144 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



petitions from every quarter, and had seen villages 

 which had been burnt down and never rebuilt, adding 

 that it was so sad a sight that he preferred to return 

 at once to Egypt. I told him that he could not, enlight- 

 ened ruler as he was, do this, and that it was his duty 

 to give just laws to the inhabitants and introduce 

 municipal institutions. 



This cheered him a little, and we went on to Chendi, 

 the very spot where his brother had been massacred. 

 It is most remarkable how rapidly men can be got 

 together in this country. You send out some mes- 

 sengers on dromedaries, and in the course of a few 

 days you have assembled more than 100,000 men. 

 I found a tent all ready for me at Chendi, and 

 the Viceroy prepared me for a wonderful sight the 

 next morning. And there, sure enough, were 100,000 

 men who had been collected in the space of three or 

 four days, and whom he harangued as follows : " I 

 have just learnt that the Turkish Sheik, who has 

 governed this country for the last twenty years, has 

 slaves confined at his residence, in disobedience of my 

 orders. There is one slave chained up in his cellar. 

 Go and release him." He then had the Sheik placed 

 face to the ground before the assembled people, pre- 

 paratory to flogging him and loading him with the 

 chains which his slave had been wearing. This pro- 

 duced such an effect that the multitude shouted, 

 " Allah ! Allah ! Long live the Khedive ! " He then 

 said to them, "You see those forts which my father 



