THE NATIONALITY MOVEMENT. 259 intervention — by leading public opinion abroad to believe that the Arabi mutiny was a national movement in favour of Egyptian independence — was one hardly likely to have been originated by an Oriental.

At this period, however, Egypt was crowded with cosmopolitan adventurers, who found fishing in muddy waters a lucrative occupation. The downfall of Ismail and the establishment of the Dual Control had dealt a grave blow to their interests ; and the partisans of the old regime had some reason for hoping that/If the military insurrection became formidable, and if the Powers were reluctant to suppress the mutiny themselves, they might solve the difficulty by replacing Ismail upon the throne. The credit, however, if credit there is, of having induced Arabi to assume the character of a political reformer and of a champion of Egyptian nationality, is chiefly due to fellow-countrymen of our own, though I still entertain the conviction" that they were only the unconscious tools of some more powerful personality.

At this time there were residing in Cairo, as visitors, two English gentlemen, more or less known by repute, Mr.. Wilfrid Blunt and the late Sir William Gregory. They had both travelled a good deal in the East They both possessed that superlicial acquaintance with Eastern manners and customs which most of its possessors consider a justification for posing as authorities on all Oriental questions. They both were on the look-out for any means of bringing their names before the British public. Mr. Blunt had had at