Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-04-20


Consul on his right OF course we wish to
make Mr. Khediye talk as much as possible
The published letter, although not mention
ed, is in reality the text Of the converse
ton condcnse what he said
Gentlemen, to judge Egypt you must
compare it with what it was twenty years
ago. Then rich men would not send their
sons to our high schools today they are all
anxious To do so. Twenty years ago all
rich men had many wives today most Of
them have only one
Professor Because you have given them
the example You have only one.
khedirc(with laugh l-"God be thanked,
/ have only one And he repeats his
THANK Cod three times while discussing
the point.
Hotesso,--" have two sous in Swift
erland and they are very bright boys"
khcdirc-"Ycs, Mehemet Ali is a very
bright boy. They are at Hasins's school
near Geneva. He is twelve, his brother is
thirteen He told his tutor, 4 shall be
| glad when strangers English occupy Egypt
no more, when we are our own masters
but, Pasha, do not repeat it, am only a
child Father how can Sir l.. after read
ing an article in London Times speak thus
OF you wish were a man / would 20
to London aud beat him"
| The khedive enters into lengthy remarks
about his position when his father smail
was dismissed by the Sublime Porte and he
was put in his place The debt created by
lsmal is like the Old Man Of the Sea on the
shoulders Of the Egyptians To meet the
interest, taxes have been increased. and in
lower Egypt, at Tanta land worth $500 an
acre has deprecated TO 5000. His position
between the Ottoman power and France
and England is like being between two mill
stones If you avoid Charybds. you get
shipwrecked ON Scylla. Arabs movement
created great outcry Of patriotism, as if
the Egyptian people rose 10 claim their in.
! dependence. 1t was good pretext for in
| reference Just what was sought TO take
possession Of Egypt Pretext is repeated
many times. Translate the English want
ed to take hold Of the country, they Great
ed trouble, rs Russia in Bulgaria
khedice again and againl-"l like my
country, like my people. | wish it to be
raised out Of its degradation and ignorance.
but have no power; my hands are tied ,
men are imposed upon me. When the Ital-
ians wanted to send "A man Of war through
the canal, my ministers Of war and interior
war and home secretaries advised me to
close the canal What is the use 2 ! said :
they will 20 by Cape of Good Hope to Bah
el Mandeb straits and the Red Sea Why,
can they 20 round and reach thus the Red
Sea Such was the ignorance Of my min
isters at that time. am IA Mussuluan
like my religion 20 to the mosque every
| Friday but believe Allah 10 be God for
all"
ProGsso,-"Be Before you we're Khedive.
did you not defend Christian attacked by
| "A Mussuman -
khedire-"Ees 1t was near my resi-
dence / met man beating a Copt because
he did not worship Mahomet My uite.ds-
camp and self took hold Of him, when he
asked Indignantly if we were Mussulmans
| Yes, and good ones but the first chapter
Of the Koran says that God has created all
men equal, and in the Koran it is said also
here he recites the Arabic text and in
| Egypt all religions are perfectly free
! Twenty years ago strangers could not trav
el in out-of the-way places, today they can
do so without danger People will say that
am bad Mussulman. It is not so at all 90
PoteSsOr-"N W hat you need most is to
teach the mass Of the people. In the Unit
ed States We have primary instruction"
khsdire-"Nes; but here is the difficult
| ty 1t is necessary to 90 slowly. 10 take
time. Give me full power, and will try to
'lb illN uulN 0fllllt hdN NV Spls VIII 20 10
the United States and study your insttu
tions. When cholera broke out when sew
on hundred persons died daily in Cairo
when streets were full Of sick people.
came and visited them and all villages in
fected. Not dne Of my predecessors had
ever done so, but it was my dutY to raise
the morale Of my people When my father
was dismissed 10y telegram from CONSTANT
nople and was put in his place, my mother
told me Ny son, you do not look happy
How could be happy with so much respou-
sibilty, situated as 1 was =
The Khedive laughs often and | do not
like his laugh it is childish and weak. lacks
virility As he speaks English nnperfectly
and seeks often the words, he repeats often
the same idea. During the conversation
cigarettes have been brought None Of us
smoke; the khedive never did-had no in
cination for II. Later we sip poor coffee
in small cups placed in beautiful gold fill
gree. But We look little at cups little at
the room. which is plain paror with very
simple gold decorations have looked
mostly at our interlocutor, who talks like
any ordinary man, laughs, jokes, becomes
serious has occasionally flash of anima-
ton, but altogether does not impress me as
a strong man. His features are not at all
a fellah his mother vas one of those Cir
cassian slaves brought up for the Turkish
market, and if Khedive Iewtk were met
in the street with one of our hats lhe wears
fezl and coat with different collar. no
one would notice him as foreigner. His
brothers have married Circassian wives, i'm
ported originally to be their sisters compan-
ions The Khedive himself married the
daughter of some rich pasha. Mrs. Cook
aiiirms he is a devoted husband and has
really only one wife.
We retire with the same ceremonial OBJ
served upon our arrival. Again in the car
riage, Mr.. Consul congratulates us on such
IA long interview, fifteen minutes being the
usual length believe that the letter given
him made him anxious to impress us Amer
leans favorably, He handed it back TO the
consul, saying with laugh 1T will not
hurt me. Next day read to Mr. Consul
what | have written of our Khedivial au-
dience. He thinks have omitted an essen
tial point. The khedive, with more ami
nation than usual in his interviews said
with much spirit SHOULD | ever become a
free man or power and do what | please
then | will he able to show what | think
best for the good of my nation" We're
TO repeat all my conversations with well
informed men, treating all the questions
bearing ON the future prosperity Of Egypt
these letters would become a book. / must
however, express my thanks to Mr.. John
Cardwell, our consul general in Cairo, foi
his many courtesies.
7. 5. The writer of these diaries has col
lected over hundred photographs of Egypt
views and types, which he hopes some day
TO show TO his Bratteboro friends,