Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-27

Capers OF an Old COMMUNICATIVE Chief
and "A Blooming Prima DONNA Bird
stOry-The Exploits of an Unnamed
Philadelphia.
Neto York Letter to the C6jcqgo Inter ocean.
A party Of friends were talking in the
Victoria the other evening about the war
in Egypt when Col. James Morgan, Of
Louisiana, pOlyglOt and a professional
soldier, said We ousht TO see Egypt in
time Of peace. Egypt IL times of war was
mere circumstance to the military splen-
dor INDUCED in when peace was the order
of tn day. "NOw tOIlustrate," said the
Colonel, larding in a good deal OF French
and Arabic by way of embellishing the
narrative, mot long after we COnteder-
ates had lost the day in 1865, thought the
desolatiOn Of conquered cause would be
uncomfortable, and so | received through
Gen. Mott a commission under the Khe-
dive Of Egypt. He placed me on the staff
OF Rhatib Pasha. His EXcellency the
Rhatlb was immensely rich, and in the
second place he was immensely insignti-
cant. He was short of stature, anything
but soldier in his regulations and meth
DDS, and a ierOciOus warrior, chiefly in
the fields Of gallantry, where money was
his eating gun.
.'Well, one evening l strOlled into the
theatre to see some sort of comic opera
performance in French. CHANGING toward
the boxes | caught the eye Of Mile. Grar-
DIN, whom had metas a Leading member
of the company. She was not playing on
that evening, and politely invited me into
n 9r box. She was extremely bright and
genial. l had made her acquaintance
through friends in very casual way, and
knew nothing whatever about her beyond
her genius for the stage and her sprightly
bnenffltffV ANn nod ehaffa1 a thnrA
for some time, wnen there came a knock
at the box door. l answered It, and
an usher said his EXcelle cy, the Com
mander-in Chief, would like to see me.
EXcusing myself, l responded at once, be-
ing IA member of his staff, and he cOnfided
to me the very broad lint that he would
like an Introduction to Mile. Girardin.
at once escort ed him in, and with the most
impressive vocabulary at my command
presented him as the Rhatib Pasha, Com
mander-in-Chief of the Egyptian army.
she eyed him naively, and said: Mon
DIeui You are no cOmmander-in-chief.
Where is your grand cOrdOnY The Pasha
happened to be in undress uniform that
evening, and this nettled him. l assured
her of his rank, but every assurance only
made her stubbOrnness the more firm.
How can you prove it? she prOvOk-
ingly asked.
= III mademoiselle will only tell what
time she VIII be at home tomorrow l VIII
call in my uniform and that Will satisfy
her doubts
con- she laughed, anyone can borrow
or hire uniform tor such visit. l will
believe you When you come with your
uniformed staff. No one can borrow the
commanding Generals staff
'Ihe PaSha was provoked beyond all
measure, but he chOked down his rage
and said politely: Very we'll, then, made
mOisele, so be it. At 4 tomorrow after
noon | will visit you with my staff and
he retired.
''THE LITTLE COQUETTE LAUGHED
over her diplomacy, and we both agreed
that it was highly improbable that his
EXcellency would ever continue her ac-
quaintance under those eXtraYagant and
unusual conditions. But you can't ever
swear to the eccentrlcitieS of Egyptian
warfare. Next morning the Pasha COM
manded me, as his chief of staff, to an
nounce that the staff would ride in full
uniform at D. m. Then | knew that the
little warrior had been bewitched, and
meant TO carry his point. The orders
were given. The staff comprised nearly
forty mtn. and when in full uniform they
were prob IDLY the most terrific collection
of officials in the world. You would
naturally expect thunder to follow right
after them, they looked 50 much like
lightning. Each man carries enough
gold lace, Gordon, embroidery, sashes and
plumes TO frighten a Bengal tiger. Out
side of Egypt there is only faint COM
prehenslOn of what a military dress suit
means.
''Well, when all was ready for the
mount | appeared on the scene in civilian
dress. and met his EXcellency's express
sion of surprise with the statement that l
would not ride that day. His wrath was
terrible, for be was a volcanic little devil.
He had hardly gotten along about five
words in his TRADE when | told him if he
had any fault to find with me 10 do so in
private, and not before the staff"
:" VERY well, sir; l will see you on my
return
''And You will find me here And
with that | gave the word to mount, and
the great commander started forth to con-
vince an opera boutfe charmer thathe was
really the boss of the Egyptian army, and,
of course, most desirable suilor. /
started after them at some distance. in
civilians uniform, just to let some people
see that | didn't engage in this sOrtie on
the enemy's works. He made his call, re-
manned about an hour, while his ststi
held the fort, and then back they came in
great splendOr. The little fellow at once
summoned me to his quarters, and was
hyid with rage. He opened with
THE INSULTING QUERY
whether this was the sort of discipline
they had in the American army. / eau.
toned him 10 be careful about the kind OF
language he ust d 10 me, and reminded him
of the fact that there was Il window handy.
and that | could pitch him out Of it as
easily as J could a mud turtle. Il have
worn three uniforms, and never disgracrd
either; but when it becomes part of the
duty and scipline of a staff officer Of the
Egyptian army to drag his uniform down
to the level al bis commanders private
amours, YOU can count on me every time
tor disubedience TO orders
E'Sirv he Numbered in his squeakv
tones, do you know who and what l
ami?
"'0h, yes. l used to own 800 just like
you.'
"'DO you know how l won my rankY
"'6ts, when your old superior officer
hauled you over the Goals one day for some
breach Of discipline you went into the
next room and fired off a small pistol in
your mouth. The bullet came out thrOue b
the cheek and left a scar, and for this
piece of gallantry you We're made COM
mander-in-chief.'
"Beiore he could pick himself together
said the Colonel, "enuu-h to make
cndTE bi INSTRUMENTATION against me TO
the knedye / was at the royal palace
myself, and, gaining an audience, re-
peated the whole story fiOm the begin
nng. The Khedive lust laid back and
roared. IL was evident enough that after
that | could never remain on the personal
staff OF the Rhatib, but the Khedive had
me promptly transferred to the force of
his Maiesty's hOuseh Id, about as fat a
sinecure as any mortal could ask"
There's another thing that happened
about this time," continued the Colonel,
as he warmed up with his "reminiscences,
land for bird story it certainly takes
the belt. The
GEOLOGICAL GARDENS ON THE NILE,
a few miles below Cairo, were not the
most complete by any means in Europe,
being not so we'll stocked as those at
either London or Paris with a general
collection of specimens, but it was known
everywhere as possessing the fullest and
richest variety of BIRDS i'm the world. In
the matter of tropical birds it was simply
complete. The Khedive had made his
aviary his special pet, and devoted years
of time and large sums Of money to gather
together the gOrgeOusly-leathered pro-
ducts of the Orient. The collection was
placed under special guard and received
the Khedive's personal oversight.
''lt was part of my duty, one day in
each week, to be in command of the gar
dens as officer of the day, and act as sort
of host to the numerous visitors who
came from abroad to admire the wonder
fIIl birds. One day in the spring whom
should | run across on one Of the main