“Charles Napier.”
“To the Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.”
This letter I followed up by one to Lord Palmerston:—
“My Lord,
“Powerful, Beyrout,
Nov. 14, 1840.
“By this time your Lordship will have known of the defeat of Ibrahim Pacha, and the total evacuation of Lebanon. Since then, Acre has fallen; but no military operations have taken place. Troops are arriving every day from Constantinople, and we cannot now have less than 12,000 men. Ibrahim Pacha is two days’ march from here, and is watched by the mountaineers only; and they are so neglected by the Pacha, that sometimes they are without provisions for three days. I send you the translation of the last letter I received from the Grand Prince; this is not the first, second, or third time. The Pacha here is the worst person that can be; and unless he is removed, there will be mischief. I have written fully to Lord Ponsonby on the subject. Nothing would give England so much influence here as giving Lebanon the same government as Samos. The Grand Prince ought to be a Pacha; Sidon, Tripoli, and Beyrout ought to be added to his government; and, if possible, the Bekaa and Anti-Lebanon. This would be a prosperous country; but agreeable to the present system, they are almost shut out from the sea. God knows how the Sultan is to govern the other provinces; but if his Pachas are all like the man here, they will be worse off than they were under Mehemet Ali; and I verily believe, should the war last, he will have a party in his favour, the Turks treat them so ill. If Mehemet Ali was a wise man, he would do with the mountains what I have stated, and he would get a strong party in his favour.
“I am going to Alexandria, which I am sorry for. I have great influence here at present, and can make them do what I like; and would have been of much more service here than off Alexandria, where nothing can be done at this season.
“My son joined me the other day, which I believe you know; I should have put him on my staff had I remained in command of the army. I have some idea of sending him to the Grand Prince, where he would be of use; but I fear it might create jealousies. I hope your Lordship will order him the same fit-out and allowances with the other officers. I wrote to Sir John Macdonald; at my request he sent him to me, and it would be hard if he was put to personal expenses.
“The weather is still fine; but if a movement does not take place at once, it will be too late, and the troops must remain in garrison all the winter. Ibrahim will probably establish his head-quarters at Balbeck, if he intends remaining in Syria; but as he has given up the north, and lost Acre, I do not see what he is to gain by remaining in this country.