THE KHEDIVAL DOMAIN. 359 



land still remains none the less at the mercy of the State. He holds it only on 

 sufferance, nor are the rights of his heirs acknowledged until they show them- 

 selves capable of cultivating the estate bequeathed to them and paying the imposts. 

 If they want to change their karajieh lands to an absolute property, they can do 

 so only on condition of paying in advance a six years' tax, either in a lump sum or 

 by instalments. Besides a safe title, these anticipated disbursements relieve them 

 in future from half of the land-tax. The icakf (uakiif) estates belonging to the 

 mosques or schools will probably ere long change hands in part, if not altogether. 

 The confiscation of this mortmain property might enable the Government to cover 

 the present annual deficits. 



The Khedival Domain. 



Officially the largest landed estate in Egyjat might seem to be that of the 

 Khedive. But this domain, the so-called dairah-sanieh, having been mortgaged to 

 European lenders since the year 1878, is administered by a commission, whose 

 headquarters are not in Egypt, and the real owners are at present the European 

 bankers. A considerable portion of the estate is rented to speculators, who sub-let 

 to the peasantry. Certain parcels are directly ceded to the labourers ; but a large 

 part of the daïrah, which would certainly be brought under cultivation if in the 

 hands of the fellahin, is allowed to lie fallow. For direct exploitation the creditors 

 of the Khedive have recourse either to hired labourers, or to agents and " middle- 

 men," who arrange with the village headmen for the hands required to till the land. 

 Their work is remunerated by a regular pittance, or by personal gifts made to the 

 gangers. All systems of payment are nicely graded, from the giatuitous corvée to 

 the amount of direct wages freely determined between employer and labourer. 

 But so many intermediaries have to receive a share of the profits in the cultivation 

 of the khedival domain, so many interests claim compensation for their 

 " disinterested " services in the " regeneration of Egypt," that the revenues of 

 these otherwise extremely fertile lands are frittered away to little over twenty 

 shillings an acre. There is even a yearly deficit if to the current expenses be added 

 the interest due on previous debts.* 



Irrigation — The Inundations of the Nile. 



To the contrast between the estates of large proprietors and the karajieh holdings 

 of small owners corresponds in many places the contrast between the systems of irri- 

 gation. In this respect it is necessary carefully to distinguish between the so-called 



* State of the Khedival domaia at ihe date of the cession, October 31, 18 78 : — 



Acres directly cultivated 192,560 



„ leased 134,300 



,, granted to the peasantry 37,670 



„ waste or fallow 82,350 



446,880 



