Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-08-04
THE WAR IN EGYPT.
Scene ofthc Recent Outrages.

city than those Of Alexandria. Is the capital
Of the Gorbecyeh provinces in the Delta. The
city is flfty-four miles north Of Cairo, on the
Cairo and Alexandria railroad and is the
third city In Egypt. Its population Is vari-
ously estimated at from 10000 TO 100000
souls. In the military operations doubtless
soon to follow, Taniah will become an i'm
portant strategical point, and n rallying CEN
tire for the adherents of Arabi for this unique
city is the capital of religious fanaticism in
Lower Egypt. Its situation in about the
middle of the Delta renders it easily access-
bic to those who 60 there on the tricnnial re-
ligious pigrimages to celebrate the birth
place of q great Moslem saint, the Seyyd
Ahmad El-Bedawee. The greatest of these
festivals which is near the end of the Chris
tian year, attracts more pilgrims than
any other In Egypt, and in this
Mecca. They arc characterized by debauch
cry, crime and riot, and exceed in this re-
spect the rcvelties of Bubastis aud Campus.
Few Christians ever attend the mammoth
gathering known among the Franks rs the
"Tantah Fair" because of the danger attend
ing intercourse with fanatics maddencd with
the potent Araki beverage brewed from
rice. 1t was singular spectacle to be in the
midst of one Of the huge assemblies, number
ing as high as 800, 900 souls, coming from
every part of Syria, Arabia, even India and
Northern Africa, and particularly at night by
their rude camp fires, beating on the toni
tom, singing rude negro and Egyptian chants,
telling fortunes, with the howlng dervishes
sending forth the most hideous and ear
rending bowls while whiring in their mad
dening testimony of fealty to the Mos.em
God. 1t can be imagined that when some
times SOC, 900 strangers have thus gathered
on the plain of Tantah with water by no
means plenty and with the modern Egyptian
by no means disposed to use it, that clcanli-
ness would not be a prevailing virtue. In
fact, it is doubtful if any camp city was ever
the theatre of so much general and personal
filth, with all Of its consequences, as the chief
pilgrimage in honor of the patron saint of
Tautah.
AS consequence epidemic and contagious
fevers spread all over the Delta provinces are
carried by the rail to Cairo, Alexandria and
Suez, and large mortality ensues, for the
modern Egyptian and the Bedouin are the
most helpless of mortals when sick. Mem
bers of their medical profession would
scarcely be allowed to treat swine in Ameri-
ca and the natives have great reluctance,
on account of religious scruples, to being
treated by Christian. 1t is this Moham-
medan business of pilgrmages which gives
rise and has caused, time out of mind, the
great pestilenccs sweeping over the earth
from the neighborhoods of Medina, Mecca
Tantah and other holy cities, eventually fol-
lowing the water courses and routes of travel
and sending the messenger of death to the
capitals Of Western Europe as in ''the Black
Death" which made so much havoc in Paris
in 1848.
scenes During. the Bombardmcnt OF
Alexandria,
NJ. Goussio, manager OF the Anglo-Egypt-
ian Bank, who with his wife remained in
Alexandria during the bombardmcnt by the
British fleet, relates the following incidents
The whole night long the native population
had poured, screaming with terror into the
interior. AT five minutes past seven on the
18th came the first shot from the frigates.
The excitement of the population and the
volume of the emigration instantaneouly in
creased. AT nine the soldiers began plrad-
ing the town, assuring themselves by search
whether the Europeans were in communica-
ton with the Admiral by telephone or telc-
graph or not. An officer accompanied by sew
eral soldiers mounted on the terraces of the
houses and cut the wires of the telephones.
One of the soldiers We saw carried u Ratchet,
covered with blood. My bcrbery told me
the man had just assassinaled an English
man whom he found in communication with
the Admiral. This was probably the young
French telegraph clerk who sought refuge
in the Eastern telegraph company's Office.
The bombardment continued all day. All
day the population were fleeing with fright.
cned faces On the 18th the flight Of the in
habitants continued in even greater numbers.
In the afternoon the exodus from the town
had become general. At three O'Clock the
soldiers gave the signal for pillaging. As on
the lth of June. they began by opening the
doors of the stores and dividing the merchan-
disc which they found Soldiers, under the
direction of the officers and superior officers,
divided the booty in fashion disgraceful,
but at the same time having its comical side.
Pieces of calico were cut into pieces and
handed round, while albums, watches and
fancy goods were carried of and frequent
ly pulled to pieces, after having been for II
few moments in the hands of men who did
not understand their use. The officers fire.
quently carried two or more guns, so as to
leave free hands to the soldiers who were car
rying off the booty. A colonel mounted on
a horse had pair of new shoes under his
arm another threw down and broke INTO Il
thousand pieces clock which he found too
heavy to carry.
The property destroyed was of greater val.
lie than that which was actually carried away,
AS soon shop wa, empty, the paper and all
were thrown into it; then small explosive
pellets were added and in moment the whole
was in blaze. At five O'Clock the Egyptian
Heroes loaded with booty instead of laurels,
rctreated in the greatest disorder. Since two
o'clock in the afternoon the Bowabs, or house
porters had received the mot d'Ordre to de-
sert the houses which they guarded. BY six
o'clock all the European quarter was in
flames and the town presented the appear
ance of one huge furnace. Here and there
we could see men of sinister appearance and
some disbanded soldiers coming like silent
shadows into the open shops, and going out
loaded with plumber, having fed the fire with
the inflammable material with which they
were provided. In order to defend the bank
which the fire enclosed in circle monenta-
rily becoming smaller, was bound tc
make rounds in the adjoining street all night
and fire on all incendiares and marauders.
In this way the immediate neighborhood was
preserved clear. During the night many
families came in aud demanded shelter liz
| the morning Of Thursday, finding that Mt
| soldiers wire coming TO relieve us or save
| the town, determined to 60 to them. We
set out together, some seventy persons. We
put the numerous women and children into
the middle OF our troop, surrounded then
with Greeks aud Montenegrins, and then al
started for the custom house. On our way
there thirty-fve people 10 the same condition
as ourselves joined us. The 1906 marched
without encountering opposition, through
and over masses of burning ruins. We our.
selves broke open the doors of the city. We
| aaiyal aha nHpnal hnata which W.
fortunately at hand, and pulled ourselves to
| Aln,;rol MI