The seizure of the Suez Canal, an event which will form a point of new departure in the history of the world, fell, in like manner as did the bombardment and occupation of Alexandria, to the share of the navy. From Suez, Rear-Admiral Hewett, after landing 450 men, in the face of more than four times that number of Egyptian troops, was able to telegraph to the Admiralty, with that brevity for which this gallant officer is celebrated, "Have occupied Suez. Enemy fled." At this time, Mr. Ferdinand de Lesseps was at Ismailia, assuring Arabi Pasha that he guaranteed the neutrality of the canal. Sir Garnet Wolseley had arrived at Alexandria, and the English troops had been there landed. The general officers commanding divisions and brigades had been in daily communication with the admirals of the fleet on board the Salamis; and Rear-Admiral Hoskins was dispatched in the Iris to Port Said on August 16th. He reached his destination the next day, and took command of the ships in the Suez Canal. From his flagship, the Penelope, he issued orders to the Nyanza, condenser ship, to take on board 100 seamen and marines of the Northumberland, and to proceed with tents and provisions to Ismailia to reinforce Captain Fitz Roy, of the Orion. That officer was also ordered to occupy Ismailia some time before daylight on Sunday morning, August 20. These orders deserve to be recorded in full for future reference. They ran as follows:
(Memo.) H. M. S. Penelope, Port Said, August 18, 1882.
Some time before daylight on Sunday morning next, you are to land the available force under your command at Ismailia, and proceed to occupy the town, which you are to hold until you are reinforced, which will probably be, at the latest, within twenty-four flours. It is of the greatest importance that the telegraph offices, both of the Canal Company and the Egyptian Government, should be seized at once, and all telegrams prevented from passing. The waste weir to the westward of the upper lock should also be seized at once, and held, if possible, until the troops arrive. As this is under the fire of guns at Nefiche, intrenchments should be thrown up as soon as possible to cover the men. You are to use your own discretion as to supporting this movement with the fire of the ships, but you will bear in mind that it is most desirable that no injury whatever should be done to the town of Ismailia, or its inhabitants, by any measures which you adopt yourself, and you should use every means in your power to prevent it on the part of others. The Staff Commander of the Orion should be ready to place any ships arriving with troops in the best berths for them to occupy with a view to the disembarkation and their draught of water. From the verbal communication we have had, the support you may expect from myself and Sir William Hewett is made fully known to you. In the event of your being attacked by a superior force of the enemy, you are to use your own discretion as to falling back upon the ships. Any person attempting to set fire to the houses should at once be shot.
A. H. HOSKINS, Rear-Admiral.
To Captain R. O'B. Fitz Roy, H. M. S. Orion.
To Captain Henry Fairfax, C. B., A. D. C., of the Monarch, and to Captain Edward H. Seymour, of the Iris, was entrusted the task of seizing Port Said. The following orders were issued to these officers:
Penelope, at Port Said, August 19, 1882.
At 3.30 A. M. on Sunday next, the 2othlinstant, Port Said is to be occupied in the following manner:
2. The direction of operations will be under Captain Fairfax, of H. M. S. Monarch.
3. The landing party will consist of—from H. M. S. Monarch, too seamen, small-arm men, 18 Gatling-gun crews, 48 Royal Marines, Gatling gun. From H. M. S. Iris, 8o seamen, small-arm men, 18 Gatling-gun crews, 28 Royal Marines, i Gatling gun. From H. M. S. Northumberland, battalion 200 Royal Marines. Total, 180 seamen, small-arm men, 36 Gatling-gun crews, 276 Royal Marines, Gatling guns. Total strength, 492 men and 2 Gatling guns.
4. The Iris seamen and marines will at once proceed to the outskirts of the town by the Quay Eugenie, and take the right of the line, to extend from the sea to Lake Menzaleh, between the European and Arab town, i. e. from the right of the Rue du Nord to the beach.
5. They will be followed immediately by the company of the battalion of marines from the Iris, who will turn to the left at the Rue de l'Arsenal, and form round the north angle of the barracks.
6. The Monarch's seamen and marines will form on the wharf opposite the ship, and march by the Rue du Nord to the Consulate, which the marines will take charge of, posting sentries. The bluejackets will continue on the same line of the street, and form on the left of the Iris's men, extending to Lake Menzaleh, and detaching a party to guard the reservoir and its neighborhood.
7. The battalion company of Royal Marines of the Monarch will form on the left of the above, on the wharf, and march after the advance to the south corner of the barracks, taking care not to extend into the Rue de l'Arsenal, so as not to be in the way of the fire of the Iris's detachment. The Egyptian troops are to be summoned to lay down their arms and then marched down to the wharf.
8. One Gatling gun will accompany the advance of the Iris, and the other, the marine battalion company of the Monarch, to the entrance to the barracks.
9. A sergeant's party is to be kept on the wharf to prevent any attempt being made to fire the Custom House, round which sentries are to be posted.
10. The Khedive's Governor, now in Poona, will be on board the Penelope, and land directly the occupation is effected, and aid in the maintenance of order with the police, who are known to be loyal. ma. Arrangements are to be made to send the breakfasts on shore, with anything else that may be wanted, at about 7 A. M. The men to have a meal of cocoa before landing.
11. Care is to be taken that men do not land with loaded rifles, or load without orders; and it is to be impressed on all the landing party that no firing is to take place without orders, and that it is of the greatest importance to preserve amicable relations both with the white inhabitants of all nations and also with the Arabs, on whom we are dependent for the coaling of our ships.
12. A guard must be placed by the Iris over the Governor's house at the earliest opportunity. Arabi's Governor, Rouchdy Pasha, is to be received as a friend, if he surrender himself.
13. It is very desirable to secure the Bimbashi, if possible, and Major Tulloch, with an interpreter and a small party of picked men, will endeavor to effect this. Prisoners should be put on board the Iris, when the Governor has been consulted as to who should be released and who retained as such.
14. Marines will land in blue, with helmets; seamen in blue, with white cap-covers. As soon as possible a change of white clothing and hats for the seamen should be sent on shore, and strict attention to be paid to their appearance on parade and their general tone and bearing. All defaulters are to be sent at once on board the Monarch. A patrol of trustworthy men under an officer is to be told off at once for the maintenance of discipline amongst our own men, and such patrols as may be necessary to support the Egyptian police must be forthcoming immediately the occupation has taken place. Major Tulloch will be good enough to attach himself to the Governor, protem., in order to ensure requirements for the maintenance of order being promptly made known to Captain Fairfax, or the officer deputed by him. Captain Seymour will carry out independently my private orders to him. Captain Fairfax will act as military commandant of Port Said during my absence, until the pleasure of the Commander-in-Chief is known.
A. H. Hoskins, Rear-Admiral.
To Capt. Henry Fairfax, C. B., A. D. C., of H. M. S. Monarch; and Capt. Edward H. Seymour, of H. M. S. Iris.
To Commander Edwards, of the Ready, the following orders were given:
Penelope, at Port Said, August 19, 1882.
Commander Edwards, of H. M. S. Ready, will start soon after dark this evening, with boats containing one company of the Northumberland's landing party. He is first to occupy the dredges, putting on board each an officer and fifteen men, to prevent any communication with the shore, and to ensure each dredge being kept close to the bank, out of the way of the passing ships. Four days' provisions are to be put on board with each party. Having done this and given his orders to the officers, he is to proceed to Kantara and seize the telegraph office, and both the Egyptian and Canal company's wires, and allow no message to pass through till he is certain that it is made either by us or in our interest. Having done this, he is to take steps to ensure all the ships in the canal between Port Said and Lake Timsah bound north, i. e. to Port Said, being gared.
The forces placed under the orders of Commander Edwards consisted of seven officers and ninety-four men of the Penelope and Northumberland, as also that ship's picket-boat, a torpedo boat of the Iris, a steam cutter of the Tourmaline, and a steam pinnace of the Monarch. Rear-Admiral Hoskins, in his report, states that:
"6. M. Victor de Lesseps, who is the working head of the Canal Company at Ismailia, came on board on the 17th inst., and entered into a long discussion, presenting a series of arguments against any possible intention on our part to disembark in the canal, and disputing the grounds of my intimation that I considered Ismailia, both town and port, to be Egyptian. He left with the conviction, I feel sure, on his part, that we, sooner or later, should use the canal for a military purpose; while I had imbibed a conviction that no remonstrance on our part would induce Count Ferdinand de Lesseps to willingly accept the position, and withdraw his opposition to our doing so.
"7. I considered, therefore, that to insure the safe passage of our troops, it was absolutely necessary that the barges and dredges, &c., should be occupied along the whole line of the canal to Ismailia; and further, that it was most desirable that the Kantara telegraph station should be seized, and our through telegraphic communication be restored, while Arabi's communication with Syria should be stopped.
"8. For this duty I selected Commander H. H. Edwards, of H. M. S. Ready, as an officer thoroughly conversant with the canal, and in whose judgment I had confidence.
"9. He started at 8 o'clock on Saturday evening, the 19th inst., taking the necessary telegraphists, and left the parties told off for each post as he passed up."
And in a postscriptum adds: "My report would not be complete Without my mentioning that I employed Captain Seymour, of the Iris, on the delicate duty of securing the Canal Company's office at Port Said, and preventing any information being conveyed through It to their other stations or to the rebels—a duty which was performed, as have all others on which I have employed Captain Seymour, entirely to my satisfaction."
Captain Fitz Roy, in a dispatch dated August 21, describes his Operations in taking possession of Ismailia, the Arab town, and advancing sufficiently towards Nefiche to cover the weir. The force landed consisted of 565 officers and men. The enemy were known to have a strong picket at Arab town, several patrols and a guard at Ismailia, about 2000 men and six guns encamped at Nefiche, and a considerable number of Bedouins in the neighborhood. At 3 A. M. on the 20th, in perfect silence, the men landed and advanced, the silence being so perfect that Commander Kane surrounded the lock guard before they were discovered. The lock guard fired their rifles, so did our men, and Commander Kane was wounded by a rifle bullet on the left cheek. The Governor's guard laid down their arms to Lieutenant Lennox Napier, commanding the Coquette, in command of one of the landing parties, and Lieutenant Swinburne, of the Northumberland, in command of the Royal Marine Artillery. No further resistance was experienced in the town of Ismailia. Commander Kane, of the Alexandra, seized the railway and telegraphs, and with the assistance of Major Fraser, R. E., commenced sending false messages to Arabi, to deter him from advancing upon Ismailia while the British force was numerically so weak. Hence, Major Fraser telegraphed that 5000 British troops had surprised the town and landed. The landing party of the Orion seized the Canal Lock Bridge and Government House, and Captain Fitz Roy therein established his headquarters. But few of the enemy were killed. Everywhere the Egyptians either surrendered or fled. The ships at 3.30 A. M. bombarded the guard-house in Arab town, the Orion and Carysfort each firing five rounds of shell. By 4 A. M. the whole of Ismailia was occupied. Learning from intercepted telegrams that Arabi was making arrangements to forward a large force from Nefiche, "to drive the English into the canal," Captain Fitz Roy wisely determined to dislodge the enemy from Nefiche. He therefore ordered the Orion and Carysfort to commence a slow bombardment.
From neither of these ships was the object to be fired at visible. The range of the Nefiche railway station was ascertained from the chart, to within a foot. The direction was obtained by compass by Lieutenant Royds from the masthead of the Carysfort. A remarkable instance of scientific gunnery was the result; the precision with which the ships fired was truly wonderful. The distance was about 4200 yards. At 11 A. M. both ships commenced a slow bombardment. By noon the camp of the rebels had become too hot to hold them, and they were retreating towards Kassassin. A train, running south, was severely hit and stopped for a time, but at about 4 P. M. a train, seen to arrive on the Cairo line and commence discharging men, was fired at, the guns being laid by compass bearing. This train was completely wrecked; its trucks were overturned and jammed in such a manner as to entirely block the line and stop all communication between the rebel forces to the southward and those at Tel-el-Kebir. The ships were under the command of Commander Moore, of the Orion, Lieutenant Royds having charge of the Carysfort. The bombardment of Nefiche did not cease until 10 P. M., after which shells were fired only every half-hour, to make the position at Ismailia perfectly secure. Not before 6 P. M. did reinforcements, consisting of 340 marines, arrive; and all this time the little force at the disposal of Captain Fitz Roy had been opposed to from 2000 to 5000 of the enemy, Arabi himself advancing to Nefiche with 3000 men, but having to retire before the shells of the Orion and Carysfort. Commander Edwards proceeded up the canal to stop the traffic and gare all ships. The Messageries maritime steamer Melbourne defied Lieutenant Barnes-Lawrence, who had been detached in the torpedo boat of the Iris, and insisted on proceeding on her course, the master of the steamer stating that nothing but armed force would compel him to gare his vessel or let go the anchor. Lieutenant Barnes-Lawrence, not considering that his instructions warranted the use of force, left the French steamer to pursue her course, and proceeded to report the occurrence to Commander Edwards. Two British steamers, the Ross-shire and the Counsellor, thereupon weighed and followed the French steamer, in direct disobedience of the orders they had received. Had a mishap occurred to any of these steamers, whereby the canal became blocked, the landing of the English army would have been seriously delayed. Captain Fairfax, of the Monarch, surprised the rebel garrison at Port Said, and took possession of the town, with 216 seamen, 276 marines, and two Gaffing guns. Major Tulloch, Royal Welsh Fusileers, who gave Captain Fairfax much valuable information and assistance, landed first, with six marines, and surprised Arabi's sentries, capturing three out of four posted. 160 rebels surrendered and laid down their arms. Many of these subsequently deserted to the rebel,forces at Damietta. The remainder were rearrested and confined on board the Northumberland. The Khedive's Governor was reinstated, and Admiral Hoskins issued the following proclamation:
"Proclamation:—H. H. the Khedive having giving the Admiral Commanding the British fleet authority to take charge of all places in or near the Maritinie Canal as may be necessary for operations against the rebels, Rear-Admiral Hoskins, commanding the British vessels in the Maritime Canal, now takes possession of Port Said for the purpose indicated, and trusts that all the inhabitants will assist him, as far as lies in their power, in maintaining order and protecting life and property. The Governor, Ismail Pasha Hamdy, appointed by H. H. the Khedive, will resume his office, and conduct his duties as formerly. The Captain of H. B. M. S. Monarch will act as military commandant of the garrison, and be responsible for the defense of the town against the rebels, and the support of the Khedive's civil authorities against any attempt that may be made against life or property. The police patrols, which will consist of English soldiers and Egyptian police, will at once arrest all persons causing disturbances, more serious crimes being dealt with by martial law. The Rear-Admiral trusts that all business will be conducted and the affairs of the town go on in the ordinary course under the rule of his Excellency the Governor.
"A. H. Hoskins,
"Rear-Admiral Commanding H. B. M's ships in the Maritime Canal."
We now come to the part played by Rear-Admiral Sir William Hewett, V. C., in the seizure of the canal. He at once seized Suez, the enemy retreating before his small force. 11e saved Suez from being pillaged and delivered to the flames as was Alexandria. On Aug. 17 he received a telegram from Sir Beauchamp Seymour, requesting him to act on instructions that would be conveyed to him through Rear-Admiral Hoskins. These instructions reached Sir William Hewett on Aug. 18. He immediately put in train the work to be carried out at Suez. Brig.-General Tanner was consulted. The Seaforth Highlanders were detained at Suez, the Naval Brigade being considered too weak to hold that town against the large force the enemy was known to have concentrated outside. The telegraph wires between the town and the first canal lock, through which the enemy was receiving news of the English movements, were cut, and a guard was put over the office. Notices were issued that from August 19th no ship would be allowed to enter the Maritime Canal, and the Mosquito was placed at its mouth. At the time when it was decided to detain the Highlanders, the regiment was already on board the Bancoora. This was on Saturday night, and their disembarkation on Sunday, Aug. 20th. On Sunday morning, at daylight, four hundred Highlanders, under Colonel Stockwell, were disembarked from the transport, and marched eight miles in the direction of Chalouf, to make a feint' attack in our front. Brig.-Gen. Tanner, C. B., accompanied this force, and at the same time Captain A. P. Hastings, in the Seagull, with the Mosquito in company, and two hundred of the Seaforth Highlanders, proceeded to Chalouf by the Maritime Canal. The party under Colonel Stockwell returned to Suez at about 4 P. M., without having touched the enemy; but later in the day Captain Hastings returned in a steam pinnace, to report to Sir William Hewett very successful operations from the gun-vessels. It appears that the first that was seen of the enemy along the canal was a small cavalry patrol, about three miles on the Suez side of Chalouf, and on arrival at Chalouf his presence in force was only discovered by a few heads appearing over the railway embankment on the other side of the Sweetwater Canal, this embankment forming a natural entrenchment, behind which it was afterwards discovered there were some six hundred infantry, ready to resist the advance of the British. These men were extremely well armed and accoutred, and had a plentiful supply of ammunition with them. The manner in which the position was taken reflects the highest credit on Captain Hastings. The coolness and dash of the Highlanders and the excellent fire from the ships' tops seem to have been the chief causes of success, and the conduct of all concerned appears to have been in every way creditable. Credit must be given to Lieut.-Colonel Helsham Jones, R. E., for the fact of fresh water having been saved at Suez. Opening the lock-gates above the point occupied kept the canal below full, notwithstanding the waste which took place through a breach made by the enemy in the banks, which was, however, afterwards repaired by a company of the Madras Sappers. The action taken at Chalouf did much to secure the safety of the canal, and as the Indian forces were fast arriving, the Highlanders were sent on to Serapeum on Aug. 22. In this manner the Suez Canal was seized from end to end, and by sunset on Sunday, Aug. 20, was in the possession of the officers and men of the British Navy.