mehemmed Ali, very soon nffpr u,Q •
now described, obtained from England, through Mr Salt, the requisite apparatus. The machine on its arrival was conveyed tn h!
palace, and some Nile water was procured for the purpose. He hung over the whole operation with intense curiosity • andVv.r*
after several disappointments, a piece of real ice was produced, he took it eagerly in his hand, and danced round the room for inv lf£
a child, and then ran into the harem to show it to his wives. ^ •'
. “ No on<?,ha1s attempted to conceal that there is in the temper of Mehemmed Ali, intermingled with many good qualities „
tincture ol barbarism and fierceness. Impatient of opposition, and even of delay, he occasionally gives himself up to the most viS
bursts of passion ; and m such moments there is hardly any cruelty which he will not perpetrate or command. For instance some
time ago he had ordered that the dollar should pass for a fixed number of piasters, and it was mentioned in his presence that the
rate was not strictly followed. His highness expressed some doubt of the fact, when the head interpreter carelessly observed that a
Jew broker, whom he named, had a few days before exchanged dollars for him at the rate asserted. ‘ Let him be hanged immedi
- ’ exclaimed the pasha ! The interpreter, an old and favourite servant, threw himself at his sovereign’s feet denrecatW hil
own folly, ana imploring pardon for the wretched culprit. But all intercession was in vain ; the viceroy said his orders must K
disregarded, and the unfortunate Jew was instantly led to his death. We find proofs of a similar sally at Djidda, where he annLrl
to have used his own hands to inflict a punishment which he thought it inexpedient to remit. Hoseyn Aga, the agent for the Fast
India Company, resident in that town, was, says a recent traveller, a remarkably fine-looking man, displaying an air of dignity mixed
with hauteur; handsonielv clad, too, though the heavy folds of his muslin turban were studiously drawn over his right eye’ to con
ceal the loss of it, for Mehemmed All one day in a fit of rage pulled it out. Yet these men are friends—great friends iust at
present, and will remain so as long as it may be convenient and agreeable to both parties to consider each other in that light. P.nt
the master of Egypt is not at all times so ferocious. For example, when Mrs Lushington was at Alexandria, intelligence was
brought to him that a small fort at the entrance of the harbour had been taken possession of by certain Franks, and that The Turks
belonging to it had been made prisoners. Some consternation prevailed among his people; but instead of being anm-y, he laughed
heartily, and swearing by his own eyes—his favourite oath—that they must be English sailors, he directed his interpreter to write
to their captain to order his men on board ship again. Upon inquiry it proved as the pasha had anticipated ; the men had landed
got drunk, and crowned their liberty by seizing on the fort, and confining the unfortunate Turks, who, indolently smoking their
pipes, never could have anticipated such an attack in time of profound peace. He evinced equal self-command, and still more mag¬
nanimity, when he first heard of the event which destroyed his infant navy and humbled his power. We allude to the battle of
Navanno. He had not finished the perusal of the unwelcome dispatches, when he desired a European consul to assure his country-
men and all the other Franks that they should not be molested, and that they might pursue their wonted occupations in perfect
security. _ Among the ships lying in the harbour was the wreck of one of the pasha’s own vessels. The captain had committed some
crime which was represented by his crew to the viceroy, who ordered him immediately on shore to answer his accusers. Conscious
ot guilt, he pietended sickness, till a second message from the same quarter left him no alternative; and unable longer to shun his
fate, he sent all his crew ashore, and calling to an old and faithful servant, the only person on board, he bade him lump out of the
t lf S6a; 3t th,e fa?f tl!Tie’ having loaded two pistols, he fired into the magazine, and blew up the ship and himself together.
?tory w<as related to the pasha, he said, ‘ These are Frank customs ; this is dying like an Englishman !’
There is something characteristic in the following notice by Sir Frederick Henniker, who remarks, that the pasha appeared to him to
have a vulgar low-born lace, but a commanding intelligent eye. ‘ He received us in the court-yard, seated on a sofa, and wielding a pipe,
dressed like a private individual, as lurks of real consequence generally are, excepting on gala days. The vice-consul and myself sat
down on the sofa with him. I ipes are not offered except to equals; coffee served up,—no sugar, even though the pasha himself has a ma-
nufactory of that article,—the attendants ordered to withdraw ; no pride, no affectation, even though the pasha is an upstart. Remain¬
ed nearly an hour discoursing on English horses, military force, the emerald-mines at Cossier, his son’s victory over the Wahabis, and
his expected triumphal entry. —It is generally stated, that since Mehemmed Ali has felt himself secure in the pashalik he has ceased
to be cruel. Seldom now does he take away life, and never with torture ; and if his subordinate officers were as well disposed as
i self, the people, notwithstanding the oppressive taxes, would feel their property more secure. One instance of his prompt justice
IVUch astomshinent; although a slower and more regular method would not, it is probable, in a nation so completely disor-
ganized, have produced an equal effect. A kiachief who had not been long accustomed to the government of the viceroy punished one
H Ww death\ Ide '''as caJled before Mehemmed, who asked him by what authority he had committed this outrage.
He thought it enough to urge in his defence that the man was his own servant. True, retorted the pasha, but he was my subject;
311 'a11., lL samf 11 l,as®et sentence that the culprit should be immediately beheaded,—an effectual warning to the rest of the
grandees present. I his act of severity has saved the lives of many of the Arabs, who, in former times, were sacrificed by their Turkish
masters on the most trifling pretences. In short, Mehemmed is well spoken of by most European travellers, though in general they
estimate his character by too high a standard—the principles and habits of their own countries. There is only one author whose
impression was rather unfavourable : ‘I sat in the divan,’ says he, ‘ with my eyes fixed on him ; I wanted to examine the coun¬
tenance of a man who had realized in our day one of those scenes in history which, when we have perused it, always compels us to lay
b0°^ ourselves- f here he sat—a quick eye, features common, nose bad, a grizzled beard,’looking much more
mi ' ’ iac I1(lu 16 " 0111 complexion of that period of life. They tell you he is not sanguinary ; men grow tired of shedding
blood as well as of «ther pleasures ; but if the cutting off'a head weuld drop gold into his coffers, he’would not be slow to give the
signal. His laugh has nothing in it of nature; how can it have ? I hear it now—a hard, sharp laugh, such as that with which
strong heartless men would divide booty torn from the feeble. I leave him to his admirers.’-‘ In the SsJges of the table,’ says Mr
Larne, he is still an Osmanlee; knives, forks, and other useful appendages, never make their appearance at his meals. About five
} eais ago some mg is i travellers were graciously received by him, and pressingly invited to dine. But not even in compliance with
the taste of his guests would he depart from his own habits; for, wishing to show a noble lady particular attention, he took a large
,i n1 m I1’!, hanu’ ar,C,‘ p01t1e -V 1)Iaced U before her- Perfectly dismayed at the compliment, and the sight of the savoury
morsel whmh rested on her plate, she turned to her companion, who was more used to oriental manners, and earnestly asked what
f. ,waSj 0 c °*, "a 1 to sule’ was reply* She looked at the pasha ; his fine dark eve seemed to rest on her with a most
kmd and complacent expression ; and there was no help for it but to follow the excellent advice given her by her more experienced
mend. ( View of Ancient and Modern Egypt, p. 35«, et seqq.)
v, i RevieV’\v.?X’ 11 *; P- et seqq. We have great pleasure in acknowledging that, for the leading features of the cha-
nfn? m A,Ieu mn'e< Al’,aS albove ‘Ehneated, we have been indebted to a very able article in this journal on the state and relations
of the 1 urkish empire. We have merely filled up, as it were, the masterly sketch drawn by the reviewer.