292 



EGYPT. 



The Commissioners of the Caisse began ac- 

 tions in the international courts against the 

 provincial governors, and, at a later period, 

 against Nubar Pasha and the ministers. On 

 September 25 the diplomatic representatives of 

 Germany, Austria, France, and Russia, pre- 

 sented to Nubar Pasha an identical note pro- 

 testing against the suspension of the sinking 

 fund. Italy joined in the protest later. The 

 Treasury showed at this time a budget deficit 

 of 198,000, or, with the estimated deficit for 

 October, of 231,000, and had no money to 

 pay salaries and other present demands. Ger- 

 many and Russia presented in December a 

 claim to appoint delegates on the Public Debt 

 Commission, in order to watch over the inter- 

 ests of their subjects. The suits of the Com- 

 mission of the Caisse against the Government 

 and against the ministers and the mudirs of 

 the assigned provinces, and administrators of 

 railways and customs, individually were decided 

 in favor of the Caisse, condemning the Govern- 

 ment to return the moneys illegally collected. 

 In October the ministry ordered the payment 

 of the assigned revenues to be made again to 

 the debt commissioners. 



New English Financial Proposals. The financial 

 scheme reported by Lord North brook upon his 

 return from Egypt, proposed that England 

 should guarantee the new loan and should pay 

 the cost of the army of occupation out of the 

 British Treasury, while the interest on the 

 Egyptian debt would remain what it was. 

 This was naturally rejected, as it was directly 

 opposed to the views of the advanced Liberals. 

 In November, with the assistance of Mr. Go- 

 schen, new financial proposals were worked out 

 and were laid before the powers, Nov. 29. The 

 essential features of the new proposals were the 

 reduction of the interest of the unified debt by 

 fa per cent., and the conversion of the Daira 

 loans into unified stock, making the total loan 

 65,000,000 at 3i per cent. ; the transfer to 

 the privileged debt of the domain loan, and the 

 addition of a new loan of 4,000,000, issued at 

 110, for the payment of the Alexandria indem- 

 nities; making altogether 35,000,000 at 5 per 

 cent. ; the reduction of the interest on the Suez 

 Canal shares held by England from 5 to 4 per 

 cent. ; the issue of a loan of 5,000,000 at 3 

 per cent, guaranteed by England, and secured 

 on the domain and Daira estates, to be admin- 

 istered by Englishmen ; the fixing of the cost 

 of administration at 5,000,000, including the 

 120,000 for the army of occupation. The 

 surplus of expenditure over and above this sum 

 the English Government undertook to defray 

 out of its own means, unless there should be a 

 residue of revenue. In such case the surplus 

 revenue would be divided pro rata to make up 

 the curtailed interest on the unified debt and 

 the cost of military occupation beyond 120,- 

 000 a year. No answer whatever had been re- 

 turned by the powers to the British proposals 

 at the close of the year. 



The Battle of Tokar. After the annihilation of 



Gen. Hicks's army near El Obeid, Nov. 2, 1883, 

 Baker Pasha, organizer of the gendarmerie 

 that was substituted for the disbanded Egyp- 

 tian army, was sent by the Egyptian Govern- 

 ment to Suakin, to uphold the authority of 

 the Khedive on the coast, relieve the garrisons 

 at Tokar and Sinkat, and keep the Suakin- 

 Berber line of communication open. His army 

 was composed of much the same material as 

 Hicks Pasha's Arabi's disbanded soldiers, who 

 had no heart in the struggle, and were only 

 ruled by fear. The influence of Osman Digma, 

 the leader of the Nubian insurrection, now ex- 

 tended through all the region from the Nile to 

 the sea. Supplies could be bought from some 

 of the Arab communities, but for fidelity or 

 active assistance none could be relied upon. 

 Baker's army was not quite 4,000 strong, com- 

 posed of the fellah and negro infantry, and 

 Egyptian and Arab cavalry, a troop of Turkish 

 cavalry, a small body of Italian volunteers, re- 

 cruited from the Alexandria police force, a 

 small number of Turkish foot - soldiers, and 

 some native Soudanese, recruited in Massowah. 

 Baker Pasha made a reconnoissance the 21st 

 of January in the direction of Tokar, and suc- 

 ceeded in routing a large body of rebels, slay- 

 ing several hundred. He delayed his inarch 

 for another week, then advanced with the main 

 part of his command to Trinkitat in steamers, 

 landing February 1. It was necessary to con- 

 struct fortifications to protect the landing of 

 the artillery and materials, which arrived and 

 were brought upon dry land, across a marshy 

 shore, on the 3d. The fortified camp was about 

 2^ miles south of the haven. At dawn on the 

 4th they set out on the road to Tokar. The 

 Egyptian cavalry headed the column, to support 

 the line of skirmishers. The Turkish troopers 

 brought up the rear, guarding the baggage- 

 train. The artillery, consisting of Krupp and 

 Gatling batteries, was near the front, between 

 the two Egyptian regiments. Six or seven 

 miles out the firing of scouts showed the pres- 

 ence of the enemy. Twice the column halted 

 and tired bombs from the Krupp guns in the 

 direction of the enemy. Suddenly the Nubians 

 appeared on the left flank. Baker ordered the 

 Turkish cavalry to attack. While this move- 

 ment was carried out, the enemy assailed the 

 front and left wing. Gen. Sartorius was or- 

 dered to form the infantry into a square, with 

 the baggage and camels in the middle. Two 

 companies of the Alexandria battalion refused 

 to obey orders. The square was got into shape 

 at length, but was of little avail. The soldiers 

 fired without aiming. Many balls from the 

 right side of the square, which was not at- 

 tacked at all, struck the soldiers in the front. 

 The Egyptian cavalry on the left, after firing 

 off their carbines in all directions, ran away in 

 mad fright. This started the panic in the in- 

 fantry. The formation melted into a confused 

 mob. At the spot where the two Alexandria 

 companies stood paralyzed with fear, the Arabs 

 broke through the lines, driving the Egyptians 





