“The letter which has been sent to us in English, with its Arabic translation, from the senior officer, Captain Napier, commanding the English vessels in the port of Beyrout, has reached us, and from its Arabic translation we have understood its meaning.

“On our arrival at the place called Ain-el-Haj-mige, we there found one or two hundred insurgents, not originally from this place, but from Balbeck, and from the parts inhabited by mountaineers, who had come since the insurrection of this mountain, which has since submitted; they, therefore, knowing themselves guilty, and feeling the hand of punishment, in order to stir up the inhabitants, set fire to the different villages, saying, ‘Why have you submitted, and have given up your arms? we therefore choose to serve you in this manner,’ and to which the Christians of the mountains can attest and affirm. The above-mentioned insurgents, being at a place called Mulay, opposite the camp, some Albanians were sent against them, and drove them away after a fight; when pursuing them, the aforesaid insurgents, according to their promise, burnt the villages which they passed through in their flight and so gained the heights of the mountains; two of these individuals were caught, and brought in armed, but no injury was done them, and they were allowed to go after being furnished with a pass. The villages of Haded, Babda, Soafet, and other large villages like them, besides others near them, which are under us, have asked for security, which has been granted, and they have submitted peaceably and given up their arms; nothing has been done to them, only at the expulsion of the above-mentioned insurgents, they took from them their animals, arms, &c. The cavalry of Kabal, being like us troops, know very well the laws of war, and therefore those who are led astray, must expect to be killed, destroyed, &c., which they deserve, as they are not children. Still quarter is given them, as they may have been misled by the insurgents, and those who are found wounded after a battle are not destroyed.

“But if his Excellency the above-mentioned senior officer intends making any observations with regard to the movements or actions of the camp, then it does not appertain to us to answer; we cannot naturally but follow the instructions of his Highness our Master, the Viceroy. In consequence, all such answers can be given only by our Master the Viceroy to the Consuls-General at Alexandria; they alone are competent to do it, and which we beg to notify to your Excellency.

“(Signed) Souliman Pasha.”

Whether this was well translated or not, and whether what is stated here is correct, I am not able to say, but I must do them the justice of observing, that after that remonstrance I had nothing to complain of. The Egyptian troops marched to the neighbourhood of the Emir Bechir’s palace, Osman Pacha advanced from Balbeck, and the Emir sent his own troops to disarm the mountaineers. There were no executions, and only seven Emirs, at the instigation of the Grand Prince, were sent into Egypt, and from there were banished to Sennaar.

So badly informed were the allied Consuls, who felt a great interest in the mountaineers, and believed everything they wished, that for upwards of a week after the insurrection was put down, they fancied it in full force, and it was from a French merchant, who showed me a letter from Souliman Pacha’s secretary, I first learnt the actual state of the Mountain in the neighbourhood of Beyrout.

I sent the Edinburgh to Tripoli to learn what was passing there, and I followed on the 18th. On my arrival I found the mountaineers in that district, with few exceptions, had laid down their arms, and all was quiet; both ships watered, and returned to Beyrout. The exaggerated statements of Mr. Wood and Mr. Moore to the ambassador at Constantinople, who was ready to believe anything to the disadvantage of Mehemet Ali, had, however, their effect, and no doubt very much accelerated the signing the Treaty of the 15th of July.

At the very time I was writing to the Admiral that the insurrection was at an end, he was receiving letters from Constantinople, that it was in full force. On our return from Tripoli, we made an excursion into the mountains, on the road to Deir el Kammar, and there we saw nothing like the ravages of war; the country was beautifully cultivated to the tops of the highest mountains, and had we not known to contrary, we should have supposed from the appearance, that it was well governed. Nothing can be more beautiful than the mountains and villages of Lebanon, inhabited by a hardy and honest race of beings, and not a spot capable of cultivation is allowed to lie fallow. Terraces to support the soil are built up at great expense, and water conducted for irrigation throughout the mountain. The mulberry-tree is cultivated with great care, and produces two crops of leaves; the first goes to feed the silkworms, and the second the cattle in autumn. All kinds of fruit and vegetables are also produced, and the vine flourishes in great luxuriance nearly up to the summit of the mountain. As we were winding along the difficult passes we observed a steam-ship at sea, several thousand feet below us, making the best of her way to Beyrout, and before we had finished our repast, which the kindness of Mr. Moore had provided, we were agreeably surprised by the appearance of Captain Henderson, of the Gorgon, who had arrived from Alexandria, with orders to join the Commander-in-chief in Vourla Bay; this was a great disappointment, as we had projected excursions to Damascus and Balbeck, and also to the most interesting parts of these beautiful mountains. The subjoined is my report to the Admiral.

“Sir,

“H.M.S. Powerful, Beyrout,