Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-28
Egypt and its Depo.ed Ruler.

Egypt and its DepOsed Ruler.
THE LATE KHKDIvE's MANIA FOR BUILDING.
ME- Edwin dc Leon, late consul-general in
Egypt, then member OF the Khedives cabinet.
ana since the author OF well-known work on
Egypt, discusses the Khedives recent coup
detGt IN the International Recie,p for July:
tine stranger who enters Egypt either at
alexandra or at Port Said at the mouth of the
ouez canal Is aStounded at the immense works
ana ana vast outlay made at either point At Port
said modern science and skin have accom.
pnshed that In which King Canute failed. and
nave compelled the sea to retire and Yield pos
required to build those sea walls. create thai
port, and cut the canal from sea to sea. Egynt
contributed fully e10, 0OO, OOO directly and indi
cana t BESIDES It's supplement, the Sweet Water
soo,o9O more: At Alexandria, the new harbor
a aa9 oocks, which now equal any In the world,
ana ana, AFFORD shelter and safety to foreign ship,
proDaDly reach H5, 1000, 600 when completed nv
Inc English contractors, who have them in
o ond XIV WIN lien upon them. About thous-
nave Deen constructed during the present reipn
aI an estimated cost OF 10000, OOO Including re.
ea a1s quarter n OF million sterling has been
Meoiterranean and Red Sea coasts. The intro
ouctlon OF gas and water works into Alexandra
ana caro-, both OF which are now well supplied
"a
sewerage paving, and Improvements in the latter
CITY, whose European quarter is now quite par.
i E having solid blocks of shops and dwelling
and sycamore trees OF the Ezbekieh. or central
park, have been estimated at e3.OOO 600 more
Inc khed1ve also established fleet OF mer-
ana esseee ns to Ply between Egypt
Ei,5oO,O0O. Besides these direct OUTLAWS the
khedlve mas redeemed about 500, 900 acres of
Ia ana aug several hundred miles of new IT.
nnCf nF
moIey, as well as In fellah flesh and
blood. 1T is impossible to compute.
Khad nns much lc 1t is possible TO pass to the
speak for themselves. But there is an opposite
s1de to the account, wherein he does not f1gure
80 wei IN familiar conversation with the
khedive said refiectively speaking in French
as he always does), Every man is mad on some
one subject. MY mania is for building, Fai
his passion for the acquisition of land was an
other OF his besetting SINS, whether on a large
scale In the way OF annexing Central African
dred thousand acres OF arabic land for himself
and family,-thOugh it must be added that he
has given up this latter property for the pur-
pose OF paying state debts. His passion for ter
as well as large one with AbysSinia, while his
lieutenant Gordon is still shooting and Staying
In the Soudan, under his authority. The cost
OF the Abyssinian campaigns must have been
very heavy indeed. His confessed craze for
building led him into erecting numerous pal
aces for himself and different members OF his
n1shed with utter disregard of expense How
many millions this taste has cost him no one
can tell nor even conjecture, but the sums eX-
pended must have been very great. He has
also another expensive mania: namely, for en-
pertaining. He thus found use for many pal
aces In affordiDg hospitality to foreign guests,
from the Prince of Wales down to the smallest
German or Austrian princelingS with more
pedigree than pocket money, lending them
steamers that they might pass the winter up
the Nile, and furnishing them with princely re
JlnueS He even extended such favOrS to his
own foreign employees, who were lodged In pal
aces and driven about In Khedivial equipages
During the winters he gave frequent and stump
sqSus e1seftai1menss to the foreign visitors
sand dinners and balls and splendid suppers
and allowed the young princes and cOurtiers TO
them, In very unOrtental style.
He caused not only fine opera house but also
French theatre to be erected at Cairo and en-
gagged Verdi to compose special opera aida
tunes (Which must have cost princes ransom
made from designs furnished by Mariette BAY
from the old hieroglyphs, and prepared at Paris
In his mode OF living, and that OF all the mem
bers Of his family no bounds were set to extrav-
agant expenditure and show.
THE RECENT COUP D'ETAT.
"Nuoar Pacha, the great reforming states
man, who was the Chief agent In establishing
the judicial tribunals and representative OF the
foreign influence In Egypt, has been dismissed
and his rival Cberif Pacha, the leader Of the
Turkish or retrograde policy, succeeds him as
prime minister. Eminent as he is for ability,
patriotism, and personal purity, Nubar has had
TO contend against the ill-will of the Khedive,
by reason OF his being an Armenian and Chris
tian and the supposed representative Of English
influence In Egypt, which latter suppositton mas
rendered the French influence cold IL not hos
tile to him. Such man OF course could ind no
place In an administration exclusively and jeal
ously nattve,-that is, Mahometan. 1t is a
curious fact, however, not generally known
that Egypt was once Christian country, and
remained so for term OF two hundred and
nifty. nine years. terminating A. D. $40, when
the followers Of the prophet invaded and occu.
pied 1t. The Copts boast that they were the
primitive Christians, and are still adhering to
their old faith, which does not disQualify them
from holding important offices in ali the depart
ments OF state, at the head OF all which, under
the coup det0t, are native mussuImans Hence
although Nuoar's race and creed have DOUBT
less some weight IN making him unpalatable to
g prejudice against him Is his sympathy with
active agency In fastening both on the country
What the DemOnM m n a Unus L.