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me more was the musical instruction that was being
given by a Frenchman to what was intended to be a regi-
mental band. There were almost a hundred native youths,
partly uniformed and in serried ranks, each one provided
with a brass instrument who were marched back & forth and
made to play over and over again a short portion of some
martial air. The instructor had a little stick in his hand
and walked abreast of the leading rank, at one of its sides,
looking serious and even bored at being obliged to teach
such unpromising pupils. In the afternoon my walk usually
took me to the place on the edge of the bay where the two obelisks
stood, one of which has since been removed to London and the
other to New York.

While in Alexandria during this last stay the possibility
of cutting a canal through the isthmus of Suez was somewhat
discussed. The subject had been referred to an international
commission composed of members appointed by most of the great
powers of Europe, and their report had just been published.
The English government of that day under the leadership of
Lord Palmerston was strongly opposed to a canal, and if it
had depended on them it probably never would have been dug.
It was the old fear of the road to India becoming too easy,
and by means of which some European rival might obtain a
foothold in the countries adjacent and possibly menace the
British lines of communication with their large possessions
in Asia in case of war. As well I can remember the report
did not positively advocate a canal, but its possibility was
favorably considered by certain of the members of the commission,
especially the French. It ended as we know in being com-
menced under the leadership of Monsieur de Lesseps, who
obtained most of the capital in France, and during the progress
of the work, had the powerful assistance of the Viceroy or
Khedive, as he is now called, who, in addition to becoming
a large stockholder, gave great facilities for the procuring
of labor.

When the day for leaving had arrived we found that there
were two steamers that would start together one a large
and new propellar named the Alma, bound for Southamp-
ton via Malta and Gibraltar, and the other a smaller side
wheeler bound direct for Marseilles and carrying the
government dispatches, which would be sent from there to
England by sail. Her name was the Vectis. As Hayes and
I wished to stop at Malta we went on board the Alma.
A rather amusing incident occurred as we were going
in a small native boat to the big steamer at anchor in
the inner harbor. We had been on very familiar terms while
on the steamer up the Nile with the engineer, an Englishman

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