On my arrival at the beach I found Souliman had decamped during the night, leaving his artillery behind, removing, however, the day before, all his tent equipage near the town, without being at all molested.
Had intelligence been sent to me early on the 11th I should have had no difficulty in advancing on Souliman, and probably cutting off the greater part of his division, as well as preventing Ibrahim from retiring on Corneille and collecting his forces there; such a movement would have encouraged the advance of the mountaineers, instead of remaining in the neighbourhood of Basquinta and allowing Ibrahim and Souliman to retire quietly with a defeated army, and assemble at Zachle, a little above the plain of the Bekaa.
Before I went off to the flag-ship I received the following letter from the Admiral:—
“My dear Commodore,
“Beyrout, Oct. 11, 1840.
“Colonel Hodges is on board, and has described your splendid operations of yesterday, to the merits of which no words of mine can do justice. You have nothing to fear from Souliman Pasha; 2000 of his men came into Beyrout to-day and delivered themselves up, with their arms; more are expected. His field pieces, nearly 30, remain about four miles off, and we are going to get them in. Sir Charles Smith wants as many of your troops as you can spare, consistently with guarding your prisoners, and your security in reaching the camp. The men had better go on board the Gorgon and Hydra to be conveyed here.
“I do most heartily assure you of being fully sensible of the benefit which I and the whole expedition have received from your indefatigable services, and on your rejoining the Powerful, your conscience may be perfectly satisfied on your having accomplished all that could be done.
“According to the plans from Constantinople, Sidon and Tyre are to be put into a good state of security for the troops, to which Beyrout will now be added.
“There is no news from England; but Lord Palmerston’s letters are not to risk the Turks beyond the means of retreat to the shipping; also the marines; and saying, that Acre is not to be attacked at present.
“From all this I apprehend some negotiation is going on, which will be much assisted by our successes here.