Chapter XXX: Appendix: F

EXTRACTS FROM LADY ANNE BLUNT’S DIARY

_Dec._ 8, 1882, _Friday_ [10, James Street].—General C. G. Gordon came to breakfast at 9. I am only sorry, now I have made his acquaintance, not to have known him sooner. He does not appear to be otherwise than in perfect possession of perfect common sense. So much has been said to imply his being “touched” in the head that I put this down as a very distinct impression. But he is a man of ideas and in a prominent position, and as such it is convenient to find his ideas utopian or “mad.” He staid about two hours talking to Wilfrid—told us he believed the Government now “sincerely” (because it suits them) intend to carry out liberal policy—Chamber of Notables, etc.—in Egypt. Wilfrid replied that he would believe it when he saw that on the Budget question they act in such a manner, and he will judge them by what they settle about taxation. If they lighten the taxes of the fellahin it will be a proof of their sincerity. Nothing short of that will do, as the condition of the poor people is too desperate to be otherwise mended. General Gordon would not allow that any _party_ in Egypt could really abolish slavery. It was in their nature to keep slaves—they could not change their nature. He does not, I think, quite know the state of feeling in the Mohammedan world or make allowance for the growth of a determination to reform on the part of those who, not having great possessions of slaves or anything else, will not be making great sacrifices in joining to suppress it.

He is going out to “Palestine,” he says, next week. He must be being sent, though he did not say it, to inquire into the state of the Mussulman world there. Wilfrid promised to send the papers about the Sheykhs in Jerusalem to him (copies) and asked him to occupy himself with their case, which he said he would inquire into.

And so we parted. I hope we shall see him again.

_August_ 18, 1883 [London].—At 1 o’clock Colonel [D.H.] Stewart came to luncheon. He has become very official in his views, though not in his manners. He spoke of the hanging of the Bedouins at Tantah, and said that a friend of his who saw it remarked how easily they died; they had hardly to be touched by the rope before they were dead. There would be no fear of any Englishman being attacked in the desert, he thought, for a long time owing to the terror spread by these executions. He seemed surprised when I said on the contrary that anywhere in the Arabian desert it would be very unsafe in consequence. Wilfrid added, of course in the Sinai peninsula it would be safe—there it always was safe (the danger had been from the war). In the end Colonel Stewart exclaimed, “Ah, well, I see we shall never agree, I wish England to be successful, justly if possible, and unjustly if it cannot be justly.” He went away at 3.

_Sept._ 30 [Cairo].—List of persons arrested in connection with the pretended “Société des Vengeurs”:

Huseyn Bey Fehmy

Mustafa Bey Sidky

Abd el Razak Bey

Abd el Rahman Bey Hoja

Mohammed Bey Fenni

Ali Bey Fauzi

Sheykh Ahmed Nur

Mohammed Bey Shami

Huseyn Eff. Sagr

Saad Eff. Zaghloul

Mustafa Eff. Nashaat

Mahmud Eff. Soudani

Mohammed Bey Tahir

Osman Bey (his son)

Ahmed Eff. Rashaat

Mohammed Said (the French doctor)

also one Iskander and five servants.

_Sept._ 30.—Suleyman’s account of Yusuf Abu Diab’s death: Yusuf was a great friend of his (Suleyman’s), and of Abd el Aal whose A.D.C. he was, a very good fellow, and all that had been said against him was false. On the day of the Tantah massacre Yusuf abu Diab arrived from Damietta at 4 of the day. The massacre had begun at 1 of the day and was still going on, for it lasted twelve hours or more. At the station on getting out of the train Yusuf saw a poor Christian woman from Alexandria whom the people were about to kill. Yusuf saved her and taking her by the hand conducted her to the Governorat, to the Mudir Ibrahim Adhem, who was sitting in his room. Yusuf placed her in the Mudir’s charge, and afterwards reproached the Mudir for sitting still there while the massacre was going on. He said, “You are Mudir and all the troops and police are under your orders. You must take soldiers and go out and stop this. I shall inform Arabi Pasha of what you have allowed to happen.” He took the next train and went to inform Arabi. A few days after, Ali Pasha Fehmi was sent to Tantah to arrest the Mudir and bring him to Cairo where he was imprisoned in the Kasr en Nil for a few days and then sent to his house and ordered to remain there.

After the war Suleyman (the narrator) was for a month in prison with Yusuf. He had been arrested with Abd el Aal saying, “If you are to die I will die with you,” and he was with Abd el Aal in prison at Cairo. In the meantime Ibrahim Adhem was reinstated by Tewfik at Tantah, and hearing Yusuf was in prison at Cairo he had him sent for to be tried before the Commission of Inquiry at Tantah. On his arrival Ibrahim came to visit Yusuf. Suliman was present in the courtyard of the prison. Ibrahim Adhem took Abu Diab by the moustache and said, “The day of the massacre here you came and brought a _Nasranieh_ to me; you abused me and you said you would inform Arabi Pasha. Was it you who did this?” “It was I.” “_Inshallah_, you shall not come out of this but to be hanged.” This was just outside the room in the courtyard. Ibrahim Adhem then brought half-a-dozen men, Copts and Muslims, from the station and Abd er Rahman the zabit of Tantah, and said to them, “You will go before the _Mejliss Tahkik_, and say that on the day of the massacre I saw Yusuf abu Diab saying to the people, “Kill the Christians,” and also that he often told Arabi Pasha that he ought to “kill Tewfik or let me do so,” but he was not willing. A certain Mahriz Bey of Alexandria also bore witness against him falsely; these men swore through fear. The Commission sent Yusuf back to the Court Martial at Cairo with the _procès-verbal_, and the Court-Martial sentenced him to be hanged. Three days later he was sent to Tantah and executed. He was brave. Suleyman remained with him to the end. His last words to the people standing round him were “O my brothers, I suffer injustice. But God grant you may not see a day the like of this again and that I may be the last of those unjustly condemned.” Then Ibrahim Adhem came up and said, “O Yusuf Effendi, forgive me.” And Yusuf answered, “I do not forgive with my tongue, for if I should forgive with my tongue my heart would not forgive, and if my heart should forgive my children here would not forgive, and if my children should forgive, our Lord (God) would not forgive, for you are the cause of my being unjustly destroyed.” Then he said, “Give me some water.” And they give it him and he drank a few mouthfuls and said, “Put the rope on me.”