SUEZ. 
349 
assist him in escaping ; and that were he there, he would do the 
same himself, and that he would make her suffer if any thing hap- 
pened to him. Soon afterwards, on being told the way that Elfi 
had escaped, Osman sent for Ghedid, and accused him of having 
assisted his enemy. He replied, " You know, Osman Bey, I have 
been three days here with you, how then is it possible that I could 
do so ?" " Well then," said Osman, " It was your wife that did so." 
" It was," replied Ghedid." " Elfi demanded protection from her, 
and she only did her duty — ^had she done otherwise, I would have 
cut her head off with this sabre, though you know Elfi was never a 
friend of mine. He declared to me that he certainly would have 
done so, as she would have dishonoured his name. He frequently 
spoke of his family ; told us, laughing, he had four wives who 
beat him, and that he wished we would give him something to 
make him strong. He had one son and two daughters. I told 
him I would visit him. He said nothing would make him so 
happy ; that he would give me plenty to eat, a horse to ride, and a 
tent to sleep in; but that he had nothing to drink but water. 
He said he was called the English Schech •— that he loved the 
English, and only wished that they had the country, instead of 
the Turks, who were all rascals. The Mamelukes were bad enough, 
but not so bad as they. He urged me frequently to tell him 
why we had not kept it, and when we meant to return. He 
assured me, that all the Arab tribes were most anxious for us, but 
that they would be glad even to have the French, in preference to 
their present masters. An assertion which I firmly believe, for the 
common people were certainly in a much better situation under 
the Freqch government ; for the impositions were then less, and 
