90 Sir George Bowen [!S93 



which would cause an European war. (2) To evacuate, which Eng- 

 lish opinion would not stand, and (3) To stay on as we are. This 

 last is what he (Cromer) intends to do. Bowen confirms all I have 

 said of the universality of popular feeling against us here, the desire 

 that everyone has to see us gone (not personal hatred). He finds the 

 Copts quite as much against us as the Mohammedans. He understands 

 the feeling as political, and patriotic, not fanatical. He lays much of 

 the blame on Cromer, who is not, he thinks, the sort of man to acquire 

 the confidence of a young Oriental Prince. . . . He asked me my solu- 

 tion, and I told him that I thought the English garrison might be with- 

 drawn to Suez as a compromise, that would satisfy the cry in England 

 about the route to India. He is in communication with Lord Kim- 

 berley and will write to him, and I trust may do some good, though the 

 Liberal party seems to have gone in for a thorough debauch of Jingo- 

 ism. 



" 21st Feb. — Again to see the Sheykh el Bekri, this time in his own 

 palace, formerly Abbas Pasha's, where I had once been in his father's 

 time in 1881. He is certainly a most clever and charming young man, 

 knowing everything about the politics in Europe and Constantinople 

 as well as in Egypt. He sees Riaz constantly, and vouches for Riaz 

 as a sincere opponent of Cromer, and supporter of Abbas. Riaz holds 

 other language to the English here. I told Sheykh el Bekri that I 

 thought it very important the Khedive should state in some official 

 document the exact nature of the promise he made to Cromer as to 

 his being ' willing to follow the advice of Her Majesty's Government 

 on all important matters,' whereas the Khedive has told deputations 

 that have waited on him that all he promised was ' to consult the Brit- 1 

 ish Resident.' This he ought to make clear. Sheykh el Bekri assured 

 me that under present circumstances Abbas could count on the Sultan's 

 support. He is advising the Khedive to act in everything through and 

 with the support and countenance of the Legislative Council. This is 

 the right road. 



" 23rd Feb. — To Cairo to order a black coat, the Khedive being 

 punctilious on the score of clothes. Fortunately I found one at the 

 English tailor's ready made. [It had been ordered for Oliver Montagu 

 who had just died at Cairo, and had never worn it.] Had a long talk 

 with Sackville x who thinks things very unsatisfactory, the European 

 Powers would not allow our annexation, the Turks would come from 

 Constantinople if we went. 



" 24th Feb. — Sheykh Mohammed Abdu came for lunch and stayed 

 the afternoon. I had not seen him since the coup d'etat, and was anx- 

 ious for his opinion. He is strongly in favour of Riaz who, he says, 



1 Lionel Lord Sackville, formerly of the Diplomatic Service, and Her Majesty's 

 Minister at Washington. 



