Neither India, then, nor Western Africa can reasonably be expected to supply that substitute for the House of Othman which we need.  A more apparent and in the opinion of some a likely candidate for the Caliphate succession may be looked for in the Viceregal family of Egypt.  Mohammed Towfik, if he were a man of genius like his grandfather, or if, honest man as he is, he plays his cards with success, might in a few years become an important rival at Mecca to the Sultan.  To say nothing of its traditional connection with 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