Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-07-01

ter, and even lard, unclean to all Moham.
medaus, from Europe. This created a
temporary branch Of trade, wherein the
Spectators made enormous fortunes out
of the necessities Of the people-just as
they do in certain other lands The scar.
city Of animal power led to the introduction
ofsmall portable stcamengines for pumping
water, and Of cctton-gius. But engineers,
machnists for repairs, and especially fuel,
were difficult to be had and very exren.
sive: had the price Of cotton kept up, the
natives might have overcome this diff
Guilty, but the most of them lost heart
with their FIRST rovcrses, and castaway
steamengine, rusting in ditch, is now a
common enough sight.
Most of the Fellahs were simply made
wild by their sudden accession of wealth.
Some of them built new houses, out of all
proportion to their landed property others
invested in CircasSian or Abyssinian slave
girls; but the most bought arms, golden
ornaments and jewelry. BY and by tn,
rise in the cost Of all necessaries of life
bagan to diminish the profits. Then came
the end Of our war; but the imaginative,
credulous Egyptian still believed that his
age of gold would last. He borrowed,
generally ON the most exorbitant terms /;
the meshes gathered about him. and in a
year or two more he was little else than a
beggar.
The Khedive turned this state of things
to his own Immense profit. He entered
the field as leader on a large scale, as a
purchaser Of mortgages which were always
foreclosed when due. and as q wholesale
customer for the soil of Egypt. First
the small farmers, then the large laud-own.
ers, saw their estates transferred to him,
then the intervening tracts were acquired
by threats or persuasion, at low price,
until entire districts passed into tho vice
regal hands. 1t is difficult to say how
much Of Egypt has In this manner become
the Khedives private property some
persons assert that it is one half the pro-
ductive SOIL The free Fellahs are thus
converted into mere laborers, or tenants
at will, and more than ever subject TO
that arbitrary exercise Of power which
already seized upon them for special ser.
vice, when it was judged necessary.
The production of cotton, although it
has somewhat fallen off since 1865, re-
mains still much greater than formerly. In
1871, it was about 400, 900 bales. The
production of sugar from cane is also in
crcasipg rapidly, but as the Khedive's
private speculation. An Ango-Lndiau
indigo planter is here, at present., in the
same interest. He failed to find the prop.
er conditions for indigo culture in the
Delta. and has gone TO the Fyoom.
We must not rashly declare that such
experiments and innovations, dictated by
personal interest and form of ambition
which is really unusual 10 the Orient,
will neither educate nor benefit the people.
They will probably do both; but the con-
centration of the ownership of the soil in
the hands of the ruler. is a serious and
dangerous evil. Tie Khedive is liberal,
often splendidly generous, with his means;
not common avarice, but the love of pow
er, the necessity Of display, prompted hun
to take advantage Of the thoughtfuuess Of
the people. 1t was sad mistake, for, to
their minds, it adds deliberate injury to
his former neglect.
On the other hand, something is being
done for their education, and herein the
foreign residents have assisted to the ex.
tent of their means and opportunities. At
the close of Mohammed Ais reign, there
were 5000 children in the elementary
schools of Egypt; there are now 1000,
but of these only 3,0lS are girls. This
is one scholar to every 973 of the whole
population. | have noticed that the
younger Egyptian officials who have been
tolerably educated are impatient of the
stupidity of their ignorant countrymen,
and are far more Inclined to look upon
them with contempt than willing 10 join
In measures for their Improvement.
In regard to religion, greater tolcr-
ancc certainly prevails in Cairo and along
the valley of the Nile The Khedives
own liberality in this respect is of course
initiated by nearly tho whole body of his
civil servants, and the later impress some
thing Of it upon the people. But if he
had taken pains to make himself respected
and beloved by the latter, as was his pre-.
dscessor, he might have already snapped
the remaining preiudices Of Islam. !
was little surprised. on my arrival here,
to Gud no sign of rampant orthodox
sentiment--a religious protest against acts
and habits which were once supposed to-
bring deflement. | have since learned