64 The Young Khedive Abbas Helmi [1892 



Abdel Razak had been one of Arabi's personal friends, and one of 

 his most level-headed advisers, knowing Europe well, and speaking 

 English as well as French, a rare accomplishment at that time. By 

 his advice and that of Sheykh Mohammed Abdu, who formed a favour- 

 able opinion of the young Khedive Abbas, who now succeeded his 

 father, I decided that the time was now come for me to make my 

 peace formally with the Egyptian Government. As long as Tewfik 

 was alive it had been difficult for me to do this. I had taken too 

 prominent a part in the revolution, and had denounced Tewfik too 

 openly after it to make it possible for me to take any step towards 

 a reconciliation or pay my respects to him by calling at the palace. But 

 it was now thought by my friends that I should do well in asking an 

 audience of his successor, and I consequently asked Baring to present 

 me formally to Abbas, as was the custom in the case of other English- 

 men visiting Egypt. In pursuance of this resolve I find in my diary: 



" 1st Feb. — Went into Cairo with Anne and lunched with the Bar- 

 ings, and was taken by Baring afterwards to call upon the Khedive 

 Abbas at the Abdin Palace. It is rather more than eleven years since 

 I had paid just such another visit to Tewfik with Malet. When we 

 were shown in to-day we were met at the door of the room by a little 

 young man in military undress whom I took to be an Aide-de-Camp, 

 but who turned out to be Abbas himself, a quite unmilitary figure of 

 proportions which made him look like a woman dressed up in man's 

 clothes. He has, however, a very good manner in talking, and a pleas- 

 ant smile, with brown eyes, and just a tinge of russet in his hair. He 

 reminded me much of his grandfather, Ismail, and has just the same 

 sort of French accent, talking French well but not perfectly. He 

 showed no sign of shyness, and treated Baring with easy politeness, 

 without any sign of special deference ; me he treated with considerable 

 amiability. We talked a little about the brigandage in the neighbour- 

 hood of his Koubbah Palace and Sheykh Obeyd (the two places are 

 within three miles of each other), and then about petitions, and then 

 about certain receptions and ceremonies, nothing at all interesting, but 

 I thought he showed considerable intelligence, and there was a slight 

 touch of sarcasm in his talk reminding me very especially of Ismail. 

 I shall be surprised if he does not give Baring trouble. He is said 

 about here to be very anti-English, but Baring will not hear a word of 

 this, though I expect it is true." So far my journal. My recollection, 

 however, goes further than this. It is that Baring's manner on this 

 occasion was very abrupt, like that of a schoolmaster to a schoolboy, 

 and that on our way back from the palace I remarked to him that I 

 thought the Khedive would not bear driving with any but a very light 

 rein, his answer neing that it was necessary to treat Orientals firmly; 

 also I warned him he would have trouble. 



