hange in the fortune of al-Bardisi,
however, favoured his plans for the future. That chief, in order to
satisfy the demands of the Albanians for their pay, gave orders to levy
heavy contributions from the citizens of Cairo; and this new oppression
roused them to rebellion. The Albanians, alarmed for their safety,
assured the populace that they would not allow the order to be executed;
and Mehemet Ali himself caused a proclamation to be made to that effect.
Thus the Albanians became the favourites of the people, and took
advantage of their opportunity. Three days later (March 12th, 1804) they
beset the house of the aged Ibrahim Bey, and that of al-Bardisi, both of
whom effected their escape with difficulty. The Mamelukes in the citadel
directed a fire of shot and shell on the houses of the Albanians which
were situated in the Ezbekia; but, on hearing of the flight of their
chiefs, they evacuated the place; and Mehemet Ali, on gaining possession
of it, once more proclaimed Mahommed Khosrev pasha of Egypt. For one day
and a half he enjoyed the title; the friends of the late Tahir Pasha
then accomplished his second degradation,[22] and Cairo was again the
scene of terrible enormities, the Albanians revelling in the houses of
the Mameluke chiefs, whose hareems met with no mercy at their hands.
These events were the signal for the reappearance of al-Alfi.

The Albanians now invited Ahmed Pasha Khorshid to assume the reins of
government, and he without delay proceeded from Alexandria to Cairo. The
forces of the partisans of al-Bardisi were ravaging the country a few
miles south of the capital and intercepting the supplies of corn by the
river; a little later they passed to the north of Cairo and successively
took Bilbeis and Kalyub, plundering the villages, destroying the crops,
and slaughtering the herds of the inhabitants. Cairo was itself in a
state of tumult, suffering severely from a scarcity of grain, and the
heavy exactions of the pasha to meet the demands of his turbulent
troops, at that time augmented by a Turkish detachment. The shops were
closed, and the unfortunate people assembled in great crowds, crying "Ya
Latif! Ya Latif!" ("O Gracious [God]!") Al-Alfi and Osman Bey Hasan had
professed allegiance to the pasha; but they soon after declared against
him, and they were now approaching from the south; and having repulsed
Mehemet Ali, they took the two fortresses of Tura. These Mehemet Ali
speedily retook by night wit