THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. :og 



details, dwelling upon the principal facts and argu- 

 ments set out in my memorandum, which I had by heart. 

 Mohammed Said listened with evident interest to what 

 I had to say, and I begged him if there were any 

 points which did not seem clear to him to mention 

 them to me. He, with considerable intelligence, 

 raised a few objections, with respect to which I was 

 able to satisfy him, as he at last said to me : ' I am 

 convinced ; I accept your plan ; we will concern our- 

 selves during the rest of our expedition as to the means 

 of carrying it out. You may regard the matter as 

 settled, and trust to me.' Thereupon he summoned 

 his generals, bade them seat themselves upon some 

 folding chairs which were just in front of the divan, 

 and repeated the conversation we had had together, 

 asking them to give their opinions as to the proposals 

 of his ' friend,' as he was pleased to call me to these 

 improvised advisers, better suited to give an opinion 

 as to a cavalry manoeuvre than a gigantic enterprise, 

 the significance of which they were incapable of un- 

 derstanding. They stared at me and looked as if they 

 thought that their master's friend, whom they had just 

 seen put his horse over a wall, could not be other wise 

 than right, they raised their hands to their heads as 

 their master spoke in sign of assent. 



" The dinner was brought in upon a salver, and 

 just as we had all been of one assent, so we all dipped 

 our spoons into one and the same tureen, which con- 

 tained some excellent soup. Such is the faithful and 



