Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-03-22
ytfg LESSON Oy TRIykrT.tT.

The recent British victory near
1rinkitat proves that under certain
favorable circumstances the British
may hope to conquer the rebels
in Egypt The humiliating defeat of
Baker pasha in his attempt to relieve
the garrison of Sinkat makes it evident
That only under such circumstances
T. there any hope for the English in
Egypt These favorable circumstanTsS
are singularly limited. Srr0TS as the
troops arc prouelll~f fafioned and can, if
~-'essary, make their escape to the sea,
the canal or the river and find shelter
under the fire of protecting gunboats,
i' is not likely that the rebels will do
more than decimate their own ranks.
he water OF Egypt. apart from that Of
the Nile, is poor it is not advisable
to- drink freely even OF the best but
tIe oricutals are accustomed to it and
can subsist for q long time on short
rations Of lentils and black bread the
odds are therefore greatly in favor of
the rebels The heat of Egypt is
hourly increasing shortly IT will he
insuferably hot in and about the desert.
The desert, though ii has been com
pared to a sea of sand, is by no means
level tract, but is undulating a
whole army might be swallowed up out
Ol sight in the troughs Of that sea it
has cliffs and chasms and narrow passes
and ambuscades. There are hot winds
IL IL. IL, L.,
sand.clouds that parch and lacerate
the skin and there is always the glare
of the sun and the glare of the sand
that blind the eyes, together with the
sombre outline Of the sand against the
sky that seems to have tinged the des-
crt-races with melancholy, and is
enough to madden the unfortunate de
taChmcnts of soldiery cut off in the will
derncss. A farced march through these
regions, from the Red Sea to barracks
made in haste nor without the aid of
numerous Camels, would, if successful,
most likely bring the troops to the
front in a worn and spiritless condition
II is doubtful il Baker would have
Jared much better in his attempt to
reach the Soudan even had he been
backed by the Hussars and the High
IanderS with their Jokes and bagpipes.
No little surprise has been expressed
at the "pusillanimity of the Egyptian
troops, for, "even when they know
hey will be killed if they surrender,
they throw down their arms and submit
10 be butchered on their knees :" and
The pretence that they cannot serve
under British officers because they are
"aliens in race and religion" is called
every drol" The majority of the
Egyptians are Mohammedans the Mo
hammedans are fatalistS they stand
ready to welcome death at any moment
and without murmur The Egyp-
tlan troops are conscripts the whole
body OF the fellahin, the peasantry, has
been despoiled of its youth, and the
despoliation has been going on for
many generations. 1t has been com
mon custom for the fellahin to mutt
l'i(C lllCH lltlSpIlS, " CUT Oll Il lniSCi VI
put out an eye, thus hoping to escape a
fate far more hateful to them than
death. They have in some cases pre-
terred death and have cast themselves
into the Nile, rather than be dragged
from their homes, miserable as they
are, to end their days in the army of
the khedive. There is but one cause
that arouses their fanatism, and without
ianaticism they are nothing; insult
their creed and they declare holy
war and fight with the desperation OF
lrenzied beasts. They have no love for
the English nor for any Christian race
they cannot see what is to be gained
by sacrificing their lives for the benefit
of an invader, and it is therefore not
surprising that they mutiny in Cairo
and when forced upon the enemy, that
they throw themselves upon their knees
and render up life which has been a
perpetual bondage, without succor and
without hope,
Ii is a question of growing imDOrt.