The Author sent to Alexandria—Defences of the Town—Lord Palmerston’s Instructions to Lord Ponsonby—Lord Ponsonby’s dislike to Mehemet Ali—The Author’s Correspondence with Boghos Bey—Interview with the Pacha—His Arsenal—Further Correspondence—Signature of the Convention.
The Admiral having thought it necessary to increase the squadron off Alexandria to six sail of the line, I sailed on the 15th November to take the command; the object was to make a powerful demonstration before Alexandria under my pennant, as the Admiral wrote to me. The rest of the squadron, as I have before stated, were to be withdrawn, with the exception of the Benbow. Ibrahim at this time had collected a very strong force at Zachle and Malaka, and I thought it very probable, unless he had decided to abandon Syria altogether, that he would take advantage of the absence of the squadron, and march a strong force on Beyrout. Had he attempted such an enterprise he must have succeeded; Sidon would then have fallen, and probably Acre, for the explosion had blown a great part of the land-face down, and the temporary reparations could not have resisted a powerful force.
On the 21st of November I arrived off Alexandria, where I found the Rodney, Revenge, Ganges, Vanguard, and Cambridge, of the line; Carysfort, and Medea, steamer. The latter a few days before had been nearly blown up by the bursting of a shell. Before communicating with the squadron, I ran in and reconnoitred the defences: the sea-face appeared covered with guns, but, with the exception of the Pharo Castle, I saw nothing that could resist a strong naval force; but still any attack without troops would lead to no result, and at this season of the year, even if a force could have been spared, it would not have been prudent to have attempted it.
When I joined the squadron I was put in possession of a copy of the following letter from Lord Palmerston to Lord Ponsonby:
“My Lord,
“London, Oct. 15, 1840.
“Her Majesty’s Government having taken into consideration the act by which the Sultan deprived Mehemet Ali of the pachalic of Egypt, the bearings of that act upon the present state of pending questions, and the course which it may be expedient to take thereupon, have invited the Representatives of Austria, Prussia, and Russia at their court, to submit to their respective Governments, that undoubtedly there is much force in the reasons which, according to your Excellency’s reports, induced the Sultan to take this step; and, that while on the one hand, this measure in no degree prevents the Sultan from reinstating Mehemet Ali, if he should speedily make his submission to his Sovereign, on the other hand, it may operate as a powerful instrument of moral coercion upon Mehemet Ali, by making him aware, that if the contest between him and his Sovereign should be prolonged, and if the issue of that contest should be unfavourable to him, he might lose everything by his too obstinate resistance.
“That in this view, and in order to make the recent exercise of the sovereign authority of the Sultan useful towards effecting an early and satisfactory settlement of pending questions, it is the opinion of Her Majesty’s Government, that it would be expedient that the Representatives of the Four Powers at Constantinople, should be instructed to proceed to the Turkish Minister, and state to him that their respective Governments, in pursuance of the stipulations of the Seventh Article of the Separate Act annexed to the Treaty of the 15th July, beg strongly to recommend to the Sultan, that if Mehemet Ali should at an early period make his submission to the Sultan, and should agree to restore the Turkish fleet, and to withdraw his troops from Syria, from Adana, Candia, and the Holy Cities, the Sultan should not only reinstate Mehemet Ali as Pacha of Egypt, but should also give him an hereditary tenure to that pachalic, according to the conditions specified in the Treaty of July, and liable, of course, to the forfeiture by any infraction of those conditions on the part of Mehemet Ali, or his successors.
“Her Majesty’s Government have reason to hope that this suggestion will meet the concurrence of the Governments of Austria, Prussia, and Russia; and your Excellency will accordingly take the steps pointed out in this despatch, as soon as your colleagues shall have received corresponding instructions.
“If the Sultan should consent to act upon this advice, tendered to him by his four Allies, it would be expedient that he should take immediate steps for making his gracious intentions in this respect known to Mehemet Ali; and your Excellency and Sir Robert Stopford should afford every facility which they may require for this purpose.