THE NATIONALITY MOVEMENT. 263 a cause of enmity than a connecting link. In as far as the fellaheen formed any distinct idea of what was meant by Egypt for the Egyptians, they understood it to mean that Arabi proposed to drive the Christians out of Egypt, and thereby to liberate the country from the necessity of paying taxes to provide the interest due upon the foreign debt. As to any demand for selfgovernment, it was a thing never thought of by the mass of the native population. Egypt for the Egyptians" was in fact an article for foreign exportation, not for' home consumption. As such, it served its purpose.

Meanwhile events moved onwards. Mahmoud,'Nf'' as Minister of War, did everything in his power to secure the support of the army; and the Khedive grew alarmed at the extent to which his personal authority was being daily further undermined. He suddenly replaced Mahmoud Sami at the War Office by his own brother-in-law, Daoud Pasha, a Circassian by birth, and reputed to be a man of courage. The new Minister signalized his accession to office by giving orders to the regiments which had taken part / in the mutiny to leave Cairo for the provinces, Arabi, / with his regiment, being instructed to take his I departure for Alexandria. The answer received at the War Office was that the regiments stationed in Cairo were going that afternoon to Abdin, to demand j the dismissal of the Ministry, the convocation of a \ national assembly, and the raising of the army to its i full force. This communication took the Khedive ; completely by surprise. Most of the Consuls-General, • k • • . • ,