74 Egypt
but for the Canal It was the Canal that divided Glad-
stone's Cabinet and decided a British occupation.
Ismail's financial failure is very puzzling, for he
began well in his finance, and in other respects did
not do at all badly. Said had allowed him a training
in public affairs, and he had shown himself a good busi-
ness man in the administration of the immense estates
left him by his father, Ibrahim, and in the accumulation
of a considerable private fortune. Indeed, he succeeded
in increasing these estates from sixty thousand to a million
acres, covered them with factories and railroads. He
treated his peasantry well enough to earn the title,
ce Prince of the Fellaheen/' On his accession he showed
an appreciation of the necessity for economy. Thus he
separated the public and private revenues, assigning him-
self a civil list of £700,000 a year, which, though double
that of Queen Victoria, was yet much less than the
annual cost of Said. On the other hand, progressive
enterprises were pressed forward, communications, agri-
culture, commerce, industry, education, judicature, all
benefited by reconstructions and extensions. Even the
necessity of some democratic development was recog-
nised ; while the territory of Egypt was usefully extended
and its independence from Turkey finally assured. And
yet all this was thrown away owing to the strangest
financial folly,
There is the same curious incongruity in Ismail's
personality. His appearance was not an asset. Short
and ungainly, he had neither dignity nor deportment, He
would waddle aimlessly about the room or sit cross-
legged on a divan playing with his toes. His face was
grotesque, half covered with tufts of red beard. His eyes
were not a pair, for the one was fixed and half closed,
while the other revolved restlessly- His ears were mis*