New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-10
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AN ODD BOOK.
AN ODD BOOK.
FROM PHARAOH TO FELLAH By c: F. nobknLttt
BELL Illustrated, quarto, PIP. 1s7. J. b LipPA'o''

FROM rH4SAoa 70 rELIAM g. lpsi.:ott
Co
Egypt has been the excuse for writing many
books, and too many Of them have been super
hcial frivolous and crotchetty. The SUBJECT, III
deed. has ALWAYS had fascination for " cranks'
or na,adcycrs as Professor De Morgan called them,
..5 ,h.v have nroduced n literature Of absurdities,
based ON the history or antiquities OF the ancient
land ~ the Nile. The temptation to become
whimsical when writing about Egypt is IN TACT so
strong that books on this topic are almost ex-
rccted 70 have queer side to them. MI. Bell has
mot cscaped the influence Of the locality. lie
Knows much about Egypt. both ancient ard mod
eyn but he has been unable to produce perfectly
sober straightforward book on the subject. From
Pharaoh TO Fcllah" IS indeed sufficiently interest
ing ard its oddities in no way lessen It's attract-
ivcness but it is the strangest mixture OF history
and burlesque perhaps ever offered between 'he
covers of one volume. As to the history, IL Is
generally sound and abreast OF the freshest
archaeological research. As to the comment on
modern Egypt, and particularly the enec's ana
tendencies Of English occupation 1t IS shrewdiy
and boldly cynical ard shows knowledge OF
inside facts which would make the author APP
parcntly disagreeablc critic on the Opposition
side in the House Of Commons.
Not that his positions naturally range him with
the Liberals In regard to Egyptian policy. ON
the contrary, he holds that Mr.. Gladstone's whoie
course in Egypt was q succession OF the inos'
elaborate and fantastic bunders But lnasmuch
nc the nrcscnt Government has not had the courage
20 strike out a wiser and more practical pohcy ne
has no approval for it, An Englshman, he SCOTS
al the Judgment of the British public, ana rldicues
us pretensions to enlightenment on questions of
Not1.;, ha
his statement Of all the ugliest looking phases OF
Rrtish intervention He does not hesitate to
admit that the Egyptian Fellaheen detest the
English. and would be glad to see them go: but
this he saws is merely because the Egyptian people
have for thousands of years been "agln the Gov
ernment- no matter what it was, and they would
he maintains be equally against any that could
he established England, he thinks, has done
some good in Strengthening out the finances, ana
tho Fellah is better off, though perhaps not mach
better off than formerly. In theory the employ
ment of the kourbash has been done away with;
Int Mr. Bell nsinuates that in practice 1t is still
used though he does not assert this directly.
According to Mr.. Bell the Egyptians are quite
incapable of sclf-governmcnt. If the English
Government tries to set them up automatically
they will simply be conquered by the Philippians
or the Soudancse. If the country is handed over
to the Turks all the efforts of the past SIX years
will be thrown away, and in twelve months every
trace of reform will have vanished. If 1t Is OF
vital Importance to Great Britain that Egypt
should be so governed as not to challenge foreign
Intervention by the barbarity, corruption or In
competence of her rulers the only practical pro-
grammc is annexation under the power OF pro-
tectorate. Mr.. Wilfrid Blunt is held accountable
for n great deal in the recent history OF Egypt.
nla Nm Rail N
Mr. Blunt as "a man to whom every subsequent
wrong committed in Egypt, either by one side or
the other must be attributed, upon whose head
must lie the fun weight of all the blood and
treasure which has been poured out In the country
since 1882" lie admits, indeed, that no man
ever came to Egypt acted throughout with
purer motives" but he contends that the English
man had no knowledge of Egyptian character, as
The nvnnts nrnXed.