“We are firmly convinced that the other Powers will readily adhere to this opinion of England; not one of them will, in fact, take upon itself a guarantee, which would become as burdensome for those Powers, as it would be incompatible with His Highness’s rights of Sovereignty.
“The Cabinet of London appears to be more than ever impressed with the necessity of furthering, by all possible means, the pacification of the East, and of putting an end to the doubts which the Divan appears to entertain with respect to the real intentions of the Allies. Have the goodness then, Sir, to unite with Lord Ponsonby, in holding to the Ministers of the Porte the language which Lord Palmerston has lately prescribed to the English Ambassador, and which, we have no doubt, will be equally supported by the Representatives of Austria and Prussia.”
Nothing could be more gratifying to me than that my first essay at diplomacy should have received the sanction of the great powers of Europe, and I presume such a sanction was not very palatable to the gentlemen who took a different view of Eastern affairs.
CHAPTER V.
The Author ordered to Alexandria to carry the Convention into effect—Interviews with the Pacha and Boghos Bey—Letter from Boghos Bey explaining the Pacha’s Intentions—Lieut. Loring dispatched to see the Evacuation of Syria carried into effect; his Instructions—Letters to the Chief Officers in Syria—Arrival of the Turkish Commissioners at Alexandria—Surrender of the Turkish Fleet—Bad Faith of the Turks—Correspondence between the Author and Boghos Bey respecting the Cotton Crop—The Commercial Treaty.
The day after the arrival of the Megæra, I waited on the Commander-in-Chief, who directed me to proceed to Alexandria, and see the Convention carried out. I arrived there in the Stromboli on the 8th January, when the Pacha sent one of his officers to compliment me, and invite me to the Palace.
Between seven and eight in the evening I waited on Boghos Bey, and delivered the Admiral’s and Rechid Pacha’s letters[[14]], and an extract of Lord Palmerston’s instruction, dated the 15th of December, beginning with the words, “Now it is necessary that Sir Robert Stopford[[15]].” Boghos Bey did not seem much disappointed at the refusal of the Allies to give a guarantee, but expressed his dissatisfaction at the word “hereditary” not appearing in the letter of Rechid Pacha to the British Ambassador, and expressed his fears that there would be some difficulty with the Pacha, who fully expected on his submission, the hereditary Pachalic of Egypt would be conferred on him.
I was now introduced to the Pacha, who was far from being in good humour, and evidently disappointed at the communication Boghos Bey had previously made to him; he nevertheless invited me to sit on the divan beside him, and gave me a pipe.
I acquainted his Highness that I was authorized to allow vessels to proceed to Caiffa, to embark the sick, wounded, women, children, and any part of the Egyptian army, and that I should send a British officer with the person to whom he entrusted his instructions to Ibrahim to evacuate Syria. I also told him that I should give every assistance to fit out the Turkish fleet, which I was sorry to observe was in the same state I had left them.