Fowler, John: Lecture on Egypt: delivered at Tewkesbury, Jan. 20, 1880 (London, 1880)

LECTURE ON EGYPT. 43

I must briefly describe the ceremony of the inaugu-
ration of the Soudan railway, and the speeches delivered
on the occasion. On January 15, 1875, in a violent
gale of wind and sand, the ceremony commenced.
The Egyptian officers engaged upon the work were in
attendance, and soldiers were placed instead of flag
posts to mark out the line. Close at hand were the
labourers, with their tools and baskets. I verified the
levels and the angles, and then the Cadi, the ecclesias-
tical judge, and his assistant, with a large assembly,
arrived, carrying banners on which were texts from the
Koran. The assistant read an address in Arabic, and
while he was reading a long piece of poetry incorporated
in the address, Chabim Pasha, the governor, intimated
to the orator that sufficient had been recited, upon which
the assembled company said ' Amen,' and prematurely
ended the address.

The Pasha then responded in Arabic. His speech
may be translated as follows :—

I am proud to be present on this occasion by command
of His Highness the Khedive to co-operate with Mr. Fowler
in making a commencement of the Soudan Railway. This
great work thus inaugurated will be valuable to Egypt and
Nubia, and a great blessing to the new provinces of Darfour
and Kordofan, now happily incorporated with Egypt. All
persons in Egypt and Nubia, and the Soudan, are convinced
that the Soudan Railway will be a blessing to them. Mr.
Fowler will have chief charge of this great undertaking, and
his assistance will always be on the spot to urge forward the
work, and they will always have Chabim Pasha's hearty assist-