360 Timid Egyptian Patriots [1911 



the right way of doing things. The Khedive ought to issue a proclama- 

 tion to his people and show himself their leader. It is clear, however, 

 that Abbas has no stomach for strong measures. In Egypt they are 

 all dreadfully afraid of personal loss. If they are patriotic, the Nile 

 water would be cut off from their estates, and other material injuries 

 be inflicted on them. Abaza had had a personal quarrel with Gorst, 

 and it was Gorst who had intrigued against his election for the Legis- 

 lative Council. Abaza is pessimistic, but he reassured me on two 

 points : , 



"(1) There is no party anywhere in Egypt favourable to the 

 Occupation, unless it be with the foreigners and some of the Copts. 

 (2) The Porte will never consent to make over Egypt to England 

 in any legal way, nor in his opinion with Europe. It is against the 

 Khedive personally that the anger is, and the danger of the Porte's play- 

 ing into English hands. Gorst was never in earnest about reforms, 

 and was never really friendly to Egypt. I asked him whether the 

 Khedive had not sufficient patriotism to disregard his material advan- 

 tage, but all he could say was that if the Khedive could be sure that 

 it would profit the country he would make the sacrifice, but at present 

 he was convinced that nothing he could do would change the situation. 

 It is this lack of real patriotism that stands in their way. These rich 

 men hate the English Occupation, but will run no risks to get rid of 

 it. 



" yth Aug. (Sunday). — To Storrington to call on Miss Gordon, 

 General Gordon's niece, who is the acknowledged authority on all 

 Gordon matters. She had read my account of the digging up of 

 the Mahdi's body in 1899, as published at the time, and said it was 

 quite correct, except that the Mahdi's head was really buried again in 

 the desert. Two officers, she said, took it out with them when the 

 trouble about it had been made in Parliament and buried it by night in 

 the open desert, some miles away ; they themselves did not know 

 exactly where, so they could not have found it again if they had tried. 

 She said this in so positive a manner that I feel sure her brother (Bill 

 Gordon) must have been one of the two. All the rest of the story 

 she confirmed in every particular. Bill had been specially employed 

 by Kitchener to do the work of destroying the dome by blowing it up 

 after it had been shelled, but he had had nothing to do with the digging 

 up of the body, which was a piece of rowdyism done at night by 

 some of the young officers. These kept the head, and gave it to 

 Kitchener, who entrusted it to Bill to take down with him to Cairo 

 when he returned there, where it was deposited, she believes, at a 

 bank, Kitchener's intention being to present it to a Museum, at least 

 so it was supposed. Bill was immensely disgusted at the whole busi- 

 ness. She talked with great enthusiasm about her brother, almost 



