ALI BEY'S CHARGER A REGIMENTAL PARADE. 40 7 
a circular ring placed round the lower jaw. If the 
ribbon-like rein was slightly pressed, the animal, from 
the utmost speed, was in an instant sent on his 
haunches, and continuous working of the bit put him 
into fits of high spirit. I thought from this instance 
of horse-management that we have still a good deal 
to learn in England ; for there was no pace or figure 
that this animal would not go through, even if a child 
were upon his back. We were brought by Ali Bey to 
see his private house and family. The ladies, how- 
ever, did not appear. Ajim carpets and luxurious 
couches filled his suite of upper rooms ; all had been 
brought from Cairo by boat and across the desert. In 
his Turkish politeness, he said whatever we fancied 
was ours ! He paraded five hundred troops in line 
one morning for our amusement. They were black 
sturdy young men, out of mixed races from the Sou- 
dan, and were armed with flint-muskets. The uniform 
was a white suit, jacket and loose trousers, cross-belts 
covered with calico. In putting them through the 
platoon exercise, the officer in front stood giving the 
commands, which were repeated by another officer 
in the ranks. They went through the exercise with 
perfect uniformity, quite as well as any sepoy regi- 
ment. Their passing in review and forming squares 
required considerable practice ; but these were mere 
lads, recruits, Ali Bey remarked ; and the old trained 
soldiers, from ten to fifteen thousand in number, 
were at present on a tour with the governor of the 
Soudan, Musa Pascha. Every Saturday, Sunday, and 
Monday morning they parade for exercise, and march 
through the town, headed by an excellent bugle or 
drum and fife band. 
