148 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



translated. He followed them up afterwards, and if 

 there had been no English expedition the Soudan 

 would not be, as it is now, a standing menace to 

 Egypt. These are historical facts which I am stating, 

 and which are not to be had elsewhere. 



I thought that the opportunity was a favourable one 

 for disclosing all that occurred in Egypt. Since then, 

 being in London at the time of the English expedition, 

 I learnt that Alexandria was about to be bombarded. 

 No one else knew of it, so I came at once back to 

 Paris and begged MM. de Ereycinet and Eerry to 

 come from the Elyse'e, where a Cabinet Council was 

 being held, I said to them, "I warn you that Alex- 

 andria, which we have created, and which, thanks to 

 the engineers, sailors, &c., whom we have sent out, 

 has prospered, is about to be bombarded. Well, France 

 must not be responsible for the carnage. When I 

 knew it, it had a population of 45,000 ; now it has 

 200,000 inhabitants. It was created by Erance, and 

 we cannot bombard it." A telegram was then sent 

 to our fleet, ordering it to withdraw. I relate all 

 these facts, as they are but little known. Our Govern- 

 ment, which behaved very straightforwardly in the 

 matter, quite understood the situation, and could have 

 no part or lot in the destruction of the town. 



The prosperity of Egypt dates from the expedition 

 of Bonaparte and the arrival of the Erench in the 

 country, and now it is on the high road to ruin. I do 

 not scruple, when I am in England, to tell the English 



