On 12th July the city was set on fire by the Egyptian troops. These, accompanied by civilians, looted the city and so departed.
On 13th July the British admiral landed 800 men. It will be observed that had Admiral Seymour been permitted { 180} to land a force upon the preceding day, he could have disarmed the Egyptian troops and prevented the conflagration. The Khedive had taken refuge in his Palace at Ramleh, and the _Condor_, Commander Lord Charles Beresford, was sent to lie off the Palace to protect him. Captain John Fisher, H.M.S. _Inflexible_, was ordered to take command of the landing party. Upon occupying the outer lines, Captain Fisher, finding chaos in the town, in rear of his position, applied for an officer to exercise the duties of provost-marshal and chief of police, and suggested that Lord Charles Beresford should be appointed.
On 14th July the British force was occupying all important positions.
On 15th July Admiral Dowell, commanding the Channel Squadron, arrived in the _Monarch_. Lord Charles Beresford was appointed provost-marshal and chief of police to restore order.
Mr. John Ross, the British merchant in Alexandria who gave unsparing and generous assistance to the British forces,--services for which he has never received recognition--writes to me as follows:--
"Lord Charles Beresford saved millions' worth of property, causing the indemnity paid by the European Government to be much less than it would otherwise have been. I can assure you that there was a chance of the whole of Alexandria being burnt to the ground, had it not been for the wonderfully prompt, energetic, and scientific arrangements made by Lord Charles Beresford... I do not think England can ever be made to know properly and understand and appreciate enough with regard to what Lord Charles Beresford did for his country as well as for Egypt in 1882."
On 17th July 1000 Marines and 1700 soldiers arrived. General Sir Archibald Alison took command of the whole of the land forces, now numbering in all, 3686.
On the 20th July the British Government decided to dispatch an expedition to Egypt.
On the 21st July the water supply of Alexandria began { 181} to fail, Arabi having dammed the flow from the Nile into the Mahmoudieh Canal, and let salt water into it from Lake Mareotis. Hitherto the supply had been maintained by the gallant exertions of Mr. T. E. Cornish, manager of the waterworks. Sir Archibald Alison began his attacking movements.