1900] The Khedive on the Scnussia 363 



med Abdu also waiting- for an audience. He introduced me to Mo- 

 hammed Pasha Shukri, the Khedive's Turkish secretary, and other 

 functionaries, all very amiable, as they had heard of the shipwreck 

 and how I had brought the pilgrim case forward. 



" Abbas received me with affection, and we had a most intimate 

 and interesting conversation. It began about the pilgrim traffic, as to 

 the better regulation of which he promised help. Then he went on 

 to talk of his journey to the Western oasis. He told me that he had 

 been extremely well received by the Senussia, and had found out 

 everything he wanted to know about them. Their principle of con- 

 duct, he said, was to obey the law in all countries where they resided. 

 In the Zaghwiyahs nothing was permitted to be done which could bring 

 them into conflict with the Government. Although they imported arms 

 and ammunition, largely from Egypt, these never passed through the 

 Zaghwiyahs, but through individuals, generally poor men, so that if 

 discovered it would not bring them discredit. In the Zaghwiyahs 

 nothing compromising would be found. He assured me, however, that 

 the Arabs of the Western tribes, all of whom belonged to the brother- 

 hood, were well armed with Martini rifles ; the brothers were very 

 particular whom they would talk to ; they would trust no Christian, 

 and no Moslem who served a Christian, as, for instance, no Egyptian 

 soldier, because the Sirdar and officers were Christians, also no Mos- 

 lem who did not pray and openly show himself such. He was evi- 

 dently much impressed by their strength and their organization, and by 

 the instruction and high character of their leading men. All this seems 

 to tally with what Mohammed Abdu told me lately of the Khedive's 

 having become ' superstitious and opposing Liberal reform in the Az- 

 har on the ground that he feared to lose the prayers of the old-fashioned 

 faithful.' 



" He then talked of his intended visit to England. I advised him 

 to talk frankly to everybody, and promised to do what little I could 

 personally to dispose people in his favour. Lastly, he told me Lord 

 Cromer had spoken to him about allowing Arabi to return to Egypt, 

 but he had a grief on this head against Lord Cromer, inasmuch as 

 Cromer had refused to allow his grandfather, Ismail, to come back 

 and die in Egypt. Ismail was suffering from cancer, and only asked 

 to see Cairo before he died, but Cromer had refused, why then should 

 he now come to him and say, ' Let Arabi return.' We stood together 

 discussing this matter for some time, as I was going out, and it ended 

 by his promising or half promising to grant Arabi's pardon. Another 

 farewell visit was to my old friend and neighbour, Sheykh Hassan 

 Abu Tawil, now very near his end. I found him ($th April) like 

 Job upon his bed, surrounded with comforters, a mere skeleton, too 

 feeble to rise. I asked him whether he had had the doctor to see him, 



