The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-19 00:00:00

EGYPT.

A letter from Alexandria, dated September the
llth, says the Viceroy has returned from his voyage
in Upper Egypt, much pleased it is said with the
reception given him, his subjects having everywhere
received him with acclamations. He went only as
far as Esneh, instead of to Ass:►uan as reported.
His li,ghness is doing much to ameliorate the posi-
tion of the Fellahs, particularly in trying to lessen
the enormous amount of interest paid by the people
—3 and 4 per cent. a month ie no uncommon charge.

The Arab has a curious character ; the same man
who is paying interest at the rate of 36 per cent, a
year will spend £2O or £4O on a gold bracelet or
coins for his wife. I have heard of a woman
wearing £l3O in gold coins, plaited in among her
hair. The truth is, they have no saving banks of
any sort, they don't care for better dwellings than
their mud huts, furniture they would not know
what to do with ; and the only thing they do care
for, and which would make them save, is land,
which they cannot hold (save by the will of their
master, who can turn them off it at any moment),
so that there is no inducement fur them to expend
capital.

News 'From the Soudan reports that the Blue
Nile was at its full, the White Nile very high, and
that both, as well as the Karif, were rapidly rising,
while heavy rains were falling, and apprehension
was bit for the consequences in Middle and Lower
Egypt. The Government hare, however, take❑
every possible precaution ; banks have been
strenghened, dykes raised, and men stationed, day
and night, to watch. The Viceroy hus stated that
he has no fear it the water does not pass 25 pikes;
this would allow a rise of four or five feet more.
For some days the river has been stationary, but
it may rise at any moment during the next 18 or
20 days. A correspondent of mine, writing from
Minieb, above Cairo, describes the river as magni-
ficent, but adds that it has already swept away
several villages.

The murrain, unfortunately, still continues, and
will cause an immense loss to the country; it is
already estimated at £1,000,000 sterling.
Cotton is at very high prices, and the rich pro-
prietors who have hitherto kept back their stock
are now bringing it forward. Small pickings of the
new crop have begun to appear, both from Lower
Egypt and the new fields in Upper Egypt ; and it
is certain that with the stimulating effect of present
prices, every effort will be made to bring the crop
to market as soon as possible.

While up the Nile, the Viceroy received two
petitions, numerously signed by the Fellahs, beg-
ging that they might have the same facilities of
transport for their produce as the people of Lower
Egypt, and asking for railways. His Highness is
now having surveys made. The line is not to run
close by the edge of the river, but at some distance
inland. The section from Cairo to the Favioum
And Beni-Soueff, about 60 miles, will, it is believed,
be the one first made, and then probably another
from Assouan to Berber, to shorten the great bend
which the river makes there, and also to connect
the chain of communication between Cairo and the
Soudan, which is there broken by the rocky barriers
of the cataracts.

The line in the Delta from Tantah to Samanond
has just been prolonged as far as Talkha, a village
on the bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile,
opposite Mansourah, and the centre of a great cotton
growing district. This has been opened just in
time to facilitate the transport of cotton to Alex-
andria.