“It is possible there may be other places on the coast of Syria more convenient for the embarkation than Caiffa, (of which I cannot be a judge, not knowing the position of Ibrahim’s army;) in that case you will concert with the officer commanding the Allied army, and act accordingly.
“As soon as it is ascertained where the embarkation will take place, the steamer will return here, and transports will be sent to receive them.
“I need not observe, that as Mehemet Ali has sent his submission to the Porte, which has been accepted, and is now reinstated in the Pachalic of Egypt, every facility should be given to Ibrahim Pacha to evacuate Syria, in order that it may be done with as little loss of life as possible.
| “I have, &c., “Chas. Napier.” |
“To the Senior Naval Officer
at Acre or Ascalon.”
The Turkish Commissioners, Yaver Pacha (Admiral Walker,) and Mazloum Bey, arrived at Alexandria on the 10th January, and were graciously received by Mehemet Ali, who gave directions that the fleet should be immediately given up, and Admiral Walker hoisted his flag on the 11th at noon, under a salute from the batteries at Alexandria, and the Egyptian men-of-war and steamers were put at their disposal, and they were ordered to be entertained at the Pacha’s expense. My friend, Admiral Walker, took up his residence with me, and in the morning of the 13th I visited him on board the Mahomedie, and afterwards waited on all the Turkish and Egyptian Admirals, when as much powder was burnt as would have fought a good action.
I dispatched the Stromboli with the important intelligence of the delivery of the Turkish fleet, to Sir Robert Stopford, at Marmorice Bay, on the 11th of January, supposing that the Eastern Question was brought to a close, but the sequel will show that it was not yet over.
I shall here make a comparison between the conduct of Sir Robert Stopford and Lord Ponsonby. Both rejected my Convention, and I believe it was the first time they ever agreed. When Captain Fanshawe returned from Alexandria, the Admiral, I think, saw his error, because he wrote to Syria to order a suspension of hostilities, and permitted the embarkation of the sick and wounded. Lord Ponsonby, on the other hand, did every thing he possibly could to gain time, and more than that, the British Ambassador wrote to General Jochmus, a Turkish officer, and desired him not to suspend hostilities, as is positively stated in General Michell’s letter to Lord Palmerston, dated December 31, 1840, and as we shall shortly see, he gave the same directions to his emissary, Mr. Wood; and the very steamer that brought the Commissioners to Alexandria, as I shall show hereafter, was the bearer of orders to, if possible, destroy Ibrahim’s army: so much for the good faith of the Turks[[17]]. Admiral Walker was quite ignorant of this as well as myself, and thinking every thing was settled with Turkey, I very naturally turned my attention to English interests at Alexandria.
Boghos Bey had announced his intention of selling the crop of cotton on the 20th of February, and continuing the sale the first of every succeeding month. The British merchants complained of the difficulty they had in becoming purchasers under this arrangement; they alleged that if they imported cash to purchase the cotton, it might be put up at such a price that they would either be obliged to take it at a loss, or re-export their specie, and they requested I would use my influence with Boghos Bey to get him to put it up at public sale. I thought their request so reasonable, that I immediately went to Boghos Bey, and suggested to him, that the cotton in question should be put up at public sale, when it is sure to fetch its real value, and the merchants would then have a fair chance of becoming purchasers; that this system was invariably followed by the East India Company, and they found it to answer their purpose and satisfy the public.