again to enter into the service, undertook to facilitate my views. He spoke for me, accordingly, to one of the general officers, who ordered that I should be immediately enrolled; and afterwards, when my good conduct as a soldier had been certified from Alexandria, assigned me, at my friend's recommendation, the post of Belik-bash (which answers nearly to that of corporal in an European regiment), and placed six men under my charge: so that I had now risen a little step, and was more in the direct service of the Pasha, since the troops in Cairo may be considered in the light of a sort of body-guard.

This Pasha is the celebrated Mahomet Ali*, whose name is become familiar even

He is said to have been born at La Cavale,, in Roumelia, in 1769, and there married; he came to

to European ears; his course of greatness was, at that period, comparatively in its infancy; but he had even then developed those large views, and that extended scheme of enterprize and policy, which have since rendered him such a regenerator of his province, and such a terror to all his enemies. Whatever Egypt at this day enjoys, either of commerce or industry, or internal quiet, is owing entirely to him; and, generally speaking (if his conduct to the Mamelukes be excepted), his measures have been effected without bloodshed, for he is not wantonly or habitually cruel.

Egypt in 1801 or 1802, and was raised to the Pashalick in 1805, from which he was recalled by the Porte in the year following, but stood his ground. His wife, the mother of Ibrahim, Tossoon, and Ismael, joined him in 1809, and resides in the citadel; while a younger wife, a Georgian, by whom he has no living children, inhabits the Ezbekych.-Mengin, vol. i., p. 95.

I felt proud to serve under so extraordinary a man, and eager for some opportunity of distinguishing myself. It was no time, however, to think as yet of external warfare; for, though the progress and successes of the sect of the Wahabees* had interrupted and shut out all commerce upon one side, and had cut off from the Pashalick all the honour and benefit of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, yet it was plain to the government that faction must first be put down, and internal peace

The founder of the sect, Abdul Wahab, was born so long ago as 1696. The Sherriff of Mecca placed himself under the protection of his lineal successor, about 1809. Medina had submitted in 1805: and the pilgrim caravan, from Damascus, was stopped and sent back in 1806 and 1807. A memoir on the progress of the sect, from the very beginning, will be found both in Mengin and in Ali Bey.

VOL. I.

G

established, before any thing could be undertaken against them with a hope of suc

cess.

One present source of disquiet and disorder, especially within the capital, was in the temper of the troops themselves, who being few or none of them natives, were partly Turkish and partly Albanian, though, perhaps, the number of the Albanians predominated.

A deadly feud✶ and antipathy existed

* Mengin says, "D'Albanois, que les Turks n'emploient jamais sans defiance, et qu'ils n'osent charger de la garde de leurs forteresses, parcequ'ils les considerent etrangers à leur nation." Vol. i. p. 9. And again, p. 242, "La mesintelligence avoit éclatée entre les Albanois et les Turks." (1806.) And, at p. 306, (1807,) speaks of the insubordination and dangerous excesses of the troops in Cairo, whom he computes at 10,000. At p. 307, he mentions, that even among the Albanians themselves there were two factions.

Ali

between the two, though it is not easy to say what were the particular points in dispute, their hatred seeming to proceed principally from no better cause than that their language, usages, and dress were dif ferent.

Parties of them were continually meeting in the streets; and, proceeding from mutual taunts and insolence to violence, seldom parted without bloodshed, so that many on both sides were wounded, and even killed in such encounters; and it became unsafe for any individual, of either faction, to venture out, without a strong number of his friends about him. Sometimes quite indifferent persons were involved, and suf

Ali Bey, speaking of 1806, says,-"The Arnaut (Albanian) troops, under the command of Mahomet Ali, amount to 5,000 men. They are riotous and dissatisfied." Vol. ii., p. 13.