The Egyptian campaigns, 1882 to 1885 Part 18

On the 15th the Khedive issued a Proclamation declaring that the Commander-in-Chief of the British forces was authorized to occupy all points on the Isthmus necessary for the operations against the rebels.

On the 19th Admiral Hoskins gave orders that no ship or boat was to enter the Ca.n.a.l, and announced that he was prepared to resort to force to prevent any attempt to contravene these orders. M. de Lesseps replied that he protested against "this act of violence and spoliation."

On the 20th August Lord Lyons telegraphed Lord Granville as follows, omitting irrelevant pa.s.sages:--

"We communicated to M. Charles de Lesseps last night a memorandum in the terms of your Lordship's despatch to us of the 14th instant; and we requested, at the same time, that the transports should pay dues at Ismailia, and that the regular traffic through the Suez Ca.n.a.l should be suspended during the short period necessary for the pa.s.sage of these vessels. M.

Charles de Lesseps declined to express any opinion of his own, but it was plain to us that he did not expect that the wishes of Her Majesty's Government would be acceded to by his father."

As the sequel showed, M. de Lesseps' acquiescence was not deemed by the English Government essential to the carrying out of the operations decided on.

M. de Lesseps, ever since his arrival in Egypt, had continued to a.s.sure Arabi that if he let the Ca.n.a.l alone the English would also respect it.

His theory was, "Le Ca.n.a.l est la grande route ouverte a tous les pavilions. Y toucher amenerait contre nous l'Europe, le monde entier."

Towards the end of July, M. de Lesseps, having learned that the blocking of the Ca.n.a.l had been decided at the Egyptian camp, telegraphed to Arabi to do nothing to it, adding the words, "_Jamais les Anglais n'y penetreraient, jamais, jamais!_" Nevertheless, secret orders were given to Mahmoud Pasha Fehmi to prepare everything for the military occupation of the Ca.n.a.l jointly with Mahmoud Choukri Bey, another engineer of the National Party. This was on the evening of the 17th August.

On the 20th, after a simulated attack by the British on the lines of Kafr Dowar, intended to cover the expedition to Port Sad, Arabi's look-outs signalled the movement of the English fleet in the direction of the Ca.n.a.l.

The day following, M. de Lesseps having been informed of the presence of thirty-two English ships of war and transports in the waters of Port Sad, sent to Arabi a telegram, the substance of which was as follows:--

"Make no attempt to intercept _my_ Ca.n.a.l. I am there. Not a single English soldier shall disembark without being accompanied by a French soldier. I answer for everything." On receipt of this message, a Council of War was held, which, with the exception of Arabi, who still hesitated, unanimously decided to act. The answer to M. de Lesseps was as follows:--"Sincere thanks, a.s.surances consolatory, but not sufficient under existing circ.u.mstances. The defence of Egypt requires the temporary destruction of the Ca.n.a.l." Fortunately the despatch ordering the destruction of the Ca.n.a.l was sent by a roundabout route by way of Cairo, and when men and material were ready to carry out the work, the English were already in occupation, in spite of M. de Lesseps' positive declarations. The fifteen hours' delay caused by M. de Lesseps'

communication prevented the execution of the orders of the Council.

CHAPTER XIX.

SEIZURE OF THE SUEZ Ca.n.a.l.

The seizure and temporary occupation of the Suez Ca.n.a.l by the British forces became an absolute necessity from the moment that Sir Garnet Wolseley determined to make Ismailia the base of his operations.

Once decided on, the evolution was performed on the night of the 19th-20th of August in a quiet, practical, and business-like manner, reflecting the highest credit on the British Navy.

The work at Port Sad was carried out by the _Monarch_ and the _Iris_, the first-named vessel being so moored off the town that her forward turret guns commanded the main street leading to the quay, whilst the _Iris_ was to seaward of the _Monarch_, in a position whence she could sh.e.l.l the beach and the Arab town. The ironclad _Northumberland_ lay anch.o.r.ed in the offing off Fort Ghemil, the object being to check an exodus of the coal labourers from Port Sad, and to create an impression that the fort was to be attacked. At 11 on the night of the 19th the ships' companies of the _Monarch_ and _Iris_ were called on deck and warned that they would be landed at 3 a.m.

At exactly 3.30 on the 20th the landing began amidst the strictest silence. So quietly was the operation carried out that those on board the French ironclad _La Gallissoniere_, moored close astern of the _Monarch_, and to the same buoy, knew nothing of what was going on.

The landing party comprised two companies of seamen and one of marines from the _Monarch_, and a small naval brigade and a company of marines from the _Iris_, with two Gatling guns.

The plan of operations, shortly stated, was to surround the barracks in which the Government soldiers were quartered, and then to establish a line of sentries across the narrow neck of land which separates the European from the native town, and to bar escape from the former. In a few minutes the work was completed. The soldiers, who were nearly all asleep, were ordered to surrender, and 160 of them fell in and laid down their arms. They were then permitted to return to their barracks, two officers only being detained in custody. The seamen were then posted right across from Lake Menzaleh to the sea, and some temporary earthworks were thrown up across the neck of land already referred to.

Upon Captain Seymour, of the _Iris_, devolved the delicate duty of securing the Ca.n.a.l Company's offices at Port Sad, and of preventing any information being telegraphed through it to the Company's other stations.

After Captain Seymour had occupied the office of the princ.i.p.al transit agent of the Ca.n.a.l Company, a midshipman, not more than fifteen years of age, was told off with a party of bluejackets to take possession of the Company's telegraph apparatus. The Company's employes stood aghast with solemn faces. Such an act of desecration had never been even dreamt of.

Presently the Company's Telegraph Agent arrived, full of dignity and importance, and, apparently unconscious of what had taken place, walked towards his office. He was stopped at the entrance by the small midshipman, who said with a very good French accent, "On ne pa.s.se pas."

The Frenchman (all the important posts in the Company are filled by Frenchmen) looked at the diminutive object in front of him with dignified astonishment, and demanded, "Qui etes-vous? Que voulez-vous ici?" "Je suis ici pour empecher le monde d'entrer," answered the midshipman. The Frenchman, quite bewildered, looked round, and from the long faces of his colleagues was able to guess the truth. His anger and humiliation at first prevented his uttering a word. It was not so much that his office had been seized, but that such an important mission should have been confided to so small a midshipman. This was the bitterest sting of all. Had he been suppressed by a troop of soldiers with fixed bayonets, his dignity at least would have been saved, though the result might have been the same. "Ces sacres Anglais veulent se moquer de nous en nous envoyant un gamin comme cela," was his remark to his brother officials.

Resistance was, however, in vain, and the Company's staff had to submit to the inevitable.[44]

Of course the vital point to be seized was Ismailia, a task which the presence of the Egyptian force at the railway junction at Nefiche, just outside the town, rendered especially perilous.

The force landed by Captain Fitz-Roy, of the _Orion_, consisted of 565 officers and men belonging to that vessel, the _Northumberland_, _Carysfort_, and _Coquette_, with two Gatlings and a 7-pounder gun. The men disembarked in absolute silence at 3 a.m. on the 20th. The silence was so perfect that the Egyptian guard at the Lock Gates was surrounded before the attacking force was discovered. The guard, however, fired their rifles, and so did the sailors. The guard at the Governor's house laid down their arms, and no further resistance was experienced in the town. The railway and telegraph stations, the Ca.n.a.l lock bridge, and the Governor's house (with the Governor) were all taken possession of and held.

There was some slight skirmishing in making the further advance, and in the Arab town some of the enemy were killed. The ships in Lake Timsah at 3.40 a.m. fired five rounds of sh.e.l.l each on the guardhouses in the Arab town. By 4 a.m. the whole place was occupied. By intercepted telegrams it was ascertained that the enemy were arranging to send a large force to Nefiche to attack Ismailia and the ships, and Captain Fitz-Roy determined, if possible, to dislodge the enemy from Nefiche, and to destroy their camp and any of the trains running. The _Orion_ and _Carysfort_ therefore commenced a slow bombardment at 11 a.m., at a distance of 4,200 yards. By noon the enemy's camp was destroyed, and the troops were retreating towards Cairo. The bombardment was then stopped for a time, but at 4 p.m., as another train was arriving laden with troops, firing was resumed, one shot wrecking the train, overturning the trucks and scattering the soldiers right and left. The fortunate shot was fired from the _Orion_ at an unseen enemy, from bearings taken from the masthead of the _Carysfort_.

This concluded the fighting until 10 p.m., after which sh.e.l.ls were fired at Nefiche at intervals of half an hour until daylight, to prevent the railway being cleared, and check troops coming from the west by train.

At 10.30 General Graham arrived with the advance guard of the army, reinforced the different positions, and took over the military command.

Throughout the operations there was only one European injured. The brother-in-law of the Dutch Consul happened to be walking in the neighbourhood of the lock, and not stopping when challenged, was unfortunately shot in the arm, and subsequently died.[45]

The account given by M. Victor de Lesseps, the Ca.n.a.l Company's local agent, in his official report of the operations at Ismailia, differs somewhat from the foregoing. It is nevertheless not devoid of interest, and for this reason a translation of some of the more important pa.s.sages is given below.

"During the night of the 19th to 20th all the European population, the _personnel_ of the Company, and the princ.i.p.al Egyptian functionaries, were a.s.sembled at the house of M.

Poilpre, Chief Agent of the Domain, at one of the gayest of b.a.l.l.s, enlivened by the presence of the officers of the Spanish and Austrian ships of war. At two in the morning, every one went home, and commenced to sleep, when, towards 3 o'clock, in the middle of a very dark night, the streets resounded with warlike cries, mingled with the sound of musketry and of the rolling of gun-carriages dragged at a walking pace.

"It is the English sailors who disembark without having warned the inhabitants that they might be exposed to be killed in the streets. On what are they firing?--on whom?--no enemy is before them. The camp of the Egyptians is at Nefiche, three kilometres from Ismailia. There are in the town only some soldiers of police, very peaceable people, inhabiting Ismailia for a long time, and who have never dreamed of anything but maintaining order.

"Shortly after the embarkation, the cannon thunders. It is the _Orion_--it is the _Carysfort_--which are sending their sh.e.l.ls on to Nefiche, or in the desert.

"The musketry fire continues in the streets of Ismailia. At daybreak it ceases in the town, after having happily made only one victim.

"It is a European, a Dutchman, M. Broens, who, not answering clearly to the challenge of a seaman, received a rifle bullet, which, traversing his body, broke his left arm. M. Broens lies between life and death. The doctors regard his condition as hopeless.

"The English sailors direct their steps towards our Arab village, inhabited by our native workmen with their families, and where they find no enemies to reply. Nevertheless, they fire on the women and children,[46] who flee into the desert; heartrending cries from the terrified population reach even us.

Some Police Agents are made prisoners without any of them having tried to defend themselves.

"One of them is killed from behind, whilst trying to escape with his family.

"Towards eight in the morning the musketry fire ceased. The cannon thunders still, and will thunder until the morning of the 21st.

"On landing, the English have cut our telegraph wires to Suez and Port Sad. Captain Fitz-Roy occupies the Port Office, and our boats are seized. Ismailia is blocked, and we know nothing of what is pa.s.sing on the rest of the line.

"In the afternoon we think of putting the families of our _personnel_ in safety. For 300 seamen only occupy the town, and during the night the Egyptians of Nefiche may attack. It is prudent to make the women and children sleep on the lake. As to the _personnel_ and M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, they have decided not to quit the town.

"The families betake themselves to the landing-place. Captain Fitz-Roy opposes their departure.[47] I then write him a letter. M. Fitz-Roy answers me verbally at seven in the evening, when the night commences, that the families are free, but that M. de Lesseps and all his _personnel_ shall pa.s.s the night in the town, for he expects to be attacked. There will be a battle in Ismailia, and he wishes that M. de Lesseps and all his _personnel_ should be there. 'I am the master, now,' says he.

"These odious words were quite gratuitous, since M. de Lesseps and all the _personnel_, chiefs and employes, had declared that they would not go out of the town, and there had never been a question except as regards their families.

"A part of the families preferred to return to town; the other part was enabled to embark in the boats sent by the ironclad Spanish frigate _Carmen_, and by the Austrian gunboat _Albatross_.

"The night, happily, pa.s.sed without any incident; the silence was broken only by the sh.e.l.ls thrown by the _Carysfort_ and _Orion_ on Nefiche. At daylight Ismailia woke up in the midst of several thousands of English soldiers of the army. The Lake is full of transports and ships of war.

"We learn then that in the night of the 19th to the 20th the English have disembarked at Port Sad, but peaceably, and that Admiral Hoskins has taken possession of our offices, from whence M. Desavary, Princ.i.p.al Transit Agent at Port Sad, had been expelled. Ships of war and transports entered the Ca.n.a.l without pilots, and without paying their dues.[48]

"During the 20th and 21st the movement without pilots of the English vessels of war gave rise to complete confusion. The greater part got ash.o.r.e, and several were obliged to disembark their troops on the bank before arriving at Ismailia, being incapable of extricating themselves by their own resources.

Admiral Seymour has been forced to recognize this, and the hurry that he was in on the 21st to hand back the working to us is the proof of it.[49]

"It is desirable to add that the British naval authorities tried to obtain the services of several of our pilots behind the backs of their superiors, and that all the pilots, without exception, refused to move without the order of the Company.