the Caliphate, Egypt has the more modern
recollection of Mehemet Ali to urge upon the Hejazi in its favour as the
protecting State of Islam.

Mehemet Ali's name and that of his successor Ibrahim Pasha, if not
precisely popular, are at least respected at Mecca; and the latter
possesses a great title to Sunite gratitude in having destroyed the
Wahhabite empire in 1818. I have mentioned Mehemet Ali's ambition; and a
similar ambition would seem to have occurred to Ismail, the late
Khedive. He, in the plenitude of his financial power, is stated to have
expended large sums of money in subsidising the Sherifs with a view to
possible contingencies at Constantinople. But unfortunately for him the
opening of the Suez Canal, on which he had counted for securing him the
support of Europe, proved the precise instrument of ruin for his scheme.

The Porte in 1871, scenting danger to its own Caliphal pretensions from
this quarter, occupied the Red Sea in force, reinforced its garrisons in
Jeddah and Yembo, advanced to Taif, and threw a large army into Yemen.
This was alone made possible by the Canal, and Ismail to his chagrin
found himself "hoist with his own petard." Mohammed Towfik, therefore,
would have some excuse in family tradition if he indulged occasionally
in dreams of a similar nature. His connection with Mecca is at the
present day second only to that of Constantinople; the Egyptian
Khedivieh line of steamers ply constantly between Suez and Jeddah; and
the Haj the Khedive sends to Mecca, including as it does most of the
Mogrebbin pilgrims, is more numerous than the Sultan's. He maintains
intimate relations with one at least of the great Sherifal families, and
sends a Mahmal yearly with an important surrah to Medina. Mohammed
Towfik also has the deserved reputation of being a sincere Mussulman and
an honest man, and it is certain that a large section of true liberal
opinion looks to him as the worthiest supporter of its views. With all
this I doubt if he be big enough a man to aspire as yet with success to
Abd el Hamid's succession.

The present Viceroy's financial position, though we may hope sounder in
its base, is not so immediately powerful as his father's; and much ready
money will be required by an aspirant to the Caliphate. His fighting
power, too, is small, and he would have to proclaim himself in arms.
Moreover--and this I fear will remain an insuperable difficulty--he is
hampered with the control of Europe. Islam