THE BOMBARDMENT OF ALEXANDRIA. 291 communicated to the British Admiral his desire to] return to Ras-el-Tin, where his personal safety would now be more secure than it was at Ramleh. The Khedive then drove with imperturbable coolness through the streets of Alexandria, crowded as they then were by an infuriated mob, to Ras-el-Tin, where he was received with the honours due to his rank by a force of British marines.

The die was cast; and from that moment Tewfik made up his mind to dissociate himself from all further complicity with Arabi. On the day following his return to Ras-el-Tin, he ordered the leader of the insurgents to come to the Palace, and, on his refusal dismissed him from the post of Minister of War. The\ decree was issued on the 22 nd of July, that is, eleven days after the bombardment. It is characteristic of the " facing-both-ways " attitucJe his Highness was compelled to assume at this period, by the exigencies of his position, that the decree depriving Arabi of his Ministerial functions justified his dismissal, on the ground that he had offered inadequate resistance to the British fleet, that he had not opposed the landing of the British troops, and that he had withdrawn the Egyptian forces from Alexandria without the permission of the Khedive. Thereupon Arabi threw off the mask, despatched a telegram to the Sultan, declaring, " that being provoked into war he was in possession of all that was necessary to overcome his enemies," and assuring his Majesty of his absolute confidence in the ruler of Islam. A few days later,