but a mere tool that has ho honor, no thought, and no sensibility of
its own. When the Mamelukes were fully matured, had become expert in
using their swords, and managing their steeds, and when their chins
became covered with beard, the masters who bad bought them made them
freemen, and gave them the rank and title of a kachef, an officer
who was to lead and command the others. The, kachef was the
lieutenant of those who had not become free. They gave him a salary,
or made him a confidant or assistant. When he got thus far, had
become free, and been made a kachef, a career of ambition, but also
of intrigue, trickery, and treason, opened itself before him. His
shrewdness was irresistible, his strong arm acomplished all things.

"The kachef did homage to his first master only, but, if the latter
were dead, and the Mameluke had become a freeman, hey could attain
to the throne through blood and murder. All the vices, with their
interminable train, had made their entrance into El-Kahera. The new
ruler well understood how to acquire riches, power, and respect, by
force, and from a kachef he made himself bey. From the proceeds of
his booty he purchased a swarm of slaves, who were compelled to
follow him. He was only a military power. The Mameluke princes
measured his rank and influence by the number of followers in his
train when he passed through the streets of Alexandria. There were
kachefs who owned a thousand slaves, and beys who possessed two
thousand. By this you can judge the wealth of these Mameluke beys,
for each of these servants cost them two hundred patras. But this
expense was the smallest. There were, besides, the women, the
beautiful Arabian horses, the splendid weapons, the Damascene
blades, the glittering jewels, the costly cashmere shawls: all this
belonged to the household of a Mameluke bey. The means by which he
acquired all this were robbery, trickery, blood, and murder.