THE SOLDIER'S DUTY. (To ras Earns or ram "firm:mares:1
Sin,—Will you permit me to quote the following extract from an interesting little book recently published, entitled Things Seen in Egypt ? It has reference to the Moslem Festival of the Mabmal or Holy Carpet:— "A curious incident took place on the first occasion on which the ceremony [of the Mahmal] was performed after Egypt had been occupied by British troops. On the pretext of doing honour to the occasion, the Khedive was informed that the British Army would parade in the square [Cairo), and take charge of the pro- cession. But in giving this order the authorities bad reckoned without Tommy, and very soon found their mistake. Tommy was not quite so well educated then as he is now, and believed that when he was told to salute the Mahmal,he was told to join in enact of idolatrous worship to a heathen idol. Bo Tommy—all honour to him for it—flatly refused. Collectively and individually he gave his officers to understand that in this matter he could not obey them. 'Be it known unto thee'—perhaps that utterance of supreme faith rang in the hearts of some of them—'that we will, not worship the golden image.' There were hasty and secret consultations among the high authorities, and an ingenious com- promise was arrived at It was arranged that directly the Khedive had sped the Mahmal with the accustomed ceremony he should at once enter his carriage, and drive across and away on the other side of the square from that on which the Mahmal passed. The few Egyptian troops in the square kept their faces to the Mahmal and reverently salaamed. The British troops turned as one man and saluted the Khedive, presenting their backs squarely to the Mahmal."
Co. Down.
[This curious incident, if authentic, is only another example of the maxim which, though not much talked about, is always practised by statesmen. "Never put an intolerable strain on a military force. Every machine has its breaking-point, and so has every human organization." A propos of the refusal by soldiers to salute "idols," did not an Evangelical servant of the East India Company once refuse to order the customary salute to be fired to Juggernaut? Again, did not a Presbyterian Scottish General in command in Malta in the "twenties" of last century create an incident by refusing to let the sentries present arms when the Host was taken through the streets of Valetta or when some holy image went in procession P—En. Spectator.]
Previous page
