The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1882-11-11
OUR FOREIGN LETTERS.
Egyptian Correspondence3The Surrender
Of Arab Pasha-NOne So Poor to do Him
Reverence-Cairo and It's People.

CAIRO. Egypt, October 2, 1882.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Arabi's character is u bard one to de-
cipher. Some wear their hearts on their
sleeves, their souls in their eyes; others
must be read by stratagem and vigilance,
and some are so complex as we'll nigh to
defy the analytical process altogether.
When he surrendered himself lie was
dressed in the extreme of simplicity.
Misfortune having fallen on him, the
gewgaws Of Tel-el-Kebir-the broidered
tent, the silver chair and bedstend-were
out Of tune with the sad melody and
were discarded. He wore pair of black
trousers with wide red stripe, COM
mon tarboush, u white linen jacket, con-
spicuous for the absence of decorations.
He said with gentle courtesy and high
bred salaan, {" surrender myself for the
honor of England" Again, later on,
Arabi repeated this oracnlar statement III
order to give it,empllasis Herein he re-
minds one of the great Napoleon, who,
when the game was up, threw himself
into the arms of the enemy whom he
knew to be a generous foe. Arab was
deeply, utterly depressed, stunned in
mind and sick in body. Like John of
Leytlen, the ill-starred Prophetic" he
believed himself Il chosen instrument of
God to perform a holy work. He was to
eject the odious Christian from Egyptian
soil-the Nazarine invatler-as the Turk
omans expelled the Caliphs, as the Mann
elukes expelled the Turkomans, rs the
French expelled the Mamelnkes. All
these expulsions had been caused by
greed, by personal ambition the crusade
of Arabi was a nobler, holier one. 1t was
a crusade of the followers of Mohanlned
against mbeiievers, and II high seat III
achieve the splendid object. There is
little doubt that, like John of Leyden,
Arabi at the start was sincere, single
mindedly desiring the accomplishment
Of mission without regard to his own
fate; but then came the temptation to
emulate Mahomet Ali and be a figure for
the almiratioRof of posterity; There was
IA flaw in the chain Of resemblance. Ma
home. Ali was fearless warrior, a man
of intellect, of decision, of keen instinct
of remarkable bravery. Arabi was none
of these. He had, they say, dread OF
shells aud musket balls, WAS never under
fire, always gave his orders from dis
tance, trusting to bis sIbordlnates for
their execution, accepting their expia-
nations, believing their@stories alAl ex-
cnses. Hence he was hoodwinked, led
by the nose, made fool Of by those lie
most trusted, just as Napoleon III was by
Bazaine and the rest.
When removed to his new quarters at
the Abtlin barracks he salaamed tn the
crowl-i. c., touched his brow with his
fingers. In the East it is the great man
who bows first to crowd, then they re-
ply, But the crowd was apathetic, and
saz,d stonly on the fallen nne.
Arabi perceived that no one took ~ ~
tice of him, that his day was past, a'ls
leaned back in the carriage with heavy
sigh, moving no more, bnt keeping his
| eyes upon the escort of 'lrasoous who
| trottetl i'll front and alongside. He is !:
| man of siugu!arly courteous manners
tall, bnry-not unconlely-with a ten
| depcy to badness and to snowiness about
the beard. He shonld be a man. of 5i
wears, but Orientals are inscrutable II
the matter Of age, some Of them looking
!. hundred, while in reality they have bu
lust turued 80. He is fel!ah Of the fel
laheen The shape Of hiseyes, the cas-
| Of his ccuntenance show that he has th
ignorance of a tcllah, bounlless trust AM
srotesqnely selfish belief that Allah
time is occupied with specially watching
him above all other creatures. @.
The citadel of Cairo where the Britis1
troops lodged after the occupation, WA
built by the great Saladin of stones fron
the smaller pyramids, and formerly con
tained a palace inhabited by the Sarace
sovereign famous for its great "aiwan,
! .l,,.J I,x ,irfu r r
rose granite taken from Egyptian ten
pies. This is replaced by modern res
deice, also containing splendid apart
meuts ant, among them a bathing cham
Der entirely constructed of the purest a
abaster, wherein the officers of her Ma.
esty's cavalry and infa,try donbtles
took their morning "tub." The pros
pect from the ramparts of'El kalah-a
the forts is called-must be considere
one of the grandest iu the world, esp'
Ecia|ly when the colors of evening brin
ont it's various charms. The whole e,
tent of the capital lies Deltw-a sheet I
flat white roofs and cupolas-tinted wit
the gold of the sunset whish fills the SIX
with glory behind the pyramids, plai''
visible upon the horizon. The Nile is see
winding between its banded banks
green, and beyond all is tlH interniinab
desert sand, with the African mountain
closing in the scene. In tie rear OF II
citadel are The barren N,kaltan hill
and near at hand the tonls of the G
lipbs, with their delicate aud graeef
h domes relieved against tie green f1el
and grey desert. As many as five h'l