136 Abbas Explains [1894 



Abbas sitting under some trees near the stables, looking at Arab mares 

 which were being paraded before him. With him was the old Sou- 

 danese Mohammed Taher, whom the Khedive introduced to me as a 

 loyal Shaggia. W 7 e talked first about the horses, six of them, for which 

 Abbas said he was offering £800. But only two of them were good 

 ones. These were a brown mare, like our Queen of Sheba, and a little 

 grey with a fine shoulder, perfectly level back, and tail grandly carried. 



" Presently the young Khedive began on politics. He went through 

 the whole story of the frontier incident and Riaz' resignation, and his 

 appointment of Nubar. As to the first his account was much what I 

 had already heard. He said that it was originally a quarrel between 

 Kitchener and Maher Pasha — that when Maher was appointed Under 

 Secretary at the War Office, Kitchener had tried to persuade him to 

 refuse, but Maher had persisted, though his pay was reduced thereby 

 from £120 to £100 a month. When Abbas started for the frontier, 

 Kitchener had tried to prevent Maher going with him. However, all 

 went well till the famous review at Wady Haifa when he had found 

 fault with the second battalion, and had told the English officer that 

 his battalion had done very badly — this in the presence of Kitchener 

 and eleven officers, some English, some Egyptian. Afterwards he had 

 had a private talk with Kitchener, and had told him it was a shame good 

 Egyptian troops should be so badly handled, and Kitchener had tend- 

 ered his resignation. But the Khedive had begged him not to take it in 

 so serious a way, and the resignation was withdrawn and the thing 

 ended. 



" After this they travelled two days together on excellent terms, till 

 on the third they came to Assouan. There the Khedive wanted to 

 telegraph to Riaz, but found the wires occupied by Kitchener. Never- 

 theless he sent his telegram to Riaz, telling him what had occurred and 

 that it was of no importance. Later, Kitchener came to him and asked 

 him to send two words of commendation to the officers of the frontier 

 garrison before leaving, as he said the officers were offended and were 

 tendering their resignations. The Khedive asked him whether he 

 wished to make a political question of it, and asserted that it was within 

 his prerogative to send or not to send such a message. To which Kitch- 

 ener replied that he was not sure whether it was so. Nevertheless the 

 dispute ended in Kitchener's promising to say no more about it. Riaz 

 had been weak in allowing his hand to be forced. As to the change of 

 Ministry, Abbas said that when he had seen Lord Cromer he had con- 

 sulted him as to whom he should send for, and Lord Cromer had said 

 Nubar. Abbas had objected that he was a Christian, Lord Cromer 

 had advised against a Christian Prime Minister last year. Lord C. 

 then said there was no choice unless the Khedive would like Mustafa 

 Fehmi. The Khedive then proposed Fakri and Mazlum. But Lord 



