OBSERVATIONS, kc. 
413 
under Mr. Lesseps, who succeeded in creating a mortal enmity 
between Osman Bey and Elfi Bey, by exciting the former to assassi- 
nate the latter, on his return from England, under an idea that he 
was come with a sufficient European force to place him at the head 
of the government. On finding afterwards that Osman Bey was in- 
clined to throw himself upon the protection of the Engh'sh, he 
bribed Mohammed Ali and Achmed Bey, two Albanian chiefs, to 
revolt from the Beys, and to drive them from Cairo. This scheme 
proved successful, and Egypt became, as the French government 
wished, divided under three masters. A detail of all the events 
which led to this, and of the different intrigues by which the revo- 
lutions were accomplished, would occupy a much greater space than 
my Umits will allow. The result has been, that one of the finest 
countries on the globe is sinking under the severest oppression. 
Mohammed Ali Pacha rules over lower Egypt from a little above 
Cairo to the sea, including the Delta, Damietta, and Rosetta ; he 
is, decidedly, a man of talent, but is necessarily the slave of the 
undisciplined freebooters whom he ostensibly commands, and is 
obliged to plunder the defenceless natives, to gratify their rapa- 
city; for his revenue is by no means equal to his expenditure, even 
with all the additions which requisitions from the Arabs, and 
exactions from the merchants, can bring into his coffers. The trade 
that was formerly carried on, through Egypt, with the interior of 
Africa, is now at an end, and even the commerce with Jidda is 
greatly diminished from the dread of the immoderate extortion 
under which the merchant labours. 
Upper Egypt is in possession of the Beys, nominally under the 
command of Ibrahim Bey, to whom the title of Schech el Belled 
VOL. nr. 3 p 
