THE ORIGIN OF THE KHEDIVIAL DYNASTY. 7

entered upon his functions, the Mameluke chiefs dis-

covered that the new Pasha was not to be bribed, as

his predecessors had been, into leaving the administra-

tion of the country in their own hands, on condition of his being allowed to share the proceeds of their exactions. He set himself to reorganize the army, and to sow dissensions between the chiefs. There

is no satisfactory record forthcoming of the intrigues, conspiracies, outrages, and reprisals, which occurred

during the first few years after Mahomet All's acces-

sion to power. All that is known is that at last /

the long-smothered disaffection of the Mamelukes I burst out into open rebellion. The Pasha had been I obliged to go to \Suez] on account of some local disturbance. The Mamelukes seized the opportunity

to assemble in force in the capital, and established

their headquarters at the citadel, whose guns com-

manded, as they do to-day, the city of ^iro.i Some-

how or other news was conveyed secretly to Mahomet

Ali that the Mamelukes had arranged to rise in insur-

rection, on the morning following the day on which the news was received at Suez, and to take possession of the Government. Without losing a moment, the

Pasha mounted a swift dromedary he had with him, and set forth alone to ride across the desert, going by

the caravan route, followed in later years by the over-

land mail. The distance was some eighty miles, and was traversed by the Pasha in about a dozen hours,

a " record " speed, which up to this time had been considered impossible of achievement. He arrived in