Egypt After the War, Being the Narrative of a Tour of Inspection. in Which Are Embodied Notices of the Latest Archaeological Discoveries, and a Revised Account of the Funeral Canopy of an Egyptian Queen (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1883 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XXXII. The Daira Saniyeh--Their Extent--Their System of Management--Their Production--Their Cost--A Native Fair--The original Punch and Judy--Champagne Brandy. Next day the boat of the Red Prince passed on its way down with flag half mast high. H.R.H.'s dragoman informed us that he had just received intelligence of his father's death, and we saluted sympathetically. We took it for granted that he was hastening back to be in time for the funeral, and would stop nowhere, but on reaching Luxor we heard that H.R.H. had sought consolation there by making the very best bag of jackals and wild cats that he had achieved during his whole tour, and that the crowning glory of the day's sport had been a wolf. The party had left for Cairo on the morning of our return. While in Upper Egypt we visited some sugar estates, the names of which we purposely omit. They formed part of the Daira Saniyeh. These were formerly the private property of the late Khedive, but he became involved in financial embarrassments and made them over to his European creditors, i.e., they are administered by a Commission consisting of a European director and two European controllers. These estates amount in all to about 450,000 acres, chiefly confiscated from the peasants in various ways, and on various pretences. They are distinct from the State Domains, which also have an administration of Chap, Xxxii. DAIRA SANIYEH ESTATES. 313 their own; both of them represent an enormous amount of injustice, tyranny, and oppression; their acquisition has inflicted a lasting injury on Egypt; and never was there a better illustration of the saying, "111 got ill gone." The only people who now profit by these transactions are the European bondholders. The Daira Saniyeh estates are mortgaged to the enormo...