Our readers will understand a little of what " self-govern-
ment " means in Asia, if they will read a letter from the Tele- graph's correspondent at Cairo, printed on Thursday. When the citadel of Cairo was occupied, an Egyptian Major (Sulei- man Zogheib) was feund there, a pleasant, well-mannered man, who professed the deepest friendship for all Englishmen. His demeanour, however, excited some suspicion, and he was arrested, pendiug inquiry. Meanwhile, the dungeons were opened, and were found crammed with 250 prisoners accused of unfriendliness to Arabi, and subjected by the Major to torture until they paid him to desist. Maltese were especially tortured, being beaten into jelly, flayed on the back, or their legs broken, and. then flung into the dungeons to the flies, where, when they were found, they had been four days without food. The motive was not "fanat- icism," but simply plunder, Arabs being treated quite as badly. One had received 1,200 strokes of the bastinado, and another 500, either being in ordinary cases equivalent to flogging to death. "Some men "—the correspondent saw them—" bore signs of thumbscrews; others, a network of hot branding on their breasts." The Major was arrested, and is to be tried by court-martial ; but his offence will probably not be considered by the native members more serious than theft. Torture is too ordinary.
Previous page
