SCENES AT FLOGGING PUNISHMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 143, 18 June 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

SCENES AT FLOGGING PUNISHMENT.

The English ip Egypt.

A " Daily News" correspondent writes as follows -.-The particulars I telegraphed to you regarding the assault on British officers near the Ghizoh Pyramids w.ere as nearly as possible correct, but 1 omitted to say that besides the (logging awarded, some of the prisoners were heavily lined into the bargain, and that three sheikhs were punished by fine and imprisonmen t, At three p.m. last Ihursday, two companies of the Welsh, to which the officers belonged, marched off to the villages of the prisoners, and were drawn up.to witness the execution of the sentence. Buleigh Bey was present with native mounted police, and Captain Freeman with some of his English military police. These consist of men picked from different cavalry regiments. A fine, stalwart body they are, and admirably disciplined. Captain Riddlo (60th Rifles) was also there on duty. ,He is attachedtothepolice; Theprisonerswere tied to the typical triangle, and in front of the villagers they received a pretty good castigation from the cat, laid on by stalwart British warders from the Ghizeli Gaol. The old prisoners bore the infliction tolerably well, but the younger ones halloaed. The punishment of the cat, however, is nothing in comparison with that inflicted by the corbash, and this used to be laid on the natives' backs and feet on every possible occasion. After a certain number had been flogged at one village, the troops, warders, and police moved to another*and here some other prisoners were flooged in thepresenceof the inhabitants. Culonel Tillloch, commanding the Welsh, then made a short speech, saying that the British were in Egypt to protect Europeans as natives, that they had shed their blood for the country, and were desirous to maintain order. Therefore, if a similar outrage occurred the perpetrators would be punished in a much more severe manner than the present prisoners had been. It must be remarked, however, that the villagers are often very hardly used by Europeans as regards their crops. No sooner does the shooting season commence —in fact, there is always something to shoot about Cairo all the year round— than a.swarm of Greeks, Italians, French, Levpntines, nondescripts of all blends, and Englishmen go forth- and tread down their crops. Again and og-ain have the poor natives protested, But what can bo done ? The " Capitulations," as they do in every and fill occasions, stap in. It is a crying shame. I heard to-day that some of the sheikhs of the villages have given out that on the first occasion of a European misconducting himself when on a shooting excursion,they will have him hanged, without mercy, in retaliation fov the punishment inflicted upon the Arabs.