[33] The Hôtel Abbat, so well known to European visitors, was only saved by a clever ruse on the part of the Berberine "Bowab," or doorkeeper, who was left in sole charge of the premises. When a mob of native pillagers hammered at the door to obtain admittance, the faithful domestic, from the inside, recollecting some of the choice expressions he had picked up from British tourists, shouted, "You b—— b——s; what the b—— h—— do you want?" &c., &c. The effect was magical. The assailants said to each other, "Why, the house is full of Inglesi!" and hurriedly made a retreat, leaving the hotel uninjured.
[34] Of the pecuniary loss sustained through the pillage and incendiarism some idea may be formed from the statistics subsequently furnished by the International Commission of Indemnities. The total sum awarded was 106,820,236 francs, or £4,341,011. Of this sum, 26,750,175fr., or £1,070,007, was given for house property destroyed, and 34,635,050fr., or £1,385,402, for furniture, and 43,395,061 fr., or £1,735,806, for merchandise. When one bears in mind that the Decree appointing the Commission expressly excluded claims for money, jewellery, securities, and works of art, it will be obvious that the total value of property stolen or destroyed must have considerably exceeded the sums above quoted.
[35] This wanton and useless work of destruction was repeated at all the forts bearing on the sea. The light guns (6-1/2 inch S.B.) were hove off their carriages, and the rifled guns treated with gun-cotton. Hundreds of tons of gunpowder were ruined, and scores of valuable guns rendered useless. The object of this destruction is hardly evident. It is the more incomprehensible as on the 13th July Admiral Seymour had received a despatch from the Admiralty in the following terms: "Opposition having ceased, do not dismantle forts or disable guns."
[36] The reinforcements which were prepared after the despatch of the first corps amounted to 280 officers and 10,800 men, so that the total force despatched, or in the act of being despatched, to the end of the war from Great Britain and the Mediterranean stations amounted to 1,290 officers and 32,000 men. The Indian contingent, including a small reserve left at Aden, consisted of 170 officers and 7,100 men. Some of these, consisting of depóts, and drafts, and one infantry battalion, were stopped at the last moment, but on the whole not far short of 40,000 men were sent. The troops despatched from India were the 1st Seaforth Highlanders and the 1st Manchester, two Bengal and one Bombay battalions of Native Infantry, with one 9-pounder field battery and one mountain battery, each of six guns, and three regiments of Bengal cavalry, with some sappers and miners from Madras. The force was accompanied by about 3,500 followers, including transport drivers, 1,700 horses, 840 ponies, and nearly 5,000 mules, some for regimental and others for general transport purposes. The first battalion left Bombay on the 22nd July. The rest of the force received their orders on the 24th July, and began to leave on August 5th. The Government engaged 71 transports in England and 54 in India.
[37] Mr. Cornish had the decoration of the C.M.G. conferred on him for his conduct on this occasion.
[38] It is only fair to the British army to say that but very little looting was ever proved against them during this period. Isolated cases of breaking into houses and carrying off wines and spirits occurred, but these were almost the only instances. The foreign population of Alexandria and Ramleh have frequently borne testimony to this effect, as well as to the perfect impartiality with which British cellars, as well as those of other Europeans, were requisitioned by individual soldiers and sailors in an informal manner.
[39] Mr. de Chair was sent by Arabi to Cairo, where, a report having been circulated that Admiral Seymour was being brought a prisoner to the capital, great crowds of natives assembled. Mr. de Chair was lodged in a building at Abdin used as a school for the sons of officers of the army and well treated, and at the conclusion of hostilities he was released.
[40] The picket on this occasion retired with some precipitancy, and the circumstance was taken advantage of by one of the London newspapers to publish a highly coloured account of the affair, which was afterwards officially contradicted.
[41] The Mahmoudieh Canal, connecting Alexandria with the Nile, was one of Mehemet Ali's greatest works. Whilst it was in course of construction a French engineer was asked by the Pasha what he thought of the plan. The Frenchman replied, "Your Highness must pardon me if I suggest that your canal will be very crooked." "Do your rivers in France run in a straight line?" asked the Pasha. "Certainly not," said the man of science. "Who made them; was it not Allah?" again questioned the Pasha. "Assuredly," was the reply. "Well then," the Pasha triumphantly exclaimed, "do you think that either you or I know better than Allah how water ought to run?"
[42] One of the three mutinous Colonels.