1893] The Sultan of Johore 95 



something in him that inspires confidence. When I said, ' You must 

 not repeat all I have told you to Lord Cromer,' he exclaimed, ' Ah, 

 could you think it ? ' Lastly I talked to him about Arabi's return, and 

 he spoke much as the Khedive had spoken, of there being no unwilling- 

 ness on their part only that the time was inopportune. He compli- 

 mented me on my constancy to my friend, and we parted on the best 

 possible terms, Coming with me to the head of the stairs he kept 

 repeating: 'Ah, que je suis content de vous avoir vu, que je suis 

 content, que je suis content.' 



"nth March. — I have written my article, 'Lord Cromer and the 

 Khedive,' for the ' Nineteenth Century,' also letters to Churchill, 

 Labouchere, and Loulou Harcourt, founded on my talk with the Khe- 

 dive ; also 12th March to Mr. Gladstone. 



" 22nd March. — Mohammed Moelhi tells me of a new trouble. A 

 certain Ali Bey, Colonel of a regiment quartered at Koubbah, had made 

 himself conspicuous by his visits to the Khedive, and his congratula- 

 tions on the issue of the coup d'etat. This has given offence to Kitch- 

 ener, the new Sirdar, and they have ordered the regiment back tc 

 Suakim, whence it only came six months ago. The Minister of War, 

 Yussuf Shudi, one of the old gang, lets Kitchener do what he likes. 

 [This entry is of more importance than it seems, for this Ali Bey was 

 Ali Bey Kamel, brother to Mustafa Kamel, afterwards leader of the 

 National Party, who began his political career by taking up this quarrel 

 of his brother with Kitchener.] 



"31-st March. — Everard Fielding (he had been staying with us at 

 Sheykh Obeyd) brought the Sultan of Johore to see us, a good old 

 Indian gentleman of very simple manners and much bonhomie. He 

 lunched with us, notwithstanding Ramadan, talking pleasantly in pidgin 

 English, which did not altogether mar his dignity. With him a young 

 Malay, the general of his army, and his English secretary, Captain 

 Creighton. He complained that though he had been a fortnight at 

 Cairo, he had as yet seen none but English officials, and that Lord 

 Cromer had not encouraged him in his desire to go into Egyptian 

 society. I offered to put him in the way of this, which much delighted 

 him, and as good luck would have it, Mohammed Moelhi called, while 

 we were sitting on the roof, and I introduced him and sent Mohammed 

 back with him to Cairo, to take him, to-day being Friday, to the 

 Mohammed Ali Mosque for prayers, and I am to take him on Sunday 

 to the Sheykh el Bekri and get Mohammed Abdu and other Sheykhs to 

 call on him, and we will put him in the right way to an introduction to 

 Sultan Abdul Hamid when he goes on to Constantinople. 



" 2nd April. — To Cairo, where I took the Sultan of Johore to 

 Sheykh el Bekri, acting for him as interpreter. This was a difficult 

 matter, as the poor old Sultan's English is hardly intelligible, and his 



