“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.
“After the usual Titles.
“17 Chewal, 1256.
(Dec. 11, 1840.)
“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.