THE MASSACRES OF ALEXANDRIA. / 285 in Egyptian affairs on the part of France. Herepre-' > sented to the then Prime Minister, M. de Freycinet, / that the suppression of the so-called National party, I led by Arabi, would tax the whole resources of\ England, and that if France abstained from com-/ mitting herself to any hostile action, she would be able when both parties to the struggle were exhausted, to intervene without incurring the unpopularity of intervention, and thereby render herself the para-1 mount Power in Egypt Trusting to these repre/ sentations, M. de Freycinet informed Lord Lyons that his Government had determined not to instruct the French Admiral to associate himself with the English Admiral in any armed intervention in Egyptian affairs. These instructions were carried' out by the departure of the French fleet from Alexandria to Port Said on the eve of the bombardment, and thus England, fortunately for herself, but by no merit of her own, was left to protect her own interests, for herself and by herself.