The British Occupation 127
in directing it. Private prayer and public receptions
occupied his time.
Meantime the army was covering Cairo in a very
strong position prepared by Mustapha Fehmy, the engi-
neer, at Kafr-Dawar. A force of several thousand British
advancing from Alexandria under General Allison was
repulsed, and the army's morale was thereby restored.
But no proper preparation was made against the arrival
of the main force under Wolseley, which would allow the
British to invade Egypt from whichever point they chose.
Arabi had been warned that the British would enter the
Canal and turn the flank of his position, and Mustapha
Fehmy had laid out defensive works at Tel-el-Kebir, but
little was done to them. For Arabi had not realised that
the day of diplomatising was over. He was relying on
the French not to let the Canal be used by the British.
And de Lesseps, in order to prevent Arabi from damaging
the Canal, had promised that France would maintain its
neutrality. The Egyptian army engineers, aware of the
danger, had pressed on all the preparations for obstruct-
ing the Canal; but Arabi refused his permission until too
late. The same evening that his colleagues at last got
the order out of him, Wolseley was steaming through the
Canal to disembark at Ismailia (August 21, 1882).
When de Lesseps posted himself on the quay at Port
Said to oppose in person the British violation of his
Canal, the marines only saw a fat little Frenchman
* excitedly jabbering, and brushed him aside.
The first conflict was at Kassasin (August 28), where
the Egyptians did fairly well, and the British lost some
guns. But the defection of Mahomet Shukry, in face of
the enemy, the capture of Mustapha Fehmy, while recon-
noitring, and retention of Abd-el-Aal at Damietta, caused
a loss of confidence in the Nationalist camp. Then came