CONQUEST OF EGYPT,
18)
axecuted a cowp d’&fat, seized the person of the Khedive, and
drove away the foreign ministers (April, 1882).
It would have been natural for England and France to com-
bine, in order to restore the Dual Control and put down the
dictator. But the French Government refused
to lend any help for such a purpose, not dream- Sn
ing apparently that England would go in single- —Bombard-
handed. Mr. Gladstone seems at first to have rin,
been in some doubt as to the policy to Dpursue,
but the Mediterranean squadron was ordered to Alexandria,
While it lay there a great riot broke out in the city, directed
against all Europeans, and many hundreds of Greeks, Italians,
and Levantines, with a few British subjects, were massacred
(June zz, 1882). This occurrence naturally led to hostilities :
when Arabi refused to obey Admiral Seymour’s demand that he
should stop fortifying Alexandria, and dismantle its batteries,
the fleet was directed to bombard the place (July 11). "The
forts were wrecked, the garrison driven Out, and the English
ianded and took possession of the ruins of the place,
'Thus began the Egyptian campaign, which Gladstonc
persistently refused to call a war, maintaining that it was
only “a series of military operations,” because
we were attacking, not the Khedive, the rightful Sabre
ruler, but only his rebellious subjects, The
struggle was short, for Sir Garnet Wolseley, to whom it was
antrusted, managed the business with the most admirable
decision and promptitude, The Egyptians were expecting
him to debouch from Alexandria, but when his troops began to
arrive in force from England and India, he turned aside and
seized the Suez Canal, which he made his base for a march
across the desert on Cairo. Arabi hurriedly raised the lines of
Tel-el-Kebir to protect the capital; but Wolseley came upon
‘hem by a rapid night march, stormed them at dawn, and com-
pletely scattered the Egyptian host (September 13). A day
later his cavalry seized Cairo before the enemy could rally,
