ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2685, 15 November 1882, Page 3

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS

[Per steamer at Auckland.]

The Khedive returned to Cairo on September 15th. From an early hour in the morning the streets were crowded with people, and tbe scene was animated and striking. At two o’clock bands of military music were heard in many directions, and as if by magic the British regiments filed along at the double from tbe station round by Shepherd’s Hotel, and Abdin Palace to Ismailia Palace. At half-past two the Khedive’s consort arrived, and drove rapidly, followed by other carriages with ladies of the harem, to her destination. She was received with shrill exclamations from women on the housetops. A correspondent describing the scene says, “ At three the train drew alongside, and the Guards presented arms. A gun was fired, and tbe band struck up not the Khedive hymn, but ‘ God save the Queen.’ In the open balcony of tbe saloon carriage was the Khedive in uniform, with the Star of India, together with Sir B. Malot, Sherif Fakri and Abduhrrman Pashas, Dimgrave Bey, and Mr Lemessurier, of the Railway Administration. A Pasha approached the carriage and had some conversation with the Khedive, the purport of which was guessed #jhen his highness went to meet the Duke of Connaught, and then H.R.H. and the Khedive entered the carriage together. There was a further pause until the victor of Tel el Kebir received the thanks of the Prince whose throne he had re-established. The Khedive had stepped out of his carriage when Eiaz Pasha, rapidly driving through the crowd, emerged with ten or fifteen of the Ulema. I was within three yards of the Khedive, and narrowly scanned his countenance, as they cringed before him. There was no sign of recognition of their greeting. A shadow of loathing and contempt passed over his face, as he recognised among them all men, with two exceptions happily in their prime, who had prostituted themselves and then cringed to Arabi, but on the Sheik of El Azar, who had to the last remained loyal, coming to him, he rais d his hand in greeting. After a pause a short prayer of thanks was given for the Khedive’s return, and every Ulema grovelled at his feet as he said ‘Amen.’ liiaz Pasha stepped forward, and with a shout that seemed impossible to proceed from such a frail body, cried * Long live the Khedive.’ Three times the crowd took up the cheer. The hand again played the British National Anthem, and Tewfik passed on. Small hoys from the Khedive’s school took up the cry, and the carriage containing the Khedive on the right, with the Duke of Connaught at his side, faced by Sir E. Malet and Sir G. Wolseley, drove off through the long avenues of English and Indian troops to Ismailia Palace. It was on the 12th of July his Highness left Cairo with Arabi by his side, protecting him to the station through files of mutinous natives. The correspondent of the “Daily News” says the modern and European portion of ‘Cairo was profusely and prettily illuminated on Monday night. The lighting began shortly after sunset, which was half-past six. In the Arab quarter tbe illuminations was chiefly conspicuous by their absence ; but tbe State office. Hotel Esteinkym gardens, and most of all Abdin Palace and barracks made abundant amends for tbe deficiency. The square of Abdin Palace is surrounded by colonnades of arches, the perpendicular, horizontal, and circular lines of which were tipped off with lights, and were filled with myriads of lamps, contrasting effectively with the dark foliage of the trees. The whole route of the Khedive’s progress from the station to Ismalia palace was one blaze of light. There was later on a brilliant display of fireworks. The Standard correspondent remarks—“ In strong contrast to the appearance of official and European Cairo were the native quarters, which were in darkness, and a real feeling underlying all outward festivity was evinced by the fact that several Europeans, who ventured in the gloomy streets of the native quarters, were pelted with stones. A feature in the day’s festivities was very noticeable. Although the Khedive had been restored, and Cairo saved, solely by the British troops, not a single English flag was to be seen in the city, except in the hotels and in Cook’s tourists’ office. The palace of Abdin is the ordinary official residence of the Khedive. Here Tewfik was informally declared Viceroy, and here on the '9th September last year, Arabi, with 40,000 troops in the square, forced his own terms at the bayonet’s point on Tewfik, besieged In his palace. In little more than a year the same square is again thronged with soldiers; the same chief actors are present, but their positions are reversed. Tewfik, in state, witnesses the review of 18,000 British troops, who have replaced him on the throne, while Arabi, from his prison window in the same square is watching the defile of the army -who scattered to the winds in • twenty minutes his ambitious labor of a year. t The latest important event came off on September 29th. Pacing the palace was the temporary stand, surmounted by the British Royal Standard, in the centre compartments of which were the Khedive in uniform, wearing the Star of India, Minister Sherif with the same decoration, Eiaz with the order of St. Michael and St. George, Sir Beauchamp Seymour with the sash of the Osmania just appearing through his uniform. Sheikh Elabar, Sheikh Sodat, and other royal ulemas with golden turbans. Sir E. Malet with the staff, and representatives of the other five Great Powers and of Sweden clad in uniform. Two wings of the stand were appropriated to 500 chosen guests, chiefly European. Before the stand floated the Union Jack as a saluting point, and by its side Sir Garnet Wolseley, not yet looking well and his face almost hidden in his solar topee, mounted on a bay charger, with General Sir John Adye on his left and Aide-de-Camp Captain Wardrop on his right. Piecisely at four the Royal Horse Artillery appeared from the south of the square, and to the tune “ Weel may the keel row,” played by the band of the 2nd Brigade, trotted jauntily past, followed quickly by General Drury Lowe, with the Household Cavalry, and the 4th Indian and 7th Dragoons, with drawn sabres glittering in the sun, and mounted infantry. The trotting of the huge chargers was excellent, and called forth no little admiration. The effect was heightened when the Indian cavalry, with their restive Arabs, with difficulty restrained from breaking into a gallop, followed, in their sombre uniforms. ‘Eight of them took Zagizig,’ remarked a bystander; ‘ and two then pushed forward, capturing five trains,’ replied another. Then followed the 6th Bengal Cavalry and the 13th Bengal Lancers, with fluttering red and blue pennants. “Loot how they glare at the Khedive,” said some one. They had been ordered to pass eyes left, and the conscientious manner in which they obeyed orders, not only facing Tewfik as they passed, but keeping their eyes on him over their shoulders even after they had passed, justified the expression. The heavy field artillery brought up the rear of this division, consisting of 432 horses and sixty guns. They took twenty minutes to .pass at a brisk trot, then, without a moment’s hesitation, came the steady tramp of the Naval Brigade some 350 strong, led by Captains Fitzroy and Henderson and Lieut. Pouro, but the tars seemed as much a favorite with foreigners as at homo. Our naval superiority, perhaps, is less grudgingly admitted, and it was something more than their march, perfect as it was, which elicited the first cheer of—- “ Bravo, blue jackets.” Their adaptability and good - humored willingness for every sort of work, has won for them golden opinions, and it was a merited compliment paid by Sir G. Wolseley to place them and the Royal Marine Artillery between the two arms of the sister service. The Garrison Artillery and the Engineers Company followed. A change of band to the “British Grenadiers’’ prepared us for the appearance of the first brigade and the Duke of Connaught, looking _ very different from when I last saw him two days ago, when literally putting his shoulder to the wheel of the railway trucks, he worked like a navvy, not only leading, but physically helping his men to remove the carriages from the scene of the explosion. The Grenadiers, Scots, and Cold streams marched as they always march. The Duke left th,*

brigade, and rode to tbe staff and saluted the Khedive, and took his place beside the Commander-in-Chief. Divisional-General Willis, Graham Brigade, followed next, and then two battalions of the Eoyal Irish, dressed in Khaki uniforms. The band stopped, and the fifes and drums were heard, and a whisper spreading through the crowd at the appearance of a one-armed general, conspicuous by his inability to salute otherwise than by a graceful bow, announced Sir A. Alison and his Highland Brigade. The general, who wore a sprig of native heather in his helmet, enjoys almost as much popularity with the natives as with his own brigade, and rightly or wrongly, it has got abroad that the Highlanders who bore the brunt of tbc fighting, who were the first in the trenches, and who suffered most severely, have - been rather ungenerously ignored in official despatches. At all events, tbe crowd seemed disposed to grant unofficial honors, for the second cheer of the day is accorded to the Black Watch, easily distinguishable by their red plumes and led by Colonel McPherson, also sporting heather. The Gordon Highlanders followed, some companies without officers telling their melancholy tale. Then the Cameron Highlanders and the 2nd Highland Light Infantry, whose perfect marching was conspicuous where all did well. Next came Sir Evelyn Wood, looking thin and worn. The Indian division now alone remained. General McPherson passed and took up his place at the saluting point. First came the mounted battery. The handy little animals, with their formidable load, excited general interest. Then followed the Madras Sappers, grim and they too flashing their eyes at the Khedive in a manner calculated to produce the nightmare. The English and native bands joined and played in uniform, “ Blue Bonnets over tbe Border.” The Highlanders attached to this division— every man with two or more medals, heroes of the march on Candahat—marched past as only English soldiers can. The native infantry carried past their colors, fluttering in the wind. Then another regiment of the Punjaubie, and last the black and red uniformed Belocbees, tall strapping men, with their colors torn to shreds, followed by jabbering bheesties, or water-carriers, gesticulating like monkeys, and pointing to the Khedive. The entire march past took exactly one hour and a half. There were in all 7SI officers, 17,266 men, 4120 horses, and 60 guns. Sir Gamut Wolseley rode up to the Khedive, who shook hands with him and the Duke of Connaught, expressing his appreciation of the magnificent bearing and appearance of the troops.