DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4372#0025
9
and Constantinople, the opinions which were held and aeted upon
at the one place were decidedly opposite to those which were
held and acted upon at the other.
Having sown the seeds of indecision, we have reaped the har-
vest of disgrace and loss. Our character in the country, high as it
once stood, and high as it still comparatively continues, for how '
and generosity, is fallen far below what it would have been, h.
we even provided for our own advantage in securing the tran-
quillity of our friends. In the month of February 1802, the Ma-
malukes epiitted Gizeh, determined, as we would not protect them,
to do what they could to protect themselves; and while we pro-
fessed publicly to acknowledge the Turks as the only independent
sovereigns of Egypt, the secret supplies of arms and ammunition,
believed to be sent to the Mamalukes, gave to their enemies a
pretext for accusing us of duplicity.
The first operations of the Mamalukes were attended with very
little success; and amid their misfortunes a projeci was formed
for confining them to Assouan in the neighbourhood of the Ca-
taracts. Had they consented to this agreement, or even to one by
Avhich they should acquire a moderate accession to this small and
barren territory, the peace of the country would only have been
preserved as long as the whole Turkish army remained in Egypt.
But during the negotiation, the chances of war enabled them to
dictate in their turn to the Turks, and they were for a short time
in possession of Cairo itself. Since this period, the capital of
Egypt has been continually changing its Masters: the Porte has
successively named and deposed Pashas, who eame but to dis-
grace their sovereign's authority. The Albanians, the main
strength of the Turkish army, the support or tenor of its chiefs,
whose mutinous spirit had been increased by a long stoppage of
their pay, have sided sometimes with one party, sometimes with
c another,
and Constantinople, the opinions which were held and aeted upon
at the one place were decidedly opposite to those which were
held and acted upon at the other.
Having sown the seeds of indecision, we have reaped the har-
vest of disgrace and loss. Our character in the country, high as it
once stood, and high as it still comparatively continues, for how '
and generosity, is fallen far below what it would have been, h.
we even provided for our own advantage in securing the tran-
quillity of our friends. In the month of February 1802, the Ma-
malukes epiitted Gizeh, determined, as we would not protect them,
to do what they could to protect themselves; and while we pro-
fessed publicly to acknowledge the Turks as the only independent
sovereigns of Egypt, the secret supplies of arms and ammunition,
believed to be sent to the Mamalukes, gave to their enemies a
pretext for accusing us of duplicity.
The first operations of the Mamalukes were attended with very
little success; and amid their misfortunes a projeci was formed
for confining them to Assouan in the neighbourhood of the Ca-
taracts. Had they consented to this agreement, or even to one by
Avhich they should acquire a moderate accession to this small and
barren territory, the peace of the country would only have been
preserved as long as the whole Turkish army remained in Egypt.
But during the negotiation, the chances of war enabled them to
dictate in their turn to the Turks, and they were for a short time
in possession of Cairo itself. Since this period, the capital of
Egypt has been continually changing its Masters: the Porte has
successively named and deposed Pashas, who eame but to dis-
grace their sovereign's authority. The Albanians, the main
strength of the Turkish army, the support or tenor of its chiefs,
whose mutinous spirit had been increased by a long stoppage of
their pay, have sided sometimes with one party, sometimes with
c another,