INTRODUCTION Almost every officer who looks beyond the somewhat cramped fields of regimental soldiering—the " babyfarming- cum -novel -over -ante -room -fire " of Lord Esher—hopes some time or other to join the Egyptian Army. It is considered the plum of extra-regimental employments abroad. Strange, however, it is that, in spite of the fact that one or more men from almost every regiment or corps has belonged to the E.A. at one time or another, very little is known about it.

This is explained in several ways. The man who once has been in positions of considerable trust and responsibility more often than not does not rejoin his regiment. If he does rejoin he probably finds that local scandal holds a more favoured position than Imperial questions. Above all, there will be a certain jealousy among those who have never aspired to anything but regimental life, and a suspicion that the ex-bimbashi or bey is drawing on his imagination for experiences.

I divide the Egyptian Army into three distinct services. First, that in Cairo. The life there is the one that most people in the service and out of it suppose that any one with E.A. before his name in the Army list leads. To live in Cairo with ;40o a year at least