k 298 THE STORY OF THE KHEDIVATE.

three-fourths of its whole revenue. The opposition to lour using the Canal for the purposes of the campaign iwas started by M. de Lesseps, who had travelled in haste from Paris to hinder what he considered a viola-/ tion of the Company's rights and privileges. No doubt / the senile vanity of the President, and his lifelong animosity towards England, had a good deal to do ' with the extravagant manner in which he tried to upset * : our plan of campaign. But I am convinced the chief I cause of his opposition was his utterly mistaken con-I fidence in the success of the mutiny. It was, as I have ' mentioned, his assurance, that Arabi was sure to win the day, which induced the French Ministry to withdraw the French fleet from Alexandria on the eve of the bombardment. It was only in accordance with this conviction that he should have thought it of vital interest to his Company to keep on good terms with Arabi. He was at this time in communication with the insurgent leaders, begging them to desist from any I injury to the Canal, assuring them that he would , prevent the English from using it for military purposes ; ' declaring that if England defied his authority, the whole of the civilized world would rise in arms against her, and encouraging the insurgents to resistance by declaring that the sympathies of France were with their cause. The last statement has the exceptional merit of being correct ]