THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 177 



about to be raised, and in the twinkling of an eye 

 thousands of tents are struck and placed upon the 

 camels' backs. This large caravan denies past us, 

 leaving Lake Mareotis in its rear and taking the 

 desert road, looking like a large piece of ribbon being 

 unwound. The infantry regiments are formed in 

 three columns, with sharpshooters on either side, 

 followed by the artillery and cavalry. The Viceroy 

 follows on horseback, with me to his right, and Selim 

 Pasha, the general of cavalry, to his left. Selim is 

 one of the former students of the school of Giseh, 

 whom I remember entering the service in 1833 under 

 the French Colonel Varin. We gallop off from the 

 hill on which we were to a plateau just opposite, and 

 we watch the army defiling below us, the soldiers 

 cheering and brandishing their muskets as they pass 

 before the Yiceroy, the cuirassiers, wearing the 

 ancient Sarrazin helmets, which glittered in the sun ; 

 looking remarkably well. After the march past we 

 took our places at the head of the army, preceded by 

 a dozen Bedouin horsemen who acted as scouts. 

 There had been no army on the march in this region 

 since the expedition of General Bonaparte, whose 

 brave troops underwent great hardships, where we 

 were merely making a military promenade, with every 

 conceivable comfort provided for us. 



11 Upon arriving at our halting-place for the night, 

 the Yiceroy sent to say that he was tired and was 

 going to bed ; but that he would send me the dinner 



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