Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-08-24
THE EX.KHEDlYE'S VIEWS,
A Visit to Ismail Pasha at His Palace
in Naples. The Present Situation in
Egypt.
MISCELLANEOUS WAR NEWS.

MISCELLANEOUS WAR NEWS.
A special correspondent at Alexan-
dria writes as follows SIN Alexandria
the citizens do mot know as much about
the war as you do in Chicago. There
has been no fight at this period of
writing. Understand that in the blood
lest sense. The bombardment was no
fight. The big British ships, sheathed
in impenetrable mail, lay off the forts,
out of range of all but few Of the
Egyptian cannon, and deliberately bat
tered down the forts, drove the people
out of the city, and cried "hurrah." >"
Her Majesty's gunboat Condor made
no heroic attack, and the loss of life on
the English side, in all eight persons,
was caused for the most part by acci-
dents on board of their own ships.
The population of Alexandria, origi-
nallY about 200,0 souls, is not at this
time more than $4,000 exclusive of the
few British troops and the 1000 or
5000 marines from the ships of war.
Up to this time the force occupying
Egypt has never reached over 5000.
In few days there will be at least
$4,000 here, and in three weeks from
to-day they will be ready for advance.
At present there are not 1000 horses
here. an entirely inadequate number
TO transport stores and artillery. The
cavalry have not received their horses
yet, and news reaches us that there is
none to be had at Malta, only few
from Gibraltar, and that less than 500
are ready for embarkation from Eng
| II,
pected IN twenty days, and the East
India troops are due to arrive in Suez
and be ready for a simultaneous ad-
vance upon Cairo f1om the south at
the same ime the army moves on
| from here.
| THE ENGLISH FORCES.
Gone cannot help but see that the
English forces are discouraged by the
fact that they have not been supported
at time when victory might have been
easy. Now everybody appreciates the
difficulties of the campaign. Of Arabi's
| force no accurate estsmate can be
made. 1t is beyond doubt 10000
strong, and if he brings to his support
the Bedouins his army will be swollen
to at least $4,000. This force is we'll
armed. Gen. Stone, who for years-in
fact, ever since ne left America after
the civil war-has been the head of the
khedives army, tells me that the
Egyptians can equip fully 10000 men,
having arms enough, and by forcing
into the ranks the entire male popula- |
ton can raise force of at least fifty |
five thousand including the Bedouins. |
This force would be made up of 10000 |
infantry, $4,000 cavalry, and 10000 |
light and heavy artillery. AS to am
munition, he THINKS they must run
short In case Of a prolonged struggle, |
but their provisions Will support the |
country for at least year. The opin- |
ion gathered from the best authority
indicates campaign of great resistance
and prOblematic duration, The result
cannot be held in doubt. Eventually
Arab must be beaten, and should any
happy accident make him a prisoner,
it is likely enough that DO one can fill
his place, and the war will have a |
speedy termination.
AN INTERVIEW WITH TIE Ex KHEDIvE.
"Speakipg about the Egyptian forces,
| may refer to an interview had with
the ex-khedive, Ismail Pasha, in Naples
only last Sunday. You remember he
plunged the country into debt. and the
Sultan deposed him. He had saved a
vast fortune for himself, and with his
| harem Of eighty-two women and forty
eunuchs set sail in q splendid yacht for
France. Even France felt that the
lines of morality must be drawn some
where, and she drew it Just where Is
mail could not come. Engiand's vlr-
tuous soil refused him, Spain and Tur-
key both denied him home, but Italy,
more hospitable, said, Come, live with
u.s." So Ismail, having sailed up and
down the world, iourneying about like
| the ghost of power whose corpse of a
nation refused him Judgement, bought
him beautiful palace in Naples, and
now lives there in luxurious idleness.
He is d very talkative old fellow, say
80 years of age, dressed in the Euro
pean fashion. He weighs 200 pounds,
is six feet high, apes European man
ners, calls Arab a dog and an imbecile,
his son Tewtik Pasha, the present khe-
dive, cur and incapable, and the sui
tan many names more emphatic than
polite. He said he loved Egypt.
WHAT He DID FOR EGYPT.
True, l taxed her people that l
might enlighten them and their chill
dren; true, [ abolished slavery that
| they might no longer be barbarous:
true, improved her harbors that they
might have commences tone, built
1850 miles of railway, 1000 miles of
telegraph; established a postal system
as complete as any IN the world, found
ed twelve colleges, improved the CITY
of Cairo until it bid fair to rival Paris:
visited in foreign lands in order to i'm
press other nations with the advantages
of entering into and maintaining rela-
tions with us, bought books for laborers,
pictures and sculptures for galleries;
introduced opera and the drama, that
they might learn, and for this they
rise upon me in Indignation, What
would you? That my nation should
be beggar for knowledge, bankrupt
in independence, pauper in civiliza-
ton? No. She might, and soon would,
have taken her place among the pow
ers. But now ner kind friend, her
generous friend, her tender-loving
friend, Great Britain wants to give her
eminence, and destroys her chief COM
mercial city. She wants to give her
place, and slays 1000 people. She
wants her to hold her place among the
nations, and, VOLTA, she invades her
territories
"'But Egypt can resist? !?