94 English Church Union with Islam [!904 



ment ; and as such it came to the knowledge of the Sultan. No names 

 had been mentioned in the published version, but the Turkish Am- 

 bassador in London was at once telegraphed to, and ordered to find 

 out those of the five signatories, and thus, without suspecting the 

 danger, Taylor let the Ambassador know, and all five were expelled 

 from Syria. Abdu, however, before leaving Damascus protested, and 

 had the opportunity of arguing the matter out with the authorities, and it 

 transpired that the reason of the Sultan's alarm had been the idea that 

 if England should be converted to Islam the English Sovereign would 

 ipso facto become the most powerful personage in it, and the Caliphate 

 would naturally devolve on Queen Victoria to the Ottoman prejudice. 



" $th April. — Lunched with Carton de Wiart, who gave me a deal 

 of information about official doings, not much to the credit of the 

 English administration [I do not transcribe them here]. Cromer, ac- 

 cording to him, has become very slack and careless since his new 

 marriage, and no longer takes the trouble to master the details. He 

 is largely under the influence of his Secretary, Boyle, who, in his 

 turn, is under the influence of the Nimr brothers, the Syrian editors 

 of the Mokattam newspaper, who provide him with the bulk of his 

 information on native affairs. Cromer at the same time has become 

 very obstinate, and nobody dares contradict him. I asked him about 

 the Khedive, and he confirmed to me all that Abdu had told me about 

 his speculations with Cassel, and he gave me a curious instance of His 

 Highness's lack of the sense of what is due to his position where money 

 matters are concerned. It appears that on the property he bought 

 some time ago from the heirs of Halim Pasha there was a certain 

 disreputable house let at a high rent, the payment of which was much 

 in arrear. It was desirable to close the house, but the Khedive, in 

 his eagerness to get in the money due, kept it open to its frequenters 

 for six months on his own account, putting in a man from his Daira 

 (Estate Office) to receive the profits. Cassel's is a very bad influence 

 for him, as he encourages him in all his irregularities. 



" He talked also about Cromer's quarrel with Gorst. Cromer dis- 

 approves his intimacy with Cassel, and had been also displeased be- 

 cause the Khedive went to Gorst's wedding. Gorst has left Egypt 

 now, but in Carton's view will return at the end of a year or so, 

 and get Cromer's place. I also went with Cockerell to the Museum, 

 and had an interesting talk with Maspero. 



" 10th April. — We have left Sheykh Obeyd for England. Yester- 

 day I wished Mohammed Abdu good-bye. He has written a letter 

 to Tolstoy which Anne is translating for him into English (see 

 Appendix). News has come of the Anglo-French Agreement about 

 Morocco and Egypt. I have been long expecting it. As to Egypt 

 the terms might have been worse, for the political status is untouched, 



