40 Egypt
European situation, as little news of it got through the
blockade. Thus Driault notes that all French consular
reports from Egypt between April and October, 1807,
are missing. No doubt they are somewhere in
Whitehall.
Mehemet AH had thus rid himself of all his enemies, but
he was ever one to <c mak' siccer." The Mamelukes had
been finally driven out of Upper Egypt by 1810; but,
having shortly afterwards to undertake an expedition into
Arabia, Mehemet Ali decided to destroy them not only
as a force, but as a faction. The four hundred principal
Beys were accordingly invited to attend the ceremonious
departure of the Arabian expedition (February, 1811).
The aged Mameluke chief Ibrahim was too wary to leave
his fastness at Beni Suef, and, like the fox in the fable,
he sent a reply enumerating those whose footsteps had
led into the lions' cave. But the young successor of Elfi,
Shahin, was tempted by a prospect of a return to the
delights of Cairo. So he, with his splendid retinue and
four hundred other Beys, were received by Mehemet Ali
in the Cairo citadel with coffee and polite conversation.
In the procession that followed, the Mamelukes rode
between Albanians and Turks ; and, in a hollow lane
under the citadel whence there was no escape, these
troops opened fire on the Mamelukes. Some of the
bolder threw off their robes and jewels and died fighting,
some met their fate with dignity in the posture of prayer,
but not one escaped. A thousand more were killed in
Cairo and in the provinces, and their palaces were
plundered. The East has, indeed, a short and sharp way
of dealing with ruling classes that are no longer
functional. c< This is indeed a proud day for your High-
ness/' said his Genoese doctor to Mehemet Ali, who was
waiting for news in a back room of the citadel, Mehemet