THE BURNING OF ALEXANDEIA,

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1215, 3 January 1883, Page 2

THE BURNING OF ALEXANDEIA,

• Lord C. Beresford, in responding for " The Navy " at a civic diuner in London recently, referred to the bombardment of Alexandria, and the restoration of order in that city. The 15 days during which he was entrusted with the civil government and the management of the police were, he said, probably the most eventful that ever any man had to pass through. The bombardment took place on the 11th of July, and on the 18th they landed 60 marines and 70 seamen. There was no doubt if they had landed in the first instance we could have taken Arabi and defeated his army. He believed, however, that the Government had promised that they would not land, and they "were bound by that promise. On the 13th, when the small force which he had mentioned landed, the conflagration was awful, the people were looting and setting fire to the houses, and in all the out-of-the-way places the Arabs were murdering each other for the loot. The houses were falling, the sanitary condition of the town was in a dreadfull state, and there were many hundreds of starving people, principally Jews, and women and children, in the streets. Besides the British force there were 120 Americans, 120 Greeks, and 40 Germans. The Americans worked splendidly, and he could never thank them enough. The Greeks worked very well but they were rather too fond of the rifle, being under the impression that they ought to shoot everyone who was opposed to them, aud they were accordingly got oft to the ships. The noble lord highly eulogised the conduct of the marines, who, he said, worked day and night, and displayed the greatest tact.