THE DEPOSITION OF ISMAIL PASHA. 217 receiving formal orders from the Porte ; and against this contingency he regarded himself as secure. Before, I however, the day was over, a telegram was received / from Constantinople, addressed to '* Ismail Pasha, late \ Khedive of Egypt," and informing him that he had / been deposed by the Sultan, and that his son and heir, ( Tewfik Pasha, had been nominated in his stead. y I have often wondered what would have happened if Ismail had put his back to the wall and declined to yield. He was certainly not wanting in courage, and nobody understood more fully than he did the difficulties in the way of any direct foreign intervention. But the possibility of his forcible deposition by the Sultan had never entered into his calculations. He*\ was far too well versed in Oriental politics not to appreciate the opportunity offered to the Porte by the unexpected turn of affairs, which had induced the great European Powers to avail themselves of the services of Turkey, in order to bring about his removal from the throne. The independence of Egypt was due to N the support of these Powers, and if he persisted • in \ resisting the orders of the Sultan, backed as they / would be by the authority of England, France, and Germany, the inevitable result would have been the despatch of a Turkish force to Egypt to enforce his deposition. He knew that if the Turks once got possession of the Pashalik, the independence which his grandfather Mahomet Ali had won for himself and his dynasty would soon be in the gravest peril of for- !

feiture. It is not an undue stretch of charity to credit/ /