THE ACCESSION OF ISMAIL PASHA State of Egypt on commencement of Ismail's reign — Personal character of new Viceroy — Temptations to which he was • subjected — The cotton boom during the Secession War.

It was on the i8th of January, 1863, that Ismail ascended the Vice-regal throne, being then a man of thirty-two. It may be well to recapitulate briefly what was the political condition of Egypt at the commencement of this new and momentous reign. Under the rule of Mahomet Ali and his successors, every element which could offer any resistance to the absolute authority of the Sovereign had been ruthlessly swept away. I fully admit that the Mameluke chieftains, who constituted an influence independent of, and often hostile to, that of the Pasha representing the suzerain Power, had used their authority to harass and oppress the native populations subject to their jurisdiction. In itself the overthrow of the Mamelukes was a boon to Egypt. Nevertheless, the fact that the whole administration of the country was now placed in one single hand, rendered possible a system of universal oppression which was not possible so long as the authority of the Mamelukes acted as a