1 82 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



and which, will prove very embarrassing to the 

 artillery. 



" At two o'clock the Viceroy arrives, followed by his 

 battalion of chasseurs, and upon my going to see him 

 I hear that he has given orders for ten steamers to be 

 collected at Neguileh, upon the Mle, where we shall 

 be to-morrow, and he tells me that when on the 

 steamer he shall want me to read him my memorandum 

 upon the Suez Canal. 



" The Viceroy being about to go to bed, on 

 account of our early start in the morning, I left him 

 and dined in my tent with Halim and the generals." 



" November 20, 1854. 



" The Viceroy did not get up so early as he had 

 intended, for he had passed a bad night. News having 

 been brought to him that the artillery could not get 

 through the sand, and that several horses were already 

 dead of fatigue, he sent reinforcements, and by dint of 

 hard work the guns were got through. 



" At eight preparations were made for a start, and 

 while our tent was being struck an eagle came and 

 hovered over us. Zulfikar handed me his gun, and 

 aiming at it, I brought the bird down dead at my feet. 

 If I mention this incident, so insignificant in itself, 

 it is because it is destined to have an influence upon 

 public opinion in Egypt as regards the success of 

 my enterprise. We mount our horses and accompany 

 the Viceroy to a village, where we alight under the 



