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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The War in Syria, Volume 2 (of 2) - -Author: Charles Napier - -Release Date: May 20, 2017 [EBook #54751] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR IN SYRIA, VOLUME 2 (OF 2) *** - - - - -Produced by KD Weeks, Brian Coe and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note: - -This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects. -Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_. - -Footnotes have been moved to follow the chapters in which they are -referenced. - -Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please -see the transcriber’s note at the end of this text for details regarding -fthe handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation. - - - - - THE - WAR IN SYRIA. - - - - - BY - - COMMODORE SIR CHARLES NAPIER, K.C.B., - - _&c._, _&c._, _&c._ - - ---------- - - - _IN TWO VOLUMES._ - - --- - - VOL. II. - - ------------------------------------ - - LONDON: - JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND. - - --- - - M.DCCC.XLII. - - - - - LONDON: - HARRISON AND CO., PRINTERS, - ST. MARTIN’S LANE. - - - - - CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. - - PAGE - - CHAPTER I. - - Gale on the Egyptian and Syrian Coasts—The Author’s return 1 - to Marmorice Bay—Letters from the Admiral, the General and - the Ambassador regarding the Convention—The Author’s - Replies—Letter of the Admiral to Mehemet Ali—Commotion - occasioned by the Convention—Admiral’s Letter to the - Admiralty—Instruction of the 14th November—Captain - Fanshawe dispatched to Alexandria—Instruction to the - Admiral - - - CHAPTER II. - - Captain Fanshawe’s proceedings at Alexandria—Letter from 20 - Mehemet Ali to the Admiral—Official Report of Captain - Fanshawe—Letter of Mehemet Ali to the Grand Vizier—English - Ships again ordered to the Coast of Syria—Part of the - Convention carried into effect by the Admiral - - - CHAPTER III. - - Captain Fanshawe’s Arrival at Constantinople—Interview with 33 - the Grand Vizier—Conference of Ambassadors and Rechid - Pacha—Conduct of Lord Ponsonby; his Letter to Lord - Palmerston—The Porte accepts the submission of Mehemet - Ali—Letter of Rechid Pacha to the Ambassador and of the - Vizier to Mehemet Ali—Captain Fanshawe returns to - Marmorice - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Disinclination of the Porte to confer the Hereditary 41 - Pachalic on Mehemet Ali—Departure of the Turkish - Commissioners—Their orders—Opposition of the Austrian, - Prussian, and Russian Ministers to the views of Lord - Ponsonby—Lord Palmerston’s opinion of his conduct—Rewards - conferred on the Officers of the Squadron at Acre—News - from England—Approval of the Convention—Instruction of the - 15th of December—Lord Palmerston’s Letter to Lord - Ponsonby—Prince Metternich and Count Nesselrode, in - approval of the Convention - - - CHAPTER V. - - The Author ordered to Alexandria to carry the Convention 61 - into effect—Interviews with the Pacha and Boghos - Bey—Letter from Boghos Bey explaining the Pacha’s - Intentions—Lieut. Loring dispatched to see the Evacuation - of Syria carried into effect; his Instructions—Letters to - the Chief Officers in Syria—Arrival of the Turkish - Commissioners at Alexandria-Surrender of the Turkish - Fleet—Bad Faith of the Turks-Correspondence between the - Author and Boghos Bey respecting the Cotton Crop—The - Commercial Treaty - - - CHAPTER VI. - - The Author visits Cairo—The Mahmoudieh Canal—Fire on board 76 - the Steamer—Voyage up the Nile—Appearance of the - Country—Condition of the People—Arrival at Cairo—Visit to - Abbas Pacha—Palace of Schoubrah—Establishments of the - Pacha—Industry of the Arabs—Visit to the Pyramids—Quit - Cairo - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Letter from Captain Stewart—Apprehended Treachery of the 89 - Turkish Authorities—Question of the Syrian Troops—Double - dealing of Mehemet Ali—The Author’s Letters to the chief - British and Turkish Officers—Letter to the Admiral - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Affairs in Syria—Letters of Sir Charles Smith to Lord 97 - Palmerston—Course that ought to have been pursued after - the Battle of Boharsof—Ignorance as to Ibrahim’s Movements - and Intentions—General Michell to Lord Palmerston—M. - Steindl’s Report respecting the Advance upon Gaza—Captain - Stewart to the Admiral—General Michell’s and Captain - Stewart’s Opinion as to Lord Ponsonby’s - Orders—Correspondence between Captain Stewart and General - Jochmus - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Examination of the Conduct of General Jochmus regarding 119 - Ibrahim Pacha’s Retreat—Sir Robert Stopford styled by him - Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces—The General’s - Reports to Sir Robert Stopford—Unwillingness of the - Admiral to prolong the War—Reported Destruction of the - Egyptian Army—Advance upon Gaza—Colonel Alderson’s - Narrative of the Skirmish of Medjdel - - - CHAPTER X. - - General Jochmus’s farther Reports to Sir Robert 134 - Stopford—Destruction of the Magazines at Maan—Ignorance as - to Ibrahim’s movements—Ibrahim crosses the Jordan to - Jericho, and menaces Jerusalem, while supposed to be - wandering in the Desert—General Jochmus’s Account of the - Movements of Ibrahim—Reported Destruction of his - Infantry—Ibrahim did not intend to enter Palestine—His - Statement to Colonel Napier - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Fruitless Journey of the Envoys sent in quest of Ibrahim 141 - Pacha—Arrival of part of the Egyptian Army at - Gaza—Promised Neutrality of the Turks—The Egyptians - informed of the Cessation of Hostilities by the English - Officers—Terms recommended by Mr. Wood to be imposed upon - Ibrahim Pacha—Colonel Napier’s Narrative of the Retreat of - Ibrahim Pacha - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Conduct of Mr. Wood—His Letter to the Seraskier examined—His 157 - Advice disregarded by the British Officers—Mission of - Colonel Alderson to Gaza—Colonel Rose’s Account of the - State of Ibrahim’s Army—Colonel Alderson’s Character of - Ibrahim Pacha—Death of General Michell - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Detail of the Retreat of the Egyptians—Treacherous 172 - Intentions of the Turkish Authorities—Decided Conduct of - the British Officers—Guarantees exchanged—Fright of Rechid - Pacha—Letter from Ibrahim to the Seraskier—The Author’s - Letters to Lords Minto and Palmerston - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Contradictory Statements as to the Numbers of the Egyptian Army—Reason - for abiding by the Reports of the - British Officers—Colonel Alderson’s Detail of the 182 - Retreat—General Jochmus’s Statement—Lieut. Loring’s - Mission - - - CHAPTER XV. - - Embarkation of the Egyptians—Mode in which it was 191 - conducted—Departure of Ibrahim Pacha—Retreat of Souliman’s - Division—Complete Evacuation of Syria—Letter of Lord - Ponsonby—Delivery of the Turkish Fleet—Anxiety of Mehemet - Ali for the safety of his Army—Letter from Boghos Bey to - the Author on the subject - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Examination of the Conduct of the Allied Ministers at 199 - Constantinople—Lord Ponsonby’s Propositions regarding the - Hereditary Government of Egypt—Approved by the other - Allied Ministers, but on consideration rejected by - them—Lord Palmerston’s Conversation with the Turkish - Minister—Note of the Four Powers in favour of the - Hereditary Tenure - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Determination of the Allied Courts to secure the Hereditary 214 - Pachalic for Mehemet Ali—Correspondence between Baron - Stunner and Lord Ponsonby—Decisive Instructions from Lord - Palmerston to Lord Ponsonby—Conference of the Allied - Ministers with Rechid Pacha—Project for settling the - Egyptian Question—Lord Ponsonby’s Observations at the - Conference—The Firmans decided on—Refusal of Lord Ponsonby - to allow the English Consul-General to return to - Egypt—Lord Ponsonby’s Letter to Rechid Pacha - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - Delay in forwarding the Firmans to Mehemet Ali—Instructions 226 - to the Commissioner—The Author’s Visit to the Egyptian - Flag-ship—Substance of the Firmans—Objections of the - Pacha—The Author’s Advice—Letter to Lord Palmerston—The - Author’s last Interview with Mehemet Ali—Return to - Malta—Correspondence with Sir Robert Stopford—Return to - England - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Meeting of the Foreign Ministers in London—Protocol of the 244 - 5th March—Note of Chekib Effendi—Note of the 13th of - March—Lord Palmerston’s explanation of the Views of the - Allies regarding the Hereditary Tenure—Conference of the - 16th March—Protocol—Endeavour to include France in a - Convention for closing the Straits of the Dardanelles and - Bosphorus—False Position of the Porte—Views of Lord - Ponsonby and of the other Ambassadors—Instructions of the - Austrian and British Governments—Opinions of M. - Guizot—Turkish Plan of Settlement—Note of the 10th May - - - CHAPTER XX. - - Colonel Napier’s Account of his Missions to Egypt—Seizure of 259 - the Maronite and Druse Emirs and Sheikhs—Their Condition - in Egypt—Their Return to Syria—False Assertions of the - French—Mission for the Liberation of the Syrian - Soldiers—Difficulty of ascertaining their Number—Bad Faith - of the Pacha—Infamous Proposal of a Turkish Officer—Sudden - termination of the Negotiation—Suspicious conduct of the - Egyptians—Liberation of the Syrians - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - Prince Metternich’s Orders to the Internuncio—Lord 267 - Ponsonby’s Correspondence with Baron Stürmer—Hesitation of - the Porte—Message from Lord Ponsonby to Rifat Pacha—The - new Firman granted—Accepted by Mehemet Ali—Termination of - the Eastern Question - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - Review of the Turco-Egyptian Question—Mehemet Ali not the 275 - Aggressor—Hostile Preparations of the - Porte—Representations of the Allied Powers—What Interests - affected by the Independence of Mehemet Ali—Views of - France—Designs of Russia - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - Errors of the Pacha—His proper Course of 285 - Action—Mismanagement of Ibrahim Pacha in Syria—Gain or - Loss of Turkey by the acquisition of Syria—Conduct of the - Turks in Lebanon—Quarrels of the Mountaineers—Ill - treatment of the Prince—Consequent hatred of Turkish - rule—Conclusion - - - APPENDIX. - - I. Instructions given by the Sultan to Hafiz Pacha, found at 299 - the Turkish Head-Quarters after the battle of Nizib - - II. Translation of a Petition (in Copy) from the Nations and 303 - Inhabitants of Mount Lebanon and Syria, to Sultan Abdul - Medjid of Constantinople - - Letter addressed by the Inhabitants of Mount Lebanon to his 306 - Excellency the British Ambassador - - Letter addressed by the Inhabitants of Mount Lebanon to his 308 - Excellency the French Ambassador - - III. Letter from Commodore Napier to Lieut.-Colonel Hodges 310 - - IV. Extract of Letter from Commodore Napier to Admiral the 313 - Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B. - - V. Instructions to Captain Fanshawe, on his Mission to 316 - Alexandria - - VI. Protocol of the Conference held at the house of the 318 - Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Sublime Porte, the - 20th of December, 1840, between the Minister for Foreign - Affairs, on one part, and the Representatives of Austria, - Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, on the other - - VII. Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Napier to Sir Charles 329 - Napier - - VIII. Letter from Boghos Bey to Sir Charles Napier 332 - - ERRATA. - -Vol. I., p. 88, line 16, _for_ southward, close to the castle, _read_ - northward, close to the castle. - -Vol. II., p. 41, line 3, _for_ 22nd November, _read_ 11th December. - - ” p. 199, line 4, _for_ Opposed, _read_ Approved. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - THE WAR IN SYRIA. - - - - - CHAPTER I. - -Gale on the Egyptian and Syrian Coasts—The Author’s return to Marmorice - Bay—Letters from the Admiral, the General and the Ambassador - regarding the Convention—The Author’s Replies—Letter of the Admiral - to Mehemet Ali—Commotion occasioned by the Convention—Admiral’s - Letter to the Admiralty—Instruction of the 14th November—Captain - Fanshawe dispatched to Alexandria—Instruction to the Admiral. - - -Among the reasons that induced me to enter into negotiation with the -Pacha of Egypt, it will be recollected that I have mentioned the -uncertain state of the weather, which rendered it possible that the -British squadron might at any minute be blown off the coast; and I found -that I had concluded my arrangements only just in time. For I had hardly -got the Prometheus away, on the 28th of November, 1840, when it began to -blow, which freshened to a gale in the night; the morning brought more -moderate weather, but towards dusk it came on with great violence, and -lasted thirty-six hours. The Powerful was struck by a heavy sea, which -started her fore-channels and endangered the fore-mast; the new rigging -of the Rodney and Cambridge had given out so much, that their masts -became insecure, and seeing no further necessity for keeping the -squadron at sea, I proceeded to Marmorice Bay, where I anchored on the -8th of December, and was much gratified to be received by the squadron -with three cheers, and the rigging manned, with the same enthusiasm I -had before experienced on joining the squadron off Alexandria. - -Captain Henderson, of the Gorgon, first communicated to me that my -Convention had been rejected by the Admiral, which I have reason to -believe he approved of in the first instance, but was overruled by the -authorities in Syria. Next morning the Princess Charlotte and -Bellerophon arrived from Beyrout. They had experienced the same gale we -did off Alexandria, and rode it out in St. George’s Bay; the -Bellerophon, driven from the anchorage at Beyrout, was obliged to cut -her cable and make sail, and after scraping the land as far down the -coast as Latakia, was saved by a miraculous shift of wind; great credit -is due to Captain Austin, and the officers and crew of the Bellerophon, -for saving the ship. The Pique was obliged to cut away her masts to -prevent her going on shore at Caiffa; and the Zebra parted and was -thrown on the beach, with the loss of two men only. The Austrian -squadron quitted the coast of Syria with the English, and the French -vessels of war remained. - -On the Admiral’s arrival at Marmorice, letters from himself, Sir Charles -Smith, and Lord Ponsonby, were put into my hand. I insert them here, -together with the replies. - - “Princess Charlotte, St. George’s Bay, - Beyrout, December 2, 1840. - -“Sir, - -“I have received, by the Prometheus, your letter and the Convention -which you have entered into with Boghos Bey, for the evacuation of -Syria. - -“I am sorry to say that I cannot ratify, or approve of this measure: -setting aside the unauthorized manner and the unnecessary haste with -which so important a document was executed, with the Commander-in-Chief -within two days’ sail of you, the articles of that Convention, if -carried into execution, in the present state of affairs in Syria, would -be productive of much more evil than good, and occasion much -embarrassment. You will immediately stop the Egyptian transports from -coming to this coast; and should any arrive, I have given orders that -they should return to Alexandria. - - “I am, &c., - (Signed) “ROBERT STOPFORD, _Admiral_. - -“Commodore Napier, C. B., H.M.S. Powerful, -Senior Officer off Alexandria.” - - “H.M.S. Powerful, Marmorice Bay, - December 14, 1840. - -“Sir, - -“I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd of -December, disapproving of the Convention I had entered into with the -Egyptian Government for the evacuation of Syria and the surrender of the -fleet. I have only to regret, that what I did with the best intentions, -and believed to be in accordance with the views of the Allies, should -not have met your approbation. - -“I beg to assure you that, it was not from any want of respect to you -that I did not communicate with you before signing it, but it was under -the impression that it was of the utmost importance to seize the -opportunity, when the Pacha was highly incensed against France, to bring -him, without loss of time, to terms without the mediation of that power. - -“I have also to acknowledge the receipt of the copy of a letter you have -sent me from Lord Ponsonby, the original of which, I presume, is gone to -Alexandria, and I beg to inclose you a copy of my reply. - - “I have &c., - (Signed) “C. NAPIER, _Commodore_.” - - “The Hon. Sir R. Stopford, -Commander-in-Chief, &c., &c., &c.” - - “Head Quarters, Beyrout, - 30th November, 1840. - -“Sir, - -“Had you fortunately abstained from honouring me with your letter of the -27th instant, I should have been spared the pain of replying to it. I am -not aware that you have been invested with special powers or authority -to treat with Mehemet Ali as to the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptian -troops; and if you have such special powers and authority, you have not -taken the trouble of acquainting me therewith. - -“The Convention into which you have entered has been, as relates to the -advanced stage of military events in Syria, more than attained by the -retreat of Ibrahim Pacha. If therefore, you have unknown to me, had -authority to treat, I must decline to be a party to recommending the -ratification of the said Convention; and if unauthorised to treat, such -Convention is invalid, and is, by me, protested against as being highly -prejudicial to the Sultan’s cause, in as far as it has, or may have, -relation to the operations of the army under my command. It is needless -for me to add that a copy of this protest shall be forwarded to Her -Majesty’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. - - “I have, &c., - “C. F. SMITH, _Major-General_, - “_Commanding the Forces in Syria_.” - -“Commodore Napier, C.B., - H.M.S. Powerful.” - - “H.M.S. Powerful, Marmorice, - January 6, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“Had I unfortunately abstained from writing to you, and the Admiral had -quited the coast, you would have had just cause to have complained of my -want of courtesy. - -“When I left Beyrout, Sir Robert Stopford was Commander-in-Chief of the -allied forces by sea and land, it was therefore unnecessary for me to -communicate to you what my powers were, as on him alone devolved the -duty of approving or disapproving of my Convention. He disapproved of -it, and Ibrahim Pacha returned to Damascus. I quite disagree with you -that the Convention was prejudicial to the interests of the Porte, and I -am happy to say it has been approved of (with the exception of the -guarantee) by Her Majesty’s Government, and I am now going to Alexandria -to see it carried into execution. - - “I have, &c., - “CHARLES NAPIER, _Commodore_.” - -“To Sir Charles Smith, &c., &c., - Gibraltar.” - - “Sir, “Therapia, December 7, 1840. - -“I had the honour last night to receive your communication of a -Convention, dated Medea steamer, Alexandria, 27th November, 1840, signed -Charles Napier, Commodore, and Boghos Bey. - -“I immediately laid that Convention before the Sublime Porte, and -acquainted my colleagues, the Austrian Internuncio, the Prussian Envoy, -and the Russian Chargé d’Affaires, with it. It is my duty to acquaint -you that the Sublime Porte has made a formal protest against your acts, -declaring you have no power or authority whatever to justify what you -have done, and that the Convention is null and void. - -“My colleagues above-mentioned, and myself, entirely concur with the -Sublime Porte, and declare that we are ignorant of your having the least -right to assume the powers you have exercised; and that we consider the -Convention null and void, _ab initio_. - -“It is my duty to call upon you to abstain from every attempt to carry -your Convention into execution, in any degree whatever, and to state -that you are bound by your duty to Her Majesty, to continue to act with -the ships under your command, as you did act before you assumed the -right to make the aforesaid Convention, and as you would have acted in -conformity with your orders, if that Convention had never been made by -you. - -“I have sent a copy of this dispatch to Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert -Stopford, and also to Her Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for -Foreign Affairs. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -“To Commodore Napier.” - - “H.M.S. Powerful, Marmorice Bay, - Dec. 14, 1840. - -“My Lord, - -“The Commander-in-Chief has sent me a copy of a letter addressed to me -by your Lordship, the original of which I presume has been sent to -Alexandria; this letter states that the Porte has made a formal protest -against my acts, and that the Convention is null and void, in which your -Lordship and your colleagues entirely concur, and you call upon me to -abstain from carrying it into execution. - -“In reply to which I beg leave to acquaint your Lordship that I never -had the least idea that the Convention could be carried into execution -without the authority of the Porte and the Commander-in-Chief, to whom -the whole correspondence was addressed; therefore I cannot see the -necessity of the formal protest of the Porte against my acts. The -Convention simply tied down Mehemet Ali to abandon Syria immediately, -and give up the Turkish fleet when the Porte acknowledged his hereditary -title to govern Egypt; and on these conditions I agreed to suspend -hostilities. - -“I was led to believe from Lord Palmerston’s letter to your Lordship -that I had followed up the views of the Allied Powers; I was led to -believe, from letters I have received from different members of the -Government, that they were most anxious to settle the Eastern Question -speedily; I was led to believe, from your Lordship’s correspondence, _* -* * * *_ that Lord Palmerston was anxious to finish everything; that he -had not good information about Egypt; but that your Lordship thought if -I was at liberty to act, Alexandria would not long be in the possession -of Mehemet Ali; and this opinion your Lordship risked, though you had -never seen the place, and confessed yourself entirely ignorant of the -art of war. I saw clearly that your Lordship had an erroneous impression -about Alexandria, and I was convinced that nothing could be done against -it without a military force, and at a proper season, and my being driven -off the coast has confirmed that opinion. - -“I further knew that the French Consul-General, and other French agents -at Alexandria, were doing all they could to prevent Mehemet Ali from -submitting, still holding out hopes of assistance from France. - -“Under all these circumstances I thought I was serving my country, and -the cause of the Sultan, in tying down Mehemet Ali to immediately -evacuate Syria, and give up the Turkish fleet when acknowledged, and I -knew perfectly well that the Convention did not tie down the Sultan; and -I firmly believe that if Thiers’ ministry had not fallen, all I have -done would have been approved, and I think it still will be approved. I -have thought it necessary to make these explanations to your Lordship, -and I beg at the same time to observe, that it appears to me that your -Lordship has assumed a tone, in the latter part of your letter, that you -are by no means authorized to do. I know my duty to Her Majesty full as -well as your Lordship, and I have always done it, and it is the -Commander-in-Chief alone who has the right to point out to me how I am -to act, and I trust, should your Lordship have any further occasion to -address me, it will be done in a different style. - -“I have sent a copy of this to Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, and I trust -your Lordship will send a copy to Her Majesty’s Secretary of State for -Foreign Affairs. - - “I have, &c. - (Signed) “CHAS. NAPIER, _Commodore_.” - -“The Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.” - -I also insert the Admiral’s letter to Mehemet Ali, acquainting him that -he had disapproved the Convention, couched in no very measured terms. An -admiral may disapprove of the acts of a junior officer, even with -severity if he pleases, but I believe it is not usual in addressing a -foreign prince, to convey to him the opinion he has formed of his second -in command. - - “Princess Charlotte, St. George’s Bay, Beyrout, - December 2, 1840. - -“Highness, - -“I am sorry to find that Commodore Napier should have entered into a -Convention with your Highness for the evacuation of Syria by the -Egyptian troops, which he had no authority to do, and which I cannot -approve of, or ratify. - -“Your Highness’s Envoy, Abdel Amen Bey, has consulted with the General, -commanding the troops, as to his best manner of proceeding to Ibrahim -Pacha. The General having good reason to suppose that Ibrahim Pacha had -left Damascus, (a great part of his army having left it a few days since -going to the southward, upon the Mecca road,) could not guarantee a safe -conduct for your Highness’s Envoy further than Damascus. He therefore -returns to Alexandria, having done all in his power to execute your -Highness’s instructions. - -“I hope this letter will reach your Highness in time to stop the -transports which Commodore Napier writes me are coming to the coast of -Syria for the purpose of embarking part of the Egyptian army. Should any -of them arrive here, they will be ordered to return to Alexandria. - -“I hope this hasty and unauthorized Convention will not occasion any -embarrassment to your Highness. It was no doubt done from an amicable -motive, though under a limited view of the state of affairs in Syria; -but it will not lessen my earnest desire most readily to adopt any -measure which may tend to a renewal of that amity and good feeling which -I trust hereafter may subsist between England and your Highness, the -terms of which I am happy to hear are now in a state of progress with -the Allied Powers. - - “ROBERT STOPFORD, _Admiral_.” - -“To his Highness Mehemet Ali Pacha.” - -The Ambassador wrote also to the Admiral and to the different -authorities in Syria and Egypt, calling upon them to repudiate my -Convention, and in fact no means were neglected by him to prevent the -settlement of the Eastern Question, and do as much mischief to Mehemet -Ali as possible. - -The reader will allow this was tremendous odds against me: the -Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces, the General commanding in -Syria, Lord Ponsonby, and the four Ambassadors, the Sultan and all the -Divan, against an Old Commodore. The whole corps diplomatique, (for on -this point even the French minister agreed,) were up in arms—they -thought their trade was gone—nevertheless I was not dismayed. I felt -satisfied at Alexandria I was right, and I felt still more satisfied at -Marmorice, when I found our squadron, with the exception of the -steamers, had abandoned the coast, and left Ibrahim to himself. Why he -did not take advantage of it is not my affair—he ought to have done it. -In the fleet we had conventionalists and non-conventionalists: the -Captains who were off Alexandria were satisfied I was right; those who -were not, with few exceptions, were satisfied I was wrong. For my part I -had only to wait patiently the first arrival from England, to announce -either that I was a blockhead, or that I had taken a more correct view -of the affairs of the East, than either Admirals, Generals, Ambassadors, -Sultans, or Divans. - -The letter of Sir Robert Stopford to the Admiralty, acquainting their -Lordships that he had rejected my Convention, clearly shows that he was -not aware of Ibrahim’s movements. The Admiral writes under date of the -1st of December, from Beyrout. - -“Sir, - -“I beg to transmit for their Lordships’ information the copy of a -Convention which Commodore Napier has entered into with Mehemet Ali, the -correspondence leading thereto having been transmitted by him from -Alexandria. - -I beg you will further acquaint their Lordships that I do not feel -myself authorized to enter into this Convention; and the Egyptian troops -being already on their retreat by the Mecca road to Egypt, I cannot -consider this as a concession from Mehemet, but the consequence of their -late discomfitures, and the inimical state of the country towards them. - - “I have, &c., - “ROBERT STOPFORD.” - -“R. More O’Ferrall, Esq.” - -Now, it is well known that Ibrahim did not finally leave Damascus till -the 29th of December; so that it appears by the Admiral’s letter, that -nothing was known at Beyrout of Ibrahim’s movements; and, after the -squadron left the coast, there was nothing to hinder him falling upon -Beyrout; I know that there were strong fears there that he would do so, -and General Michell, as will hereafter appear, requested the Admiral -would send some ships of war back. - -Before the Admiral arrived at Marmorice, he fell in with the Megæra, -bringing the Instruction of the 14th of November, which was given to -satisfy Austrian etiquette, Prince Metternich not entirely approving of -the instruction of the 15th of October, his reasons for which he -afterwards explained. - - “Foreign Office, Nov. 14, 1840. - -“The instruction addressed to Lord Ponsonby on the 15th of October last, -in consequence of a deliberation which had taken place between the -Plenipotentiaries of Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, -recorded the propriety of the Representatives of the Four Courts at -Constantinople being authorized to announce to the Sublime Porte, ‘that -their respective Governments, in conformity with the stipulations of the -seventh paragraph of the Separate Act annexed to the Convention of July -15, deem it their duty strongly to recommend to the Government of his -Highness, that, in case Mehemet Ali should submit without delay, and -should consent to restore the Ottoman fleet, to withdraw his troops from -the whole of Syria, from Adana, Candia, Arabia, and the Holy Cities, his -Highness should be pleased not only to reinstate Mehemet Ali in his -functions as Pacha of Egypt, but at the same time to grant him the -hereditary investiture of the said pachalic, according to the conditions -laid down in the Convention of July 15, it being well understood that -this hereditary title should be liable to revocation, if Mehemet Ali, or -one of his successors, should infringe the aforesaid conditions.’ - -“The advantage of addressing the Sublime Porte a communication couched -in the sense above-mentioned, was unanimously admitted by the Four -Courts. - -“Nevertheless, in order to make still more apparent the just respect -which is due to the rights of his Highness, the Cabinet of Vienna was of -opinion that the advice which the Representatives of the Four Powers -should be called upon to address to the Divan, relative to the -reinstatement of Mehemet Ali in the pachalic of Egypt, ought not to be -put forth at Constantinople, until after Mehemet Ali should have taken -the preliminary step of applying to his Sovereign for pardon, submitting -himself to the determination of his Highness. - -“Taking into consideration that this opinion of the Cabinet of Vienna -serves as a fresh proof of the respect which the Courts, parties to the -Convention of July 15, entertain for the inviolability of the Sultan’s -rights of sovereignty and independence; considering, moreover, the -necessity of speedily bringing the existing crisis in the Levant to a -pacific solution, in conformity with the true interests, as likewise -with the dignity of the Porte; the Plenipotentiaries of the said Courts -have unanimously resolved to adopt the course above pointed out, in -order that Mehemet Air’s application for pardon and his submission -should precede the friendly measures which the Allied Representatives -will be instructed to adopt, in order to incline the Porte to grant its -pardon to Mehemet Ali. - -“With this view, the Plenipotentiaries of the Four Powers being desirous -of hastening as much as possible the moment when it will be possible for -those measures to take place at Constantinople, have judged it fitting -to cause to be pointed out without the least delay to Mehemet Ali, the -way which is still open to him to regain the pardon of his Sovereign, -and to obtain his reinstatement in the pachalic of Egypt, -notwithstanding the decisive events which have declared themselves -against him. - -“In consequence it was further agreed to communicate to the Ambassador -of the Sublime Porte, Chekib Effendi, the present Memorandum, as -likewise the instruction thereunto annexed. - - (Initialed) N. - P. - B. - B. - -Upon the receipt of this document, and a special instruction of the same -date, the Admiral immediately dispatched Captain Fanshawe, with the -following letter, to communicate with the Pacha. His orders were, to -proceed to Alexandria and demand an interview with Mehemet Ali, in the -presence of Boghos Bey, and communicate the instructions of Her -Majesty’s Government. He was not to refuse Mehemet Ali’s answer even if -he expressed a desire to obtain the hereditary government of Egypt. - - “Princess Charlotte, at Sea, off Cyprus, - December 6, 1840. - -“Highness, - -“I have now the honour to transmit to your Highness, by Captain -Fanshawe, the Captain of my flag-ship, the official authority from the -British Government, in the name of the four Allied Powers, to maintain -your Highness in the pachalic of Egypt, upon condition, that within -three days after the communication made to you by Captain Fanshawe, you -agree to restore the Turkish fleet to the Sultan, and finally evacuate -Syria. - -“Let me beseech your Highness to take these terms into your serious -consideration; and I implore the Almighty God to impress upon your mind -the benefit you will bestow on a distracted country by an early -compliance with the decision of the four Allied Powers. - -“Captain Fanshawe is fully authorized to receive your Highness’s final -decision. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “ROBERT STOPFORD, _Admiral_.” - -“To his Highness Mehemet Ali Pacha.” - -The further conduct of the Admiral was to be guided by the following -instruction, of November 14, from Lord Palmerston to the Admiralty. - -“With further reference to my letters of this day, I am to signify to -your Lordships the Queen’s commands that Admiral Sir Robert Stopford -should be informed that he is not in any degree to suspend his -operations, or to relax his efforts, on account of the communication -which he is instructed to make to Mehemet Ali; but, on the contrary, he -should continue to push on with vigour his operations for the purpose of -expelling the Egyptians from the whole of Syria, and he should not -slacken in his exertions, till he learns from Constantinople that an -arrangement has been made with Mehemet Ali.” - -The reader must bear in mind that, at the date of these instructions, -the capture of Acre was not known at the Foreign Office, nor was my -Convention signed. - - - - - CHAPTER II. - -Captain Fanshawe’s proceedings at Alexandria—Letter from Mehemet Ali to - the Admiral—Official Report of Captain Fanshawe—Letter of Mehemet - Ali to the Grand Vizier—English Ships again ordered to the Coast of - Syria—Part of the Convention carried into effect by the Admiral. - - -The mode in which this new negotiation of points which he naturally -considered as already settled, was received by the Pacha, will best -appear from his own letter, and Captain Fanshawe’s report. - -“Most Honourable Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, - -“I have received the two letters which you addressed to me, the first by -the channel of Hamid Bey, who had been entrusted with a despatch for my -son Ibrahim Pacha, and the second by Captain Fanshawe, of your -flag-ship. I am delighted with the friendship which you evince towards -me, and I hasten to act in the sense which you point out in your -official dispatch. I consequently address a petition to the Sublime -Porte under flying seal, and in order that the contents thereof may be -known to you, I add a French translation to it. I hope that my -compliance will be appreciated by the Allied Powers, and in asking a -continuance of your friendship, I flatter myself that your good offices -will ensure me their good will. - - (Signed) “MEHEMET ALI.” - - “H.M. Steam-vessel Megæra, at Sea, - December 12, 1840. - -“Sir, - -“I have the honour to report to you my proceedings in the service on -which you ordered me. - -“I arrived off Alexandria in this vessel early on the morning of the -8th, and finding no English man-of-war off the place, proceeded into the -port, and sent for Mr. Larking, Her Majesty’s Consul, whom I requested -to inform Mehemet Ali that I was charged by you to make a communication -to him from Her Majesty’s Government, and for which purpose I demanded -an interview with him in the presence of Boghos Bey. - -“At noon I went to the palace with Mr. Larking, and had an audience with -Mehemet Ali: after delivering your letter to him and passing a few -compliments, I read to him my extract from Lord Palmerston’s -instructions, which was interpreted to him by his Dragoman, and then -presented to him, expressing my hope that his compliance with what it -required, would restore a good understanding between the Sultan and -himself. He alluded to the recent Convention, and said he had promised -all this before to Commodore Napier, if Egypt was guaranteed to him, and -that he never departed from his word. - -“I replied, I had no guarantee to offer; but he would perceive that, -though you had not been able to ratify that Convention, you had lost no -time in communicating the instructions received from your Government, -and in expressing your own disposition to conciliate; and that I hoped -he would merit the wish which I knew you had expressed, and take some -immediate steps for the restitution of the Turkish fleet, which I -regretted to observe was making no preparation for sea; that the words -in my note with reference to the fleet were ‘immediate,’ and ‘without -delay;’ and I was sure his giving directions for that part of it which -could be most expeditiously equipped proceeding to you at Marmorice, -would be regarded in a favourable light, both at London and at -Constantinople. - -“Mehemet Ali said earnestly, he had always wished to give the fleet up -to his master; that I might pledge myself that it should be ready to -deliver to me, or to any officer that might be sent by the Porte to take -charge of it, and that he would send his own officers and men to assist -in navigating it, if he was reinstated in Egypt; adding, ‘If I give up -the fleet, what security have I, having already given orders for the -evacuation of all the places referred to?’ - -“I told him he must look for his security in the good faith and friendly -disposition of the English Government, and in the influence it might -have with the Sultan and the Allied Powers. He seemed rather disposed to -yield on this point, but gave no positive answer. I then stated that my -time was limited; he said he had no wish for delay; the documents which -I had given him should be forthwith translated, and brought again under -his consideration, and that I should have his answer in French to take -to you as soon as possible. I replied, I was authorized to take his -final answer to Constantinople, and that I must be furnished with his -written engagement to convey thither; and as I concluded it would be -written in Turkish, I must have a translation of it also, that I might -be satisfied it contained all that was required. This was immediately -assented to, Mehemet Ali saying, he was always ready to make his -submission to the Sultan, and that he would promise all that was asked, -if he was allowed to remain quiet in Egypt. This ended the conference. - -“In the evening, Mr. Larking and myself had an interview by appointment -with Boghos Bey, who said it was Mehemet Ali’s desire to meet the views -of the Allied Powers, and that he was pleased with the English -mediation, but that he considered that he had already the promise of the -hereditary government of Egypt, and he was afraid there would be -difficulties raised at Constantinople, and that there was one Power -(Russia) not so well disposed to see such a termination to the question. -I told Boghos Bey, that he must be aware the Allied Powers could not -regard Mehemet Ali since his deposition by the Sultan in the same light -as before, and that he must make his submission; and that I was sure, if -he would without delay send such part of the Turkish fleet as could be -got ready to Marmorice, it must tend to conciliate all parties, and be a -proof of the entire sincerity of his intentions. - -“I then called his attention to the limit of my stay at Alexandria, and -to the necessity that the written engagement I was to receive should be -so worded that I could not hesitate to convey it. Boghos assured me he -would use his influence to prevent any obstacle; that he was to attend a -Council with Mehemet Ali directly, at which the translated copies would -be discussed and the answer decided upon, which he thought would be -quite satisfactory. This Council, however, I learnt was not so -harmonious as Boghos Bey expected, and nothing was then decided. On the -following morning (Wednesday) Mr. Larking received a summons, and had an -interview with Mehemet Ali and Boghos Bey, which was more favourable; -and I was informed I might expect a translation of the engagement early -on the following day, and that it would contain all that was asked; but -Mr. Larking did not find Mehemet Ali disposed to let any part of the -fleet go first,—a point which I had requested him to urge again,—saying, -they all came, and should all go together. I did not, however, receive -the translations of the letters to the Vizier and yourself, which I now -inclose, until ten o’clock yesterday morning, but then accompanied by a -notice that Mehemet Ali was ready to receive me. On perusing the letter -to the Vizier, it appeared to me to be so complete an engagement, in all -points required, without any especial stipulation about Egypt, and that -though the terms of submission might be somewhat equivocal, it came -within the view of Lord Palmerston’s instructions, and that I could not -hesitate to be the bearer of it. I therefore repaired to the palace with -Mr. Larking, and had, I consider, a satisfactory interview with Mehemet -Ali. I pointed out to him that I did not feel that the expressions in -his letter to the Vizier, relating to the fleet, came up to the promise -which he had made me the other day, and that I saw no appearance yet of -preparation, and that I or some one else might return very soon to claim -the fulfilment of that pledge. Mehemet Ali said he had given orders -already on the subject, and repeated earnestly that the fleet should be -ready to quit the port, as far as he was concerned, five days after the -arrival of the officer to whom the Sultan wished it to be delivered. - -“I then remarked that on the subject of Candia there might be some -delay, as I understood the Pacha there had not submitted to the Sultan; -and as I thought it probable the Porte might be prepared to send troops -immediately to take possession of that island, I proposed that I should -be the bearer of a letter to the Pacha of Candia, directing him to yield -it to the Turkish authorities; to which Mehemet Ali immediately -assented, and ordered one to be written. I hope these points, therefore, -may be taken as an earnest of his sincerity, though I am quite of -opinion, that unless the Sultan gives him the hereditary pashalic of -Egypt, he will be very much disposed to fight for it—or, at any rate, to -give further trouble. This letter to the Pacha of Candia being ready, I -received it with those to the Vizier and yourself (all which I herewith -transmit), all under flying seals, from Mehemet Ali’s hands, and took my -leave of him. Boghos Bey then requested to speak with me on one or two -subjects, by Mehemet Ali’s desire, which were—1st. His wish to be -allowed to send some of his steam-vessels to Gaza or El-Arish to receive -the sick, wounded, women and children, of Ibrahim Pacha’s army who might -be entering Egypt by that route, and who would be thus spared a painful -and tedious march, saying that Commodore Napier’s Treaty embraced that -subject. I replied, that though you had not been able to confirm the -Commodore’s Convention, you would, I was sure, for the cause of -humanity, be now ready to meet Mehemet Ali’s wish, and that I would -communicate with the senior officer of our ships off the port on the -subject, who would allow vessels, going strictly for that purpose, to -pass freely. 2ndly. That in case of any of our ships of war coming to -the port, the commanders should be desired to conform rigidly to the -quarantine regulations. I told him they always had, and always would do -so, and reminded him of the quarantine you had passed yourself in -August, and said that whatever our Consul told the captains was required -by the regulations of the port would be abided by; for Mr. Larking had -an idea that they might contemplate some new regulations which might -affect the ships or officers to be sent down for the Turkish fleet. - -“At 1 P.M. yesterday we sailed from Alexandria, and off the port -communicated with Her Majesty’s ship Carysfort, and I delivered to -Captain Martin two letters (copies of which I inclose) which I had -thought it right to address to the senior officer of Her Majesty’s ships -off Alexandria, and of which I hope you will approve; we are now -proceeding to join your flag at Marmorice. - -“I cannot close this report, without expressing how much I benefited by -Mr. Larking’s ready and cordial assistance, and by the information I was -able to obtain from him, and also from the zeal and attention of Mr. -John Chumarian, the Dragoman. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “ARTHUR FANSHAWE, _Captain_. - -“P.S.—We left the Ambuscade, small French frigate, a corvette, and -steam-vessel at Alexandria; the latter, I understand, was to start for -France to-day; the Bourgainville, brig, sailed for Beyrout, the day of -our arrival.” - -“The Hon. Sir R. Stopford, G.C.B.” - -On the 13th of December Captain Fanshawe returned from Alexandria, and -after delivering the Pacha’s reply to the Admiral, proceeded to -Constantinople with his answer to the Vizier, which, like a clever -diplomatist, he had taken care to base on the Convention, and it does -appear to me quite astonishing that so determined a man as the Pacha -certainly is, and as he had shown himself, should have listened at all -to the Instruction of the 14th of November, which had the material -difference from that of the 15th of October, of not containing the -hereditary title; the very fact of our appearing to have changed our -mind in so short a period, ought to have awakened his suspicion, because -he could not know that that change originated with Austria, who however, -as will presently be seen, got alarmed at the rejection of the -Convention, and distinctly stated that Mehemet Ali should be confirmed, -and that she would have nothing to do with any attack that might be -meditated on Alexandria. - - “17 Chewal, 1256. - (Dec. 11, 1840.) - -“After the usual Titles. - -“Commodore Napier, of the British fleet, informed me by a despatch dated -from before Alexandria, the 22nd of November, N.S., that the Great -Allied Powers have requested the Sublime Porte to grant me the -hereditary Government of Egypt, on the conditions laid down by them; -that is, that I shall give up the Imperial fleet which is in the Port of -Alexandria, and that the Egyptian troops shall retire from Syria, and -re-enter Egypt. - -“The Commodore required that diligence should be used in preparing the -fleet, in order to its being delivered up, and in withdrawing the troops -from Syria. - -“After some correspondence and some discussions with the Commodore on -this matter, these conditions were accepted, and an authentic Act, -manifesting that it is expected that the favour of him who is the shadow -of God should be granted, and serving as a document to both parties, was -concluded and signed. - -“In consequence, I wrote to my son, Ibrahim Pacha, your servant, to come -immediately to Egypt with the Egyptian troops concentrated at Damascus, -and with the persons in his employment, and others, and I even sent to -him a person expressly for this purpose, whom I despatched in a -steam-vessel procured by the Commodore. - -“I have just received from Ibrahim Pacha, overland, a despatch dated the -1st of Ramazan, (October 27,) according to which, he was to set out, -with all his people, from Damascus, the 3rd or 4th of Chewal (the 28th -or 29th of November). Thus, it may be looked upon as certain that he -commenced his march at the specified time. - -“And now, in the meanwhile, I receive from the Admiral of the British -fleet, his Excellency Sir Robert Stopford, an official despatch written -off Cyprus, on the 6th of December, and couched in the sense mentioned -below. The Admiral sent to me, at the same time, a copy of the -instructions which he had received from his Excellency Lord Palmerston. -I see by this communication, that it has been stipulated that I must -renew my submission to the Sublime Porte, restoring the Imperial fleet, -and causing Syria, Adana, Candia, the Hedjaz, and the two Holy Cities, -to be evacuated by the Egyptian troops. - -“I perceive that the obtaining my pardon, that my re-admission into the -good graces of my Sovereign and master, to whose service I take this -opportunity of dedicating my fortune and my life, and the gracious -acceptance by His Imperial Majesty of my most humble submission, are the -effects of the noble efforts of the high Allied Powers; and thoroughly -grateful for all this, I have taken measures for restoring the Imperial -fleet. People are actively employed in putting the vessels into a good -state; and on the receipt of a firman, making known in what manner it -shall have pleased His Imperial Majesty that the fleet shall be -delivered up and despatched, I will hasten to conform myself to the -sovereign will by carrying the said firman into execution. - -“In like manner, as I am ready to withdraw all the Egyptian authorities -who are in the Island of Candia, in the Hedjaz, and in the two Holy -Cities, on the arrival of His Imperial Majesty’s firman in that respect, -the above-mentioned places shall be evacuated without delay by the -Egyptian authorities. - -“Thus, then, when your Excellency shall, if it please God, have taken -cognizance of my prompt submission, carried into effect as above, you -will be pleased to lay it at the feet of the clemency of my most august -and most powerful Sovereign and Master, of whom I am so proud to be the -faithful and submissive servant, and to employ your good offices, in -order to cause a man advanced in age, and faithful, who has grown old in -his service, to experience without ceasing the effects of his sovereign -clemency. - -“He who can ordain, will ordain. - - (L.S.) “MEHEMET ALI.” - -The Admiral in the mean time, in consequence of an application from -General Michell, who now commanded the English force in Syria, (Sir -Charles Smith having returned to England,) sent Captain Stewart, in the -Benbow, and several small ships, to Beyrout, with instructions to -suspend hostilities until the result of Mehemet Ali’s submission was -known; and also authorized the Pacha to send steamers to Caiffa to bring -away the sick and wounded; thus putting into execution a part of the -rejected Convention. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - -Captain Fanshawe’s Arrival at Constantinople—Interview with the Grand - Vizier—Conference of Ambassadors and Rechid Pacha—Conduct of Lord - Ponsonby; his Letter to Lord Palmerston—The Porte accepts the - submission of Mehemet Ali—Letter of Rechid Pacha to the Ambassador - and of the Vizier to Mehemet Ali—Captain Fanshawe returns to - Marmorice. - - -It has already been shown, that notwithstanding the rejection of the -Convention communicated to Mehemet Ali by Captain Fanshawe, he, on the -11th of December, in a letter to the Grand Vizier, sent his -unconditional submission; that letter reached Constantinople on the 16th -of the same month. Captain Fanshawe, on his arrival, gave in a report of -his proceedings to the Ambassador, couched in much the same terms as -that to the Admiral already given, and on the 18th he had an audience of -the Grand Vizier.[1] The Captain was accompanied by Mr. Pisani, and by -Captain Codrington and Captain Williams, and he informed the Vizier that -he had been ordered by the Admiral to convey to Alexandria a summons to -Mehemet Ali to make his submission; this submission he now conveyed to -him in an open letter, which he begged to deliver. The Grand Vizier, -after having read Mehemet Ali’s letter, said, “The Porte is already -aware of these conditions, as is known; but I can tell you nothing upon -this great question which the Sublime Porte is treating with the Allied -Courts, and which consequently has become a question of foreign policy, -belonging entirely to the department of Foreign Affairs, which is -acquainted with all the circumstances relating to it better than I am. -The Porte will take this question into consideration with the -representatives of the Allied Courts, and his Excellency the Minister -for Foreign Affairs will make known the intentions of the Porte to the -Allies; I beg you, M. le Capitaine, in the mean time, not to consider my -acceptance of this letter from you as an acceptance of its contents.” -Captain Fanshawe replied that he also was in nowise authorized to enter -into the details of this affair, and that he would learn the result from -Lord Ponsonby. The Captain said that Mehemet Ali had given him his word -that he would deliver over the Turkish fleet to whatever officer the -Porte shall direct to conduct it hither. The Vizier replied, “The fleet -is ours; Alexandria is our country; we are perfectly sure of having the -fleet sooner or later.” The Captain took the opportunity of speaking of -peace between the Sultan and Mehemet Ali. The Grand Vizier replied, -“Peace is made between two governments, and not between a sovereign and -one of his rebel subjects.” - -The letters given clearly show that Mehemet Ali could do no more. He -promised to deliver up the fleet, Candia, Syria, and the Holy Cities. -The Grand Vizier replied, as has been shown: “The fleet is ours; -Alexandria is ours;” and when Captain Fanshawe talks to him about peace, -he said, “Peace is made between two Governments; and not between a -sovereign and one of his rebel subjects.” This indeed was talking big; -the Grand Vizier forgot that Mehemet Ali had twice nearly knocked at the -gates of Constantinople, and had he not been interfered with, would have -dethroned his Master. - -What does the Ambassador do? Though he was quite aware that every hour -the Eastern Question remained unsettled, a European war was -imminent—though he knew that France had intimated that we were not to -touch Egypt—though he knew the British fleet had left the coast of Syria -and Egypt in consequence of bad weather—yet the Ambassador, acting on -his own responsibility, to gratify his dislike of Mehemet Ali, did all -he could to keep the question open, though he must have known the Allies -were anxious to bring it to a close; and if he had had the power, I -know, would have risked the whole British fleet to ensure the Pacha’s -destruction. Annexed is his letter to Lord Palmerston, furnishing an -account of the Conference which the arrival of Mehemet Ali’s letter gave -rise to. - - “My Lord, “Therapia, December 28, 1840. - -“I received this afternoon the Protocol of the conference held at the -house of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the 20th instant, at which -were present Rechid Pacha, and the Representatives of the Four Allies, -and the dragomans of Austria and England, and M. Francheschi, who made -the Protocol which I have now the honour to inclose[2]. - -“I have little need to explain to your Lordship the grounds upon which I -acted; submission is the first mentioned of the conditions, upon which I -am ordered to give advice to the Sublime Porte, and it is also the most -important, the others being insignificant, as things have turned out. My -duty is to see that submission has been made by Mehemet Ali—real -submission, and there are many things to make it very doubtful if -Mehemet Ali has submitted, and has not taken this matter as concessions -forced upon the Sultan by the Allies for the purpose of establishing him -in Egypt with indefinite power. Your Lordship’s instructions would not -authorize me to say that such a submission is the submission -contemplated by Her Majesty’s Government, and as I do not think it -proper for me, under the circumstances in which I am placed, to declare -that it is not a submission, I have declined giving any opinion at all -on the point, and said I would await the decision of it by the Sublime -Porte, having stated what counsel I shall have to offer in the name of -my Government, if the Sublime Porte accept the submission. - -“Your Lordship has always declared that the Sultan is the sole judge and -arbiter of his own interests; and you will see, in the Protocol, that -the Representatives united cordially in disavowing intentions to act -upon the Sultan except by counsel alone. I saw this with satisfaction, -because endeavours have not been wanting to inspire the Ottoman -Ministers with some jealousy of the prepotency of the Four Powers. - -“It will appear, I think, in the Protocol, that I am not alone in -thinking the submission may be subject to doubt, for the Internuncio -says that Mehemet Ali has made a commencement of submission. This may be -so, for the interest of Mehemet Ali is to accept the boon offered him, -as he gives nothing for it in return; but my orders from my Government -are not subject to be modified by me, and I cannot take upon myself the -responsibility of acting without the most positive authority in a -question like the present. - -“I will send a messenger to acquaint your Lordship with the -determination of the Sublime Porte whenever I am informed of it. - -“I send the copy of the Protocol which was sent to me by his Excellency -the Internuncio. - -“The Protocol is substantially correct in statement of what passed, but -there are errors in its report of expressions. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -The reader will observe, without my pointing it out, from his own -letter, and still more from the Protocol, with what diplomatic art the -British Ambassador, in opposition to the opinion of the other Ministers, -endeavours to gain time. Had he been instructed so to do, he would have -shown himself a good diplomatist; but the contrary was the case. Rechid -Pasha writes from Constantinople, under date of the 26th of November, to -Chekib Effendi at Paris, “That Lord Palmerston was favourable to the -reinstatement of Mehemet Ali, and that instructions had been sent to the -Ambassador at Constantinople on the subject.” Besides that, he knew of -the instructions that Captain Fanshawe had communicated to Mehemet Ali, -and which he accepted. - -And no Minister of Foreign Affairs could have shown his want of -confidence in his Ambassador more distinctly than Lord Palmerston did, -by sending his instruction of the 14th of November direct to Sir Robert -Stopford, thus completely throwing the Ambassador overboard. And well he -did; for he decidedly would have found some means of putting it aside, -as he did my Convention. In fact, his Lordship was the cleverest of -Ambassadors for evading orders, and, indeed, managed to transfer -Downing-street to Constantinople. - -The Sultan, however, appeared to be satisfied with Mehemet Ali’s -submission; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs wrote to Lord Ponsonby, -thus: - - “The Sublime Porte, - December 27, 1840. - -“Monsieur l’Ambassador, - -“I have lost no time in laying before the Sultan the Protocol of the -Conference of the 20th of this month; and I am commanded to acquaint -your Excellency, that His Imperial Majesty, wishing to prove by a fresh -act the moderation of his sentiments, is disposed to accept the -submission of Mehemet Ali, and only awaits the fulfilment of the -conditions imposed upon him by the Memorandum of the 14th of November, -to consider that submission as complete, and to confirm Mehemet Ali in -the Pachalic of Egypt. - -“With the view of hastening that fulfilment, and of thus proving more -clearly his desire to lend himself, as far as is in his power, to the -views of his august Allies, the Sultan has decided that Yaver Pacha -(Admiral Walker) and Mazloum Bey shall proceed immediately to Egypt as -his Commissioners to receive the Ottoman fleet, and to ascertain that -the places described in the Memorandum of the 14th of November are -evacuated by the troops of Mehemet Ali. - -“I am commanded at the same time to request your Excellency will have -the goodness to instruct Her Britannic Majesty’s Admiral to assist -according to the 4th paragraph of the Separate Act of the Convention of -the 15th of July, at the restoration of the fleet to the said -Commissioners. - - “Receive, &c., - (Signed) “RECHID, - “_Minister for Foreign Affairs_.” - -The Vizier, too, at the same time, wrote as follows to Mehemet Ali: - -“I have taken cognizance of the contents of the good despatch which you -addressed to me dated the 17th Chewal, (the 11th of December,) and which -has also been laid before His Imperial Majesty. - -“It appears, from your Highness’s communication, that you intend really -to make your submission to his Highness, and that in proof of this you -have decided immediately to restore the Imperial fleet, and to -surrender, without delay, certain places situated out of Egypt. - -“The intentions and good disposition which you have thus evinced, being -a happy omen that the good system and the good proceedings which are -desired, will be adopted and carried into execution, his Highness has -duly appreciated them. - -“In all its affairs, in all its proceedings, the Sublime Porte, guided -by feelings of justice, makes it a rule never to exceed the bounds of -moderation. - -“On this account his Highness is disposed to accept your submission with -favour, and to grant your Highness his full pardon. - -“As soon then as, in conformity with your engagements, the Imperial -fleet shall have left the harbour of Alexandria, and shall be despatched -with all its officers and crews, some well-known persons excepted, and -with all its equipments and stores, and the places already known shall -have been made over without delay to the Commissioners of the Sublime -Porte, and when these acts shall be accomplished, that is to say, when -positive intelligence of this shall have arrived here, it is decidedly -resolved that then his Imperial Majesty will deign to reinstate your -Highness in the Government of Egypt. These views of his Highness, and -the pacific and benevolent opinions of the Great Powers, being quite in -accordance upon this point, this resolution has been officially made -known to the representatives of the Allied Courts. - -“His Excellency Mazloum Bey, one of the principal servants of the -Sublime Porte, Member of the Council of Justice, and formerly Mousteshar -of the Admiralty, is charged with the execution of the necessary -instructions; and the Ferik of the Imperial navy, the most distinguished -Yaver Pacha, is charged to receive the Imperial fleet and bring it here. - -“We leave to your wisdom to do what is necessary.” - -On the 30th of December Captain Fanshawe wrote as follows to the Admiral -from on board the Stromboli, off Tenedos, and soon after joined him at -Marmorice. - -“Sir, - -“With reference to your orders to me to proceed to Constantinople, and -to my letter to you of the 18th instant, I have now the honour to -acquaint you that I had no communication from his Excellency Lord -Ponsonby from that date until the 27th, when I received a letter from -him, relative to the conveyance of Turkish Commissioners in this vessel -to Alexandria; and I beg to inclose you copies of the correspondence -that in consequence passed between his Lordship and myself, through Mr. -Doyle, on the subject; and also to state, that, in pursuance of the -intimation from his Lordship, that he was ‘not aware of anything within -his competency’ which could be the cause of my detention at -Constantinople, and having yesterday afternoon received the accompanying -despatch from him for you, I quitted the Golden Horn in the Stromboli, -at 9 P.M. yesterday, and am proceeding in her to rejoin you at -Marmorice. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “ARTHUR FANSHAWE, _Captain_.” - -The despatch referred to inclosed a copy of the official note from the -Porte[3], announcing the appointment of the Commissioners, and -requesting the assistance of the British ships to bring home the Ottoman -fleet from Alexandria. - -Footnote 1: - - See p. 22. The report is given in the _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. - 138. - -Footnote 2: - - See Protocol in the Appendix. - -Footnote 3: - - See page 39. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - -Disinclination of the Porte to confer the Hereditary Pachalic on Mehemet - Ali—Departure of the Turkish Commissioners—Their orders—Opposition - of the Austrian, Prussian, and Russian Ministers to the views of - Lord Ponsonby—Lord Palmerston’s opinion of his conduct—Rewards - conferred on the Officers of the Squadron at Acre—News from - England—Approval of the Convention—Instruction of the 15th of - December—Lord Palmerston’s Letter to Lord Ponsonby—Prince Metternich - and Count Nesselrode, in approval of the Convention. - - -Though the Porte accepted the submission of Mehemet Ali, it was in no -hurry to act, and when it did get in motion, it was far from doing what, -I presume, three out of the four Representatives wished and expected. - -The Commissioners did not leave Constantinople till the 6th of January, -and they had no power to confer the hereditary pachalic on Mehemet Ali; -and instead of carrying orders to General Jochmus to suspend -hostilities, they brought orders to demand the arms and guns of -Ibrahim’s army; which demand was supported by Mr. Wood, the emissary of -the Ambassador, and also by General Jochmus[4]. - -The Austrian Internuncio saw through this intrigue; and on the 7th of -January, in an interview with Rechid Pacha, announced to him that the -four Powers had decided on applying for the hereditary succession for -Mehemet Ali. This produced a correspondence—far too long for me to give -here, but which may be seen in the Government volume of _Levant Papers_. - -From this correspondence it appears that the Austrian, Russian, and -Prussian Ministers decided to act without Lord Ponsonby, in consequence -of directions from the Ministers in London, based upon the Convention -they had previously rejected. The English Ambassador does not appear to -have received his instructions till the 10th of January, though they -were dated the 17th of December. I should like to see the reply Lord -Palmerston made to the Ambassador on learning that he had rejected the -Convention; why it is suppressed, is easily accounted for. It ought to -be explained how, on the 7th of January, the Internuncio received his -dispatches which must have passed through the hands of Prince Metternich -at Vienna, whilst the English Ambassador only received his on the 10th. -The delay might have caused great embarrassment, and indeed at such a -critical moment it was not desirable that a disagreement even for three -days should have existed between Lord Ponsonby and the other Ministers. - -The Governments of Austria, Russia, and Prussia, as well as their -Ambassadors at Constantinople, saw how things were going on in the East. -They wrote peremptorily to those personages to settle the question; and -Prince Metternich requested Lord Beauvale to state to Lord Palmerston -that, in case the Porte should hesitate to accede to the recommendation -of the Allied Powers to confer the hereditary government on Mehemet Ali, -his court could not be compromised by such hesitation[5]. - -Lord Beauvale also wrote to Lord Palmerston on the 17th of January[6], -that the Turkish Commissioners going to Alexandria were not empowered to -grant the hereditary pachalic, and in consequence, Austria would -withdraw her support from the Sultan, and would disavow any attack on -Ibrahim Pacha. - -Lord Palmerston, in a letter to the Ambassador, of the 26th of -January[7], does not exactly find fault with his Excellency for not -taking Mehemet Ali’s offer as a complete submission, but he tells him -the advice in his Lordship’s instructions of the 15th of October[8] -might have been given. This appears a pretty broad hint, and I suppose -diplomatic etiquette did not admit of any thing stronger. - -On the 17th of December despatches were received in Marmorice Bay from -England. The Commander-in-Chief was appointed Governor of Greenwich -Hospital; I was directed to hoist a red broad pennant, and was made a -Commander of the Bath; the Captains commanding ships at Acre were made -Companions; and a large promotion went through all classes of officers -who were fortunately present at the bombardment. On the 27th a new Pacha -arrived from Constantinople on his way to Syria, with orders to send to -Adrianople Izzet Pacha, who had created so much discontent throughout -the country, and to report on the state and condition of Ibrahim’s army. -This Pacha was the bearer of letters of thanks to the Admiral and others -employed in Syria, with the exception of myself, who have never received -any acknowledgment from the Turkish Government up to the present day. -The Admiral strongly recommended this new Pacha to suspend hostilities, -and I also advised him to control General Jochmus, who was a young man -ambitious of military glory, and more likely to make war than peace. - -On the 5th of January, 1841, the Megæra arrived from England. I was -aware she must either bring my sentence of acquittal or condemnation, -and having been already denounced by the wise men of the East, I felt it -was not impossible that their opinion might have influenced the judgment -of the Ministers of the West, if unfortunately their protests had -arrived in London before my despatches from Alexandria. I had, however, -taken precautions to prevent this, which fortunately succeeded, and they -were left to their own calm judgment, which decided in my favour. - -I had a party dining with me that day, when numerous letters, public and -private, were put into my hand by the officer of the watch. I laid them -on the table, determined not to run the risk of spoiling my dinner by -bad news, and not requiring good to give me an appetite. After the -inward man had been well fortified, I ventured to open a letter from -Lord Minto, which, to my great satisfaction, announced to me that the -Government were satisfied with what I had done, with the exception of -the Guarantee. I received also letters from various members of the -Government, and an official one from the Admiral, inclosing an -instruction from Lord Palmerston to the Admiralty, bearing date Dec. 15, -1840, some extracts from which I subjoin[9]: - -“I have to request your Lordships to convey to Commodore Napier the -approval of Her Majesty’s Government of the steps taken by him on this -occasion, though without any instructions to that effect, and upon his -own responsibility, to carry into execution the arrangements -contemplated by the Treaty of the 15th of July, and to put an end to the -contest in the Levant. - -“But the instruction given by your Lordships to Sir Robert Stopford in -pursuance of my letter of the 14th of November[10], will have reached -Sir Robert Stopford a few days after he received from Commodore Napier a -report of the result of his negociation at Alexandria; and it is -uncertain whether Sir Robert Stopford will have considered the -instruction of the 14th of November as superseding Commodore Napier’s -arrangement, or whether he will have looked upon Commodore Napier’s -arrangement as superseding that instruction. - -“In this state of things, Her Majesty’s Government must postpone a final -communication with respect to the arrangement made by Commodore Napier, -till they learn, as they probably will in a few days’ time, what course -Sir Robert Stopford took upon the receipt of the instruction of the 14th -of November. But there is one part of the Articles signed by Commodore -Napier and Boghos Bey, upon which it is necessary that an instruction -should immediately be sent to Sir Robert Stopford. - -“In the first Article, Boghos Bey, on the part of Mehemet Ali, takes two -engagements: the one is to order the Egyptian troops to evacuate Syria; -the other is to restore the Turkish fleet. The first engagement was to -be fulfilled immediately, and was to be conditional only upon the -promise of Commodore Napier that he would, in his capacity of commander -of the British fleet before Alexandria, suspend hostilities against -Alexandria, and every other part of the Egyptian territory. The other -engagement was eventual, and was to be fulfilled as soon as Mehemet Ali -should have received an official notification that the Porte grants him -the hereditary government of Egypt, and that this concession is, and -shall continue to be, under the guarantee of the Four Powers. Now it is -necessary that Sir Robert Stopford should lose no time in making known -to Mehemet Ali that this last demand of his, that the Four Powers should -guarantee to him the grant of the hereditary government of Egypt, if -that grant should be made to him by the Sultan, cannot be complied with. - -“That which the Four Powers will do, is to recommend to the Porte to -make the concessions specified in the communication which Sir Robert -Stopford has been instructed to convey to Mehemet Ali.” - -A despatch of the same tendency was addressed (Dec. 17) by Viscount -Palmerston to the Ambassador[11], in which he remarks,— - -“A doubt may have been felt by your Excellency and your colleagues what -steps you should take in pursuance of the instructions contained in my -despatch of the 15th of October, and in the corresponding instructions -sent from Vienna, Petersburgh, and Berlin; because those instructions, -modified by the subsequent letter to the Admiralty of November 14, -contemplated the unconditional submission of Mehemet Ali to the Sultan, -as a preliminary to the advice to be given to the Porte to reinstate -Mehemet Ali in the Government of Egypt; and, on the contrary, Mehemet -Ali, in the demands which he sets forth in the first Article of the -Agreement, signed on the 27th of November, engages to restore the fleet -only on two conditions,—the one being, that the Sultan should grant him -hereditary tenure in the Government of Egypt,—and the other being, that -such grant on the part of the Sultan should be placed under the -guarantee of the Four Powers. - -“It appears to Her Majesty’s Government that the fact that Mehemet Ali -attached the first of these conditions to his restoration of the fleet, -need not prevent the Porte from making to him that concession. For, in -fact, those Articles of Agreement were substantially a complete -surrender on the part of Mehemet Ali; and he was led to suppose, that in -asking for hereditary tenure, he was only asking that which the Porte -was willing to give. But the second condition, namely, the guarantee of -the Four Powers, is one which cannot be complied with; and your -Excellency should, on this point, give to the Porte the same -explanations which Sir Robert Stopford has been instructed, in pursuance -of my letter to the Admiralty of the 15th instant, to give to Mehemet -Ali. - -“It has been reported, but upon what authority is not known, that the -Porte was, towards the end of November, but before it had heard of the -submission of Mehemet Ali, disinclined to revoke the decree which had -deprived him of the Government of Egypt. It is not unnatural that such a -feeling should have existed at that time in the mind of the Turkish -Government, but Her Majesty’s Government hope that subsequent events, -and the unanimous advice of the Four Powers, will have removed these -objections on the part of the Porte, and will have led the Porte to -accept the settlement effected by Commodore Napier’s arrangement, or by -the subsequent more ample submission of Mehemet Ali.” - -Lord Palmerston’s letter to Lord Ponsonby, acknowledging the receipt of -the Ambassador’s letter announcing the rejection of the Convention, as I -have before said, has never been published; it would be a curious -document, and I dare say will come to light some day or other; but Lord -Palmerston’s despatch to Lord Ponsonby after receiving my despatches, is -clear enough; he tells the Ambassador plainly, that it does not signify -whether Sir Robert Stopford adopted my Convention or his subsequent -instruction of the 14th of November; that the articles of agreement were -substantially a complete surrender on the part of Mehemet Ali; and he -was led to suppose, on asking for the hereditary tenure, he was only -asking that which the Porte was willing to give; but that the guarantee -could not be complied with. - -Prince Metternich also agreed with Lord Palmerston, and directed the -Internuncio to co-operate with Lord Ponsonby in carrying out the -instructions of the 17th; and moreover tells Lord Beauvale very plainly -that in case the Porte hesitates to confer the hereditary Pachalic on -Mehemet Ali, his Court will not admit that the Allies could be -compromised by such hesitation. Count Nesselrode also states to Lord -Clanricarde, that it is unfortunate that the Sultan had not been -disposed, or advised, to concede the hereditary government to Mehemet -Ali. - -Shortly before this (December 22,) Count Nesselrode wrote to Baron -Brunnow at London, in terms that show his full approval of the -Convention, except the guarantee[12]. - -“I hasten to reply to the despatch which your Excellency has done me the -honour to address to me under date of the 27th November (9th Dec.), and -the arrival of which was almost immediately preceded by that of the -reports which you entrusted to the Marquis of Clanricarde. Before -entering further into detail upon the principal subject of that -despatch, my first desire, M. le Baron, is to communicate to you the -lively satisfaction with which the Emperor received the happy -intelligence of the submission of Mehemet Ali. The Treaty of London has -at last been executed in spite of all opposition. It has been so to its -fullest extent, and that without having cost the Powers who were parties -to it any compromise, or any concession to be regretted. There is -nothing, even including the armed demonstration with which the British -squadron accompanied its summons at Alexandria, which has not stamped -its result with a character still more favourable to the consideration -of the alliance. Have the goodness, M. le Baron, to offer our sincere -congratulations to Lord Palmerston upon this result, which we consider -as a common triumph of his and of our policy. - -“The Eastern Question thus settled, it now remains to record and confirm -the solution thereof by a final transaction in which France should -concur. You have already, in anticipation of this event, been put in -possession of the views and intentions which our august Master -entertains upon this subject. Much more will the Emperor be disposed to -accede to the plan which Lord Palmerston has proposed to you, because it -simplifies still further the transaction which is to be concluded. His -Majesty, then, could not but approve the motive which leads Lord -Palmerston to desire that the details of the special arrangement, by -virtue of which the Sultan shall grant to Mehemet Ali the investiture of -Egypt, should not be embodied in the text of the agreement. Accordingly, -M. le Baron, if the bases of the proposed agreement should be such as -have been stated to you by the Principal Secretary of State, and if the -French Government should decide upon accepting it, the Emperor would -authorize you to concur in it.” - -The Count also wrote as follows, under date of 4th January, 1841, to M. -Titow, at Constantinople[13]:— - -“I lost no time in laying before the Emperor your despatch of the 28th -of November, in which you reported to us the late events which have -taken place at Alexandria, as well as the determination of the Porte to -refuse its sanction to the arrangement concluded by Commodore Napier. - -“It certainly belongs to his Highness alone to determine finally the -extent of the sacrifices which it is expedient for him to make, in order -to secure the pacification of his empire, and that Sovereign ought not -to doubt that the Emperor desires sincerely that that pacification may -be effected upon conditions as little unfavourable as possible to the -Porte. - -“But, the more our august Master has at heart the defence of the -interests of the Sultan, the more would His Imperial Majesty consider -himself as failing in the friendship which he bears to his Highness, if -he did not seriously recommend him, at this decisive moment, to consider -with calmness and moderation the present posture of affairs, and to be -on his guard against illusions and hopes which in the end may never be -realized. - -“But a few months since, even at the period of the signature of the -Convention of July 15, the Porte could not have hoped in so short a time -to have reduced Mehemet Ali to the powerless state to which he is now -reduced; and it is hardly to be doubted, that it would a little while -ago have granted to him the hereditary succession, if it had been -possible for it by that means to hasten a definitive arrangement, in the -interests of general peace. - -“The military operations of the Allies in Syria have, since, been -crowned with the most decided success. Nevertheless, when the Porte in a -moment of irritation, determined to pronounce the deprivation of Mehemet -Ali, the Powers did not hesitate to declare their opinion upon the -subject, and to make known the conditions upon which it appeared to them -that the Sultan should not hesitate to reinstate the Pacha in the -hereditary administration of Egypt. - -“It is certainly true that the Porte has never hitherto received an -official communication of the advice which the Allied Powers thought it -their duty to tender to it, but the Porte is perfectly aware of the -nature and tendency of the instructions of the 15th of October, which -have acquired European publicity; it is equally acquainted with the -measures determined upon on the 14th of November in London, and with the -step which Sir Robert Stopford was instructed to take, and the only -object of which was to secure the execution of the preceding -instructions. - -“It would now be impossible for the Four Allied Powers to retract their -former declarations. Already the British Cabinet has not hesitated an -instant to declare itself in favour of the advantages which result from -the cessation of hostilities between the Porte and Mehemet Ali; but -while it fully appreciates the object which Commodore Napier had in -view, in undertaking upon his own responsibility to hasten the -submission of the Pacha; while it fully approves of all the conditions -which that officer has imposed upon him; the Cabinet of London has not -thought fit to take upon itself a formal guarantee with respect to the -right of hereditary succession which the Sultan might confer upon -Mehemet Ali. - -“We are firmly convinced that the other Powers will readily adhere to -this opinion of England; not one of them will, in fact, take upon itself -a guarantee, which would become as burdensome for those Powers, as it -would be incompatible with His Highness’s rights of Sovereignty. - - * * * * * - -“The Cabinet of London appears to be more than ever impressed with the -necessity of furthering, by all possible means, the pacification of the -East, and of putting an end to the doubts which the Divan appears to -entertain with respect to the real intentions of the Allies. Have the -goodness then, Sir, to unite with Lord Ponsonby, in holding to the -Ministers of the Porte the language which Lord Palmerston has lately -prescribed to the English Ambassador, and which, we have no doubt, will -be equally supported by the Representatives of Austria and Prussia.” - -Nothing could be more gratifying to me than that my first essay at -diplomacy should have received the sanction of the great powers of -Europe, and I presume such a sanction was not very palatable to the -gentlemen who took a different view of Eastern affairs. - -Footnote 4: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 274, 276. - -Footnote 5: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 151. - -Footnote 6: - - Ibid., p. 159. - -Footnote 7: - - Ibid., p. 159. - -Footnote 8: - - See Vol. I., p. 249. - -Footnote 9: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 87. - -Footnote 10: - - See page 15. - -Footnote 11: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 88. - -Footnote 12: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 121. - -Footnote 13: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 152. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - -The Author ordered to Alexandria to carry the Convention into - effect—Interviews with the Pacha and Boghos Bey—Letter from Boghos - Bey explaining the Pacha’s Intentions—Lieut. Loring dispatched to - see the Evacuation of Syria carried into effect; his - Instructions—Letters to the Chief Officers in Syria—Arrival of the - Turkish Commissioners at Alexandria—Surrender of the Turkish - Fleet—Bad Faith of the Turks—Correspondence between the Author and - Boghos Bey respecting the Cotton Crop—The Commercial Treaty. - - -The day after the arrival of the Megæra, I waited on the -Commander-in-Chief, who directed me to proceed to Alexandria, and see -the Convention carried out. I arrived there in the Stromboli on the 8th -January, when the Pacha sent one of his officers to compliment me, and -invite me to the Palace. - -Between seven and eight in the evening I waited on Boghos Bey, and -delivered the Admiral’s and Rechid Pacha’s letters[14], and an extract -of Lord Palmerston’s instruction, dated the 15th of December, beginning -with the words, “Now it is necessary that Sir Robert Stopford[15].” -Boghos Bey did not seem much disappointed at the refusal of the Allies -to give a guarantee, but expressed his dissatisfaction at the word -“hereditary” not appearing in the letter of Rechid Pacha to the British -Ambassador, and expressed his fears that there would be some difficulty -with the Pacha, who fully expected on his submission, the hereditary -Pachalic of Egypt would be conferred on him. - -I was now introduced to the Pacha, who was far from being in good -humour, and evidently disappointed at the communication Boghos Bey had -previously made to him; he nevertheless invited me to sit on the divan -beside him, and gave me a pipe. - -I acquainted his Highness that I was authorized to allow vessels to -proceed to Caiffa, to embark the sick, wounded, women, children, and any -part of the Egyptian army, and that I should send a British officer with -the person to whom he entrusted his instructions to Ibrahim to evacuate -Syria. I also told him that I should give every assistance to fit out -the Turkish fleet, which I was sorry to observe was in the same state I -had left them. - -He replied it was not his fault; that after the agreement I had made -with him the officer had been sent back from Syria, and the agreement -disallowed. - -I remarked that that difficulty was now obviated, that the Convention -had been approved of in London, with the exception of the guarantee. - -To this he observed that he did not care so much about the guarantee, -but that the word “hereditary” had been left out, whereas in Lord -Palmerston’s dispatch to Lord Ponsonby, dated the 15th of October, and -which had been made public, it was distinctly stated that the Porte -would be strongly recommended to confer on him the hereditary Pachalic, -and that in M. Guizot’s speech to the French Chambers he had declared -that the Allies would recommend it; and finally, that the agreement -signed by Boghos Bey and myself stipulated that the fleet should be -delivered up on receiving the official account that the Sublime Porte -would confer on him the hereditary government of Egypt; that -notwithstanding this, in Lord Palmerston’s instructions of the 14th of -November, communicated to him by Captain Fanshawe, the word “hereditary” -had been left out; but nevertheless he had entirely submitted himself to -the will of the Sultan, and asked for no terms, being convinced he would -be confirmed in the fullest sense. - -There was so much truth in these observations that I did not endeavour -to controvert them, and soon after took my leave, promising to call on -Boghos Bey next morning, when the papers were translated. - -In my next interview with Boghos Bey he again spoke of the -disappointment and dissatisfaction of the Pacha. He said he had done -everything to gain the good will of England; that the interests of Great -Britain and Egypt were identified; that at one time England had -encouraged him, and even permitted Egyptians to enter her dockyards and -ships to gain instruction, and that now she wanted to put him down -altogether. All this he very naturally attributed to Lord Ponsonby, and -Mehemet Ali often said, he was not at war with either Turkey or England, -but with the English Ambassador. - -I told him I was not without hopes that the British Government would -still use their influence with the Porte to obtain that point, and that -I should do everything in my power to forward the Pacha’s wishes, and I -had reason to believe they would be complied with. - -He requested me to read the part of Lord Palmerston’s letter, approving -of the Convention[16], which I consented to do, but he must consider it -a private communication; he listened to this with much satisfaction, and -said, if I would communicate it to the Pacha, it would go a great way to -tranquillize his mind. - -In the morning I waited on the old man, and read to him the other part -of Lord Palmerston’s instructions, which had some effect in putting him -in good humour; he talked a good deal about the difficulty of quitting -Syria till the spring without a great loss of life and stores, and was -anxious that the women, children, and sick should be allowed to embark -at Beyrout, Sidon, or the most convenient place, should the army be -still at Damascus. - -There is no doubt whatever that he had sent orders to Ibrahim to -withdraw, but was probably afraid that he would not obey them when he -heard of his fathers submission without being certain of the hereditary -pachalic being conferred, and he was anxious, in the event of his -staying at Damascus, to free him of his incumbrances. - -I observed that the weather was now better than when the Convention was -signed, and was improving every day; that I had no authority to allow -any embarkation either at Beyrout or Sidon, but that I should write to -the officer in command to give every facility in his power, and that I -felt satisfied the best way to insure the British Government pressing -the point of the hereditary pachalic was, by throwing no difficulties in -the way; that, whether or no, his son must succeed him, and as to a -guarantee, he had shown it was more necessary to guarantee the Porte -against him, than him against the Porte. The old man was tickled at this -observation, and consented to all I asked, and next morning Boghos gave -it me in writing, as follows: - - “Commodore, “Alexandria, Jan. 10, 1841. - -“The object of the letter which I have the honour to address to you, is -to recapitulate, according to the desire which you have expressed to me, -the words which you heard from the mouth of the Viceroy, my master, -himself, in your conversation yesterday evening. - -“The delay which has occurred in the evacuation of Syria is not -dependent on the will of his Highness. In consequence of the Convention -concluded with you on the 27th of November last, Hamid Bey was sent to -Syria, to carry the Viceroy’s orders to Ibrahim Pacha. You know, -Commodore, the reasons which hindered that superior officer from -fulfilling his mission, and you are acquainted with the nature of the -obstacles which prevented the despatches of his Highness from reaching -their destination. - -“The Viceroy, always desirous to give you a fresh proof of his readiness -to fulfil his engagements, proposes to dispatch a steam-vessel this very -day to take back to Syria Hamid Bey, who will be charged, in conjunction -with the English officer appointed by you, to deliver the orders to the -General-in-Chief of Egyptian army. As soon as Ibrahim Pacha shall be -made acquainted with them, he will immediately effect the evacuation of -Syria, despatching, if it is in his power to do so, the women, children, -and sick, towards Caiffa, and marching himself towards Egypt, should he -not be already in motion with his army to effect his retreat in that -direction. Immediately on our being made acquainted, by the return of -Hamid Bey, with the measures taken by Ibrahim Pacha in execution of the -orders of his Highness, and as soon as we shall have acquired the -certainty that the sick, women, and children, belonging to the Egyptian -army have been able to proceed to Caiffa, his Highness will send -transports to that port to secure their return to Egypt. - -“With respect to the Ottoman fleet, I can only confirm what I had -formerly the honour of writing to you, Commodore; it is ready to put to -sea. - -“Such is the substance of the terms in which the Viceroy expressed -himself to you, Commodore. His Highness, in thus giving you a fresh -proof of his deference to the decisions of the Allied Powers, is -convinced that they will hasten the execution of the Treaty of the 15th -of July, by obtaining in his favour the hereditary government of Egypt; -and that they will show their intention of securing the pacification of -the East, by placing it on an imperishable foundation.” - -The Egyptian steamer Generoso started on the second day after my -arrival, with one of the Pacha’s officers and Lieutenant Loring, to whom -I gave the following instructions:— - - “H.M.S. Carysfort, - January 10, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“Pursuant to directions from the Commander-in-Chief, you will accompany -Hamid Bey in the Egyptian steam-boat Generoso, to the coast of Syria. - -“You will recommend him first to proceed to Acre, and you will deliver -the accompanying letter to the officer commanding the Allied troops. - -“You will consult with him on the best way of proceeding to Ibrahim -Pacha’s head-quarters, and you will demand a proper escort (if -necessary) for your own protection and that of the Egyptian officer who -accompanies you. The object of your mission is to see the evacuation of -Syria carried into effect, and you will remain with Ibrahim Pacha as -long as you think it necessary, and then return to Alexandria. - - “I have, &c., - “CHAS. NAPIER.” - -“Lieutenant Loring, H.M.S. Carysfort.” - -I wrote also to the senior Naval and Military officers in Syria. - - “H.M.S. Carysfort, - January 10, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“The bearer of this letter is charged by me, (agreeably to the orders of -Sir Robert Stopford, in consequence of directions of Lord Palmerston, to -carry my Convention into effect,) to proceed with Hamid Bey to Ibrahim -Pacha’s head-quarters, and deliver to him the order of Mehemet Ali, for -the immediate evacuation of Syria. - -“It is Sir Robert Stopford’s directions that every facility is given for -the embarkation of the sick, the wounded, the women and children, and -others of the Egyptian army, at Caiffa. - -“But it appears to me, (if there be no objection, of which I cannot be a -judge,) they may be permitted to embark at any other place if more -convenient. - -“The officer charged with the despatches to Ibrahim Pacha, will -necessarily concert with him and with you on this point, as will also do -the officer charged to see the evacuation carried into effect. - -“It is needless to observe, that as Mehemet Ali has made his submission -to the Porte, and is reinstated in the Pachalic of Egypt, it is of the -utmost importance that Ibrahim should not be disturbed in his -evacuation, but should be protected and assisted in every manner, so as -to cause as little loss of life as possible. - - “I have, &c., - “CHAS. NAPIER.” - -“To the Officer commanding the - Allied Forces in Syria.” - -“Sir, - -“I have the honour to inform you that I am directed by the -Commander-in-Chief to permit the women, children, sick, wounded, and -others of the Egyptian army, to embark at Caiffa, and that Lieut. Loring -is charged to see the evacuation of Syria carried into effect, and is -accompanied by Hamid Bey, who is the bearer of orders to Ibrahim Pacha -to evacuate Syria forthwith. - -“It is possible there may be other places on the coast of Syria more -convenient for the embarkation than Caiffa, (of which I cannot be a -judge, not knowing the position of Ibrahim’s army;) in that case you -will concert with the officer commanding the Allied army, and act -accordingly. - -“As soon as it is ascertained where the embarkation will take place, the -steamer will return here, and transports will be sent to receive them. - -“I need not observe, that as Mehemet Ali has sent his submission to the -Porte, which has been accepted, and is now reinstated in the Pachalic of -Egypt, every facility should be given to Ibrahim Pacha to evacuate -Syria, in order that it may be done with as little loss of life as -possible. - - “I have, &c., - “CHAS. NAPIER.” - -“To the Senior Naval Officer - at Acre or Ascalon.” - -The Turkish Commissioners, Yaver Pacha (Admiral Walker,) and Mazloum -Bey, arrived at Alexandria on the 10th January, and were graciously -received by Mehemet Ali, who gave directions that the fleet should be -immediately given up, and Admiral Walker hoisted his flag on the 11th at -noon, under a salute from the batteries at Alexandria, and the Egyptian -men-of-war and steamers were put at their disposal, and they were -ordered to be entertained at the Pacha’s expense. My friend, Admiral -Walker, took up his residence with me, and in the morning of the 13th I -visited him on board the Mahomedie, and afterwards waited on all the -Turkish and Egyptian Admirals, when as much powder was burnt as would -have fought a good action. - -I dispatched the Stromboli with the important intelligence of the -delivery of the Turkish fleet, to Sir Robert Stopford, at Marmorice Bay, -on the 11th of January, supposing that the Eastern Question was brought -to a close, but the sequel will show that it was not yet over. - -I shall here make a comparison between the conduct of Sir Robert -Stopford and Lord Ponsonby. Both rejected my Convention, and I believe -it was the first time they ever agreed. When Captain Fanshawe returned -from Alexandria, the Admiral, I think, saw his error, because he wrote -to Syria to order a suspension of hostilities, and permitted the -embarkation of the sick and wounded. Lord Ponsonby, on the other hand, -did every thing he possibly could to gain time, and more than that, the -British Ambassador wrote to General Jochmus, a Turkish officer, and -desired him not to suspend hostilities, as is positively stated in -General Michell’s letter to Lord Palmerston, dated December 31, 1840, -and as we shall shortly see, he gave the same directions to his -emissary, Mr. Wood; and the very steamer that brought the Commissioners -to Alexandria, as I shall show hereafter, was the bearer of orders to, -if possible, destroy Ibrahim’s army: so much for the good faith of the -Turks[17]. Admiral Walker was quite ignorant of this as well as myself, -and thinking every thing was settled with Turkey, I very naturally -turned my attention to English interests at Alexandria. - -Boghos Bey had announced his intention of selling the crop of cotton on -the 20th of February, and continuing the sale the first of every -succeeding month. The British merchants complained of the difficulty -they had in becoming purchasers under this arrangement; they alleged -that if they imported cash to purchase the cotton, it might be put up at -such a price that they would either be obliged to take it at a loss, or -re-export their specie, and they requested I would use my influence with -Boghos Bey to get him to put it up at public sale. I thought their -request so reasonable, that I immediately went to Boghos Bey, and -suggested to him, that the cotton in question should be put up at public -sale, when it is sure to fetch its real value, and the merchants would -then have a fair chance of becoming purchasers; that this system was -invariably followed by the East India Company, and they found it to -answer their purpose and satisfy the public. - -I also took the opportunity of asking Boghos Bey whether the Pacha -intended to execute the Commercial Treaty of the 16th of August, 1839, -which, I assured him, the British Government would insist upon; and that -I felt certain, if the Pacha would allow it to take its course, he would -not only gain many friends in England, but it would engage Lord -Palmerston more strongly to push the point of the hereditary government. -I told him that as I had signed the Convention of the 27th of November, -which had been approved of, I felt bound in honour to do all in my power -to carry it out, and that no argument I could make use of would weigh -more than being able to write to Lord Palmerston that the Commercial -Convention was in full operation. - -I also expressed to his Excellency my satisfaction at the loyal manner -in which His Highness had acted throughout the whole affair of the -evacuation of Syria, and the delivery of the fleet, and I trusted it -would have its due weight at Constantinople. The substance of this I put -in writing, and requested Boghos Bey to give me a reply, which he did -next morning. - - “Commodore, “Alexandria, Jan. 15, 1841. - -“After having informed you, Commodore, that I had made known to the -Viceroy, my master, the friendly letter which you wrote to me on the -14th of this month, I had the honour to accompany you this morning to -his Highness, and in the conversation which ensued, you have been -enabled to convince yourself, Commodore, of the sincerity of his -sentiments and conduct. All the means which we possess have been placed -at the disposal of the Admiral Yaver Pacha to facilitate the departure -of the Ottoman fleet, which is ready to put to sea; the retreat of the -Egyptian troops is being carried into effect in Syria; the garrisons in -Candia, Arabia, and the Holy Cities, only wait the arrival of the forces -to replace them, in order to maintain the tranquillity of those -countries. - -“With regard to commerce, his Highness, who is desirous to dedicate to -it all his care, in conformity with the desire which has been expressed, -has been hitherto prevented from doing so by the occupation of the war. -In a few days he will proceed to the provinces to complete such -arrangements as may, without a violent shock to the administration of -the country, put him in a position to fulfil the conditions of the -Treaty to which he has given his acquiescence. The Viceroy trusts that -the time will be granted him, which is indispensable to work this -change, to be effected to the satisfaction of all. - - “I have, &c., - “BOGHOS JOUSSOUF.” - -Footnote 14: - - See page 39. - -Footnote 15: - - See page 51. - -Footnote 16: - - See page 49. - -Footnote 17: - - See Chapters XI. and XII.; and also _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. - 203, 268, 275. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - -The Author visits Cairo—The Mahmoudieh Canal—Fire on board the - Steamer—Voyage up the Nile—Appearance of the Country—Condition of - the People—Arrival at Cairo—Visit to Abbas Pacha—Palace of - Schoubrah—Establishments of the Pacha—Industry of the Arabs—Visit to - the Pyramids—Quit Cairo. - - -Things appeared to go on so smoothly at Alexandria, and anticipating no -further difficulty in Syria, I took this opportunity of proceeding to -Cairo, to gain as much information as I could relative to the interior -of the country. The Pacha put his own steam-boat at my disposal, and -sent one of his officers as interpreter; and who, I afterwards found, -was likewise charged with paying the expenses of my journey. A palace in -the neighbourhood of Cairo was also put at my disposition, both of which -civilities I declined. - -We embarked in a very tolerable boat on the 24th of January, and -proceeded by the Mahmoudieh Canal to Atfeh, where it joins the Nile. The -boat was dragged by horses at a good pace, and the distance, forty-eight -miles, was accomplished in about seven hours. At Atfeh there is a -tolerable inn, where we stopped. - -According to a statement in Russell’s _Egypt_, this canal was begun by -Mehemet Ali in October, 1819, and finished early in December of the same -year. It is forty-eight miles long, eighteen feet deep, and ninety feet -broad. It is said that 250,000 persons were employed in cutting it, and -that 30,000 men, women, and children perished in the undertaking; but I -believe this number to be much exaggerated. Before the construction of -this canal, the produce of Upper Egypt was brought down the Nile in -boats to Damietta, and there transhipped into sailing vessels; and, in -fine weather, even open boats frequently undertook the voyage to -Alexandria. This occasioned much loss of time; and as they were -frequently wrecked, much destruction of life and property; for which -reasons Mehemet Ali decided on undertaking the construction of this -Grand Canal. Unfortunately for the inhabitants, the Pacha was anxious to -see his work completed in a short space of time, and the poor Fellahs -were driven in from the country like a flock of sheep, and set to -work,—the greater part unprovided with tools, and all ill-fed, and -unpaid; exposed on a scanty allowance of water to the heat of a broiling -sun by day, and with little or no shelter from the noxious dews at -night. - -Under these circumstances, it cannot be wondered that the destruction of -human life was immense; but the Pacha troubled himself little about -their sufferings. He saw his work rapidly progressing; and the first -boat started just two months after its commencement. The Mahmoudieh -Canal, though certainly a grand undertaking, is, nevertheless, -incomplete; there are no locks at either end to communicate with the -Nile and the harbour of Alexandria; the goods are landed at the latter -place, and carried by railroad to the canal close by; and when they -arrive at Atfeh, are again disembarked, and transported to the Nile, -which is shut out by a badly constructed barage. The Nile, in the lowest -season, is below the canal; and the canal is several feet above the sea -in the harbour of Alexandria. It makes a considerable circuit round the -eastern end of the lake Mareotis; and, I believe, had a skilful engineer -been employed, it might have been greatly shortened. - -At daylight on the morning of the 25th we embarked in one of the Pacha’s -steamers. I was accompanied by Mr. Larking, the English Consul, and his -lady,—the former in very bad health,—by Captain Martin, Mr. Waghorn,—the -active agent for the transport of goods and passengers (and indeed the -first projector of the enterprise) up the Nile and across the -Isthmus,—and several officers of the Carysfort. Mr. Larking has the -management of a farm belonging to a relation of his, on the banks of the -canal, which he conducts as nearly after the English method as the -difference of the country will allow. There was a very good house on the -estate, besides other extensive buildings. - -Mrs. Larking was a capital caterer; and we owe to that amiable lady the -good cheer we met with in our passage up the Nile. The steamer was none -of the best as to speed; but her accommodations were good. - -We had not proceeded many miles when she was discovered to be on fire in -the coal-bunkers. We ran her alongside the bank; and Mr. Larking, who -was ill, and could hardly walk, was with difficulty got on shore, -together with Mrs. Larking and his child. The decks were ript up; and, -notwithstanding the noise and confusion amongst the Arab crew, with the -assistance of the officers, we managed to get the fire under, without -materially injuring the boat. On examination, we found the beams of the -vessel were too close to the chimney; and after being completely -charred, they took fire, and ignited the coals. This was not a good -beginning; but was attended with no other consequence than the delay of -a few hours. The current was running down between two and three miles an -hour; and, although the wind was generally in our favour, we made little -progress, and were easily passed by the light country boats, -notwithstanding their miserable equipments. The Nile in most parts is -about a quarter of a mile wide; and the water not being low, was easily -navigated. Boats of all sizes crowd the river, conveying to Alexandria, -corn, chopped straw, cotton, and various other products of the upper -country. Most of these boats were the property of the Pacha, for he -monopolized the greater part of the trade, as well as most of the -produce of the country; and if I may judge by their appearance, Mehemet -Ali was as bad a ship’s husband, as he was an agriculturist; but he has -a mania of doing every thing himself. He was rapidly making himself -owner of all the land in Egypt, as well as of all the trade. It is a -common custom with him, when his crops are ready, to force the Fellahs -to leave their own villages to work on his property. At the same time, -he seizes all the boats on the river to bring down his produce, caring -very little what becomes of the property of others. This becomes -peculiarly oppressive when the Nile is rapidly rising, as it often -happens that the whole of their produce is swept away during the time -they are employed to save the Pacha’s. - -When the wind blows down the river, the passage of the boats is very -slow. There is no towing path; no horses or mules; the crew land, and -they manage to tug their boats along from ten to twenty miles a day, -varying according to the size of the boat. The descent down, owing to -the current, unless the wind is very strong, may be about fifty or sixty -miles in the twenty-four hours; and considerably more when the wind is -fair. - -Egypt in the Delta is about 160 miles wide; but when you ascend the -river, and are clear of the Delta, it narrows to from 11 to 20 miles, -and is shut in by sand-hills and mountains on each side. The country is -richly cultivated, and well irrigated, but in a very primitive manner. -The villages are raised considerably above the plain; but, nevertheless, -are sometimes much inconvenienced by a high Nile, and are of the most -miserable description. The people are poorly dressed in coarse blue -cotton shirts and petticoats; but their wants seemed few; and I saw no -appearance of discontent or unhappiness amongst them. - -At sunset on the second day, in passing round a point where there was a -considerable bend in the river, the Pyramids opened to our view, -apparently only a few miles off; their gigantic size gave them this -appearance, though their distance could not have been less than thirty -miles. We continued our route during the night, and at daylight we -stopped considerably below Boulac, the Wapping, it may be called, of -Cairo. From thence we decided to prosecute our journey on foot. As the -vapour that hung over the river became dissipated by a brilliant sun -rising over the Mokhattan hills, on one hand appeared the spires, -mosques, and minarets of the City of Victory, whilst on the other its -beams gilded that part of the seven wonders of the world, the gigantic -relics of antiquity, the Pyramids. About an hour’s pleasant walk, under -the shade of a fine avenue of sycamore trees, brought us to the -comfortable hotel of Mr. Waghorn, to whose perseverance and activity we -owe the comparatively easy traject across the isthmus to Suez. By the -time we had dressed and breakfasted, our guide returned from the -Citadel, where I had sent him to announce our arrival to Abbas Pacha, -the grandson of Mehemet Ali, and the Governor of Cairo. Eleven was the -hour appointed to wait upon his Excellency, who sent a brilliant -cavalcade to conduct us to his palace, consisting of splendid Arab -horses, proudly champing their golden bits, under a profusion of crimson -velvet trappings, each led by a sais, or groom, and a tolerable coach -dragged by four cream-coloured horses; the coach we consigned to the -junior of the party, Captain Martin; Captain Williams and myself -preferred the horses. In this manner we entered the Citadel, the scene -of so many brilliant achievements, and of so many bloody deeds. Memory -failed not to recall one of the most appalling of the latter that -tyranny ever planned or perfidy carried into effect. The foul murder of -the Mamelukes will for ever be a deep stain on the character of Mehemet -Ali. It is true they were troublesome gentlemen, and had they lived -would, in all probability, have destroyed the Pacha; but nothing can -excuse the treacherous manner in which he accomplished his object. - -Such were our feelings as we passed the gates so securely closed on that -fearful occasion, and as we cast a glance on these, on the appalling -height of these once blood-stained battlements, we could not help -admiring the bold spirit which ventured on such a leap, and wondering -how he survived to tell the tale. The place known as the Mameluke’s Leap -is near the gateway, the fall between thirty and forty feet. The horse -was crushed on the spot, but, strange to say, the bold rider escaped -unhurt, and lived for many years afterwards at Constantinople. - -Abbas Pacha, the grandson of Mehemet Ali, has long been known for his -hatred to anything having the resemblance of a Frank, and this is little -to be wondered at, considering the education he has received. His -character is none of the best; he is devoid of talent, and much more -feared than either loved or respected. However, all things considered, -he received us with tolerable politeness. Pipes and coffee were -produced, and we were invited to take seats on the Divan. His appearance -is not much in his favour, being a dull heavy man, much more resembling -a butcher than a Pacha. After a short conversation on indifferent -subjects we took our leave, and were conducted through the different -apartments of the Palace, which were both elegant and comfortable. From -the Citadel we proceeded to the country palace and gardens of Schoubrah, -which we approached under the shadow of a noble avenue of Egyptian -sycamore, whose thick foliage rendered it quite impervious to the rays -of the sun. The palace of Schoubrah, built a few years back by the -Pacha, cost an immense sum of money, and as we strolled through the -delightful gardens, and inspected the fountains and kiosks, constructed -at immense expense, we could not repress a feeling of sorrow that the -ruler who had raised such a structure for his own ease and convenience, -had not turned more of his attention to the comforts of the poor Arabs, -who are lodged in the most miserable mud huts at the very gates of the -palace. - -During the short period of our stay at Cairo, time did not hang heavily -on our hands. The crowded and covered bazaars, the mosques, the tombs of -the Caliphs and Mamelukes, together with the numerous manufactories and -institutions established by the Pacha, successively occupied much of our -time, and fully engaged our attention. - -Had the Pacha shown a little more judgment and a little more nature in -the establishment of these institutions he would have deserved more -credit, but he has a mania of going ahead, and thinks that Egypt should -have manufactories of her own of all sorts, and be independent of other -nations; and really when we look at his founderies for cannon, his -manufactory for arms, and the industry with which the Arabs work, it is -quite surprising. Most of his establishments are directed by English or -French men; in the musket manufactory there is an Englishman, and he -assured me that the industrious manner in which the Arabs were working -on the day we inspected the establishment was their usual habit; if so, -I certainly never saw so much activity in any manufactory in my life. -The Pacha has begun to find out that the cotton and cloth manufactories, -&c., are far from profitable, and many of these establishments were shut -up, and the workmen discharged. - -Amongst the scientific institutions, which are nearly all under the -management of Frenchmen, may be reckoned the hospital, with the schools -of surgery and medicine attached to them, under the superintendence of -Clot Bey; the academy of drawing, and that of mathematics; the students -being all taken from the class of common Fellahs, and, like the rest of -the Pacha’s subjects, compelled to work at whatever he thought fit, and -toil they do from morning to night, in hopes of being one day employed -as civil engineers, or draughtsmen. - -The second day following our arrival we devoted to a pilgrimage, which -we could not but fulfil: a visit to the Pyramids. - -After traversing the fine olive grounds and gardens planted by Ibrahim, -on what were formerly unsightly and huge heaps of rubbish, we crossed -the Nile at the Island of Rhoda, where he has likewise carried -cultivation to great perfection, and landed on the western bank, at -Gezeh, famed for the action that took place between the French and the -Mamelukes; the conquerors thought perhaps it would be more grand if -dignified as La Bataille des Pyramids, of which it is certainly in view. -Each of our party being duly accommodated with that most useful of all -animals in Egypt, a little jackass, after traversing fields waving with -the richest luxuriance of cultivation, we in due time reached the foot -of the first of those stupendous monuments the “Pyramids,” that of -Cheops; then, and not till then, were we aware of the huge mass at the -foot of which we stood. But descriptions without end have been written -of these stupendous works, and they rise as a memento of the folly of -those who consumed so much labour and time in raising such useless -fabrics. As numberless conjectures as to their purposes have been -ventured by various writers, I shall not increase the list, but refer -the reader to Belzoni, Wilkinson, Vyse, or fifty others. - -On my return to Cairo I learned by telegraph that intelligence of -importance had arrived at Alexandria, which required my immediate -presence; this put an end to all the projects we had formed of further -exploring this interesting country, and next morning we bad adieu to -Cairo and its wonders, and soon found ourselves steaming down the broad -Nile, with the current in our favour, but a strong northerly wind right -in our teeth. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - -Letter from Captain Stewart—Apprehended Treachery of the Turkish - Authorities—Question of the Syrian Troops—Double dealing of Mehemet - Ali—The Author’s Letters to the chief British and Turkish - Officers—Letter to the Admiral. - - -Halfway down the river I met Colonel Napier, with the following letter -from Captain Stewart, who had come to Gaza to prevent, if possible, a -collision between the Turks and the Egyptians. - - “Gaza, January 25, 1841, - Monday, 1½h., P.M. - -“My dear Commodore, - -“I arrived here with Colonel Rose and Rechid Pacha about an hour ago, in -the Hecate. - -“We have been induced to come, from the suspicions and jealousies -entertained by the Turks, _* * *_ of the intentions of Ibrahim Pacha, in -concentrating such a formidable force in this place. - -“The Turks have advanced all their forces on Jerusalem, Hebron, and -Medjdel, and we become somewhat anxious that _* *_ would bring on a -collision. - -“They assure us here, that the retirement shall be commenced to-morrow -morning, by two regiments of cavalry and two more in the afternoon; and -we send this news back to Jaffa, which will keep all right and safe. - -“But the point of the Syrian conscripts being allowed to remain in their -own country, is one of great difficulty and great importance, inasmuch -as the Turks have received positive and late instructions to insist upon -it. Achmet Pacha, (who commands here,) says, he will restore them the -moment he receives the order. Meantime a list of those who may be in the -first retiring regiments is to be given to me, and so soon as leave for -the Syrians to remain arrives, every one of them shall be returned. - -“Rechid Pacha assures us that Mehemet Ali gave his word of honour to the -Turkish Commissioners at Alexandria, that they should all be permitted -to leave the Egyptian ranks previous to passing the frontiers; and it is -to obtain this order, without a moment’s loss of time, that I send off -the steamers. I beg of you to return the authority by the quickest -_possible conveyance_, be it Hecate or any other already coaled. The -Turks attach great importance to this article. They are now in force as -well of cavalry as of infantry, all the cavalry from the north having -joined, _* * *_ - - * * * * * * - -“I have now no fears but all will go well. Ibrahim Pacha is expected -here to-morrow, and I shall wait here to see him, and, indeed, until I -hear from Alexandria. - -“Poor gallant, excellent, General Michell died at Jaffa yesterday of -fever and ague, caught by exposure and fatigue. Colonel Bridgeman now -commands, and will do everything well. _* * * *_ - - * * * * * * - - “In haste, - “Yours very faithfully, - (Signed) “HOUSTON STEWART.” - -“To Commodore -Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B.” - -The Turks, not aware of the strength of the Egyptians, seemed to await a -good excuse to attack them, and this I feared would be afforded them, by -the fact that many of the Syrians had accompanied the Egyptian army; the -Turks had orders to demand them, and it was stoutly refused by the -Egyptians, who had no orders on the subject. - -I had before spoken to Mehemet Ali about these people, and he objected, -under the plea that it would disorganize Ibrahim’s army even more than -the retreat, and if they were allowed to join the Turks they might be -turned against him. This was much more than probable, and I in -consequence consented that they should be delivered up at Gaza. Mehemet -Ali in this case did not keep his word. - -Colonel Napier, accompanied by Capt. Ward, had seen Boghos Bey and also -the Pacha, on the subject of these despatches. Mehemet Ali declared to -them that he had settled with Masloum Bey that they were to come into -Egypt, and be sent back from thence. This was not true. I do not believe -any such arrangement was entered into with Masloum: on the contrary, he -demanded them, and on the Pacha appealing to me I consented to their -coming as far as Gaza. The Turks had shown so little good faith since -the commencement of the retreat that I am not at all surprised that -Ibrahim should put no confidence in them. - -On my return to Alexandria I brought the subject of the Syrian troops -before the Pacha, who expressed a great unwillingness to leave them -behind; and as there was no way of obliging Ibrahim to do this but by -violence, and as it is more than probable the Turks would have had the -worst of it, I thought it much better, under all circumstances, not to -proceed to this extremity, and I wrote as follows to Captain Stewart, -and General Jochmus, inclosing a copy of the Convention, in order that -the Turks might have no pretext whatever to use force; which I have no -doubt they would have done when Ibrahim’s army was weakened by the -detachments that were embarked, and sent across the Desert, had it not -been for the presence of the British officers, who, however, though with -difficulty enough, managed to keep them quiet till the evacuation was -completed. - - “H.M.S. Carysfort, Alexandria, - Feb. 2, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“I beg to inclose you the copy of a Convention entered into by myself -and the Egyptian Government, which Convention has been approved of by -the British Government and the Allies, and I have been sent by Sir -Robert Stopford to carry it into execution. - -“I have authorized his Highness the Pacha to send frigates and -transports to Gaza, to embark any part of the Egyptian army he thinks -fit, and it is my direction that you afford them every facility in your -power to accomplish this, as well as to facilitate their retreat by -land. - -“You will call upon the Turkish authorities to support you in this, and -should you find any impediment thrown in the way, you will, in the name -of the Allied Powers, protest against it in the most solemn manner, as -contrary to the existing treaties, as contrary to the custom of -civilized nations, as contrary to the laws of humanity, and contrary -even to the interests of the Porte. - -“The Syrian troops are not to be embarked against their own free will, -but if you have any suspicion that General Jochmus will use them against -the Egyptians they had better be disarmed, or even be allowed to go into -Egypt; in fact, do any thing to avoid a collision. - - “I have, &c., - “CHAS. NAPIER, _Commodore_. - -“P.S. I have written this to avoid any misunderstanding, though my -letter of the 11th, delivered to you by Lieut. Loring, appears -sufficiently explicit. The Stromboli is to be sent back immediately.” - - “Captain Houston Stewart, C.B., - H.M.S. Benbow, -Or, the Senior Naval Officer, Gaza.” - - ------- - - “H.M.S. Carysfort, Alexandria, - Feb. 2, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“I have the honour of inclosing you the copy of a Convention entered -into by myself and the Egyptian Government, which has been approved of -by the Allies, and I have been directed to see it carried into -execution. - -“I send you this Convention, because I understand the Turkish -authorities, (notwithstanding my letter to you on the 11th of January, -sent by Lieut. Loring,) have put difficulties in the way of carrying it -into execution, and have even meditated an attack on the Egyptian army. - -“I have authorized Mehemet Ali to send frigates or transports to Gaza to -embark any portion of the Egyptian army he sees fit, and I have directed -Captain Stewart to give them every facility; and I call upon your -Excellency, in the name of the Allied Powers, to desist from any hostile -measure. - -“Relative to the question of the Syrians, I have directed Captain -Stewart not to embark them against their will. - -“Should the Turkish authorities, (at the head of which I believe you -are,) impede in any way the retreat of the Egyptian army, I have -directed Captain Stewart to protest against it in the most solemn -manner, in the name of the Allies, as contrary to the existing treaties, -as contrary to the custom of civilized nations, as contrary to the laws -of humanity, and contrary even to the interests of the Porte. - - “I have, &c., - “CHARLES NAPIER, _Commodore_.” - -“His Excellency Jochmus Pacha, - Commander-in-Chief, Forces, Syria.” - -I wrote a short letter to the same purport to Colonel Bridgeman, and -also communicated the state of affairs to the Admiral, then at Malta:— - - “H.M.S. Carysfort, Alexandria, - Feb. 4, 1841. - -Sir, - -“In my letter to you of the 23rd of January I informed you of the -arrival of Ibrahim Pacha at Gaza, which I find was a mistake; he marched -with the rear-guard, and arrived at Gaza on the 31st. - -“I received a private letter from Captain Stewart, dated the 23rd -January, informing me he was very apprehensive that the Turkish -authorities would seize any opportunity to bring on a collision between -the Turks and Egyptians, and in fact the former had advanced, and -skirmished with the outposts, and then made rather a precipitate -retreat. - -“I inclose copies of letters I wrote to Captain Stewart, General -Jochmus, and Colonel Bridgeman. - -“Yesterday I again heard from Captain Stewart, announcing the arrival of -Ibrahim Pacha at Gaza, and his intention of immediately retiring again -into Egypt; he had collected at Gaza 25,000 men, including about 6000 -cavalry, in good order; this formidable force will, I have no doubt, -keep the Turks quiet. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) CHAS. NAPIER, _Commodore_.” - -“The Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, &c., - Malta.” - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - -Affairs in Syria—Letters of Sir Charles Smith to Lord Palmerston—Course - that ought to have been pursued after the Battle of - Boharsof—Ignorance as to Ibrahim’s Movements and Intentions—General - Michell to Lord Palmerston—M. Steindl’s Report respecting the - Advance upon Gaza—Capt. Stewart to the Admiral—General Michell’s - and Captain Stewart’s Opinion as to Lord Ponsonby’s - Orders—Correspondence between Captain Stewart and General Jochmus. - - -It will now be necessary to go back to Syria, and give an account of -what took place there after the rejection of the Convention. - -It appears, by Sir Charles Smith’s letter to Lord Palmerston, dated -November 24th, 1840[18], that Ibrahim retired from Zachle and Malaka on -the 21st of that month. - -Without at all putting my experience in comparison with Sir Charles -Smith’s, I must differ in opinion from him about the propriety of -attacking Ibrahim Pacha. When Sir Charles Smith took command of the -troops, Ibrahim had lost Sidon, been beat on the heights of Ornagacuan -and Boharsof, and been forced to evacuate Beyrout, Tripoli, and the -passes of the Taurus, and retire on Zachle. My opinion at the time was -for a forward movement. Ibrahim ought not to have been allowed to -concentrate at Zachle and Malaka. He ought not to have been allowed -breathing-time, and most probably the greater part of his army would -have deserted or been captured. I cannot say the Turkish troops were -well organized, but, nevertheless, they had done very well; their wants -were few, and after getting possession of Beyrout, the means of -transport was not wanting, and they were capital marchers. I do not say -that we ought to have followed them across the plain of the Bekaa -without cavalry, but we ought to have followed him up to Zachle and -Malaka, and afterwards been guided by circumstances. It appears that he -was enabled to collect 50,000 men at Damascus, of which 30,000 were -effective. Such a force being collected, there was a very good reason -for accepting a Convention, but a very bad one for rejecting it. - -Sir Charles Smith further writes, under date of the 29th of -November[19], that the troops from Aleppo had commenced their retreat -from Damascus on El Mezereib on the 26th instant, and that Ibrahim Pacha -had ordered his secretaries to be ready to depart with him by the same -route, and the whole of the force under his command had moved, or was in -order of march. On comparing dates, it is impossible that Ibrahim’s army -could have moved from Damascus on the 26th, as he only left Zachle on -the 21st, the distance from thence to Damascus being three days’ march, -and it surely would have required more than two days to put in motion an -army of 50,000. I am disposed to think the intelligence was incorrect. -It is not impossible that a division might have gone to El Mezereib, but -I do not believe that Ibrahim began his final retreat till the 29th of -December. - -Sir Charles further writes from Beyrout, under date of the 6th of -December[20], that a courier from Alexandria had stopped the progress of -the Egyptian army in retreat, and that Ibrahim Pacha, by intelligence of -the 2nd from Damascus, “had returned to the city, with the intention of -quartering his whole force within the walls, wisely preferring, to the -hazard of a retreat through the Desert, the guarantee of the Convention -for embarking all he possesses, (plunder as well as military stores,) at -the points we hold on the coast; such stipulation having been made clear -to his understanding, as being binding on the Allies. The contrary, -however, being the fact, he will now find himself, (accidentally as it -were,) master of a stronghold in the heart of Syria, of which he had -been virtually, if not totally, bereaved.” - -How a courier could stop the progress of the Egyptian army I cannot -comprehend. The Convention was signed on the 27th of November; on the -28th Mehemet Ali sent an officer to Beyrout by a British steamer, with -orders to Ibrahim to commence his retreat; the Egyptian was to be -accompanied by a British officer to see it carried into execution. What -object, then, could Mehemet Ali have in sending a courier, even if it -was possible, which he declared it was not, in consequence of the -distracted state of the country, to order them to return? It will be -seen, by my correspondence with Boghos Bey, that Mehemet Ali always -objected to embarking his troops. I proposed that he should do so, -thinking it much better for the peace and happiness of the country, that -they should proceed by sea to Alexandria in preference to marching -through a country where the inhabitants would be exposed to all the -devastations of a retiring army. I never contemplated that his army -should be destroyed after signing a Convention; quite the contrary. The -moment the Convention was signed, Mehemet Ali could only be considered -the Sultan’s servant, and the Egyptian troops the Sultan’s army, and not -a hair of their heads ought to have been touched; and as to embarking -plunder, no part of the Convention sanctioned that, and if it had been -permitted, the blame would have rested with our own officers. - -I cannot either understand how Ibrahim Pacha could have known of the -Convention which only left Alexandria on the 28th in the afternoon, so -as to have allowed him time, had he quitted Damascus on the 27th, to -return on the 2nd of December; nor can I understand how he could suppose -the Convention should be binding on the Allies, when it was immediately -rejected by the authorities in Syria, and his officer sent back without, -I believe, landing at Beyrout; nor do I see how he had either been -virtually or totally bereaved of his stronghold in Syria, seeing that if -he had ever quitted Damascus and returned, it was his own act and deed. - -Sir Robert Stopford received the intelligence of Ibrahim’s retreat at -Marmorice Bay on the 13th of January, which he communicated to the -Admiralty, adding, “my orders to Commodore Sir Charles Napier may by -this time have been the means of facilitating his retreat[21].” - -Captain Stewart writes to the Admiral from Jaffa, January the 10th[22]: -“General Jochmus reached this from Jerusalem yesterday morning early; -and we find that he has given such orders as will complete a line of -twenty-eight battalions betwixt this place and Jerusalem, and that all -will be in position by sunset this evening. The chief object of this -advance seems to be to induce Ibrahim Pacha to retire by the Desert, and -not by the coast. We have been somewhat in doubt and suspense as to -which road he would retire by; but news reached the Seraskier last -night, which is believed to be authentic, stating, that Ibrahim’s -vanguard was already thirteen hours’ march to the south-east of -El-Mezereib, and that, consequently, there was no longer any doubt of -his taking the Desert route. It is very difficult to get information, -and still more so to know how much to believe; but my own opinion, and -(what is of much more importance,) General Michell’s opinion is, that -Ibrahim is positively evacuating Syria. General Michell and I are both -determined to confine ourselves strictly to precautionary and defensive -measures; and we shall use every endeavour to prevail on our allies to -do the same, and not to obstruct, but rather to facilitate, Ibrahim’s -retreat.” By this it appears that Captain Stewart and General Michell -had also orders to facilitate Ibrahim’s retreat; and with the exception -of the irregulars and mountaineers harassing, and occasioning some -losses, unavoidable in a retreating army, but very much exaggerated by -the officers sent by General Jochmus, who reports them to have lost -10,000 or 15,000 men, on the 5th of January nothing had been done by the -Turkish army who occupied Acre, Jerusalem, defiles of D’Jenin, Jaffa, -and Ramla. - -General Michell writes to Lord Palmerston, dated Acre, December 31, -1840[23]:— - -“On the departure of Sir Charles Smith, the Sultan’s commission was -delivered to General Jochmus, and a few days afterwards he left Beyrout -for Sidon, and proceeded thence with some light cavalry to Hasbeyah in -the hill country on the Upper Jordan, for the purpose of giving -encouragement and direction to the mountaineers, and of obtaining -accurate intelligence concerning the Egyptian army. - -“The most vague and conflicting accounts were arriving daily as to the -intentions of Ibrahim Pacha. He had concentrated his forces about -Damascus, and the general belief was that he would immediately commence -his retreat to Egypt. - -“General Jochmus, notwithstanding his nearer approach to Damascus, has -been still kept in doubt as to what is going on there; but he seems to -be fully of opinion that Ibrahim Pacha is about to move, and that he -will, if possible, retreat on Gaza. His proposal, therefore, is to cause -the Egyptian Army to be harassed on its flanks and rear by the mountain -levies, and having assembled the regular Turkish troops at points along -the coast, to operate with them as occasions may offer, in the defiles -between the Jordan and the coast. In the mean time General Jochmus has -been very desirous of attacking Gaza, and of capturing or destroying the -provisions which are said to be in store there for the Egyptian army, -and he has repeatedly urged my co-operation for this purpose with -men-of-war or steamers on the coast. There have been, however, and are -still, many difficulties opposed to such an undertaking. The whole of -the fleet had taken shelter at Marmorice, leaving only one steamer to -watch the wreck of the Zebra in the Bay of Acre, besides the Hecate, -which brought me to Beyrout; yet three French vessels, a corvette, and -two brigs of war, remained upon the coast and were generally at anchor -near Beyrout. I took the earliest opportunity of making this known to -the Admiral, Sir Robert Stopford, and he most kindly and promptly sent -Captain Houston Stewart with the Benbow, seventy-two, and the Hazard -sloop. They arrived on the 24th of December, but the heavy surf -prevented their communication with the shore, and it was not until the -27th that I could get the detachments of artillery and sappers, which -came from England in the Hecate, disembarked at Acre. In the mean time, -however, Lieutenant-Colonel Colquhoun of the Artillery, and -Lieutenant-Colonel Alderson of the Engineers, had made a visit to that -fortress, and likewise to Tyre and Sidon. - -“The Admiral, while he sent me this naval aid, expressed a great -unwillingness to have it employed against Gaza or in any offensive -operations; first, on account of the storms prevailing at this season; -secondly, because the negotiations opened by Captain Fanshawe were still -pending, and he had consented to a request, made by the Pacha of Egypt, -Mehemet Ali, that Egyptian steamers might go off Gaza to embark the -sick, the women, and the children, of Ibrahim Pacha’s army, for -Alexandria. - -“Captain Houston Stewart had instructions from the Admiral based upon -these reasons; and they of course weighed also with me as to any -operations against Gaza; besides I had received information of the -Egyptian force there, and at El-Arish, having been largely reinforced. - -“Nothing has been seen of the Egyptian steamers from Alexandria, to -receive the sick of Ibrahim Pacha’s army. When that permission was given -by Captain Fanshawe, it was supposed the army was already on its march -to Gaza, and not likely to linger at Damascus. Probably Ibrahim Pacha -delays his movement from that city, now, in consequence of the -Convention commenced with his father by Captain Fanshawe. Our situation -will be very embarrassing until the negotiations are terminated, since -any act of hostility on our part may be construed into a breach of -faith, and may disturb arrangements half concluded. I am, therefore, -anxiously expecting orders from Lord Ponsonby upon the subject. In the -meantime his Excellency’s latest instructions to General Jochmus, and -upon which he is prepared and resolved to act with energy, dictate a -continuance of offensive operations.” - -As I have before stated, we now see the Commander-in-Chief of the allied -force by sea and land giving directions to his officers to facilitate -the retreat of Ibrahim Pacha, and the Austrian Ambassador declaring he -would disavow any attack upon him, thereby maintaining good faith with -Mehemet Ali; and the Ambassador at Constantinople giving orders to his -general to continue offensive operations, thereby compromising not only -the honour of England but of the Allied Powers. - -M. Steindl, in a letter to Baron Stürmer, dated the 10th of January, -writes from Jaffa[24],— - -“General Jochmus, escorted by 100 Turkish cavalry, continued in the mean -time to traverse the mountains of the Naplouse and the districts -situated between the Jordan and the Haouran, in order to assemble as -many mountaineers as possible. He formed several corps of them, the -command of which he entrusted to M. Dumont and Count Szechenyi, his -aides-de-camp, for the purpose of harassing Ibrahim Pacha during his -retreat, whilst he ordered Omar Pacha, who was stationed at Ramla, with -2500 men, to form a junction with a portion of the garrisons of Jaffa -and of Jerusalem, and to attempt a sudden attack upon Gaza, in order -there to burn the considerable magazines of provisions which Mehemet Ali -had caused to be transported thither to facilitate the retreat of his -son’s army by that road. - -“The English loudly disavowed this attack, less, as it appears, because -they despaired of success, than because Admiral Stopford had indicated -to Mehemet Ali that town as the place where the Egyptians should -concentrate themselves to be embarked for Alexandria, in case an -arrangement could be brought about between the Sultan and his vassal. -For this purpose, Rechid Mehemed Pacha, appointed Chief of the Staff at -head-quarters, was sent on the 5th instant from St. Jean d’Acre to -Tiberias to General Jochmus, with orders to invite him to proceed to -Jaffa to be present at a great council of war, whilst the same order was -sent by Tatar to Omar Pacha, with a prohibition against attacking Gaza. -General Jochmus arrived here in the course of yesterday, still leaving -his aides-de-camp at the head of the armed peasantry.” - -On the 17th of January Captain Stewart again writes to the -Commander-in-Chief from Jaffa[25]:— - -“My letter of the 10th instant[26], forwarded by Gorgon, would inform -you of General Michell’s and my own determination to confine ourselves -strictly to precautionary and defensive measures. It will be therefore -necessary to explain the circumstances attending a late advance of the -Turkish troops upon Gaza, and for this purpose I transmit herewith -copies of a letter I addressed to General Jochmus, immediately after our -last conference on the 12th instant, also of a note which I received -from General Michell, after he had reached Ramla, and my reply to that -note, sent by a staff officer to General Michell, at Ashdod. - -“General Michell expressed, in the most decided and unequivocal terms, -his disapprobation of the expedition. We both appealed to the Seraskier, -who refused to put his written veto on the advance, without which -General Jochmus declared he would persevere, and accordingly he left -Jaffa for Ramla within an hour. General Michell then felt that he was in -a peculiarly awkward position, but with the true spirit of an English -soldier determined to accompany and render every assistance to the -Turkish generals. - -“I also felt myself bound, notwithstanding my protest, to go down with -the Vesuvius and Hecate, and make a demonstration on the coast, -especially as I thought I might render material assistance, by either -threatening a descent on the Egyptians’ rear to the southward of Gaza, -by which their retreat on El-Arish would be endangered, or in case of -the Turks retreating, protecting with the great guns that hazardous -operation. - -“At 4 A.M. of Friday the 15th, we weighed in the Vesuvius and Hecate, -and proceeded as far as Ascalon, when the weather became so thick, and -blew so hard, with a heavy increasing sea, that after showing ourselves -again off Jaffa, I requested Captain Henderson to run out fifteen or -twenty miles for an offing, bank up the fires, and put the vessels under -canvass. At 2 A.M. on the 16th, it being then more moderate, we bore up, -and at daylight we put the steam on and steered towards Ascalon, but on -getting sight of the beach, the surf was so excessive as to preclude all -hope of being able to communicate with the shore for many hours to come. -We therefore unwillingly returned off Jaffa, where we were not able to -effect a landing until sunset, when I found General Michell just -returned, having preceded the returning Turkish troops. The Seraskier -had reached Jaffa about two hours previous to General Michell. - -“I ought to have stated, that by General Michell’s desire, twenty-five -marines were embarked on board the Vesuvius under command of Lieutenant -Anderson, and a like number on board the Hecate; these have all since -been disembarked here.” - -General Michell writes to Capt. Stewart[27], “Mr. Wood is prepared to -give us in writing very powerful arguments in favour of a continuation -of active offensive operations; his letter from Lord Ponsonby, after -Captain Fanshawe’s arrival at Constantinople, is strong upon the -subject.” To which Stewart replies[28], “We know Lord Palmerston’s and -the British Government’s wishes and orders. Lord Ponsonby’s orders must -with us be subordinate to Lord Palmerston’s; we have promised the -Admiral that we will act strictly on precautionary and defensive -principles.” - -Captain Stewart’s letter to General Jochmus, above referred to, and the -reply, were as follow: - - “British Head-quarters, Jaffa, - January 12, 1841, 3 P.M. - -“Sir, - -“In order that there may be no misapprehension on the subject of our -conferences yesterday and to-day, I think it right to put the -particulars into writing. - -“When Rechid Pacha came to General Michell and myself yesterday morning, -he stated that Ibrahim Pacha’s army being now fairly entered on the -Desert, there could be no reason for the 3000 Egyptian men quartered at -Gaza being permitted to remain there, and asked us if we would concur in -an advance which should have the effect of ridding the Syrian country of -the plunderers. General Michell and I both said that our instructions -being to facilitate the evacuation of Syria by the Egyptians, there -could be no political reason to prevent our co-operation, and that, -provided the forces advanced were so great as to make resistance -hopeless, and certain information received of Ibrahim Pacha having -advanced south of any road by which he could march upon Gaza, there -appeared to be none of a military nature. - -“Very shortly after this, Rechid Pacha returned with your Excellency, -when the same points were distinctly stated, and you expressed your -conviction of the impossibility of Ibrahim’s coming upon Gaza; that we -should advance close to it, and you would send notice to the Egyptian -troops, that they might have twenty-four hours to retreat, after which -you would attack and occupy Gaza. Rechid Pacha said he would go -immediately to Jerusalem, from whence he would write positive -information, upon which we might safely rely; that we should not move -from this place until we received his communications. After his -departure, General Michell and I paid your Excellency two visits, in -which we found out, on examination of maps and Egyptian officers who had -deserted from Gaza, that it was not only possible but very probable that -Ibrahim might come on Gaza by the end of the Dead Sea, and that he might -reach it within two days of the time in which your troops could. You -then avowed that your aim was not to facilitate his retreat, but to -annihilate his army, and prevent a single Egyptian getting back to his -own country. - -“The Seraskier Zacharias Pacha, your Excellency, General Michell, and -myself had a meeting this forenoon, at which you stated it to be your -determination to advance; that you had ordered the troops at Jerusalem -to make a combined movement on Gaza with those from Ramla; and that 6000 -men and 1400 cavalry (900 of them being irregular), with twenty-four -guns, would attack Gaza, destroy the provisions, and immediately retire, -leaving two battalions in the place; that if Ibrahim Pacha appeared you -would retire, and that, if he pressed you, you could retreat on the -mountains near Jerusalem. There appeared to General Michell and to me -such an evident and imminent hazard in this operation, and so inadequate -an object to be gained, so much evil would result from a retrograde -movement, such disaster from defeat, that I declared I could be no party -to it, and that so long as it was not ascertained beyond doubt that -Ibrahim Pacha was not coming on Gaza, I could not afford any naval -co-operation. - -“It is with sincere pain that I have come to this resolution; your -Excellency has had no reason to doubt the hearty co-operation hitherto -of Her Britannic Majesty’s naval forces in promoting the Sultan’s cause; -but I should be betraying my trust, and acting in direct opposition to -my orders, if I concurred in any operations which had for their object -the prevention or suspension of Ibrahim Pacha’s evacuation of Syria. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “HOUSTON STEWART, - “_Captain and Senior Officer commanding - H.B.M. ships and vessels on the Coast of Syria_.” - - - “Head-quarters, Jerusalem, - “January 25, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“I had the honour to receive your letter of the 12th of January only on -the 17th, and active operations have prevented my answering this before. - -“It would be superfluous to enter now into any details on its varied -contents, since fortune and victory have declared on all sides for me by -the total rout of the Egyptians, thus consoling me, in a certain degree, -for that want of confidence in my judgment which it is evident you -entertain, with respect to my operations in the field. Unskilful as I -may be deemed as a military commander, it must at least be confessed, -from the recent march of events, that I am certainly a very fortunate -one. I must, however, most distinctly advert to, and refute two points -upon which a great part of the critical acumen, contained in the letter -in question, appears to be erroneously based; stating first, that I am -not aware of any person in Syria being in the secret of my operations, -and cognizant of all my plans, until after their execution, since I -consider secresy the mainspring of success; and secondly, that I do not -admit the right of any naval officer, on a special station, to attempt -to control those operations, in the way you have thought proper to -assume, upon the same principle, as I suppose would guide you, were I to -presume to give you a lesson on the best mode of managing your ship. At -the same time I am, and have always been, most happy to receive any -opinion or explanation, provided they be given with the courtesy and -respect due to the General intrusted with the operations of the army. - -“It is to me a matter of regret, that after the transcendant services -rendered by the British fleet in the very last operation, you should -have thought proper to decline any naval co-operation in the projected -movements on Gaza, but it certainly is to me much more a cause of -surprise, that you should have thought proper to write an official -letter, on an occasion where naval co-operation could not even make any -serious impression on the inland position of the enemy, and where the -sole column of Ramleh was more than doubly sufficient to attain my -object. It is well known, that after the defeat of part of the Egyptian -cavalry at El-Maishdell on the 15th instant, the enemy never ventured -again to meet our troops beyond the river Ascalon, although I advanced -our cavalry, which was not half his in number, on the following day, and -left it encamped within an hour and a half’s march of Gaza, whilst, at -the same time, I sent the infantry and artillery into Jaffa, on account -of the inclement weather and impracticable state of the roads. Under -these circumstances, it would, in my opinion, have been perfectly -consistent with your responsibility, not to have given any naval -assistance in this operation, but without officially declining it after -my return to Jaffa, the more so, as I fully agreed with you on the -impossibility of the steamers being of any immediate use; but it seems -to have been your particular desire to have made the whole transaction a -matter of official correspondence, which, although I do not decline, I -would fain hope is now brought to a close. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “A. JOCHMUS, _Lieut.-General_, - “_Commanding the Army of Operation_.” - - “To Capt. Houston Stewart, R.N., -Commanding the Naval Forces off Jaffa.” - -Footnote 18: - - _Major-General Sir C. F. Smith to Viscount Palmerston._ - - My Lord, Head-quarters, Beyrout, Nov. 24, - 1840. - - I have great satisfaction in acquainting your Lordship that a prudent - adherence to my instructions from the Foreign Office has struck a - heavier blow on the army of Ibrahim Pacha than a series of general - actions could have achieved. Each succeeding victory could only have - withdrawn us so much farther from our resources, without advancing, in - any degree, the cause we have in hand. I take not merit to myself, - unless it be for my forbearance. For the number and the nature of the - troops under my command, and the extended line of coast I have to - guard, compelled me to be strictly on the defensive in the towns - already in our possession, whilst a forward movement would have been - unmilitary and unmeaning. - - Wearied in waiting for an opportunity of practising his - well-disciplined cavalry and artillery upon a detachment of Turkish - infantry, Ibrahim, on the 21st instant, broke up from Zachle and - Malaka in full retreat on Damascus, where he now is with 30,000 men, - including 7000 cavalry and artillery. He has pushed a corps of 3000 - irregular cavalry to El Mezereib, on the road towards Mecca,—the only - route now open to him for a final retreat into Egypt,—whither I - calculate on his going the moment he receives from Alexandria the - political news brought by the Oriental. - - In as far as regards the sway of Mehemet Ali in Syria, I look upon the - military part of the question as determined. - - I have, &c., - (Signed) C. F. SMITH, _Major-Gen. Commanding_. - - P.S. The Emir Effendi and other chiefs who left Ibrahim near Damascus, - report his force to exceed 50,000, of whom 40,000 are said to be - effective. - - C.F.S. - -Footnote 19: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 119. - -Footnote 20: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 119. - -Footnote 21: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 163. - -Footnote 22: - - Ibid., p. 164. - -Footnote 23: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 202. - -Footnote 24: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 204. - -Footnote 25: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 265. - -Footnote 26: - - See p. 103. - -Footnote 27: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 268. - -Footnote 28: - - Ibid., p. 268. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - -Examination of the Conduct of General Jochmus regarding Ibrahim Pacha’s - Retreat—Sir Robert Stopford styled by him Commander-in-Chief of - the Allied Forces—The General’s Reports to Sir Robert - Stopford—Unwillingness of the Admiral to prolong the War—Reported - Destruction of the Egyptian Army—Advance upon Gaza—Colonel - Alderson’s Narrative of the Skirmish of Medjdel. - - -Whether Sir Robert Stopford, as commanding the allies by sea and land, -wrote also to General Jochmus, as well as to General Michell and Captain -Stewart, I am not aware. In the official correspondence laid before -Parliament Sir Robert Stopford’s orders to these officers do not appear, -and we only learn the fact from General Michell and Captain Stewart’s -letters, but it is evident though General Jochmus commanded the army of -operation he still considered himself under Sir Robert Stopford’s -orders, for he writes to him officially from Jaffa, on the 13th of -January, 1841[29], sending him the details of his operations, in which -he styles him Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces. It appears by his -letter that he took charge of the army of operation on the 16th of -December, 1840; at that period he could not have known of the submission -of Mehemet Ali, and therefore he was quite right to make his -arrangements for driving Ibrahim from Damascus, particularly after the -rejection of the Convention, but he must have been quite aware of his -submission by the 22nd, the day he shifted his head-quarters to Hasbeya. -In one paragraph of the General’s letter he says Ibrahim had resolved to -maintain himself as long as he could in Damascus; in another he states, -that should circumstances force him to retire he had determined to march -by El Mezereib, the bridge of Moïadjumah on the Jordan, D’Jenin, Ramla, -and Gaza, to El-Arish, and this was corroborated by the Admiral having -authorized the embarkation of the sick, wounded, and women at Gaza, and -the Carysfort frigate being then in the harbour of Alexandria. What does -this prove? Why that General Jochmus must have known of the Pacha’s -submission, and of the unwillingness of the Admiral to prolong the war. - -In the next paragraph he writes (remember this is to his -Commander-in-Chief, who disapproved of carrying on hostilities), “Under -such circumstances I considered it a most positive duty on my part to -defeat the intention of the Egyptian commander, and oblige him to quit -Damascus, and follow the route of the Desert; for if a Convention had -actually been signed while Ibrahim Pacha remained at Damascus, the -military question remained undecided, and the complete conquest of Syria -by the allied arms could be denied on the ground of our inability of -driving a much superior force from its capital; while, if the Egyptian -army made forcibly its way through Palestine to El Arish, its losses and -sufferings would be small, the country being rich in every resource, and -large government stores existing still at Safed, Tiberias, Ramla, and -Gaza.” Now what does this mean? that neither General Jochmus nor Lord -Ponsonby, under whose orders it appears, by General Michell’s letter, he -was acting[31], cared one straw about conventions or submission, but -were determined, if they could, to destroy as many human beings as -possible to give éclat to themselves, and please the Sultan or his -ministers. After describing what his plans were, the General writes, “It -was at this time, and it remains still, my firm conviction[30], that -victory would have crowned the Sultan’s arms in a few hours, and that -the whole of Ibrahim’s army would have been annihilated, or obliged to -surrender; the only force of his still in some state of organization -being his cavalry, and they would have been of no use in the rocky -grounds of D’Jenin.” - -Here the General reckoned without his host, for there was no necessity -for Ibrahim passing by D’Jenin at all. He might have kept through the -extensive plains of Esdraelon, until he arrived at the defiles of Kakoun -between Mount Carmel and the Naplouse range, which he must have -traversed to gain the sea shore; at this point he might have been -attacked advantageously. But it appears that Ibrahim had no intention of -taking that route; his apparent hesitation at El Mezereib for three days -was probably, as General Jochmus says, to reconnoitre the Jordan, but he -had another object in view, and which it will be seen he executed with -great skill. By General Jochmus’s account he appears to have arrived at -Remtha on the 7th or 8th of January, 1841; and on the 9th a foraging -party was repulsed near Es-Salt. - -“The Egyptian army,” says the General, “fairly launched into the -Desert[32], has not since been authentically heard of. When last seen, -between El Mezereib and Kalat Mefrek, its infantry was reduced to 15,000 -disorderly men; its artillery, though still numerous, was utterly -disorganized, principally by desertion.”... We shall shortly see where -this wandering, disorganized army next makes its appearance. - -Ibrahim, the reader already knows, quitted Damascus on the 29th of -December, 1840; General Jochmus says he left in consequence of his -military dispositions, and being blocked up within the walls of -Damascus; but surely irregular troops only, without either pay or -commissariat, were not capable of blocking up an army of upwards of -50,000 men, including about 8000 cavalry, known to be in splendid order, -150 pieces of artillery, together with 4000 or 5000 irregulars, for he -does not acquaint the Commander-in-Chief that there were any regular -Turkish troops near Damascus. The fact is, Ibrahim had received orders -from Mehemet Ali to return to Egypt, he knew of the enemy’s army -advancing by land, and it would have been imprudent, even if he had not -received orders, any longer to have delayed his retreat. Captain De l’Or -reports that in three days he lost 10,000 men and 20 guns. “The hail and -intense cold,” writes the General, “caused numerous deaths amongst the -nearly naked soldiery, in summer clothing, and the sword of the fierce -and revengeful Haouranees, the victims of Ibrahim’s abominable -oppression, was unmerciful to small detachments of straggling -deserters.” All this reputed loss of life took place after Mehemet Ali’s -submission, and after that submission was known, and the unfortunate -wretches destroyed, _if they were destroyed_, were the Sultan’s own -subjects. - -General Jochmus also tells the Commander-in-Chief the valour of the -Imperial and Allied troops had done much in the conquest of a vast -country like Syria, in a short period of glory and success. How he makes -this out I am at a loss to know, for up to this time the Allied and -Imperial troops had not fired a shot since the capture of Acre, so if -the reports sent to General Jochmus were correct the whole mischief was -done by the mountaineers and irregular cavalry. - -“The God of battle,” says the General, “may lead Ibrahim and his -shattered forces through the desert, and bring some troops back to the -banks of the Nile.” (We shall shortly see how many he brought to the -banks of the Nile.) “I have taken, as in duty bound, such means as may -as much as possible delay his march or diminish his chance of escape.” -And again, “It is to me an agreeable duty to state to your Excellency -the perfect unanimity which has actuated all the men of the Turkish and -allied forces during these late and extensive operations[33], which by -mere strategic combinations and movements, and with very little loss of -life, have produced great and important results; the clear proof of -Ibrahim’s having lost Syria by force of arms, and without negotiations, -the salvation of Palestine from pillage and destruction, and finally, -the enormous loss of the Egyptian General, only as far as El-Mezereib, -since he left Damascus, without calculating those reserved for him by -the sufferings of the Desert.” - -By this dispatch one would suppose that the gallant General had been -destroying the Russians, the natural foes of the Porte, and not the -Egyptians, who had submitted to Turkish sway, and who ought to have been -preserved instead of destroyed. What could have been the use of all this -boasted destruction of human life? Syria would have been evacuated, the -country would have suffered less, and humanity would not have been -outraged, had not a single Turkish soldier quitted his cantonments, or -at least, had they confined themselves to precautionary and defensive -measures, so strongly recommended by General Michell and Captain -Stewart. - -We now come to General Jochmus’ report of the affair of Gaza[34], -against which it has already been shown that both General Michell and -Captain Stewart protested so strongly. It appears the division intended -for the attack arrived at El-Medjdel on the 15th of January, where it -halted. Here the General changed his mind, and decided on returning to -Jaffa, and against this movement General Michell protested as strongly -as he had before done against the advance: the first he thought quite -unnecessary, and the last he thought quite improper. - -Before the General retired, a party of the enemy’s irregular horse -reconnoitred his position, and were fired upon by several field-pieces -planted in an open grove, in advance of Medjdel. At this moment Colonel -Rose, who had been in search of some stray baggage with a small party of -irregular horse, accidentally coming up, charged them in the most -gallant style, and beat them; this being observed by Captains Harvey and -Wilbraham from the Turkish camp, they sallied out with a few horse, -joined Rose, and pursued the enemy for a considerable time, until the -Colonel was severely wounded, when the pursuit ended. Whether it is to -this that the General alludes I do not know, but it appears strange that -no mention is made of the British officers in the dispatch to Sir Robert -Stopford. - -The account of this affair, by Colonel Alderson, of the Royal Engineers, -one of the British officers engaged, is so graphic that it cannot fail -to be highly interesting to the reader. I give it at length: - -“We selected an encampment at the outskirts of the village of Medjdel, -but whilst the tents were being pitched, the assembly sounded, and it -was understood the enemy were advancing to attack our position. - -“It appeared that Colonel Rose, not being able to find his servant and -baggage mule, had taken the Gaza road, to ascertain if they were in -advance, and in doing this fell in with one of our picquets patroling -the outskirts of the village; and, whilst in their company, perceived -some cavalry advancing, the main body of which appeared to consist of -several hundred men, with a picquet like our own in front. Having -therefore sent to inform the Commander-in-Chief of the advance of the -enemy, and finding that our troops were forming, he induced the Turkish -picquet to charge that of the enemy. Whilst Colonel Rose, who was -gallantly leading them on, was in the act of cutting down one of the -enemy, he received two slight wounds,—one in the breast and the other in -the back. - -“By this time the whole of the Turkish force had got under arms, and the -light artillery were placed in position, and opened fire on the main -body of cavalry, now within cannon-shot. The fire of the artillery took -effect, and, as we afterwards learned, killed their colonel. They -retired immediately, and our irregular cavalry commenced the pursuit. - -“I had, with two other officers, gone to Ascalon to ascertain if it were -possible to communicate with the steamers, and finding it not so, owing -to the heavy sea and thick state of the weather, was returning with -them, when we heard the report of the artillery, and putting spurs to -our horses, and gaining the summit of the high sandy ridge separating -the sea shore from the plain of Medjdel, (or possibly those of Ascalon, -the scene of the encounter of Richard Cœur-de-Leon and Saladin, at -the end of the twelfth century,) perceived our regular cavalry at the -caravanserai forming, and several other horsemen, apparently flying or -pursuing. - -“We were not long in coming up with them, and found Colonel Bridgeman -and Major Wilbraham encouraging the irregular cavalry to pursue and -attack the flying foe. We joined them, and for upwards of an hour -continued the pursuit, the regular cavalry bringing up the rear, though -at a slower pace. - -“As it may never be my lot to witness so extraordinary a sight again, as -the one which now took place, I will endeavour in a few words to explain -the affair of Medjdel. The irregular cavalry, on both sides, appeared to -consist of several tribes; each tribe had its standard bearer, and -little drums or tom-toms[35]. The standard-bearer is, I suppose, -selected for his bravery; as he gallops in advance, shouting with all -his might, when his followers rush up to defend the standard. If the -enemy is too strong, and he has to retire, they cover his retreat; the -object appearing, in each case, to out-manœuvre each other, -principally by feats of horsemanship. If the retiring party are -under-horsed, their pursuers seldom fail to do execution. If, on the -other hand, they have a superiority, the retreat is a feint only to -separate a portion from the main body, when they suddenly wheel round -and become in turn the assailants, cutting down those in advance before -they can rejoin their companions. - -“There did not appear, as far as I could see, any desire to cross spears -or weapons. Their dress was of the most picturesque description, from -the embroidered mushalla to the simple sheepskin; nor were their arms -less various,—the musket with the bayonet fixed, the lance, blunderbuss, -pistol, sabre, dagger, and crease; and I confess the danger appeared to -me greater from our own troops in our rear, who were firing over our -heads, than from the retiring foe, who had to turn half-round to -discharge his piece, whilst his horse was at speed. Our pursuit lasted -for upwards of an hour, during which time about twenty-five of the enemy -were killed, and twenty-seven taken prisoners; when, finding General -Jochmus did not advance from his position, and the regular cavalry had -halted on a high sand-hill, some distance in the rear, we counselled our -motley brothers in arms, with whom we were enabled to communicate -through Major Wilbraham, to call together their separate tribes, and -return to the camp, as the enemy had now joined their main body, and we -were no match for them. - -“We returned by the Gaza road, our pursuit having been on the sandy -hills, partially covered with grass, between it and the sea. - -“The rain fell in torrents, and we returned to as wretched an encampment -as I ever remember to have witnessed. Late that night General Michell, -having received no communication from General Jochmus, sent a staff -officer to ask for the orders. They were, to march at daylight,—not, -however, to our surprise, on the road to Gaza, but back to Jaffa, -General Jochmus assigning as a reason, that the heavy rains had rendered -the roads impassable for artillery. - -“General Michell had not been consulted, nor had any questions been -asked of Colonel Bridgeman, Majors Robe and Wilbraham, or myself, as to -the state of the Gaza road, although we had been nearly halfway to that -place. I will merely add, (having, since that period, twice travelled -the road by daylight,) that nearly the whole of it is a sandy soil, and -I should say the rain which had fallen had rather been beneficial than -otherwise. - -“If we had disapproved of the expedition in the first instance, how much -greater was our mortification at having to abandon it after having come -in contact with the enemy. - -“We learned afterwards that the Egyptian cavalry, with whom we had been -engaged at Medjdel, was making its customary reconnoissance to ascertain -if any movement had been made on the part of the Turks, as well as to -forage: and that, in all probability, the action had been brought on by -the dashing conduct of Colonel Rose in charging their advanced picquet.” - -Footnote 29: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 288. - -Footnote 30: - - _General Michell to Viscount Palmerston._ - - December 31, 1840. - - Our situation will be very embarrassing until the negotiations are - terminated, since any act of hostility on our part may be construed - into a breach of faith, and may disturb arrangements half concluded. I - am, therefore, anxiously expecting orders from Lord Ponsonby upon the - subject. In the meantime his Excellency’s latest instructions to - General Jochmus, and upon which he is prepared and resolved to act - with energy, dictate a continuance of offensive operations. - -Footnote 31: - - Alluding to the probability of his retiring by D’Jenin. - -Footnote 32: - - He does not give the date. - -Footnote 33: - - Captain Stewart and General Michell do not confirm this. - -Footnote 34: - - _General Jochmus to Admiral Stopford._ - - Head-quarters, Jaffa, - Jan. 17, 1841. - - Sir, - - I have the honour to inform your Excellency, that on the 14th instant - I directed a division of ten battalions of infantry, 1800 irregular - and Tatar horse, 150 regular cavalry, and 14 pieces of artillery, to - march from Ramla towards Gaza. - - This latter village is abandoned by the enemy, who has a flying camp - of 1200 regular and 1800 irregular horse, with eight pieces of horse - artillery, at three-quarters of an hour’s march south of Gaza, whence - he draws his forage and provisions: but ravages, at the same time, the - country, carrying off cattle and mules to a great extent from most of - the villages south of Ramla. - - The object of my movement was the protection of these villages, but - principally the destruction of the enemy’s provisions at Gaza, in case - Ibrahim Pacha, distressed in the Desert, should have struck off south - of the Dead Sea towards Gaza. - - On the 14th of January the division encamped at Ashdod; on the 15th it - could only make a march of three hours to El-Meshdel on account of the - incessant heavy rain, which poured down ever since it left Ramla. - - Towards the afternoon, a reconnoitring party of the enemy of 500 horse - approached the camp; but the commanding officer making a very silly - manœuvre was taken in flank and rear by about 400 or 500 of our - cavalry, who pursued him for two hours, taking between forty and fifty - prisoners, and killing and wounding as many. Our loss was about four - killed and twelve wounded. - - Hearing nothing positive about Ibrahim’s immediate approach, and the - low country towards Gaza having become a complete marsh by the - continued floods of rain up to the 16th in the evening, and the troops - having been completely drenched day and night in the bivouacs, I - suspended the movement, and sent the infantry and guns to Jaffa, - advancing, at the same time, the cavalry detachments to the - neighbourhood of Ascalon and some villages towards the river of that - name, with their head-quarters at El-Mesde, intending to resume the - operations the moment the ground had become practicable; but on my - arrival here, informed officially of the complete submission of - Mehemet Ali Pacha, and the consequent cessation of the state of - rebellion of his army, our troops have been ordered to cease offensive - hostilities. His Excellency the Seraskier Ahmed Zacharias Pacha - commanded in person since we left Ramla. - - I have, &c., - (Signed) A. JOCHMUS, _Lieut.-Gen._ - -Footnote 35: - - “Very small kettle-drums, or basins, about six inches in diameter, - covered with a parchment, and fixed on each side of the pommel of the - saddle as holster-pieces are, and beat with pieces of leather straps. - They make a monotonous noise, and always accompany Arab cavalry.” - - - - - CHAPTER X. - -General Jochmus’s further Reports to Sir Robert Stopford—Destruction of - the Magazines at Maan—Ignorance as to Ibrahim’s movements—Ibrahim - crosses the Jordan to Jericho, and menaces Jerusalem, while supposed - to be wandering in the Desert—General Jochmus’s Account of the - Movements of Ibrahim—Reported Destruction of his Infantry—Ibrahim - did not intend to enter Palestine—his Statement to Colonel Napier. - - -To proceed with General Jochmus, I may remark that a letter of his to -the Admiral, of the 20th of January[36], clearly shows what little -reliance could be placed in the reports that were made to him, of the -state of Ibrahim’s army from all quarters. After giving an account of -the destruction of 230 camel-loads of grain by the Baron Dumont, at -Maan, after Souliman Pacha had provisioned himself, and marched on Suez, -with the greatest part of the artillery, women, and children, he states, -“The army itself, of which the second column was to sleep at Maan on the -11th, seeing its provisions burnt, had been obliged to countermarch, and -is now wandering in the Desert harassed on all sides by Bedouin tribes. -Its state seems to be dreadful, and all over the country through which -the Baron Dumont came back to Kerek, he saw the bodies of small -detachments which had been cut off by the Bedouins.” - -We look in vain for a confirmation of this in Baron Dumont’s report[37]. -The Baron talks of the quantity of grain he destroyed, of the forty-four -camels he captured, and forty he found dead, which are included in the -eighty-four taken in one night, but not one word of dead bodies -destroyed by the Bedouins, or of Ibrahim’s army wandering in the Desert; -and so far were they from wandering in the Desert pursued by the Arabs, -that on the very day that the magazines at Maan were said to be -destroyed, Ibrahim, hearing of the movement on Gaza, crossed the Jordan -at Jericho, menaced Jerusalem, and forced Hussein Pacha to return to -Abugosh. Having succeeded in this point, he recrossed the Jordan, passed -to the south of the Dead Sea, and arrived at Gaza without any person -knowing what had in the meantime become of him, as will shortly be seen -by Lieut. Loring’s report. - -In another report to the Admiral, dated from Jerusalem, January 28[38], -the General, in giving an account of the passage of the Jordan by the -Egyptians, says: “On the 14th a corps was reported to have crossed the -Jordan, and bivouacked (near Jericho) at Reyha. Hassan Pacha, encamped -at Abugosh, three hours south-west of Jerusalem, marched, towards the -evening, on the 15th instant; but the Egyptian division, hearing of his -approach, immediately recrossed the Jordan, with a heavy loss in drowned -and killed, the waters of that river having risen more than a foot -during the incessant rains of the 14th and 15th of January; and the -Arabs falling upon the troops during the passage, and in the nearly -impracticable passes of the Dead Sea. - -“The enemy’s column above-mentioned proved to be the shattered remains -of the corps, called by Mehemet Ali ‘The Guards,’ amounting to from 4000 -to 5000 men, and two cavalry regiments, with a battery of artillery, -forming the rear-guard of the army, under the personal command of -Ibrahim Pacha. The artillery, and one of the regiments, had remained at -some distance on the left bank of the river, and the movement was -evidently a desperate attempt to march by any way on Gaza or El Arish. - -“The forlorn situation of this corps,” adds the General, “will be seen -from the two inclosed reports of Mehemed Rechid Pacha, Chief of the -Staff, and of Riza Pacha, commanding the cavalry[39]. I do not estimate -the loss of this army so great as the latter; but certainly, after -comparing all the reports, it amounts to 1,000 or more men, and eight -pieces of artillery, which latter, although with the column at Es-Salt, -were unquestionably not at Kerek on the 19th instant, whither Ibrahim -had retired after continual skirmishes with the Arabs. The Governor of -Jerusalem had sent his son, Hadgi Hafiz, to ascertain whether the -artillery had been buried in the desert mountain or not. - -“Such was the isolated position of this last corps of the Egyptian army, -that its Commander-in-Chief had lost all means of communication with his -remaining forces, and that, although Hamid Bey and the Commissioners -from Egypt were from the 19th to the 23rd at El-Chalil, trying by all -means to establish a communication with Ibrahim either by the north or -south of the Dead Sea, it proved a vain attempt, notwithstanding that, -during the same days, the above column under the Pacha was at Kerek, -surrounded by the Arabs of the country, who had been reinforced by the -tribes of Beni Sackr and Beni Hennedy, arrived from the depths of the -Desert in consequence of the orders sent them from Jerusalem on the 8th -of January, through Baron Dumont. - -“The distance from El-Mezereib to Kerek is, at the utmost, five days’ -march. Ibrahim Pasha left the former place on the 6th or 7th of January, -and after fifteen days was still at Kerek, having continually marched -and counter-marched in the desert mountains in search of food, or from -having been stopped in the mountain defiles. According to the statement -of the son of the Chieftain of Abugosh, a Captain in the Guards, who -deserted on the 21st instant from Kerek, and had been with the column -ever since it quitted Damascus and El-Mezerib, Ibrahim marched from the -latter place to Bilka, thence back north to Es-Salt, again south to -Kerek and back to Jericho; obliged to recross the Jordan, he for a -second time returned to Kerek, having lost his guns, ammunition, and -stores, during the continued and very harassing attacks, day and night, -of the Arab bands intent on plunder. - -“My last reports from El-Chalil of the 28th of January (twenty-two days -after Ibrahim’s leaving El-Mezereib, and thirty-one after his retreat -from Damascus) state that Hamid Bey, despairing of communicating with -Ibrahim Pacha, had resolved to return to Gaza, and thence to Egypt.” - -Here it appears that General Jochmus himself began to doubt the reports -that were made him. We have before seen[40] that Captain De l’Or -reported Ibrahim to have lost 10,000 men on his march to El-Mezereib, -though he had 10,000 cavalry to cover his retreat, and was only followed -by 3000 or 4000 irregulars, who must have been ill provisioned. - -It never could have been Ibrahim’s intention to have taken the Jaffa -road to Gaza, unless he intended to fight a battle, which he hardly -would have risked, with his rear guard only, and after having detached -Souliman to Suez; moreover he must have known of the submission of -Mehemet Ali, and would certainly not have provoked the hostility of the -European Powers by a breach of faith, and it is well for the Turks he -did not, for by all accounts his army was not in the state they supposed -it was, and his cavalry was in excellent order. - -Colonel Napier was with the corps of Hassan Pacha, who, although he had -an opportunity of attacking Ibrahim, was too wise to attempt it. The -Colonel saw Ibrahim Pacha afterwards at Alexandria, and he declared to -him that the passage of the Jordan was a mere feint, which completely -succeeded; and, moreover, that had he been attacked by the Turkish army, -they would have been cut to pieces by his cavalry. - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - -Fruitless Journey of the Envoys sent in quest of Ibrahim Pacha—Arrival - of part of the Egyptian Army at Gaza—Promised Neutrality of the - Turks—The Egyptians informed of the Cessation of Hostilities by the - English Officers—Terms recommended by Mr. Wood to be imposed upon - Ibrahim Pacha—Colonel Napier’s Narrative of the Retreat of Ibrahim - Pacha. - - -On the 30th January, General Jochmus writes from Jaffa to the Admiral: -“Hamid Bey, Major Wilbraham, and Selim Bey (the Turkish Commissioner,) -after fruitless attempts to communicate with the Pacha (Ibrahim), have -returned to Gaza[41].” - -This is not to be wondered at: no assistance was given them, as will be -seen hereafter by Lieutenant Loring’s report, and they were reluctantly -obliged to return to Gaza on the 22nd of January. Ahmed Menikli Pacha -had arrived there the day before with the main body of the cavalry, and -Ibrahim himself came in on the 31st, with the rest of the army, the -greater part of whom must have been resurrection men, as we have seen -they had been destroyed in the retreat. - -It has been seen that General Jochmus’s report of the 17th of January, -to the Admiral, of the affair of Gaza[42], affirms that he intended to -resume his operations when the ground became practicable, but on his -arrival at Jaffa he was officially informed of the complete submission -of Mehemet Ali, and the consequent cessation of the state of rebellion -of his army; “our troops,” he adds, “have been ordered to cease -offensive hostilities. His Excellency, the Seraskier Ahmed Zacharias -Pacha, commanded in person since we left Ramla.” I presume General -Jochmus means that Lieutenant Loring arrived with my despatches to the -authorities in Syria. - -These despatches were certainly sufficient authority for the Allies to -suspend all hostilities against Ibrahim Pacha, but we shall see that -notwithstanding the opinion of the British officers, difficulties were -endeavoured to be thrown in the way, both by General Jochmus and Mr. -Wood. It has before been shown that both General Michell and Captain -Stewart, in consequence of the submission of Mehemet Ali, and the -instructions from Sir Robert Stopford, had decided on taking only -precautionary measures, and the Turkish authorities, acting under the -Admirals orders, were bound to follow the same course, notwithstanding -any directions to the contrary they might have received from the -Ambassador at Constantinople, whose orders, Captain Stewart justly -remarks, must be subordinate to those of Lord Palmerston. - -Two days after my despatches arrived at Jaffa the Seraskier received his -instructions from Constantinople; the nature of them will appear in Mr. -Wood’s Protest, at which I shall presently arrive: nevertheless the -Seraskier, after holding a council, gave General Michell and Captain -Stewart a positive assurance that no further act of hostility should -take place, and that he had no wish to deprive Ibrahim Pacha of either -his arms, baggage, or guns[43]. The Seraskier was a wise man, he knew -very well he had not the power to deprive him of either the one or the -other. Captain Stewart and General Michell most properly wrote to -Ibrahim Pacha and the Egyptian officer in command at Gaza, to inform -them of the cessation of hostilities[44], and of their intention to give -every possible facility for the evacuation of Syria, and the embarkation -of the women, children, and sick at Caiffa, or any other more convenient -port; and Captain Arbuthnot and Colonel Colquhoun were despatched with -the letters to Ibrahim Pacha and the Egyptian officer commanding at -Gaza, and they were instructed to protest against any act of hostility -the Turks might commit[45]. - -So ignorant were the Turkish authorities of the movements of Ibrahim, -who they fancied was wandering in the Desert, without an army, that on -the very day on which Captain Stewart signed the instructions to Captain -Arbuthnot and Colonel Colquhoun, to insist on Ibrahim retiring by Gaza -in successive columns of 3000 men each, Ahmed Menikli Pacha arrived at -Gaza with the main body of Ibrahim’s cavalry in excellent order, and the -infantry in three columns. Ibrahim himself bringing up the rear was -shortly expected: and on that day also General Jochmus and Mr. Wood, the -emissary of Lord Ponsonby, wrote to the Seraskier[46] to inform him that -the Baron Dumont having destroyed the magazine at Maan, Ibrahim’s army -being cut in two, and gone back in thorough disorder, and his 150 guns -being already in their power, according to the official orders read at -the council of the preceding day Ibrahim would only be allowed the -choice of two conditions,—viz. - -“1. To march upon El-Arish by the south of the Dead Sea, also upon Suez, -with the men, arms, and conveyance which he now possesses. - -“2. To come in detachments of 3000 men by Gaza upon El-Arish, leaving -his cannon in our hands, in consideration of the power which is granted -to him of being permitted to follow this road, provided that he leaves -all the Syrians in their country.” - -The march of Ibrahim on Gaza, by the south of the Dead Sea, shows very -clearly that he never had the intention of entering Palestine, and that -his crossing the Jordan was a manœuvre to mislead the Turks, in which -he completely succeeded, and arrived safe at Gaza, without having -encountered a single outpost of the Turkish army. - -Colonel Napier was attached to the Turkish division that Ibrahim forced -to return to Jerusalem: the following is the Colonel’s account of their -movements, as well as of what he knew of Ibrahim’s retreat. - - “Junior United Service Club, - December, 1841. - -“You wish me to give you some information as to the retreat of Ibrahim -Pacha from Damascus. All the notes I took at the time being with my -baggage at Gibraltar, I cannot be very accurate in dates; but will -furnish whatever I remember on the subject from the time you left me at -Beyrout in November 1840, until my embarkation at Gaza for Egypt, in -January 1841. - -“When the Powerful left St. George’s Bay, I think the Princess -Charlotte, the Benbow, and Bellerophon remained off Beyrout, with a -steamer and a couple of Austrian vessels. - -“From the time of your driving back Ibrahim,—in the action of the 10th -of October,—from the heights of Boharsof, nothing certain had been -known at Beyrout relative to his movements, and we,—to all -_appearance_,—remained in a state of complete inactivity. - -“We continued quietly in our quarters all November, which leisure I -employed in learning Arabic, in visiting the neighbouring parts of -Lebanon, and keeping up the acquaintance I had been enabled to -form,—through your introductions,—with the principal Emirs and Sheikhs -of the mountain, with several of whom I became very intimate. - -“About the latter end of November, I was sent with Colonel Bridgeman to -make a reconnoissance on the enemy, who was supposed to be still at -Zachle. On arriving there we found he had retired across the Boccah two -days before. Next morning, Colonel Bridgeman and myself, each -accompanied by some fifty or sixty irregular horse, pushed on in -different directions towards them. The Colonel fell in with a body of -300 or 400 cavalry deserters from the Egyptian army, whom he brought -back to Zachle;—whilst I traversed the range of the Anti-Lebanon, and -descending into the plain of Damascus reached the village of Zebdeni,—a -few hours’ distant from that city,—on which the Egyptians had fallen -back; the last of their rear-guard having left that place on the -previous day. - -“It was now certain that Ibrahim occupied Damascus, but whether or not -he intended to make it his winter quarters was still unknown. However, -the good people of Beyrout considered his presence even at the holy city -of ‘El Sham,’ as much too near to be pleasant; and when the gale of wind -of the 2nd of December drove all our vessels from the coast, serious -apprehensions were entertained, that some fine morning he would walk -quietly into the town;—which undertaking he might have accomplished with -little or no opposition. - -“Things continued in this state at Beyrout, till the beginning of -December, at which period I received written instructions to the -following effect from Sir Charles Smith: ‘That I was in the first -instance to proceed to the head-quarters of the Emir Bechir with certain -communications, and then to go, without loss of time, to Naplouse; that -Selim Pacha would have orders notifying my official employment within -his pachalic, and requiring him to attend to any requisition I might -make (with the exception of troops,) on the garrison of Acre. - -“Having arrived at Naplouse, I was to order Soulyman Abdul Hadi, the -Governor of that place, to levy 1500 men within his district, and with -these I was to do my best to guard the passes of Agiloun, Djebail Khalil -(Hebron), or Khan Younus[47]; directing my movements according to the -intelligence I should receive of the enemy. - -“I was further instructed to ‘investigate and inquire into the conduct -of the said Governor of Naplouse;—he being suspected of adhering to the -Egyptian interests,—and to ascertain whether there was any foundation -for the numerous complaints preferred against him from different -quarters.’ - -“In the execution of this ‘important trust[48],’ I was left to the -guidance of my own military judgment. In fact, I had a sort of -independent roving commission, which pleased me much, and I lost no time -in proceeding to take up my command. - -“It was evident, from the nature of these instructions, that we were -still completely in the dark as to the line of retreat which Ibrahim -Pacha might eventually fix on. - -“I was surprised to find, on arriving at my destination, that,—contrary -to the tenor of my instructions,—no notification had been received by -the authorities, as to the nature of the mission on which I was about to -be employed; and had it not been for the kindness of Selim Pacha, I -should have found myself placed in an extremely awkward predicament. - -“Not to lose time, whilst my ‘forces’ were being assembled, I went to -Jerusalem, to ascertain the state of the Turkish garrison there,—and had -an interview with Sheikh Abderrahman, the chief of the Bedouin tribes -about Hebron, who was said to be able to bring into the field 10,000 -men. After strongly urging on him the necessity of assembling his people -to be ready to strike a blow,—as I had still some days to spare,—I -determined, with 100 horsemen, to push across the river Jordan and the -Agiloun hills, in order to gain some positive intelligence of the enemy, -about whom the most contradictory reports were now afloat. - -“Amongst other things, it was however positively said that he was making -El Mezerib his head-quarters, preparatory to passing the Jordan at the -bridge of Moïadjumah[49], a few miles south of Lake Tiberias; for this -point, I therefore, in the first instance proceeded, and having -carefully reconnoitred the neighbouring ground, I sent from thence a -report to General Michell[50], and also to Selim Pacha, requesting that -some barrels of gunpowder might be immediately forwarded from Acre for -the destruction of the old Roman arch, which here singly spanned the -river. - -“Crossing the Jordan on the 31st December,—accompanied by Captain Laué, -Count Tchezeni, and Mr. Hunter,—the following day we pushed on to -Hareemi, a small village on the elevated plateau overlooking the -fortress of El Mezerib. The greatest consternation prevailed here -amongst the inhabitants, who were flying in every direction, as it was -reported the Egyptian advanced guard was already at Mezerib, and would -push on the next day to Hareemi, which was only a few miles distant. - -“Having come thus far, I was determined to obtain all the information in -my power,—and accordingly, at daylight on the morning of the 2nd January -1841, I got my troop in their saddles, with the design of making a -forward movement,—but, as soon as I had expressed my intention of -proceeding direct to El Mezerib, the greater part positively refused to -advance, and the remainder only followed with the utmost reluctance. -After proceeding thus for two or three miles, we observed, on the -opposite side of a ravine, a number of horsemen,—probably a vidette of -the enemy, whom we could easily have driven in;—but this sight was quite -enough for my brave troops; with the exception of the European party and -my dragoman, one and all took to their heels; I returned alone to -Naplouse; nor did I ever again behold my valiant cavalry[51]! - -“However, appearances strongly leading to the supposition that the -Moïadjumah bridge was the point on which Ibrahim was directing his army, -I lost no time in hurrying thither the mountaineers who had been already -assembled at Naplouse; and, on the 5th of January, I marched off my -first detachment of a few hundreds,—certainly not the most -soldierlike-looking fellows in the world,—to Jennin, which I had fixed -on as the point of assembly. - -“After despatching as many of these ragamuffins as could be gathered -together, I myself proceeded to Jennin, and arriving there late at -night, found General Jochmus and his aide-de-camp, Captain De l’Or; the -latter very much elated at the wonderful exploits he said he had -recently been performing on the rear of the Egyptian army. - -“To my surprise, however, I learnt that the General had given orders for -my Naplousians to return, in consequence, as he said, of the positive -intelligence received, that Ibrahim no longer intended taking the route -of Jennin. This was all very well; but having been placed in command by -the British General, I did not at all consider myself under the orders -of Jochmus Pasha; and accordingly told him, that since he had divested -me of my command, he might do what he pleased with the mountaineers, of -whom I washed my hands; and immediately mounting my horse, I made the -best of my way to Jaffa, not sorry at having an opportunity of going to -what was now likely to become the scene of active operations before -Gaza. - -“Shortly after reaching Jaffa, I was sent by General Michell, along with -Reschid Pacha, to accompany and advise the movements of the left column -of the Turkish army, consisting of twelve battalions, and a dozen -field-pieces. This body was then concentrated at Jerusalem, and -instructed to join the main force in a contemplated advance on Gaza. The -whole Turkish army, including 3000 of the Emir Beschir’s cavalry, might -have amounted to between 22,000 and 25,000 men, distributed as follows: - -“At Jerusalem, near Jaffa and Ramlah, 21 battalions of regular -infantry,—each battalion consisting of about 500 men,—with 18 field -pieces.—At Medjdel (to the south of Jaffa) 3500 regular cavalry.—At -Hebron 3000 irregular cavalry, composed of the Desert tribes. These, -together with the Emir Beschir’s people, were now to the number of -20,000 men concentrated on the southern frontier of Syria. The garrisons -of Beyrout and Acre being added, will make up the Turkish force to the -above amount. - -“On the 13th of January, the column moved from Jerusalem, but had -scarcely proceeded half a dozen miles when intelligence arrived that -Ibrahim had crossed the Jordan at Jericho, and was advancing in our rear -on Jerusalem. - -“It was resolved to halt for the night at Abou Hosh, and should this -intelligence be confirmed, to return at daybreak to Jerusalem. The news -proved correct; and we accordingly fell back on the Holy City, which we -re-occupied on the following day. - -“Ibrahim Pacha had positively crossed the river; but from the incessant -rain, which for the last three days had fallen,—as I concluded he could -not possibly have got over a larger number than our own force,—as his -men were, moreover, wearied and starved, whilst our’s were fresh,—I -proposed, that after giving our people a few hours’ rest, we should -immediately advance and strike a blow, whilst his army was yet separated -by a deep and rapid torrent; and I wrote as follows to Reschid Pacha, -who, from having been educated in France, spoke and wrote the French -language with the greatest fluency: - - “Jérusalem, ce 15 Janvier, - à 7 heures du soir. - -“Mon Général, - -“Cette pluie continue aura tellement grossi le Jourdan, qu’il sera -maintenant impossible d’y faire passer des troupes. Il n’est pas -probable que le nombre de l’ennemi qui si trouve maintenant sur la rive -droite, excède de beaucoup nos propres forces. - -“Marchons demain matin une heure avant le jour, avec dix battaillons, et -fions nous à la fortune de la guerre et de nos bonnes épeés. Il me sera -superflu d’obsérver que nous ne pouvons pas éspérer que cette pluie dure -beaucoup plus long temps. - - “‘Tout à vous. - “‘E. E. NAPIER, - ‘_Asst. Adjt.-Gén._” - - “‘A Son Excellence Reschid Pasha, -Chef de l’Etat-Major de l’Armée Ottomane, &c. - -“Reschid Pasha’s reply was: - -“'Mon cher Napier, - -“‘Après que vous m’avez quitté j’ai vu un Arabe qui a été à Reyha -(Jericho) qui a causé avec Ibrahim, cet Arabe m’a dit qu’il pouvait -avoir à peu près trois mille hommes d’infantérie; et qu’il n’avoit point -de canons; cet homme pretend qu’ Ibrahim est parti de Reyha ce matin de -bonne heure en prenant le chemin de Chalil, ce qui indiquerait de la -part de l’ennemi l’intention de se rendu à Gaza; si cette nouvelle est -réelle, il ne faudrait pas hésiter un instant d’attaquer l’ennemi; -puisque nous avons plus d’infantérie que lui, nous avons des canons, et -si cette coquette qu’on appelle la ‘Fortune’ n’est pas avec nous: c’est -le Diable. - - “‘Tout à vous, - “‘MEHMED RESCHID PASHA.” - -“‘Au Major-Général[52] Napier, - &c. &c. &c.’ - -“Now, although the feasibleness of an attack on the Egyptians was hereby -fully allowed;—although Reschid Pasha at the time imagined that Ibrahim -was exposing his right flank in this rumoured advance on Hebron -(Chalil);—and although I not only urged, but entreated them to make the -attempt, the Turks were afraid to try the experiment; and it was decided -that the following day we should make a reconnoissance, which -accordingly took place, when we found Jericho in flames, and that -Ibrahim, after its destruction, had just recrossed the Jordan, and thus -slipped through our fingers! - -“His object had evidently been to delay our junction with head-quarters, -and having effected this purpose, he was at present retiring unmolested -by the south of the Dead Sea. - -“I now proposed to make a diagonal movement by Mount Hebron to try and -cut him off in that direction, as we heard that General Jochmus had -already advanced on Gaza, which, ere this, we concluded must have been -captured. - -“Notwithstanding my urgent entreaties for expedition, _two_ days elapsed -ere we reached Hebron, a distance of about twenty-two miles! - -“The Osmanlis, I plainly saw, still feared their old conqueror; and, on -our arrival at Hebron,—meeting there Major Wilbraham and Lieutenant -Loring, R.N., the bearers of your Convention to Ibrahim Pacha,—the -exuberant joy of the Turkish Chiefs, at the termination of hostilities, -led them, in some slight degree, to infringe the injunction of the -Prophet. - - “E. NAPIER.” - -“To Commodore Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B.” - -Footnote 36: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 294. - -Footnote 37: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 295. - -Footnote 38: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 295. - -Footnote 39: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 295. Tahir Bey reports that after - Ibrahim re-crossed the Jordan, he lost all his infantry, and arrived - at Kerek with his cavalry only. - -Footnote 40: - - See page 124. - -Footnote 41: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 298. - -Footnote 42: - - See page 128. - -Footnote 43: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 270. - -Footnote 44: - - Ibid., pp. 271, 272. - -Footnote 45: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 272. - -Footnote 46: - - Ibid., p. 276. - -Footnote 47: - - “The latter,—by the bye,—being no pass at all, but an open place in - the plains to the eastward of Gaza.” - -Footnote 48: - - Although these instructions from Sir Charles Smith were so termed,—and - Colonel Napier has documents from his successor, General Michell, to - prove that they were satisfactorily executed,—it appears strange that - this mission of the Colonel’s should never have been publicly made - known. - -Footnote 49: - - “Moïadjumah, literally meaning the ‘meeting of the waters.’” - -Footnote 50: - - “He had lately succeeded Sir Charles Smith.” - -Footnote 51: - - “Mr. Wood, in one of his official reports, gives General Jochmus the - credit of this reconnoissance, whereas I am not aware that the latter - was, at this period, ever across the Jordan.” - -Footnote 52: - - This title was conferred in consequence of a promise made by the - Sultan, through Lord Ponsonby, that Colonel Napier should receive the - nishan or order of that rank—which promise has as yet been kept with - true “Turkish faith.” - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - -Conduct of Mr. Wood—His Letter to the Seraskier examined—His Advice - disregarded by the British Officers—Mission of Colonel Alderson to - Gaza—Colonel Rose’s Account of the State of Ibrahim’s Army—Colonel - Alderson’s Character of Ibrahim Pacha—Death of General Michell. - - -I do not think blame can be attached to General Jochmus for having done -all he could to cripple Ibrahim, if he was acting under proper -authority; but whether his orders were from the English Ambassador or -the Sultan is not clear: both General Michell and Captain Stewart speak -of the Ambassador’s orders[53]. If so, I do not think he was justified -in obeying them; on the other hand, if his orders were from the Sultan’s -minister, or from the the Seraskier, he was quite right. I think, -however, he put too much reliance in the reports that were made to him -of numerous loss inflicted on the Egyptian army, which he speaks of with -much complacency, and which I hope and believe was very much -exaggerated. - -As to Mr. Wood, he was quite in a different capacity, and what right he -had, as a British subject, to put the interpretation he did on Sir -Robert Stopford’s orders, I do not know. - -In the first paragraph of his letter[54], he says the women and sick -were to be embarked, and that Ibrahim Pacha must provide other means of -withdrawing his army; now the despatches say, women, sick, and others of -the Egyptian army, which meant any portion that Ibrahim thought proper; -but even if the term was not clear, as Syria was to be evacuated without -delay, why was Mr. Wood to take upon himself to point out the way in -which it ought to be done? - -In the second paragraph he says that it is “understood that Ibrahim must -re-enter Egypt by the Desert, or by El Arish, which is the direct road, -and the easiest; and by leaving the road free, we act in conformity with -the desire of Mazloum Bey and of the Commodore, to offer every facility -for his retreat without compromising our military position.” - -Mazloum Bey, in his letter to the Seraskier, read before the council, -according to Mr. Wood, says the impression at Constantinople was that -the Egyptian army was disorganized; but that Commodore Napier undeceived -him, and pretended that it was in a situation to resist the Imperial -army, and that he did not venture to insist on Mehemet Ali giving up the -Syrian conscripts, and his arms, guns, and military stores, agreeably to -the orders of the Porte; but as they were on the spot, they must be the -best judges whether or no they ought to insist on these two conditions. -I do Mazloum Bey the justice of saying that he was much wiser than the -Divan, for had he proposed those terms, Mehemet Ali would not have given -up one ship. - -Mr. Wood then goes on to advise, that in consequence of the complete -disorganization of the Egyptian army, the want of provisions, and the -small number of men capable of resistance, the destruction of Maan, the -passage over the Desert of Souliman, and the retrograde movement of -Ibrahim Pacha with a handful of men without artillery, and as there was -now nothing to fear from their antagonist, he should be obliged to ask -permission to come to Gaza, which should only be granted on condition of -giving up the Syrian troops, his guns, stores, and arms. - -According to Mr. Wood’s reasoning, this would be, affording him “the -facilities required by Mazloum Bey and Commodore Napier;” and “if he -persisted in coming to Gaza without those conditions, he would be the -aggressor, and must trust to the consequences.” - -He finishes by saying, this is his humble opinion, founded on mature -reflection; and he cannot conceal from himself the danger of Ibrahim -coming to Gaza, where he might recruit his army, and allow his father to -negotiate more advantageously. “Even now,” he adds, “his General at Gaza -has instructions not to attack us, but to deliver up Gaza only with his -life. From such facts, your Excellency may judge of the bad faith of the -vassal who refuses to surrender his arms on the demand of his Sovereign, -which renders his submission incomplete, and even doubtful.” Really, Mr. -Wood is a true disciple of the Ambassador’s school; he does not perceive -that not the Egyptians, but the Turks, were guilty of bad faith from -beginning to end; and that, if the officer at Gaza had delivered it up, -Ibrahim’s army would have been compromised. - -Fortunately for the honour of the Porte there were wiser men on the spot -who decided to follow neither the advice of the General nor that of the -Diplomatist, and I should like to have seen the faces of these latter -when they heard of the arrival of Ibrahim’s cavalry, and the near -approach of the infantry. - -Next day the accounts came in of the arrival of the Egyptians, and -Captain Stewart most wisely sent Colonel Alderson, at the desire of -General Michell, with instructions[56], very properly saying nothing -about the advance by columns of 3000 men. The mode in which Colonel -Alderson acquitted himself of his delicate mission may be best told in -his own words[55]:— - -“Being selected for this duty, I left Jaffa on the afternoon of the -22nd, with my instructions, and arrived the following day at Gaza. I -immediately waited on the commanding officer, Achmet Menekli Pacha, the -General of Cavalry, who had arrived two days previous, with eight -regiments of cavalry, after much fatigue and suffering, and annoyance -also from the attacks of the Arabs in the interest of the Turkish -authorities. - -“On my first interview with the Egyptian General, I urged the necessity -of their immediately commencing their retreat, so as not to assemble a -large force in Gaza. At first this was stated to be impossible till the -arrival of Ibrahim, or orders from him to that effect, but the following -morning, on going to see the General at the camp, he agreed to commence -the retreat on the 26th, if Ibrahim did not in the mean time arrive, and -that a brigade of cavalry, (two regiments) should march daily. - -“On the 25th, five regiments of infantry arrived, and on the day -following, five more, each consisting of four battalions; they were -evidently much fatigued and reduced in numbers, and stated that they had -not had rations for the last seven, nor water for the last three days. - -“This day Captain Houston Stewart arrived in the Hecate, with Colonel -Rose, who came to go in search of Ibrahim, Rechid Pacha, and -Lieutenant-Colonel Napier. We all went to the General Achmet Menekli -Pacha’s quarters, to urge the propriety of not obliging the Syrians to -return to Egypt, but, as he said he had no powers to interfere, it was -determined on sending off a letter to Commodore Napier[57], for an order -from Mehemet Ali to this effect, as well as to order Ibrahim to retire -in columns of 3000 men, and not assemble a large force at Gaza. - -“On the 28th a council was held, at which Captain Stewart and myself -attended. - -“We requested that a pledge should be given that Ibrahim would, on his -arrival, carry into execution the orders of his father, Mehemet Ali, for -the evacuation of Syria. This was at once done without the slightest -hesitation. Indeed Hourschid Pacha, a fine old man, with a magnificent -white beard, who commanded the irregular force, stated he had been forty -years in Mehemet Ali’s service, and during the whole of that period had -never once known Ibrahim to refuse to obey his father’s orders. - -“On receiving this guarantee we, in the name of the united forces of -Great Britain, pledged ourselves that no molestation or obstacle should -be put in the way of such evacuation, nor any advance of the Turkish -troops at Medjdel take place, until I had reported the evacuation -complete. - -“This pledge was approved and confirmed by the Seraskier at Jaffa[58], -and the evacuation went on afterwards with confidence. - -“This measure had become absolutely necessary from the Egyptians’ -evident want of confidence in the Turks; they feared that as soon as -they had so far weakened their force at Gaza as to be incapable of -resistance, the Turks might attack them. - -“Colonel Rose having been also sent in search of Ibrahim, with a copy of -the Convention, and a letter from General Michell and Captain Stewart, -after much disappointment, arising from the determination on the part of -the Arabs not to conduct any one to Ibrahim, if indeed they knew where -to find him, fell in with him on the 31st (January), in the Desert, -about four hours from Gaza, which town he entered with him between 4 and -5 P.M. the same afternoon. - -“The General-in-Chief appeared much fatigued, and very unwell, and had -no doubt suffered much on the journey round the east and south sides of -the Dead Sea. He brought with him about 5000 troops.” - -Colonel Rose, soon after this, went to Constantinople, and upon his -arrival at Therapia, made a report to Lord Ponsonby on the state of -Ibrahim’s army, which differs a good deal from that of the other -officers. I give a short extract from the document[59]. - -“When I came up with Ibrahim Pacha’s column, there were two lines of -videttes flanking it towards the Syrian side,—mounted and dismounted -cavalry—to prevent desertion. I rode for several miles along the column, -which was in great disorder—in fact it was quite broken up; groups of -men in twos and threes, some armed, some not, others hardly able to -walk. I saw two standards, one without any escort, the other with a -guard of two men: they must have belonged to battalions which had been -broken up on account of their casualties. Ibrahim Pacha’s own horses had -had no barley that day; the troops had been three days without water, -and had subsisted chiefly on mule and donkey flesh, which sold at a high -price: 200 determined cavalry might have swept away all that part of the -column which I saw (I entered it at about two-thirds of its length,) -with great ease. - -“Ibrahim Pacha did not appear pleased when I gave him Mehemet Ali’s -letter. He was agitated, and it took him five minutes to read it, -although it only consisted of four lines. Whilst he was thus employed, -his camel-rider and chief groom were also endeavouring to read it over -his shoulder. I rode with him for about four hours, and accompanied him -to Gaza; he spoke with considerable bitterness of the Turks. He said, -‘Why have you turned out the Seraskier[60]?’ I said that the Turkish -Government had, I believed, recalled him, because they were not -satisfied with his conduct. He answered, ‘Oh! they are all alike; they -smoke all day, and have people to wash their hands.’ I said, ‘The -present Seraskier is a very good man and soldier.’ ‘Oh yes,’ he replied, -‘as long as he is in the saddle; as soon as he sits down he will rob -like the rest’—on which he laughed very much. ‘I am the only man,’ he -said, ‘to manage the Arabs and Bedouins, who never had any master before -me. I could and did cut off their heads, which the Turks never will do. -Lord Palmerston from London, and Lord Ponsonby from Constantinople, will -have to come here to manage Syria.’ I said, that certainly they had done -so much without coming to the country, that there was no knowing what -they might effect, were they actually to do so. He did not look pleased. -It appeared to me that he was either affecting high spirits, or that he -had been drinking too much. He drank frequently from a bottle which hung -in front of his saddle, and I was informed by an Egyptian Colonel of -Artillery that it was filled with claret. He talked and laughed -constantly with his servants. He is now suffering under a very bad -attack of the jaundice, his eyes and head being quite yellow. - -“His reception at Gaza was remarkable: the people flocked from curiosity -to see him, but his entry formed a singular contrast to that of the -Turkish troops into the different towns and villages which they had -occupied for the first time. In the latter case, the reception was -enthusiastic, the men lining the roads and saluting us with all the -varieties of an Eastern welcome, and the women crowding the house-tops -and making with their tongues that extraordinary noise which is meant to -denote extreme pleasure; but with Ibrahim Pacha there was a look of -deep-rooted dislike on the faces of the people, which even their dread -of him could not conceal. He, contrary to the Eastern fashion, saluted -no one,—not one saluted him; certainly, as an inhabitant afterwards said -to me, ‘Not a tongue nor a heart blessed him.’” - -Colonel Alderson had necessarily some intercourse with Ibrahim Pacha, -and his character of that renowned personage is well worth quoting. - -“From the frequent opportunities I had of seeing and conversing with -Ibrahim Pacha, (if asking questions through an interpreter deserve that -name,) it may be expected of me to give some description of this -extraordinary man. His appearance fully corresponds with his known -character, a voluptuous despot; one who, to all the vices of the East, -adds that of great indulgence in the table. - -“He is considerably past his prime, being I believe fifty-six or -fifty-seven years old, and very fat, with a large full projecting eye, a -handsome nose, (like all natives of the East,) a broad forehead -projecting over the eyes, then suddenly retiring very much, -strongly-marked eyebrows, and a thin gray moustache. - -“He is evidently a man of considerable talent, and when called for, of -great energy, and appeared to have the most unbounded control over those -by whom he was surrounded, partly from fear, partly from the known -energy and cruelty of his character, and the confidence they had in his -succeeding in what he undertakes. - -“His smile was anything but agreeable, and would, I think, have sat on -his features, whether ordering an execution or welcoming a guest. - -“When amongst his generals, if in a good humour, he showed it by -practical jokes, pulling the beard of one, hitting another with his -fist, or pushing them about; they seemed to bear it as you would the -fondling of a tamed lion or tiger whelp which his master assured you was -quite safe, but which you felt might end in something less agreeable if -you resented any of his rough jokes. - -“He has, however, the character of possessing considerable personal -courage, and is counted a good soldier, though many think he owes much -of his success to the talents of Souliman Pacha. - -“I did not pay him many gossiping visits, because he was deficient in -the usual forms of Eastern courtesy, seldom offering coffee, never -pipes; besides, having been so lately in arms against him, I felt I had -no right to intrude myself excepting when required to do so in the -execution of my duty. This he remarked, and sent his German physician to -me to complain of my avoiding him, with some flattering compliments -about me as a soldier, and the regard he had for the profession. - -“I consequently waited on him next day with Lieutenant Loring, R.N.; he -received us with loud expressions of joy, made us sit down, ordered -coffee, and, asking if we liked music, sent for an Arab band, consisting -of a violin, like a tenor, but with five strings, a dulcimer, and -guitar, with two men who sang; the music itself was bearable, but when -the men commenced singing at the top of their voices it was anything but -harmonious. His Highness certainly has no very refined taste in music. - -“He was, when we entered, surrounded by his generals playing vingt-un -for handfuls of gazees (dollars); he showed his character here too, -always ready to back his own play, and was loud in his expressions of -delight when successful. He apologized for being found so employed, but -said, they had nothing else to do there, but that when at Cairo they had -their farms to attend to and plenty of business to occupy their time.” - -The second day after the departure of Colonel Alderson, that good and -gallant officer General Michell fell a sacrifice to the climate and the -fatigue he suffered on the Gaza expedition, and Colonel Bridgeman -succeeded to the command. - -Colonel Alderson remarks, “The cold caught by General Michell, that -wretched night of incessant rain, that followed the affair of Medjdel, -under single canvass, acting on a delicate frame, arising from repeated -wounds received in an hundred fights, together with, I firmly believe, -the mortification he felt at the result of the movement on Gaza, brought -on a fever, under which poor Michell sank in a few days. He died at -Jaffa on the 24th of January, at noon. - -“It falls to the lot of few soldiers to earn so high a reputation in the -profession as Brigadier-General Michell had done; fewer still, who to -these high military acquirements have united a mind so highly -cultivated. He was too well known in the military world to enable me to -add anything to his well-earned reputation. I may, however, be -permitted, as a friend, to say that, having been his constant companion -since we left Spain together, I deeply felt and deplored his loss; and -that a life so valuable to his country should have been _thus_ so -prematurely cut off. - -“His remains were deposited in a vault hastily constructed by the -British sappers, in what is called the English, or South-Eastern -Bastion, at Jaffa, for which a marble slab is now preparing at Malta, as -a slight memorial of the great respect and esteem in which he was held -by his brother officers.” - -Footnote 53: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 203, 268. - -Footnote 54: - - Letter to the Seraskier and Hussein Pacha, dated January 21, 1841. - _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 275, 276. - -Footnote 55: - - _Memorandum for Colonel Alderson’s guidance._ - - Jaffa, January 22, 1841. - - Accounts having been received by the Seraskier that a considerable - number of Egyptian troops have advanced towards Gaza, his Excellency - has requested that an English officer of rank and discretion should - proceed to the quarters of the Egyptian officer commanding the troops - in that neighbourhood, to act as Conservator of the Peace. In all - probability the Egyptian Commandant will not feel himself authorized - to order any of these troops to retire until he shall receive - directions from Ibrahim Pacha; but you will point out to him the - evident necessity that exists for the avoidance of any the smallest - act of hostility or plunder, if he would not break the Convention and - renew the war. So long as you are satisfied that he is acting in good - faith, and doing everything possible to maintain order and peace - towards the Turkish troops and inhabitants of the neighbourhood, you - will remain with him, taking occasion at all times to point out and to - urge upon him the propriety of hastening, by any means in his power, - the evacuation of Syria, in the terms of Mehemet Ali Pacha’s order to - his son Ibrahim Pacha. Should you have reason to object to any of his - proceedings, you will at once remonstrate and protest: should he - persist, you will formally take your leave, and immediately return to - the British head-quarters, giving notice that you have done so to the - officer commanding the nearest post of the Ottoman troops, and putting - him on his guard. You will communicate with head-quarters as - frequently as possible, and notify as exactly as you can the number - and state of the Egyptian troops in that district. - - You will have with you copies of the letters which have been forwarded - to Ibrahim Pacha, and of Commodore Sir Charles Napier’s letters from - Alexandria to General Michell and to Captain Stewart. The Seraskier - Pacha has declared that he has no design to deprive the Egyptians of - their arms, baggage, or guns; and that he wishes, by every fair and - safe means, to facilitate the retirement from Syria of the Egyptian - forces. Copies of the instructions given to the officers sent to - Ibrahim Pacha, and to accompany General Jochmus, will also be - furnished to you: and you will observe that the immediate evacuation - of Syria is the principal object to which all others are to be - considered as secondary. - - By desire of GENERAL MICHELL, - (Signed) HOUSTON STEWART. - -Footnote 56: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 307. - -Footnote 57: - - See page 89. - -Footnote 58: - - See these documents in pages 176-178. - -Footnote 59: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 329. - -Footnote 60: - - “Izzet Pacha.” - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - -Detail of the Retreat of the Egyptians—Treacherous Intentions of - the Turkish Authorities—Decided Conduct of the British - Officers—Guarantees exchanged—Fright of Rechid Pacha—Letter - from Ibrahim to the Seraskier—The Author’s Letters to Lords - Minto and Palmerston. - - -On the 22nd of January General Jochmus wrote to the Seraskier from -Jerusalem[61] that as Ibrahim had passed to the south of the Dead Sea, -with his disorganized army, there was no necessity for negociation, and -that Baron Dumont corroborated the complete defeat of the Egyptians. (I -suppose he means the taking of Maan, defended by twenty men, for we have -had no account of any action, therefore there could not be a defeat.) -The Baron appears to have been within gun-shot of Ibrahim’s columns and -did not see the artillery; it was therefore concluded that the guns were -buried in the Desert, but I believe it will be found that they all -arrived safe at Cairo; at all events we have not heard of their having -been dug up. - -“The cavalry,” observes the General, “are reduced to 2500 horses and 700 -dismounted horsemen, in a miserable condition, and if it had not been -for the Convention”—(oh! that Convention!)—“two battalions, in the -almost impracticable passes of Wadi-el-Ghor, would have been sufficient -to stop the columns.” To catch a bird you must put salt on his tail,—to -stop the columns they must have come _through_ the Ghor, which, -according to Col. Napier, they never did, having only _crossed_ it to -the south of the Dead Sea, on their way to Gaza. - -Hassan Pacha, who commanded the division to which Colonel Napier was -attached, reported that he had sent a safe conduct to Achmet Menikli -Pacha, commander of the Egyptian cavalry, and that his officer conducted -him to Gaza. Colonel Napier knows nothing of this, nor does Lieutenant -Loring, who, after communicating with this division, set out in search -of Ibrahim, of whom he could get no tidings, and returned to Gaza; -therefore the safe conduct must have existed only in Hassan Pacha’s -imagination, or if he did send it, it certainly never arrived; but if it -was sent, more shame to the Turkish authorities, who not only meditated -attacking Ibrahim, fancying his army was destroyed, but had actually -given orders to that effect. This Captain Stewart ascertained from -Rechid Pacha, who admitted that orders had been sent to General Jochmus -to act upon Ibrahim’s line of march, and impede it as much as possible, -abstaining at the same time from any direct attack. But as Ibrahim’s -troops began to arrive in a very different state from that which this -gentleman expected, he changed his mind and set out for Jaffa, post -haste, overtook the courier with the letter, and put it into Colonel -Bridgeman’s hands, who immediately protested in the council against such -proceedings[62], which would compromise the honour both of Great Britain -and Turkey, after the guarantees that had been exchanged between Captain -Stewart, Colonels Rose and Alderson, and the Egyptian Generals[63]. This -decided conduct of Colonel Bridgeman had the desired effect; promises -were given that no hostile movement should be made, but every possible -assistance should be afforded. These assurances were kept, but more -owing to the strength of Ibrahim than to the good faith of the Turkish -authorities; and as for Rechid, the officer who recommended the movement -against Ibrahim, I am informed by an eye-witness, that he went into -Ibrahim’s presence with fear and trembling, using the words, “_Il -m’assassinera_,” and absolutely stooped down and kissed the hem of his -garment. - -On the arrival of Ibrahim Pacha he approved of the conduct of his -Generals, and made the following reply to the Seraskier:— - -“Your Highness, - -“I am going from Syria for Egypt. Your letter has reached me; the -Egyptian troops are concentrating in Gaza, and when they have their -necessary supplies, they will go immediately according to your wishes. - -“I have written this to you in a friendly manner and have sent it to -your Highness. - - (Signed) “IBRAHIM.” - -Being duly informed of the arrival of Ibrahim, and how affairs were -going on in Syria, I wrote as follows to Lord Minto and Viscount -Palmerston:— - - “Carysfort, Alexandria, - February 5, 1841. - -“My Lord, - -“Ibrahim Pacha arrived at Gaza on the 31st, with the rear-guard of the -Syrian army; he has brought from Syria between 20,000 and 30,000 men, -including 6000 cavalry in good order. - -“The Turkish authorities at Jaffa were very much disposed to find a -pretence to attack him, and I believe nothing but his strong force -prevented it. He has already commenced his march across the Desert, and -in a week hence there will not be an Egyptian soldier in Syria. - -“It was arranged that the Syrians, if any were with the army, were to -return from Gaza, but I suspect Ibrahim was afraid to disorganize his -army by letting them go. Captain Stewart was there, and I wrote to him -to say they were not to be embarked, unless he had a suspicion that the -Turks intended using them against Ibrahim; in that case, I recommended -them to be disarmed, or even allowed to retire into Egypt; in fact, he -was to do anything to avoid a collision, and as there are an abundance -of Egyptians in Turkey, it will be an easy matter to exchange them. - -“I dined with the Pacha yesterday; he is quite satisfied now his army is -safe, and I am sure if the Porte will now let him alone he will improve -this country much; but he is apprehensive they will demand some part of -his fleet, and otherwise vex him. He looks to England to protect him, -and if we do, he will become our vassal if we wish it; in fact, there is -nothing we can ask in reason that he will not do. Next to Egypt being a -colony of England, it is best that it should be an independent power, -paying tribute to the Porte. Our commerce to India will become very -extensive; and the facility of travelling become easier every day. He -intends putting a lock from the canal into the Nile, to enable -passengers to go from hence to Cairo without moving from the steam-boats -that are to be established, and I have no doubt ere long a railroad will -be made from Cairo to Suez; the distance is eighty-four miles. Four in -hand may be driven across the desert at present. - -“I shall remain here, (unless ordered to the contrary,) till I hear the -last man is out of Syria. I think the sooner the Consuls return the -better. I have not heard a word about them. - -“I have, &c., - “CHARLES NAPIER.” - -“To the Right Hon. Earl Minto.” - - ------- - - “H.M. Steam-vessel Stromboli, Alexandria, - February 6, 1841. - -“My Lord, - -“In my last communication to your Lordship, I mentioned that Ibrahim -Pacha had arrived at Gaza. I was mistaken; he arrived on the 31st of -January, with the rear-guard of his army, the whole consisting of -between 30,000 and 40,000 men in good order. The Turkish authorities -were very much disposed to interrupt them; and indeed, General Jochmus -did advance on Gaza, (contrary to the opinion of General Michell,) with -the intention of attacking him, but retreated rather precipitately. I -have written in very strong terms to him, and have instructed Captain -Stewart to protest against any attempt he may make; and by the last -accounts I had from him, all is quiet. Ibrahim began to retire across -the Desert on the 1st, and I apprehend by the 15th there will not be an -Egyptian soldier in Syria. The Pacha has not yet received the hereditary -title from the Porte, but I trust your Lordship will push the point; he -has all the desire to throw himself into the arms of England. - -“I dined with him a few days ago. I have had a good deal of conversation -with him and Boghos Bey about abolishing the Slave Trade, and I have -some hopes of carrying that point before I leave this, which will not be -till after the arrival of the Liverpool on the 16th. I have made him -quite understand that nothing will gain him so many friends as such a -measure. - - “I have, &c., - “CHARLES NAPIER.” - -“To Lord Viscount Palmerston.” - -Footnote 61: - - _General Jochmus to the Seraskier._ - - Head-quarters, Jerusalem, - 27 Zilkadé, 1257, (Jan. 22, 1841,) 11 A.M. - - I have the honour to inform your Excellency that I arrived here - yesterday evening. Lieutenant-General Hassan Pacha also returned here - yesterday from Chalil-Rachman; and Selim Pacha, with the brigade of - Chalid Pacha, will be here to-day, so that this evening a force of - twenty-one battalions, and eighteen guns will be assembled at - Jerusalem. The cavalry of Riza Pacha will this evening or to-morrow - morning join that of the Murchardsou, who must have arrived yesterday - evening at El-Chalil. The forces, in the central positions in which - they are, ought to be more than sufficient to support our negotiations - with Ibrahim, if they should have taken place; but as the latter must - be, according to the statements of all the deserters, to the south of - the Dead Sea, there is no longer any occasion for negotiation. His - army is in complete disorder, for want of provisions, owing to the - capture of Maan: and all the deserters state, that even before - reaching the magazines (now burnt), the whole infantry subsisted for - four or six days upon camel’s flesh. I found Baron Dumont here, who - corroborates the complete defeat of the Egyptians. As he saw the three - first columns pass within gun-shot, and as in the second where, - according to all accounts, the artillery ought to have been, he only - saw a great number of camels and mules, it is generally believed here - that Ibrahim has buried his cannons in the Desert. - - The third column only of his infantry was seen, reduced to 5000 men; a - separate body at Jufila of 2000 men, who were some days since with - Ibrahim Pacha near to Kerek: all these people were half dead with - hunger. The losses of Ibrahim in men, in horses, and in beasts of - burden, in passing the Jordan, were very great. Finally, his - Excellency Hassan Pacha upon the news of peace, sent a safe conduct to - Ahmed Menikli Pacha, commander of the Egyptian cavalry, and gave him - to understand that he would not attack him in his retreat, provided - that he did not come to plunder the villages near to Chalil. Ahmed - Menikli Pacha, conducted by an officer of Hassan Pacha, then chose the - road towards Gaza in his retreat upon Egypt. The cavalry, reduced to - 2500 horses and 700 dismounted horsemen, was in the most miserable - condition: and had it not been for the Convention, two battalions in - the almost impracticable passes of the Wadi-el-Ghor, one day south of - Chalil, would have been sufficient to stop that column. It appears to - be very necessary for the troops coming towards Gaza to withdraw, in - order that there may never be more than 3000 men at a time in this - place. I request your Excellency to communicate this letter to General - Michell. - - I have, &c., - (Signed) A. JOCHMUS, _Lieut-General_. - - P.S. There is plenty of barley at El-Chalil, and there are other - provisions there, but rice and butter must be sent there. - -Footnote 62: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 315. - -Footnote 63: - - _Guarantee by Menikli Pacha, and the other Chief Officers of - the Egyptian Army, at present encamped near Gaza._ - - Gaza, January 28, 1841. - - We, the Undersigned, being assembled in council with Commodore Houston - Stewart, Royal British Navy, and Lieutenant-Colonel Alderson, Royal - Engineers, after the discussion which has taken place, have pledged - ourselves, that his Highness Ibrahim Pacha will, on his arrival at - Gaza, execute the orders of his Highness Mehemet Ali, the Viceroy of - Egypt, for the evacuation of Syria, and that he will not make any - movement whatever against those orders; for all of which we give our - signatures and affix our seals. - - (Signed) AHMED MENIKLI, _Gen. of Division_; KOURCHID, _Gen. of - Division_; SELIM, _Gen. of Division_; AHMED DRAMALY, _Gen. of - Division_; ISHMAEL, _Gen. of Brigade_; IBRAHIM, _Gen. of - Brigade_; MAHMOUD BEY, _Capt. Navy_. - - ------- - -_Captain Houston Stewart and Lieutenant-Colonel Alderson to Menikli - Ahmed Pacha and the other Chief Officers of the Egyptian Army at - present encamped near Gaza._ - - Gaza, January 28, 1841. - - In consequence of the written guarantee which you have now given us, - making yourself responsible that his Excellency Ibrahim Pacha, as well - as yourselves, will implicitly obey, and forthwith carry into effect - with perfect good faith, the orders of his Excellency Mehemet Ali - Pacha for the evacuation of Syria by the whole of the Egyptian army: - We, Houston Stewart, Captain of Her Britannic Majesty’s ship Benbow, - and Senior Naval Officer on the coast of Syria, and Lieutenant-Colonel - Ralph Carr Alderson, Royal Engineers, representing here the united - forces of Great Britain, do pledge ourselves that no molestation nor - any obstacle be put in the way of such evacuation, and that you are - perfectly safe in diminishing your forces here as fast as possible; - and, further, that provided you continue to make that diminution to - the satisfaction of the said Lieutenant-Colonel Alderson, we promise - to insist with his Excellency the Seraskier, Zacharias Pacha, - Commanding-in-Chief the Ottoman forces, that no advance shall be made - by the Turkish troops now at Megdill, nor Governor be sent to Gaza, - until Colonel Alderson shall have reported the evacuation complete; - and we promise, that if the Turkish authorities refuse to ratify and - accept any one of these conditions, we will immediately, and in - perfect honourable faith, give you notice thereof. - - (Signed) HOUSTON STEWART. - R. C. ALDERSON. - - ------- - - _Guarantee by the Seraskier, the Moustechar Effendi, and - Lieutenant-General Jochmus._ - - We, the Undersigned, upon the received declaration of his Excellency - Menikli Ahmed Pacha and the other Egyptian Generals and Officers, to - carry forthwith into execution the entire evacuation of Syria and the - Desert, consent and promise faithfully to abstain from any hostile - movement, according to the promise given by Commodore Stewart and - Colonel Alderson, with the proviso that the forces at present near and - at Gaza, march on El-Arish within seven days from this, embarking such - men in transports as are sick, unfit for campaign, and unable to march - according to Colonel Alderson’s judgment, and provided no movement is - made by any Egyptian force at Gaza, east or northward. - - Given under our hand and seal at the Imperial head-quarters of Jaffa, - January 30, 1841. - - (L.S.) MOUSTECHAR EFFENDI, _Seraskier_, - JOCHMUS, _Lieutenant-General_. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - -Contradictory Statements as to the Numbers of the Egyptian - Army—Reason for abiding by the Reports of the British - Officers—Colonel Alderson’s Detail of the Retreat—General - Jochmus’s Statement—Lieutenant Loring’s Mission. - - -It appears rather difficult to get at the exact amount of Ibrahim’s -army, either when it left Damascus, or when its two divisions arrived at -Gaza and Akaba. In the _Levant Papers_ are several statements upon the -subject; but they are rather contradictory[64]. This is not to be -wondered at, as the framers of some of them must have been sorely -puzzled to account for the numbers, who, in spite of famine, cold, and -“the sword of the fierce and revengeful Haouranees[65],” unquestionably -made their appearance[66] at the places I have named. I shall, -therefore, prefer to abide by the statements of the British officers at -Gaza, who had no former reports to bolster up, and who undoubtedly have -described things precisely as they fell under their observation. - -By Colonel Bridgeman’s report[67], Ibrahim brought to Gaza 15,000 -infantry and 6000 or 7000 cavalry. Lieutenant Loring, who was charged by -me with superintending the evacuation, gave the infantry at 23,550 men, -and the cavalry 6440, independent of Souliman’s division of 5000 men, -and 175 pieces of artillery[68] who marched from El-Mezereib to Akaba -and Suez, by the way of Maan, at which latter place he provisioned -himself for his march, arrived safely at Cairo, and by all the -information I received at Alexandria, and what Souliman Pacha -communicated to Colonel Napier at the former place, he did not lose a -gun, and the Colonel was himself an eye-witness to the excellent state -of his cavalry. This enumeration of Lieutenant Loring’s does not include -the noncombatants. - -Colonel Alderson, who was with the naval officer, carried up the amount -of Ibrahim’s army to 33,000 men[69], besides Souliman’s force. He -remarks, in a private document with which I have keen favoured: - -“It appears Ibrahim commenced his retreat from Damascus on the 29th of -December to El-Mezereib: at the latter place he divided his forces into -five columns[70]: 1st, the artillery and guns[71], women, &c., _via_ the -Desert and Suez, under Souliman Pacha; 2nd, the cavalry, consisting of -ten regiments, under Achmet Menekli Pacha; two of them (the cavalry of -the Guards) were recalled to join Ibrahim, after he recrossed the -Jordan, near Jericho; the 3rd and 4th, each consisting of five regiments -of infantry; and lastly Ibrahim himself, with three regiments of foot -guards, the two cavalry regiments of the guard as before stated, and -from 300 to 400 Arnauts, Henadi, and 300 rifles. Each of these last four -divisions had orders to make the best of their way to Gaza. - -“When they left Damascus they had only sixteen days’ provisions, in -addition to which they obtained a small supply of flour at El-Mezereib. -The cavalry were sixteen days on the march, the infantry twenty-seven -and twenty-eight, and Ibrahim’s corps thirty-four. Small supplies were -occasionally received from the villages, but they avoided the great -towns, and made for the Dead Sea, which they kept sight of, and -approached as near as the nature of the country would allow.” - -Colonel Alderson, who was an eye-witness of their arrival at Gaza, and -collected all the information he could, states that Ibrahim left -Damascus with 62,499 souls, including women and children; there arrived -at Gaza, independent of women and children, 27,000 regular troops, of -which 4250 were cavalry, and 3200 irregulars; the garrison of Gaza -consisted of 2800 men. Thus, then, 33,000 men either embarked from Gaza -or marched from thence between the 23rd of January and the 19th of -February, besides 9215 under Souliman Pacha, who marched to Suez. - -Colonel Alderson’s account stands thus: - - Arrived at Gaza 30,200 - - Marched with Souliman 9,215 - - Regular troops missing 8,859 - - Irregular troops supposed to have gone to their 8,440 - homes - - Women and children supposed to have arrived at 2,000 - Gaza - - Perished 3,786 - - ————— - - 62,500 - -Be it remembered this loss of human life took place after the submission -of Mehemet Ali on the 11th of December, and the greater part after his -submission had been accepted by the Porte. The poor sufferers had taken -no interest in the contest, but had been dragged from their homes to -gratify the ambition of Mehemet Ali; why, then, after his submission -were they not allowed to retire in safety? Where was the merit of -forcing Ibrahim through the Desert, when he might have taken the -shortest road to Gaza, where he had depôts of provisions? These men lost -their lives, not in open war with the Turkish army, which they never -saw, but were plundered and butchered by the Arabs; therefore there was -no great credit due to those who were the authors of such measures, -barbarous in themselves, and, as I have already shown, contrary to the -opinion of Austria, (who would most probably be supported by the Allied -Powers,) who had declared they would disavow any attack on Ibrahim -Pacha[72]. - -General Jochmus, in his letter to Sir Robert Stopford, dated the 15th of -February[73], states the remains of Ibrahim’s army to be 19,000 men; and -from the reports of the Turkish and European staff-officers sent to -ascertain the numbers, the estimate, he says, is quite correct. General -Jochmus makes his calculation from the reports of his officers, which -must be received with caution. Captain de L’Or gave Ibrahim’s losses in -five days at 10,000 men; this was considered by the English officers -very much exaggerated, nor do I see how Ibrahim and Souliman, who were -both good generals, could have met with such a loss, unpursued as they -were by a regular army, and having nearly 10,000 cavalry to cover their -retreat and protect them from the few irregulars that followed them, and -who, if they did not behave better than those Colonel Napier had under -his command[74], would never have come within sight of them, and it is -more than probable, picked up the stragglers only. - -Lieutenant Loring, in his report[75]; states that he did not reach -Caiffa till the 15th of January; the weather had been very boisterous -and the steamers were hardly seaworthy. Having procured horses at Acre, -he proceeded along the coast, through Tortura and Cesarea, and arrived -on the 17th at Jaffa, where were stationed the greater part of the -Turkish forces, having returned from their demonstration on Gaza the day -before. - -On the same evening, by the advice of General Michell, he proceeded to -Jerusalem in company with Major Wilbraham and Selim Bey, who was the -bearer of a letter from the Seraskier to Ibrahim; he was also provided -with a firman to the Governor and Scheiks to assist them on the road. On -arriving at Jerusalem they found Hassan Pacha had marched on Halil -(Hebron) with 8000 men and six pieces of artillery. - -Thither they proceeded and arrived the same evening. On acquainting -Hassan Pacha with their mission, he was easily persuaded to return to -Jerusalem; they then pushed forward, but instead of getting information -from the authorities, Abder Rahman, the scheik of the El-Halil district, -plainly told them that he would neither give them information nor -assistance, and there is no doubt whatever he was acting under orders -from the Turkish authorities. Abder Rahman must have known where -Ibrahim’s army was, because he had just returned from Maan, to which -place he had accompanied the Baron Dumont on his excursion to destroy -the magazines; in which, however, the Baron failed, as Souliman’s -division had passed through the day before and pretty nearly cleared the -stores. Finding it impossible to advance with any prospect of meeting -Ibrahim, they returned to Gaza, where they found Achmet Menekli Pacha -had arrived with the greater part of the cavalry. He made bitter -complaints of the conduct of the Arabs, and Lieutenant Loring -immediately proceeded to Jaffa to remonstrate with the Turkish -authorities on the conduct of their officers. From Jaffa he returned to -Gaza with Captain Stewart and Colonel Rose, accompanied by Rechid Pacha, -and everything appeared settled in an amicable manner with Achmet Pacha -to facilitate as much as possible the evacuation of Syria. - -Mr. Loring was present some hours after, when Rechid Pacha, to the utter -astonishment of the British officers, declared his intention of -immediately returning to Jaffa, confessing at the same time that he had -sent orders for the advance of the Turkish troops to endeavour to cut -off the communication between the division at Gaza and those hourly -expected from the Desert. As has been already shown[76], the spirited -remonstrance of Captain Stewart and Colonel Bridgeman put a stop to this -infamous proceeding. - -Footnote 64: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 292, 301, 307, 366, 367. - -Footnote 65: - - See page 124. - -Footnote 66: - - See General Jochmus’s letter and accompanying statement, in _Levant - Papers_, Part III., pp. 305-307. - -Footnote 67: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 282, 332. - -Footnote 68: - - Ibid., pp. 309, 310. - -Footnote 69: - - Ibid., p. 307. - -Footnote 70: - - “Does not this division of Ibrahim’s army at El-Mezereib at once - convince any military man that he considered peace as concluded; and - that a want of provisions was the only enemy he had to fear? he - therefore divided his troops, so that one arm should not retard the - other. - - “Cavalry, by forced marches, were enabled to get on faster than the - infantry, encumbered as they were by women, &c., and barley was no - doubt very scarce. - - “In a military point of view, either in advancing or retreating in an - enemy’s country, it would be considered very injudicious to have - infantry without cavalry on the route; that Ibrahim knew this well, - his sending for the two regiments of cavalry of the guard, on finding - at Rieha (Jericho) that the Turkish troops were in position to resist - his march _via_ Hebron, fully shows.” - -Footnote 71: - - “The number of the guns has been variously stated, but I believe they - were between 150 and 200.” - -Footnote 72: - - See pp. 46, 54. - -Footnote 73: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 305. - -Footnote 74: - - See page 151. - -Footnote 75: - - A private document furnished by him to me. His public report appears - in the _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 309. - -Footnote 76: - - See pages 175, 176. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - -Embarkation of the Egyptians—Mode in which it was conducted—Departure of - Ibrahim Pacha—Retreat of Souliman’s Division—Complete Evacuation of - Syria—Letter of Lord Ponsonby—Delivery of the Turkish Fleet—Anxiety - of Mehemet Ali for the safety of his Army—Letter from Boghos Bey to - the Author on the subject. - - -The season of the year was very unpropitious for embarking troops on the -coast of Syria, nevertheless Mehemet Ali, who had no idea of -difficulties or the risk he ran of losing his ships at Gaza, which is at -the very bottom of the Mediterranean, and from whence there is no escape -should the wind blow on the land, sent three transports, two steamers, -two corvettes, and a brig of war, from Alexandria, with directions to -carry the troops to Damietta. The surf is generally so high on the coast -that six days out of seven embarking troops is attended with great -danger. The Egyptian admiral and generals were indefatigable in their -exertions; they seldom left the beach night or day, and Ibrahim himself, -when he recovered, was frequent in his attendance. The poor Arabs, -whether sick or well, were obliged to strip, take their clothes on their -heads, and wade up to their armpits, and were then bundled into the -boats like so much lumber; the women and children were treated in the -same manner. Human life is little thought of amongst either Turks or -Egyptians. - -Ibrahim Pacha remained to the last, and embarked on the 18th of February -on board the Hadji Baba, and landed at Damietta; the same day a regiment -of cavalry or of cuirassiers, and two corps of irregular horse, marched -for El-Arish, and the town was shortly after taken possession of by a -Turkish regiment of cavalry. - -As to the retreat of Souliman Pacha’s column I am not able to speak very -particularly. Some documents that would have given the whole detail, had -they arrived, have not reached me. I believe, however, that after -parting from the main body at El-Mezereib on the 4th of January, the -column reached Maan on the 13th, supplied themselves with provisions, -and then pursued their route to Akaba, where the guns and stores were -embarked and carried to Suez, to which port the troops repaired -overland, and arrived there in tolerable condition and with very little -loss, reaching Cairo about the middle of February. - -Thus terminated the evacuation of Syria, and after comparing the -different reports, the loss of the Egyptians could not have been less -than 10,000 men, (besides women and children,) the greater part of whom -most probably deserted, and were destroyed by the Arabs. The Turkish -army never came in contact with them, except in the affair at Medjdel; -they were, however, followed and harassed by irregulars, and also -suffered from want of provisions; but under all circumstances the -retreat seems to have been well conducted. Ibrahim’s crossing the Jordan -was a masterly manœuvre; it alarmed the Turks, saved Gaza, and -greatly facilitated his arrival there. The Turkish army appear to have -followed a very prudent course by taking up a position to cover -Jerusalem, Acre, and Jaffa, thereby securing those places against a -breach of faith on the part of Ibrahim, had he entertained any notion of -the sort; and it is just as well they never came in contact: Ibrahim was -well provided with cavalry, and that is an arm of which the Turkish -soldiers are very apprehensive, and I have no idea they could have -maintained themselves steady enough in square to resist an attack of -cavalry. - -Had the Convention been adopted by Sir Robert Stopford in the first -instance the loss of life incurred in this retreat might have been -saved, and the country would have suffered much less than it did. -Nothing has been gained by its rejection; it stipulated for the delivery -of the Turkish fleet, the evacuation of Syria, and the confirmation of -Mehemet Ali in the hereditary government of Egypt, all of which have now -been obtained, with the loss, it is true, of some thousands of human -beings, who were not at all interested in the war. General Jochmus -thinks that the military question has been decided, and that the Turks -drove Ibrahim out of Syria; it is very certain that Ibrahim marched out -of Syria, harassed by the different tribes, but the Turkish army might -just as well have been at Constantinople; in fact, they were just where -they ought to have been, and the only fault committed by the Turkish -authorities was giving directions to the different tribes to harass -Ibrahim’s retreat, which was quite improper after the unconditional -submission Mehemet Ali sent to the Porte by Captain Fanshawe. This -submission, too, was well known in Syria at the time they were thus -acting, for we learn from Captain Stewart that on the 9th of January the -Gorgon arrived at Jaffa, bringing the news that the Pacha’s submission -had been accepted by the Porte[77]. - -The British Ambassador, I find, has not hesitated to take upon himself -the responsibility of the attempts made by General Jochmus to destroy -Ibrahim’s whole army. The following is his letter to Lord Palmerston, -for he shall speak for himself:— - - “My Lord, “Therapia, February 23, 1841. - -“I transmit copy of one of General Jochmus’s despatches to Admiral Sir -Robert Stopford[78], that I may insure its being known to your Lordship, -as it affords information essential to a correct judgment of the affairs -of this country. - -“It is shown in the despatch, that had it not been for the perseverance -of General Jochmus in taking measures against Ibrahim Pacha, it would -have been easy for Ibrahim to remain with his army in Damascus until, -the arrangement with Mehemet Ali having been completed, he might have -retreated with a great unbroken force to Egypt, instead of having his -army defeated and nearly destroyed, and wholly demoralized. - -“Had Ibrahim remained at Damascus, the military question would have been -undecided, and it would have been easy to assert that victory might -still have been on the side of the Pasha, had Mehemet Ali thought it -politic to continue the war. - -“If Ibrahim had taken back to Egypt his large army unharmed, Mehemet Ali -would possess a force that might encourage him to resist, and might -possibly make him stronger than ever. The energy of General Jochmus has -rendered all doubt and delusion on the subject of the military question -impossible, and has shown, that under able command the Turkish troops -are more than a match for the Egyptian army and General; his energy has -also taken from Mehemet Ali the best means he could have to support -resistance, and therefore has afforded the best ground for hoping he -will submit. - -“All this good is due to the energy of General Jochmus. The praises -General Jochmus gives to those who have done good service, are proofs of -his honourable and just feelings. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -“Right Hon. Viscount Palmerston.” - -I have already mentioned the arrival of the Turkish Commissioners at -Alexandria, and the formal delivery of the fleet[79] on the 11th of -January, which sailed on the 20th of that month from Alexandria; and the -greatest credit is due to Admiral Walker for his exertions in fitting -out that fleet, many of which were obliged to be lightened even to their -ballast, and take in their guns and stores outside; this they did -without anchoring, and got clear of the land before sunset. Mehemet Ali -having parted in good faith with this valuable deposit, became alarmed -about the fate of his son and his army, and though he complained little -to me in person, desired Boghos Bey to write to me on the subject. - - “Commodore, “Alexandria, Jan. 30, 1841. - -“I have the honour of informing you that, according to the last -despatches received from Gaza, almost all the Egyptian army is already -assembled in that town; that it is believed there that Ibrahim Pacha -will arrive to-day or to-morrow; that although the cavalry regiments are -already on their way towards Egypt, the infantry being too much -fatigued, it will be desirable on every account to transport it to Egypt -by sea, and thus, according to the desire of both parties, to spare the -loss of men; but that the English officers who are in authority at Gaza -object to the Egyptian troops embarking with their arms, a circumstance -which appears inexplicable, it being mentioned in the Convention -concluded between you and the Egyptian Government, that the Egyptian -troops should be transported to Egypt by sea with their arms and -baggage. Seeing, then, this opposition on the part of the English -officers, it appears probable that they are not acquainted with the -contents of the Convention above-mentioned. You are therefore requested, -Commodore, to write to the authorities at Gaza, in order that they may -no longer oppose the Egyptian troops embarking with their arms and -baggage for Alexandria; to send your letter to His Excellency Abbas -Pacha, so that it may reach his address in time; and to have the -goodness also to inform me of it, in order that a sufficient number of -vessels may be sent to Gaza. - - “Receive, Commodore, &c., - “BOGHOS JOUSSOUF.” - -“To Commodore Napier, - &c., &c., &c.” - -In consequence of this application, I wrote the letters to the British -and Turkish authorities in Syria already given[80], and did everything I -could to tranquillize the Pacha’s mind, and assured him that I felt -perfectly satisfied Captain Stewart would do all in his power to oblige -the Turks to keep faith. - -Footnote 77: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 164, 311. - -Footnote 78: - - Ibid., p. 288; and p. 119, _et seq._ of this volume. - -Footnote 79: - - See page 71. - -Footnote 80: - - See pp. 92, 95. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - -Examination of the Conduct of the Allied Ministers at - Constantinople—Lord Ponsonby’s Propositions regarding the Hereditary - Government of Egypt—Approved by the other Allied Ministers, but on - consideration rejected by them—Lord Palmerston’s Conversation with - the Turkish Minister—Note of the Four Powers in favour of the - Hereditary Tenure. - - -It is now proper to examine a little into the conduct of the Allied -Ministers at Constantinople, who, of course, had some influence over the -Porte, and exercised it, in framing the Hatti Sheriff reinstating -Mehemet Ali in the government of Egypt; and I shall take the _Levant -Correspondence_ to guide me in my criticism; for although a great deal -of that is no doubt suppressed, there still remains enough to form an -opinion on the wisdom of the Allied Ministers. - -I shall take the British Ambassador in hand first, as he had more -influence, and took a more prominent part than the Ambassadors and -Ministers of the other powers. - -After the news of the surrender of the Turkish fleet arrived at -Constantinople, Lord Ponsonby wrote to the Internuncio and to M. -Titow[81], recommending conditions which should be attached to the grant -of the hereditary pachalic of Egypt to Mehemet Ali, which they approved -of in the first instance, but on reconsideration, they, like wise men, -rejected. - -Lord Ponsonby, in his letter to Lord Palmerston[82], states, that he -will follow his Lordship’s instructions of the 17th of December, and do -all he can to secure the Sultan against the evil designs of Mehemet Ali, -and preserve the people of Egypt in future from the oppression which -they have hitherto endured. “I am convinced there is no way of doing -both, so certain, as that which your Lordship says you wish would be -taken, viz.: taking the collection of the revenue out of the hands of -the Pacha.” I see nothing of the sort in Lord Palmerston’s letter; he -gives an opinion that the Porte will be able to make certain regulations -for the government of Egypt, but not one word is said about the -collection of the revenue; and surely it was not statesmanlike of Lord -Ponsonby advising the Porte to impose conditions on Mehemet Ali which -they had no power of enforcing, for Lord Ponsonby knew full well that -neither England, or the other Powers, could touch Egypt, without -provoking a war with France. He says, “The Austrians desire to put a -sudden end (as they suppose they can do) to the question here, by -yielding every thing to the Pacha. Your Lordship desires to establish -future security both for the Sultan and his Egyptian subjects. My duty -is to follow your orders; but could I be shaken in that duty by the -exertions of the Austrians, I should be still deterred from acting with -them for such a purpose, by my own knowledge that all this question is -to be most rigidly scrutinized in Parliament, and that severe censure -would fall upon me if I deviated from your instructions[83].” - -I do indeed hope that Parliament will scrutinize his conduct, and -ascertain whether or not it is true that the Ambassador instructed -General Jochmus to follow up hostilities after the submission of Mehemet -Ali[84], and thereby cause the death of some thousands of human beings, -which was just as bad, if not worse than the chase of the negroes in -Nubia, of which Lord Ponsonby speaks with such horror[85]. The only -difference between the two is, that the chase of the negroes was the -custom of the country, whereas the chase of the Egyptians from Syria was -not according to the custom of civilized nations, as it was carried on -after the submission of Mehemet Ali, and when there was not the least -necessity for it. - -The British Ambassador, in writing to Baron Stürmer and M. Titow, quotes -the 3rd, 5th, and 6th Articles of the Treaty of the 15th of July[86], -and makes a budget for the Pacha, showing the resources of Egypt in the -year 1833[87] to be 62,778,750 piastres, while the expenditure was only -49,951,500, which may have been correct or not; but it appears to me -that the tribute Mehemet was to pay to the Porte on his being reinstated -in the government of Egypt, ought to have been fixed by the state of the -revenue and expenditure in 1841, when the war ceased. - -The proposition his Excellency makes is, that the Sultan should issue a -firman, giving the hereditary government of Egypt to Mehemet Ali; but he -is to bear in mind that Egypt was just to be considered like any other -pachalic of the Turkish empire, and at a future time he should be made -acquainted with the nature and extent of his administrative powers[88]. - -All this would have been very well had the power of the Porte alone put -down Mehemet Ali, and then had the means of enforcing the firman; but -the Ambassador must have known full well, that had Mehemet Ali been left -to himself, he could have dictated terms to the Sultan, and that, even -after all the losses he met with in Syria, occasioned by the Allied -Powers, and the losses he met with in his retreat by the bad faith of -the Turks, he was still in a position to resist the whole power of the -Turkish empire. - -M. Titow, as well as Baron Stürmer and Count Königsmark, as I have -before stated, at first agreed with Lord Ponsonby[89], but asked his -opinion about the restrictive clause relating to the nomination of the -successor of Mehemet Ali. Their approval of the British Ambassador’s -proposal seems to have thrown his Excellency off his guard, and he wrote -to M. Titow: - -“I reply at once to your question, and I say that I think it will be -more prudent to keep everything like specific arrangement for the -settlement that will flow from the assertion and establishment of the -Sultan’s sovereign authority and right. You will observe that I used the -expression, ‘hereditary in the family of Mehemet Ali,’ which cannot tie -up the Sultan’s right to specify the mode in which the succession shall -take place; and if it should be argued hereafter that the succession -should be in the direct line, (and, as it is called, by representation,) -the answer would be easy, that nothing of the sort is known to Turkish -law, nor is usual in the East, succession being commonly regulated by -very different principles. - -“I do not see any inconvenience in leaving this matter untouched, but I -do fear that any thing that might give Mehemet Ali ground for discussion -and dispute at this moment might be inconvenient, and would be seized -upon by him. He cannot deny the Sultan’s sovereignty, which he has -already admitted; it will be impossible for him to refuse the hereditary -right, as it is expressed, without denying, at the same time, the -sovereignty of the Sultan already acknowledged.” - -The alteration of the opinion of the Allied Ministers only appears in -Lord Ponsonby’s letter to Baron Stürmer two days after, in which he -withdraws his proposal[90]. He, however, alludes to a letter from Baron -Stürmer, communicating this change of opinion, in which the Baron asks, -“Have we any right to act according to our fancies, when the route we -have to pursue is clearly traced to us?” - -To which Lord Ponsonby replies, “Certainly not; and in conformity with -your just notions, I will continue to act, without the smallest -deviation, upon the instructions of December 17, which have already been -made known to you, but which, to avoid error, I transcribe _literatim_ -from the document. - -“‘It will indeed be necessary, that in reinstating Mehemet Ali in the -Pachalic of Egypt, care should be taken to make such arrangements as -would protect the people of Egypt from a continuance of the tyrannical -oppression by which they have of late years been crushed, and should -secure the Sultan against a renewal of those hostilities which have -compelled him to have recourse to the aid of his Allies. But the means -of effecting all these purposes may be found in the stipulations of the -Treaty of the 15th of July, without removing Mehemet Ali from his -Pachalic. The Treaty says, that all the laws of the Turkish Empire, and -all the Treaties of the Porte, shall apply to Egypt, just as much as to -any other province of the Sultan’s dominions; and the land and sea -forces which may be maintained by the Pacha of Egypt, shall be part of -the forces of the empire, and be kept up for the service of the State. - -“‘Under these stipulations, the Sultan will of course be able, by an -exercise of his legislative authority, to establish unity of flag, and -of military and naval uniform, throughout all his provinces; to limit -the number of troops which each province shall, according to its -population, maintain; to regulate the mode of enforcing the -conscription, so as to protect the people from undue burthens and -oppressive levies; to fix the number and class of ships of war which -shall belong to the several naval ports of his dominions; to fix the -manner in which commissions in the army and navy shall be granted in his -name, and by his authority; to determine that a single monetary system -shall prevail throughout all his dominions, and that there shall be but -one Mint. The Treaty specifies, that none but the legal imposts should -be levied in Egypt, which will secure the people from undue exactions; -and the execution of the Convention of 1838, by which all monopolies are -to be abolished, will at once free the industry of the people of Egypt -from those oppressive restrictions which have hitherto kept the great -mass of the population in the most abject poverty, and which have -gradually thrown out of cultivation extensive tracts of land that were -formerly tilled and productive. - -“‘By such means it seems to Her Majesty’s Government, that future -security might be afforded, both to the Sultan and to his Egyptian -subjects, against the disposition of Mehemet Ali to rebel against his -Sovereign, and to oppress the people of the province he would have to -govern.’ - -“The above constitute the sole rule I can follow, and they are the only -words I am at liberty to use in the counsel I shall consent to give to -the Sublime Porte.” - -The reader will observe these instructions were merely general, and -ought to have been followed only so far as the Porte had the power of -enforcing them; besides, at the time they were given, Lord Palmerston -was not aware what force Mehemet Ali had in Egypt; and there is not a -word in these instructions to lead Lord Ponsonby to suppose that Lord -Palmerston would have recommended the Porte to set aside Ibrahim Pacha, -which was evidently Lord Ponsonby’s aim. - -His Lordship finishes his letter to the Baron by observing, that as -Mehemet Ali had rejected the Treaty of the 15th of July, the Allies are -free to act as they think proper. However free they might have been, -they always declared they should abide by the basis of the Treaty of the -15th of July, which was acknowledged by my Convention, and also by the -instructions of the 15th of October, which Lord Palmerston quotes in his -despatch of the 17th of December,—that despatch which the British -Ambassador takes for the guide of conduct, viz.: “Your Excellency and -your colleagues will, of course, have given to the Porte the advice -specified in my despatch of the 15th of October to your Excellency:” and -again, “In fact these articles of agreement were substantially a -complete surrender on the part of Mehemet Ali, and he was led to -suppose, that in asking for hereditary tenure, he was only asking that -which the Porte was willing to give[91].” - -Lord Palmerston writes still more strongly to the Ambassador, under date -of the 29th January[92], in which, relating a conversation he had had -with the Turkish Minister in London, he says, in reply to the -unwillingness of the Porte to grant the hereditary pachalic communicated -to him by Chekib Effendi, “I said, that in all affairs, one must be -content with what is practicable, and not endanger what has been -obtained by striving after that which is unattainable. I said, that it -is clear that Mehemet Ali has made his submission in the expectation -that he should obtain hereditary tenure in Egypt: now if, after all, -this tenure were to be refused to him, what would probably be the -consequence?—renewed revolt, or an attitude, at least, of passive -resistance. What would then be the remedy? Such a state of things could -not be allowed to continue, because if it lasted, it would amount to the -separation of Egypt from the Turkish Empire. But the Sultan, has not, at -present, naval or military means sufficient to enforce his authority, in -such a case, over Mehemet Ali in Egypt. The Sultan, would, therefore, be -obliged to have recourse for aid to his Allies. But the measures -hitherto agreed upon by the Four Powers in virtue of the Treaty of July, -are confined to the expulsion of the Egyptians from Syria, Arabia, and -Candia, and to the driving of Mehemet Ali’s forces and authorities back -within the limits of Egypt. If, then, the Sultan were to apply to the -Four Powers for assistance to attack Mehemet Ali in Egypt itself, a new -deliberation of the Conference would become necessary. - -“Now, I said to Chekib, I could tell him beforehand what would be the -result of that deliberation, if the assistance asked for by the Sultan -were required in consequence of the Sultan’s refusal to comply with the -advice given him by the Four Powers, to confer upon Mehemet Ali -hereditary tenure of his Egyptian pachalic. I said I knew perfectly well -that the Four Powers would decline giving the Sultan such assistance; -and what then would happen? Why, the Sultan would, in consequence, find -himself, for want of sufficient means of his own, obliged to grant to -Mehemet Ali, with a bad grace, and after an ineffectual attempt to avoid -doing so, that which he might now make a merit of conferring willingly; -and thus, instead of performing, as he now may do, an act of sovereign -power, at the suggestion of his Allies, he would appear to all the world -as making an extorted concession to a subject. - -“I said that I would not attempt to represent as being of no value or -importance a sacrifice which is unquestionably a great one, because such -a representation could not convince the Sultan. But I begged Chekib -Effendi to request his Government to consider the immense importance of -the moral and physical strength which the Sultan has gained by the -events of the few last months, and to remember that all which the Sultan -has gained, Mehemet Ali has lost. That thus their relative positions -have been so entirely changed, that the Pacha can never again become -really dangerous or seriously troublesome to the Sultan, if the Sultan -avails himself properly of the stipulations of the Treaty of July; and -if he shall well organize his army, navy, and finances, and shall place -those branches of his public service upon an efficient footing. I -desired Chekib Effendi to bear in mind that the Sultan has recovered, -for his direct authority, the whole of Syria, Arabia, and Candia; points -which, with reference to military, naval, financial, and religious -considerations, are of the utmost importance, and for the recovery of -which the Sultan would, at this time last year, have gladly made very -considerable sacrifices. I further reminded him, that a faithful -execution of that stipulation of the Treaty of July, which says, that -all the laws and treaties of the empire are to apply to Egypt as to any -other province, will afford a most essential security for the sovereign -authority of the Sultan. I therefore requested Chekib Effendi to urge -his Government to conclude this matter without further delay, because it -is of great importance for all parties concerned, that it should be -brought to a final settlement as soon as possible. - -“Chekib Effendi promised me to write to Rechid Pacha to this effect, and -he said that he had no doubt that the Sultan will comply with the advice -of his Allies.” - -The day after this conversation, and in conformity with Lord -Palmerston’s views, the Allied Ministers sent a note to Chekib Effendi, -expressing their opinion that the Sultan should confer on the -descendants of Mehemet Ali in the direct line, the Pachalic of -Egypt[93]. - -Footnote 81: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 221. - -Footnote 82: - - Ibid., p. 207. - -Footnote 83: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 208. - -Footnote 84: - - I think there could not be much difficulty in proving that he did give - such orders, when we consider the terms in which his Lordship speaks - of General Jochmus’s conduct, in his letter to Viscount Palmerston, - already given. See p. 195. - -Footnote 85: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 226. - -Footnote 86: - - See Appendix, Vol. I. - -Footnote 87: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 219. - -Footnote 88: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 221. - -Footnote 89: - - Ibid., p. 222. - -Footnote 90: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 224. - -Footnote 91: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 88, 89. - -Footnote 92: - - Ibid., p. 169. - -Footnote 93: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 171. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - -Determination of the Allied Courts to secure the Hereditary Pachalic for - Mehemet Ali—Correspondence between Baron Sturmer and Lord - Ponsonby—Decisive Instructions from Lord Palmerston to Lord - Ponsonby—Conference of the Allied Ministers with Rechid - Pacha—Project for settling the Egyptian Question—Lord Ponsonby’s - Observations at the Conference—The Firmans decided on—Refusal of - Lord Ponsonby to allow the English Consul-General to return to - Egypt—Lord Ponsonby’s Letter to Rechid Pacha. - - -Before the last communication could reach the British Ambassador, indeed -before it was written, Baron Stürmer in a letter of the 7th of -January[94], had told him that Prince Metternich had written in the most -peremptory terms, that the Four Courts had pronounced _that the -hereditary succession in the functions of the Government of Egypt should -be granted to the family of Mehemet Ali_, and he finishes by condoling -with Lord Ponsonby, that the Allies have destroyed the hope they both -had of seeing the power of Mehemet Ali crumble to pieces. He adds, “My -part is played, and it only remains for me to await in silence the -orders which my Government may be pleased to transmit to me, and execute -them scrupulously.” - -The English Ambassador, in no way daunted, replies[95], “It is wholly -indifferent what may be the private opinion of any of us as to this -question, which is the affair of our Governments, and for which none of -us are responsible; but it is another thing to act ‘without orders,’ and -I will not incur ‘that’ responsibility, and therefore I must decline -acting in concert with you until I am authorized to take the steps you -propose, by instructions to that effect. It is necessary I should -acquaint our colleagues and the Ottoman Ministers with my position, and -I shall do so without loss of time. I have been told by the best -authority, including yourself, if I mistake not, that your Government -had not decided to grant the hereditary right to Mehemet Ali; and at the -Conference it did appear that you had no authority to mention that -point. This matter, however, is not of a very recent date, and it is not -at all impossible that more than one alteration may have taken place in -the language or opinion of that Government, and that which is erroneous -now, may have been right before, or possibly may be so again, for in -this affair there has been a perpetual fluctuation of circumstances. If -my Government has not sent me orders, it cannot be for want of time, as -they would have reached me through Vienna as soon as the instruction you -have received.” - -The Ambassador wrote in the same sense to M. Titow and Count -Königsmark[96], complaining of the breathless haste they were proceeding -in, in recommending the hereditary succession, and urging every argument -to prevent it in the first instance; all of which happily failed, and at -last he got decided instructions from home, which produced a couple of -short notes to the other Ministers and M. Pisani. - - “My dear Sir, “Therapia, Jan. 10, 1841. - -“I hasten to acquaint you, that in consequence of what I have received -from my Government by the messenger who has just arrived here, I have -instructed my Dragoman to inform his Excellency the Minister for Foreign -Affairs, that the British Government advises the Sublime Porte to grant -to Mehemet Ali the hereditary government of Egypt. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -“To M. Titow.“ - - “Sir, “Therapia, Jan. 10, 1841. - -“You will acquaint his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs, that -I am ordered to counsel the Sublime Porte, in the name of the British -Government, to grant to Mehemet Ali the hereditary government of Egypt. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -“To M. Frederick Pisani.” - -Lord Palmerston, in a short letter of February 10[97], approves of the -Ambassador’s conduct, without stating whether it was the long -correspondence to endeavour to induce the Allied Ministers not to -recommend the grant of the hereditary tenure, or the short -correspondence recommending the grant to be confirmed. - -Notwithstanding that Lord Ponsonby had been foiled in his first attempt -to prevent the Porte from conferring the hereditary pachalic on Mehemet -Ali, he was not discouraged, and returned to the charge with fresh -vigour, on the question of attaching such conditions to the hereditary -title, as would render it worse than useless; and I have shown that on -reflection, the Allied Ministers altered their opinion, and Lord -Ponsonby in consequence withdrew his proposal. - -On the 4th of February the Allied Ministers were invited to a conference -with Rechid Pacha, who laid before them his project of definitively -settling the Egyptian question, which was as follows:— - -“Hereditary succession of Egypt granted on condition that all the -Treaties and all the laws of the empire shall be applied to Egypt as to -every other part of the Ottoman empire. - -“The Sultan reserves to himself to choose among the male descendants of -Mehemet Ali whom he shall please. The heir chosen for the Government of -Egypt shall not have the title of Vizier until he shall have received -the investiture of the Sultan, and after such investiture he shall be -styled Vizier, and treated like the other Viziers of the empire. -Considering the advanced age of Mehemet Ali, he is exempted from -proceeding to the capital; his successors are under an obligation to do -so. - -“As the Porte contemplates an improvement in its coinage, the money -which Mehemet Ali may coin in Egypt should have the same alloy and value -as that of the Sultan. - -“All appointments to civil and military employments must proceed from -the Sultan, and all promotions emanate from His Highness; wherefore -Mehemet Ali is prohibited from appointing to any employment, and making -provision for any office without the authorisation and consent of His -Highness; in order, however, to leave him means of military -organisation, he is permitted to appoint up to the rank of captain -inclusive. - -“The tribute to be paid yearly shall be fixed separately. - -“The distinctive marks (nischan) of every rank, as well civil as -military, are to be ordained by His Highness. - -“The uniforms, as well civil as military, must resemble those worn by -the civil and military officers of the Sultan, the whole adapted to the -climate; it being well understood that the cut and shape must be -absolutely the same. - -“With respect to the garrison for the maintenance of good order in -Egypt, the Porte proposes from 20,000 to 25,000 troops. - -“The conscription which in the other provinces furnishes one man in a -hundred, shall not in Egypt furnish more than one in two hundred. - -“The Government of Egypt has always been bound to provide for the wants -of the Holy Cities; Mehemet Ali must therefore, as a faithful subject, -act in conformity with what is imposed on him by the situation of -Governor of Egypt[98].” - -Lord Ponsonby, being first called upon for his opinion, stated, he had -no objection to offer, but after his colleagues had spoken he should -make some observations on the Tribute. The other Ministers gave their -assent to the propositions of Rechid Pacha; the arguments they used Lord -Ponsonby does not report to Lord Palmerston, as they would appear in the -Protocol, but which Protocol is not, I suppose for some wise purpose, -inserted in the _Levant Papers_. We must, then, content ourselves with -the British Ambassador’s own observations. He begins by stating, that -Mehemet Ali having been deposed, and the Porte appealed to, to reinstate -him, sufficiently proves that the Treaty of the 15th of July does not -bind the Allies. His Lordship, I believe, was singular in this opinion, -for it has been distinctly and repeatedly stated by the Allied Ministers -both in London, Vienna, and Constantinople, that the Treaty of the 15th -of July should be the basis of the settlement of the Egyptian question; -and in no part of the correspondence does it appear that the Allies -approved of the deposition of Mehemet Ali, and it may therefore be -fairly inferred that they entirely disapproved of it. - -His Lordship takes for granted the Treaty is not an absolute rule, and -thus observes: - -“If the Treaty be not the absolute rule, why are we to counsel the -Sublime Porte to take a measure that was adopted in that Treaty, at a -time when affairs were in a state totally different from their actual -state? The Treaty was a compromise with Mehemet Ali, and all its -stipulations were conditional, and with a view to engage him to accept -it. Mehemet Ali decided to refuse the Treaty, and to try the chance of -arms. He has been vanquished, and he has made unconditional submission -to his Sovereign. How then can the Treaty be obligatory upon the Allies, -(of whom the Sultan is one,) to take the measures framed for another -position of affairs which has ceased to exist? - -“If then the Treaty be not obligatory upon the Allies, the counsel to be -given by us to the Ottoman Porte is to be based upon the instructions we -have received from our Courts; and we are not to advise the Porte to -adopt measures that are impossible to be reconciled one with another, -and contradictory, so as that one measure, if adopted, shall defeat -almost every other measure which we are ordered to recommend.” - -The document is much too long, but may be seen in the _Levant Papers_. -The burden of it is, that Mehemet Ali should be crippled in his finances -to prevent him doing further mischief; and the Ambassador finishes by -saying, “I have reason to believe my colleagues entertain an opinion -different from mine. They have had before them for their consideration -the instructions from Lord Palmerston so often referred to. They are -possibly better able to interpret them than I may be, but I understand -them in the sense I have described; and it is for others, not for me, to -decide, and to take such part as they may esteem the best. Those whom I -have now addressed can judge, as well as I can do, what is the opinion -of the British Government. My opinion is of little importance, excepting -to myself, but I must stand before my country and justify my acts[99].” - -All this would have been right enough if the Porte had the power to -enforce it, but not having the power, they only exposed their own -weakness to Mehemet Ali, and gave him an opportunity of treating their -overtures with the contempt they deserved. - -On the 15th of February Rechid Pacha officially delivered to M. Pisani, -Lord Ponsonby’s dragoman, copies of the firman granting the hereditary -succession, the firman for governing the provinces bordering on Egypt, -as likewise an official note to the four Ministers, and a letter from -the Vizier to Mehemet Ali[100], communicating to them at the same time, -that the Consuls might proceed to Alexandria in the steam-boat, which -would leave in the afternoon without fail. This information had been -privately communicated by the dragoman to Lord Ponsonby on the 13th. - -Nothing was, however, further from his Lordship’s intention than -allowing the British Consul-General to return. He appears to have been -dissatisfied because he was not consulted before the measure was decided -on, and he informed the Turkish Minister that he should not require the -Consul-General to return, because it might not suit the British -Government to establish the Consul-General on the same footing as -before; that Mehemet Ali might refuse; and lastly, that Colonel Hodges -could not leave Constantinople so suddenly[101]. Of these three -arguments the only valid one seems to be, the probability of Mehemet -Ali’s refusing the conditions; but even granting that, it would have -been more politic to have sent the Consuls with the Turkish Commissioner -who bore the firmans, with orders to persuade Mehemet Ali, if possible, -to accept them, and to signify to him at the same time that the flags -would not be hoisted till that point was arranged. They being on the -spot, and in an official capacity, furnished with instructions from the -Ambassador at Constantinople, would have seen how far it was possible -for Mehemet Ali to accept the firman without risking the tranquillity of -Egypt, and would necessarily have more influence on the Pacha than I -could have, being totally unprovided with instructions, and not having -received a single line from the Ambassador to guide my conduct. - -On the 15th of February Lord Ponsonby wrote officially to Rechid -Pacha[102], disowning having had any thing to do with the firman, and -stating that he never had been consulted at all, or knew any thing about -it, till every thing was decided, and ordered to be sent to Alexandria. -The fact is, the Porte saw that Lord Ponsonby was determined to keep the -question open, and therefore arranged the firman without asking his -advice. What that advice might have been is hard to say; but we must -infer that had he been consulted, the firman would have been much more -stringent than it was, and which, as it turned out, was not palatable to -the Pacha, who absolutely constrained the Porte to alter it, and give -him more favourable terms; in this, as we shall see, he was supported by -the majority of the Ambassadors. - -Footnote 94: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 183. - -Footnote 95: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 185. - -Footnote 96: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 185, 192. - -Footnote 97: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 197. - -Footnote 98: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 229. - -Footnote 99: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 229. - -Footnote 100: - - See these documents in the _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 247-252. - -Footnote 101: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 239, 240. - -Footnote 102: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 325. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - -Delay in forwarding the Firmans to Mehemet Ali—Instructions to the - Commissioner—The Author’s Visit to the Egyptian Flag-ship—Substance - of the Firmans—Objections of the Pacha—The Author’s Advice—Letter to - Lord Palmerston—The Author’s last Interview with Mehemet Ali—Return - to Malta—Correspondence with Sir Robert Stopford—Return to England. - - -Although it had been distinctly stated to Mehemet Ali in the Vizier’s -letter of the 12th of January, (in consequence of the remonstrance of -the Allies)[103], that he should be confirmed in the hereditary -government of Egypt after the delivery of the fleet and his complete -submission, still the confirmation was delayed for a considerable time, -and the firman did not arrive at Alexandria until the 20th of February, -and was brought by Said Muhib Effendi, who was instructed to read the -firman[104] in full divan, and if rejected by the Pacha, he was to -exhort him to receive it. He was also the bearer of the fez and the -nisham of the Vizier, which Mehemet Ali was to wear on the day the -firman was read. He was to inform him, that in consequence of his -advanced age, the Sultan did not require him to go to Constantinople to -receive his investiture, but that one of his sons was expected to thank -the Sultan in person for the signal favour conferred on his father. He -was further instructed, in the event of Mehemet Ali’s remonstrating -against any part of the firman, to send back the steamboat for further -orders; but in the event of the Pacha’s rejecting the firman, he was to -demand that the rejection should be in writing. - -The day after the arrival of the firman, Mehemet Ali visited the -Liverpool steamer, and from thence invited me on board the Egyptian -Admiral’s ship. The old man appeared in low spirits, but nevertheless, -he seemed proud of pointing out the cleanliness and order that reigned -in every part of his ship. On entering the cabin, the whole of the guns -were fired at once, and the rest of the squadron followed the example of -the flag-ship. He conducted me through every part of this magnificent -vessel, and it was quite impossible to conceive any ship better fitted -in every respect. After the inspection the drums beat to quarters, and -in less than three minutes she was ready for action. The men were well -trained, and the guns exercised with great alacrity, though not quite in -the style of the Excellent. The magazine was opened, the powder-boxes -handed up, the rigging stoppered, fire-engines and buckets at hand, and -large tubs full of water were placed along both the lower and main deck -in great abundance. After the gun exercise, a party were paraded with -their cutlasses and muskets, and it was altogether surprising to see how -well the poor Arabs went through their exercises. The yards were then -manned; but in this part of their manœuvres they were not quite so -expert. - -After the exercises were over, we retired into the cabin, and I ventured -to ask if he was satisfied with the news from Constantinople, at which -he shook his head, and expressed a desire to see me in his palace. On -arriving there he begged me to sit beside him on the divan, pipes and -coffee were called for as usual, and through the medium of his -interpreter, he communicated the substance of the firman[105], which he -also gave me in writing; it is as follows:— - -“Egypt within its ancient limits is granted to you and to your male -descendants on the following conditions: - -“1st. When there shall be a decease of the incumbent, the Porte shall -select among his heirs the person who shall best suit it, who will be -summoned to Constantinople to receive the investiture. The present -concession does not involve any precedence over the other Viziers, and -the Governor in whose favour it is made shall, as regards the title and -the other prerogatives, only enjoy the advantages which are assigned to -him. - -“2nd. The Hatti Sheriff of Gulhané, and the other fundamental laws of -the empire, as likewise the treaties present or future with foreign -Powers, shall be executed in Egypt. - -“3rd. All the duties and all the revenues of Egypt shall be collected in -the name of the Sultan; and as the Egyptians form a portion of the -subjects of the Grand Signior, the rules adopted in the rest of the -empire for the collection of the taxes shall be observed in Egypt. In -order that the Sultan may be well assured that the people are not -over-taxed, a fourth part of the gross revenue arising either from -customs-duties, tenths, or all other duties, shall appertain to the -Sultan, and be in the place of tribute; the other three-fourths shall be -applied to the liquidation of the charges of collection and of the -expenses concerning the internal administration, the maintenance of the -troops, the household of the Viceroy, and the contributions in kind -allotted every year to the Holy Cities. The preceding arrangements shall -take effect from the first day of the year 1257 (the present time), and -be carried into execution for five years, at the expiration of which -term, provision will be made according to the circumstances and -condition of Egypt. In order that the duties may not be levied -arbitrarily, and in a manner prejudicial to the people, the Sultan, -having undertaken to watch over the interests of his subjects, considers -that the presence of a comptroller of finance is necessary in Egypt: you -will conform yourself to the order which shall hereafter be sent to you -on this subject. - -“4th. Measures are about to be taken at Constantinople in order that the -money may be coined of the same die, as likewise of the denomination and -weight corresponding with its value; the money coined in Egypt in the -name of the Sultan must be so at the rate adopted. - -“5th. During peace, Egypt can be protected by 18,000 soldiers; this -number shall not be exceeded; and as the land and sea forces of Egypt -are at the disposal of the empire, the Porte, in case of war, will fix -the augmentation which it is requisite to give to them. In the other -parts of the empire, the soldier, after a service of five years, is -free; this rule shall be enforced in Egypt. Consequently, there shall be -chosen from the existing army, and according to the periods of service, -20,000 men, of whom 18,000 shall serve in Egypt, and 2000 shall be sent -to Constantinople. Every year a ballot shall be had, in conformity with -the rules of equity, and in proportion to the population of each -district, for the levy of 4000 men, of whom 3600 shall be incorporated -into the troops of Egypt, and 400 shall be sent to Constantinople, the -whole to replace those who are discharged. The soldiers liberated from -service shall not be re-enlisted. It is possible that as regards the -material, the troops cannot be clad in Egypt as they are at -Constantinople, but as regards the shape of the clothing, the badges, -and the standards, they shall be wholly alike. The same is the case with -regard to the naval forces. - -“6th. The Viceroy of Egypt cannot confer ranks except up to that of -Solkal-Aghassi (adjutant-major); as regards the superior ranks, they -must be applied for to the Sublime Porte. - -“New ships of war shall not be built without the permission of the -Porte. - -“The continuance of the hereditary succession being subject to the -execution of each of these fundamental dispositions, in case of -non-execution, the concession of hereditary succession will be revoked.” - -Another firman conferred upon the Pacha the government (not hereditary) -of the provinces of Nubia, Darfour, Kordofan, and Sennaar. This firman -forbids the incursion of the troops into these provinces, who had been -permitted to seize the inhabitants, male and female, and retain them as -slaves in lieu of pay. He was also prohibited from reducing the slaves -to the state of eunuchs, a common practice in Egypt. - -The Pacha pointed out to me how impossible it was to comply with the -firman relative to the hereditary title. That in the first place, with -respect to the Porte choosing his successor from any of his family, that -it was a blow directed against Ibrahim Pacha, which was both unjust and -impolitic. That he was his eldest son, and well worthy of succeeding -him; besides which, even if he consented to such a condition, it was by -no means clear that Ibrahim would, and even if he did, it would sow the -seeds of dissension in his family. That as to the appointment of his -officers, it had always been the practice to allow the Pacha of Egypt to -appoint them up to the rank of General, and that the proposed -restrictions would dissatisfy the army, and probably cause a mutiny. The -3rd Article, stipulating that he was to pay a fourth of the revenue of -Egypt to the Porte, appeared to him oppressive to Egypt. He asked my -advice how to act in his present position. This was a delicate question; -I had no instructions from home, nor from the Admiral, who was at Malta, -and no communication of any description from Lord Ponsonby, and simply a -letter from Colonel Hodges, stating the fact of the firmans having been -sent, and his opinion that the conditions would not be accepted by the -Pacha. - -The reasons the Pacha gave for rejecting parts of the firman were so -just and so strong, that I did not hesitate to express my opinion that -they ought not to be accepted, and I advised him to write to the Porte, -and respectfully point out the impossibility of his accepting such -terms. - -I knew in doing this I was taking a good deal of responsibility on -myself, as it was probable these terms had been suggested to the Porte -by some of the Ambassadors, if not by all; but, being on the spot, and -seeing that should Ibrahim, who was at the head of a large army, resist, -and be supported in his resistance by the officers of the army, which -was pretty certain, the whole country would be thrown into confusion, I -knew I should incur censure for not taking upon myself the -responsibility of advising the Pacha to adopt what I thought was the -safest course. Had the British and the other Consuls been at Alexandria, -I should have left it entirely to them. - -The following is my letter to Lord Palmerston, relating the whole -occurrence:— - - “Stromboli, Alexandria, - Feb. 23, 1841. - -“My Lord, - -“I have the honour of inclosing the translation of the Hatti Scherif, -which was brought here by the Turkish Commissioner on the 21st. - -“The Pacha has accepted the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Articles, and the part of -the 6th which regards the construction of men of war; he begs the -Sublime Porte to modify Article 3 as being oppressive to Egypt. - -“The first article he considers quite inadmissable, as it would not be -acceded to by Ibrahim Pacha, would cause discord in his family, and a -civil war at his death. He also objects to the part of Article 6 which -relates to the appointment of officers; hitherto they have all been -appointed by him, with the exception of General of Division, and a -sudden deviation from that system would disorganize the army, and bring -his authority into contempt. - -“The Pacha has repeatedly consulted me on this subject; and it is a most -delicate situation to be placed in, as I cannot know what instructions -your Lordship may have given to Lord Ponsonby; but judging of the -intentions of the Allies from the Treaty of the 15th July, I cannot -think it was contemplated by the Allies to attach such a condition to -the hereditary title, and I did not hesitate to tell His Highness as -much. It is true I might have preserved silence; but placed as the Pacha -at present is, he is sure of turning to some one for advice, and that -person would have been the French Consul-General, out of whose hands I -have kept him since my arrival here; in fact, he looks up to England for -protection and advice, and I believe I am the only person he consults. - -“There is a separate firman giving him the pachalic of Nubia for life, -with the condition that the chase should be suppressed, and no more -eunuchs made. This he has no objection to; and he regrets the Sublime -Porte has not taken the initiative and abolished slavery. I have urged -him strongly to do this at once; but he says it is surrounded with so -many difficulties, that the people’s minds must be prepared before he -can venture on such a measure. - -“Mr. Larking goes home in the Liverpool in bad health; and he will -explain to your Lordship the position of this country, and the anxiety -of the Pacha for the friendship of England. The Consuls are not yet -arrived from Constantinople, which is to be regretted. I don’t know that -I have any right to stay now my mission is finished. Syria is entirely -evacuated, and many lives have been lost in consequence of the rejection -of the Convention, and the menacing attitude of the Turks, which obliged -Ibrahim Pacha to go round the Dead Sea, instead of marching straight on -Gaza. - -“After the honourable manner the Pacha has behaved about the fleet, it -is to be regretted the Porte should have pressed him so hard, -particularly as I do not see how they can enforce their demands, and I -do not apprehend the Allies will risk another armament to enforce them. - -“The Scheiks and Emirs are arrived at Cairo; and they will be sent to -Syria immediately on their arrival here. - -“_February 24._ I saw the Pacha last night; he had a very long -conversation with the Turkish Minister, who seems to be aware of the -impossibility of imposing such terms on the Pacha, and he has sent his -steamer to Constantinople for fresh instructions. I do hope they will be -more reasonable at Constantinople. I do not think it would have been -possible to have concocted a better plan to throw discord and confusion -into a country, than the terms they have proposed to him. Egypt is -making rapid strides to improvement, and is now beginning to feel the -advantages of Mehemet Ali’s system. He is, it is true, an Oriental, and -has many mistaken notions; but he must be treated with kindness and -consideration. - -“A good many Syrians have come into Egypt with the Egyptian army. I have -demanded their immediate release; and for the first time, had rather a -warm discussion with him on the subject. He promises to send them to -their homes; but not till he hears from Constantinople. I regret this, -because it will furnish his enemies with weapons against him; but I -cannot wonder at his being irritated, because he has not been treated -well. He behaved so honourably about the fleet, that he deserved some -consideration. Imposing such a heavy tribute on him, will have either -the effect of stopping improvement in Egypt, or if he goes on with his -public works, he will have to oppress the people, and he was on the -point of reducing the poll-tax, when the Hatti Scherif arrived. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “CHARLES NAPIER. - -“To Viscount Palmerston. - -“P.S. I have this moment received a letter from Boghos Bey, promising -the release of the Syrian troops.” - -My last interview with the Pacha was not of a very pleasant nature; for -the first time, he neither offered me a pipe, nor took one himself, and -was in very ill humour. I pressed him hard about the Syrians, which he -evaded; and I told him I should speak to him no more on the subject, but -should address an official letter to Boghos Bey; this I did, and he -answered, promising their immediate release. - -Next morning the Pacha set out for Cairo to see Ibrahim, who, for some -reason or other, had declined coming to Alexandria. Seeing that I could -be of no further use here, I made up my mind to proceed to join the -Powerful in Marmorice Bay, and accordingly paid a parting visit to -Boghos Bey. The old man was very civil, and informed me he had orders to -present me with a snuff-box set in brilliants. Boghos Bey had before -pressed me to receive a large present as a _souvenir_ from the Pacha, -which I declined, as being contrary to our rules and regulations; but in -this instance he pressed the box, saying it was an Eastern custom, and -the grand _souvenir_ should be given at a later period. I replied that I -should have had no objection to have taken a small keepsake of little -value from the Pacha; but that in my last interview, I did not think he -had behaved well, and evaded giving me any answer about the Syrian -troops, in which I thought he had not kept his word. I added that he -might rely upon it the British Government would insist on the -performance of his promise. - -I then took leave of Boghos Bey, left Alexandria on the 1st of March, -and arrived at Marmorice Bay on the 3rd. I there found orders to proceed -to Malta, where I arrived on the 22nd, and was placed in quarantine. The -day after my arrival I received a letter from the Commander-in-Chief, -which left me in doubt whether the Government had repented their -approval of my Convention or not. The letter and answer I insert, -together with the Admiral’s further reply:— - - “Princess Charlotte, Malta, - March 15, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“I am desired by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint -you, that whatever may have been the political considerations which -induced Her Majesty’s Government to sanction a Convention entered into -under the circumstances in which you felt yourself placed, their -Lordships fully concur in my opinion of the injury and inconvenience to -which Her Majesty’s service may be exposed by a junior officer taking -upon himself such a responsibility, which can only be justified by the -event as in the present instance. - - “I am, &c., - “ROBERT STOPFORD, _Admiral_. - -“Commodore Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B., - H.M.S. Powerful.” - - * * * * * - - “H.M.S. Powerful, - Malta, March 28, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“Had I not received a letter from the Admiralty direct, together with -private ones from Lords Minto and Palmerston, approving of the -Convention I entered into with Mehemet Ali, which Convention was based -on the Treaty of the 15th of July, and approved of by the great Powers -of Europe, who are now carrying it out, I should have considered your -letter of the 15th of March, communicating their Lordships’ opinion, as -intended to convey a sort of censure. - -“I am quite aware, when an officer takes upon himself the responsibility -I did, there must be strong reasons to justify him; I took the same -responsibility at Sidon and Boharsof, and had I been defeated I incurred -the same risk of censure, and I trust, as long as I can benefit my -country by incurring responsibility, I shall always possess strength of -mind to do it. - -“I take this opportunity of observing how much I regret that you should -have found it necessary, in disapproving of my Convention, to have -expressed yourself in such harsh terms of me to Mehemet Ali, which -placed me in a most unpleasant situation at Alexandria. - - “I have, &c., “CHAS. - NAPIER, - -“To Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, - G.C.B., G.C.M.G., Malta.” - - * * * * * - - “Princess Charlotte, at Malta, - March 23, 1841. - -“Sir, - -“I do not intend to enter into the political merits of your Convention -with Mehemet Ali, which has been subsequently sanctioned by Her -Majesty’s Government, but as Commander-in-Chief upon this station I -think I should have signally failed in my duty if I had not represented -to the Admiralty any act of an officer under my command which I -considered to be contrary to the rules and customs of the naval service. - -“I am not aware of any harsh expression towards your proceedings, in my -letter to Mehemet Ali, as I consider the words ‘hasty and unauthorized’ -perfectly justifiable under the circumstances of the case, and which -accounted for my refusing to ratify the Convention. - - “I am, &c., - “ROBERT STOPFORD, _Admiral_. - -“Commodore Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B., - H.M.S. Powerful.” - -On the 31st of the same month, having obtained a month’s leave of -absence, I hauled down my broad pennant, and proceeded to England in the -Oriental steamer, and arrived at Liverpool in the middle of April. - -Footnote 103: - - _The Grand Vizier to Mazloum Bey._ - - 19 Zilkadé, 1256. (12 January, 1841.) - - In the letter which I wrote and sent by your Excellency to his - Highness Mehemet Ali Pacha, there is nothing clear or precise relative - to the hereditary succession to the Government of Egypt. It is said, - in general terms, that he shall be reinstated in the Government of - Egypt. It is then probable, it is to be presumed, that his Highness - will conceive suspicions in this respect; and it is for this reason - that it has been judged necessary to give the following explanations - upon this point. - - As the letter which Mehemet Ali Pacha sent to me, and by which he - offered his submission to His Imperial Majesty, commenced by making - mention of the Convention which had been concluded between him and - Commodore Napier, and as the Sublime Porte had not accepted that - Convention, which it regarded as null and of no effect, it was thought - that if I had spoken in my letter of the hereditary succession, it - would have been, in substance, to recognise the Convention, and that - is the reason why it was omitted to speak of it. - - Nevertheless, His Imperial Majesty, whose goodness and favours are - shed over his servants truly submissive, entertaining with regard to - Mehemet Ali Pacha the benevolent intentions which are in unison with - the sentiments of moderation by which the High Allied Powers are - animated, it is certain that as soon as he shall have proved by facts, - as has been declared in my letter, the submission which he has - offered, by immediately restoring the Ottoman fleet, and by making - over, without delay, to the Commissioners of the Sublime Porte, the - countries which are known to be in question, and which are situated - out of Egypt, His Highness will be pleased to reinstate him in the - government of Egypt, with right of hereditary succession. - - The requisite conditions laid down by the Treaty of Alliance, and - other points connected with those conditions, are about to be settled; - and as all this will be arranged at the same time that the investiture - of the hereditary succession shall take place, I abstain for the - moment from entering into details upon this subject. - - However, it is important that His Highness should know in a few words - what is doing, and that he should be apprized beforehand, that if a - single one of the conditions which shall have been laid down, is not - observed, the hereditary succession will be abolished. - - You will therefore formally ratify to Mehemet Ali, on the part of His - Imperial Majesty, in case that, in conformity with what has been said - above, his submission shall be a fact, the conditional hereditary - succession aforesaid. And in order altogether to dispel the doubts - which he might have in this respect, and to inspire him with entire - confidence, you will even allow him, if necessary, to see my present - official despatch. - - Such are the orders of the Sultan, in conformity with which you will - be careful to act, and it is for this purpose that I write to you the - present despatch. - -Footnote 104: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 242. - -Footnote 105: - - The firmans are given at length, as are also the instructions of the - Turkish Envoy, and the official notifications connected with the - affair, in the _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 241-254. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - -Meeting of the Foreign Ministers in London—Protocol of the 5th - March—Note of Chekib Effendi—Note of the 13th of March—Lord - Palmerston’s explanation of the Views of the Allies regarding the - Hereditary Tenure—Conference of the 16th March—Protocol—Endeavour to - include France in a Convention for closing the Straits of the - Dardanelles and Bosphorus—False Position of the Porte—Views of Lord - Ponsonby and of the other Ambassadors—Instructions of the Austrian - and British Governments—Opinions of M. Guizot—Turkish Plan of - Settlement—Note of the 10th May. - - -When Lord Palmerston heard from Sir Robert Stopford that the Turkish -fleet had arrived at Marmorice Bay, and that Ibrahim Pacha had reached -Gaza, he immediately assembled the Foreign Ministers, and, on the 5th of -March, they agreed to a Protocol to the following effect[106]:— - -1. That Mehemet Ali had submitted, and asked for pardon. - -2. That he had delivered the Ottoman fleet to the Commissioners. - -3, 4. That he had evacuated Syria; and that the Turkish authority was -established there and in Candia. - -5. That the Sultan had accepted the submission, and pardoned Mehemet -Ali, his children, and adherents. - -6. That the Sultan had announced his intention of reinstating Mehemet -Ali with hereditary succession. - -The conditions settled on the 15th of October and 14th November[107], -being thus fulfilled, the assembled Ministers determined that the -Consuls of the Four Powers should now return to Alexandria. - -On the 11th of March, Chekib Effendi, the Ottoman Minister, communicated -to Lord Palmerston[108] that the Porte had restored Mehemet Ali, and -forwarded him the firmans I have already mentioned, and requested his -Lordship to communicate them to the other Ambassadors in London, and he -desired an answer to the official communication; whereupon Lord -Palmerston again assembled the Foreign Ministers on the 13th of -March[109], and they drew up a Collective Note, expressing their lively -satisfaction at the event, and communicating to the Ottoman Minister -that they had heard from Alexandria, under date of the 24th of February, -that Mehemet Ali had admitted, without reserve, that the treaties and -laws of the empire should apply to Egypt in the same way as to the other -provinces of the empire. That he had acceded to the regulation of the -monetary system, the service and uniform of the troops, and the building -of the ships. That he had replaced under the orders of the Sultan, the -land and sea forces, and, in fact, that at the present moment he had put -himself in the situation of a subject, and that it appertains to the -Sultan alone to settle the internal administration, and take into -consideration the wishes which Mehemet Ali has submitted to the Sultan. -The Ministers finish the Note by stating, “The Undersigned are fully -assured that these explanations, conceived in a sincere spirit of -conciliation, would be received by the Sultan in the same manner in -which he has constantly received the advice already given by his -Allies,—advice disinterested and sincere, which His Highness has justly -appreciated, when he accomplished, by an act of clemency, a work of -pacification which his Allies had frankly aided him in effecting.” - -Lord Palmerston wrote at the same time to Lord Ponsonby[110], -transmitting the Note of the Plenipotentiaries, and remarking that -doubts might arise out of the wording of the first Article of the -Hatti-Sheriff, which specifies the conditions to be imposed upon Mehemet -Ali. “The wording of that Article might lead to the supposition, that -the Sultan intended to reserve to himself to choose upon each vacancy in -the pachalic of Egypt, any one of the descendants of Mehemet Ali, -without regard to any fixed rule whatever; and that thus the principle -of hereditary tenure would be rendered illusory. - -“Her Majesty’s Government conceive, that this was by no means the -intention of the Porte, and that what was meant to be established by the -condition above-mentioned is, that while, on the one hand, the Sultan -grants to the descendants of Mehemet Ali in the direct male line -hereditary succession in the pachalic of Egypt, the Sultan reserves his -own sovereign rights intact, by declaring, that those descendants shall -not succeed as a matter of course and of inherent right, as would be the -case with the rulers of an independent state, but shall each in turn -receive his appointment from the Sultan, and by a separate act of the -Sultan’s sovereign power. - -“If this is a correct view of the meaning of the Article in question, -there can be no difficulty on the part of the Porte in giving such an -explanation thereof as will remove all misunderstandings; and the Porte -might say, that is the intention of the Sultan that this right of -selection shall in all cases he exercised in favour of the next male -heir to the deceased Pacha, unless, by infancy or by physical -incapacity, such male heir should be incapable of taking charge of the -administration of the province, in which case the person next in -relationship to the deceased Pacha would be appointed in his stead. The -Sultan might, at the same time, make it to be clearly understood, that -it is his intention that Ibrahim shall succeed to Mehemet.” - -Lord Palmerston was also of opinion that it would not be difficult to -settle the affair of the tribute, and that the Allies had purposely -abstained from entering into the question; and that relative to the -appointment of the officers, could be easily arranged. - -On the 16th of March the Allied Ministers in another conference[111] -conceiving the Eastern Question settled, engaged the French Government -to rejoin the European family, and they initialed a Convention -recognising the right of the Porte to shut the passage of the -Dardanelles and Bosphorus against ships of war of all nations. The -Protocol was as follows:— - -“The difficulties in which His Highness the Sultan was placed, and which -decided him to apply for the support and the assistance of the Courts of -Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, being now removed, and -Mehemet Ali having made towards His Highness the Sultan the act of -submission which the Convention of the 15th of July was designed to -bring about, the Representatives of the Courts, parties to the said -Convention, have considered that, independently of the execution of the -temporary measures resulting from that Convention, it is of essential -importance to record in the most formal manner, the respect which is due -to the ancient rule of the Ottoman empire, in virtue of which it has at -all times been prohibited for ships of war of Foreign Powers to enter -the Straits of the Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus. - -“This principle being from its nature one of general and permanent -application, the respective Plenipotentiaries, provided with the orders -of their Courts to this effect, have been of opinion that, in order to -manifest the agreement and union which regulate the intentions of all -the Courts in what concerns the maintenance of the peace of Europe, it -would be proper to record the respect which is due to the -above-mentioned principle, by means of an arrangement in which France -should be invited to concur, at the invitation, and agreeably to the -wish, of the Sultan. - -“This arrangement being calculated to afford to Europe a pledge of the -union of the Five Powers, Her Britannic Majesty’s Principal Secretary of -State for Foreign Affairs, agreeably to an understanding with the -Plenipotentiaries of the Four Powers, undertook to bring this matter to -the knowledge of the French Government, requesting it to take part in an -arrangement by which, on the one hand, the Sultan should declare his -firm resolution to maintain for the future the above-mentioned -principle; the Five Powers, on the other hand, should announce their -unanimous determination to respect that principle and to conform -themselves thereto. - - “(Initialed) E. N. - P. - B. - B. - C. - -On the 6th of March Mehemet Ali’s and Said Muhib Effendi’s letters to -the Vizier arrived at Constantinople[112]. Mehemet Ali’s, in respectful -terms, and with great clearness, pointed out the impossibility of his -consenting to the first, third, and part of the sixth articles of the -Firman; the other articles he cheerfully acceded to. The Commissioner -makes a long report of the arguments he used to induce Mehemet Ali to -consent, and the very clever way he evaded them; and it must be admitted -the old Pacha had the best of the argument. - -The Porte, as might have been expected, was now in a false position; -France had so far joined the Allies as to initial the Treaty for -shutting the Dardanelles, but it was not likely she would now attempt to -coerce Mehemet Ali or even advise him to yield; and under this -embarrassment Rechid Pacha, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, wrote to -the Ministers for advice. Lord Ponsonby did not hesitate to entirely -agree with Rechid Pacha that the application of Mehemet Ali to change -some of the articles of the Firman was no proof of submission[113]. The -Firman, says the Ambassador, is an order, and no subject can refuse to -obey an order and be considered submissive; he does not admit that he -petitioned for a change, but he asserts that he disobeys. I cannot read -Mehemet Ali’s letter in that sense. After giving his reasons why the -hereditary succession should go by right of primogeniture, which appear -to me convincing, he states, “It is evident, moreover, that his -Highness, moved by sentiments of clemency, desires the maintenance of -repose and tranquillity, and it is for that reason that I request that -the question of the hereditary succession may be settled as has been -stated above.” Surely this may be considered petitioning, and in a -moderate way too, when we recollect that Mehemet Ali knew full well that -the Porte had no means of enforcing these orders. - -What the Ambassador says of the preparations Mehemet Ali was making for -resistance is incorrect. I was at Alexandria at the time, and I saw no -new preparations; there were a few men completing his unfinished works, -which were so ill constructed that if not attended to they would have -crumbled to pieces. He was certainly reorganizing his army, after the -retreat, which was absolutely necessary; but even had he been preparing -for resistance could he be blamed? The Firman that was sent to him was -so perfectly absurd that no man in his senses, with an army of 50,000 or -60,000 man, and upwards of 10,000 cavalry, would have accepted such -terms from a weak master; and no set of men, possessed of common -understanding, and knowing the relative position of the Porte and -Mehemet Ali, would have counselled such a Firman. The Ambassador -finishes by recommending the Porte to do nothing till they have heard -from Great Britain. - -Baron Stürmer was a wiser man, and he recommended the Porte to seek some -means of acceding to the entreaties of Mehemet Ali without compromising -the dignity of the Sultan[114]. Baron Königsmark and M. Titow declined -giving an opinion till they received further instructions[115]. - -On the 29th of March Rechid Pacha and Ahmed Fethi Pachi were displaced, -and succeeded by Rifat Bey, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Tahir -Pacha, as Capudan Pacha. - -On the 31st March Prince Metternich, seeing no end to this question, -instructed Baron Stürmer to inform the Divan, that if they did not adopt -the modifications to the Firman recommended by the Conference of London, -the Emperor of Austria would withdraw altogether from the alliance. -Prince Metternich writes most strongly; he observes, “The contents of -your despatch of the 17th of March attract our most serious attention, -because they prove the existence of a position without precedent in the -annals of diplomacy. What, for example, has been the result of the very -precise instructions of the 30th of January? What attention have the -Divan, and the agents of the Four Courts, paid to the opinion expressed -in that document? On the one hand we see the Porte undecided as to the -course which it will have to take on the subject of the representations -of Mehemet Ali against certain articles of the Firman; and on the other, -the Representatives of the Four Powers ignorant how to counsel from the -very clear words of the Collective Note above mentioned; in truth, M. le -Baron, it is impossible to make it out.” This is pretty strong language, -which he follows up by saying, “The instructions I sent you on the 26th -of March have replied, by anticipation, to your scruples, and I flatter -myself you will have considered those instructions as anticipating the -orders which each of you have applied for, and not have hesitated to -offer the advice they contain. - -“Nevertheless, as in the course of this affair we have already been -exposed to see ourselves deceived in our expectations, I now direct you -to invite your colleagues to a conference, and acquaint them that the -Emperor enjoins you to insist on the Divan admitting the modifications -which the other Courts desire, for the interest even of the Porte, to -see introduced into certain articles of the Firman. And should your -colleagues decline doing so, you are to take the step prescribed, either -alone or with those who will join you; and should the Porte refuse to -listen, the Emperor will consider himself as restored to entire liberty -of position and action[116].” - -Lord Palmerston writes under date of the 10th of April[117]; that he -conceives his former despatches and the Collective Notes are sufficient -to guide Lord Ponsonby in the advice he shall give, and that it is -important the dispute between the Porte and Mehemet Ali should be -settled as soon as possible, and that the Government do not think the -objection stated by the Ambassador, “that it would not be proper for the -Sultan to negotiate with Mehemet Ali,” ought to weigh against the -extreme urgency of coming to a final settlement, and that no settlement -can be made without a direct communication. “On some points,” his -Lordship adds, “Mehemet Ali has reason on his side, in others he is -clearly and decidedly wrong.” The Sultan ought, therefore, without -delay, to modify the Firman in the objectionable parts, and explain that -other parts cannot be altered without a departure from the terms of the -Treaty of the 15th of July. - -Lord Palmerston wrote to Lord Ponsonby more peremptorily on the 21st of -April, inclosing a copy of Prince Metternich’s letter to Baron Stürmer, -and acquainting his Lordship that Her Majesty’s Government concur in the -view taken of the matter by the Austrian Government, and are prepared to -take the same course[118]. - -M. Guizot in a conversation with Mr. Bulwer at Paris, took the same view -of the 1st, 3rd, and 6th articles of the Firman I had done, and admitted -he disapproved of some of Mehemet Ali’s pretensions, and had taken care -to tell him so; and that the only way to settle the dispute was by the -Allies pressing the Porte on one side, and France pressing Mehemet Ali -on the other[119]. - -On the 27th of April, Chekib Effendi, the Ottoman Minister in London, -submitted to Lord Palmerston a new plan[121], which was little better -than the first: the Porte offered to confer the Government of Egypt, -after the death of Mehemet Ali, either on Ibrahim Pacha or any other son -that Mehemet Ali might select, on condition that afterwards, the right -of selection should devolve on the Porte; if that was not approved of, -it was proposed that one of his descendants should be chosen by the -members of his family and by the chief people of the country, and -proposed to the Sublime Porte, which choice should be confirmed, and the -person nominated by the Sultan; the other articles remained the same. -Who could have put this wild scheme into the heads of the Divan, it is -not easy to conceive; this plan would certainly have settled the -succession on Ibrahim Pacha, but on failure it would have given rise to -intrigues without measure, and also have put the dignity of the Porte in -a worse position than at once fixing the hereditary succession in the -family of Mehemet Ali as he wished. The Plenipotentiaries met in London -on the 10th of May, and very adroitly passed over the new proposition of -Chekib, and repeated their opinion that the succession should go in the -right line, from father to son. As to the tribute, they recommended that -it should be fixed at a stated sum, subject to revision at certain -periods, and they conceived that the difficulty which had arisen -relative to promotion, could only be considered as of secondary -importance. They finish by saying that they persist in their views -communicated to the Porte in the Collective Notes of the 30th of -January, 13th of March, and by the Protocol of the 5th of March[120], -and that they look upon the submission formally made by Mehemet Ali as -absolute, and in consequence the Turco-Egyptian question -terminated[122]. - -Footnote 106: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 235. - -Footnote 107: - - See Vol. I., p. 249; Vol. II., p. 15. - -Footnote 108: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 241. - -Footnote 109: - - Ibid., p. 263. - -Footnote 110: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 326. - -Footnote 111: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 321. - -Footnote 112: - - See these documents in the _Levant Papers_, Part III., pp. 341, 353. - -Footnote 113: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 371. - -Footnote 114: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 372. - -Footnote 115: - - Ibid., p. 374. - -Footnote 116: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 378. - -Footnote 117: - - Ibid., p. 364. - -Footnote 118: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 385. - -Footnote 119: - - Ibid., p. 382. - -Footnote 120: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 389. - -Footnote 121: - - See pages 171, 244, 245. - -Footnote 122: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 404. - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - -Colonel Napier’s Account of his Missions to Egypt—Seizure of the - Maronite and Druse Emirs and Sheikhs—Their Condition in Egypt—Their - Return to Syria—False Assertions of the French—Mission for the - Liberation of the Syrian Soldiers—Difficulty of ascertaining their - Number—Bad Faith of the Pacha—Infamous Proposal of a Turkish - Officer—Sudden termination of the Negotiation—Suspicious conduct of - the Egyptians—Liberation of the Syrians. - - -I have already mentioned that on my way down the river from Cairo, in -February, 1841, I met Colonel Napier. He had been dispatched from Syria -by Colonel Bridgeman, with orders to bring back the Scheiks and Emirs -for whose restoration to liberty I had stipulated in my correspondence -with Boghos Bey[123]. The Colonel’s own account of this mission, and of -a subsequent one in which he was employed by the Foreign Office to -procure the release of the Syrian troops carried into Egypt, is as -follows:— - -“Shortly before the allied forces landed in Syria, several of the most -influential Maronite and Druse chieftains[124] of Mount Lebanon being -seized by Ibrahim Pacha, were, together with a great number of their -servants and dependants, embarked on board an Egyptian vessel at Acre. -On arriving at Alexandria, these unfortunate people, after being loaded -with chains, and subjected to every species of indignity, were sent up -the Nile to the remote regions of Sennaar, there to work at the Pacha’s -recently discovered gold mines. - -“One of Commodore Napier’s stipulations with Boghos Bey being the -emancipation of these mountain chiefs[125], after the evacuation of -Syria by the Egyptians I was sent by Colonel Bridgeman, then in command -of the British troops, to accompany these Emirs and Scheiks back to -their own country. - -“On my arrival in Egypt, in February, 1841, I immediately proceeded on -the purport of my mission, and ascended the Nile in quest of my charge. -Mehemet Ali, I learnt, had already sent orders for their liberation, and -I met them all at Cairo on their way to Alexandria. Finding them here in -the most complete state of destitution, clothed in rags, without money, -and in want of the common necessaries of life, I made several -representations on the subject to the authorities, which were, however, -disregarded; and it was only through the active mediation of that -gallant old soldier Souliman Pacha (who had just returned across the -Desert) and on his and my repeated applications, that daily rations were -at last served out to these unfortunate people. - -“After numerous vexatious delays, the order for them to proceed to -Alexandria at length arrived; a fine Egyptian corvette was placed at my -disposal for their conveyance, and about the middle of March, 1841, I -had the satisfaction of landing them, (with one exception[126],) in -safety at Beyrout, where they were received with the greatest -enthusiasm. - -“Although the return of these Emirs and Scheiks may entirely be -attributed to Commodore Napier, the French merchants and priests in -Beyrout and Lebanon had the assurance to arrogate to themselves the -merit of the act, and widely spread this report in the mountains, which -assertion, however, I as flatly contradicted, and completely succeeded -in disproving this false and barefaced assertion. Shortly after this I -rejoined my regiment at Gibraltar. - -“The Commodore, in thinking of his mountain friends, had not neglected -the interests of the unfortunate Syrian soldiers, who, having been -pressed into the Egyptian service, were, on the evacuation of Syria, -unwillingly dragged after Ibrahim Pacha to the ‘Land of Bondage.’ The -Commodore’s stipulation with Boghos Bey on the subject was, ‘that as -soon as the evacuation of Syria should be effected, the whole of these -men should be immediately sent back to their country.’ However, time -wore on, and as Mehemet Ali showed no symptoms of fulfilling his -promise, the writer was again sent to Egypt by the Foreign Office, with -directions to exact from the Pacha the accomplishment of his engagement -to Sir Charles Napier as to the Syrian soldiers, and to accompany those -soldiers back to their country. Armed with ‘full powers[127],’ I left -the Rock on the 26th of May, and arriving at Alexandria about a month -later, at once set about the performance of my task, and this I very -soon discovered would be no easy one. - -“In the first place, it was difficult to ascertain the exact number of -surviving Syrians of Ibrahim’s army who had arrived in Egypt, -particularly as every obstacle was industriously thrown in the way of -obtaining such information. The Egyptian authorities estimated the -number of survivors at so low a figure as 3000; however, from all the -information I was able to collect, I concluded the sum total to amount -to about 10,000 or 12,000; nor was I much out in this calculation, -though the extremes of heat and cold, the griping hand of hunger and -thirst during the winter retreat over the plains of the Haouran, and -across the sands of the Desert, to say nothing of the plague which had -been raging in Egypt since their return to the latter country;—all these -circumstances combined,—had made sad havoc amongst their devoted bands. - -“The Pacha at first sheltered himself under the plea of not being able -to take any steps in the matter until he had received the sanction of -the Sultan, and thus gained a month or six weeks, until a communication -was sent and answer returned from Constantinople. The reply of the Porte -arrived in the shape of a Turkish officer of the rank of ‘Meeralaï,’ -(Colonel), who, whatever might be his secret instructions, came with -professed orders for the immediate liberation of the Syrians. Still no -great alacrity was manifested to comply with these injunctions. Time -passed away; the month of August arrived, and with it Colonel Barnett, -the British Consul-General, who joined me in urging the fulfilment of an -engagement which the Pacha continued as perseveringly, to evade. -Mustapha Bey, the Turkish Commissioner, _apparently_ united with us in -our request; but it may not be here irrelevant to remark, as an instance -of what reliance may be placed on Turkish faith and honour, that this -person had the audacity to propose to me the _enlèvement_ of Mehemet Ali -on the occasion of a proposed visit of the latter to Her Majesty’s -steamer Medea; adding, that taking the old gentleman captive to -Stamboul, would ensure the fortune of us both! I was strongly inclined -to turn the tables on the fellow, by letting the Pacha into the secret; -but the consequence would probably have been fatal to the offender, who, -after all, was perhaps no worse than the majority of Oriental -diplomatists. - -“How long the negotiation might otherwise have been protracted is hard -to say; but, luckily about this time, my representations received great -additional weight from the unexpected appearance of a couple of British -line-of-battle ships at Alexandria, the Rodney and Calcutta having -received orders to station themselves off that port. Accordingly, on the -7th of September, I received a communication from Boghos Bey, stating -that the first detachment of Syrian soldiers, to the amount of 1100, -would embark in two of the Pacha’s vessels on the following, and sail -the succeeding day, offering me, at the same time, accommodation on -board; which offer, however, was politely declined. - -“Fully relying on the accuracy of this statement, I was, on the -following day (the 8th), not a little surprised to find that the -vessels, with these troops on board, had gone out of port early on -_that_ morning. I immediately communicated the circumstance to the -Consul-General, and as suspicions were entertained at the time that the -Pacha had,—with the concurrence of the Porte,—some design of sending -troops to Candia, we concluded that the destination of the people, who -were thus clandestinely smuggled off, might not be for Syria. Under this -impression, Captain Maunsell, of the Rodney, was immediately -communicated with, and he ordered the Egyptian vessels to be watched by -the Calcutta and Medea, in which latter vessel I embarked. - -“But whatever their originally proposed destination might have been, -under this goodly escort, the first batch of Syrians arrived in safety -at Beyrout on the 14th of September, and being duly handed over by me to -the British and Turkish authorities,—Col. Rose and Selim Pasha,—were -shortly afterwards followed by the remainder of their unfortunate fellow -exiles, to the amount of 10,000, who returned to their native shores in -the most miserable plight, without pay, many in rags, and the greater -part with several months’ arrears due to them, some even to the extent -of from twenty to twenty-four months! - -“So much for the faith, justice, and honour of His Highness Mehemet Ali -Pacha!” - -Footnote 123: - - See Vol. I., pp. 254-278. - -Footnote 124: - - “_Maronite Emirs or Princes._—1. Emir Hyder of Solymah. 2. Emir Faoul - Shehab. 3. Emir Faris Shehab. 4. Emir Youssouf Shehab. 5. Emir Mahmoud - Shehab. 6. Emir Abdallah Umrad. 7. Emir Ali Kaid Bey. 8. Emir Ali - Faris. - - “_Druse Scheiks or Chieftains._—9. Scheik Hamoud Naked. 10. Scheik - Kassim. 11. Scheik Abbas. 12. Scheik Nickul el Cassim (a Christian). - - “And about sixty followers.” - -Footnote 125: - - See the correspondence on this subject in Vol. I., pp. 254, - 258, _et seq._ - -Footnote 126: - - “The Emir Youssouf, the son of the Emir Solyman Shehab, of El Haded, - who died of fever in Upper Egypt.” - -Footnote 127: - - _Viscount Palmerston to Lieutenant-Colonel Napier._ - - (Extract.) Foreign Office, May 14, 1841. - - I have to instruct you, immediately on the receipt of this despatch, - to proceed to Alexandria to demand from Mehemet Ali the release of the - Syrian soldiers, whom he promised Sir Charles Napier to dismiss; and - you will accompany those soldiers back to Syria. - - I have applied to the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to provide - you with a passage on board the steam-vessel which conveys the mail - from Gibraltar to Malta; and the Admiral at Malta will be instructed - to send you on to Alexandria, and also to make arrangements for - conveying the Syrian soldiers, when released by Mehemet Ali, from - Egypt to the coast of Syria. - - You will report your proceedings in execution of this instruction - directly to me, and also to Colonel Bridgeman, or the officer - commanding the British detachments on shore in Syria, to whose orders - you will be subject while employed on this service; and who will be - instructed to direct you to return to your regiment when the service - is completed. - - I inclose a despatch to Colonel Hodges, directing him to join you in - demanding from Mehemet Ali the release of these Syrians; and you will - deliver the same to Colonel Hodges, if he should be at Alexandria, - when you arrive there. But you will not delay making the demand, if - Colonel Hodges should not have arrived. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - -Prince Metternich’s Orders to the Internuncio—Lord Ponsonby’s - Correspondence with Baron Stürmer—Hesitation of the Porte—Message - from Lord Ponsonby to Rifat Pacha—The new Firman granted—Accepted by - Mehemet Ali—Termination of the Eastern Question. - - -The peremptory orders of Prince Metternich to Baron Stürmer, to settle -the Egyptian question, arrived on the 12th of April at Constantinople, -whereupon the Baron wrote to Lord Ponsonby to inform him that his -colleagues of Russia and Prussia had agreed to hold to the Porte an -uniform language, and requesting to know if he could count on his -Lordship’s concurrence in this instance[128]. - -I give his Lordship’s answer in full, that the reader may judge for -himself: it is an exquisite piece of diplomacy, and judging from it, it -would be extremely difficult to decide whether the Ambassador had -followed his instructions or not. - - “Therapia, April 14, 1841. “Monsieur l’Internonce, - -“I had the honour to receive this day at a few minutes before 4 o’clock -your Excellency’s official Note dated the 13th instant, and I reply to -it without a moment’s delay. Your Excellency has communicated to me a -despatch you have received from Vienna, containing directions for the -conduct your Excellency is to pursue, and your Excellency expresses your -desire that I should act in co-operation with your Excellency and both -our colleagues of Russia and Prussia, in furtherance of the measure you -are directed to adopt. If I am not in error, the measure you are to -take, is to make known to the Sublime Porte the opinions and views of -the Conference at London, as that opinion, or those views, are stated -and exposed in the Collective Note of the Representatives of the Four -Powers addressed to Chekib Effendi, and dated 13th of March, 1841, and -in Lord Palmerston’s instructions, dated 16th of March, 1841, and -addressed to me. - -“I have already had the honour to acquaint you, that I had not only made -known to the Ottoman Minister the contents of those documents, stating -at the same time the opinion I entertained of the anxiety of the Allies -to bring the Egyptian Question to a termination at any rate; but I also -communicated to the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Collective Note and -Lord Palmerston’s instructions in original. Your Excellency will -therefore be satisfied that I have already done in my individual -capacity that which is so fervently urged in the despatch your -Excellency has received. - -“Your Excellency will, I am sure, have the goodness to acquaint me what -you and our colleagues may desire to have done further for making known -the opinion and views of the Conference to the Sublime Porte; I mean the -mode of acting. Your Excellency is, no doubt, fully informed of the fact -that the Ottoman Ministers have come to a decision to modify the Article -of succession to the government of Egypt, with the view of rendering it -agreeable to the wishes of the Conference; that the Ottoman Ministers -have also modified, with a similar intention, the Article of the -military rank to be conferred by the Pacha of Egypt; and that they are -engaged in considering in what manner the Article of tribute may be -modified so as to meet the views of the Conference. - -“Your Excellency is also acquainted with the disposition manifested in -the instructions sent by Rechid Pacha to Chekib Effendi, to arrange this -last-mentioned point; and no doubt your Excellency will esteem that to -be an evidence from which we may draw the conclusion, that the Sublime -Porte is desirous to gratify the wishes of the High Allies of the -Sultan, and may be supposed likely to act in the spirit of concession -whenever the wishes of those Powers shall have been made known to the -Sublime Porte. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -“The Baron de Stürmer.“ - -His Lordship, under the same date, writes to Lord Palmerston that the -Porte had given way to the wish of the Allies, and come to the -resolution that the government of Egypt should be inherited by the -eldest son; that Mehemet Ali should have the right to appoint officers -to the army below the rank of General of Brigade, and that the tribute -should be fixed at a stated sum. - -The Porte, still in doubt, or wishing for delay, asked Lord Ponsonby -what were his precise notions relative to the execution in Egypt of the -laws of the Sublime Porte as laid down in the Separate Act of the Treaty -of Alliance, as it could not know what the Allied Powers would say -should Mehemet Ali not fulfil that part of the Treaty. To which Lord -Ponsonby replies, that he is quite ignorant what will be the opinion of -the Allies on this point, and he therefore cannot give advice. - -Baron Stürmer, though an old diplomatist, seems to have been puzzled -with Lord Ponsonby’s letter to him, and did not reply. This called forth -another letter, which with the reply I give. - - “Monsieur l’Internonce, “Therapia, April 19, 1841. - -“On the 14th instant I had the honour to receive an official Note from -your Excellency desiring me to inform you if I was disposed to -co-operate with your Excellency and our colleagues in carrying into -effect the instructions received from our Courts, &c., &c. - -“I had the honour to reply to your Excellency’s note the same day, and -after having, at some length, explained what my conduct had been, (being -desirous to concur with my colleagues,) I requested your Excellency to -have the goodness to inform me in what way your Excellency and our -colleagues desired that I should act, in furtherance of the instructions -of our Governments. - -“This is the fifth day since I sent my note, and not having had the -honour to hear from you, I take the liberty to express my hope, that -your Excellency will favour me with a reply, as it is necessary for me -to state to my Government everything connected with this affair. - - “I have, &c., - (Signed) “PONSONBY.” - -“The Baron de Stürmer.” - - * * * * * - - “M. l’Ambassadeur, “Constantinople, April 21, 1841. - -“I received yesterday morning the letter which your Excellency did me -the honour to address to me the day before yesterday. - -“The Sultan having at length adopted with regard to the Pacha of Egypt -resolutions in conformity with the advice and wishes of his august -Allies, and those resolutions having yesterday been announced to us -officially, our task, it appears to me, is accomplished. The question -which you have the goodness to ask me, M. l’Ambassadeur, as to the kind -of co-operation which my colleagues of Russia and Prussia and myself -expected from you, becomes therefore unnecessary. - -“If I have not replied to that same question which was already contained -in your letter of the 13th of this month, it is because you had assured -me therein that you had done everything which had depended upon you, by -communicating to the Porte the acts of the Conference of London and Lord -Palmerston’s instructions of the 16th of March, and in acquainting it at -the same time with the strong desire of the Allied Powers to see the -Egyptian affair terminated ‘at any rate.’ Now, that was precisely what -we wished to propose to your Excellency to do, and there remained -nothing more for us to ask you. - - “Be pleased, &c., - (Signed) “STURMER.” - -“Viscount Ponsonby.” - -The Porte, though they expressed their satisfaction with the plan -proposed by the Representatives of the Four Powers, were extremely slow -in following it out, and the British Ambassador, who seemed now to be -disciplined into obedience by Prince Metternich and Lord Palmerston’s -peremptory instructions, on the 12th of May directed his dragoman to -tell Rifat Pacha that if any further delay took place, he should feel it -necessary to call upon his colleagues to support him in inquiring of the -Sublime Porte the cause of the delay[129]. This letter quickened the -motions of the Divan; and on the 22nd of May the new Firman was laid -before the Allied Ministers, and approved of by them[130]. This Firman -complied with Mehemet Ali’s demands; it left Constantinople on the 2nd -of June, arrived at Alexandria on the 7th, was accepted by Mehemet Ali, -and was publicly read on the 10th[131]. - -Thus terminated this long protracted question, which might have been as -easily settled after the signing of my Convention on the 28th November, -1840, as it was on the 10th June, 1841, and without at all compromising -the honour or dignity of the Porte, who the reader has seen was, through -the rejection of my arrangement, obliged to make concession to a -conquered vassal. Who was the principal adviser of the Sultan the reader -will be able to judge by what I have stated; and if that is not -sufficiently satisfactory, he may turn over the _Levant Correspondence_, -where he will find that the British Ambassador, even at the eleventh -hour, lent a willing ear to every report which designing people were too -happy to make to him, prejudicial to Mehemet Ali. - -Footnote 128: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 417. - -Footnote 129: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 433. - -Footnote 130: - - Ibid., p. 435. - -Footnote 131: - - Ibid., p. 472. - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - -Review of the Turco-Egyptian Question—Mehemet Ali not the - Aggressor—Hostile Preparations of the Porte—Representations of the - Allied Powers—What Interests affected by the Independence of Mehemet - Ali—Views of France—Designs of Russia. - - -The Syrian and Egyptian question being now brought to a close, by the -total evacuation of the former country, and Mehemet Ali’s establishment -in the hereditary pachalic of Egypt almost on his own terms, it is time -to inquire what has been gained by measures that had well nigh plunged -Europe into a war, the end of which no man could have foreseen. - -I think every impartial man who has read the correspondence must allow -that Mehemet Ali was not the aggressor. It is quite true he was anxious -to be independent, and no wonder that a man who had acquired such -extensive possessions by the sword should be desirous of emancipating -himself from a weak master. I am not going to justify Mehemet Ali’s -first invasion of Syria: that would have been the time for the Allies to -have discouraged him, and a naval force sent off Acre would have been -quite sufficient to have put an end to his ambitious designs; but -nothing of the sort was done. Mehemet Ali was allowed to follow up one -victory after another, till his road to Constantinople was open, and the -Turks, having been refused assistance by their friends, called in the -Russians to protect them; and the Treaty of Kutayah settled for that -time the Eastern question. - -The Allied Powers, on learning that preparations were making for war at -Constantinople, instructed their Ambassadors to urge the Porte to -preserve peace. At the same time Russia took the initiative, and -instructed her Consul to desire Mehemet Ali to recall Ibrahim, and to -withdraw the Egyptian army to Damascus. What right had Russia, after -consenting to the Treaty of Kutayah, to make such a proposal? Would it -not have been safer and wiser, had the Allied Powers preserved the -_status quo_, or even persuaded the Porte to acknowledge Mehemet Ali at -once, and confer on him the government of the countries he had -conquered, stipulating at the same time that he should establish a -milder government in his extensive possessions? It had been proved that -Turkey, weak as she was, was entirely incapable of governing her distant -provinces; and would it not have been better to have given her a -powerful ally who would have been interested in protecting her against -her natural enemy, Russia, than curtailing his power, by restoring -provinces which she had not been able to govern, and at best giving her -a discontented vassal? It may be argued that such a proceeding would -have been dismembering the Turkish empire: I answer, that was already -done by the Treaty of Kutayah, and it would have been much safer to have -let things alone. - -Candia, which was entirely separate both from Egypt and Syria, might -have been restored to the Porte; this would have given her more real -strength than she is ever likely to receive from her very imperfect -possession of Syria. - -Let us now examine whose interests would have been affected by giving -Mehemet Ali independence. No power in Europe is so much interested in -keeping well with Mehemet Ali as Great Britain, and no power is more -aware of that than France; for in the very first conversation Count Molé -had with Lord Granville[132] he alluded to the subject, and the French -Government have never let slip an opportunity of doing acts of kindness -to Mehemet Ali, so as to keep him as much out of our hands as possible, -and I fear they have too well succeeded. France had opened a -considerable trade with Egypt, and she entertained great fears that -English enterprise would supplant her; no wonder, then, that she should -have befriended the Pacha in every possible way. France is as well aware -as we are, that steam navigation having got to such perfection, Egypt -has become almost necessary to England as the half-way house to India, -and indeed ought to be an English colony. Now if we wished to weaken -Mehemet Ali, with a view, in the event of the breakup of the Turkish -empire, which is not far distant, to have seized Egypt as our share of -the spoil, we were perfectly right in our policy; or even, had we not -looked so far ahead, it might, perhaps, have been politic to have -confined Mehemet Ali to Egypt, so that in the event of his stopping the -road to India by Suez, we might have the road of the Euphrates open, one -remaining in the possession of the Ottoman empire, and the other in that -of the Pacha of Egypt. It is not, however, usual for a Government to -quarrel with their own interests, and it is so decidedly the advantage -of the Pacha of Egypt to facilitate, by every possible means, the -passage across the Isthmus of Suez, that on the whole I believe the -soundest policy of Great Britain would have been to have supported -Mehemet Ali, and I have not the smallest doubt that when France saw we -were committed against him, she seized that opportunity of quitting the -alliance in order to make the Pacha her firm friend. - -France, however, though she had all the desire to protect the Pacha, -even at the risk of war, with match lighted ready to put to the gun, -hesitated, and, fortunately for Europe at large, Louis Philippe had -either not nerve to begin the strife, or being desirous of preserving -peace, refused to adopt M. Thiers’ plan of sending the French fleet to -Alexandria. The Ministers resigned, and Europe was saved from a general -conflagration. - -What aid France actually promised to the Pacha, or whether she ever -decidedly promised him any, we do not know, but it is not to be supposed -he would have resisted the wishes of the Allied Powers without some hope -of assistance at the last moment. The fall of Acre opened the Pacha’s -eyes; he turned his back on France, and listened to English counsels, -which guided him for a while. But the hostile conduct of our Ambassador -at Constantinople so disgusted him, that he again turned to France, who -received him with open arms, and thus completely destroyed the English -influence in Egypt. - -I think I have shown that England had no immediate reason to clip the -Pacha’s wings, and that France supported him because England was against -him. To Prussia it must have been quite indifferent whether Mehemet Ali -kept possession of Syria or not; nor do I see what interest Austria -could possibly have in displacing him—quite the contrary. Russia cannot -be a pleasant neighbour to Austria; and the Porte is a feeble ally. By -raising Mehemet Ali the Porte would have been strengthened; and indeed, -the Pacha, in possession of Syria and Egypt, would have been as much -interested in controlling the power of Russia as the Sultan himself. Who -then was to gain by reducing the power of Mehemet Ali? Russia! and -Russia alone. - -The Emperor of that great and powerful state saw clearly that the -duration of the Ottoman empire was drawing to a close; and that, sooner -or later, Russia would be the greatest gainer by its dissolution. It is -not then to be wondered at that she should be content to wait her time, -and accept the legacy that would fall in to her at its demise; and all -she had to do was to prevent a skilful practitioner coming to her -assistance. That practitioner was Mehemet Ali; and had he been supported -by France, England, Austria, and Prussia, his independence, granted by -the Porte and guaranteed by those Powers, would have been a far greater -blow on Russia than she has received for many years; and which blow, I -have no doubt, she would have used every effort to avert. We, however, -fell into her views; the Treaty of the 15th of July was signed; Mehemet -Ali has been sent back to Egypt; the Syrian provinces restored to the -Porte, and she has become weaker than ever. - -Various reasons have been given for Mehemet Ali’s obstinate refusal to -listen to the advice of the Allies. At one time it was supposed he was -backed by Russia, who wished for an excuse to come to Constantinople for -the second time; and, indeed, after the battle of Nizib, and the -defection of the Turkish fleet, that was my opinion. To check Russia, I -always thought that the combined fleets should have proceeded at once to -Constantinople, which was the thing, of all others, the Emperor wished -to avoid; and Count Nesselrode distinctly stated to Count Medem, that if -a French fleet appeared in the sea of Marmora, he would withdraw the -Ambassador, and then take such measures as he saw necessary to -re-establish the independence of the Porte[133]. - -When France began to take a different view of the question from the -other Powers, and support Mehemet Ali, Russia at once came forward, and -despatched Baron Brunnow to England with a letter from the Emperor to -the Queen. Part of the proposal of Russia was that the French and -English should appear off Alexandria, while the Russian fleet should -anchor in the Bosphorus. This France most properly and most decidedly -objected to. Lord Palmerston took the same view; and though he expressed -himself perfectly satisfied with the good intentions of Russia, he was -of opinion that if it was necessary for a Russian force to appear in the -Bosphorus, a British force should be there also. To this, as might be -expected, Baron Brunnow objected, and lamented that the British -Government had not more reliance on the good faith of Russia. After -various discussions, unnecessary to enter upon here, Russia gave up the -point of being the sole protector of Constantinople, and consented to a -small English force being sent there in the event of the Russian fleet -appearing in the Bosphorus[134]. France in consequence withdrew from the -alliance, and the Four Powers decided so far to fall into the views of -Russia as to put down Mehemet Ali, who was the best supporter the -Ottoman empire could have had, and give back Syria to the Porte, and -thereby accelerate her fall. - -The defection of France brought the other Powers closer together; and -the insurrection breaking out in Lebanon hastened the signing of the -Treaty of the 15th of July. We have seen that the movement was put down -by the energy of the Pacha; and that he refused the conditions that were -offered to him, and determined to defend himself; and, under all -circumstances, I think he was right. He had good intelligence from -Constantinople; he knew the Turkish Government could only spare a very -small force; he knew we had only 1500 marines in the fleet; he was quite -certain that Prussia would send no troops to Syria; and he did not think -that Austria would; and he was sensible that Great Britain, Austria, and -Prussia, would be very unwilling to call in the military assistance of -Russia, which would also be disagreeable to the Porte. Besides this, he -had a very large army in Syria, which had always been victorious, and -was well commanded, and the season of the year was far advanced, and not -a safe harbour or anchorage (with the exception of Scanderoun, which was -too far distant) on the coast where our ships could take shelter in the -winter. In addition to all this, he was backed by France, and was -determined to put every thing to the hazard of a die; and had his views -been properly followed up, he must have succeeded. - -Footnote 132: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part I., p. 1. - -Footnote 133: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part I., p. 307. - -Footnote 134: - - See _Levant Papers_, Part I., p. 553. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - -Errors of the Pacha—His proper course of Action—Mismanagement of Ibrahim - Pacha in Syria—Gain or Loss of Turkey by the Acquisition of - Syria—Conduct of the Turks in Lebanon—Quarrels of the - Mountaineers—Ill treatment of the Prince—Consequent hatred of - Turkish rule—Conclusion. - - -The first error Mehemet Ali committed was not immediately ordering -Ibrahim to march on Scutari after the battle of Nizib. At that time the -Allies had not come to a final arrangement, and the British and French -fleets were not collected in Besika Bay. Had he done that at once, -Russia would certainly have come down to Constantinople with a fleet and -army; France would have got alarmed, and probably ordered her fleet up -the Dardanelles; Great Britain would have done the same. Russia would -have urged the Porte to prevent it, which she would have been obliged to -have complied with, and the probability is that Europe would have been -set by the ears, and in the struggle Mehemet Ali would most likely have -retained the government of Syria; indeed, both France and England would -have been obliged to have made use of Mehemet Ali against Russia, and -the Porte, who must have joined with Russia in preventing the fleets -from forcing the Dardanelles. His second error was, in not concentrating -his army the moment he resolved on resisting the decision of the Allies. - -At the time we landed in D’Jounie Bay, the Egyptian army in Syria could -not have consisted of less than 80,000 men of all arms. They were -distributed, it is true, in various parts of the country. Ibrahim Pacha -ought to have divined our plan of operations the moment we landed; he -ought also to have ascertained from his spies, (which we could not -prevent,) the number of our troops, and the works we were throwing up, -which of themselves showed our weakness. He must have also known how -slow the mountaineers were in coming in in the first instance for arms. -Seeing all this, had he acted with vigour, and set his troops in motion -from Tripoli, he would first have saved D’Jebail, then occupied Gazir, -and prevented the Emir Abdallah from joining our standard. Had Osman -Pacha advanced at the same time from Balbeck, and occupied Antura and -the strong ground in front of our advanced posts, while Souliman Pacha, -strengthening himself at Beyrout with a couple of thousand men from -Sidon, might have marched with his army from Beyrout, and occupied the -convents and high grounds above the Nahr-el-Kelb, and threatened an -advance at the same time at the mouth of the river, he would, in the -first place, have prevented a single mountaineer from joining our -standard, and the overwhelming force which he would have mustered almost -within shot of us, would have been quite sufficient, without firing a -gun, to have made us pack up our traps and carry the Turkish troops to -Cyprus. By some strange fatality he remained inactive; we gained -confidence; were successful in all our enterprises; desertion began in -Ibrahim’s army, which was just as likely to have begun in our’s; and -when at last Ibrahim made an effort, and advanced to Beckfaya and -Boharsof, instead of collecting the whole of his forces, and driving us -from Ornagacuan, he did not bring half his troops, and allowed himself -to be attacked on both flanks, front and rear, and was defeated. Still -the game was not up with him; withdrawing his troops from Tripoli, -Aleppo, Adana, and concentrating the whole at Zachle, Malaka, and -Damascus, and seeing we hesitated in following up our successes, he -ought to have taken advantage of the absence of the squadron at Acre, -and the weakening of the garrison at Beyrout, and pushed on the latter -place, which he would have taken with ease, and found abundance of -provisions. He should then have marched on Sidon, which probably would -have shared the same fate. - -These movements being communicated to the Governor of Acre, would have -encouraged him to hold out; and if he was forced to withdraw, he could -have joined Ibrahim, and again marched on Acre, where they would have -found a practicable breach; and most certainly, at that season of the -year, the British squadron would not have remained in so open an -anchorage. - -Such vigorous measures would have had a great effect on France, and -there is no knowing what might have happened. This was not done; and -Ibrahim, without making one effort to draw our attention from Acre, or -to profit by our absence, remained inactive, and to his astonishment, -heard of the surrender of that renowned fortress, which he had not in -the least calculated upon. Still his cause was not lost; our troops were -divided in Beyrout, Sidon, Tyre, and Acre, and, I believe, we had also -some at Tripoli. - -The gale of the 29th of November alarmed the Admiral for the safety of -the squadron. The coast was abandoned, except by a steamer or two, and -there was nothing whatever to have prevented Ibrahim from again -advancing, and recovering all his losses, and which he would have been -perfectly justified in doing when the Convention was rejected. Why he -did not, to every military man acquainted with the country, and with our -weakness, must be a matter of surprise. - -Had any of these operations I have described been put in force, Mehemet -Ali would have been now in Syria, and a war among the European Powers in -all probability would have been raging. - -We will now examine what Turkey has gained by the recovery of the Syrian -provinces. She has got back her fleet, which will never be of the least -use to her, and is an expensive floating ornament to the Seraglio. -Situated as the Turkish empire is, with a rapid stream cutting her in -two, it is evident her only proper defence is a fleet of steamboats; -with these, and the Bosphorus and Hellespont properly fortified, she may -defy attacks either from the north or the south, and have a rapid means -of communicating with her islands and possessions on the Syrian coasts, -and of suddenly transporting troops to any part of her extensive empire. -The Turks are not sailors, and never will be, and are therefore much -better adapted to serve in vessels moved by steam than in line-of-battle -ships, where seamanship cannot be dispensed with. - -The Porte has regained Syria, and with it a most extensive kingdom and -discontented population, and instead of keeping her army at home to -defend her against Russia, her natural enemy, she is obliged to maintain -a large force in Syria to keep down her justly irritated subjects, whom -she has neither the talent nor inclination to govern either with -prudence or decency. Syria is divided, as before, into pachalics, and -influential Turks are appointed, as usual, to govern them. There is -neither law nor justice. The Turk sits all day smoking his pipe, and the -people are plundered by their underlings as usual; and they now feel -they were better off under the government of Mehemet Ali than they are -now under their former masters. They pay the taxes they formerly did -under the Porte; they pay Mehemet Ali’s taxes in addition, and are -plundered into the bargain by their old rulers. Property of every -description is less protected than it was, trade destroyed, and the -roads insecure throughout the country. As for Mount Lebanon, whose -population was the first to come forward and join our bands, and whose -position the Allies and the Turks themselves promised to alleviate—how -have they been treated? As yet they have received little or no -remuneration for the burning of their villages and destruction of their -property by Ibrahim Pacha, in revenge for their having joined the -standard of the Sultan. They have been badly paid for the losses we -ourselves caused them at D’Jounie, at Beyrout, Acre, and Sidon. The old -feuds between the Maronites and Druses, which had nearly subsided, have -been fomented by their rulers, and I fear Mehemet Ali himself, as might -have been foreseen, has not been altogether blameless in assisting to -set them by the ears. - -In the course of my work it has been shown that the Maronites were the -first to take up arms in the cause of the Sultan. The Druses being more -under the influence of the old Emir Bechir, came forward at a later -period, and when the war was nearly finished, they became jealous of the -Maronites; and the Turks, instead of by prudent management discouraging -these feelings, rather fomented them, with the view of weakening both. -The mountaineers had been armed during the insurrection, and they are -looked upon more as enemies, than friends who had assisted in bringing -them back to power. - -In the beginning of November, 1841, about the period when the taxes for -the support of the local government were to be raised, the chiefs of the -Druses requested the Grand Prince to attend at Deir-el-Kamar, the seat -of government, to consider how the taxes were to be distributed; this -being acceded to, they sent orders to the different tribes to come armed -to the meeting, which was certainly not a very peaceable way of settling -who was to bear the burden of taxation. These tribes concealed -themselves in the houses of the Scheiks of the family of Abu Bekr, in -Deir-el-Kamar, and, without provocation, sallied out of their houses, -set fire to the town in several places, and plundered and murdered -several of the peaceable inhabitants. The Maronites, taken entirely by -surprise, suffered very considerably at first, but being rallied by -their leaders took up arms, and a regular battle ensued, which lasted -with occasional intermission for several days. The Prince defended -himself in his palace, but seeing the Druses were the strongest, -repeatedly sent to Selim Pacha, who commanded the Ottoman troops at -Beyrout, for assistance; none, however, arrived. This was exactly what -the Turks wanted—the more men killed on each side, and the more -exasperated they became against each other, the better they were -satisfied. “Divide and Govern,” was their motto. - -When the news of this unfortunate rencontre came to the knowledge of our -gallant Consul-General, Colonel Rose, he immediately set out for the -mountains, and at imminent hazard to himself, succeeded in putting an -end, for a time, to the broil. Unfortunately, however, the Maronite -Christians hearing of the danger of their countrymen at Deir-el-Kamar, -sent a strong force to relieve them; this, as might be expected, again -brought the Druses into the field, and again the Grand Prince sent to -Selim Pacha, but his appeal to him was in vain, and the Druses being the -strongest, he was besieged in his palace for twenty-four days. - -Instead of Turkish troops being sent to put down the insurrection and -relieve the Prince, he received orders to repair to Beyrout; and his -provision and ammunition being expended, he was obliged to capitulate -with the Druse Scheiks, who guaranteed his safety and that of his -retinue and their property; and though the negotiations were carried on -through the medium of the messenger sent by Selim Pacha, no sooner had -the Prince quitted his residence, than the Druses rushed upon them, -seized their arms, horses, and clothes, and even stripped them to their -shirts. The Prince himself did not escape this indignity. On his arrival -at Beyrout he made strong and repeated representations to Selim Pacha, -and entreated him to assist in putting down the civil war, but in vain. -The fact is, Selim Pacha was acting under the orders of the Porte, who -only wanted a good excuse to put an end to the government of the ruling -Prince. - -Shortly after this the Porte threw off the mask; the Grand Prince was -arrested and sent to Constantinople, and Omar Pacha, a German who had -entered into the Turkish service, and served under my orders in Syria, -was appointed by the Porte Governor of Lebanon. He may be a good man -enough; but certainly, a Christian having changed his religion was not a -fit man to govern the Christians of Lebanon. The poor Prince has lost -the whole of his property, and his family is brought to ruin. This is -the gratitude of the Porte; this is the reward he has obtained for his -eminent services; and this is the way the Ottoman Government have -treated their allies. - -We are informed by Sir Robert Peel that our Ambassador at Constantinople -has protested against these acts, and also against the Porte sending -Albanian troops (who are little better than barbarians) into Syria, and -that they have promised to remove Omar Pacha, and restrict the services -of the Albanians to garrison duty only. How far the Porte will keep -their promise we shall see; but, I confess, with such a man as Izzet -Pacha at the head of the Turkish Government, and who is only putting -into execution what he planned when in Syria, and for which he was -recalled, I confess I have no reliance upon him, or indeed upon any -Turkish Pacha. They are all alike, and quite incapable of preventing the -fate of the Ottoman empire, which is tottering to its base, and the -sooner it goes the better; it is unworthy of preserving. - -Had my advice been followed, and the seaports of Lebanon, the Bekaa, and -Anti-Lebanon, been put under the jurisdiction of the Grand Prince, -assisted by a council of the powerful Emirs, and the Turkish troops -removed entirely from his territory, causing him to pay a reasonable -tribute to the Porte, the whole Mountain would have been bound by -gratitude to the Sultan, and would have assisted him to keep the rest of -Syria in order. As it is now, there is nothing but the most inveterate -hatred existing against the Turkish Government; and I most sincerely -hope the different sects will unite, and make a noble effort to drive -their miserable and tyrannical rulers out of their fine country. -Cultivation and commerce would then revive; a field would be opened to -British enterprise, and we might recover the influence we had in the -mountains, and which has been lost, in consequence of the inhabitants -believing that we have not made use of our power to obtain from the -Porte all that was so liberally promised them when we were in want of -their assistance. - - * * * * * - -I cannot close this work without returning my best thanks to all the -officers and men who served in the squadron that Sir Robert Stopford did -me the honour of putting under my command. The very laborious services -they performed in D’Jounie Bay is above all praise; this was no question -of sending a Lieutenant and a working party on shore; the whole of the -ships’ companies were constantly employed, headed by their Captains. -Captain Reynolds was my second in the landing at D’Jounie, and continued -his unremitted exertions till he was sent off Alexandria. Captain -Berkeley was my second on the attack at Sidon, and both of us regretted -that I could not employ him in the assault on shore; but it was -absolutely necessary that he should remain on board the Thunderer to -regulate the firing as we advanced, and to cover our retreat if -necessary. Nor am I less obliged to Captain Maunsell, of the Rodney, who -was my ambassador to Mehemet Ali, and who with great decision landed at -once at the Palace and opened the negotiations. Indeed, all the -officers, both of the Navy and Marines, as well as Selim Pacha, General -Jochmus, Omar Bey, and the whole of the Turkish officers, did their duty -to my entire satisfaction, and I should be but too proud to command such -a force on another occasion. The merits of Admiral Walker are too well -known to make it necessary for me to say one word in his praise. - -I must also take this opportunity of thanking the Commander-in-Chief for -having placed the Allied force under my direction when the ill health of -Sir Charles Smith obliged him to proceed to Constantinople. - - - - - APPENDIX. - - -------------- - - - No. I. - -INSTRUCTIONS given by the SULTAN to HAFIZ PACHA, found at the Turkish - Head-Quarters after the battle of Nizib[135]. - - _Plan of march of the Army of the Sultan against - Egypt, in nine Articles._ - -Seeing that the Egyptian Government will never submit to its Sovereign, -it is very probable that in the approaching summer it may declare and -obtain its independence. As all my efforts and all my calculations have -been useless, there is nothing but war which will render me master of -that province, and which will unite it to the empire of the Osmanlis, -and for its execution and success good dispositions must be taken. - -ART. I.—For the success of this enterprise, rigorous laws must be -established; in the public orders the grade of Seraskier shall be -promised to all the Ferik Pachas, if they do not betray their trust or -intrigue; but if they fail in their duties, they shall be immediately -turned out of the service. - -ART. II.—According to this plan, the army ought to consist of from -60,000 to 70,000 men, with 120 pieces of cannon, as follows: 40,000 -infantry, 15,000 cavalry, 5,000 artillery and engineers, and the -remaining 10,000 irregular troops. - -ART. III.—Wherever the enemy shall be met, he should be attacked by the -artillery; it is necessary that the Commander-in-Chief should exercise -the artillery daily in line of battle. - -ART. IV.—To prevent the Egyptians from making a sudden attack upon -Marash, it is necessary that this town be fortified and guarded by a -strong body of troops. After having taken these measures, the -Commander-in-Chief will march upon Aleppo, and from thence to Damascus, -and then to Acre, to take possession of that fortress, and not to lose -time in obtaining possession of all the said towns. After the capture of -Acre, he must leave a strong body of troops in that place, and march -direct upon Egypt. The taking of Acre shall be considered the first -conquest of this war; this enterprise may, perhaps, be accomplished -within four or five months; and if the Egyptian Government does not -return under the dominion of the empire, let the Commander-in-Chief know -that the war will be indefinite, and he must take measures in -consequence; for the conquest of Egypt being the second achievement, -four or five months will be necessary for the success of this second -enterprise. According to this calculation, the important possession of -Syria and Egypt will require eleven months or a year to accomplish. - -ART. V.—According to the information we have, Solyman Pacha is not -content with his position. A man of so much importance should be got rid -of. An officer should be sent to him to endeavour by all means to gain -him over to our side. Solyman Pacha being a European, one of our French -officers must be sent to him to endeavour to gain him over to us. - -ART. VI.—Mehemet Ali, up to the present time, has given no higher grade -to Arabs than that of Captain, whilst to Christians he gives the rank of -Colonel, General, and Pacha; in our camp, there are Arabs who have the -rank of Pacha. Such being the case, he who deserts to us with thirty -soldiers, shall receive the rank of Lieutenant; and he who deserts with -from thirty to one hundred soldiers, the rank of Captain; and if a -Commandant deserts with his battalion, the rank of Colonel; and those -who intrigue in the Egyptian army to make the soldiers revolt, whether -he be an officer or Colonel, shall obtain high grades with us. In order -to put this project into execution, it is necessary to write -proclamations and to scatter them in the Egyptian camp by means of -spies. - -ART. VII.—The Druses, the Mutualis, who are in the Egyptian army, the -chiefs of tribes, and the people who are under the dominion of Mehemet -Ali, should be encouraged by promises to embrace our party. Accordingly -their intentions should be seconded, and they should be granted all they -desire; and the better to succeed in this enterprise, it is necessary -that Hafiz Pacha should have with him 7000 or 8000 purses, to distribute -money where he judges it convenient and useful. - -ART. VIII.—In the army of Mehemet Ali Pacha, there are a great many -European _employés_, by means of whom all his plans and projects may be -known. It is necessary, in order to be well informed, to send spies -among them, in order that the success of the war, which is about to open -in the approaching summer, may be ensured. - -ART. IX.—In order to disembark 10,000 or 12,000 men at Tripoli, the -squadron must be put in movement, and as soon as the _corps d’armée_ -shall march from Marash, it is necessary to enter into communication -with the Druses, the Mutualis, and other Cabaïles. For the success of -this enterprise, thirty or forty pieces of field artillery, from 10,000 -to 15,000 muskets, with ammunition and _materiél_, must be prepared to -be sent by sea on the first demand. The persons charged with this -enterprise should employ all their diligence in order that these affairs -may terminate as soon as possible. - - No. II. See Vol. I., page 18. - -TRANSLATION of a PETITION (in Copy) from the NATIONS and INHABITANTS of - MOUNT LEBANON and SYRIA, to Sultan ABDUL MEDJID of Constantinople. - - A PETITION. - -We humbly supplicate, at the threshold of the Divan of the Mighty -Sovereign, the Benevolent and Just, the Venerated Authority and Daring -Lion, the Lord of the Sword and of the Pen—(viz. of Death and Mercy)—the -Shadow of God over the Earth, our Honoured Sultan, Abdul Medjid Khan, -may God perpetuate the days of his flourishing reign for ever and ever, -Amen. - -That the frightful tyranny and the horrible oppression and cruelty under -which Mehemet Ali Pacha has belaboured us—(he who pretends to be as one -of your Majesty’s slaves, but who, in fact, has dared to be treacherous -to your most illustrious and venerated defunct Father, of blessed -memory, and whose abode now may be Paradise)—have compelled us to throw -ourselves at the feet of your Imperial Throne, which is adorned with the -rays of justice and mercy,—spreading our supplicating arms towards your -Majesty’s paternal and sublime clemency, that you may be pleased to turn -your eye towards our protection and safety,—knowing as we do how vast -and extensive the equity of your Majesty’s Government, which is so -renowned throughout the world.—and how immense and unlimited your -Majesty’s mercy and clemency; wherefore our hearts burn with the fire of -the desire of attaining that happiness also, which is enjoyed by all -those fortunate beings who are your subjects. What crime have we -committed to cause your Majesty’s resplendent face to be turned away -from us, and thereby we should be left to be thrashed under the edges of -an unbearable tyranny and of an insupportable iniquity and oppression, -while our fathers and forefathers, ever since a period of four hundred -years, have continually enjoyed the happiness and comfort of the -protection of your Majesty’s Imperial Standard? We are their sons, and -prepared to follow their steps, that we may inherit the same happiness -which they enjoyed for so many centuries, to the great glory of your -Majesty’s Imperial Dynasty. - -We therefore pray and supplicate your paternal benignity and clemency -not to abandon us, and to let it be said that a vast and numerous -population has been left to be immolated as a sacrifice to the selfish -ambition and sordid avarice of a single man, a tyrant, totally void of -feeling and humanity, who not only proved himself ungrateful to, and -forgetful of, your Majesty’s great bounty to him, but dared, most -perfidiously, to turn his sword towards your sacred person. Seeing -ourselves thus placed in this most wretched and miserable condition, -bordering on the last degree of our total ruin and annihilation, we have -got up and raised your Majesty’s mighty Standard in defence of the -legitimate and lawful rights of your Imperial Sovereignty over us, for -which we shall continue to fight to the last breath of our existence; -and therefore we trust to the Divine aid of the Almighty, and in your -Majesty’s assistance, to overpower that common enemy of yours and ours, -and to drive him away from your dominions. - -Hence, we again supplicate and implore the Throne of your Majesty’s -universal mercy and clemency, to turn your royal face towards us with -your mighty aid and assistance,—especially, our said enemy having -stopped all the roads against us by land and also by sea, and thereby -prevents us receiving any supply of the necessary warlike stores we are -in need of; and as we have no fleet to oppose his, we most earnestly -entreat your Majesty to afford us the needful recourse for the opening -of the roads, &c.; otherwise, we shall be, God forbid, unavoidably -placed in a most distressing state, and in imminent ruin. But no, never -will your Majesty’s imperial and paternal mercy and benevolence allow -such a disastrous calamity to befall us! And we pray the Almighty God to -preserve your sacred person, and to perpetuate the days of your glorious -reign with happiness and victory. - -Signed and Sealed by your Majesty’s Slaves. - - (No Date) THE NATION OF MUTUALI. - THE NATION OF DRUSE. - THE CHRISTIAN NATION. - FARIS HONEISH, &c., &c. - -LETTER addressed by the INHABITANTS of MOUNT LEBANON to his Excellency - the BRITISH AMBASSADOR. - - After the usual Compliments, (Translation.) - -The humanity which so eminently distinguishes all the acts of the -British Government,—the readiness with which it steps forward to the -assistance of the oppressed,—the anxiety that it displays to make -the people of the East share in the benefits enjoyed by that portion -of their fellow-creatures that are blessed with happier -Governments,—embolden the Syrians to appeal to England for her -mediation to rescue them from the destruction with which Mehemet Ali -threatens them now. - -Since the invasion of Syria by Mehemet Ali, he has trampled us under -foot by an oppression which knows no bounds, and by a tyranny the most -atrocious and cruel. - -For the last eight years, we have acceded to all his demands, and -because he has left us nothing more to give him, he menaces us with -extermination; nor will his unbounded rapacity be satisfied until he -drinks the very blood of our children, and satiates the licentiousness -of his soldiers with the honour of our families. Driven to despair, we -have taken up arms for the defence of our lives, and to guard our -dwellings from fire and ourselves from the sword with which he threatens -to erase us from among nations. - -Abandoned by the world, we implore the protection of Great Britain. In -the humanity of her Government, and in the generosity of one of the -greatest and most powerful nations, rest all our hopes in this cruel -crisis. All that we demand is, to be allowed to return to our legitimate -Sovereign Abdul Medjid,—a natural desire coming from loyal subjects. Why -should two millions and a-half of His Highness’ subjects be sacrificed -to the personal ambition of one man, who himself, forgetful of the -benefits conferred upon him, has turned his sword against the bosom of -his own Sovereign? - -We have but one prayer,—we seek but to be allowed to enjoy, in common -with the rest of His Highness’ subjects, the rights and privileges -secured to them by the Hatti-Sheriff; and it is in this hope that we -submit our petition to your Excellency, praying that you will be pleased -to lay it before the “Divan” of Great Britain, the Ally of our august -Master Abdul Medjid, with a request that we may be honoured with a -speedy glad tidings, before we are utterly destroyed by the Governor of -Egypt. - -May the Almighty prolong the days of your Excellency with happiness to -the end of time. - - (Signed) (L.S.) PRINCE FARIS SHEHAB. - (L.S.) EMIR HAIDAR. - (L.S.) SHEIK FARIS HABEISH, &c. - THE MARONITE NATION. - THE DRUSE NATION. - THE MUTUALIS. - - -LETTER addressed by the INHABITANTS of MOUNT LEBANON to his Excellency - the FRENCH AMBASSADOR. - - (Literal Translation from the Arabic.) - -After the usual Compliments, - -The painful news that have reached us by the newspapers, have struck a -terrible blow to Syria,—they have torn the hearts of men, women, and -children, now menaced to be exterminated by Mehemet Ali, to whom France -has deigned to grant her powerful protection. Can she be possibly -ignorant of the evils this man has made us suffer since fortune has made -him master of Syria? They are innumerable. Suffice it to say, that the -most distressing vexations, and the most cruel oppression, have driven -us to despair, and have renewed in us the ardent desire of returning to -the paternal government of our august Sovereign, Abdul Medjid. Is not -this a legitimate desire from a loyal people? France, a nation so great, -so magnanimous, that has extended liberty everywhere, that has for ages -spilt so much blood to establish it in her own Government, refuses us -to-day her powerful influence to obtain the enjoyment of the same good! - -The French press says, “that France will not admit of any arrangement -that has for basis the restitution of Syria to its legitimate -Sovereign.” Can it be so? the Syrians cannot believe it! The French -nation, so generous, so civilized, cannot desire to see us crushed by a -systematic oppression which alone distinguishes the Egyptian Government -from others. - -We wish but to be allowed to return to the protection of our legitimate -Sovereign, whom we have not ceased to obey for the last four hundred -years. We demand but to participate in the privileges and rights of the -Hatti-Sheriff which our gracious Sovereign has granted to all his -faithful subjects, without exception, without distinction. We appeal to -the French Government—we supplicate the French nation at large, to -assist us to obtain our demand. The most atrocious tyranny has compelled -us to take up arms for the defence of our lives and the honour of our -families, from the brutality of the Egyptian soldiery, or to bury -ourselves in the ruins of our country. Our cause is a just one; and as -such, we sincerely trust that the French Government will not abandon us -in a moment so dangerous. - -It is with this hope we submit to your Excellency this, our prayer, -begging that you will be pleased to lay it at the feet of the throne of -your august Master, the Ally of our gracious Sovereign, Abdul Medjid. - - (Signed) (L.S.) PRINCE FARIS SHEHAB. - (L.S.) PRINCE YOUSUF SHEHAB. - (L.S.) EMIR HAIDAR, &c., &c. - THE MARONITE } - THE DRUSE } NATIONS. - THE MUTUALI } - - - No. III. - - LETTER from Commodore NAPIER to Lieut.-Col. - HODGES. - - H.M.S. Powerful, Beyrout, - July 15, 1840. - -My dear Hodges, - -I received your letter and postscript of the 10th and 13th of July, and -I think you are as cautious a diplomatist as if you had been at it for -the last twenty years; you do not make a single remark upon what my -opinions were relative to this expedition of Mehemet Ali. I do not feel -that there is any responsibility on me whatever; I am positively forbid -to meddle with anything that Mehemet Ali may do, as long as he lets -alone British persons and property; and however I disapprove of this, I -can only obey. - -The Pacha’s troops marched out yesterday morning, and although they met -with no resistance, they set the whole country in a blaze, convents and -all. I wrote a very strong letter to the Egyptian Admiral, which I -begged him to communicate to Abbas Pacha, a copy of which accompanies -this. Mr. Wood was sent here by Lord Ponsonby, and he came off a few -days ago, bringing petitions from the poor Mountaineers to the Sultan -and the French and English Ambassadors; he landed again early this -morning, and brings off news that the insurgents are divided amongst -themselves, have been abandoned by many of their chiefs, are badly -armed, and, by all I can collect, unless they are succoured with arms -and ammunition, the insurrection will be put down very shortly, and thus -will finish all hope of Syria being released from the power of Mehemet -Ali, by the efforts of the inhabitants themselves, and the question will -become more complicated than ever; all of which might have been avoided, -had the Admiral had instructions how to act, or had he taken upon -himself, which I feel assured would have been approved of by our -Government at home. I am surprised the mission of Mr. Wood has not been -notified to you, as he certainly was sent here by Lord Ponsonby, and I -have the Admiral’s order to facilitate him, and even to send the Cyclops -back when he has any particular communication to make. - -Should Mehemet Ali come this way, the shortest way of putting an end to -all doubts would be to seize him. I do not say I am prepared for so bold -a step, but if I see much cruelty and devastation going on, I don’t know -whether I should not be very much disposed to do it, unless he came -accompanied by such a force as would render the success doubtful; but I -have no idea that he will come, because I believe all will be settled -without him, and you will find that the strength of the insurgents has -been very much magnified. You seem to think that Mehemet Ali is on his -last legs, but I think this will strengthen him very much; he is -evidently backed up by the French, that is clear by the language held by -all the French officers, and we have Thiers’ speech, which is plain -enough. You say, if we act with vigour and determination, we shall carry -through Lord Palmerston’s policy without the aid of any foreign power; -but, my good friend, the opportunity is lost, his troops are landed and -his squadron by this time is in Alexandria, and I do not see now where -our vigour and determination can be applied. - -_July 20._—It was only yesterday I could get anything positive about the -Egyptians. Our Consul knows nothing, and he will believe nothing against -the Syrians, but a Frenchman has read me a letter from Souliman Pacha, -saying the insurrection was put down; and another from his secretary, -detailing the whole of their operations. It appears they marched as far -as Hammana, about eight hours from here, and met less than a couple of -hundred of the insurgents, whom the Albanians disposed of, and the Emir -Bechir sent to desire them to submit, and give up their arms, which many -of them have done. I was not satisfied with this, and last night I went -down in the Cyclops, and sent on shore at Zouk and Jebel, when they -informed me that the son of Emir Bechir had been there and told them. It -is a pity you had not a vessel to have sent earlier information, but -even that would have made no difference, as nothing would have been -done; it serves them right for their behaviour to me, and I hope you -will tell Lord Palmerston so. I shall keep this open till the last -moment. - -_July 21._—The Indian mail is just arrived; I have no more news. I wish -you could come this way, for I fear there is no chance of my going to -Alexandria; I shall, however write to the Admiral by the Austrian -steamer, which I expect hourly. - - Believe me, &c., - CHARLES NAPIER. - - No. IV. See Vol. I., page 52. - -EXTRACT of LETTER from COMMODORE NAPIER to ADMIRAL the Honourable Sir - ROBERT STOPFORD, G.C.B. - - D’Journie, Head-Quarters of the Army - of Lebanon, September 16, 1840. - -In execution of your order of the 9th instant, I removed the whole of -the Turkish troops from the transports and the marines of the squadron -into the steamers. The Dido and Wasp took up an anchorage well up to -Beyrout Point, in order to draw Souliman Pacha’s attention from the -position I intended to disembark at. Soon after daylight, the squadron -and steamers you had put under my orders weighed; the Turkish squadron, -under Admiral Walker, weighed also; and the whole, with the exception of -Zebra, who flanked the Egyptian camp, worked up to Beyrout Point, where -a considerable force of the enemy was in position. - -When the breeze freshened, the whole bore up for D’Journie. Castor and -Hydra anchored close to Dog River, landed the Turkish troops, and -completely blocked up the pass leading to D’Journie. - -The Powerful and Pique, Gorgon, Cyclops and Phœnix, followed by the -Turkish squadron, ran into the bay of D’Journie, and landed the troops -in an incredibly short time, owing to the excellent arrangement of -Captain Reynolds, who took charge of the landing. Admiral Walker put his -troops on shore at the same moment with great celerity and order; a -position was then taken up, and the artillery landed, the few Albanians -stationed here retiring without firing a shot. The Carysfort and Dido -went off D’Jebel, about three leagues to the northward, to act against a -strong tower, garrisoned by Albanian troops. - -D’Journie is a good-sized bay, with a promontory projecting considerably -into the sea. A road from Beyrout lies along the shore, and is -practicable for infantry, artillery, and cavalry: this road the Revenge -covered. The road from Tripoli leads also along shore, and the Wasp and -Phœnix covered a gorge, over which it would be necessary to pass. Two -roads lead from Baalbec by Antura, where an excellent position was taken -up by two battalions of Turks, supported by five companies of marines. -The left of this is protected by an impassable gorge, the right rests on -the sea, Dog River separating it from high ground in front. - -The first day the inhabitants who had been driven into the mountains, -came in slowly for arms, but these few took them with great avidity, and -hastened to the mountains to drive away the Emir Bechir’s troops, and -open the mountain passes,—this done, the mountaineers have flocked in in -great numbers, with the Sheiks, who have crowded to the standard of the -Sultan. - -I beg to inclose Captain Martin’s reports of the occupation of D’Jebel -and Batroun, in which he speaks highly of Captain Austen, of the -Cyclops, and of the officers employed[136]. - -I regret the loss he met with; it was not to be avoided. The inhabitants -of this city are most warlike and determined, and many Albanians have -suffered by their severity. - -Ibrahim Pacha reconnoitred our positions the day before yesterday. - -I have sent a battalion of Turks in advance of Gazir to open the -country, and give due notice, should he endeavour to turn our left by -that road, which he will have some difficulty in doing, as the country -is covered by the broadsides of the ships. - -I have much reason to be satisfied with the zeal of the whole of the -officers and seamen employed: their exertions in completing our lines, -under Mr. Aldrich, of the Engineers, is beyond all praise. - -Permit me, sir, to congratulate you on the first success of the army of -Lebanon. You, yesterday, were witness of the arrival of his Highness the -Emir Abdallah, the Governor of the district of Kesrouan, and of the -enthusiasm of the mountaineers; and if this continues, I have every -reason to think that the Egyptian army will be obliged to retire from -the sea-coast, and the mountains of Lebanon. - - I have, &c. - CHARLES NAPIER, _Commodore_. - - No. V. See Vol. II., page 17. - -INSTRUCTIONS for CAPTAIN FANSHAWE, on his MISSION to ALEXANDRIA. - - -By the Honourable Sir ROBERT STOPFORD, &c. - -Having received instructions from the Lords Commissioners of the -Admiralty to send a competent officer to Alexandria, in order to make a -communication to Mehemet Ali, the substance of which is stated in a -letter from Viscount Palmerston to their Lordships of the 14th of -November, of which you will receive a copy,—it is my direction you -proceed forthwith in H.M. steam vessel Megæra to Alexandria, taking with -you the Dragoman named in the margin[137], and on your arrival, after -communicating with the senior officer, who will give you every support, -you will demand to have an interview with Mehemet Ali, in the presence -of Boghos Bey, in order to make to Mehemet Ali a communication from Her -Majesty’s Government. When admitted you will be guided in all respects -by the directions contained in the said letter; and further, should the -written document which Mehemet Ali may deliver to you, for the purpose -of being transmitted to Constantinople, contain an expression of a -desire, on the part of Mehemet Ali, to obtain hereditary tenure of the -Pachalic of Egypt, you will not decline to receive and convey the -document on that account, provided it shall also contain the engagements -mentioned in the aforesaid letter. You will also state that if Mehemet -Ali, as a proof of his desire for conciliation, expresses his readiness -to restore the fleet immediately, you will offer in my name every -assistance in conducting it to Marmorice, where it will be placed at the -Sultan’s disposal; and making the senior officer acquainted with the -result, you will return in the Megæra, and join me at Marmorice. - -Should the senior officer be at any distance from the port, you will not -go out of your way, but communicate with him on your return from -Alexandria. - -Given on board the Princess Charlotte, off Cyprus, 6th Dec. 1840. - - (Signed) ROBERT STOPFORD, _Admiral_. - -By command of the Commander-in-Chief, - - (Signed) JOHN LOUDON, _Secretary_. - -Captain Fanshawe, H.M.S. Princess Charlotte. - - No. VI. See Vol. II., page 36. - -PROTOCOL of the Conference held at the house of the Minister for Foreign - Affairs of the Sublime Porte, the 20th of December, 1840, between - the Minister for Foreign Affairs, on one part, and the - Representatives of Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia, on - the other. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ You are aware, gentlemen, that a letter -was addressed by Mehemet Ali to the Sublime Porte, and you are -acquainted with its contents. The Sublime Porte yesterday received -likewise the Memorandum of the Conference of London of the 14th of -November. The Sublime Porte directs me to ask you, gentlemen, if Mehemet -Ali by this letter has complied with the spirit of the Memorandum, and -if his submission ought to be considered as real? - -_Ambassador of England._ I think that it belongs to the Sultan alone to -decide this point. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ Up to this time there have only been -words on the part of Mehemet Ali; if he executes the promises made in -the letter, then his submission may be considered as real. - -_Ambassador of England._ I leave to my Colleagues to decide upon that -point. As for me, I see nothing before me at present which can authorize -me in explaining myself, or in giving an opinion. - -_Internuncio of Austria._ With the view of relieving myself from all -responsibility, and of making the views of my Government in so important -a matter clearly manifest, I have deemed it fitting to give my vote in -writing. I will now read it to the Conference:— - -“I have read over and over again with the most scrupulous attention the -letter which Mehemet Ali has just addressed to the Grand Vizier, and on -which I am called upon to pronounce my opinion. I have found nothing in -it which is not correct. The tone which pervades it has appeared to me -to be altogether proper. It might have been desirable that no allusion -had been made to the Convention of Commodore Napier; but we are all -agreed that it would have been much more so that the Convention in -question had never been concluded; and Mehemet Ali, by referring to it, -has only made use of an advantage which has been gratuitously offered to -him. Besides, it was Captain Fanshawe alone who should have represented -to him that an act which the Allied commanders had declared null and of -no effect, ought not to be mentioned in the letter to the Grand Vizier. -But I will not dwell on this point, which, after all, is now only of -secondary interest. I return to Mehemet Ali’s letter. In this letter the -Pacha declares himself ready to do all that is required of him, and in -this respect his submission appears to me entire. - -“I should then be of opinion that this submission should be accepted; -that an officer of his Highness should be sent to Alexandria; that -Mehemet Ali should be enjoined to deliver up to him the Ottoman fleet; -that, according to the terms of the Separate Act of the Convention of -the 15th of July, the Allied commanders should be invited to assist at -such delivery; that the Pacha should be summoned to evacuate the -provinces or cities of the Ottoman empire still occupied by the Egyptian -troops, and situated beyond the limits of Egypt; finally, that the Grand -Vizier, in replying to his letter, should announce to him that when once -these conditions should be entirely fulfilled, his Highness, from -deference to his Allies, would be pleased to reinstate him in his -functions as Pacha of Egypt. This advice is what the Conference of -London wished that we should give to the Sublime Porte, in case Mehemet -Ali should yield to the summons about to be made to him. As for the -tribute, the land and sea forces, and the laws which must govern Egypt, -those points have been settled beforehand by the Convention of the 15th -of July, and it will be sufficient to execute in this respect the -stipulations contained in the IIIrd, Vth, and VIth Articles of the -Separate Act annexed to the Convention. - -“I should consider as in every respect to be regretted any hesitation on -the part of the Porte to comply with the advice of its Allies. The most -brilliant successes have crowned their efforts in Syria; those successes -have surpassed our calculations, our anticipations, our expectations. -Syria has returned to the rule of his Highness, and thus the principal -object of the alliance is accomplished. To proceed further does not -enter into the views of the Allied Powers; the Conference of London has -pronounced with sufficient distinctness in this respect. The Sublime -Porte may doubtless have good reasons to desire the destruction of -Mehemet Ali; but as it has not the means of effecting it itself, the -task of doing so would devolve upon its Allies. Now would it desire, in -return for the services which they have rendered to it, to involve them -in an undertaking which would endanger the general peace, so ardently -desired by all people, and so happily maintained up to the present time? - -“It is especially towards France that the attention of our Governments -is at present directed; that Power is entitled to their respect and -their consideration; and if the menacing and warlike attitude of the -Thiers Ministry could not stay them in their course towards the end -which they proposed to themselves, and which they have attained, they -appear henceforth to be desirous to dedicate all their care to keep well -with the Ministry which succeeds it, and whose language announces a -prudent, moderate, and conciliatory policy. They must consequently enter -into its position, make allowances for the difficulties by which it is -surrounded, and not expose it to be hurried along against its will in a -false course. In the present state of sentiments in France an -unlooked-for event might subvert everything; and is it not for the -interest of all and for that of justice, that they should frankly unite -themselves with those who govern France, to prevent a like calamity?” - -The Internuncio thereupon reads the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth -paragraphs of the Separate Act of the 15th of July. - -_Envoy of Prussia._ I partake of the opinion of the Internuncio. Mehemet -Ali’s proceeding appears to me in fact to be in conformity with the -spirit of the Memorandum. I think besides, that Mehemet Ali having -solicited his pardon of the Sultan, the Sublime Porte ought not to act -with too great severity against him; that, on the contrary, it ought to -lend itself to explanations, and to evince consideration and moderation, -not only for the interest of the Porte itself, but also for the general -interest of Europe. - -_Chargé d’Affaires of Russia._ In all that relates to the general -question the views of my Government cannot differ from those of the -three other Courts, its Allies; my instructions are founded on that -principle. In the special question which forms the object of this -Conference, the existing documents ought to point out to us the course -and the rules to be observed; now this course and these rules appear to -me to be already laid down by the Memorandum of the Conference of London -on the 14th of November, and by Lord Palmerston’s despatch of the 15th -of October. The Memorandum had not yet reached me from my Government; it -is the Internuncio who has had the goodness to communicate it to me; I -have only received Lord Palmerston’s despatch, which is mentioned, and I -conceive that I shall conform to the meaning of these documents, by -joining, under existing circumstances, in the vote pronounced by the -Internuncio. - -_Ambassador of England._ The question, I repeat, appears to me to depend -upon the fact of the submission of Mehemet Ali, and the Sultan appears -to me to be the sole judge in such a question: he alone has the right to -decide. If the Sublime Porte informs us that the Sultan has accepted -Mehemet Ali’s submission, that he is satisfied with it, the orders of my -Government enjoin me, in such a case, to advise the Porte to grant to -Mehemet Ali the hereditary government of Egypt. Until that time, until -the Porte communicates to us the decision of the Sultan, I must abstain -from giving any advice, any opinion. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ There are different kinds of submission. -Mehemet Ali might, for example, have come himself, according to our -usages, or have sent some one to implore his pardon; but that is not -what we mean. The Memorandum requires that Mehemet Ali should restore -the fleet, that he should evacuate certain countries. He writes that he -will do all this; if he accomplishes these promises, the Sublime Porte -will be able to credit his submission, but the letter cannot of itself -alone be considered as a real submission. - -_Internuncio of Austria._ The letter is a commencement of submission. If -the Sublime Porte demands the delivery of the fleet, if Mehemet Ali -restores it, and if he evacuates the countries specified in the -Memorandum, his submission will certainly be then complete. - -_Chargé d’Affaires of Russia._ It is certain that we shall not be able -to consider the submission of Mehemet Ali as completed until he shall -have restored the fleet, and evacuated the Holy Cities, as well as the -other places specified in the Memorandum; but for the present we should -abide by the text of the Memorandum and of the instruction addressed by -the Admiralty to Admiral Stopford, wherein mention is made of a letter -to be delivered by Mehemet Ali to the officer commissioned to notify to -him the decision of the Conference of London. - -_Internuncio._ What more could Mehemet Ali do? He must begin by saying -that he submitted, and he could not, at the same instant, carry into -effect all the conditions of his submission. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs_, alluding to what the Ambassador for -England had said, observes, that up to the present time there had been -no question of hereditary succession. - -_Internuncio._ I am not at this moment called upon to discuss that -point, on which I have no precise instruction; but, the case occurring, -I shall conform myself altogether on that matter to what the Ambassador -of England shall do. - -_Ambassador of England._ For my part, I have precise orders to advise -the Porte to grant hereditary succession to Mehemet Ali, so soon as it -shall apprize us that the Sultan is satisfied with the submission of -Mehemet Ali; but such advice can only be conditional; I have not the -right to judge of the reality of the submission, and I must wait, before -giving it, for the Sultan to pronounce himself on the fact of the -submission. - -_Internuncio._ As for me, I must repeat it, I look upon the letter of -Mehemet Ali, as a first step towards his submission. - -_Ambassador of England._ It will not be in my power to act in the sense -of the instructions of my Government, until the Sublime Porte shall have -declared that it considers the submission of Mehemet Ali as complete. -But I cannot demand of the Sultan any declaration whatever on that -matter, for I should think that I trenched upon his rights. It is for -his Majesty to decide. - -_Envoy of Prussia._ I think, as I have already said, that the Sublime -Porte ought not, in the present case, to act with too great severity, -and I must always exhort it to act with moderation. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ The Porte has never wished to act with -severity; facts have already proved it. It does not wish to do so even -now. It wishes, on the contrary, to act in concert with its Allies; and -although it is doubtless for the Sultan to decide on the submission of -Mehemet Ali, nevertheless, as his Allies have declared their intentions -in the Memorandum, I have thought it right to consult their -Representatives to know whether Mehemet Ali’s proceeding is in -conformity with the spirit of the Memorandum: but, since their opinions -are at variance, they might refer to the decision of the Conference of -London. - -_Internuncio._ But there is no variance between us; we all think that -Mehemet Ali’s submission, in order that it should be complete, must be -followed by the execution of the conditions which are imposed upon him. -I think, moreover, that to refer the question to the decision of the -Conference of London would be to appeal from the Conference to the -Conference, and lose time in useless adjournments. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ I think that Mehemet Ali must first -execute the conditions imposed upon him; as for the hereditary -succession, that is another question upon which I am not prepared to -explain myself. - -_Internuncio_ once more declares, that when the time arrives, he will -concur in the steps of the Ambassador of England on that point, and the -_Envoy of Prussia_ makes the same declaration. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ You are aware, gentlemen, that on his -accession to the throne the Sultan had granted to Mehemet Ali the -hereditary administration of Egypt; he rejected that favour. Still -later, with the view of sparing the shedding of blood, the Treaty of -July 15 granted it to him; Mehemet Ali equally rejected it. It was -necessary to have recourse to measures of coercion, and the Sultan -withdrew this favour from him. At present it appears to me that there -can no longer be a question of a right in favour of Mehemet Ali, and the -Sultan is free to take his decision on this point. - -_Representatives_ unanimously admitted that the Sultan possesses his -entire freedom of action in this respect, and that Mehemet Ali could not -appeal to any right. - -_Envoy of Prussia_ added, that any concession in favour of Mehemet Ali -could only be considered as an effect of the Sultan’s generosity; for -the independence of his Highness is the object of the Convention of July -15; but the more advantageous the Sultan’s position is at the present -time, the more will it perhaps allow him to be generous. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ Since Mehemet Ali has rejected the -Treaty of July 15, that Treaty no longer exists for him, and other -conditions might be imposed on Mehemet Ali. - -_Internuncio._ But the Treaty continues to exist for us. - -_Ambassador of England._ I declare that, in my opinion, Mehemet Ali has -now no right; that the Sultan is master to take the course which he -shall consider fitting, and that we can only afford him our advice. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs_, addressing himself to the Internuncio, -says to him: Your Excellency began by saying, that if the Sultan is -satisfied with the letter of Mehemet Ali, his submission ought to be -accepted. But Mehemet Ali has already written a thousand letters of the -same kind. Can any faith be placed in his letters? It is evident besides -that there is some trick even in this last letter. For example, he -speaks of Commodore Napier’s Convention, which is a void act, in order -to come to the subject of hereditary succession. - -_Internuncio._ That is true; but this letter, given in consequence of a -summons made to him by the English Admiral in the name of the Four -Powers, cannot be compared to all those which he has addressed of his -own accord to the Sublime Porte, and specifically to Hosrew Pacha. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs._ You understand, gentlemen, that in any -case it is necessary that the Porte should have time to reflect upon -this matter. - -_Internuncio._ Assuredly, an affair of this kind cannot be concluded in -a day; it is, doubtless, necessary that your Excellency should be able -to concert with your colleagues, and take the orders of the Sultan. - -_Minister for Foreign Affairs_ observes, that having to submit to the -Council and to the Sultan his report on the Conference of this day, he -is desirous of knowing, definitely, what is the conclusion which he -should communicate to them. - -_Representatives_ reply that their opinion being recorded in the present -Protocol, they refer themselves to it. - -_Ambassador of England._ I repeat that I must wait for the decision of -the Sultan to give the advice which is enjoined to me by the orders of -my Government. - -_Internuncio_ observes once again how much it would be to be regretted -if the Porte should not conform with promptitude to the wish expressed -by the Allied Courts in the Memorandum of the 14th of November. - - No. VII. - -LETTER from Lieutenant-Colonel NAPIER to Sir CHARLES NAPIER. - - My dear Father, Cairo, February 16, 1841. - -I have just returned from a visit to Souliman Pacha, who is a fine -hearty old soldier, and begs to be remembered to you, saying it will be -some time ere he forgets the _cannonnade_ you gave him. I told him how -much you were annoyed at his house having been plundered at Beyrout, -assuring him that the English had nothing to do with it; to which he -replied that he was aware that he was under an obligation on that -account to the Austrians; but he said that some things of his which you -had ordered to be sent to him, had been seized by the _douane_ at -Beyrout, and amongst others some arms from Persia, which he valued much -as curiosities. When his house was plundered all his papers was -destroyed; amongst others some military works of his in manuscript, -which had cost him the labour of years. - -Ibrahim Pacha was present at Beckfaya, and mentioned your having taken -off your hat. He was also in person at the crossing of the Jordan, when -we returned in such a hurry to Jerusalem. He says it was merely a -demonstration, which answered the purpose for which it was intended, and -which caused him to gain three marches on us. We had altogether a most -interesting conversation, which lasted upwards of an hour, and during -which he was civil in the extreme, shaking me repeatedly by the hand, -and ended by desiring to be most particularly remembered to you. - -_Feb. 17._—Souliman Pacha has just called on me; he is a fine old -fellow. I gave him a bottle of porter; he drank your health, and told me -to let you know he had done so heartily. - -He brought back with him 8000 troops of artillery, who were much -harassed by the Arabs from Akaba. He says he put to death every one of -them whom he caught. I did not like to ask him if he had many Syrians -amongst his troops; but I am sorry to inform you that there are a great -many here, who have arrived with the troops from Gaza. - -About eight regiments of infantry are now encamped near this, the last -of which arrived yesterday from Gaza, which they left on the 4th -instant; and from what I can learn from the men, they were forced to -accompany the Egyptians. Besides the infantry, a couple of regiments of -lancers have come, some irregular Mogrebins (from the Deserts of Libya), -and some irregular _Turkish_ cavalry _from Anatolia_; I believe about -200. The horses, particularly those of the lancers, are in good -condition, and it is lucky for me that I could not get my mountain -horsemen to approach them[138], as they would have eaten us without -salt. I dine with Souliman the day after to-morrow, and manage to spend -my time pleasantly enough; but I am anxious to hear from our -head-quarters, and have as yet been able to learn nothing positive about -the Emirs, but have sent to Thebes to obtain information. - - * * * * * * - -The disturbances have already begun in the Hedjaz since the Egyptian -troops have been withdrawn; and a Prophet, calling himself King of the -Land and Sea, has already set up the standard of a religious warfare. _* -* * *_ - - Your affectionate son, - E. NAPIER. - - -------------- - - No. VIII. - - LETTER from BOGHOS BEY to Sir CHARLES - NAPIER. - - Commodore, Alexandria, June 19, 1841. - -I hasten to acknowledge the receipt of the letter, dated May 27, with -which you have honoured me. Having placed it before His Highness the -Viceroy, I am desired to express his grateful acknowledgements for the -friendly expressions it contains. - -On the two points, “of the return of some Syrian soldiers who are still -here, and of the regulation of the monopoly,” which form the principal -object of your letter, I believe that I cannot do better than -transcribe, Commodore, the words which His Highness proffered in reply, -as I have obtained authority to transmit them to you. - -“I cannot see the motive why my friend Napier should be in any -difficulty; he who has talked with me, who has seen all, and doubtless, -with his penetration, understood all. No one is ignorant that since the -signing of the Convention with him the difficulty of the question could -not have been made smoother; the affair having been submitted to -different conditions, has been prolonged by negotiations with the Envoy -of the Sublime Porte; and whilst the conditions were under -consideration, they could not be executed, neither could they consider -my conduct strange, still less suppose that I was thereby breaking my -word. Thank God, it is now arranged to the satisfaction of the parties; -the Firman has arrived, and has been solemnly read in public with the -usual ceremonies. I am now only under the necessity of submitting to the -clemency of my Sovereign as to the quota of the tribute. I have already -conferred on this subject with his Envoy here, who is on the point of -setting out, and the matter is almost arranged. Now that the moment has -arrived to put successively into execution the conditions contained in -the above-mentioned Firman, my friend Napier will very soon learn that -what I talked to him about, that what I said to him concerning the -monopoly, will be effected in a manner to promote the interests of the -country; and I hope that his friendship for me will be more than ever -strengthened.” - -In sending you, Commodore, on the part of His Highness, the preceding -communication, I am desired also to present his friendly salutations, -and I avail myself of this opportunity in my own person to reiterate the -assurances of the high consideration with which I have the honour to be, - - Commodore, - Your very humble and very obedient servant, - BOGHOS JOUSSOUFF. - - THE END. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - LONDON: - HARRISON AND CO., PRINTERS, - ST. MARTIN’S LANE. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - BY THE SAME AUTHOR. - - --- - - _In Two Volumes, Post Octavo, with Plans, price 21s._, - - AN ACCOUNT - - OF - - THE WAR IN PORTUGAL - - BETWEEN DON PEDRO AND DON MIGUEL. - - -------------- - - OPINIONS OF THE PRESS. - -“The personal character of the Author is not only impressed upon almost -every page, but the book contains a narrative of one, and to all -appearance the most important of the leaves out of a hero’s life, -written by himself. It is Cæsar’s Commentaries in the first person, -wanting the classical eloquence of the Roman, but equally devoid of his -concealed vanity, and his suspected partiality. Grander battles have -been fought, more gallant never. It is rare to have a description of -such a fight from its hero, even in a gazette; but it is still rarer to -have an account of his feelings.”—_Spectator._ - -“The gallant Commodore’s description of the battle off Cape St. Vincent -is one of the most stirring nautical sketches that has fallen under our -observation.”—_United Service Gazette._ - -“An excellent and spirit-stirring book—plain, honest, and straight -forward—the very stuff of which the web of history alone should be -composed. This is, indeed, an honest, fair and impartial -history.”—_Morning Chronicle._ - -“In spirit and in keeping, from beginning to end, Admiral Napier’s War -in Portugal is the happiest picture we could conceive of the hero of the -battle off Cape St. Vincent, its especial excellence consisting in a -regardless bluntness of manner and language, that is quite admirable and -delightful.”—_Monthly Review._ - -“If Commodore Napier be not distinguished by the commonplace facilities -of authorship, he possesses the higher qualities of truth, discretion, -end clear-sightedness, in no small degree.”—_Atlas._ - -“In speaking of himself and his deeds, he has hit the just and difficult -medium—showing his real feelings, yet steering clear of affected modesty -on the one hand, and over-weening egotism on the other hand.”—_Tait’s -Magazine._ - -“This is a very graphic account of the affairs in which the gallant -author figured so nobly, and added fresh lustre to the name of -Napier.”—_News._ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - NEW WORKS - - PUBLISHED BY - - JOHN W. 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PARKER, WEST STRAND. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Footnotes: - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - Transcriber’s Note - -Hyphenation has been retained as printed. Where a word is hyphenated on -a line break, the hyphen is retained or removed depending on instances -elsewhere in the text. - -The printer provided a short list of errata for this volume. The changes -indicated there have been incorporated into this text. - -In the Table of Contents, the page indicated for Appendix I (p. 301) -should be p. 299, and has been corrected. - -The title of Appendix No. VI (Protocol) was misprinted as No. V. - -The first footnote, on p. 33, has no anchor in the text. This has been -added at an appropriate point. - -Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and -are noted here. The following issues should be noted, along with the -resolutions. The references are to the page and line in the original. - - 40.4 is disposed to acce[e]pt the submission Removed. - - 41.3 the 17th Chewal, (the [22nd of November/11th Per Errata. - of December,) - - 90.21 the quickest _possible co[u/n]veyance_ Inverted. - - 114.6 after which you[ you] would attack Redundant. - - 148.6 “[‘]Having arrived at Naplouse, I was to order Removed. - - 185.17 who was [an-eye witness/an eye-witness] Misplaced. - - 199.4 [Opposed/Approved] by the other Allied Per Errata. - Ministers - - 222.5 for their consi[ed/de]ration Transposed. - - 224.11 it was possible for Mehe[n/m]et Ali Replaced. - - 242.7 by incurring responsibi[li]ty Inserted, - - 242.22 I do not intend to[ ]enter into the political Inserted. - merits - - 262.6 showed no symptoms of fulfil[l]ing Inserted. - - 262.11 back to their country[,/.] Replaced. - - 303.26 that you may[ be] pleased to turn your eye Inserted. - - 318.1 No. V[I]. See Vol. II., page 36 Added. - - 332.6 with which you have honoured me[.] Added. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The War in Syria, Volume 2 (of 2), by -Charles Napier - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR IN SYRIA, VOLUME 2 (OF 2) *** - -***** This file should be named 54751-0.txt or 54751-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/7/5/54751/ - -Produced by KD Weeks, Brian Coe and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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