INTRODUCTION

Almost every officer who looks beyond the somewhat

cramped fields of regimental soldiering—the " baby-

farming- 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 any-

thing 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 ser-

vices. 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