166 Again in Egypt [ J 894 



cally and looks at things as going badly, regarding Gorst's appointment 

 to the Ministry of the Interior as a new encroachment. 



" 30th Nov. — Sheykh Mohammed Abdu to lunch with us. He tells 

 me the Khedive's ideas are unchanged since last year, that he is still 

 bitter against Cromer and the Occupation, that his visit to England 

 was prevented last summer by the Sultan, and much else. The Khe- 

 dive is very kind to him, Abdu, now, and gave him a private audience 

 of thirty-five minutes, and he has obtained his long-wished for grant 

 of £2,000 a year for the Azhar University. A committee is to be 

 appointed to see to the spending of the sum. We talked over old 

 events and he gave me again the history of the Mufettish Ismail Sadyk's 

 murder by Ishak Bey on board the Khedive's steamer. Ishak strangled 

 him with his own hands. He says this was certainly done on the river, 

 immediately after Ismail Sadyk's arrest by the Khedive Ismail 

 opposite the Jesireh palace. He told us the story of Ali Pasha Sherif's 

 slavery adventure. Ali Pasha Sherif had been recently arrested by 

 our people on a charge of slave dealing, he being the oldest and most 

 respectable personage perhaps in Egypt, and President of the Legisla- 

 tive Council. The Pasha had behaved very foolishly, Abdu said, 

 ' like a child.' The truth was he is in his dotage and has become 

 foolishly attached to a woman on whom he spends his time and money, 

 and it was for her that he had bought the slaves, and he told us also 

 of Nubar's moneymaking schemes now he is in office, and of other 

 scandals that have taken place during the summer. 



" $th Dec. — Had luncheon with Riaz. He tells me the Khedive's 

 politics have not changed at all since last year. He (Abbas) hates 

 Nubar, and is sorry now, ' poor young man,' for the mistake he made 

 in allowing Cromer to change his Ministry. He would have gone 

 to England in the summer, but was prevented by a French intrigue 

 acting on the Sultan. He lamented the usurpation of new authority 

 by Lord Cromer in the Ministry of the Interior, etc., etc. 



" lotli Dec. — Saw the Khedive at Abdin Palace. He received me 

 cordially, even affectionately, and on my congratulating him on a 

 domestic event expected in his family, and which had been announced, 

 said : ' Yes, it came upon us quite as a surprise. Now I shall marry 

 her. I wished to do so once, but when I consulted our religious au- 

 thorities they told me I must wait till the child was born. But I will 

 marry her the very day afterwards, this is according to rule.' I said : 

 'There was no pleasure in life like that of being a father, and hoped 

 that his son would be a blessing to him.' He is evidently in the high- 

 est delight. Then he talked of his journey to Europe, and thanked 

 me for my letter about the Prince of Wales. ' I should have liked to 

 go to England,' he said, ' but was prevented at Constantinople. It is 

 impossible to do anything with him (meaning the Sultan). Will you 



