The Egyptian army, under strong leadership and the command of British officers, has shown excellent quality. All the inhabitants are liable for service - six years in the army, five in the police, and four in the reserve, and there are always about 150,000 young men on the rolls for conscription; but the burden is very light, and the men are all selected. The cavalry are recruited from the fellaheen of the Delta. The infantry battalions are drawn mostly from the fellaheen, but several are Soudanese blacks. The first are filled by conscription, and have about 800 men each, mostly fellaheen, in 6 companies. The interior economy and drill of the recruits is excellent, and the musketry good. The arm is the Martini-Henry. In the Soudanese battalions the service is voluntary. This force was raised largely from the Khalifa's black riflemen, but men from Lower Egypt have been enlisted.

The artillery is the force that shows most markedly the impress of the European training. The horse battery has Syrian horses and light Krupp guns. The field batteries have Krupp mountain guns carried by mules, with a second line of camels. There is also a battalion of garrison artillery, organized as in our service.

The Egyptian Army has been reduced recently, owing to the smaller demand for its services, and some of the Soudanese have been disbanded. About 8,000 men have left the colors. The command is vested in Major-Gen. Sir Reginald Wingate, with the title of Sirdar.

The British forces in Egypt are 4 regiments of infantry, 1 of cavalry, 2 field batteries, and detachments of fortress artillery and engineers, with a strength of 5,482 in 1903-4.