The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1882. EGYPT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1124, 13 July 1882, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1882. EGYPT.

"The blast of war blows in.our ears" onco more, and our countrymen are among the combatants.. Though our race has great commercial interests in the land of the Pharoahs and the Ptolomies, \t.Js less numerously represented in Egypt proper than most! other European communities; While: there are but six thousand Englishmen' ■ residenfc'inthe.l.ancl, there sire as many Austrians, twice as many Italians,' three times as many 'Frenchmen,; and, six times as many Greeks.. The population' of the; tbuntry itself-is about! five millions,'and though the foreign portion of it is not-very large, it is no doubt sufficiently; so".to . alarm and trouble'discontented Egyptians. Jt,i must, not be forgotten that though; English interests must and will be pro.tee'ted in Egypt,, the overtaxed' Copts'' of the country have a claim "on .the; sympa'tliies of the world,'' They'have a public debt of one hundred millions, onwhich they have to "pay heavy "interest. To them-the burthens, of civilisation; have been heavier than the oppression of barbarism. The Laud of the' Nile -bears on its records'forty-five.centuries of history, and to us in New. Zealand •who have scarcely completed our fl,tst half centuiy, suoh a weird and ancient country should be an object of special interest. The particular locality, however, in; which "grirn yisaged war" now rages is comparatively modern, Alexandria is the principal port of the country, and is a. fortified city about; ten times the size of Wellington. The! bulk .of its buildings ■ are European' •in their ..character, and tho soil on which they;are raised.is a reck-: mation by which a • small- island called Pharos is now connected' '.with; the main land. ■ .The town being"placed on this neck of land is open to a sea, attack from either side,-but. is well protected by forts. It may -he remembered .that. Napoleon took Alexandria;. in 1798,' only killing- in the assault, some: three hundred Arabs and' Mam- r hikes, but with the increased' populaf tion of to-day, and with the fearful and formidable character of our present naval armaments we must; now anticipate'a much more serious loss of life.' Our best hope is that the' frightful murderous weapons which man has;, now perfected will limit the' duration of the struggle and localise it,' : It is; strange that an English Quaker Cabinetshouldhave been drawn;into such a war, but we scarcely think that . even' John Bright is a Jonah. He no doubt believes in the victories of peace, but. when the sword is once drawn he is not the.man to flinch.