// ppgen source syria_vol1-src.txt
// 20160406143137napier
// KD Weeks, Brian Coe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
// first edit: 10-oct-2016
.dt The War in Syria, Volume 1, by Commodore Sir Charles Napier
.de a:link { text-decoration: none; }
.de div.tnotes { padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;background-color:#E3E4FA;border:1px solid silver; margin:1em 5% 0 5%; text-align: justify;}
.de .blackletter { font-family: "Old English Text MT", Gothic, serif;}
.de .epubonly {visibility: hidden; display: none; }
.de @media handheld { .epubonly { visibility: visible; display: inline; } }
.de .htmlonly {visibility: visible; display: inline;}
.de @media handheld { .htmlonly { visibility: hidden; display: none; } }
.de .column-container { margin: auto; clear: both; }
.de .left { display: inline-block; text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom; width:49%; }
.de .right { display: inline-block; text-align: right; vertical-align: top; width:49%; }
.de .sigleft { display: inline-block; text-align: left; vertical-align: bottom; width:34%; }
.de .sigright { display: inline-block; text-align: right; vertical-align: bottom; width:64%; }
.de .quote { font-size: 95%; margin-top: 1.0em; margin-bottom: 1.0em; }
.de .linegroup .group { margin: 0em auto; }
.sr t |\[oe\]|œ|
.sr h |text-align: left; text-indent: -1em;|text-align: justify; text-indent: -1em;|
.sr h |||
.sr h |||
.sr t ||=|
.sr t ||=|
.dm address $1
.fs 90%
.nf
$1
.nf-
.fs
.dm-
.dm address2 $1 $2
.fs 90%
.nf
$1
$2
.nf-
.fs
.dm-
.dm address3 $1 $2 $3
.fs 90%
.nf
$1
$2
$3
.nf-
.fs
.dm-
.dm signature1 $1
.if h
.dv class='column-container'
.dv class='sigleft'
.dv-
.dv class='sigright'
.rj
$1
.dv-
.dv-
.if-
.if t
.rj
$1
.if-
.dm-
.dm signature2 $1 $2
.if h
.dv class='column-container'
.dv class='sigleft'
.dv-
.dv class='sigright'
.nf r
$1
$2
.nf-
.dv-
.dv-
.if-
.if t
.nf r
$1
$2
.nf-
.if-
.dm-
.dm signature3 $1 $2 $2
.if h
.dv class='column-container'
.dv class='sigleft'
.dv-
.dv class='sigright'
.nf r
$1
$2
$3
.nf-
.dv-
.dv-
.if-
.if t
.nf r
$1
$2
$3
.nf-
.if-
.dm-
.dm signature4 $1 $2 $3 $4
.if h
.dv class='column-container'
.dv class='sigleft'
.dv-
.dv class='sigright'
.nf r
$1
$2
$3
$4
.nf-
.dv-
.dv-
.if-
.if t
.nf r
$1
$2
$3
$4
.nf-
.if-
.dm-
.dm heading $1 $2
.if h
.ni
.dv class='column-container'
.dv class='left'
$1
.dv-
.dv class='right'
.rj
$2
.dv-
.dv-
.pi
.if-
.if t
.rj
$2
$1
.if-
.dm-
.dm heading3 $1 $2 $3
.if h
.ni
.dv class='column-container'
.dv class='left'
$1
.dv-
.dv class='right'
.fs 90%
.nf r
$2
$3
.nf-
.fs
.dv-
.dv-
.pi
.if-
.if t
.nf r
$2
$3
.nf-
$1
.if-
.dm-
// create errata table page references
.dm cref $1
.if t
$1
.if-
.if h
#$1:corr$1#
.if-
.dm-
// create markup
.dm corr_noid $1 $2
.if h
$2
.if-
.dm-
.dm corr $1 $2 $3
.if t
$3
.if-
.if h
$3$3
.if-
.dm-
.dm start_summary
.fs 90%
.in 4
.ti -4
.dm-
.dm end_summary
.fs 100%
.in
.dm-
//Begin quote
.dm start_quote
.dv class='quote'
.dm-
//End Quote
.dm end_quote
.dv-
.dm-
// Begin Poetry
.dm start_poem
.sp 1
.fs 95%
.nf b
.dm-
// End Poetry
.dm end_poem
.nf-
.fs 100%
.sp 1
.dm-
.pb
.dv class='tnotes'
.ce
Transcriber’s Note:
.if t
This version of the text cannot represent certain typographical
effects. Italics are delimited with the ‘_’ character as _italic_.
Footnotes have been moved to follow the paragraphs in which they
are referenced.
.if-
.if h
Footnotes have been collected at the end of each chapter, and are
linked for ease of reference.
.if-
Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Please
see the transcriber’s #note:endnote# at the end of this text
for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered
during its preparation.
.if h
The cover image has been created, based on title page information, and
is added to the public domain.
.if-
.if h
.dv class='htmlonly'
.il fn=cover.jpg w=488px
.dv-
.if-
.dv-
.bn 001.png
.h1
THE | WAR IN SYRIA.
.sp 4
.nf c
BY
COMMODORE SIR CHARLES NAPIER, K.C.B.,
&c., &c., &c.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.sp 2
.ce
IN TWO VOLUMES.
.hr 5%
.ce
VOL. I.
.sp 4
.nf c
LONDON:
JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND.
.nf-
.hr 5%
.ce
M.DCCC.XLII.
.bn 002.png
.sp 4
.nf c
London:
Harrison and Co., Printers,
St. Martin’s Lane.
.nf-
.bn 003.png
.h2
ADVERTISEMENT.
.hr 20%
.sp 2
In giving an account of the War in Syria, I
have endeavoured to state the facts as they
occurred, of most of which I was an eye-witness.
The Levant Papers have furnished
me with much useful information, and I have
endeavoured to make no statements that cannot
he borne out either by them or by documents
in my own possession.
In writing a work of this kind I have
been obliged to publish letters and extracts of
letters from these Papers, in order to save the
reader the trouble of examining them, and,
indeed, it is not in the power of the public to
get hold of Parliamentary Papers without a
serious expense; this I trust will be a sufficient
excuse for the numerous documents that
I have thought it necessary to give.
May, 1842.
.bn 004.png
.bn 005.png
.pn v
.h2
CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
.hr 20%
.ta h:60 r:10
| PAGE
Chapter I.
State of Affairs in the Levant in August, 1839—The\
Author’s Interview with Hosrew Pacha—Sir Robert\
Stopford at Constantinople; his Interview with the\
Sultan—Impolitic Junction of the English and French\
Fleets—Sir John Louis takes the command of the\
English Squadron—The Author tenders his Resignation | #1#
Chapter II.
The English Fleet winters at Smyrna—Summer Cruise—Insurrection\
in Lebanon—Opinion on the proper\
course of the English Fleet—The Powerful and Edinburgh\
sent to Beyrout—Murder of a Frank; conduct\
of the French Consul—Insignificance of the Insurrection—Mission\
of Mr. Wood—Grievances of the Mountaineers—Author’s\
Letter to the Egyptian Admiral—Letter\
from Souliman Pacha—Suppression of the\
Insurrection—Ignorance of the Allied Consuls—Visit\
to Tripoli—Excursion into the Mountains—Appearance\
of the Country—Ships ordered to Vourla Bay—Author’s\
Report to the Admiral | #12#
Chapter III.
The English ships withdrawn from the coast of Syria—The\
Author appointed to the command of a Squadron—Letters\
to the Egyptian Authorities, the British Consul,\
.bn 006.png
.pn +1
the Emir Bechir, and others—Proclamation to the\
Syrians—Letters from the Emir Bechir and Souliman\
Pacha | #29#
Chapter IV.
Generous behaviour of Souliman Pacha—Intercepted\
Letter from Boghos Bey to that Officer—Interview of\
the Consuls with Mehemet Ali—A Turkish Squadron\
equipped—Arrival of the Turkish Troops—Force of\
the Egyptian Army—Its proper line of Action | #42#
Chapter V.
The Allied Troops landed in D’Jounie Bay—Encampment—Reconnoissances—Submission\
of the Emir Abdallah—Beyrout\
summoned to Surrender—Reply of Souliman\
Pacha—Impolicy of the Attack on Beyrout—Forbearance\
of Souliman Pacha—Capture of D’Jebail—Captain\
Martin’s Report— to Merouba—Report\
to the Admiral | #50#
Chapter VI.
Proposed attack upon Sidon—Correspondence between Sir\
Robert Stopford and the Author respecting the command—Attack\
on the Heights of Ornagacuan—Report\
to the Admiral—Return to D’Jounie | #69#
Chapter VII.
Proposed Attack on Sidon abandoned; resumed—Instructions—Correspondence\
between the Author and Sir\
Robert Stopford—Arrival at Sidon—Letter of Sir R.\
Stopford to the Admiralty—Summons to the Governor\
Report to the Admiral of the Capture of the Town—Excellent\
behaviour of the Allied Troops—Fortitude\
of a Negro Soldier—Return to the Camp at D’Jounie | #80#
.bn 007.png
.pn +1
Chapter VIII.
State of Affairs at D’Jounie—Effect of the Capture of\
Sidon—The Emir Bechir Cassim joins the Allies—Overtures\
from the Emir Bechir—Movements of Ibrahim\
Pacha—Capture of Caiffa, and of Tyre; Captain\
Collier’s Report—Conflicting opinions as to future\
Operations—Letter from Sir Robert Stopford—Insufficient\
boating of War Steamers | #94#
Chapter IX.
Destruction of Stores at Beyrout—Intermeddling of Izzet\
Pacha—Correspondence between the Author and Sir\
R. Stopford—Visit to Tyre and Sidon, and Reconnoissance\
of Acre | #108#
Chapter X.
Osman Pacha defeated by the Emir Bechir Cassim at\
Merouba—Proposed Attack on Beyrout—Correspondence\
with Sir Robert Stopford—Letter from the Emir\
Bechir Cassim—Letters to Lords Minto and Palmerston—Visit\
to the Encampment of the Emir Bechir\
Cassim—Comfortless quarters at Argentoun—Return—Preparations\
for the Attack of Beyrout | #113#
Chapter XI.
March towards Beyrout—Apprehensions of the Admiral—Arrangements\
in case of Disaster—Letters to and from\
the Emir Bechir Cassim—Skirmish—Position at Boharsof—Omar\
Bey dispatched to join the Emir—Letter\
to the Admiral—Arrival of Sir Charles Smith—The\
Author ordered to return to the Camp | #122#
.bn 008.png
.pn +1
Chapter XII.
Impossibility of immediately retiring—Letter to the Admiral—His\
Answer—Arrival of the Emir—Advance\
upon the Enemy—Doubtful character of the Forces\
on both sides—Novelty of the Author’s situation—Battle\
of Boharsof—Defeat and Flight of Ibrahim—An\
awkward Mistake—A Green Egyptian Flag taken,\
and said to be lost again—Promptitude of Omar Bey—Turkish\
mode of Rejoicing—Second Letter of Recall—Note\
to the Admiral—Letter respecting the Author’s\
return to D’Jounie—Official Report of the Battle of\
Boharsof | #134#
Chapter XIII.
Necessity for disobeying the Orders to return to D’Jounie—Advantageous\
results—Difference with Izzet Pacha—his\
Character—Unmolested retreat of Souliman Pacha—he\
should have been closely followed up—Letter\
from the Admiral—The Author resigns the Command—Letter\
to Lord Ponsonby—Unsuccessful attack on\
Tortosa | #152#
Chapter XIV.
Interview of the Author with the Admiral and Sir Charles\
Smith—Returns to Beyrout—Urges various enterprises\
upon the Admiral, which are disapproved of—Correspondence\
with the Emir Bechir Cassim—Surrender\
of the old Emir Bechir—Retrospect of the\
Successes of the Expedition—Speculations as to the\
Attack upon Acre—Visit to the Emir at Ammanah—Scenery\
of Lebanon—Reconnoissance of Ibrahim’s\
Position—Letter to the Admiral—Conduct of the\
Turkish Authorities—Visit to the Emir’s Palace at\
Ibteddin—Accident to the Young Prince—Departure\
of the Squadron for Acre | #169#
.bn 009.png
.pn +1
Chapter XV.
Letter of Congratulation from Lord Ponsonby to the\
Author—Ibrahim Pacha’s Standard, missing from the\
Field of Boharsof—Letters to Lord Ponsonby, Colonel\
Hodges, and the Admiral respecting it—Lord Ponsonby’s\
Speech to the Sultan, and Letter to the\
Author—Colonel Hodges’ Explanation—The Affair\
never satisfactorily cleared up | #187#
Chapter XVI.
Former Sieges of Acre—Arrival of the Allied Squadron—Proposed\
mode of Attack—Objections—Survey of the\
North Channel—The Squadron under weigh—The\
Author attacks from the North—Conduct of the\
different Divisions—Explosion of the Grand Magazine—Close\
of the Action—Evacuation of the Town—Fate\
of the Sick and Wounded | #196#
Chapter XVII.
Difference between the Admiral and the Author—The\
Author’s Orders—Captain Berkeley’s Orders—The\
Author applies for a Court Martial, but is refused—Correspondence\
with the Admiral—The Admiral’s\
Dispatches | #212#
Chapter XVIII.
Second Explosion at Acre—Prisoners sent to Beyrout—The\
Author ordered to Alexandria with a Squadron—Letter\
from the Emir—Neglected State of his Troops—English\
Commissary-General appointed—Excursion\
to the Mountains—Padre Ryllo—French Priests in\
Lebanon—Visit to the Wife of an Emir—Bad conduct\
of the Turks—Letters to Lords Ponsonby, Palmerston,\
and Minto on the subject | #232#
.bn 010.png
.pn +1
Chapter XIX.
The Author sent to Alexandria—Defences of the Town—Lord\
Palmerston’s Instructions to Lord Ponsonby—Lord\
Ponsonby’s dislike to Mehemet Ali—The Author’s\
Correspondence with Boghos Bey—Interview\
with the Pacha—His Arsenal—Further Correspondence—Signature\
of the Convention | #248#
Appendix.
Treaty of 15th July, 1840, for the Pacification of the\
Levant | #285#
Separate Act and Protocols | #293#
.ta-
.bn 011.png
.pn +1
.pi
.sp 4
.h2
INTRODUCTION.
.sp 2
In writing the history of the War in Syria,
I began after the battle of Nizib, and the
defection of the Turkish fleet, which had well
nigh laid Turkey prostrate at the feet of her
powerful vassal; but it is necessary that the
uninformed reader should be acquainted how
Mehemet Ali, who began a simple soldier,
should have risen to such a height of power
as to attract the attention of the nations of
Europe, and cause them to come forward, at
the imminent risk of a European war, to interfere
between the vassal and the master.
Mehemet Ali is of low origin, and was born
at Cavallo, in Roumelia, in 1769. He left his
parents when young, and began his career as a
tobacco-merchant, but soon tired of trade, became
a soldier, and was sent to Egypt, at the
time of the French invasion, at the head of a
body of Arnauts (Albanians.) After the evacuation
of Egypt by the French, he made himself
extremely useful to Kourschid Pacha, the
.bn 012.png
.pn +1
governor of Egypt, who was unpopular with the
Mamelukes, and disliked by his own soldiers.
Mehemet was too clever for the Governor, and
soon began to see an opening for himself.
Kourschid became jealous, and endeavoured
to get rid of him; but the future Pacha of
Egypt had gained over his countrymen to his
interest, and, with the assistance of the Mamelukes,
deposed the Pacha, and stepped into his
shoes. His own talent, and the weakness of
the Porte, kept him in place; though many
attempts were made to remove him.
Mehemet Ali never openly opposed the
Porte; he was the most submissive of Pachas,
and always managed to gain his point, and
each unsuccessful attempt of the Porte to
displace him left him more powerful than ever.
When the British landed at Damietta, in 1807,
Mehemet Ali ruled in Egypt, and it was
principally owing to his energetic conduct that
the expedition failed.
The massacre of the Mamelukes, which
took place in 1811, cannot be justified, even
according to Eastern ideas. That they were
extremely troublesome and dangerous there
cannot be a doubt; they would have had no
hesitation whatever in overthrowing Mehemet
.bn 013.png
.pn +1
Ali’s government, and putting him to death;
and had he openly attacked them, he would
have been justified; but a breach of hospitality
is a greater crime in the East than in the
West. He had invited the Mamelukes to eat
salt with him, and he treacherously attacked
and butchered them in the citadel of Cairo in
cold blood. One alone escaped; he took a
desperate leap over the battlements, his horse
was killed on the spot, and he alone, of between
400 and 500, survived to tell the story of the
massacre of his fellows.
About this time the Pacha began to extend
his views beyond Egypt, and his first step was
to take advantage of the opening afforded by
the depredations of the Wahabees, a reforming
military sect of Arabs, who had captured Mecca
and Medina, plundered the caravans, and put a
stop to the pilgrimages of the Faithful. Less
actuated, it may be fairly supposed, by religious
zeal than by political wisdom, he procured
orders from the Porte, by virtue of which he
attacked, and at length, after several campaigns,
succeeded in subduing them; his two sons
Toussoon and Ibrahim greatly exerting themselves
in the war. The pachalic of the Holy
Cities was in consequence granted by the Sultan
.bn 014.png
.pn +1
to Ibrahim, but Mehemet Ali pushed his arms
still further, and did not desist till he had got
into his possession the most valuable parts of
the coast of Arabia.
Shortly after the massacre of the Mamelukes,
Mehemet, with the assistance of Colonel
Seve (now Souliman Pacha), an officer of merit
in the French service, set to work to raise
an army and to discipline it on the European
model. The latter was no easy task; he had
to contend against the habits and prejudices of
the Arabs, but nevertheless, he succeeded in
this, as he has done in most of his undertakings.
In 1824 he was enabled to send a
powerful army and fleet to Greece to assist
in putting down the insurrection; here the
Allies interfered; the “untoward” battle of
Navarino destroyed his fleet, and not more
than half his army returned to the land of their
birth. As a reward for his services, however,
the government of Candia was conferred on
him by the Porte.
From this time to 1831 Mehemet Ali
employed himself in improving his country,
and perfecting his establishments; and though
according to our notions, the means he employed
were not very mild or humane, the public works
.bn 015.png
.pn +1
he executed in a short time were almost as
wonderful as those of Peter the Great.
His military and naval conscriptions, and
other acts of tyranny, induced many of the
inhabitants of Egypt to abandon their country
and take refuge in Syria, and they were protected
by Abdallah Pacha, the Governor of the
province in which stands the celebrated fortress
of St. Jean d’Acre. This Pacha was under
considerable obligation to Mehemet Ali; but,
nevertheless, disregarded all his remonstrances.
Mehemet Ali was not a man to be trifled
with; and, under the pretence of recovering
his Fellahs and punishing Abdallah Pacha, he
took steps from which the far-famed Eastern
Question at length arose.
He assembled an army of 40,000 men, including
eight regiments of cavalry, and several
thousand Bedouins, a large park of artillery
and a battering train. At the head of this
army he placed his son Ibrahim Pacha. A
squadron of five sail-of-the-line and several
frigates were despatched to Acre in the month
of November, 1831, a season of the year rather
too late to commence a campaign. Nevertheless,
Ibrahim having crossed the Desert, set
himself down before Acre in December.
.bn 016.png
.pn +1
The Grand Prince of Lebanon, the Emir
Bechir, after much hesitation, paid him a visit
in his camp before Acre, and brought presents
of horses for Ibrahim and Abbas Pachas, and
endeavoured to make his visit one of compliment
only. Ibrahim, seeing the immense advantage
of gaining him over to his interest,
either by force or persuasion, detained him in
his camp for several months, and at last
obtained a promise of his co-operation; he was
then permitted to return to Ibteddin, leaving,
however, his grandson, the Emir Mahmoud, as
a hostage for his fidelity.
The siege was conducted with so little skill
both by land and sea, that six months elapsed
before the fortress fell into the possession of
Ibrahim Pacha, and then it was taken by
storm. The following, extracted from the work
of Mr. St. John, is the best account I have
been able to procure[1].
.fn 1
Egypt under Mohammed Ali, vol. ii., pp. 493-496.
.fn-
.pm start_quote
“Ibrahim on the 26th of May, ordering the
generals, colonels, and chiefs of battalions into his
tent, made the following arrangements for carrying
the place by storm. Ahmed Bey, General of Brigade,
with the first battalion of the second regiment
of infantry, was directed to mount the breach near
.bn 017.png
.pn +1
the tower of Kapoo-Boorjou; to the second battalion,
the breach opposite Nebi-Saleh was assigned, and to
the third, that of Zavié; each assaulting party to be
supported by a party in reserve. About an hour
after midnight, scaling ladders were commanded to
be brought to the trench near the tower of Kerim
Boorjou. Each officer, moreover, received particular
instructions. During the night the batteries kept
up a continual fire upon the city, and immediately
after sunrise the order for the assault was given.
The breaches of Zavié and Nebi-Saleh were at once
carried; but the detachment which had been directed
against the tower of Kapoo-Boorjou, meeting with
some resistance, exhibited signs of trepidation, and
was about to give ground. Observing this, Ibrahim,
sabre in hand, advanced towards them, and succeeded,
by vehement menaces, in arresting their
retrograde movement. At the same time the reserve
advanced to their support, and while a part of the
men kept the enemy in check by a well-directed fire,
the others threw up an intrenchment.
“In the city, the Turkish soldiers, whose numbers
had been reduced to about 2000, with the
chivalrous Abdallah Pacha at their head, exhibited
eminent proofs of bravery. In one hour and a half
they made three different sallies, and though constantly
repulsed, left upon the minds of the besiegers
a high idea of their intrepidity. The
cannonading continued all day on both sides. At
the breach of Zavié, the Arabs having penetrated
.bn 018.png
.pn +1
to the gate near the tower of the Khazné, Abdallah
Pacha, followed by his staff, attacked them in person,
and driving them beyond the ditch where they were
exposed to the fire of the besieged, they retired
under the cover of their own battery. Ibrahim,
supported by a great number of inferior officers,
endeavoured to bring them once more to the charge;
but they again gave way, and retired before the
Turks. He now ordered one of his chaooshes to
snatch the colours from the standard-bearer, and
advance towards the enemy. The soldier refused to
deliver them. A second was sent, and met with the
same refusal; but the standard-bearer himself now
marching forward to the breach, was followed by the
Arabs, who returned to the charge with so much
fury, that they succeeded in reaching the parapet,
from behind which they dislodged the enemy with
stones. Such was the nature of the contest for
hours, a series of successes and disasters, more fatal,
however, to the Turks than to the Arabs, since, their
numbers being small, every man was missed. At
length the firing ceased on both sides; and this suspension
of slaughter continued until half past five in
the afternoon.
“In this interval, the principal engineer was
directed to reconnoitre a part of the wall, where
Ibrahim supposed the scaling ladders might be successfully
applied; and his report confirming the
suspicion of the General, orders were issued to commence
the escalade. As the operation was conducted
.bn 019.png
.pn +1
in the teeth of the enemy, who maintained a constant
and murderous fire, the number of men who fell in
effecting it was considerable; but their efforts were
at length crowned with success, and a party of horse
also throwing themselves into the town, the besieged
perceived that all further defence was impracticable,
and demanded quarter. Immediately afterwards, a
deputation consisting of certain officers of artillery,
with the mufti and imam of Abdallah Pacha, arrived,
imploring the clemency of the victor. They were
graciously received by Ibrahim, who promised them
his protection, and even allowed the officers to retain
their arms. To Abdallah Pacha, life only was guaranteed.
By this time the city was filled with soldiers,
and those excesses and atrocities, too common on the
storming of towns, took place; but such property as
could be discovered was next day restored to the
owners. It has been asserted, upon the authority of an
European consul, then in the city, that the soldiers
of Ibrahim were allowed seven days’ sack of the
town; but the author of this report is an ardent
partisan of Abdallah Pacha; and it may be further
remarked that, since Mohammed Ali aimed at gaining
a permanent footing in Syria, the thing itself is improbable.
“Abdallah Pacha, two days after the taking of
Acre, was sent prisoner into Egypt, where he was
received with the honours due to a brave man, and
had a palace, situated on the island of Rhouda,
assigned him for his residence.”
.pm end_quote
.bn 020.png
.pn +1
The Turkish Government were not unwilling
to see Abdallah Pacha deprived of Acre,
as they thought he had assumed an air of too
much independence, and they also hoped that
Mehemet Ali, who they saw with a jealous eye
was becoming too powerful, would exhaust his
resources by undertaking a campaign in Syria.
After the capture of Acre the Porte soon began
to perceive that Abdallah Pacha’s position was
taken possession of by a more powerful, a more
ambitious, and a more dangerous vassal; they
therefore ordered him immediately to withdraw
from Syria, and not expecting compliance,
collected an army of 20,000 men on the banks
of the Orontes, and advanced another from
Anatolia, to oppose him.
Mehemet Ali, however, had no idea of
satisfying himself with the capture of Acre.
He had now passed the Rubicon, and he directed
Ibrahim to advance a part of his army
on Balbeck to watch the operations of Hussein
Pacha, who commanded the Ottoman army, and
to occupy Damascus with the remainder. Ali
Pacha, who commanded the Turkish troops in
that city, evacuated it without firing a shot,
and retired on Homs, by the old road of Palmyra,
and joined the Turkish army.
.bn 021.png
.pn +1
Ibrahim Pacha, having now possession of
Damascus, advanced on Khan Kousseir, where
he arrived on the 6th of July. The next
morning he attacked and defeated a part of
the Turkish army, and took 3000 prisoners and
13 field pieces. On the 8th the Egyptian
army entered Homs, and took 1500 prisoners
and 14 guns. The remains of the Ottoman
army retired on Aleppo, and formed a junction
with the force under Hussein Pacha; from
thence they continued their retreat, in two
columns, on Beylan, and soon after Ibrahim
took possession of Aleppo, where he halted a
short time to reorganize On the
29th he again came in sight of the Ottoman
army, again attacked, and again defeated them,
taking 25 guns and 2000 prisoners. On the
following day the Egyptians entered Alexandretta,
where they found 14 guns and abundance
of stores and provisions; and the Turks
now retired on Mount Taurus.
The Sultan becoming alarmed for the stability
of his throne, made great exertions, and
speedily collected an army of 50,000 men, and
a good train of artillery, and placed them
under the command of Rechid Pacha, the
Grand Vizier. The Egyptian army had now
.bn 022.png
.pn +1
assembled at Adana, and on the 14th of
October they drove the Turks from the defiles
of Mount Taurus, and on the 20th the Egyptian
advanced guard occupied Erekli, where
they remained till the 27th of November.
On the 13th of December, the whole army
was put in motion, and arrived at Koniyeh on
the 17th, the day after the Turks had evacuated
it. From that time to the 20th of
December, various movements took place on
both sides, and on the 21st the battle of
Koniyeh was fought, when the Ottoman army
was totally defeated and dispersed by Ibrahim
Pacha, and the Grand Vizier taken prisoner.
Nothing now hindered the conqueror from
marching on Scutari, where he might have
arrived early in January, and before the
Russians had reached the Bosphorus. Had
he followed this course, Constantinople would
have been revolutionized, and the power of
the Sultan overturned, and most probably
Mehemet Ali would have been placed on the
throne of Osman.
The Egyptian army did not leave Koniyeh
till the 20th of January, 1833, and reached
Kutayah on the 1st of February. The Russians
had by that time arrived in the Bosphorus,
.bn 023.png
.pn +1
called in by the Sultan, who, being
neglected by his natural friends, was obliged
to apply to his natural enemy to protect him
from the rebellion of one of his own subjects.
The arrival of the Russian squadron and
army in the Bosphorus decided Ibrahim to
enter into negociations, and the Treaty of
Kutayah, by which the Ottoman empire was
saved from immediate destruction, was signed,
the Pachalic of Adana and the whole of Syria
(by far the most valuable part of their conquests,)
being entrusted to Mehemet Ali and his son.
This Treaty, so mortifying to the Sultan’s
pride, was followed by that of Unkiar Skelessi,
and the consequent departure of the Russian
squadron from the Bosphorus; they had, however,
learnt the road to Constantinople, which
neither the British nor French Governments
ought to have permitted, and the time is not
far distant when they will profit by their
experience.
Shortly after the Treaty of Kutayah, Ibrahim
retired within the defiles of the Taurus,
and the whole province was formally put under
the government of Mehemet Ali.
Had the Pacha of Egypt been a wise man,
and ameliorated, in the slightest degree, the
.bn 024.png
.pn +1
condition of the people he had released from
the barbarous rule of the Turks, so as to have
made them feel the difference, he might have
consolidated his power both in Syria and
Egypt, and restored these two fine countries
to prosperity. His tribute to the Porte was
small, and he possessed the power to render
the people both prosperous and happy. The
conduct of his army, too, when passing through
Syria had been most exemplary, and the inhabitants
had to their astonishment observed the
wonderful difference between an irregular and
undisciplined Turkish force and the order and
regularity of the Egyptian troops, and, generally
speaking, were most favourable to the change of
masters. But Mehemet Ali, though possessing
ten times the intelligence and energy of a Turk,
was still an Oriental, and only knew how to
govern the people entrusted to his charge with
Eastern despotism.
The powers of Europe now turned their
attention to Egypt with increased interest, and
England was the first to establish a permanent
agent and Consul at the Court of Alexandria;
her example was followed, shortly after, by the
other great powers of Europe. Mehemet Ali
had been permitted to send his officers to
.bn 025.png
.pn +1
England, and they were instructed in our dockyards
in the art of ship-building, and were even
received on board our ships to be instructed in
seamanship and discipline. What greater proof
could we have given of the interest we took in
Mehemet Ali, than such a distinguished mark
of favour? and what other conclusion could he
have drawn, than that we were favourable to
his government? The French were not behind
us; they even went farther. A French officer
of distinction had disciplined the Pacha’s army;
he had now also a French Admiral at the
head of the navy; and great credit is due to
both for the state of order and discipline
into which they have brought both arms of
the service.
Had Mehemet Ali been now satisfied, he
might have lived to see the inhabitants of the
countries he ruled rich and prosperous, and
invoking blessings on his head for having given
them happiness, tranquillity, and security of
property; but the old man, either mistrusting
Turkey, or having a lurking ambition to be
seated on the throne of Osman, instead of
reducing his armies, and remitting part of the
imposts on the people, began his government in
Syria by increasing the taxation, and afterwards
.bn 026.png
.pn +1
introduced the conscription, of all measures the
most unpopular in Eastern countries.
Ibrahim was not insensible to the imprudence
of those measures, and remonstrated with
his father, and shortly after entirely withdrew
from the management of the civil affairs of the
country; when Scheriff Pacha was appointed
civil governor of Syria, and established the seat
of government at Damascus.
Mehemet Ali’s first new financial measure
was the ferdeh, a tax on all males from twelve
years upwards, varying from fifteen to five
hundred piastres, according to their means.
This was paid by all classes and religions, and
the Christians, who before paid a poll-tax, were
also obliged to pay the ferdeh, in addition to
the regular taxes. Forced contributions were
also occasionally raised to supply the exigencies
of the government. According to Mr. Farren,
the Syrian contributions was raised from
20,000 to 32,000 purses.
The Governor and local officers, it is true,
were not allowed to receive bribes; but the
people gained little by this. Besides the
regular taxes, and the occasional forced contributions,
the government was in the habit of
purchasing what was required for the maintenance
.bn 027.png
.pn +1
of the army at their own price, the
inhabitants being obliged to deliver it into the
government stores at their own risk and cost.
They were also liable to be pressed to work at
the public establishments, and even transported
to distant parts of the country, receiving pay
hardly sufficient to keep body and soul together.
In addition to these oppressions, whenever
the army was put in motion the inhabitants
were obliged to furnish animals to transport
baggage and provisions, and were paid two-thirds
less than the common wages of the
country. If horses or mules were wanted for
the government, they were seized without any
respect to persons, and paid for at whatever
price the authorities thought proper to give.
Vessels for the transport of provisions and
government stores were seized in like manner,
and the owners paid about a third of the freight
they could have gained in trade.
Tampering with the currency was a source
of dishonest gain to the Pacha: taxes were
ordered to be paid in certain coins, Mehemet
Ali fixing the value always below its standard;
in short, there was a system of legal
pillage established from one end of the country
to the other.
.bn 028.png
.pn +1
These oppressions were nevertheless borne
with, for they are common in Eastern governments;
and, had not their new ruler
commenced the disarmament of the people,
and the forced levies, they probably would
never have endeavoured to shake off his yoke.
But his measures, odious in themselves, were
rendered quite intolerable by the mode in
which they were executed. According to Mr.
Farren, the conscription in Syria amounted
to 11 per cent. on the male population; the
classes who were exempt from the conscription
were obliged to find substitutes either by fine
or purchase, and many who had been seized and
drafted into regiments more than once, and
obtained their discharge by purchase, were
again seized, and their remonstrances wholly
disregarded.
.pm start_quote
“The periods,” says Mr. Farren, in his excellent
letter to Lord Lindsay[2], “of the forced levies
are kept secret, and generally commence on a
Friday, when the mosques are resorted to. At the
hour of prayer numerous parties of soldiers are
distributed through the quarters of the cities, and
intelligence is conveyed to them by the firing of a
gun of the moment to commence. They then rush
.bn 029.png
.pn +1
on all the citizens who may be in the streets, and
drive or drag them struggling along to the great
square of the Serai, when, having left them in its
inclosure, they return to make fresh captives of all
upon their routes. A short time suffices to spread
a thrill of fear and despair throughout the city.
Women may be seen rushing wildly through the
streets, followed by their children, to seek the
husband, son, or father, who but a few hours before
had left them to provide for their daily wants, and
now are separated, perhaps for ever, from their
families without a parting benediction.
.fn 2
Letters from the Holy Land, vol. ii.
.fn-
“Within the inclosure, which files of armed troops
surround, the wretched victims are crowded together,
bowed down with despair, while, pressing upon every
avenue, their wives and daughters and aged mothers
may be seen, wildly darting their frenzied glances
through the captives in search of a missing relative,
or bursting into paroxysms of despair on beholding
the lost objects of their fears; and, all around, the air
is rent by the cries of these unfortunates, cursing, as
I have heard them, the very name of their prophet,
and invoking the Deity himself to avenge the cause
of the poor and the oppressed. The wretched conscripts
are taken immediately before the medical
men of the army, and, unless physically disqualified,
are sent off to the Castle, confined there, dressed
as soldiers, and in a week or fortnight, marched out
of the place and drafted into the regiments. This
is no exaggerated picture, and many travellers in
.bn 030.png
.pn +1
England—and one especially, Sir Edwin Pearson,
who was lately with me at Damascus during one
of these scenes,—can verify this statement, and
attest the general wretchedness of the people. In
the dead of the night the quarters of the city have
been entered by armed soldiers, the houses forcibly
opened, and their male inmates dragged from them.
At these times the shops are closed for days, and
all business is suspended. Considerable loss is
consequently sustained by all classes, and as the
debts that may be due by those who are seized are
seldom or never recovered, large sums are lost in
that manner to the citizens.
“The soldiers avail themselves of the general
panic to get money from the aged or maimed,—and
even by entering houses and seizing children in
them, who are liberated by their frightened mothers
at any immediate sacrifice.”
.pm end_quote
It is not surprising that people, thus driven
to despair, should revolt. In the year 1834
the insurrections began in the Haouran, and
spread afterwards to the country of the Druses
and Naplousians. These insurrections, however,
Mehemet Ali managed with his usual
energy to put down, and established more
security to the people from being plundered by
anybody but himself; that, and a greater facility
and safety in travelling through the country,
.bn 031.png
.pn +1
appear to have been the only merits of Mehemet
Ali’s government in Syria. Thus things proceeded
for a while, the Pacha exerting himself
to fortify the passes of Taurus, and building barracks
at Antioch and other places, particularly
at St. Jean d’Acre, while Ibrahim and his officers
laboured to introduce new cultures, as of
the sugar-cane, the indigo plant, &c., and with
some success; but this could not reconcile the
Syrians to the grinding monopolies and vexatious
burdens of their ruler, and very strong
measures were required to keep up the Egyptian
authority.
In the year 1838 Mehemet Ali first began
to talk of independence, and announced to the
Consuls his intention, at no distant period, of
declaring himself. Shortly after this he set
out on an expedition to the mines of Sennaar,
and was absent some considerable time.
The Sultan, as might have been expected,
had never ceased to form plans for the recovery
of Syria to his rule, and as early as the year
1834 he had committed the charge of several
of the pachalics of the eastern part of Asia
Minor to a Circassian soldier, named Hafiz
Pacha, in order that he might there raise an
army for that purpose. Hafiz laboured with
.bn 032.png
.pn +1
great zeal in the cause, and from the remoteness
of the districts, his progress was unnoticed
by the European Powers. At length, in the
beginning of 1839 the Porte more openly
made preparations for war; and on the 12th
of February of that year, Count Molé for the
first time brought the affairs of the East under
the consideration of Lord Granville, the British
Ambassador[3]; and Lord Palmerston repeatedly
wrote to Lord Ponsonby to discourage,
by every possible means, the Porte from again
embroiling themselves in war with Mehemet
Ali; declaring, at the same time, that if the
Porte was attacked, assistance would be given;
but, if on the other hand they became the
aggressors, it might change the whole face of
affairs.
.fn 3
See Levant Papers, Part I., p. 1.
.fn-
Notwithstanding the advice given to the
Porte by the Allied Ministers at Constantinople,
the Sultan, relying on the reports of
the efficiency of his army in Asia Minor, communicated
to him by his General, gave directions
for the advance of the Turkish army,
and they actually marched beyond Bir, which
is only sixty miles distant from Aleppo. Mehemet
Ali determined, however, not to be the
.bn 033.png
.pn +1
aggressor, and directed Ibrahim to refrain from
making any movement in advance.
Russia and Austria becoming alarmed lest
the peace of Europe should be disturbed,
instructed their Consuls at Alexandria to
request that Mehemet Ali would desire Ibrahim
to withdraw his troops towards Damascus,
assuming that Ibrahim was the first to put his
army in motion, which certainly was not the
case. France seeing the possibility also of a
rupture between the Porte and Mehemet Ali,
expressed a strong desire that Great Britain
would act in concert with her, and proposed to
send a fleet of eight or nine sail of the line to
the Levant, to co-operate with the British
fleet, which she supposed would consist of ten
sail of the line.
Whether Mehemet Ali was sincere in his
desire to avoid hostilities with the Porte or
not, is not very easy to divine; but his actions
certainly seem in his favour. He not only
remitted the tribute to the Porte, but he declared
to M. Cochelet, the Consul-General of
France, that if the troops of the Sultan were
withdrawn on the other side of the Euphrates,
he would order his army to retrograde, and
direct Ibrahim to return to Damascus; nay
.bn 034.png
.pn +1
more, if the Turks would retire still further,
he would Ibrahim into Egypt; and if the
Four Powers would guarantee peace, and procure
him the hereditary succession, he would
withdraw a great part of his army from
Syria[4].
.fn 4
See Levant Papers, Part I., p. 54.
.fn-
Notwithstanding all this, Lord Ponsonby,
so early as the 20th of May, 1839, declared
the Pacha the aggressor, and sided with Russia.
He finishes a long despatch to Lord Palmerston
with these remarkable words, “Russia has
declared a truth—a limited truth—the Great
Powers cannot deny it; their repeated declarations
engage them to oppose the aggressor[5].”
.fn 5
Ibid., p. 29.
.fn-
In the beginning of May, Ibrahim seeing
all prospect of peace at an end, left his agricultural
pursuits at Khan Jouman, distant five
hours from Aleppo, and immediately gave
orders for the assembling of his army at the
latter place. The army of Ibrahim was said to
consist of 55,000 infantry, 10,000 cavalry, and
196 guns, besides 6000 irregular cavalry. That
of the Sultan was supposed to amount to 80,000
men of all arms, and 170 guns.
On the 7th of June Mehemet Ali received
intelligence from Ibrahim that the Turks had
.bn 035.png
.pn +1
driven back a detachment of Egyptian cavalry.
He immediately invited the Consuls to a conference,
and asked their advice as to his future
conduct. They unanimously advised him to
act on the defensive; and above all, not to
send his fleet to sea, which he had determined
on doing. This advice he decided for the present
to follow, but a circumstance soon occurred
to alter his determination.
On the 9th of June the Turkish fleet sailed
for the Dardanelles, under the command of the
Capudan Pacha; Captain Walker of the British
Navy embarked with him as his adviser; and
the Capudan Pacha intended to remain six or
eight days in the Dardanelles. On the same
day, Mehemet Ali, having received letters from
Ibrahim, giving an account that the advanced
guard of the Turkish army had attacked some
of his troops on the territory under his government,
lost all patience, and, in spite of the remonstrance
of the Consuls at Alexandria, sent
orders to Ibrahim to drive the Turks out of his
territory, and then march on the main body;
and, if victorious, occupy Malatiyeh, Kharput,
Urfah, and Diyarbekr.
On the 16th of June Captain Caillier, an
aide-de-camp of Marshal Soult’s, arrived at
.bn 036.png
.pn +1
Alexandria, with orders to call upon Mehemet
Ali to suspend hostilities, whereupon the Pacha
gave him a letter to Ibrahim, desiring him not
to pass the frontier; and, if in the Turkish
territory, to halt, unless Hafiz Pacha continued
to advance; he was then to engage him. On
the 16th of June the first division of the Egyptian
squadron sailed, and the remainder on the
following day. Captain Caillier left Alexandria
on the 19th for Alexandretta.
On the 25th and 26th of June, orders were
sent by the English and French Governments
to their naval Commanders-in-Chief in the
Mediterranean, to proceed to the coast of Syria,
and prevent a collision between the Turkish
and Egyptian fleets, and urge them to return
to their respective ports, in the event of their
having sailed. They were also directed to
open a communication with the Turkish and
Egyptian Generals, and exert their influence
to bring about a suspension of arms, and a
wider separation between the hostile armies.
Should the Turkish General refuse to agree
to these propositions, it was to be pointed out
to him that all communication by sea would
be closed, and his supplies cut off. If the
refusal, on the other hand, should proceed from
.bn 037.png
.pn +1
Ibrahim Pacha, similar representations were to
be made to him, and communication cut off
between Alexandria and Syria. In some respects
the English instructions differed from
the French. The English Admiral had no
orders to cut off the Turkish supplies by sea,
in the event of their refusing the armistice;
nor had he any orders to receive a Russian
squadron should they tender their services; but
the English Admiral was at liberty to force the
Dardanelles should a Russian fleet arrive at
Constantinople, which the French Admiral was
not authorized to do without fresh instructions.
On the 2nd of July a further instruction
was sent to Sir Robert Stopford in accordance
with the instructions of the French Admiral,
to receive a Russian force should it offer its
co-operation[6].
.fn 6
See Levant Papers, Part I., pp. 90, 93, 101, 122.
.fn-
Lord Ponsonby having written to Sir
Robert Stopford, that war was inevitable
between the Turks and Egyptians, the Admiral,
on the 7th of June, being then in
Palermo Bay, despatched Sir Thomas Fellowes
in the Vanguard, together with a brig,
to the Levant, to watch the Turkish squadron,
but with positive orders to observe the strictest
.bn 038.png
.pn +1
neutrality. At this time the Commander-in-Chief
had received no instructions how to
act.
Sir Thomas Fellowes arrived in Besika
Bay on the 29th of June, and the following
day received a visit from Captain Walker,
accompanied by M. Etienne Pisani, and Mr.
Lander, the British Consul at the Dardanelles,
with an offer, on the part of the Capudan
Pacha, of provision, and also to ascertain
whether Sir Robert Stopford was expected,
and whether he would interfere with the
Turkish fleet. This, of course, Sir Thomas
Fellowes declined answering. M. Pisani then
went on board the ship of the Capudan Pacha,
who distinctly informed him that he had orders
to attack the Egyptian fleet, and should sail in
a few days. He was under some apprehensions
that the French would interrupt him, but
he assured M. Pisani, that, unless the English
interfered also, he should proceed in the execution
of the Sultan’s orders.
On the 30th of June Sultan Mahmoud,
who had been in bad health for some time,
died, and his son, Abdul Medjid, a youth of
sixteen, was declared of age by the Divan,
and proclaimed Emperor. Orders were immediately
.bn 039.png
.pn +1
forwarded to Hafiz Pacha to suspend
hostilities, and the Capudan Pacha was directed
not to quit the Dardanelles.
A few days after the Sultan’s death, the
Ottoman Minister of Foreign Affairs communicated
to the Ambassadors that the young
Sultan was disposed to confer the hereditary
Government of Egypt on Mehemet Ali, on condition
that he would restore Syria, Candia, and
the Holy Cities, to the Porte[7]. These pacific
intentions, however, were too late, for on the
24th of June Ibrahim Pacha had attacked and
totally defeated the Turkish army at Nezib,
who lost all their guns, ammunition, and
baggage, and the remainder repassed the frontier
in complete disorder. In addition to this
misfortune, the Capudan Pacha had sailed from
the Dardanelles, and on falling in with Admiral
Lalande, sent his second in command on board
to say, that when he heard of the Sultan’s
death he was of opinion that he had been
poisoned by Hosrew and Halil Pacha, who
were devoted to Russia; and under this impression
he had written to Hafiz Pacha to
march on Constantinople; that he should
apply to Mehemet Ali for assistance, and in
.pn +1
the mean while take the Turkish fleet to
Candia. This M. Lalande advised him not
to do, and he then intimated his intention of
going to Rhodes.
.fn 7
See Levant Papers, Part I., p. 183.
.fn-
The French and English Ambassadors, in
consequence of these untoward and unexpected
events, wrote to the Grand Vizier to assure
him of their support, and Lord Ponsonby also
wrote to Sir Robert Stopford to recommend
him not to be at any distance from the centre
of affairs.
The Admiral left Malta on the 2nd of
July, in consequence of a private letter from
Lord Minto, desiring him to proceed off the
south end of Cyprus, and there wait for orders.
His arrival there he communicated to Lord
Ponsonby under date of the 11th of July. It
does not appear that at this time Sir Robert
Stopford had received Lord Palmerston’s instructions
of the 25th of June, which pointed
out to him the course he ought to follow in the
event of the defeat of the Turkish army, and on
the Egyptian and Turkish squadron meeting
each other at sea. Had these instructions
arrived, the Admiral, no doubt, would have
conceived it his duty to have taken still
stronger steps to have prevented the defection
.bn 041.png
.pn +1
of the Turkish fleet; and it is to be regretted
that in the absence of instructions he had not
taken upon himself to have immediately proceeded
off Alexandria, and forced the Capudan
Pacha to return to his duty, particularly if he
had received in time Lord Ponsonby’s reply
(dated July 19,) to his letter announcing his
arrival off Cyprus, in which his Lordship
states,
.pm start_quote
“I think the spirit and the end of your instructions
indicate that it would be proper to consider the
Ottoman fleet, thus removed from the authority of
its legitimate Sovereign by the rebellious act of the
Capudan Pacha, as being thereby subjected to the
vigorous exertion of your power; and I think it
would be right to take all safe and proper means to
prevent that fleet being delivered up to the Pacha of
Egypt, if there should be fortunately still time left
for so doing; and I am of opinion it will be equally
advantageous and just to restore it to the Sultan.
“I have stated my opinion in consequence of
your desire, and I have only to add that there is
perfect tranquillity here.”
.pm end_quote
Sir Thomas Fellowes’s orders were so strict,
that though he kept company with the Ottoman
fleet for several days, he had no communication
with the Capudan Pacha; but even if he
.bn 042.png
.pn +1
had, he could not have discovered his intentions,
because Captain Walker himself, who was on
board, had no notion that they were going off
Alexandria for any other purpose than attacking
the Egyptian squadron. This, however,
was very far from the Turkish Admiral’s
intention.
On the 9th of July an Ottoman corvette
arrived at Alexandria, having on board Sheriff
Aga, the kiaya of the Capudan Pacha, who was
the bearer of a letter to Mehemet Ali; Mehemet
did not conceal its contents, which were to ask
permission to bring the fleet to Alexandria as a
friend, stating that the Capudan Pacha disapproved
of the election of Hosrew to the post of
Grand Vizier, and that he would co-operate
with Mehemet Ali in placing him as vakeel to
the young Sultan, as the only person fit to rule
the empire. On the same evening Mehemet
Ali sent the Nile steamer with his reply to the
Capudan Pacha, and on the 10th the Rhadamanthus
left Alexandria to communicate this
intelligence to the Commander-in-Chief, as
appears by Colonel Campbell’s despatch to
Lord Palmerston of the 11th of July[8].
.fn 8
See Levant Papers, Part I., p. 219.
.fn-
On the same day that the Rhadamanthus
.bn 043.png
.pn +1
left, a Turkish steamer arrived with despatches
from Hosrew Pacha to Mehemet Ali, who
was very communicative to Colonel Campbell.
The purport of this despatch was, to announce
the accession of Abdul Medjid, and his pardon
of Mehemet Ali: that it was his intention to
send him the nichan iftikhar, a decoration
indicative of high favour, and grant him the
hereditary succession of Egypt and its dependencies;
and that he had ordered the Turkish
troops to retire from the frontiers of Syria.
On the reception of this, Mehemet Ali
said he should consider the war at an end, and
should order Ibrahim to retire on Marash.
That he hoped the Allies would be satisfied;
and as soon as everything was settled, he would
proceed to Constantinople to do homage to his
sovereign. That should Achmet Pacha wish
to deliver up the fleet, he would not accept it,
but send it back to Constantinople; and that
as for the post of vakeel, he would rather
remain in his present position. All this seemed
very well; but we shall shortly see how he
acted.
On the 14th of July the Turkish fleet
arrived off Alexandria, and, as no doubt had
been previously arranged, formed a junction
.bn 044.png
.pn +1
with the Egyptian fleet. The following morning,
the Nile steamer, bearing the flag of the
Capudan Pacha, arrived in the harbour, and
the traitor was well received by Mehemet
Ali[9].
.fn 9
The following is a portion of the account of the reception
of the Turkish Admiral by the Pacha, furnished by the dragoman
of the British Consul-General, and published at length in
the Levant Papers:
“When the Nile steamer anchored, Mushir Achmet went
into the boat, and immediately a salute of nineteen guns was
fired by the Nile, which salute was repeated by the forts the
moment he landed, when he was received by the Pacha’s civil
officers of rank, and he rode upon the Pacha’s own horse; and
thus preceded by the said officers, cawasses, and chiaushes,
went to the Pacha’s palace between two files of the troops that
were placed all the way. As soon as he entered the palace
gate, Mehemet Ali walked out of his room to meet him, when
the Admiral seeing him, unbuckled his sword, gave it to one of
the officers behind him, and walked respectfully towards the
Viceroy, and bowed to the ground as if meaning to kiss his
dress, while the Viceroy embraced and kissed him, saying,
‘Welcome, brother.’ After this, they walked arm in arm
into the Viceroy’s room, all the officers following them. They
sat near each other on the middle of the sofa. The Capudan
Pacha then told his Highness that, for a long time past, it was
his wish to have the honour of seeing him. After coffee, and
pipes, the Viceroy dismissed all the bystanders, and this was at
half-past nine o’clock; when Sheriff Aga, the Capudan Pacha’s
Kiaya, who was still within, walked up to the Viceroy, and
kissing his feet, told him, ‘Now you are both together, with
your leave I retire,‘ meaning that he had accomplished his
object, and fulfilled his duty so far. His Highness and the
Capudan Pacha remained by themselves in the room till half-past
ten o‘clock, after which the Capudan Pacha walked out
of the room bare-footed, his own servant not being there to give
him his shoes, and was obliged to walk about twenty paces
without shoes, until his servant brought them, as well as his
sword, upon which he went to the Musappi Serai (the palace
for guests), accompanied in the same way as he had arrived.
When he entered the palace assigned to him, all the civil officers,
as well as Houssein Pacha, kissed his foot, and he asked
them to take seats, and gave them coffee, telling them, ‘Thank
God, my wishes to meet the Viceroy are accomplished, and you
may know that I have obtained his Highness’s permission for
the landing of the Vice and the Rear Admirals.’
“With the Capudan Pacha ten officers landed, two of whom
are Beys (Colonels), and one is the brother of Osman Pacha,
the ex-Egyptian Admiral, who deserted to Constantinople more
than five years ago.”
.fn-
.bn 045.png
.pn +1
So secret was all this kept on board the
Capudan Pacha’s ship, that Captain Walker,
who was with him, had no notion of what the
Turkish Admiral was about, until he sent a
steamer to direct two ships, who, being bad
sailers, were left astern, to rendezvous off
Alexandria. On speaking to the Capudan
Pacha, he was assured that Mehemet Ali had
put the Egyptian fleet under his orders, and
that he was proceeding to Egypt to confer
with Mehemet Ali on what were the best
steps to be taken for the good of the Turkish
empire. When the Turkish fleet anchored,
.bn 046.png
.pn +1
Captain Walker landed, and left Alexandria
for Constantinople on the 20th, much to the
annoyance of the Capudan Pacha, who wished
him to remain.
The Allied Consuls used all their endeavours
in vain to advise Mehemet Ali to send
back the fleet. He said he would have nothing
to do with Hosrew, who was his bitter foe;
and that he had written to him to send in his
resignation; and should Hosrew do so, all would
be right.
Mehemet Ali’s enmity to Hosrew was much
strengthened by the latter having sent, through
the hands of the French Consul, letters to the
General and inferior Admirals of the Turkish
fleet, calling upon them to return to their
allegiance. These letters M. Cochelet gave to
Mehemet Ali, who delivered them to the
Admirals, when, as might have been expected
from the position they were in, they tore them
up with indignation.
On the 16th about sixty of the principal
officers of the Turkish fleet came on shore,
and were presented to the Pacha, who received
them in a gracious manner. By the 28th the
whole of the Turkish and Egyptian fleets had
entered the port of Alexandria, so that had
.bn 047.png
.pn +1
the Commander-in-Chief proceeded off there
immediately after the Rhadamanthus had
joined him, or even had he proceeded after
his receipt of the despatch of the 25th of June
which I believe arrived by the Hydra, there
would have been ample time to have secured
them. This would have completely anticipated
Lord Palmerston’s instructions of the 7th of
August[10], which directed the Admiral to use his
utmost efforts to prevent the Turkish fleet
going into Alexandria, and to endeavour to
oblige them to return under the authority of
the Sultan.
.fn 10
See Levant Papers, Part I., p. 255.
.fn-
The Commander-in-Chief, however, may
have had other instructions, which do not
appear in the Levant Papers, for the guidance
of his conduct, or he might have thought
that the force under his orders, without the
co-operation of the French squadron, was not
sufficient to have enforced his demand on
the Capudan Pacha to return to his allegiance
if supported in his treason by the Egyptian
fleet. But, nevertheless, I think the experiment
might have been tried, and probably
would have succeeded to a certain extent,
because the entrance into the harbour of
.bn 048.png
.pn +1
Alexandria is so difficult and so shallow that
large ships must be considerably lightened
before they can enter, and neither the Egyptian
nor Turkish Admiral would have ventured to
weaken their squadron by either entering
in detail or lightening the ships in the
presence of a British squadron hostile to their
measures. The Commander-in-Chief, however,
as I have before said, may have had other
instructions, or he took a different view of the
case, for instead of going off Alexandria he
repaired to Besika Bay, where he was joined
the same evening by the Powerful, Ganges,
and Implacable. At this point, then, my history
of the War in Syria commences.
.fm lz=h rend=h
.bn 049.png
.pn 1
.pb
.sp 4
.ce
THE WAR IN SYRIA.
.hr 35%
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER I.
.pm start_summary
State of Affairs in the Levant in August, 1839—The Author’s
Interview with Hosrew Pacha—Sir Robert Stopford at
Constantinople; his Interview with the Sultan—Impolitic
Junction of the English and French Fleets—Sir John Louis
takes the command of the English Squadron—The Author
tenders his Resignation.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
The loss of the battle of Nizib, the death of the
Sultan Mahmoud, and the defection of the Turkish
fleet, threatened to place Turkey at the mercy of
Mehemet Ali, or under the protection of Russia.
At the earnest desire of France Ibrahim Pacha
halted, and in the beginning of August, 1839, the
combined squadrons of England and France assembled
in Besika Bay, ready to proceed to Constantinople,
should Ibrahim march, or should the
Russians leave Sebastapol.
The allied ministers, however, do not appear to
have considered how the squadrons were to pass the
Dardanelles; the current runs constantly to the
southward, and the prevailing winds are generally
.bn 050.png
.pn +1
from the opposite direction. It rarely happens that
a favourable breeze sufficiently strong springs up to
enable ships to pass the Hellespont; and we had
not an adequate number of steam vessels to take the
ships in tow. Russia had a strong fleet and army at
Sebastapol, and could approach the Sultan’s capital
at pleasure, whereas we were powerless, and as for
being able to protect the Porte from a sudden attack,
either from Russia or Ibrahim Pacha, we might just
as well have been in Malta Harbour.
As forty-eight hours would have been sufficient
for a Russian fleet and army to arrive at Constantinople,
it always appeared to me, after the unforeseen
misfortunes which had befallen the Porte, the ambassadors
and admirals ought to have taken the
responsibility on themselves, and anchored the
squadrons in the Golden Horn the first favourable
opportunity; the ministers of the different Powers
could then have treated the Eastern Question on an
equal footing. Russia would, no doubt, have stormed,
threatened, and, perhaps, withdrawn her ambassador,
but she would not have gone to war, and, after a time,
would have sent her squadron to Constantinople to
join that of England and France; strong detachments
should then have appeared off Alexandria,
.bn 051.png
.pn +1
and, most probably, Mehemet Ali, seeing a close
union between the great Powers of Europe, would
have given up the Turkish fleet, and restored Syria
to the Porte.
This was not done, and France soon began to
take a new view of the Eastern Question, and shortly
after refused to send the combined fleets to Alexandria
to demand the Turkish squadron, and, under
all circumstances, I think she was right; a hostile
fleet could not enter the harbour easily, or indeed at
all, if proper precautions were taken. We had no
troops to land, and the absence of the Russian
squadron would have given Mehemet Ali reason to
believe the four Powers were not united. Alexandria
might have been bombarded, it is true, and
the fleet burnt, but that would have been almost as
untoward an event as the battle of Navarino, and
certainly would not have tended to strengthen the
Turkish empire; it might have provoked Mehemet
Ali to order Ibrahim to advance, which would have
brought the Russians to Constantinople, and once
there, they most assuredly would not have permitted
us to pass the Dardanelles.
About this time the Admiral and many of the
officers were at Constantinople, when it was intimated
.bn 052.png
.pn +1
to him that he might shortly expect decided instructions;
leave was immediately stopped, and the
officers were ordered to rejoin their ships forthwith.
These instructions were supposed to be, to proceed
to Alexandria, but they never arrived, as France
objected to the measure. Admiral Roussin was
recalled, we became cool with France, and began to
draw near to Russia. During my sojourn at Constantinople,
I had an opportunity of examining the
sea defences, the capital, and the Bosphorus, and I
sent Colonel Napier, who was with me, to examine
the land fortifications. The batteries were numerous,
well placed, and mounted many heavy guns; but
with a strong wind and current a fleet might pass
down without much damage, and if that fleet was
accompanied by an army the fortifications could be
taken in reverse; the defences of the Dardanelles
are strong to the sea, but weak to the land; a
fleet might descend with the stream, but it would be
no easy matter to go against it.
When at Constantinople I had an interview with
the Grand Vizier, Hosrew Pacha. The old man
appeared nearly eighty; he is of low stature, and a
good deal deformed; his countenance fresh, with
a most intelligent and penetrating eye, his dress
.bn 053.png
.pn +1
simple. On entering his apartment he immediately
rose, kissed my cheek, complimented Colonel Napier
on his soldier-like appearance, and begged us to be
seated; seeing us in boots, he called for his, which
he drew on in great haste, apparently to be on a
footing with us. Pipes and coffee were produced,
and, after a few puffs, he began the conversation
through Mr. Redhouse, the interpreter, by expressing
his satisfaction at seeing me in the Sultan’s capital.
I replied that I hoped to have an opportunity of
performing some services for His Imperial Majesty,
and that I thought the first step he ought to take,
should be, inviting the combined fleets to Constantinople.
The old man appeared to apprehend more
danger from Mehemet Ali than from Russia, and did
not relish this proposal; he roundly asserted that it
would cause an insurrection, and the Christians
would be massacred; that he was not afraid of Russia,
and although the empire had been brought to a very
low ebb by the incapacity of the men the late Sultan
had placed at the head of the army, followed by the
defection of the Turkish fleet, she was still strong;
that he had no fears of Russia, and should her
troops advance on Constantinople he would put himself
at the head of the Ottoman army and defeat
.bn 054.png
.pn +1
them. I asked him where his army was, as it had
been destroyed at Nizib and replaced by boys; remarking
that Russia would never think of marching,
but would come by sea, pass the Bosphorus in spite
of all the batteries, and take possession of Constantinople
with the greatest ease.
To this he replied that, in the neighbourhood of
the capital there was an army of 30,000 men, which
was quite sufficient for its defence, and it would be
much better if one half of the fleet was to remain at
the mouth of the Dardanelles and the other half
proceed to Alexandria. To this I answered, that
nothing could be done at Alexandria without troops,
that the entrance of the harbour was too shallow for
ships to enter with their guns, and that Mehemet
Ali had declared that if the fleet appeared there, he
should instantly direct Ibrahim to march on Scutari;
this would inevitably bring down the Russians, who
would object to the French and English approaching
Constantinople, even if they could get a fair wind,
and the probability would be that it would embroil
Europe in war, and Turkey would be sacrificed.
The Vizier inquired why an English army could
not be spared to attack Alexandria. To this I
replied, we had already too much on our hands;
.bn 055.png
.pn +1
what with the troubles in Canada, the war in India, the
prospect of an outbreak in China, and the Chartists
at home, it was impossible to spare troops, and that
I was sure Parliament would not grant supplies for
such an expedition. This ended our conversation.
Hosrew was strongly suspected of being in the
interest, if not the pay of Russia; how far that is
true, is hard to say.
The Admiral obtained firmans to see the mosques
and other curiosities at Constantinople, which have
been so often described that I shall not torment the
reader with a repetition of an often told tale.
After passing ten days pleasantly enough between
Constantinople and Therapia, and being entertained
by the ambassadors, we embarked on board the
Carysfort, which bore the Admiral’s flag, and, in tow
of a steamer, left Therapia, and shortly after anchored
abreast of the Sultan’s Asiatic palace. A royal
salute was then fired, and returned by the batteries
in the vicinity of the Imperial residence. Nothing
can be more beautiful than the passage down the
Bosphorus, and nothing more magnificent than the
Sultan’s palaces and the country-houses situated on
its banks.
Mahmoud was fond of building, and just before
.bn 056.png
.pn +1
his death had finished a new palace on the European
shore. With Colonel Napier’s permission, I give
the account of an interview with the Sultan in nearly
his own words.
“The household troops, such as they were, received
the Admiral and his suite on landing, and we
proceeded into a handsome apartment on the ground
floor, where we were received by the Sultan’s
brother-in-law, the Seraskier, Halil Pacha. Pipes
were in this instance dispensed with, and after partaking
of coffee and sweetmeats, handed round in
gold filagree cups and saucers, richly studded with
diamonds, a very common-place conversation took
place, through the medium of the interpreter,
between Sir Robert and the commander-in-chief of
the Turkish forces.
“In about a quarter of an hour his ‘Highness’
sent word that he was ready to receive us, whereupon
the whole suite, consisting of about a dozen
British officers, proceeded, ‘booted‘ as we were,
up a magnificent staircase, and through numerous
apartments, the floors of which shone forth in all
the splendour of the rarest and most highly-polished
woods; and whilst the Turkish courtiers glided
noiselessly along, in their purple slippers of thin
.bn 057.png
.pn +1
morocco leather, a most martial tramp proclaimed
our entrance into the presence chamber, where, on
a sofa, sat the effeminate-looking Sultan, girded
with the Sword of Osman.
“Abdul Medjid, the youthful Sultan, far from
being
.pm start_poem
A man of solemn port,
Shawled to the nose and bearded to the eyes,
.pm end_poem
was a pale and sickly-looking youth, of apparently
three or four and twenty, though in reality his age
exceeded not seventeen; but it is said that his
frequent visits to the harem had given him this
appearance of premature age.
“He was plainly dressed, not in the Oriental
style, but in a plain cloth military surtout and pantaloons,
a short blue cloak, gracefully placed on his
left shoulder, and a fez on his head. The only
sign of regal magnificence displayed by him was a
few brilliants on the clasp of his belt, with which
the hilt of the sabre was likewise thickly studded.
“We formed half a circle round his Imperial
Majesty, who did not deign to rise, and were presented
by the Seraskier. Sir Robert Stopford then
said, that the gratification he had received at seeing
Constantinople, together with the attention he had
met with, was very great. The Sultan, through
.bn 058.png
.pn +1
Halil Pacha, who seemed to prompt him in all he
uttered, replied, he was very glad his Excellency
had felt so gratified.
“The Admiral then said, that he had been entrusted
by Her Britannic Majesty with the command
of a fleet, to render any service which might
be required by the Sublime Porte. To this the
Sultan bowed. Here ended the conference; we
retired with the Seraskier, partook of the parting
bowl of sherbet, and in four-and-twenty hours were
once more in the midst of the fleet in Besika Bay.”
The fleets remained there till the end of October;
the English then proceeded to Vourla for the
winter, and were shortly followed by the French
squadron, part of which went to Smyrna. The
English now consisted of twelve sail of the line;
the French of nine. The French ships were much
larger and better manned than ours, and Admiral
Lalande was indefatigable in exercising them, and I
must admit that in harbour man[oe]uvres they were
equally as expert as ourselves, and in some respects
superior; and I cannot refrain from observing that
keeping the two fleets so much together was a most
impolitic measure. When the French squadron
first joined Sir Pulteney Malcolm in the Downs they
.bn 059.png
.pn +1
were all abroad; the five or six years they had been
almost constantly in company with the British had
brought about a most astonishing change for the
better, and although it may be very advantageous to
have an alliance with France, there ought to be no
acting together with fleets if it can possibly be
avoided.
On the 22nd of January, 1840, Commodore Hyde
Parker sailed for England, (his broad blue pennant
had been up a few months,) and the Commander-in-chief
shortly after obtained leave to proceed to
Malta, with six sail of the line, and Sir John Louis,
the Superintendant of Malta Dockyard, was ordered
to Vourla, to take command of the remainder of
the squadron; this was an unusual measure, and by
no means complimentary to myself, who was the
next senior officer. I in consequence proffered my
resignation to the Admiral, which he declined to
accept, and after some explanation with him my
letter was withdrawn, and I pocketed the affront.
.bn 060.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER II.
.pm start_summary
The English Fleet winters at Smyrna—Summer Cruise—Insurrection
in Lebanon—Opinion on the proper course of
the English Fleet—The Powerful and Edinburgh sent to
Beyrout—Murder of a Frank; conduct of the French
Consul—Insignificance of the Insurrection—Mission of Mr.
Wood—Grievances of the Mountaineers—Author’s Letter
to the Egyptian Admiral—Letter from Souliman Pacha—Suppression
of the Insurrection—Ignorance of the Allied
Consuls—Visit to Tripoli—Excursion into the Mountains—Appearance
of the Country—Ships ordered to Vourla Bay—Author’s
Report to the Admiral.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
The squadron now consisted of six sail of the
line[11], which, by degrees, were moved up to Smyrna,
a much more agreeable anchorage than Vourla.
.fn 11
Benbow, Powerful, Edinburgh, Implacable, Hastings,
Belleisle, and Castor.
.fn-
I had been confined to my cabin for six weeks
with a severe cough, and I took up my quarters at
Boujar, a small village a few miles from Smyrna,
which very soon re-established my health; there
was very good English society at both places, and
the time passed agreeably enough.
While the squadron lay at Vourla the sulphur
dispute with Naples commenced; their ports were
.bn 061.png
.pn +1
blockaded, and the Admiral proceeded to the Bay
with three or four sail of the line; this decided
measure brought the King to his senses, and the
question was settled through the mediation of
France. On the 4th of June the squadron left
Smyrna for a summer cruise; the French preceded
us by a few days. We visited the beautiful island
of Mitylene, which possesses one of the finest harbours
in the world, completely land-locked, and
capable of containing any number of ships; from
thence we proceeded to Scio, which had not recovered
from the ravages of the Turks during the
Greek insurrection. The town was still in ruins,
and there appeared little probability of it ever recovering
its former splendour. From Scio we returned
to Mitylene, from thence to Mosconisi, and, after
visiting the ruins of Assos, passed between Mitylene
and the Main, and anchored in Besika Bay on the
24th. Here the Gorgon joined, with the intelligence
of an insurrection having broke out in
Lebanon; of Mehemet Ali having offered to give
up the Turkish fleet, and of his preparing an expedition
to put the insurrection down. This expedition
was chiefly composed of Turkish frigates,
manned with mixed crews, and carrying an army of
.bn 062.png
.pn +1
from 12,000 to 15,000 men, of which 4000 were
Turks; thus employing the Sultan’s ships and
troops to put down the Sultan’s subjects, who were
anxious to shake off the yoke of Mehemet Ali.
Hosrew Pacha was disgraced about this time, and
a daughter was born to the Sultan; like an expert
politician, Mehemet Ali sent Sami Bey to Constantinople,
to compliment his master on the birth
of a daughter, and to express his readiness, now
the Grand Vizier was disgraced, to enter into negociations,
and give up the fleet. This was evidently
a blind; and it so far succeeded that a part of the
squadron had actually sailed before his intentions
were known; so secretly and so actively had he
carried on the embarkation of the troops at the
arsenal.
Colonel Hodges, the British Consul-General at
Alexandria, had given every facility to the Turkish
soldiers and sailors to desert, and when his conduct
was brought before Parliament, Lord Palmerston
declared that though he had no instructions to that
effect, he perfectly approved of his assisting, by
every means in his power, the Sultan’s subjects
to return to their allegiance. On that declaration
of Lord Palmerston I founded my opinion that
.bn 063.png
.pn +1
the squadron ought immediately to proceed to the
coast of Syria, seize the Sultan’s ships and troops,
and carry them to Rhodes, till further orders, or
allow them to act on the coast of Syria in assisting
the insurrection, as circumstances might point out.
Sir John Louis had no orders on the subject, and
did not think proper to take the responsibility on
himself. He, however, sent the Castor and Cyclops
to Beyrout, for the protection of British subjects
and property, and the Gorgon to Malta for instructions;
the squadron returned next day to Vourla,
and the Powerful to Smyrna.
In a few days orders arrived from Sir Robert
Stopford for the Powerful and Edinburgh to proceed
to Beyrout, but on no account to interfere in any
way with the Egyptian squadron; the Commander-in-chief
having taken the same view of the question
as Sir John Louis. The French admiral was, however,
not so certain of our intentions, and he despatched
a steamer, with directions, it is generally
supposed, to advise the immediate return of the
Turkish ships to Alexandria. On the 1st of July
we sailed from Vourla, and arrived at Beyrout on
the 7th. The Turco-Egyptian squadron, with the
exception of two frigates and several corvettes, had
sailed two days before, on their return to Alexandria,
.bn 064.png
.pn +1
after landing their troops. The Castor, which
was cruising off the port, had seen them the day
before my arrival.
It would have been easy to have come up with
this fleet before they reached their destination, but
as my orders were positive not to interfere, I anchored
at Beyrout. Had we sailed from Besika
Bay the day the Castor did, we should have found
them at anchor, and it would not have been difficult
to have caused a movement amongst the Turks,
which would have furnished me with an excuse for
carrying out my own views, and I may add, the
policy of the Government; but at sea it could not
have been done without a direct interference, from
which I was interdicted; and here I may remark,
an officer’s taking responsibility on himself, and
acting without orders, is very different to acting in
direct disobedience of orders, even when satisfied
they are erroneous, and it must be a strong case to
justify such a breach of discipline.
On my arrival at Beyrout, I was visited by Mr.
Moore, the British Consul, who gave a most alarming
account of the state of the country, and of the want
of discipline and insubordination of the Albanian
troops, who formed part of the Egyptian army under
the immediate command of Souliman Pacha.
.bn 065.png
.pn +1
The servant of a French nobleman had been
murdered, and the Consul of that nation had rather
hastily struck his flag because the murderer was not
immediately executed. He had been tried and condemned,
but nothing would satisfy the Consuls short
of his immediate execution, however contrary to the
military law of Egypt, which required the sanction
of the Viceroy. A deputation was sent to Alexandria
to demand his execution, which took place on
board the flag-ship there; and on the return of the
deputation the French Consul rehoisted his flag,
under a salute. The French Government disapproved
of his conduct, and he was recalled.
On making inquiry, I found there had been one
or two persons murdered by the Albanian troops, an
occurrence not very extraordinary in Eastern countries,
and not to be wondered at when we consider
an army of nearly 15,000 men was collected in the
neighbourhood of the town. I ascertained that the
French Consul on striking his flag had put his
countrymen under the protection of the Sardinian
Consul, except this nobleman, whom Mr. Moore took
charge of, and as it did not appear to me the British
Consul had any authority to make a selection and
give protection to this gentleman, I declined interfering;
and a little more experience showed me that
.bn 066.png
.pn +1
the outrages of the Albanians were as much exaggerated
as the strength and respectability of the insurrection
undoubtedly was. Mr. Wood, one of Lord
Ponsonby’s dragomen, had been sent by the ambassador
into the mountains of Lebanon, to ascertain
the real strength of the mountaineers, and at his
instigation a petition was signed and sent to the
British Ambassador by five chiefs, one of whom, a
sheik of inferior note, was styled the Seraskier[12].
In fact the insurrection was never of any consequence.
The mountaineers were justly dissatisfied
at being obliged to work in the coal mine of Corneille,
and on being required to deliver up the arms which
had been supplied them to assist in putting down
another sect. An attempt was also made to introduce
the conscription, which is quite at variance
with their ideas, and is viewed throughout the whole
district of Lebanon with horror and detestation;
moreover, they were oppressed with heavy taxes, the
greater part of which went into the coffers of their
own prince, the Emir Bechir; the odium, however,
was thrown on Mehemet Ali, who only received
30,000 dollars annually from the mountains. They
were unprovided with either arms or ammunition,
were headed by no chief of note, and never could
.bn 067.png
.pn +1
assemble, even for a few days, a force of a thousand
men; nevertheless with that number they showed a
considerable degree of boldness, and occasionally
advanced to the walls of Beyrout, and fired a few
shot into the town. Mehemet Ali, seeing the danger
of a rising in Syria, should the mountaineers
succeed, with his usual promptitude and decision,
at once sent a powerful army to Beyrout; on their
arrival, pacific proposals were sent to the mountaineers,
who submitted. The following morning
the greater part of the Egyptian camp was
struck, and they marched to the neighbourhood of
Deir el Kammar, the capital of the mountains; a
little resistance was shown by small parties on the
first advance, and the Albanians were sent to disperse
them; in accomplishing this, several villages
were destroyed, and they penetrated to the heights
of Brumanah, and burnt the village and convent of
Betmarie. Observing this from the Powerful, I
sent the following letter to the Egyptian Admiral, to
which Souliman Pacha replied.
.fn 12
See their Petition, in Appendix.
.fn-
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M. S. Powerful, Beyrout,'\
'July 14, 1840. '
“I observe with pain and regret that a general
conflagration began in the mountains a few hours
.bn 068.png
.pn +1
after the march of the troops from this place. Without
at all entering into the question of whether the
inhabitants of Lebanon are right or wrong in rising
in favour of the Sultan, I do not conceive that the
generals of the Pacha of Egypt can be justified in
carrying on the war against them in the barbarous
manner I now see in operation.
“I write to you, Sir, as an Egyptian admiral,
and the officer holding the highest office now in
Beyrout, to request you will immediately communicate
to his Highness Abbas Pacha the horror I feel
at witnessing such acts of useless barbarity, which
must lead to the destruction of thousands of women
and children, who can take no part in the insurrection.
“His Highness Abbas Pacha may rest assured
that the five great Powers of Europe, who are now
treating the Eastern question, will not view with
satisfaction the manner he has adopted of putting
down the insurrection.
.pm signature3\
'“I have the honour to remain,'\
' “Your obedient servant,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address2\
' “To the Rear-Admiral'\
'Commanding the Egyptian squadron at Beyrout.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 069.png
.pn +1
.ce
Souliman’s Reply, translated from the Arabic.
.pm start_quote
“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
.bn 070.png
.pn +1
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
.bn 071.png
.pn +1
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.
.rj
“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ Souliman Pasha.”
.pm end_quote
.sp 1
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.
.bn 072.png
.pn +1
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
.bn 073.png
.pn +1
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.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M.S. Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' July 20, 1840.'
“A column of the Egyptian army marched to
Sidon on the 8th, and returned on the 12th with a
.bn 074.png
.pn +1
couple of squadrons of cavalry, whom they escorted
to this place. On their march there and back the
Albanians committed all sorts of disorders, burnt
three or four villages and two convents, and even shot
the muleteers who carried their baggage, in order to
possess themselves of their animals.
“On the evening of the 13th, the Emir Hallid,
second son of the Emir Bechir, ruling prince of the
Mountain, came into Beyrout with 30 horse, leaving,
it is said, 800 men in the neighbourhood, and next
day the Egyptian army was put in motion and
marched to the mountains; scarce two hours had
elapsed ere the country was in a blaze, up to the
tops of the highest hills; even the convents did not
escape the fury of the Albanians. I thought it my
duty to write on the subject to the Egyptian admiral,
a copy of which letter I have the honour to inclose,
together with Souliman Pacha’s reply. I only
received positive information last night, that the
insurrection was nearly put down; in fact, the chiefs,
on seeing the imposing force Mehemet Ali sent
against them, gave up the contest without a struggle.
There are still men in arms in the mountains near
Tripoli, but I fear all hope of Syria being relieved
from the oppressive rule of Mehemet Ali by their
.bn 075.png
.pn +1
own exertions is at an end. The Egyptian admiral
sailed from here on the 15th, and was joined off
Sidon by another frigate. There are lying here two
Egyptian corvettes and three brigs; the town and
neighbourhood is as quiet as can be expected, though
attempts have been made to excite the Arabs against
the Christians.
“Rejoicings are going on, and are to continue for
seven days, in consequence of the birth of a Sultana,
and I hope they will pass off quietly. However, at
any moment, a feeling may be stirred up against
the Franks and Christians, and no one can tell what
would be the consequence; and as they are intermixed
in the town there would be no means of protecting
them, or of intimidating the Arabs. Should
anything unpleasant occur I shall do all I can to preserve
order.
“The Cyclops joined me on the 14th, and the
Alecto on the 20th, to wait for the India Mail. The
Turco-Egyptian squadron arrived at Alexandria on the
16th, to the great joy of Mehemet Ali. I have every
reason to believe that the French steamer which
arrived here the day after the Cyclops, brought the
intelligence of our coming down, which hurried off the
fleet. The French appear to be in favour of Mehemet
.bn 076.png
.pn +1
Ali, and in that follow the views of the Government.
The convents are under French protection, and
their flag is flying in a dozen different places in
the mountains; this gives them great influence. The
greater part of the army is expected back daily, and
I presume a part will be sent to Tripoli, should the
insurgents be there in any force; they will also be
pressed by Osman Pacha, who is at Merge.
“There are two French corvettes and a brig here;
they appear very busy in their communication with
the convents in Lebanon.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to remain, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“Rear-Admiral Sir John Louis, Bart.”'
.pm end_quote
.hr 20%
.fm lz=h rend=h
.bn 077.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER III.
.pm start_summary
The English ships withdrawn from the coast of Syria—The
Author appointed to the command of a Squadron—Return
to Beyrout—Instructions to the Squadron—Letters to the
Egyptian Authorities, the British Consul, the Emir Bechir,
and others—Proclamation to the Syrians—Letters from
the Emir Bechir and Souliman Pacha.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
On the 3rd of August we took leave of Beyrout, and
sailed in company with the Edinburgh, to join the
Commander-in-chief’s flag, leaving the Castor and
Gorgon on the coast. Thinking it probable that
counter orders might be sent to Rhodes, we made
the best of our way thither. On the 10th we made
Castel Rosso, on the coast of Caramania, and there
fell in with the Ganges, commanded by my old
friend Captain Reynolds, who brought me direction
to hoist a broad blue pennant, and take under my
command the Ganges, Thunderer, Edinburgh, Castor,
and Gorgon, and return to Beyrout. He was the
bearer of the Treaty of the 15th of July, and of
orders to assist the mountaineers, supposing the
insurrection to be in full force; the Ganges was
directed to pass to the east of Cyprus, and the
.bn 078.png
.pn +1
Thunderer to the west, in order to pick me up.
All sail was made, and by noon next day we were
fortunate in joining the latter ship, and then made
the best of our way to Beyrout.
The service was rather of a delicate nature; the
insurrection was over, and twenty days were allowed
Mehemet Ali to reject or accept the Treaty of July.
In the quarantine ground, two miles from Beyrout,
were encamped 4000 Turks; it was known they
were dissatisfied, and wished to return to Constantinople,
but how to assist them, and how far to go
under the existing treaty, was not very easy to
decide; it was, however, important some effort
should be made before they were moved out of our
reach. It was also desirable to prevent, if possible,
that enterprising officer Souliman Pacha (who had
organized the Egyptian army) from removing the
stores from the magazine, and from strengthening
the town.
My position was not agreeable. If I commenced
hostilities before the expiration of the twenty days
and Mehemet Ali accepted the terms, I should be
accused of precipitation, and of causing an unnecessary
sacrifice of life; on the other hand, should
Mehemet Ali hold out, I might be accused of supineness.
.bn 079.png
.pn +1
Under this embarrassment we anchored
at Beyrout on the 12th of August.
After perusing my orders, Lord Palmerston’s
instructions, and the third article of the Convention,
and giving them my best consideration, it appeared
to me evident that, under all circumstances, nothing
but a very decided demonstration could be undertaken,
following that demonstration up by hostilities,
should opportunity offer.
Beyrout is a small town surrounded by a wall,
with a few weak turrets mouldering to ruins, and
mounting very few guns. The arms, provisions,
and ammunition were stored in two weak castles.
About a mile and a half from the town, on a point
of land, stands the quarantine establishment, surrounded
by a high wall; on this establishment the
Turkish troops were encamped, a second camp was
a little removed, and a third a still greater distance
in the country, where were quartered the Egyptian
and Albanian troops.
My first object was to rise and protect the
Turks, the second to recover the arms of the mountaineers.
The 13th was employed in preparing the following
proclamation, and the letters necessary to
.bn 080.png
.pn +1
carry this into execution; and at eleven o’clock of
the 14th the squadron weighed. The Powerful was
placed within three hundred yards of one castle, the
Edinburgh about the same distance from another,
the Ganges close into the bay, with her broadside
bearing between the two camps I have described;
the Thunderer off the point, and the Castor in the
bay round it. The orders were as follows:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
''\
'“H.M.S. Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' “12th of August, 1840.'
“Memorandum.—The Powerful and Edinburgh
will take up a position abreast of the town;
the object of so doing is to induce the Governor to
deliver the arms that have been taken from the
inhabitants of Lebanon, and to assist the Turkish
troops to return to their allegiance. I shall avoid
hostilities, if possible, therefore great caution is to
be used, and the Edinburgh will not fire without
signal, even if the Powerful should open, and then
the guns will be carefully directed at the batteries.
“The Ganges will take up a position to command
the Turkish camp to the south, the Thunderer
abreast of the island, and the Castor in the bay.
Captain Reynolds will endeavour to send the accompanying
.bn 081.png
.pn +1
letter on shore, and should any attempt
be made to withdraw the Turkish troops he will
enfilade the road, and endeavour to prevent their
retiring, and he will do this with great caution, and
spill as little blood as possible. It has been intimated
to the Governor that any movement amongst
the Turkish troops will be the signal for hostilities.
.pm signature1 '“Charles Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address2 '“To the Captains of H.M.S. Ganges,' ' Thunderer, Castor, and Edinburgh.”'
.pm end_quote
An officer was then sent to the Governor and the
Consul with the papers marked 1 and 2. Lieutenant
Fitzjames landed in the Turkish camp, a
service of some danger, with No. 3, and the Proclamation.
No. 4 was sent to the Grand Prince,
and No. 5 to his Nephew. The Governor declined
giving any answer, and the commander of the Turkish
forces said he could not act without orders.
An attack on the town depended entirely on a
movement in the Turkish camp, but they either
had not spirit or inclination to throw up their caps
and declare for the Sultan; or it is possible the
soldiers were kept in ignorance of the proclamation,
for though we remained three days in our position
.bn 082.png
.pn +1
no movement took place. I threatened to commence
hostilities should the Turkish troops be moved, but
in the night they were gradually withdrawn by a
gate we could not see, and mingled with the
Egyptians.
Towards dark, as I suspected, the removal of
the stores from the castles and water side began, and
I sent an officer to remonstrate and threaten, and it
was with much difficulty I refrained from putting
my veto on the proceedings, through the medium
of a few 32lb. shot; this could easily have been
done; but was it justifiable? I thought not—and
most unwillingly made up my mind, unless a fair
opportunity offered, to allow the twenty days to
expire.
.sp 2
.ce
No. 1.
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“Sir,
“Great Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia,
have decided that Syria is to be restored to the
Sultan. I notify this to you for your guidance.
I demand that the Turkish troops be put under my
protection, and that the arms be restored to the
inhabitants of Mount Lebanon. I am unwilling to
shed blood, or destroy the property of the inhabitants
.bn 083.png
.pn +1
of Beyrout, therefore I caution you not to
provoke hostilities; you must see, by the position
I have taken up, that the town is at my mercy,
therefore if you are the cause of uselessly shedding
blood the responsibility must rest on your head.
Any attempt to move the Turkish troops from their
present position will be the signal for hostilities.
.pm signature2\
'“I am, Sir, &c.,'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Mahmoud Bey, Governor of Beyrout.”'
.pm end_quote
.ce
No. 2.
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“Sir,
“I beg you will communicate to the Consuls of
the different Powers, and the British merchants at
Beyrout, that Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and
Prussia, have decided that Syria is to be restored to
the Sultan. I have demanded that the Turkish
troops be put under my protection, and that the
arms be restored to the inhabitants of Lebanon.
I trust the Governor will not provoke hostilities; if
he does, the responsibility of shedding blood must
be on his own head.
.pm signature2\
'“I am, Sir, &c.,'\
' “Chas. Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“N. Moore, Esq., British Consul, Beyrout.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 084.png
.pn +1
.ce
No. 3.
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“Sir,
“I inclose you a proclamation I have thought
proper to issue; if you attempt to move out of the
camp, hostilities will commence immediately.
.pm signature2 \
'“I am, Sir, your obedient servant,'\
' “Chas. Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“To the Commanding Officer of the Turkish Troops.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.ce
“Proclamation.
.ti 0
“Syrians,
“Great Britain, Austria, Russia, and Prussia,
&c., in conjunction with the Sultan, have decided
that the rule of Mehemet Ali shall cease in Syria;
and I have been sent here with an advanced squadron
to assist in throwing off the yoke of the Pacha
of Egypt.
“You know that a hatti-scheriff has been issued
by the Sultan, securing the life and property of his
subjects, and which is in full operation throughout
the Turkish ; in addition to this the allied
Powers have engaged to recommend to the Sultan an
arrangement which will render your condition happy
and comfortable.
.bn 085.png
.pn +1
“Inhabitants of Lebanon, who are more particularly
under my eyes, I call upon you to rise and
throw off the yoke under which you are groaning;
troops, arms, and ammunition, are daily expected
from Constantinople, and, in the mean time, the
Egyptians shall no longer molest your coast.
“Soldiers of the Sultan, who were treacherously
led from your homes to the burning sands of Egypt,
and have since been transported to Syria, I call
upon you, in the name of the great Powers, to return
to your allegiance. All past events will be forgotten,
and your arrears of pay discharged by the Sultan.
.pm signature1 '“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ Charles Napier.“'
.pm end_quote
.sp 1
.ce
No. 4.
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“Prince,
“I send you a Proclamation I have thought
proper to issue. I call upon your Highness to
return to your allegiance to the Sultan, or take the
consequence.
.pm signature3\
'“I have the honour to remain,'\
' “Your Highness’s obedient servant,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address2\
'“His Highness the Emir Bechir,'\
' Grand Prince of Lebanon.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 086.png
.pn +1
.ce
No. 5.
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“Prince,
“My Proclamation will be delivered to you by
Mr. Wood, or forwarded. I call upon you to stand
forth in favour of your Sovereign; you may rely
upon all the support I can give, and of reinforcements
from the Porte.
.pm signature3\
'“I have the honour to remain,'\
' “Your obedient servant,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Emir Bechir Cassim.”'
.pm end_quote
.sp 2
The Grand Prince sent no answer, but a few
days after, his surgeon came on board, and gave me
to understand that as soon as the Turkish troops
landed the Emir would declare for the Sultan; the
Emir Bechir Cassim sent a favourable reply, but
wavered till he could see what turn affairs were
likely to take.
.ce 2
Copy of a letter received from the Emir
Bechir Cassim.
.pm start_quote
.rj
“August 14, 1840.
“After the customary compliments to his Excellency
Commodore Napier.
.bn 087.png
.pn +1
“I have had the honour to receive your commands,
and I have to pray to the Almighty to
preserve to eternity your Government and your
Excellency.
“I have had the honour to receive the Proclamation
you were pleased to send me, containing the
decision of the four great Powers, to which I readily
submit. I am prepared to render instantly all the
services that may be required of me, while I consider
the opportunity afforded me as a peculiar favour
from God. I am waiting only for supreme orders to
commence immediately acting accordingly with diligence,
when I will also follow all your commands.
I hope to be able to prove to you the sincerity of
my declarations. You have forwarded to us your
Proclamation through Mr. Wood; we will follow
your instructions thereon.
“I have requested the bearer of the present to
express to you my sentiments verbally, and I hope
that, with your assistance, we shall obtain peace,
tranquillity, and liberty.
.pm signature1 '“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Emir Bechir Cassim.”'
.pm end_quote
Vessels were constantly arriving with provisions
and warlike stores, which were detained, much to the
.bn 088.png
.pn +1
annoyance of the unfortunate crews and passengers,
and, I may add, to our own. Many of the vessels
were loaded to the water’s edge, quite unseaworthy
should it blow, and badly found in water and provisions;
this induced me to write to Souliman Pacha
as follows:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Sir,' '“Powerful, Beyrout, August 18, 1840.'
“I am instructed to detain all ships of war and
vessels having troops, military stores, or provisions
on board, going from one part of Egypt or Syria to
another. As it is a very vexatious duty for me to
perform, I submit to your Excellency whether it
would not be better to give orders to all the ports
under your jurisdiction, not to permit any vessels to
sail loaded with the description of articles I have
pointed out. I have detained eleven officers and
eighty-seven privates on board different vessels;
they have no provisions, and are totally unaccustomed
to our mode of living. I therefore submit to
your Excellency’s consideration whether it would not
be desirable to send them off provisions.
.pm signature2\
' “I am, &c.,'\
'“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ Charles Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Souliman Pacha, &c.”'
.pm end_quote
.hr 20%
.bn 089.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Commodore,' '“Beyrout, August 18, 1810.'
“I am very grateful for the advice which your
Excellency gives me. I did not expect less from the
noble character of so loyal and valiant a soldier as
fame has long reported you to be. But it is impossible
for me to profit by it, not having received any
instructions from my Government that war exists
between England and Egypt. I cannot, therefore,
take upon myself to interrupt the communications
between Egypt and Syria, or between the ports of
the latter country. If, according to your instructions,
you have taken from the vessels any passengers,
provisions, or stores, belonging to the army or
to the country, I can no longer consider them as our
subjects or our property. I can only refer the
matter to my Government, regretting that I am
without the power to provide further.
“Receive, I beg you, Commodore, the assurance
of the highest consideration of
.pm signature2\
'“Your very humble servant,'\
' “Souliman Pacha.”'
.pm end_quote
.hr 20%
.bn 090.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER IV.
.pm start_summary
Generous behaviour of Souliman Pacha; Intercepted Letter
from Boghos Bey to that Officer—Interview of the Consuls
with Mehemet Ali—A Turkish Squadron equipped—Arrival
of the Turkish Troops—Force of the Egyptian
Army—Its proper line of Action.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
Souliman behaved with great generosity, though
enraged at the detention of vessels, which appeared
to him contrary to the usages of war; he received
the sick into the hospitals, with a promise to deliver
them up when demanded, and allowed not only the
vessels detained, but the squadron, to be supplied
with fresh provisions and vegetables, and, I may
add, did everything to prevent a collision taking
place.
On the 19th an Egyptian cutter arrived with
despatches from Boghos Bey to the Grand Prince,
to Souliman, and to the Governor of Beyrout; they
were all to the same purpose, tending to show that
France was determined to take an active part in
favour of Mehemet Ali; the French merchants
and priests were not idle in circulating reports to the
same effect, and they were generally credited in the
mountains. I subjoin Boghos Bey’s letter.
.bn 091.png
.pn +1
.ce 2
Copy of Intercepted Instructions sent to Souliman
Pacha.
.pm start_quote
“TO HIS EXCELLENCY SOULIMAN PACHA.
.sp 1
“After the usual compliments, &c.
“Notwithstanding that the conditions of the
Convention signed in London have not yet transpired,
nevertheless, the Russian, English, and
Austrian Consuls, in their vain attempts to intrigue,
have been employing their clerks day and night to
make drafts of the aforesaid Convention, with the
intention of distributing the same in Syria, to bring
about an insurrection there if necessary. By way
of aid, 6000 troops will be conveyed from Constantinople
to Cyprus, and arms and ammunition
will be sent to Syria. We have also learned that a
firman has been sent to the Emir Bechir, notifying
to him, that as by the Convention of London he is
to be freed from the government of Mehemet Ali,
he had better be aware of it in time, and not be
found in allegiance with him. In the hope of
creating an insurrection and disturbances in Syria,
the aforesaid Consuls have made drafts of a Convention
as above described, and have transmitted them
to Syria in the English steamer. The French
.bn 092.png
.pn +1
Consul at Beyrout will be deposed, and sent to
Paris, for having acted contrary to the policy of his
Government, and will be replaced by Monsieur
Delvasy, who is now at Damascus for the affair of
the Jews. On the other hand, the French Consul-General
at Alexandria has been graciously decorated
by his Government for having followed its views.
The French are with us, and have agreed, out of
friendship, to furnish us with 100,000 troops,
600,000 purses, and 24 ships of the line, with 80
steamers. That such is the resolution taken in
France, we have it from the proper quarter.
“By the grace of God, after the above becomes
known to you, let the quarantine be strictly enforced
in the principal sea-port towns in Syria as before,
by which you will ascertain the destination of all
letters brought by vessels. Vessels must not be
allowed to go to places where there are no sanatory
establishments, it being irregular; and should any
vessels go to such places, and desire to land any
passengers, let them be slightly opposed; but should
any one resist the quarantine, let him be informed
that the sanatory regulations are the same for all.
Our Master, the Viceroy, is in Upper Egypt; but on
his return to-day or to-morrow, he will necessarily
.bn 093.png
.pn +1
write to you in detail on the conduct you are to
pursue, and until you receive his instructions, the
present notification will serve you as a guide, &c.
“A copy of the same instructions has been
addressed to the Governors and Kakya of Beyrout,
and to the Governor-General of Damascus.
.pm signature1 '“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Boghos Bey.”'
.pm end_quote
On the 20th, an Egyptian frigate, armed en flute,
bound to Scanderoon with stores, was detained by
the Castor, stationed off the Point, to give notice
should the Egyptian fleet appear off, to raise the
blockade.
On the 27th I heard from the Admiral, announcing
his arrival off Alexandria, and was shortly after
reinforced by the Revenge, Benbow, and Magicienne.
The Consuls, on their first audience, had laid before
the Pacha the Treaty of the 15th of July, which he
rejected at once; and he gave them to understand
it was useless coming to him at the expiration of
either the ten days or the twenty, for they should
have the same answer; and that what he had won
with the sword, he should defend with it; and he
added, that after the expiration of the twenty days,
the sooner they took themselves off the better, as
.bn 094.png
.pn +1
their longer stay would neither be for their honour
or his interest. The old man kept his word; on the
5th of September Raifat Pasha and the Consuls
again presented themselves, and they were dismissed
with the same answer.
The Admiral, in his last dispatch, gave me to
understand I might shortly expect a small Turkish
force would arrive at Cyprus, under the orders of
Captain Walker, who had been promoted to the
rank of Rear-Admiral in the Turkish service. This
appeared business-like, and we anxiously looked
forward to some active service during the remaining
two months of summer.
Shortly after this, I received a dispatch from
Lord Ponsonby, announcing that a war with France
might be expected at any moment, and recommending
the ships to be on their guard, and that the
Turkish Government had recalled the expedition.
Some of the Turkish vessels had already sailed,
and Admiral Walker, with great judgment and
decision, pushed on, and sent me word of his approach.
Not a moment was lost; the Hastings, which
had joined, was sent to Cyprus to reinforce him,
and supply his ships with provisions, and I removed
my pennant to the Gorgon steamer, and ran down
.bn 095.png
.pn +1
the coast as far as D’Jebail, to ascertain the best
landing place; from there I crossed over to Cyprus,
where I arrived next afternoon. Admiral Walker
had anchored the day before.
The Turkish troops, to the amount of 5300 men,
had been landed. The Government, with their
accustomed want of foresight, had started them with
only a fortnight’s provisions, of which only three
days remained. With all my desire to commence
active operations, it would have been madness to
have brought this force to the coast of Syria, where
nothing could be procured in the event of a reverse.
The troops had really a very respectable appearance,
and were much better than I expected. After a
conference with the Admiral and General, it was
decided to leave it to Admiral Walker’s discretion
to start the moment he could procure a moderate
supply, and we agreed to meet off Sidon, as by that
time I should have determined on what part of the
coast we should strike the first blow, on the success
of which all our hopes depended.
From Cyprus we ran over and reconnoitred St.
Jean d’Acre, which I was glad to see did not present
any great obstacle to an attack from sea. Many
men were employed completing the works on the
.bn 096.png
.pn +1
land side; but the sea front, I suppose, was considered
sufficiently strong.
From Acre we went off Tyre, which was occupied
by Albanian troops, and in the evening anchored at
Beyrout, having run over all this ground in little
more than forty-eight hours. The following day the
Carysfort was despatched to Cyprus with more
provisions. On the 9th of September, the ships in
the offing, who had directions to bring Admiral
Walker to Beyrout, made the signal for a convoy.
Sir Robert Stopford, in the Princess Charlotte, also
hove in sight, and before sunset the whole were at
anchor off the town. Sir Charles Smith, who had
arrived in the Pique a few days before in bad health,
was still too unwell to take the direction of the military
affairs, and Sir Robert Stopford did me the
honour of placing the troops under my command.
Souliman Pacha at this time was at the head of
the army at Beyrout, and was supposed to have
15,000 men under his orders. Ibrahim and Osman
were at Balbeck with 10,000 more; the garrison of
Sidon consisted of 3000; that of Tripoli, and in the
neighbourhood, 5000; the rest of the Egyptian
army, consisting of from 40,000 to 50,000 men, were
stationed in various parts of Syria.
.bn 097.png
.pn +1
Had the Egyptian troops at Beyrout, with the
exception of the garrison, marched to the heights of
Ornagacuan and the high land over Nahr-el-Kelb,
those at Balbeck on Gazir, Harissa and Antoura,
and those at Tripoli pushed along shore by D’Jebail
the moment we landed, there is little doubt but we
should have been withdrawn, and the troops sent to
Cyprus, and Mehemet Ali would now have been in
possession of Syria, and England, in all probability,
involved in war with France; or even had we
remained inactive, and contented ourselves with
occupying a strong hold only, we should have
incurred the same risk.
.hr 20%
.bn 098.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER V.
.pm start_summary
The Allied Troops landed in D’Jounie Bay—Encampment—Reconnoissances—Submission
of the Emir Abdallah—Beyrout
summoned to Surrender—Reply of Souliman Pacha—Impolicy
of the Attack on Beyrout—Forbearance of Souliman
Pacha—Capture of D’Jebail—Captain Martin’s Report—
to Merouba—Report to the Admiral.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
As Beyrout was surrounded by a slight wall without
a ditch, it did not appear to me advisable to make
our first impression there, because had we succeeded
in obtaining possession of the town, we should have
been penned in by a very superior force, and had no
opportunity of communicating with and arming the
mountaineers, without whose assistance it would
have been quite impossible to have made any
impression on Souliman Pacha’s army. Under these
circumstances, I suggested to the Admiral, who was
commander-in-chief of the allied forces by sea and
land, that we should put the troops ashore in
D’Jounie Bay, in the province of Kesrouan, there
intrench ourselves, and arm the mountaineers, who,
we had reason to suppose, would flock down and
join the Sultan’s standard. This province is separated
from El-Kata by a deep gorge, through which
.bn 099.png
.pn +1
runs the Nahr-el-Kelb; a stream only passable at its
mouth, a few miles higher up at Argentoun, four
or five leagues from the sea, and at Basquinta,
where it rises. A road leads from Beyrout along
the sea-shore to its mouth, passing round a precipitous
promontory jutting into the sea; on this promontory
stands a convent of monks. Another road
leads further inland to a village, and from that village
you may descend by a very rugged path across
Nahr-el-Kelb (or Dog River), and ascend to another
convent, on the top of the hills which look down on
D’Jounie Bay. To the northward a road leads from
Tripoli along shore, and crosses a bridge over another
gorge; besides which, there are several roads which
can be traversed by troops from Balbeck, leading to
Antoura and Gazir, the capital of the province.
After dark on the 9th of September, the
Turkish troops and marines were moved into the
steamboats, which was accomplished by two in
the morning; soon after eight they weighed,
and proceeded off Beyrout Point to draw the
enemy’s troops in that direction, and there wait
till the sea breeze set in. This had the desired
effect, and a few shot and shell were pitched into
their columns to keep them in play. At ten the
.bn 100.png
.pn +1
Powerful weighed, accompanied by Admiral Walker,
in the Turkish line-of-battle-ship, a frigate, and
corvette, the Pique, Castor, Carysfort, Daphne, and
Wasp, and stood towards D’Jounie. The Castor and
one steamer were directed to anchor off Nahr-el-Kelb,
enfilade the pass, and land a Turkish battalion
to the north of the river, and occupy the high
ground over it, to prevent the advance of the Egyptians
when they discovered our real attack. The
rest of the squadron proceeded towards D’Jounie,
where they anchored at two in the afternoon, and
the whole of the troops, under the judicious direction
of Admiral Walker and Captain Reynolds,
were landed by four o’clock. The heights were
immediately occupied, a couple of companies of
marines, commanded by Captain Childs, were detached
to reinforce the Turks at Nahr-el-Kelb, and
a battalion was posted in the village of Zug, about a
league distant from the camp; beyond them, a
couple of battalions of Turks occupied a strong
position, having their left flank protected by an
impassable gorge[13]. I took up my quarters in a
Maronite chapel, in which we placed a gun; this
chapel served for dining-room, bed-room, and powder
.bn 101.png
.pn +1
magazine. My establishment was landed from the
Powerful, and I look back to the month I passed
there as one of the happiest of my life. Provisions
were abundant, wine not bad, and Archdukes,
Princes, Pachas, and Emirs were entertained; and
I fear the laws of the prophet were frequently
infringed by our Turkish allies.
.fn 13
See Letter to the Admiral, in the Appendix.
.fn-
The Carysfort and Daphne were despatched to
D’Jebail to drive the Albanians out of a strong
château, and impede the sudden advance of troops
from Tripoli. The Wasp flanked the bridge I have
before pointed out. After the troops were landed,
the ships and steamers took up positions to protect
the flanks of the camp in the event of an attack,
and those in advance, if hard pressed, were ordered
to retire, disputing the ground, but not to
risk a severe loss. The Admiral, with the Princess
Charlotte, Bellerophon, Ganges, Thunderer, Edinburgh,
Hastings, Benbow, and the Austrian squadron,
remained at Beyrout; the Zebra, and the Austrian
frigate Guerriera, commanded by the Archduke,
covered the bridge near the quarantine ground, and
the Revenge was stationed in the bay between it
and Dog River, to harass the enemy (should they
advance,) and give us timely notice of their approach.
.bn 102.png
.pn +1
At midnight the Revenge made the signal the enemy
were advancing; I immediately landed and turned
out the troops, and the Powerful was warped closer
in; but it proved a false alarm. The following
morning we began throwing up intrenchments,
which were finished on the fourth day; and much
praise is due to the exertions of both officers and
men; Captain Reynolds, Berkeley, and indeed all
the Captains and Commanders, were indefatigable.
The defences were much too confined to secure our
whole force; and I wished them enlarged, but
the Engineer officer differed with me, and the
Admiral ordered them not to be changed. During
the time they were in progress, I occupied myself
in gaining a knowledge of the country, and of
the roads leading to our position, and I soon
ascertained that there was little danger of being
disturbed, even had we to contend with a more
powerful army.
At first the mountaineers came in slowly, and the
Admiral gave directions to re-embark the troops in
a few days, but I succeeded in persuading him to
allow them to remain. Our stay gave confidence to
the inhabitants, who in two or three days began to
flock in in great numbers, and the Emir Abdallah,
.bn 103.png
.pn +1
nephew of the Grand Prince, and governor of the
province, who had retired before a Turkish battalion,
sent to his capital the day after we landed, came
over in good style, bringing with him a considerable
number of followers tolerably well mounted and
armed. I now ordered Gazir, the capital of the
province, to be occupied, and the road reconnoitred
leading to Merouba, where Ibrahim and Osman Pacha
had collected a considerable force; another detachment
was sent to the neighbourhood of the convent
of Harissa, on the right of Gazir, under Captain
Loué, a Prussian officer attached to the Turkish
army, both detachments having orders to retire to
the camp should the enemy advance on their line.
On the 15th of September the enemy pushed a
reconnoitring party as far as Ackshout, on the
road to Harissa, where they remained an hour, and
then returned to Merouba; they seemed undecided,
whether to advance on Gazir, Harissa, or Argentoun;
their position gave them the choice of the
three roads.
On the 11th a flag of truce was sent into Beyrout
by Sir Robert Stopford and Admiral Bandeira, with a
summons to Souliman Pacha to withdraw his troops:
subjoined are the summons and reply.
.bn 104.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
“We, the Admirals of the British and Austrian
squadrons, acting in obedience to the instructions of
our respective Governments, and in the interests of
his Highness the Sultan, consider our duty to represent
to your Excellency our earnest desire to stop
the effusion of blood, and to call upon your Excellency
to withdraw your troops from Beyrout, and to
deliver the town to our united forces, to be retained
in the name of the Sultan.
“Your Excellency will have observed, from the
fire of the ships yesterday, a small specimen only of
the course we shall be compelled to pursue. The
fire has not been pressed this morning, that your
Excellency may benefit by the pause, and upon
reflection come to the decision in consonance with
our benevolent views, to spare the innocent inhabitants
from the inevitable horrors which a few hours
would inflict upon them.
“We request your Excellency will send an
answer as soon as you can, or at the latest by half-past
one.
.pm signature2\
'“(Signed) Robert Stopford, Admiral.'\
' Bandeira, Admiral.'
.pm address2\
' “His Excellency Souliman Pacha,'\
'Major-General of the Egyptian army at Beyrout.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 105.png
.pn +1
In answer to the above the following was, after
some time, forwarded:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '' '“Beyrout, September 11, 1840.'
“General Souliman Pacha has the honour to
present his compliments to the Admirals of the
English and Austrian squadrons, and to inform
them, that not being acquainted with the language,
it is impossible for him to return an answer unless
the Admirals will be good enough to translate their
communication into French, Turkish, or Arabic.
.pm signature1 '“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Souliman.”'
.pm address2\
'“To the Admirals commanding the English and'\
' Austrian squadrons before Beyrout.”'
.pm end_quote
I should have thought that the Egyptian general
could have found some one in Beyrout to have translated
the summons, and it did appear that he treated
the admirals rather cavalierly; nevertheless, the summons
was sent in French, to which he replied that,
he was engaged in a council of war, and that the
reply would be ready in the morning. A heavy
fire was immediately opened on the two forts, but
the town was spared as much as possible, and the
following morning a letter was brought off from
Souliman, as follows:—
.bn 106.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
“Admirals,—You are acquainted with my orders,
and after the refusal which, as was my duty, I
returned to the proposals made me in the name of
your Governments to betray my master and benefactor,
it was impossible that I should act in opposition
to his wishes.
“As you observe, I was enabled yesterday fully
to appreciate all the extent of evil it was in your
power to bring down on innocent families, strangers
to the present misunderstanding.
“For the sake of killing five of my soldiers, you
have ruined and brought families into desolation, you
have killed women, a tender infant and its mother,
an old man, two unfortunate peasants, and doubtless,
many others whose names have not yet reached me;
and, far from slackening the fire of your ships, when
my soldiers (who during that deplorable day did not
once fire) fell back on the town across the inhabited
country of Beyrout, your fire, I say, became more
vigorous and destructive for the unfortunate peasants
rather than for my soldiers. You appear decided to
make yourselves masters of the town, notwithstanding
that, in any event, the question will remain
as before. If the fortune of war prove adverse to
me, Beyrout shall only fall into your power when
.bn 107.png
.pn +1
reduced to cinders. This town has not ceased being
inhabited, and moreover, it contains merchandise
imported from Europe, the value of which is considerable.
Under these circumstances I have constantly
endeavoured to justify throughout, the grateful
thanks which I have received from Europeans.
Guards have been posted to secure respect to their
habitations and their magazines. They will find them
untouched on their return. It lies not in my power
to deliver the town; my orders are for its defence,
and I shall defend it come what may. I, therefore,
am not the person to address if you are really
desirous of sparing innocent persons from the
inevitable horrors of warfare, which in a few hours
you have power to bring down on them.
“Mehemet Ali alone can give you an answer on
this question. If, then, you attack Beyrout, and if
its inhabitants are buried in the ruins, let me not be
responsible for the blood that is shed.
.pm signature3\
'“I have the honour to remain,'\
' “Your humble and obedient servant,'\
' “Souliman.”'
.pm address '“Beyrout, Saturday, two hours after sunrise.”'
.pm end_quote
I thought at the time it was impolitic opening
.bn 108.png
.pn +1
a fire on Beyrout unless it was determined to follow
it up by an attack. The mountaineers had before
witnessed the little damage done at D’Jounie and
along the coast by the Egyptian squadron, when
they fired on the armed mountaineers, in various
parts along shore; and when they saw that a
powerful British squadron could not drive the
Egyptian troops out of a defenceless town, it
did not give them a very high opinion of our
power. Souliman well knew the moral effect keeping
possession of Beyrout would have on the mountaineers,
and determined not to abandon it till
forced; we ought to have taken the same view, and
either not have opened a fire at all, or persevered
until they were driven out, whatever mischief was
done to the town. Had the same measures been
taken at Beyrout that were taken at Sidon, there is
no doubt but we should have got possession of it.
We should have lost men, it is true, but in war that
must be expected, when a great point is to be
gained; and gaining the principal sea port on the
coast of Syria, in view of the mountains, was a
great point, and would have had an immense moral
effect. Withdrawing the squadron, which we did on
the 16th, with the exception of the Edinburgh and
.bn 109.png
.pn +1
Hastings, which ships occasionally kept up a fire on
the town, gave Souliman the opportunity of telling
the mountaineers that he had beaten off the British
squadron.
The Pacha, though much annoyed, no doubt,
at our proceedings, yet showed himself a man
of great forbearance. During the time the cannonading
was going on, the Indian mail arrived;
our intercepting despatches from Alexandria furnished
him with a fair excuse for stopping this
mail, but as its detention had nothing to do
with hostilities then going on, he hoisted a flag
of truce, and delivered the mail, with a very
civil message that all letters to and from India
should be religiously forwarded. The Admiral,
not to be outdone in civility, wrote a letter of
thanks, and sent Souliman, who I have since learnt
was a jolly and hospitable old soldier, a package of
wine, that had been detained in an Egyptian vessel.
At this time the Admiral arrived at D’Jounie Bay,
and the Castor and Pique having embarked their
marines, went off Acre, Caiffa, and Tyre; and the
Bellerophon took her station, with the Revenge, off
the Nahr-el-Kelb, and covered that most important
pass; the road was broken up, and at night an
.bn 110.png
.pn +1
officer was stationed on shore with blue lights to
burn, should the enemy attempt to advance in that
direction.
The Albanians at D’Jebail did not seem disposed
to give up their castle. On the 12th I sent 220
marines and 150 armed mountaineers, with orders
to Captain Martin to turn them out: his report
will show that it was not easily done; the officer in
command rather incautiously advanced to the castle,
and met with a severe loss. The mountaineers in
this district came in also for arms in great numbers.
Captain Martin, with great zeal, pushed on to
Batroun, a little to the northward of D’Jebail, and
drove the Albanians from that neighbourhood, which
gave him an opportunity of distributing more arms
to the warlike inhabitants.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M.S. Carysfort, D’Jebail,'\
' September 13, 1840.'
“I have the honour to inform you that, pursuant
to your directions, I anchored yesterday off D’Jebail.
The enemy have evacuated the town; the mountaineers
are coming in fast for arms, and, as far as I
can judge from their words and professions, the
most enthusiastic feeling prevails among them. I
.bn 111.png
.pn +1
trust that the results will, in some degree, excuse
the loss we have sustained. I shall now proceed
to detail the circumstances of the attack.
“At noon I anchored, with springs, within
musket-shot of D’Jebail. The Dido took a good
position ahead of the Carysfort, and the Cyclops
astern; groups of mountaineers immediately came
down to the beach, and many were brought off by
the boats. Having given a sufficient time for the
marines to prepare for landing, and for their commanding
officer to reconnoitre the place of disembarkation,
at 1 P.M. the ships opened their fire
upon the castle and upon the points which the
mountaineers designated to us as occupied by the
Albanians. This was returned by occasional musket
shots.
“When the fire had been continued with great
precision, and apparently some effect, for about an
hour, the marines, accompanied by a large party of
armed mountaineers, pushed off from the Cyclops,
and to cover their landing the ships re-opened upon
the castle. About half-past P.M., observing the
detachment formed upon the beach to the south of
the town, and believing all the effect likely to be
produced by our shot was already done, and that the
.bn 112.png
.pn +1
gardens had been swept by the launch’s caronnades, I
made the signal to push on. The marines advanced
briskly to the assault, but the cliff soon obstructed
my view of their progress through the gardens in
front of the castle. They reached within thirty yards
of the tower, when a destructive fire was opened upon
them from a crenelled outwork, having a deep ditch
in front, which was completely masked from the
fire of the ships. Finding his men were falling fast,
that the wall of the castle was impracticable, that
there was no gate accessible, and nothing but the
muzzles of the enemy’s muskets visible through the
loopholes, Captain Robinson very judiciously drew
his men off. The marines retired to the beach
steadily and in good order. Captain Austin, who
superintended the landing, and accompanied the
marines, having sent to me to say that nothing could
be done unless the tower was levelled, the ships
again commenced firing upon it. Finding, however,
that the immense solidity of the building prevented
our making a sufficient impression upon it, at half-past
5 I ordered the marines to be re-embarked and
the firing to cease.
“An English flag, which had been planted on
the garden wall as a signal to the ships, was accidentally
.bn 113.png
.pn +1
left there by the pilot of the Cyclops after
the marines had retired; Lieutenant Grenfell and
— Macdonald, a seaman of the Cyclops, volunteered
to recover it, and brought it off most gallantly
amidst the cheers of the ships.
“At night a party of the mountaineers, whom
we had armed, were established in the town; and at
daylight this morning I found that the Albanians
had evacuated the castle during the night, leaving
three behind, one of them badly wounded, and
since dead. The conduct of a Turkish soldier, who
was sent up in the Cyclops, has been admirable
in organizing and keeping together parties of the
mountaineers.
“Having distributed all the arms, I now send
the Cyclops for a fresh supply. I think we may
dispose of more; and I take the liberty of suggesting
that they should be sent immediately,
before the present enthusiasm has time to subside.
“The painful part of my duty is, to inclose
the list of killed and wounded in the attack on
D’Jebail; I deeply lament that it has been so severe.
.fs push
.fs 95%
Benbow.—2 marines killed, 4 wounded severely.
Hastings.—2 marines killed, Lieut. C.W. Adair slightly,
7 marines severely, 3 slightly, wounded.
Castor.—1 marine wounded severely.
.bn 114.png
.pn +1
Zebra.—1 marine killed.
Cyclops.—Lieut. George Gifford wounded severely, 1
seaman severely.
Total killed, 5. Total wounded, 18.
.fs
.pm signature1 '“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Henry Martin.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
On the 22nd I marched, with a Turkish battalion
and a battalion of marines, by the road of Antoura
and Argentoun toward Merouba, through the strongest
and most difficult country I ever beheld, over roads
hardly passable, and under a fiery sun; the marine
battalion, unaccustomed to marching, were sorely
pressed, and arrived with difficulty at Argentoun;
there they halted, and I went on with a couple of
companies of Turks, who were good marchers,
holding a party of marines, the least fatigued, ready
to advance should we be pressed. About two hours
before sunset we came in sight of Osman Pacha’s
camp and the Albanian standards; they appeared
intrenched in a very strong position. The marines
were now ordered to move on and show themselves,
and we continued to advance through a most
difficult but beautifully romantic country. In an
hour we joined the mountaineers, under the Scheik
Francis (the person who had been designated the
Seraskier by Mr. Wood), in position in a small
.bn 115.png
.pn +1
village, a little distance from very precipitous rocks,
through which an execrable road led to Merouba,
where Osman was intrenched. I desired the
mountaineers to throw themselves amongst the
rocks, to see whether they were occupied or not,
which they did with considerable reluctance, till
assured all was safe; they then went on with great
alacrity: this enabled me to reconnoitre Osman’s
position; he appeared well fortified, and from that
I augured he was as much afraid of being attacked
by us as we were of being attacked by him. In
the evening we returned to Argentoun, where we
attempted to get some rest, but from the numerous
bedfellows in the shape of monstrous fleas, our
slumbers were anything but sound. At dawn of
day we were again on the move, and returned to
the camp, after a very hot and fatiguing march.
The following is my report of this reconnoissance to
the Admiral:—
.pm start_quote
“Sir,
“I last night reconnoitred the enemy’s position
at Merouba, a long march from here; they seemed
more afraid of us than we were of them, as they
had fortified their position. Very few men showed
.bn 116.png
.pn +1
themselves, which inclines me to believe that
a great part have retired; it is certain the
Druses are gone to their homes. This morning
I reconnoitred the enemy’s position on our right;
we have had a communication with their chief, who
promises to come over: if he does not I shall beat
up his quarters to-morrow, open the province
between the Nahr-el-Kelb (Dog River) and Beyrout,
and arm it; that done, we ought to make a reconnoissance
on Beyrout, our left covered by the mountaineers,
and our right by the steamers, gun-boats,
and small craft. The proposal of Selim Pacha to
advance on Ibrahim is out of the question; we have
no means of transport, nor have the troops shoes.
I am satisfied, were the Turks left to themselves, in
one week they would be prisoners. I am glad the
Emir Hanjar is come; he is a host in himself. I
should have come off to you this afternoon, but I
was on horseback yesterday from day-light till half-past
six, and again to-day from day-light till sunset,
with the exception of an hour and a half, added to
which I have a devil of a ——, which requires a
few hours to put to rights.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me yours very truly,'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
.fm lz=h rend=h
.bn 117.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER VI.
.pm start_summary
Proposed attack upon Sidon—Correspondence between Sir
Robert Stopford and the Author respecting the command—Attack
on the Heights of Ornagacuan—Report to the Admiral—Return
to D’Jounie.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
Having ascertained that Ibrahim had no immediate
intention of attacking our position, it became necessary
to undertake something bold immediately after
the rally I intended to give the troops in our
immediate front, should they not come over. I
therefore proposed to the Admiral to make an attack
upon Sidon, to which, with some reluctance he consented,
and, in the afternoon, I was rather surprised
at receiving the following letter:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“September 23d.'
“After having employed Captain Stewart, a
junior officer, upon an expedition to Tripoli, I
cannot, and ought not to cast such a stigma upon
Captain Berkeley, as to consider him unworthy, or
incapable of a similar employment at Sidon.
“He must therefore go there, and he will be
most happy to attend to all your suggestions, if I
.bn 118.png
.pn +1
may venture, under such circumstances, to hope
that you will go with the expedition.
“Your fame, my dear Commodore, is too well
established, and your liberality of thinking too well
known upon points of service, to allow me to suspect
for a moment that you would wish to deprive a
brother officer of a few sprigs of laurel with which
you are so well covered. The good of the service
upon which we are employed, is your first wish,
and to you our unexpected success is owing, aided
as you have been by the zeal of the officers under
your command.
“I am aware that Captain Reynolds is the senior
officer, but I hear that he has expressed a wish
to remain here, and therefore there can be no jealousy
against Berkeley.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me your’s, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
“P.S. I shall be obliged to you to organize the
force intended for Sidon, so as to have them off
Damour early on the 25th.”
.pm end_quote
This appeared to be making me so complete a
cipher, that I replied as follows:
.bn 119.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“My dear Admiral,
“There is nothing in the whole world that I
would not do to please you, or forward the service,
but I do not see how I can, with any propriety, put
myself under a junior officer, where we shall have
500 English marines and 500 Turks. You must
know that as yet I have had all the fag, and surely
I ought to reap the advantage of it. Captain
Stewart went away without any force, therefore
Captain Berkeley cannot complain of me, his senior
officer, with a broad pennant flying, commanding an
important expedition. God knows I should be
sorry to rob any man of his share of service; but as
you was good enough to allow me to plan all things,
I do think it hard I am not allowed to execute
them; as yet I have had nothing but fag, and it is
natural that I should wish to reap the fruits I have
been fagging for; I trust, therefore, you will allow
it to go on as you agreed this morning.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me, &c.'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
The Admiral saw the reasonableness of my request,
and replied as follows:—
.bn 120.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“September 23rd.'
“I cannot resist the formal application made
by an officer of your standing to command an expedition
in preference to a junior officer.
“I have, therefore, directed Captain Berkeley to
proceed towards Sidon, looking out for you on the
morning of the 25th off Damour, and to place himself
under your orders.
“I will give to any steamer you like an order
to hoist your blue pennant, and to Commander
Liardet to carry on the discipline of the Powerful
during your temporary absence.
“But as I do not see any probability of a further
expedition, it is not worth while to change the
Admiralty order for this once.
“This is a final arrangement, upon which I
request no further controversy.
“I have heard from Captains Collier and Stewart,
who have succeeded in doing all they could towards
giving arms to the Syrians. Commander Robinson
gave many to a parcel of men, who began robbing
the moment they got them, though delivered under
the authority of a Scheik. You will see, by the
orders which I have given to Captain Berkeley, the
.bn 121.png
.pn +1
nature and object of this expedition, on which success
is certain under your management.
“I wish you, however, to observe some attention
to the family of Souliman Pacha, and if you
can get communication with them, to offer protection
on board our ships, to be conveyed subsequently
to where they wish to go.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
I now thought everything finally settled, and
I requested the Wasp might be sent off Sidon.
The Admiral, however, fearing a heavy loss, was
unwilling the town should be attacked, and he again
wrote to me on the subject.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“September 23, 1840.'
“I am at a loss to know the advantage of
making a regular attack by troops on Sidon.
“Our only object is to land arms for the mountaineers,
and if this cannot be accomplished without
considerable loss, it is not worth the expense, and
does not come within the scope of my instructions.
.bn 122.png
.pn +1
“Sidon, I am told, is a very solidly built town,
as are the works about it.
“If there are any troops in the town determined
to defend it, you will not easily take possession,
unless by its destruction, a measure not justifiable
for the object in view.
“The steamer will clear the environs of the
Egyptians, and the troops may be landed to cover
your proceedings in the distribution of arms.
“The country is open for the use of the enemy’s
cavalry.
“I plainly foresee that in all operations on shore,
wherever there is any fighting, the brunt of the
whole will fall on the marines, as you will see tomorrow.
.pm signature2\
'“Your’s, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
“P.S. I will direct Wasp to go with Thunderer.”
.pm end_quote
I left things in this state on the evening of the
23rd, and finding that no further communication
had been made by the Albanian chief on our front,
I directed General Jochmus to descend into the
valley of the Dog River with three Turkish battalions,
move up the valley, and take the road leading
.bn 123.png
.pn +1
to the heights of Ornagacuan on the enemy’s left.
Another battalion crossed the bridge near the mouth
of the river, and occupied the heights on the opposite
side, to watch the Beyrout road, and cover a
battalion of marines and the Austrian rocketeers
who crossed higher up, and advanced on the enemy’s
front. The Albanians, afraid of being cut off from
the road leading to Boharsof, and not liking the
appearance of the marines in their front, moved to
their right, and gained the heights of Ornagacuan,
occupying a strong position above the road by
which General Jochmus was advancing. The Turks,
moved with great rapidity and gallantry.
General Jochmus, the chief of the staff, accompanied
by my aide-de-camp, Lieut. Bradley, put
himself at the head of the skirmishers, and was
followed by Selim Pacha, leading a Turkish battalion.
The mountaineers also joined, and were
not the last in advancing. The enemy’s skirmishers
were driven in, and the main body, consisting of
about seven hundred men, after firing two volleys,
retired by the road of Boharsof; the Turks followed
them up with great vigour, made three or four
hundred prisoners, and dispersed the rest. This
first success gave confidence to the Sultan’s troops,
.bn 124.png
.pn +1
and opened the whole district of the Kata, and
enabled us to arm many of the mountaineers of
that province. Our loss was only an officer
wounded, and two men killed.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“D’Jounie, head-quarters of the Army'\
' of Lebanon, Sept. 25, 1840.'
“In obedience to your directions to drive the
enemy from the position they had been fortifying
for some days, on the left of Dog River, I
marched out of our cantonments at daylight of
the 24th, with four Turkish battalions, under his
Excellency Selim Pacha; the second battalion of
Royal Marines, under Capt. Fegan; and an Austrian
rocket detachment, under Alfred de Vasilli Baldisiritto.
“The ground on either side of the river is very
high and precipitous, and offers great advantages to
the defending, and very considerable danger to the
attacking party; to secure against this, a Turkish
battalion descended unseen near the entrance of the
gorge through which Dog River runs, and gained
the heights on the other side. The marines and
Austrian rocket detachment, covered by this battalion,
crossed higher up, crowned the heights, and
.bn 125.png
.pn +1
advanced on the enemy’s position, about two
leagues off; the Turkish battalion remained in position
to cover our right, in the event of Souliman
Pacha advancing from Beyrout to disturb our
operations.
“Three Turkish battalions descended into the
gorge before the marines pushed their way up the
river, and advanced by a mountain path to turn the
enemy’s left; this being perceived they abandoned
their intrenchments, and occupied a new position
on the heights of Ornagacuan, about a league to
the right of their intrenchments.
“The Turks advanced with great rapidity and
gallantry.
“General Jochmus, the chief of the staff, accompanied
by my aide-de-camp, Lieut. Bradley, of
the Powerful, put himself at the head of the skirmishers,
and showed a noble example, which was
as nobly followed by his Excellency Selim Pacha,
at the head of a battalion. The country people
also joined, and were not the last in advancing.
The enemy’s skirmishers were speedily driven in,
and their main body, consisting of about 700 men,
fired two volleys, and retired in great confusion;
the Turks following them up with so much vigour
.bn 126.png
.pn +1
that between 300 and 400 prisoners were made,
and the rest dispersed. The enemy’s moving from
their first position, on which the marines advanced,
threw them out, and the work was done entirely
by the Turks; they are, however, most anxious to
try their strength, and I hope an opportunity will
soon offer.
“This operation opened the whole district of
Kata, and the mountaineers, who had been driven
from their homes, flocked down in great numbers,
and were immediately armed.
“I have great reason to be satisfied with the
conduct of his Excellency Selim Pacha, and with
General Jochmus, who fearlessly exposed himself
in front, accompanied by my young friend, Lieut.
Bradley, who for the first time smelt powder.
“We have had a Turkish officer wounded and
two men killed. Inclosed is a list of Turkish
officers who particularly distinguished themselves,
and whom I trust will meet with some mark of
favour from the Sultan.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour, &c.'\
' “C. Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address2\
'“Admiral the Hon. Sir Robt. Stopford,'\
' &c., &c., &c.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 127.png
.pn +1
It would have been desirable to have continued
on these heights, but the advance from
Beyrout, where Souliman Pacha was encamped,
with from 10,000 to 12,000 men, was so easy, and
our retreat across the Nahr-el-Kelb so difficult,
that I thought it prudent next day to recross the
river, and occupy our former position, and prepare
for a blow on Sidon, where it was least expected.
.hr 20%
.bn 128.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER VII.
.pm start_summary
Proposed Attack on Sidon abandoned; resumed—Instructions—Correspondence
between the Author and Sir R.
Stopford—Arrival at Sidon—Letter of Sir R. Stopford to
the Admiralty—Summons to the Governor—Report
to the Admiral of the Capture of the Town—Excellent
behaviour of the Allied Troops—Fortitude of a Negro
Soldier—Return to the Camp at D’Jounie.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
Some new idea had, however, been started in my
absence; every body had his plan, and I am sure
the Admiral must have been worried to death with
the projects of the different people who had access
to him; and on the morning of the 24th he informed
me by letter that the attack on Sidon was given up
for another.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Princess Charlotte, D’Jounie Bay,'\
' September 24, 1840.'
“I have to acquaint you that the plan on Sidon
is to be abandoned for another which I consider of
far more importance, selecting a proper situation
for the Turkish troops to remain in during the
winter, as their remaining where they are is quite
impossible.
“Izzet Pacha will accompany the troops going to
.bn 129.png
.pn +1
Tyre, the place which appears best calculated for a
winter settlement, and will, upon examination, take
and keep possession of it if found favourable.
.pm signature3\
'“I am, Sir,'\
' “Your obedient servant,'\
' Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
This new project was happily set aside; and,
after dining with the Admiral, on the 25th, I took
my leave, promising to be back in forty-eight hours
with the garrison of Sidon, and received orders to
the following effect:
.pm start_quote
“You will proceed with the steamer named in
the margin[14] with the troops put on board towards
Sidon, where you will fall in with the Thunderer
and Wasp, and take them under your orders.
.fn 14
Gorgon.
.fn-
“The object is to arm the inhabitants in that
quarter, and, if necessary, to land troops to allow of
their approach towards Damour, which having done
to the best of your power, the troops are to re-embark
and go to Sidon, where you will summon
the governor to give up the place, and on his refusal
bring all the fire you can upon the forts and
.bn 130.png
.pn +1
fortifications, avoiding as much as possible the
destruction of private houses; should you, after
due precaution, find the town to be evacuated, you
will land the troops, under protection of the ships
and take possession of it, retaining it long enough to
distribute arms to the Syrians, which is the principal
object of the expedition, after which you will
return to this anchorage; but should the Egyptians
not leave the town, you will seize every opportunity
of supplying the Syrians with arms, by landing the
troops, if necessary.
.pm signature3\
'“Given under my hand, on board the Princess'\
' Charlotte, off D’Jounie, September 25, 1840.'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address3\
' “Commodore Napier, H.M.S. Powerful.'\
'“By command of the Commander-in-Chief,'\
' “Joseph Louden, Sec.”'
.pm end_quote
This was followed up by a precautionary letter:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“September 25, 1840.'
“You may naturally suppose that Ibrahim Pacha
is not blind to our proceedings, and that he will
know the weakening of our camp by the absence of
our forces going with you. I therefore recommend
.bn 131.png
.pn +1
your return as speedily as possible after arming the
people about Sidon. My letters from Alexandretta
are so anxious for a ship that I shall send the
Magicienne to Captain Stewart to order him there.
Mr. Werry, our Consul, has been directed to quit,
or remain prisoner in his house; he has chosen the
latter. Much more efficient measures are taken
there to oppose our proceedings than we find here.
Tongues are cut out if persons are found to congregate
contrary to the orders of Ibrahim.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Admiral,' '“September 25, 11 o’clock.'
“I shall be back as quick as possible. Depend
upon it Ibrahim Pacha will not touch our camp;
the worst thing he could do would be to come in
contact with us; he will not know of my absence
before I return. Steam gives us a great superiority,
and we shall keep them moving. I have pointed
out to Jochmus what he must do under any
circumstances.
.pm signature3\
'“Believe me,'\
' “Yours, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 132.png
.pn +1
At midnight we left Beyrout with the Gorgon
and Cyclops, having a battalion of marines, 500
strong, under Captain Morrison, and a Turkish battalion
of like force, commanded by Kourschid Aga.
My broad pennant was on board the Gorgon, which,
by the bye, was quite irregular, as a blue pennant
cannot be moved, and any Captain might have
objected serving under it, unless appointed to the
ship where it was flying. The general printed instructions
provided a remedy, by authorizing the
Commander-in-Chief to substitute a red pennant,
which, however, the Admiral, for reasons of which
I am not aware, did not think proper to do.
At daylight next morning, the castles of Sidon,
the twin sister of Tyre, the emporium of commerce
in days gone by, appeared above the horizon, and
the squadron under Captain Berkeley close at hand,
anxiously expecting our arrival. Seeing no mountaineers
at Damour, we pushed on at once to Sidon,
which was summoned, and, on receiving no answer
by eleven o’clock, the attack began, the description
of which I give in my letter to the Admiral, together
with his to the Admiralty:
.bn 133.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Princess Charlotte, D’Jounie Bay,'\
' October 4, 1840.'
“Considering the possession of Sidon as of great
importance to the success of the Sultan’s cause, by
giving confidence to his faithful subjects, and very
much embarrassing the measures of Ibrahim Pacha,
I directed Commodore Napier to proceed thither,
and, after summoning the place, to make the attack.
I have great satisfaction in communicating, for their
Lordships’ information, the most complete success
of this enterprise, as detailed in the Commodore’s
letter herewith sent.
“Our loss, as their Lordships will perceive by
the return herewith transmitted, has been comparatively
small, but still much to be regretted: the
only officer killed was Lieutenant Hockin, of the
Royal Marines, a young man of great promise, who
had only arrived in the Stromboli, with a detachment
of Royal Marines, in time to take part in the
enterprise.
“The place is still in our possession, and its
capture seems to have been an unexpected blow to
Ibrahim Pacha, and has much paralyzed his measures.
“It is a very pleasing duty to me to call their
.bn 134.png
.pn +1
Lordships’ attention to the excellent and judicious
manner in which the plan of attack upon Sidon was
laid by Commodore Napier, and the spirit and gallantry
with which it was accomplished.
“The ships employed upon this expedition were
as follow:—Thunderer, Captain M.F.F. Berkeley;
Guerriera, Austrian frigate, his Royal Highness
Prince Frederick of Austria; Gorgon, Captain Henderson;
Cyclops, Captain Austin; Wasp, Commander
Mansel; Hydra, Commander Robinson;
Stromboli, Commander Williams; Gul Sefide,
Turkish corvette.
“The Commodore expresses himself much
obliged to Commander Mansel for his intelligent
and active services. Amongst several individual
acts of bravery, it appears from every account that
the most prominent one belongs to Mr. Cummings,
mate of the Cyclops.
“After the Commodore left Sidon (Captain
Berkeley has been left for its protection, with as
many other vessels as can be spared, including the
Guerriera, Austrian frigate), much skill and judgment
have been displayed in putting the place into
a good state of defence against an attack by Ibrahim
Pacha, who is in that neighbourhood; and Captain
.bn 135.png
.pn +1
Berkeley mentions the ready assistance he at all
times receives from his Royal Highness Prince
Charles Frederick of Austria.
.pm signature2\
'“I have, &c.,'\
'(Signed) “Robert Stopford, Admiral.”'
.fs 90%
.ti 0
“, Esq., &c., Admiralty.”
.fs
.pm end_quote
.ce
SUMMONS.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.B.M. Steam Ship Gorgon,'\
' Sept. 26.'
“In the name of the five united Powers, Turkey,
England, Austria, Russia, and Prussia, I demand
that you immediately declare for the Sultan, your
Master. Pardon for past offences will be granted;
and the arrears to the troops will be paid by the
Sultan.
.pm signature1 '“Charles Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“To the Governor of Sidon.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“D’Jounie, Head-Quarters, Army of Lebanon,'\
' Sept. 29, 1840.'
“I embarked at sunset of the 25th instant, in
obedience to your directions, with a Turkish battalion,
under Chef de battailon Kourschid Aga, and the
first battalion of Royal Marines, under Captain Morrison,
.bn 136.png
.pn +1
of the Princess Charlotte, in the two steam
ships Gorgon and Cyclops, and proceeded off Sidon.
At daylight the Thunderer, and the Austrian frigate
Guerriera, commanded by the Archduke Frederick,
a Turkish corvette, and Wasp, joined; as also
Stromboli from England, with 284 marines, under
Captain Wylock.
“The wind being light, the Cyclops towed the
Thunderer to her position, previously fixed by
Captain Berkeley. The Stromboli towed the Austrian
frigate Guerriera, and the Turkish corvette, who
were placed by Captain Berkeley abreast of the town.
The Wasp and Stromboli anchored more to the
southward, to flank it. The Gorgon, Cyclops, and
Hydra, who joined from Tyre with Walker Bey,
took up their positions to the southward, close to
the castle. The inclosed summons was sent to the
Governor, with which he refused to comply. The
Turkish battalion was now put into the boats, and
rendezvoused round the Cyclops; a few shot and
shell were fired from the Gorgon at the castle and
barracks, and shortly after, the whole of the squadron
opened their broadsides to drive the troops
from the houses and the intrenchments they had
thrown up to prevent a landing. In half an hour
.bn 137.png
.pn +1
the firing ceased, and Captain Austin landed the
Turkish battalion in the castle, which is joined to
the town by a narrow causeway; this was effected
with some loss. As the enemy still stuck to their
intrenchments, the fire of the ships was again
opened, and the houses in front battered down.
“Commander Mansel, of the Wasp, was directed
to seize the first favourable moment of throwing the
detachment of marines, brought out by Stromboli,
and the Austrian marines, into the castle abreast of
him, which he did with great gallantry and judgment.
“Lieutenant Hockin, of the Marines, and several
men were killed and wounded. They were directed
to work their way to the upper castle, which commanded
the town.
“The first battalion of marines were now landed
by Captain Henderson, of the Gorgon, on the beach
to the northward of the town, where they formed,
and advanced to the walls. All being now ready,
the Turkish battalion, headed by Walker Bey and
Captain Austin, pushed along the causeway, and
entered the town. I put myself at the head of the
British marines, and broke into the barracks. Captain
Henderson, and another party, lodged themselves
.bn 138.png
.pn +1
in a house above the barracks; this done, I
marched the battalion along the line wall to the
upper gate, broke it open, and seized the castle.
All seemed now quiet below; and leaving a guard
in the castle, we descended through several streets
arched over, where occasional skirmishing took
place, with detached parties of Egyptian troops,
who were easily driven, and finally took refuge in a
vaulted barrack, where we found upwards of a thousand
men lying ready for a sortie, should occasion
offer, or to lay down their arms, should they be
discovered; the latter was their fate! I congratulate
you, Sir, on the success of this enterprise. The
garrison consisted of nearly 3000 men, and not one
escaped; our force was under 1000. Our loss, which
I inclose, has been trifling; one marine officer and
three seamen, killed; two mates, a boatswain, and
thirty men wounded.
“I have much reason to be satisfied with the
conduct of the captains, officers, and men under my
orders; all showed the greatest zeal, English, Austrian,
and Turks vied with each other. Commander
Mansel is an old officer well deserving of promotion.
Messrs. McGuire and Price, old mates, are both
severely wounded, and behaved most gallantly, as
.bn 139.png
.pn +1
did Mr. Cummings, mate of the Cyclops, whose
conduct was seen by the Hon. Captain Berkeley,
who wrote him a strong letter on the occasion, and
I trust their Lordships will promote them. My
aide-de-camp, Lieut. Bradley, was also forward on
all occasions. The Archduke Frederick placed his
ship well, and kept up an excellent fire; he landed
with his men. Walker Bey, who was there by accident,
was the first who advanced along the causeway.
“My thanks are due to the Hon. Captain Berkeley,
who assisted me on all occasions, as well as
to Captains Henderson and Austin, Commanders
Robinson and Williams, and the Captain of the
Turkish corvette; to Captain Morrison, who commanded
the Marine Battalion, and to Captain Wylock,
who commanded the Marine Detachment.
“I am also much indebted to Captain Loué, of
the Prussian service, who is attached to my staff.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour be, &c.,'\
' “C. Napier, Commodore.'
.sp 1
“P.S.—Since writing my public letter on the
capture of Sidon it has come to my knowledge that
there was a complete race between Mr. James Hunt,
midshipman of the Stromboli, and Signor Dominico
.bn 140.png
.pn +1
Chinca, midshipman of the Austrian frigate Guerriera,
who should first place the colours in the part
of the town they landed at.”
.pm address2\
'“To Admiral the Honourable'\
'Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.”'
.pm end_quote
Half the garrison were immediately embarked,
and arrived at Beyrout the same evening, thus
keeping our word to the Admiral twenty-four hours
sooner than we had promised.
In taking a town by storm, much confusion
necessarily arises, accompanied by plunder and other
barbarities, but to the honour of the Marines, the
Austrians, and the Turks, I believe there never was
an occasion where less blood was spilt, or disorder
easier put an end to, which was to be attributed in
a great degree to the exertions and excellent arrangements
of Captain Berkeley (to whom I gave command
of the town,) assisted by the Archduke and
the Captains of the squadron.
Souliman Pacha’s family embarked in a French
steamer before the attack began; his house, situated
in one of the positions first assailed, I regret
suffered much, in spite of all the efforts of the officer
to save it.
.bn 141.png
.pn +1
Next morning many wounded Egyptians were
found in various parts of the town, and it was extraordinary
to see the patience with which they endured
their sufferings; a black man I particularly observed,
with his leg broken, lying in a corner without uttering
a murmur, though he appeared in much pain:
a shutter was procured, on which he managed to
place himself, holding the wounded leg with both
hands, (for he would not accept assistance,) and in
this manner he was safely carried to the hospital.
In the afternoon I embarked the remainder of the
garrison, and returned to D’Jounie Bay, after an
absence of forty-eight hours, leaving a battalion of
Turks in the town, and the squadron under Captain
Berkeley.
.fm lz=h rend=h
.hr 20%
.bn 142.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER VIII.
.pm start_summary
State of Affairs at D’Jounie—Effect of the Capture of Sidon—The
Emir Bechir Cassim joins the Allies—Overtures from
the Emir Bechir—Movements of Ibrahim Pacha—Capture
of Caiffa, and of Tyre; Captain Collier’s Report—Conflicting
opinions as to future Operations—Letter from Sir
R. Stopford—Insufficient boating of War Steamers.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
On the following morning I examined our positions,
and found the enemy had again established themselves
on the heights of Boharsof, and set fire to the
habitations of the mountaineers of that district, (who
had assisted in the first attack,) and driven their wives
and families across the Nahr-el-Kelb, to Antoura,
Argentoun, and the adjacent villages. War at all
times is the parent of misery and destitution, and in
this instance I found none of its horrors alleviated;
it was heart-rending to see the unfortunate women
and children encamped under trees in the mountains,
without the means of subsistence, and on our part,
without being able to offer them much relief.
The effect of taking Sidon soon began to show
itself. Hitherto the Chiefs on the Mountain had
not much confidence in our operations. Beyrout
was still in the possession of the enemy, and they
.bn 143.png
.pn +1
could not understand how a defenceless town could
hold out against a powerful squadron, but when
they heard of the capture of Sidon, their eyes began
to open.
The Emir Bechir Cassim, the next in succession
to the old Emir Bechir, found means to escape with
a few horse from the neighbourhood of Beyrout, and
joined our camp, and the old Emir sent me a
message by a priest, with a request to meet one of
his emissaries at our advanced posts after dark, and
he proposed the following terms:
1. Secresy: granted.
2. That he should retain his government, and
be guaranteed by the Four Powers.
This, I said, was inadmissible, that his Firman
was here confirming him in his government, and it
depended on himself.
3. That he should be allowed time to withdraw
his sons and grandsons from Ibrahim Pacha before
he declared himself. This I thought reasonable,
and acceded to it, with the understanding that I was
to see a beginning as soon as possible.
I had no great confidence in this prince, as he had
deceived me before; and it was arranged that the
Firman of the Porte should be given to the Emir
.bn 144.png
.pn +1
Bechir Cassim, in the event of his not presenting
himself at the appointed time. This prince, after
staying a few days at D’Jounie, where he was
well entertained, proceeded to take the command
of the mountaineers who were watching the movements
of Ibrahim and Osman Pacha at Merouba.
When the former heard of the loss of Sidon,
he was confounded, and immediately marched a
part of his forces on Ibteddeen, the residence of the
prince, for the double purpose of securing his
fidelity, and endeavouring to recapture Sidon. On
hearing of Ibrahim’s departure, I reinforced Captain
Berkeley, who commanded at Sidon, with a battalion
of Turks, and shortly after with one of marines;
this cooled Ibrahim’s courage, and after staying a
few days with the Emir, he set out for Beyrout, to
concert measures with Souliman.
On the 29th of September, the Pique arrived
with the accounts of the capture of Caiffa and Tyre,
by that active officer, Captain Collier, who wrote as
follows:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M.S. Castor, off Acre,'\
' Sept. 20, 1840.'
“In compliance with your orders of the 14th
instant, I have the honour to acquaint you that the
.bn 145.png
.pn +1
Castor, with the Pique and Ottoman frigate Dewan,
appeared off Caiffa, in the evening of the 16th, and
the following morning about six o’clock, a boat was
dispatched with an officer of the Turkish frigate,
accompanied by Lieutenant Shadwell, in one from
this ship, both bearing flags of truce, to demand the
surrender of the place to the Sublime Porte; the
flag was refused, and peremptorily warned off; the
ships took up their berths, Lieutenant Wellesley, of
this ship, ably assisting in placing the Ottoman
frigate, and a fire was opened on the batteries, the
Castor commencing, which were manned and ready
to receive us, with 500 men in the town; but such
was the effect of the first few broadsides, that the
troops abandoned their posts, deserted the town,
leaving their arms, knapsacks, &c., in all directions.
The Ottoman flag was soon planted on the ramparts
by Lieutenant Patey, accompanied by Lieutenant
Winthropp, Messrs. Connelly and Boyd, mates; Mr.
Hare, midshipman; and Mr. Cole, second master;
who were immediately joined by Lieutenants Carey
and Macdougall, and a party of seamen and marines
from the Pique; and the whole party proceeded to
spike and destroy, by knocking off the trunnions
and burning the carriages of the eight guns on the
.bn 146.png
.pn +1
ramparts. A quantity of arms, stores, and munitions
of war were found in the magazines, all of
which were either brought off or destroyed, amongst
which were two 13-inch mortars, which were put on
board the Ottoman frigate.
“The following morning, the 18th, the Castor
shifted her berth to cover the entrance to the Acre
gate, at the distance of one mile from which 500
troops were distinctly seen drawn up. Towards
the middle of the day, an officer and a few men had
planted themselves in a castle, mounting five guns,
in the rear of, and commanding the town, but the
well directed fire of the Pique and Castor soon
wounded the officer and dislodged the men, some of
the latter seeking safety on board this ship. Considering
the destruction of this castle and its guns
most desirable, I ordered the marines of the two
frigates, with their respective officers, Lieutenants
Varlo, Moubray, and Hamley, Lieutenant Wellesley;
Messrs. Cockburn and Gibbard, mates; Mr. Foley,
midshipman; and Mr. Ramage, clerk; with a few
seamen, all under command of Lieutenant Patey,
senior Lieutenant of this ship, on that service,
which was gallantly and completely executed, by the
guns being thrown out and the walls shook to their
.bn 147.png
.pn +1
foundations, and this in full view of 500 of the
Egyptian army.
“I am pleased to observe, that all this service
has been performed without the loss of a man,
although I am grieved to say that Lieutenant Macdougall,
of the Pique, has been severely wounded,
by the discharge of one of the enemy’s guns, whilst
in the act of spiking it; and also Mr. Gill, carpenter
of that ship, by the same explosion.
“To my much valued friend, Captain Boxer, who
has been unceasing in his exertions, both on shore
and on board, in the execution of this service, I
am much indebted for the success of the enterprise.
The destruction of the defences of the town has
been most complete; some prisoners have been
taken, and many deserters have come over to us.
I have great pleasure in apprising you, that the
zealous co-operation of the Ottoman frigate Dewan,
in the service, has been highly meritorious to all on
board, and calls for my warmest approbation.
“To Mr. Young, the Consul of Palestine, I am
much indebted for the service he has rendered me,
by his knowledge of the people and localities of
country.
“Captain Boxer speaks in high terms of the
.bn 148.png
.pn +1
conduct of Lieutenant Galway, who accompanied
the boats of the Pique both days; Messrs. Morris
and Heath, mates; Messrs. Hawkins, Kenly, and
Bridge, midshipmen; and Mr. Partridge, volunteer
of the first class.
“I consider it my duty to recommend to your
notice, Lieutenant Patey, senior Lieutenant of this
ship, as well as Mr. Cockburn, the senior mate, employed
on shore, for their officer-like, cool, and steady
conduct; indeed, too much praise cannot be given to
every officer and man employed on this service,
for the manner in which they conducted themselves
through three days of arduous and fatiguing duty.
.pm signature2\
'“I am, &c.,'\
' “Edward Collier, Captain.”'
.pm address2\
'“Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.,'\
' Commander-in-Chief.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
' “H.M.S. Castor,'\
'Tsour, September 26.'
“I have the honour to acquaint you, that agreeably
with the arrangements I had made, the Castor
appeared off Jaffa on the 22nd, the following day
calling again off Caiffa, whence, proceeding in the
further execution of your orders of the 14th instant,
.bn 149.png
.pn +1
the Pique, and Ottoman frigate Dewan, in company,
I beg to acquaint you that Her Majesty’s two
frigates took up their positions off this town about
noon on the 24th instant, (having ordered the
Ottoman frigate to take a position in the South
Bay, which the badness of the anchorage prevented
her doing, and from the calms and light winds she
did not rejoin until yesterday): the town was
summoned by an officer bearing a flag of truce, to
surrender to the Sultan, to which the civil authorities
readily consented; but as 500 Egyptian troops
still kept possession, I directed the inhabitants to be
warned to quit the town immediately, as it was my
intention to dislodge the soldiers, and having given
them sufficient time to do so, a fire was opened by
both ships at the distance of about 500 yards,
which soon accomplished the object. At day-light
the following morning, Captain Boxer having gallantly
landed and reconnoitred to prevent surprise,
the marines of the two frigates, with a few small-arm-men,
under the command of Lieutenant Patey,
senior Lieutenant of this ship, landed and took
possession of the town, which we still hold. Two
guns were found mounted on the works, the
trunnions of which were knocked off; also, a vast
.bn 150.png
.pn +1
quantity of grain in the public stores, and some
munitions of war; a brig has been loaded with part
of the former, and the latter brought off.
“The arduous duty of levelling great sandbanks
ten feet high, thrown up by the enemy to cover the
approach to the town from the fire of the ships,
loading grain, and in gun-boats by day and night,
all in full view of 1500 of the enemy’s troops, who
are two miles off, will, I hope, sanction my recommending
to your notice every individual officer and
man of the two ships, for each man has nobly
performed his part in like manner as at Caiffa.
“To my gallant friend, Captain Boxer, I am
deeply indebted for the assistance he has afforded
me on every occasion in the execution of this
service, but particularly for his vigilance each day
in preventing surprise on the troops landing. He
speaks in the highest terms of Lieut. Curry, senior
Lieutenant of the Pique, who had charge of the
party employed levelling the approach to the town.
“It affords me much pleasure to say we have
not lost a man on this service, and I am much
gratified in being able to state that none of the
inhabitants have been hurt.
“I feel myself called upon to recommend especially
.bn 151.png
.pn +1
to your notice Lieutenant Patey of this ship,
as an officer of great merit, who has highly distinguished
himself on this service as well as at Caiffa.
.pm signature2\
'“I have, &c.,'\
' “Edward Collier, Captain.”'
.pm address2\
'“Admiral Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.,'\
' Commander-in-Chief.”'
.pm end_quote
The most difficult part of my task was to
contend against the conflicting opinions of officers,
both English and Turks; every man had his notions;
one wanted one plan of operations, another a
different one, each person very naturally thinking
the part of the coast he had been employed upon
the best to occupy, without having the smallest
knowledge of what was going on in the mountains.
No sooner was the Pique arrived than the Admiral
wrote to me:
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“My dear Commodore,
“Pique arrived, and brought the letters I send
you. I fear we have too many irons in the fire, we
must begin to concentrate. Captain Boxer thinks
that Tyre is very preferable to Sidon for permanent
holding for winter; I send him to you that you may
.bn 152.png
.pn +1
compare your opinions and decide which is best,
and by degrees the stores from hence may be
removed. I must soon embark the marines to have
the ships efficient.
“Revenge must go off to Acre with the Pique to
cut off communications. If the Turks cannot defend
themselves they must also embark. I will not agree
to any further operations.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
I plainly saw that the Admiral was tormented
with the conflicting opinions of those who had
access to him, and who gave him the most absurd
reports. At one moment the enemy were said to be
advancing upon us with 20,000 men, though there
was a deep ravine between us which could only be
crossed at one or two places, and those places
watched; at another moment it was said I was preparing
to march the troops into the interior of the
country without even consulting the Commander-in-Chief;
this was deliberately communicated to him
by an officer, without having the smallest foundation,
and a strong letter was actually written to me on the
.bn 153.png
.pn +1
subject, and which letter would have been sent had
not Captain Berkeley, who happened to be on board
the flag ship at the time, assured the Admiral that
there was not one word of truth in it.
It was necessary to be patient and persevering,
and I wrote to the Admiral that I was sorry to find
that he had decided not to undertake any further
operations, because, in that case, I feared that all we
had already done would be lost, and I felt quite satisfied,
were we to go away without taking Beyrout,
which would free the country from Souliman and
Ibrahim Pacha, all the arms we had issued would fall
into their hands; that the family of Emir Haider,
who was a prisoner in Egypt, had decided to declare
for the Sultan, the moment they could get
rid of Ibrahim and procure arms, and that I saw no
means of doing this but by taking Beyrout; that it
was impossible to cross Dog River and attack
Ibrahim with Souliman on my right and Osman
Bey in front. The latter might be surprised, but
it must be done by troops who could march well,
because it would not do to be long absent from
our camp. To which the Admiral replied in the
following terms:
.bn 154.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading\
'“My dear Commodore,'\
'“September 30, 1840.'
“By what process of reasoning you have brought
your mind to hazard so unwarrantable an assertion,
that unless we take Beyrout all the arms we have
issued will fall into the hands of Mehemet Ali’s
generals, is to me quite incomprehensible. I assert
directly the contrary, and say the attack of a place
like Beyrout, having had ample time to prepare for
its defence, conducted by a skilful general, would
mar all that we have hitherto so successfully done;
no place, so circumstanced, ought to be attacked
upon rumours, upon surmises, and expectations.
“We are certain of sustaining a great loss of
men, equally certain are we that, with our present
force, and we cannot hold it after getting possession;
any number of troops can approach on the front of
the town without being annoyed, as we can only
command the two flanks. Could we depend on the
co-operation of 3000 or 4000 mountaineers at the
least, knock down every house in Beyrout, the
enemy’s troops would still remain in it, and we shall
have to force our way through barricaded streets,
placed so low that our shot cannot destroy them.
“Under all these circumstances I shall not take
.bn 155.png
.pn +1
upon myself to order an attack on Beyrout of such
very doubtful issue.
“With respect to what I said to you yesterday,
about not entering, at present, into any new enterprise,
I did not by any means wish to restrain the
operations of our troops against the enemy near our
positions, or at any reasonable distance from it.
All that has been hitherto performed with so much
spirit and ability, as to give me full confidence in
the success of similar skirmishes.
.pm signature2\
'“Your’s, &c.'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
In all our expeditions with steam-vessels we
found great difficulty in landing troops, from the
insufficient manner in which the steamers are boated,
and we were obliged to take the line-of-battle ships’
boats to enable us to land a sufficient number of
men; and I take this opportunity of strongly recommending
the paddle boats invented by Capt. G.
Smith, particularly for steam vessels on military
excursions.
.hr 20%
.bn 156.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER IX.
.pm start_summary
Destruction of Stores at Beyrout—Intermeddling of Izzet
Pacha—Correspondence between the Author and Sir R.
Stopford—Visit to Tyre and Sidon, and Reconnoissance of
Acre.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
On the 2nd of October an Egyptian gunner deserted
to the Hastings, at Beyrout, and gave information
that a train was laid along the bridge to the eastern
castle, in which there was a considerable quantity of
powder, and he offered to accompany a party to cut
the train and seize the powder. Commander Worth,
in one of the Hastings’ boats, volunteered this dangerous
service, and, protected by the launch and
pinnace of the Edinburgh, and covered by the fire
of the ships, landed on the bridge, under a heavy
fire of musketry, cut off the train, then got into
the castle, brought off 31 barrels of powder, and
threw over the walls about 60 or 70 more. This
service was not performed without loss: Mr. Luscomb,
a midshipman of the Hastings, was killed,
the Egyptian, and two seamen of the Hastings, and
one of the Edinburgh, wounded. In the afternoon
another landing took place, under Commander
.bn 157.png
.pn +1
Hastings, of the Edinburgh, and they brought off
six cases and one barrel, and threw a great number
over the walls. On this occasion there was only
one man wounded. Though these expeditions were
successful, it showed the enemy were alive, and the
loss met with put another damper on the attack of
Beyrout.
Izzet Pacha, a meddling and savage old Turk,
without capacity, had been appointed Governor of
Syria; hitherto he had been quiet, but as things
began to brighten he began to meddle, and urged
me to march on Merouba and attack Osman Pacha,
not considering that by so doing we exposed ourselves
to be attacked by Souliman, who was within
four hours’ march of our position; he also proposed
to abandon Sidon, which had been captured
only a few days before; in this he was supported
by many who ought to have known better, and I
was urged to undertake this Quixotic expedition
merely to please the old Pacha. This I peremptorily
refused; he then sent Admiral Walker to Sir
Robert Stopford to urge him to attempt it, and he
wrote to me on the subject:—
.bn 158.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading\
'“My dear Commodore,'\
'“October 1, 1840.'
“The Pacha has sent Admiral Walker to me to
say that he is very desirous of going this evening
to a post four hours’ distant to attack a party of
troops belonging to Osman Pacha, and that he
wishes to have a battalion of marines with him,
and some rockets, asking if I had any objection
to this plan. In the first place, I am very unwilling
to place marines under Turkish officers; and
secondly, I have no confidence in them.
“I do not hear of General Jochmus going out
with the Pacha, or having been consulted.
“I shall, therefore, express to the Pacha my
wish that this expedition should be delayed until
the return of some troops from Sidon, by which
time you may perhaps discover the object of this
plan, with the probability of its success.
“The Pacha also signified his wish that Sidon
should be abandoned, and an attack made on
Tripoli.
appears to have revived again; the
Pacha says there are 4500 men in its immediate
neighbourhood. It is of no use getting more men
from the mountains till we have arms to give them.
.bn 159.png
.pn +1
“If Sir Charles Smith is well enough on his
arrival I shall request him to look at Sidon, to
ascertain the nature of its defences.
“I wish Berkeley would send a steamer here.
.pm signature2\
'“Your’s truly,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
To this I made answer as follows:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading\
'“My dear Admiral,'\
'“October 1, 1840.'
“I would certainly not allow our marines to
go out with Turks; when they go, I go; and I
quite agree with you we ought to pause a day or
two. I am turning over things in my mind, and
I shall shortly prepare you a coup; to cross Dog
River cannot be done with safety; I have been
all over the ground to-day. I send you a letter to
Souliman Pacha; if you approve of it you can send
it, and if not you had better keep it. I have not
had time to see you to-day, but will to-morrow, in
the course of the day.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me your’s, &c.'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm address '“Admiral Sir R. Stopford, G.C.B.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 160.png
.pn +1
This affair was in consequence given up, and I
proceeded in the Hydra to Sidon, which I found
Captain Berkeley had put in a good posture of
defence; he accompanied me to Tyre, which was
under the protection of Captain Collier; and I
found it a very unfit place to put a force on shore
for the winter, being only fifteen miles from Acre,
where there was a strong garrison, possessing every
material requisite to drive us out, should the squadron
be obliged to quit the coast. From Tyre we
went on to Acre, which was closely reconnoitred,
but not without receiving a salutation from the
batteries; only one shot took effect, but did no
damage.
In the evening I returned to D’Jounie, bringing
back the marine battalion, perfectly satisfied, as
were all who accompanied me, that Acre presented
no difficulties that could not be overcome, when
the proper time arrived for attacking it.
.sp 2
.hr 20%
.bn 161.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER X.
.pm start_summary
Osman Pacha defeated by the Emir Bechir Cassim at Merouba—Proposed
Attack on Beyrout—Correspondence with Sir
Robert Stopford—Letter from the Emir Bechir Cassim—Letters
to Lords Minto and Palmerston—Visit to the
Encampment of the Emir Bechir Cassim—Comfortless
quarters at Argentoun—Return—Preparations for the
Attack of Beyrout.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
I was much pleased, on my return, to find the
Emir Bechir Cassim, taking advantage of Ibrahim
having weakened his forces before Merouba, had
attacked Osman Pacha, defeated him, taken between
400 and 500 prisoners, and obliged him to retire on
Basquinta, at the head of the Nahr-el-Kelb. It now
became absolutely necessary to act with vigour,
and I again brought Beyrout under the Admiral’s
consideration, and was glad to find he approved of
it, and he wrote to me as follows:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“October 5, 1840.'
“This Emir is a capital fellow, and has done
good service. In a conversation I had with the
Pacha yesterday he thought it would much facilitate
the fall of Beyrout if the passes in the adjoining
.bn 162.png
.pn +1
hills could be cleared, to allow the mountaineers to
come down, who he says are all armed.
“In furtherance of the object of attacking Beyrout
I shall go there in the afternoon, after embarking
our marines, and those of the Edinburgh and
Hastings, in a steamer; these men will have to
embark all their various concerns, as it will be unnecessary
to land them here again.
“I am sorry to say we have now 100 sick on
board, mostly our own men.
“The Pacha wishes to come to Beyrout; he
had better embark with Walker Bey, and be towed
up, and the Turkish flag ought to be displayed.
“I may, perhaps, pound Beyrout to-morrow,
but the attack on shore will wait your arrival.
There are fully 3000 men outside the town, with
20 field pieces.
.pm signature2\
'“Your’s very truly,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
This looked like business, and I lost no time in
replying as follows; an opportunity offering, I also
wrote to Lords Minto and Palmerston:—
.bn 163.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Admiral,' '“Powerful, October 5, 1840.'
“I inclose you a letter[15] I wrote last night to
the prince, and his answer. I am now going off
to concert measures with him. If he is prepared
to come down the left bank of Dog River we shall
then cross over, but were we to do it without him
to clear the mountains, we should expose our right
to be turned by Souliman Pacha. All this our
good Pacha on shore does not think of. I am glad
he is going with Walker Bey; the fact is, he is
afraid to stay here when we attack Beyrout, for fear
the enemy should come in upon our camp, which
I shall take care they do not do.
“I send off the Princess Charlotte’s marines,
and am glad you are going; the effect will be good.
The marines of the other two ships shall be kept in
readiness to go in Stromboli, but with your permission
I will not embark them till after my interview
with the prince, who is a trump. Permit me,
my dear Admiral, to congratulate you on our unexampled
success; all we have now to do is to act
with great judgment, accompanied by dash when
a favourable opportunity offers.
“I find last night, notwithstanding all that has
.bn 164.png
.pn +1
been said to the Pacha, he sent one battalion to
the mountains, where they were useless, and withdrew
another from a very important pass, without
either myself or Jochmus knowing one word about
it; so much for Turkish tactics.
“With your permission I will keep the Austrian
rockets also till after I have seen the prince. I
shall have a long ride, but I find personal interviews
and examining the country one’s-self, preferable to
correspondence, which is always uncertain here.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me your’s, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“Admiral Sir R. Stopford, G.C.B.”'
.pm end_quote
.fn 15
This letter is lost.
.fn-
.ce
Emir Bechir Cassim’s Letter.
.pm start_quote
.rj
“October 4, 1840.
“I have received your kind letter, and find you
are sorry that I took the Turkish troops with me;
they came of their own accord, not to fight, only
for amusement, and they have returned quite safe.
The troops of the mountains, after one day’s fighting,
drove back Osman Pacha, took more than 300
prisoners and more than 60 killed, still my troops
are following him to Natasanine. What you say
about coming by the province of Kátá, when we
meet, we will talk about it; I will do everything I
.bn 165.png
.pn +1
can; but now what is necessary is for one scheik
and 500 men to remain in Tegretil Bunduk (near
Masra), to prevent the enemy from entering Kesrouan,
and we have written about it, and expect to
put this place in order before we return. I have
the ague and fever; it is very bad for us. The
provisions have not been sent. There is no excuse
for the muleteers, as they can hear our firing. Mr.
Wood promised to come to me; he has not; if
the fever returns to me, and I cannot come to you,
let him come to me, and we will talk together about
this business.”
.pm end_quote
The following are my letters to the Earl of
Minto and Viscount Palmerston.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“Head-quarters, Army of Lebanon,'\
' D’Jounie, October 7, 1840.'
“The Admiral’s dispatch will inform your Lordship
what is passing here. The Little Prince, Emir
Bechir, destroyed Osman Pacha’s army on the 4th,
with his mountaineers, and crossed over Dog River
this morning. I have moved forward the Turkish
troops, and am preparing to advance the whole
army by land and by water, preparatory to attacking
Souliman Pacha, who is still at Beyrout, and in the
.bn 166.png
.pn +1
neighbourhood; the town is strongly barricaded,
and as yet we have not attempted it. If we succeed
in moving him we have little more to do in Lebanon;
and I do not think the enemy will enter
these provinces again. We expect every day 4000
more Turks; and I hear that Sir Charles Smith is
better; if he is able to work, my functions cease,
which I regret; however, I have had a glorious time
of it, and all my plans have completely succeeded.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Earl Minto.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“Head-Quarters, Army of Lebanon,'\
' D’Jounie, October 7, 1840.'
“Success attends our operations; we attacked
on the 24th the enemy’s advanced posts on the left
bank of the Dog River, and made between 400 and
500 prisoners. On the 26th I attacked and took
Sidon, and made nearly 3000 prisoners. On the
4th of October the little Emir Bechir attacked and
destroyed Osman Bey’s army, who have retired on
Balbec, and this morning he has entered the province
of Kata, and I have moved forward the
Turkish troops. We are now preparing to attack
.bn 167.png
.pn +1
Souliman Pacha, and if we succeed, the whole of the
country, with the exception of the position of the
Grand Prince, will be cleared and armed. We have
then Tripoli to turn our attention to, which I think
will be an easier conquest. Acre will be a tougher
job, but I believe within our power to accomplish,
unless more forces are brought against us; we
expect 4000 more Turkish troops every day, which
will be a great assistance. Sir Charles Smith, I
hear, is better; if he is able to take the command,
my functions cease, which I am sorry for. I hope,
in the final settlement of this question, some attention
will be paid to the mountaineers of Lebanon;
they ought to have added to their territory the
seaports of Sidon, Beyrout, and Tripoli; this would
be most advantageous to them, and most beneficial
to the interests of England. They would pay a
tribute to the Porte, and have the sea open to the
export of their produce without the vexatious
exaction of the Turks.
“Your Lordship will excuse this letter, I have
hardly a moment to myself.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Lord Palmerston.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 168.png
.pn +1
After a very fatiguing journey of eight hours, I
found the Prince encamped in a glen surrounded
by the most rugged and savage rocks, perched on
the top of which were many mountaineers to
prevent surprise. From 1500 to 2000 men were
in the camp, dressed in the gay costume of the
Mountain. The Prince himself was in a small tent,
surrounded by his Emirs and Scheiks, and received
me with the greatest kindness. After complimenting
him on his victory, through the medium
of my interpreter, the tent was cleared, and I
pointed out to him the plan of operations I meant
to pursue to gain possession of Beyrout, which he
quite approved of, and promised his cordial co-operation
the moment he was supplied with ammunition
and provisions, which the Turkish Commissary
was most negligent in doing; they were almost in a
starving state, a few goats being all they could
procure in the mountains, and the horses were
entirely without barley. After staying an hour, we
returned to Argentoun; the road was strewed with
dead and dying Egyptians, some of them stark
naked, and it was with the utmost difficulty I could
persuade the mountaineers to assist in getting the
poor wretches crammed into a small cottage on the
.bn 169.png
.pn +1
road-side; they did not put the prisoners to death,
but they stripped them, and left these poor creatures
to die of cold and want.
At Argentoun we did not find our quarters at all
improved since our last visit; in addition to the
bed-fellows we had to encounter, we were obliged to
turn in supperless; having calculated on getting
back to the camp the same night, we brought no
provisions with us, and not even an egg was to be
had for love or money. Next morning, at daylight,
we were on horse, and by noon arrived at D’Jounie.
On the morning of the 7th I sent a battalion
across the Nahr-el-Kelb to support some of the
mountaineers who had collected there, and other
preparations were made to move on Beyrout by sea
and land. The Grand Prince was also directed to
cross higher up, and to keep me regularly informed
of all his movements.
.fm lz=h rend=h
.hr 20%
.bn 170.png
.pn +1
.sp 2
.h2
CHAPTER XI.
.pm start_summary
March towards Beyrout—Apprehensions of the Admiral—Arrangements
in case of Disaster—Letters to and from the
Emir Bechir Cassim—Skirmish—Position at Boharsof—Omar
Bey dispatched to join the Emir—Letter to the
Admiral—Arrival of Sir Charles Smith—The Author ordered
to return to the Camp.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
On the 8th (October) General Jochmus marched out
of his position with four Turkish battalions, and occupied
Ornagacuan, pushing his advanced posts as far
as Boharsof, opposite to which, on the hills above,
commanding a winding road, were observed a few of
the enemy’s light troops. In the evening the
Admiral became alarmed at our intended movement,
and wrote as follows:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“October 8.'
“I cannot but feel most sensibly alive to the
imminent risk in which we have placed ourselves
and our former successes, by the very precarious
result of our projected expedition.
“If we draw the mountaineers from their fastnesses
on the hills, and are obliged to embark in
consequence of an attack from Ibrahim, we expose
.bn 171.png
.pn +1
those men to certain destruction. Let the young
Emir depend upon his information for coming down
the mountains or not, but do not persuade him to
rely too much on a Turkish force.
“We must leave a sufficient number of troops in
our position here and the outposts to render it
secure from a sudden attack.
“Should the Emir object to join you, you must
fall back. Nothing but the advanced state of the
season induces me to assent to this plan, which I
consider pregnant with risk and uncertainty, and not
waiting for the reinforcements.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
I felt so confident that the arrangements I had
made must succeed, and had received from Souliman
Pacha’s aide-de-camp, who came over to us, such
information about the position of the enemy’s army,
who were much disheartened, that I did not at all
enter into the Admiral’s apprehensions, and wrote to
him that I had received most satisfactory information
from the aide-de-camp, and that he might rely
upon it I should do nothing rash, or move till
.bn 172.png
.pn +1
assured all was right; that two hours would bring
us all back, and Ibrahim must march very quick if
he could beat steam.
At daylight on the 9th, I sent an Arab battalion,
composed of Egyptian deserters, to join General
Jochmus, and shortly after I left my head-quarters
at D’Jounie, and arrived on the heights of Ornagacuan
at nine. The Princess Charlotte proceeded
in tow of a steamer to Beyrout, and two others
with a marine and Turkish battalion to St. George’s
Bay, to keep Souliman in check; in our lines were
left four battalions, and the sick and convalescents
took charge of the camp at D’Jounie. In
the event of disaster, or meeting a very superior
force in front, it would have been impossible to have
repassed Dog River, I therefore sent directions to
Captain Austin, of the Bellerophon, who flanked its
mouth, to fill up the road that had been broke up
leading from Beyrout; and I made my arrangements
to retire to the convent and heights above the river,
gain the road, and cross at its mouth, under cover of
the Bellerophon. This could have been effected
with little loss.
Before leaving D’Jounie, I wrote to the Prince
Cassim as follows:—
.bn 173.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Prince,' '“October 9.'
“The Emir Bechir is not come; if at twelve
o’clock to-day he is not here, you are Grand Prince.
I cross over Dog River this morning, and will
occupy Ornagacuan. I wish you to cross over
immediately, and join me on the heights of Boharsof
to-morrow morning; we shall then march on
Beyrout.
.pm signature3\
'“I have the honour to remain,'\
' “Your’s, &c.,'\
' “Chas. Napier.'
.pm end_quote
Soon after this was dispatched, came a letter
from the Emir:—
.pm start_quote
.rj
“9th October.
“This morning I have sent all the troops to
Basquinta, with the Princes, and I am going to Masàrà
because I am ill. I hope the troops will drive
the enemy away. I have received the firman which
you sent me. I have read it before all my people,
and I have thanked you for this honour. I have sent
one of the Emirs to Blazebel to put those troops in
good order, and drive the enemy away, because,
though there were a good many chiefs there before,
.bn 174.png
.pn +1
they were of no use. I beg you always to send
the provisions and ammunition; and now send
more, because I am going to El-Metten, and every
day I shall have more people; and I have named
Scheik Uden, Scheik Sarley, and Scheik Sal-Ufine
to take the provisions, and send them to me. Mr.
Wood will tell you everything.”
.pm end_quote
So far all appeared right; there had been a
little skirmishing with the mountaineers, but we had
no idea that an enemy of any force was at hand, and
were very comfortably seated in the convent at
Ornagacuan, enjoying a tolerable breakfast after our
long ride. During our repast, the firing became
brisker and nearer, and before we were quite finished,
a priest came in with the intelligence that the
enemy were in our position. General Jochmus,
who had been out in the morning, was incredulous;
but I thought it high time to beat to arms, get
on horse, and see what was going forward. By this
time the fire was very sharp; and when I got
near the advanced posts, I found sure enough they
had been driven in, and the enemy’s skirmishers
were actually in our position. No time was to be
lost; two Turkish battalions advanced en tirailleur,
.bn 175.png
.pn +1
and another in column, supported by two others and
the Egyptian battalion, and before the enemy had
time to reinforce their advance, we succeeded in
driving them back. Our position was along a high
mountain, with a deep ravine on each side. Towards
the end of the position there was a considerable
descent; another mountain rose at nearly right
angles, the ravine to the left went round it, but to
the right it finished, and a circuitous road led from
the foot of the mountain, and conducted to its
summit, where we discovered a strong body of
Egyptians covering another column, who were
retiring along the road I have mentioned. This
first position was commanded by another, and it
again by a third, the approach to them nearly
perpendicular; another road led from the first
position to Bechfaya. The appearance of this
unexpected force, and the strength of the ground,
rather staggered me, and after examining it with
great attention, and consulting Colonel Hodges, an
old Peninsular warrior, and the other officers under
my command, I decided that nothing could be done
by an attack in front, unless assisted by the Emir
Bechir, who had not yet made his appearance; and
I felt satisfied, that as the enemy had not pushed
.bn 176.png
.pn +1
forward when they had actually got into our position,
I had nothing to fear now we were aware of their
force, and prepared to meet them.
In the evening the Emir wrote as follows to
General Jochmus:—
.pm start_quote
.rj
“October 9.
“I have received your letter, and our troops
to-day at ten o’clock left Merouba for Basquinta;
perhaps they will get there before sunset; that
place is seven hours from you. I had the fever,
and could not move with the troops; but I hope
to-morrow to join them. I hear Osman Pacha
arrived yesterday at Suwacka-Suswat, distant from
Basquinta two hours and a half; if we meet him
there, we will drive him away; it will not do to leave
him a march behind us. We want men on horseback
to be in your service. We send the bearer
Mansur.”
.pm end_quote
This intelligence was not very pleasing; it would
be impossible for them to arrive in the rear of the
Egyptians before the afternoon of the 10th, even
if they met with no opposition and used their best
exertions, and this would have given another day for
Ibrahim and Souliman to concert a movement. I
.bn 177.png
.pn +1
was, however, determined to keep my ground, and
I desired Jochmus to order Omar Bey, who had
been left in our position, to march on Argentoun,
cross over Dog River, and endeavour to form a
junction with Emir Bechir. This was a very dangerous
movement, the pass was difficult, and if
discovered in the act of crossing, the consequences
would have been serious. Omar Bey was, however,
a good soldier; I placed full confidence in him, and
I wrote to the Emir Bechir as follows:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Prince,' '“Convent, October 9, 1840.'
“We are here at the convent of Ornagacuan
with five battalions; the enemy is in front of us
under Osman Bey, and the Emir Mourat at
Caillet Medun. I have ordered two battalions to
march on Argentoun, cross Dog River in the night,
and get in the enemy’s rear. Leave Osman Pacha
to himself, march rapidly on Bechfaya, and join Omar
Bey. When I hear your firing, I shall attack.
.pm signature1 '“Chas. Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
At day-light on the morning of the 10th, I
observed the English Consul’s flag flying in Beyrout,
and a brisk communication going on between the
.bn 178.png
.pn +1
ships and the town; that, and the steam-boats moving
from St. George’s Bay, led me to believe, that Beyrout
was evacuated, and that Souliman Pacha was
concentrating his troops to attack my right, while
Ibrahim, who we ascertained was our opponent,
attacked my front; under these circumstances it
was not a pleasing sight to see the Turks and
marines, who were stationed in St. George’s Bay
for the express purpose of watching Souliman,
removed to take possession of an abandoned town,
thus leaving my right quite exposed, and I wrote to
the Admiral, giving him an account of my position
as follows:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading\
'“My dear Admiral,'\
'“October 10.'
“I am on the heights of Ornagacuan, in a very
strong position: the enemy are in front, close to me,
also in an unassailable position: we drove in the
out-posts yesterday. I last night received a letter
from the Prince, who is not well, but his troops
were at Basquinta, about five hours march from the
enemy. I have desired him to advance on their
rear, and I have directed two battalions to march on
Argentoun, ready to cross Dog River at the first
favourable moment.
.bn 179.png
.pn +1
“I see you have sent men to Beyrout, so I
presume it has capitulated; this may change our
operations. If Souliman reinforces Ibrahim, who is
here, it might be proper to withdraw in the night,
embark every soul in the steam-boats, go round to
West Bay, land our troops there before day-light,
and precipitate ourselves on Souliman’s camp; this
can only be done when we hear what the Prince
may do. But if you do not want the steam-boats
at Beyrout they ought all to be in the Bay, in order
that I might embark without a human being knowing
it but yourself. Hodges, who is in my confidence,
and who will stay till you send the steam-boat
to Constantinople, will be able to answer any
question you may please about us. I hope to hear
from you the news about Beyrout. Be quite easy,
my dear Admiral, about us, and believe me to
remain,
.pm signature2\
' “Yours, &c.,'\
'“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Charles Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
I had heard a report of Sir Charles Smith’s
arrival, but I did not apprehend he would assume
the command till after the performance of the
service now in progress. Shortly after dispatching
.bn 180.png
.pn +1
this letter, however, I received two from the Admiral,
dated the day before, which prepared me to
expect an order to retreat; they were as follows:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Princess Charlotte, D’Jounie Bay,'\
' October 9th, 1840.'
“Colonel Sir Charles Smith having arrived with
a Firman from the Sultan, constituting him General
in command of all his forces in Syria, nothing is in
future to be undertook without his order, and you
will abstain from any further operations until further
orders.
“I send the steamer as before ordered, to protect
your right, if necessary, but not to land their troops.
.pm signature3\
' “I am, Sir,' \
'“Your most obedient humble Servant,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address2\
'“Commodore Sir Charles Napier,'\
' H.M.S. Powerful.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.pm heading\
'“My dear Commodore,'\
'“October 9th, 1840.'
“Colonel Sir Charles Smith will listen to all
your plans, and readily adopt them if he thinks
them feasible, but his appointment as Commander-in-Chief
of the Turks, and senior officer of the
Europeans, gives him the sole military authority.
.bn 181.png
.pn +1
“I hope you will listen to, and receive him
with kindness, not bordering on any feeling of disappointment.
“It will be no discredit to our arms to make a
military reconnoissance, and to retire if necessary.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours truly,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
This was followed up as I expected, by another
from the Admiral.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading\
'“My dear Commodore,'\
'“October 10th.'
“The nature of our operations being completely
changed by our possession of Beyrout, from which
place the enemy’s troops were withdrawn last night,
that I have sent you an order with the advice and
opinion of Sir Charles Smith, appointed by Firman
to command the Turkish forces, to return without a
moment’s loss of time, and with due security to your
troops, which appear in some degree of insecurity.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours truly,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
.sp 2
.hr 20%
.bn 182.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XII.
.pm start_summary
Impossibility of immediately retiring—Letter to the Admiral—His
Answer—Arrival of the Emir—Advance upon the
Enemy—Doubtful character of the Forces on both sides—Novelty
of the Author’s situation—Battle of Boharsof—Defeat
and Flight of Ibrahim—An awkward Mistake—A
Green Egyptian Flag taken, and said to be lost again—Promptitude
of Omar Bey—Turkish mode of Rejoicing—Second
Letter of Recall—Note to the Admiral—Letter respecting
the Author’s return to D’Jounie—Official Report
of the Battle of Boharsof.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
Our movements were however begun, and a retreat
impossible, without compromising both the Prince
and Omar Bey; I therefore decided on going on,
and sent orders to our camp to hurry up the two
remaining battalions to occupy Ornagacuan, and
secure our right when we began the attack: and I
ordered a battalion to cross over a deep ravine,
ready to turn the enemy’s left when we attacked in
front. This latter movement, from the procrastination
natural to Turks, was not executed till several
hours after the order was given.
As we every moment expected to hear of an
attack on the enemy’s rear, the answer to the
Admiral’s last letter was simple enough. I subjoin
it, and the reply which he made.
.bn 183.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Admiral,' '“October 10, 1840, 2 P.M.'
“Since you have given the command to Sir
Charles Smith, of course I shall return to my
ship. I have been too much annoyed with other
people’s plans since I have had the command, to
offer mine to my successor. It is no part of
my character to receive him with either pique or
unkindness.
“You do not seem to be at all aware of my
present position. I am strongly posted. The
enemy is within musket shot of me, strongly
posted also. The Emir Bechir is marching in his
rear, and I have two battalions ready to cross
Dog River higher up to support him, so that
if he advances as he writes me he is doing, we
shall probably destroy Ibrahim. But I wish you
to understand, that it is likely that Souliman
Pacha will send more troops up here, and you
have taken away from my right the marines and
a Turkish battalion; they ought to be sent back,
and the steam-boats, if you can spare them, should
be kept in the bay, for if we defeat this army,
we ought to fall instantly on Souliman; and even if
we retire from here, this ought to be done. Admiral
.bn 184.png
.pn +1
Bandeira informs me that 400 men have already
been moved up to join the enemy.
.pm signature2\
' “Believe me, &c.,'\
'“(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Charles Napier.'
“P.S. I have just received a note from Sir
Charles Smith, who, I hear, is gone to Tyre. Were
I to retreat, as he says you wish me to do, the
Emir Bechir and all his men would be cut to
pieces.
“I hope you will send me all the marines
immediately, which will render my victory certain
when the Emir arrives.”
.pm end_quote
This was the Admiral’s reply:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Commodore,' '“October 10, 1840.'
“The Sultan’s firman, and not I, has given the
command of the Turkish troops to Sir Charles Smith.
“I have not taken away the marines from your
right. It is contrary to my instructions to send
them far up the country, and they have been kept
in the steam boats according to the intended plan
until they were wanted to secure Beyrout. I cannot,
therefore, send you any marines; and as Sir Charles
Smith is now commanding the troops, I have only
.bn 185.png
.pn +1
to repeat his orders that you will fall back on
D’Jounie, or come down to where the steamers are,
and where they were always intended to be, for
embarkation.
“You will of course apprize the Emir of your
intended retreat from your present position, and not
expose him to risk of being singly attacked.
“I think the Cambridge is in sight.
.pm signature2\
' “Yours, &c.'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
I had sent to Admiral Bandeira to request he
would send up his rocketeers; but this the Commander-in-Chief
would not permit.
I had no idea the Emir could possibly be up,
or Omar Bey be able to form a junction with him,
before sunset, and I calculated to attack at dawn
of day on the 11th; but we had hardly finished a
scanty repast, which the kindness of Captain Henderson,
of the Gorgon, furnished us with, when a
firing was heard in the direction we expected the
Emir to advance; and shortly after, my trusty
interpreter Misk rushed into the room with the
welcome news that the Emir had arrived. This
.bn 186.png
.pn +1
intelligence set all orders that had arrived, or that
might arrive, at nought. The drums beat merrily
to arms, the troops were put in motion, we mounted
our steeds, and in a few minutes were at the advanced
posts. The battalion that had been sent
across the ravine to turn the enemy’s left, notwithstanding
the delay, had made considerable progress
as yet unopposed; and the two battalions that were
ordered up from the lines, much against the wish of
Izzet Pacha, were advancing rapidly on Ornagacuan.
The enemy’s position was very strong, and
perhaps might have been considered unassailable.
I knew little of the troops I commanded; many of
them were Albanians; and both parties had been
endeavouring to persuade each other to come over.
Our friends advised them to bring over Ibrahim,
(who the day before I had seen sitting under a green
flag in the second position, and saluted him); and
the enemy, on the other hand, recommended that
the old Commodore should be brought over to them.
All this was distinctly heard at the out-posts.
I was strongly posted on a narrow range of hills,
both flanks well protected; in front of my position
there was a considerable descent, at the bottom of
which a narrow road led round the foot of another
.bn 187.png
.pn +1
hill to the summit, which the enemy occupied in
force; their first position was commanded by a
second, still higher, and that again by a third.
It was rather a new occurrence for a British
Commodore to be on the top of Mount Lebanon
commanding a Turkish army, and preparing to fight
a battle that would decide the fate of Syria; but the
very novelty was exciting to a degree. I was in my
glory; standing on an eminence, surrounded by the
general officers and my own staff, I fancied myself a
great “Commander,” and surveying the enemy,
who had not quite so brilliant an appearance as
the Scottish host, although I could not exclaim with
Marmion,
.pm start_poem
Oh, well, Lord Lyon, hast thou said,
Thy King from warfare to dissuade
Were but a vain essay.
For, by St. George, were that host mine,
No power, infernal or divine,
Should once my soul to rest incline,
Until I had dimmed their armour shine
In glorious battle fray!
.pm end_poem
yet I said to my friend Hodges:—“If we can get
the Turks and mountaineers to mount that rugged
hill, and Omar Bey attacks at the same time their
rear, Ibrahim will get such a dressing as he never
had before.”
.bn 188.png
.pn +1
The troops being now assembled just out of
musket-shot, two small field-pieces opened their
fire, and pitched their shot into the position
where the Albanians were posted; the armed peasantry
were directed to throw themselves among
the rocks and work their way to the heights, and
two Turkish battalions and the Arab battalion were
in readiness, under cover of their fire, to advance
along the winding road. The peasantry were rather
shy, and required a good deal of coaxing, and
occasionally a little manual persuasion, to get them
forward, but, knowing the country, they took a long
circuit on the enemy’s left, and advanced unseen to
the heights without firing a shot; a Turkish battalion
was now sent forward en tirailleur, and advanced
with caution, but great gallantry, under a
heavy fire, and they unexpectedly found much good
cover under the rocks; a second battalion, headed
by General Jochmus, was directed to advance along
the road in column, but they broke into skirmishing
parties; the Arab battalion was then brought up,
but there was no keeping them together; they also
broke into skirmishers, and the whole advanced
with so much rapidity, (with the exception of some
few, who I was obliged to stir up with my stick,)
.bn 189.png
.pn +1
that I thought it best to keep my last battalion
in reserve to cover their retreat in the event of
disaster.
This was an anxious moment, for our success
depended on the steadiness of the Turks when they
came in contact with the enemy on the top of the
hill, but it was soon over; the moment the hill was
crowned the Turks ran in upon the Egyptians, the
firing ceased, and the latter laid down their arms.
The reserve was now brought up, and the battalion
which had crossed the gorge was making
great progress on the enemy’s left.
The Egyptians kept up a heavy fire from their
second position, and it was with some difficulty I
succeeded in persuading the troops to renew the
attack; but the example of Selim Pacha, General
Jochmus, Lieutenants Bradley and Duncan, Mr.
Pearn, Captain Loué, and the other Turkish officers,
who all behaved well, encouraged them to storm the
second position, which was carried in less than half
an hour. It now became a complete rout, the
enemy dispersed in all directions, leaving their
baggage, ammunition, and provisions behind. Night
put an end to the pursuit. Ibrahim, who commanded,
escaped with a few men, leaving between
600 and 700 prisoners behind.
.bn 190.png
.pn +1
Our Arab battalion, seeing a Turkish force advancing,
took them for the enemy, and lined a wall
that had been thrown up to resist Omar Bey; he on
the other hand, took them for Ibrahim’s troops, and
seeing myself and several officers with them, thought
we were prisoners. A sharp fire was now opened
on both sides, and it was with some difficulty I put
an end to the conflict, which might have been
attended with serious consequences.
A green flag was taken, which General Jochmus
informed me afterwards was lost, but I am disposed
to think it had been improperly concealed
by some one instead of being brought to head-quarters.
Our loss was not more than 50 killed
and wounded, that of the enemy was never ascertained;
their force was from 3000 to 4000 men.
The greatest praise is due to Omar Bey, who
marched the moment he got his orders on Argentoun,
descended unseen into the gorge of Dog River
by a narrow and rugged path, where he would
have been annihilated had he been discovered, and
although he got no intelligence of the Prince, pushed
on and commenced his attack.
We now re-assembled the troops, which was no
easy matter, and returned to Ornagacuan ready to
face Souliman in the morning, leaving Omar Bey
.bn 191.png
.pn +1
with his two battalions in possession of the field of
battle.
The Turks after any success are fond of discharging
their arms, caring very little whether they
load with ball or blank, and I verily believe I run
more risk of being shot as I returned to my quarters
by the Turks than I did in the attack on Ibrahim’s
position.
On my arrival on the coast I found the following
orders from the Admiral:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Princess Charlotte, off Beyrout,'\
' October 10, 1840.\ \ \ \ \ '
“It is my positive directions, in conjunction
with the opinion of Colonel Sir Charles Smith,
Commander-in-Chief of the Turkish forces, by the
appointment of the Sultan, and whose directions, with
regard to every military movement, I am instructed
to follow, that you return forthwith to the position
of D’Jounie with the troops now under your command,
with all due caution and circumspection.
.pm signature4\
'“I have the honour to be, Sir,'\
' “Your obedient servant,'\
' “Robert Stopford, Admiral,'\
' “Commander-in-Chief.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 192.png
.pn +1
I was happy to be able to send the following
short letter in reply:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Admiral,' '“October 10th.'
“I this afternoon attacked Ibrahim Pacha, and
totally defeated him. He was driven from position
to position, and Selim Pacha is still after him. I
do not know how many prisoners we have made.
The Turks behaved nobly.
.pm signature2\
'“In haste, yours very truly,'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm address '“The Hon. Sir R. Stopford, G.C.B.”'
.pm end_quote
Next morning I addressed the Admiral again
respecting my return to D’Jounie.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Sir,' '“Head-quarters, October 11, 1840.'
“I received your letter last night, written before
the battle, desiring me to return to D’Jounie forthwith;
I do not know whether that is now to be put
into execution. I expect the Emir Bechir every
moment; he ought to march by the mountains, and
come down on Souliman; the marines ought to be
landed, and we ought to collect our troops and
attack Souliman instantly, and thus finish the campaign;
if we do not, he will withdraw. I merely
.bn 193.png
.pn +1
suggest this for your consideration; if I am to
return to D’Jounie, if you will hoist the affirmative
with guns, I shall answer with a white flag, and
march forthwith, leaving the Emir on the hills to
do what he thinks best.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.'\
' “Chas. Napier, Commodore.'
“P.S. I sent you a few lines last night by Lieut.
Duncan, who is not yet returned. We have 500 prisoners,
but they still keep coming in; the enemy’s
troops are dispersed in all directions. Ibrahim took
himself off in double quick, and I suppose is now
with Souliman.”
.pm address '“The Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, G.C.B.”'
.pm end_quote
The following is my official report to the Admiral
of the action of the 10th of October, penned, as will
be seen, after my return to my ship:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Powerful, D’Jounie Bay,'\
' October 13, 1840.'
“After the great advantages gained by the Emir
Bechir over Osman Pacha, at Merouba, it became
necessary to move on Souliman Pacha, defeat him,
and obtain possession of Beyrout; I in consequence
directed the Emir Bechir to join me on the heights
.bn 194.png
.pn +1
of Ornagacuan on the 9th inst., and on the 8th
General Jochmus marched with four battalions, and
was followed the day after by the Arab battalion,
composed of Turkish and Egyptian deserters; on
the 9th two steam-boats anchored in St. George’s
Bay, with a Turkish and marine battalion, ready to
disembark when necessary. At nine in the morning
I arrived on the heights, and found that our picquets
had been driven in by an enemy we did not expect
in that quarter; a Turkish battalion and the mountaineers
sent them back; and on reconnoitring I
found to my surprise between 2000 and 3000 men in
a position that appeared unassailable. No time was
to be lost, as the deserters assured me they expected
a reinforcement of 2000 men the next morning.
“My own position was strong, being in a long
narrow range of hills; my left almost inaccessible,
and my right protected by a deep gorge, at the
head of which the hills on which I was posted, after
a considerable descent, turned off to the right; this
part of the hill the enemy occupied in force, amongst
rugged, and apparently inaccessible rocks; a road
considerably below the top of the mountain wound
round it; above the first position there was a
second, still stronger, and above that again a third.
.bn 195.png
.pn +1
In the course of the day, I learned that the Emir
Beshir had crossed Dog River, and arrived at
Basquinta, in the enemy’s rear; I desired him to
continue his march, and I directed Omar Bey,
who had been left with four battalions in our lines,
to march at night with two on Argentoun, descend
into the deep gorge of the Dog River with great
caution and secresy, and cross over to Bechfeya, in
the rear of the enemy, and effect a junction with
the Emir Beshir; this very dangerous movement
(for had he been discovered in the bottom of the
gorge he would have been destroyed) was executed
with great skill by Omar Bey, and about two o’clock
we were delighted to hear a firing in the enemy’s
rear. By this time the other two Turkish battalions
who were ordered from our lines were in sight,
and another that I had passed over the gorge in our
right was rapidly advancing on the enemy’s left.
“All being prepared to the best of my ability,
I directed the armed peasantry to throw themselves
among the rocks, and advance on the enemy, and
two Turkish battalions and the Arab were held in
readiness to march along the winding road; the
peasantry were very shy, and required a great deal
of coaxing to get them forward, but knowing the
.bn 196.png
.pn +1
country they took a long circuit on the enemy’s
left, and advanced unseen to the heights without
firing a shot. A Turkish battalion now advanced
‘en tirailleur’ in front, which they did with caution,
but great gallantry, under a very heavy fire; and
as they advanced they unexpectedly found much
good cover under the rocks.
“A second battalion, led by General Jochmus,
was directed to advance along the road in column,
but they broke into skirmishing parties; the Arab
battalion was then advanced up in column, but there
was no keeping them together, they also broke into
skirmishers, and the whole advanced with so much
rapidity that I thought it best to keep my last
battalion in reserve, to cover their retreat in the
event of disaster. This was an anxious time, for
our success depended on the steadiness of the Turks
when they came in contact with the enemy on the
top of the hill; but it was soon over; the moment
the hill was crowned the firing ceased, and the
Egyptians laid down their arms. The reserve was
now brought up, and the battalion which had
crossed the gorge was making great progress on the
enemy’s left; a heavy fire was kept up from the
second position, and it was with some difficulty I
.bn 197.png
.pn +1
succeeded in getting the troops to make a second
attack, but the example of Selim Pacha, General
Jochmus, and the Turkish officers, who all behaved
well, succeeded in bringing them again to the
scratch, and in less than half an hour it became a
complete rout, leaving all their baggage, ammunition,
and provisions in the second position. Night
put an end to the pursuit. Ibrahim, who commanded,
escaped with a few men, and the rest
dispersed, leaving between 600 and 700 prisoners.
“A rather ludicrous scene took place on the
heights, at the end of the battle: our own Arab
battalion, seeing a force coming forward, took them
for the enemy, and placed themselves in position
under a wall (that had been thrown up to resist
Omar Bey), he, on the other hand, took them for
the enemy, and a sharp fire was opened on both
sides; I, however, arrived in time to prevent mischief,
which might have been serious.
“A green Turkish standard was taken, but General
Jochmus informs me it was lost, but I am
disposed to think it has been improperly concealed
by some one instead of being brought to head-quarters.
I have not been able to get the returns
of the killed and wounded, but I believe it to be
.bn 198.png
.pn +1
under fifty; that of the enemy, from their position,
must have been less. The first effect of our forward
movement, as you already know, has been the evacuation
of Beyrout; the effect of our victory over
Ibrahim, the entire disorganization and submission
of the army of Souliman Pacha to the amount of
nearly 3000 men, and the whole of the artillery and
stores.
“I landed at D’Jounie on the 10th of September,
with the army you did me the honour of
putting under my command, consisting of 5300
Turkish troops and 1500 marines, which has from
time to time been reduced to half that number;
and by the 10th of October we have made about
5000 prisoners, and nearly 5000 deserters have come
over; the whole of Lebanon is nearly free, Tripoli
alone remains to be taken, which I am of opinion
will be an easy conquest, if attacked immediately.
“It is now my pleasing duty to express to you,
Sir, how much I have been satisfied with the conduct
of Selim Pacha, General Jochmus, Omar Bey,
and indeed all the Turkish officers. Lieut. Bradley
has accompanied me on all occasions, and has been
everywhere most forward, and I beg strongly to
recommend him for promotion; Mr. Pearn, the
.bn 199.png
.pn +1
master of the Powerful, and my old companion in
arms in Portugal, joined me as a volunteer, as
did also Lieut. Duncan, who I sent to lead the
mountaineers. I am also much indebted to her
Majesty’s Consul General, Lieut.-Colonel Hodges,
who did me the honour of serving with me in the
action. I have requested Selim Pacha to furnish
me with the names of the Turkish officers who
particularly distinguished themselves, and which
shall be forwarded as soon as possible. In giving
up the command of the army to Sir Charles Smith,
I beg to return my thanks to you for the confidence
you have placed in me, and to assure you that I
have spared no pains to render all the service in my
power to the cause of the Sultan.
.pm signature2\
' “I have the honour to be, &c.'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Chas. Napier, Commodore.'
“P.S.—I forgot to mention that the Emir
Bechir did not come up in time, but did good
service in checking the reinforcement of 2000 men
that was intended to join Ibrahim.
.pm signature1 '“C.N.”'
.pm address '“To Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 200.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XIII.
.pm start_summary
Necessity for disobeying the Orders to return to D’Jounie—Advantageous
results—Difference with Izzet Pacha—his
Character—Unmolested retreat of Souliman Pacha—he
should have been closely followed up—Letter from the
Admiral—The Author resigns the Command—Letter to
Lord Ponsonby—Unsuccessful attack on Tortosa.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
It is necessary in war, and I think quite justifiable,
to take responsibility on oneself in unforeseen cases,
running of course the risk of answering for the
consequences; it is more dangerous, however, to
disobey orders; but there are instances in which
events may justify such disobedience; the reader
will judge whether what I have related may be
considered one of them.
I saw clearly that the Admiral was not at all
aware of the critical position in which I was placed.
When I left D’Jounie it was with the intention of
joining the Grand Prince, and attacking Souliman
Pacha, who was encamped before Beyrout, leaving
four battalions in our position, to secure it against
an unforeseen attack. On my arrival on the heights
of Ornagacuan, I was as much surprised to find
.bn 201.png
.pn +1
myself in front of Ibrahim, as I suppose he was to
find himself opposed to me; he was evidently collecting
troops to attack D’Jounie, which he ought
to have done long before, and we were collecting
ours to attack Souliman. Finding ourselves unexpectedly
opposed to each other, it was distinctly
my game to attack him before his force was .
Had I obeyed the orders that were sent me
to return to D’Jounie I should have had a most
difficult and dangerous retreat, and been harassed
by an enemy to whom we should have restored
confidence. It would have been impossible to have
sent timely notice to Omar Bey or the Prince,
both of whom would have been sacrificed, the Turks
would have lost confidence, and as the season was
fast advancing I have no doubt the whole would
have been re-embarked, and the expedition entirely
failed. What, on the contrary, happened? the
ships going to Beyrout, and my advance, caused the
abandonment of the town; the victory, the dispersion
of Ibrahim Pacha’s army, and, as will be
shortly seen, the disorganization of the Egyptian
troops, and the retreat of Souliman.
On the morning of the 11th Izzet Pacha joined
me, and shortly after I received information that
.bn 202.png
.pn +1
2000 of Souliman’s soldiers had deserted; I immediately
put the troops in motion, intending to
march on him, having had no information that he
had decamped; to this Izzet objected; the old man
was afraid of being left at D’Jounie, and insisted on
two battalions being sent there. I offered him one
for his protection; this did not satisfy him; he
invented all sorts of stories,—first, that Ibrahim was
again collecting his forces, and was advancing,—and
many others of the same nature; and when he
found I was inexorable, he said the weather was
changing and the troops would all get wet. This
was quite true; we had not seen a cloud the
whole summer, but now the sky became overcast,
and there was every appearance of a storm;
I, however, observed to old Izzet that I never
understood that a shower of rain was a sufficient
reason to prevent an attack upon an enemy’s
camp. The troops were ordered to march, and
Izzet returned to D’Jounie, and on announcing his
approach by firing his pistols in the usual way,
one went off by accident and wounded him in the
leg; it is a pity it had not gone through his head,
for never was there a more unfit man to govern a
country than the man in question: he had once
.bn 203.png
.pn +1
before lost a Turkish army by starvation, had cut
off his own wife’s head, and was a notorious tyrant
and savage; and this was the man chosen to govern
the Syrians. Representations were made to the
Porte, and they very wisely recalled him.
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:—
.bn 204.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“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
.bn 205.png
.pn +1
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.
“As the capture of Beyrout was the principal
object of our expedition from D’Jounie, I had no
conception of your having another enterprise in
hand; and therefore, after the possession of Beyrout,
imagined that you had better fall back upon the
camp, which has been left in a very defenceless
state.
“I wish you to remain at D’Jounie for the
present, and am most anxious to hear from Alexandria,
where it is certain some large ships will come
out if possible.
“No Cambridge; she left Malta on the 26th,
ten days before the Confiance.
.pm signature2\
'“Very truly yours,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
Two battalions were sent back to the camp at
D’Jounie, and the rest marched to Beyrout; and I
.bn 206.png
.pn +1
went on board the flag-ship and of course resigned
my command, after having held it one month. I
then addressed the following letter to the Ambassador:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“Powerful, D’Jounie,'\
' Oct. 11, 1840.'
“Hodges will tell your Lordship all that has
passed here. We want arms very bad; Cambridge
has brought none. Selim Pacha is a very good
man, and a brave one. Izzet Pacha would be much
better at Constantinople than here; I have no
opinion of him in any one way whatever. I do
hope when Lebanon is settled, something will be
done for the mountaineers; Sidon, Beyrout, and
Tripoli ought to be added to their territory; they
ought to be free, paying a fixed tribute to the Porte.
This country would then flourish, and British
interests and commerce would be greatly benefited
by such an arrangement. I hope your Lordship
has received the various letters I have written to
your Lordship, though I have no replies.
.pm signature3\
' “I have the honour to be,'\
' “Your Lordship’s obedient servant,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 207.png
.pn +1
The day before I took Sidon, Captain Houston
Stewart, with the Benbow, Carysfort, and Zebra,
attacked Tortosa, but failed in consequence of the
boats grounding on an unknown reef. Both officers
and men displayed great gallantry, but his loss was
severe. Subjoined is Captain Stewart’s letter to
the Admiral on the subject:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M.S. Benbow, off Ruad,'\
' September 26, 1840.'
“I have the honour to acquaint you that the
Benbow, Carysfort, and Zebra, anchored here on
Sunday last, the 20th instant.
“We found the island without troops or arms
of any kind, but an immense population just arrived
from Tripoli, Tortosa, and other parts of the coast,
at present menaced with military operations.
“About 200 cavalry and two field-pieces were
encamped at the watering-place on the main land,
immediately opposite to the island, and I was
informed that two squadrons (each of 200 men,
with two field-pieces) were stationed about nine
miles distant to the north and south, with orders to
prevent any persons taking water, and to obstruct
all communication between the inhabitants of the
.bn 208.png
.pn +1
country and the ships. We also learned that the
whole of these troops depended upon the stores in
Tortosa for subsistence, and that these stores were
very considerable, consisting of grain, rice, &c.
The island of Ruad is very small, and dependent
on tanks and cisterns for water, which are generally
quite sufficient for its ordinary population, said to
amount to 1500; but, in consequence of the influx
of refugees, there cannot be less than 5000 souls
upon it just now, and therefore an extra supply of
water became necessary; but the cavalry prevented
any boats from the island approaching the watering-place.
We therefore, at daylight next morning,
dislodged them by throwing a few shot and shells,
and the ships were moved nearer the watering-place,
and, every precaution being taken, all Her Majesty’s
ships were completed with water; and ever since
the place (being under our guns) has been quite free
to the people of Ruad to water.
“My attention was now anxiously turned towards
Tortosa; all information concurred in representing
its great importance to the enemy’s troops,
and all agreed in declaring that, could we destroy
the provisions, the troops must shift their quarters,
and thus leave the communication with the mountains
.bn 209.png
.pn +1
(whose inhabitants were most anxious for
arms) comparatively open. We were also informed
that the chief storehouses were situated close to the
sea, that a breach might be made in the outer wall,
and immediate access obtained to them.
“I therefore directed some large bags of powder,
with bores and fuzees, to be prepared, and ordered
the Carysfort and Zebra to anchor close off it, which
they did within 500 yards. Four successive deserters
from the enemy’s cavalry (each arriving on
different days) stated that there were no soldiers
quartered in Tortosa, but a party was regularly sent
down every night to bring away sufficient provisions
for their different detachments, and the last deserter,
who left Tortosa so late as the night of the 24th,
stated confidently that there was not then a soldier
in it—that even had any come in after his departure,
they could only be dismounted cavalry, with short
carbines—that a sort of council of war had been
held two days before, when it was resolved, that,
as they had no infantry, cavalry alone could not
protect it, and that they must get camels, &c., to
remove the stores from it as speedily as possible:
and he offered, if we could give him an axe, to land
with a single boat’s crew, and break the corn store
.bn 210.png
.pn +1
door open; and the three other deserters likewise
offered to go.
“This determined me to make an attempt either
to take the town, or at least to destroy the stores,
and the following plan of operations was decided
upon:—The boats to rendezvous on board the
Carysfort, and she and the Zebra to cannonade the
walls, and especially a large built-up archway in the
centre, until sufficiently opened for entrance. Lieutenant
Charlewood being prepared with the necessary
means for blowing up stores, buildings, &c.,
and accompanied by Mr. Turner, gunner of this
ship, with eight steady men as pioneers, to land in
the cutter, and be immediately followed by the
portion of marines at present on board the Benbow,
together with those of the Zebra; and 20 seamen
of the Benbow, under Lieutenants Maitland, R.N.,
and Harrison, R.M.; and that all the boats (after
the disembarkation) under the command of Lieutenant
Stevens, of the Carysfort, should lie off, prepared
to cover the landing party with their guns and
small arms, and to re-embark them.
“The space from the margin of the sea to the
breach does not exceed sixteen yards. We could
perceive only a few loopholes commanding that
.bn 211.png
.pn +1
spot, and I concluded, that even should a fire be
opened from them, the advance from the boats
would be too rapid to admit of its being effective,
and that, being once within the breach, our men
would easily make good their way.
“Accordingly, yesterday, at 15 minutes past
1, P.M., the Carysfort and Zebra commenced an
admirably well-directed fire, and very soon opened
the archway, and showed us a large clear space
within, and the boats shoved off. The beach under
the town appeared so smooth and deep, and so
similar to all the other parts where we had landed,
that a doubt of the heavy boats being able to reach
it never presented itself until they went in, when a
ledge of rocks or ancient building was found to
extend itself across at some distance from the
shore, with such deep water inside that no man
could land and keep his ammunition dry; only the
light boats, of which there were but two, could pass
over it. Thus the marines (in the launch, barge,
and two pinnaces) were unable to land; had they
done so, I feel confident that we should have completely
succeeded in destroying the magazines of
provisions, and have driven the enemy out of the
vaults, and even from the town, although not
.bn 212.png
.pn +1
without loss, as subsequent intelligence has reached
me that 200 infantry (from the northward), and
100 dismounted cavalry, had entered the town the
same morning, three hours before daylight. Lieutenant
Charlewood being in the cutter with the
pioneers’ powder, and the three deserters as guides,
landed at once, and proceeded towards the breach,
and had nearly reached it before a shot was fired;
but the moment the large boats touched the rocks,
they became exposed to a destructive fire from
every minute loop and crevice, and even from the
holes which our cannon-shot had just made. Lieutenant
Maitland had succeeded in getting about 14
of his men, with himself, landed by another turn of
the same cutter, and my only reason for not instantly
recalling the boats when the fire opened was, that I
could not know what these officers were doing
inside, and I entertained great hopes that they
might be able to find out and blow up the provision
stores, and thus effect our principal object. The
guides who had landed fled back to the boats at the
commencement of the firing, but they are now all
on board, and free from any suspicion of treachery.
Lieutenant Charlewood, proceeding with his pioneers,
broke open several stores, and at length reached
.bn 213.png
.pn +1
one filled with rice, and another with corn, when he
immediately ran back to inform Lieutenant Maitland,
and get more hands forward. Unfortunately, during
his momentary absence, his men had hewn open
another door, when, to their surprise, they found it
entered upon a place filled with infantry soldiers,
and a struggle ensued. Two soldiers were killed by
the three pioneers, but having nothing but axes,
they were obliged to give way, but Mr. Charlewood’s
return checked the enemy’s advance, and they never
followed him.
“Becoming anxious at the delay, and seeing
Lieutenant Maitland still in the breach, I hastened
in my gig, and, hailing that officer, I learned from
him that there was no longer any prospect of
success, his ammunition being expended, and much
of that of the marines wet (from the attempt to
get out), and I immediately ordered all to retire,
and succeeded in getting every man off, Lieutenant
Charlewood even bringing his exploding apparatus
away.
“It is now my duty to allude to a more grateful
theme—the merits of the officers and men employed.
Where all did their duty, it is a difficult and somewhat
delicate task to particularize; but I should
.bn 214.png
.pn +1
be very unjust did I not bear my cordial testimony
to the very gallant conduct of Lieutenants Maitland
and Charlewood: the latter officer was the first man
on shore, and the very last off, and his quiet,
determined resolution, was the theme of praise
with every person.
“I annex a list of the boats employed, with
the names of the officers commanding them,
together with a return of casualties in each boat.
The first cutter, being a light boat, was extremely
serviceable, and much and constantly exposed.
Mr. J.C. Dalrymple Hay, midshipman, and his
crew, deserve every credit for their very spirited
conduct.
“The jolly-boat of the Carysfort (the only other
light boat), commanded by Mr. W.H. Stewart,
midshipman, was also very useful, and Lieutenant
Maitland speaks in favourable terms of that young
officer’s proceedings.
“To Captain Martin and Commander James
Stopford my grateful thanks are justly due; all that
was done was in perfect concord with them, and
from both these officers I derived the most cordial
support and assistance. The precision of the fire
from their ships over the boats and men during the
.bn 215.png
.pn +1
whole of the attack was quite astonishing, and by
rendering the aim of the enemy unsteady, must have
saved many lives.
.pm signature2\
'“I have, &c.,'\
' “Houston Stewart, Captain.”'
.pm address3\
“To Admiral\
“The Hon. Sir R. Stopford, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.,\
“Commander-in-Chief.”
.fs 95%
Benbow’s.—Launch, Mr. William King Hall, mate; Lieut.
Harrison, R.M.—Killed, 3 marines, 1 seaman.—Wounded,
1 marine, (since dead).—Wounded, 4 marines, 2 seamen.—Barge,—Mr.
G.F. Day, mate.—Wounded, 4 seamen.—1st Gig,—Hon.
A. Cochrane, volunteer, 1st Class.—Pinnance,—Mr. A.
G. West, midshipman.—Wounded, 1 seaman.—1st Cutter,—Mr.
J.C.D. Hay, midshipman.—Killed, 1 seaman.—Wounded,
2 seamen.—Landing Party,—Mr. F.H. Stanfell, mate; Mr. J.
F. Ross, midshipman.—Wounded, 1 seaman.
Carysfort’s—Pinnance, Lieut. Stephens; Hon.—Douglas,
midshipman; none killed or wounded.—Barge,—Mr. Genneys
mate; Mr. Loney, second master.—Jolly-boat,—Mr. W.
Houston Stewart, midshipman.
Zebra’s—Pinnance, Mr. J. Simpson, mate.—Wounded, 3
marines.
.sp 1
Return of officers and men killed and wounded, belonging
to Her Majesty’s ships and vessels, in an attack by the boats of
.bn 216.png
.pn +1
those ships on the town of Tortosa, the 25th of September,
1840.
Benbow—Killed, 2 seamen; 3 royal marines.—Wounded,
9 seamen; 3 royal marines severely.—Wounded, 1 seaman; 1
royal marine, slightly.
Zebra—Wounded, 2 seamen; 1 royal marine, slightly.
Total killed—5.—Total wounded—17.
.fs
.pm end_quote
.bn 217.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XIV.
.pm start_summary
Interview of the Author with the Admiral and Sir Charles
Smith—Returns to Beyrout—Urges various enterprises
upon the Admiral, which are disapproved of—Correspondence
with the Emir Bechir Cassim—Surrender of the old
Emir Bechir—Retrospect of the Successes of the Expedition—Speculations
as to the Attack upon Acre—Visit to the
Emir at Ammanah—Scenery of Lebanon—Reconnoissance
of Ibrahim’s Position—Letter to the Admiral—Conduct of
the Turkish Authorities—Visit to the Emir’s Palace at
Ibteddin—Accident to the Young Prince—Departure of the
Squadron for Acre.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
The day after the action of Boharsof I had an
interview with the Admiral and Sir Charles Smith
on board the Princess Charlotte. I then stated my
opinion, that Ibrahim should be followed up to
Zachle, but this opinion was ill received, and I
retired with the determination of mixing no further
with the military affairs.
After being confined for two days on board the
flag-ship with a slight illness, the natural consequence
of the excitement I had been in for a month
too rapidly subsiding, I proceeded to D’Jounie
Bay, where the Powerful and Admiral Walker were
still at anchor, and after embarking all the troops
.bn 218.png
.pn +1
and stores, returned to Beyrout. The weather had
been threatening for some days, and after a few
heavy squalls and a slight gale, which proved to us
the insecurity of the anchorage, it again became fine.
The troops were now stationed at Beyrout, Sidon,
and Tyre, and everything indicated a cessation of
active measures for the present; but Acre was still
within the reach of the British fleet, and every
officer looked forward with great anxiety for an
attack on that celebrated fortress.
Tripoli was also in the hands of the Egyptians,
as was Latakia, and I repeatedly urged the Admiral
to allow me to proceed there, which was declined;
he seemed to have resigned the military authority
entirely, though I never understood that the firman
given by the Porte to Sir Charles Smith, which was
merely an authority over the Turkish officers, in
any way superseded the power of the Commander-in-Chief
of the allied forces by sea and land, as he
styled himself.
On the 13th October, the Grand Prince arrived
at Ammanah with the mountaineers, to watch Ibrahim
and Souliman Pachas, who had intrenched
themselves at Zachle and El Malaka, with upwards
of 6000 men and seven field pieces; they had sent
.bn 219.png
.pn +1
the sick, amounting to 1000, to Damascus. The
advanced posts of the Grand Prince had fallen
in with, and made prisoners, the Emir Meshud and
two of his horsemen.
On the 16th the Emir wrote to me as follows:—
.pm start_quote
“Many of the mountaineers come in for arms.
I gave the chiefs of the village letters to you, and I
beg you will give arms to all the people who have
notes sealed by me, and I will drive them from the
country. Please to send me provisions.
“Scheik Dahir Dalhook, with a few men, was
coming over, but lost the road, and Ibrahim Pacha
took them and put them to death.”
.pm end_quote
To this I replied:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Prince,'\
'“Princess Charlotte, Beyrout,'\
'October 25, 1840, at 5, P.M.'
“I no longer command, therefore your communications
must be addressed to Sir Charles
Smith, who brought a firman from Constantinople
to command the troops. I long to see you, to
congratulate you on all your successes. I shall
be happy to hear from you, and assist you in
all your demands. I am pressing the Admiral
.bn 220.png
.pn +1
to send me to take Tripoli; this will finish all
Lebanon.
.pm signature2\
'“Yours truly,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
The old Emir Bechir now considering the game
up, quitted his palace at Ibteddin, and came into
Sidon with a good escort. Captain Berkeley sent
him to the Admiral at Beyrout. His property was
guaranteed to him; and he was conducted, at his
own request, to Malta, with his family. This Prince
was very rich; and had managed to keep his place
through all revolutions for many years; and if he
lives, I have no doubt will succeed in regaining his
authority.
A few days after this we received information
that the Egyptian force at Tripoli, consisting of
4000 men, had evacuated the town and blown
up the magazine in the castle, without, however,
damaging the city. It was soon after taken possession
of by the mountaineers, and the Egyptians
retired by the road of Balbeck, destroying the
villages in their retreat. About the same time,
Latakia and the passes of Adana were abandoned,
the garrisons retiring on Aleppo. Had a little more
.bn 221.png
.pn +1
energy been used by us, the greater part of these
troops must have fallen into our hands.
I believe history does not record such unexampled
successes gained in so short a time by so
small a force. We landed on the 10th of September,
at D’Jounie, with 5300 Turks, 1500 marines, and
about 100 Austrians; by the 10th of October we
had managed to storm and take Sidon, defeat the
Egyptians at Ornagacuan, Ibrahim Pacha at Boharsof,
and what between prisoners and deserters,
get possession of 10,000 men, had freed all Lebanon,
and forced Ibrahim to withdraw his troops from
Tripoli and Latakia, abandon the passes of the
Taurus, and concentrate the whole of his army at
Zachle and Damascus.
Seeing no further prospect of active operations,
I turned my attention, in common with my brother
officers, to the propriety of an immediate attack
on Acre, which I had thoroughly reconnoitred, and
felt satisfied that the ships, in a very short time,
would drive the Egyptians from the guns, if there
was a possibility of approaching within a moderate
distance of the walls. The subject was frequently
raised on board the Princess Charlotte and discussed;
but whether the Commander-in-Chief was
.bn 222.png
.pn +1
restricted by orders from home, or was afraid of the
lateness of the season, I am not aware, but certainly
much valuable time was lost. The weather is
generally, throughout the Mediterranean, good during
the month of October; and after the little
breeze we had, there is what is called on the coast
of Syria, an autumnal summer for six weeks. On
the 24th, Admiral Walker was despatched off Acre
with several Turkish ships-of-war to make a demonstration,
and I believe to summon the place; he was
there joined by the Revenge, Thunderer, and Pique;
they refused to receive the flag of truce, and Admiral
Walker stood in and fired a few broadsides; but
whether the Egyptians either did not think it worth
while to return the fire, or had still some respect
for the Sultan’s flag, they took no hostile notice
whatever of this movement. Admiral Bandeira,
who commanded the Austrian squadron, I believe
was also anxious to attack Acre, and thinking it
possible that the Egyptians might surrender to
Admiral Walker, very wisely followed him with
his small squadron. I had obtained leave to pay
a visit to the Emir Bechir at Ammanah, and set out
at daylight of the 25th, quite convinced that all
hope of attacking Acre was at an end; but when
.bn 223.png
.pn +1
I got half way up the mountain, to my utter astonishment
I observed the Princess Charlotte, and all
the squadron under weigh, with the exception of
the Powerful. This sudden movement, I presume,
was occasioned by the Austrian Admiral starting
without orders; and, I suppose, the same reasons
that induced Bandeira to follow Admiral Walker,
induced the Commander-in-Chief to follow Bandeira;
but feeling convinced that nothing serious was intended,
I pursued my ride through the beautiful
mountains of Lebanon to the Grand Prince’s head-quarters.
I have travelled in Switzerland and in the
Tyrol, and admired the romantic scenery that you
meet with in these fine countries; but still I give
the preference to Mount Lebanon. The whole
country is one mass of rocks heaped one on the
other; and every spot of land, capable of cultivation,
is supported by terraces, and irrigated by streams
of water from springs, which are abundant in the
mountain. On these terraces the mulberry-tree is
cultivated with great care, and grows with much
luxuriance. Fruit and vegetables of every description
are grown in great abundance. The mountains
produce only a sufficient quantity of grain for
.bn 224.png
.pn +1
three months’ consumption; the other nine months
are supplied either from the plains of the Bekaa, or
by importation. The roads throughout the mountain
are purposely bad, to render the passage of
artillery impracticable. This assists the mountaineers
in the defence of their country. The
mountain passes are strong, and if bravely defended
by peasants alone, no army, ever so well-disciplined,
could obtain possession of them without
immense loss. On approaching Ammanah, we descried
armed peasantry stationed on the various
heights to prevent surprise; and on our arrival at
the court-yard of the in which the Grand
Prince was lodged, some hundreds of men were
lounging about in the gay attire of the mountains,
armed at all points. Many horsemen were also
in the court-yard, ready to be despatched to any
point whence an attack might be apprehended.
On entering the château, which certainly had
not much the appearance of the residence of a
Prince, I was immediately ushered into his presence.
The old man was sitting cross-legged smoking his
pipe, but immediately rose and embraced me with
much warmth, calling me his friend, his protector
and master; praising, with much apparent warmth,
.bn 225.png
.pn +1
the English, who had come to release the mountaineers
from the oppression of Mehemet Ali. Pipes
and coffee were then produced, and after puffing
away for a few minutes, the room was cleared, and
an interpreter sent for. The Prince informed me
that he had with him 3500 men; that he was ill-supplied
with provisions and ammunition; that he
had constantly written to the Pacha, but received
neither answer or supplies; that the mountains were
too poor to victual his men; and that they would
shortly be obliged to go to their homes, and leave
the country exposed. Ibrahim Pacha, had collected
15,000 men, including 3000 cavalry, at Zachle and
Malaka, the former above the plain, the latter in it,
and he could again enter the mountains when he
pleased. He wished to be reinforced by three
Turkish battalions, and he would then answer for
preventing Ibrahim coming again into Lebanon; or
if he were supplied with 5000 stand of arms, he
could arm the Druses, and would require no more
troops.
As I was anxious to see Ibrahim’s position, the
Prince supplied me with fresh horses and an escort,
some of whom had just come over from the enemy;
and we proceeded over the mountain, which was
.bn 226.png
.pn +1
well guarded by men, both on horseback and foot,
perched in different positions, to give notice of
Ibrahim’s movements. An hour brought us in
sight of Zachle, which is on the edge of the hill.
There appeared a few intrenchments thrown up,
but I did not think it prudent to descend, not being
provided with the best horses, and having reason to
believe that Ibrahim’s cavalry would have no difficulty
in cutting us off, should we approach too near
his den; besides, I was not sure of my escort,
who could very easily have delivered me up to
Ibrahim, and as many of them had only been a
few days in the service of the Prince, I did not feel
myself particularly comfortable. After a pleasant
ride of a couple of hours we returned to the Emir’s
quarters, where there was a very tolerable repast
prepared for us; we found a good appetite, far
preferable to the best sauces supplied by Gunter in
London, or the gourmand at Paris. We retired at
an early hour, but neither to sleep nor rest; our bedfellows
were troublesome, and seemed to think they
had a good right to a share of the dinner furnished
us by the Prince.
At daylight we started on our return, and taking
the road of Corneille, passed the coal-mines at which
.bn 227.png
.pn +1
Mehemet Ali obliged the poor Syrians to work,
almost without pay, and proceeded to Salima, a town
situated in a rich valley, the capital of the province
of Mitten; we then ascended the mountain to Brumanah,
and got back to Beyrout before sunset.
I was still anxious about the movements of the
Commander-in-Chief, and I desired the Medea to
get her steam up, and wrote to him the following
letter:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My dear Admiral,'\
'“Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' October 26, 1840.'
“As I was going over the hill yesterday morning,
to my great surprise, I saw you and the Edinburgh
under weigh; I, however, continued my
route to the Prince, at whose quarters I arrived at
two o’clock, at Ammanah, a small town on this side
of the highest mountain of Lebanon. He has with
him 3500 mountaineers, who guard all the passes.
He says Ibrahim Pacha has collected 15,000 men,
including 3000 cavalry, at Zachle and Malaka, the
one a little above the plain of the Bekaa, the other
in it.
“I got fresh horses, crossed the mountain pass,
from whence I saw Malaka, Zachle, and Balbeck.
The Bekaa is a plain separating Lebanon from
Anti-Lebanon; it could not be entered without
.bn 228.png
.pn +1
cavalry, unless our force was far superior to the
enemy. Ibrahim’s intention is evidently to cover
Damascus, but if it is true what a chief has written
to the Prince, who had reconnoitred from the
Haouran to the gates of Damascus, Ibrahim cannot
stay where he is, and we ought to be ready to
harass his retreat; if this is not true, the Prince
has not a sufficient force to prevent his penetrating
into the mountains, and doing much mischief. If
the Prince had 5000 muskets to arm the Druses,
who are all with him, he would not require troops,
but it is absolutely necessary, till arms arrive, that
he should be reinforced by three battalions and four
guns. He is about a day’s march from Beyrout,
and it could be done with great ease in a day and
a half. There are many other things which he has
spoken to me about, which I will not trouble you
with now, but I have taken notes, and shall try
to get all he wants done either with the Pacha, or
Sir Charles Smith. On my return I found the
Benbow, Carysfort, and Zebra; they have filled up
their provisions, and I have desired them to water.
Stewart has sent by this conveyance an account of
the stores on various parts of the coast; it seems
important to place them in a state of security. I
feel very uncomfortable at being left behind without
.bn 229.png
.pn +1
a line from you; my inclinations lead me to follow
you this moment, as I hope you will find Powerful
in her place at Acre, but as I see you are not far
off, I send the Medea with letters that have arrived,
and to acquaint you with the arrival of Benbow,
Carysfort, and Zebra, and of my anxious desire to
be with you if anything is to be done at Acre. If
I stay here it will absolutely appear as if you were
displeased with my proceedings, taking every ship
with you but Powerful.
“I shall anxiously look out for the return of
Medea, and probably shall be under weigh, ready
to join you.
“The Austrian steamer Marianne found 265
Turks at Rhodes, landed from a vessel making
water, and very properly embarked them; he has
provisions on board for the Admiral, and wishes to
know whether he is to stay here or go to him.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me, &c.,'\
' “Chas. Napier.'
“P.S.—Two hundred and fifty irregular cavalry
have come to-day from the Haouran; active measures
would finish everything in one month.
.pm signature1 '“C.N.”'
.pm address2\
'“Admiral Sir Robert Stopford,'\
' &c., &c., &c.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 230.png
.pn +1
The Admiral only proceeded as far as Sidon,
where he fell in with Admiral Walker and the
Austrian squadron. The former went back to Acre
for a day or two, and the two admirals returned to
Beyrout.
The Turks had already began their old practices,
of treating the mountaineers with the most perfect
contempt; and they were beginning to doubt very
much whether their condition would be changed
for the better. Old Izzet Pacha did not conceal
his desire to get rid of the Grand Prince, and place
himself in his palace at Ibteddeen.
As active operations seemed now entirely at an
end, notwithstanding the reinforcements which were
constantly arriving, some of whom were sent to
Sidon and Tyre, but none to the mountains, I
obtained leave from the Admiral to pay a visit to
the Grand Prince’s palace, and was accompanied by
his nephew, a fine young man of about twenty-two,
and next heir to the government of Lebanon. After
a long ride of eight hours, through a most beautiful
mountainous country, we arrived at Deir el Kammar,
the capital of Lebanon, a tolerably well-built small
town; as the plague was said to exist there, we
passed on without entering it, and on rounding a
.bn 231.png
.pn +1
projecting cliff the palace of the Prince opened to
our view; it is situated half way up the mountain,
and has a very grand appearance; above it stands
another palace, smaller than the first, and the
houses of two of the Emir’s sons,—they were all
in an unfinished state; the large palace had been,
originally constructed in wood, but the late Emir
had been many years employed in converting it into
a more solid shape. The entrance into the courtyard
is very strong, and capable of resisting anything
but artillery, which could not easily be brought
against it; the court-yard is large, and surrounded
by a high wall, and in the time of the late prince
several hundred armed men were constantly kept
in the barracks adjoining, and a body of horse,
richly caparisoned in the Eastern style, were always
ready in the yard. Some of the rooms are handsome,
particularly those of the harem, but mostly
unfurnished, the Emir having removed everything
he could to Sidon, and from thence to Malta. The
stables were large and capable of containing five
hundred horses, the greater part of which were gone;
the Emir’s stud had been magnificent, and although
the whole of his property was guaranteed to him,
many of the best horses fell into the hands of the
.bn 232.png
.pn +1
Turks. We were well received by some of the
family who remained, and tolerably well entertained,
but even in the palace of the Grand Prince of
Lebanon our slumbers were much disturbed by the
occupants he had left behind. After dinner we
visited the small palaces, which were also in an
unfinished state, though built in a tasteful style.
On looking at these palaces it was easy to account
for the fidelity of the Emir Bechir to Mehemet Ali;
the fact is, the old man plundered the inhabitants in
the most atrocious manner, confiscated the estates,
and put out the eyes of the Emirs he did not like;
Mehemet Ali knew well the importance of keeping
him faithful, and allowed him to do as he pleased
in the mountain, and was content with a very small
tribute, not exceeding 30,000 dollars a year.
After breakfast we took leave of our friends and
proceeded to Beyrout, but a sad accident clouded
our otherwise pleasant journey. The mountaineers
are good horsemen, and fond of showing off whenever
a little flat ground allows them to exhibit
their dexterity in firing off their muskets and
pistols and throwing the d’jerred at full gallop,
reloading in an incredible short time. The young
Prince and several of his attendants, seeing an
.bn 233.png
.pn +1
opportunity for a display, set off at full gallop; one
of his men, close behind him, amused himself by
throwing his musket in the air, to show his dexterity
in catching it; it unexpectedly went off, and
shot out both the Prince’s eyes. The poor lad fell
instantly from his horse, and when we came up he
was, indeed, in a most pitiable condition: his eyes
hanging out of their sockets, and streaming with
blood; he himself, unconscious of what had happened,
was pulling them out with his fingers, and it
was with the greatest difficulty I could persuade him
to desist, and allow them to be bandaged. What an
awful visitation was this! a few minutes before, this
youth was full of life and spirits, the heir to the
ruling Prince, in one moment plunged into eternal
darkness; it was a cruel sight. His poor attendant,
who had accidentally done the deed, hung over him
more dead than alive; the poor fellow seemed to
suffer more than the Prince himself, who was nearly
unconscious. We were three leagues from the first
village, and with great difficulty succeeded in getting
him there, carried in one of our cloaks. I rode on
to Beyrout, and despatched an English surgeon to
his assistance. His sight, as I expected, proved to
be gone for ever; but youth, and the strength of his
.bn 234.png
.pn +1
constitution, in a few months healed his wounds,
and otherwise restored him to perfect health.
On my arrival at Beyrout, to my great astonishment,
I found a steamer had arrived from England
with orders to attack Acre. This was, indeed, a
change for the better; there was now no further
room for indecision. Orders were sent to Sidon to
march 2000 Turks to the pass of the White Mountain,
about eleven miles from Acre. Want of
cavalry limited the operation of the land force to
that movement, as it would not have been prudent
to have exposed the Turkish troops to the Egyptian
cavalry in a country where they could act. 3000
Turks, under Selim Pacha, small detachments of
artillery, of sappers and miners, under Major Higgins
and Lieutenant Aldrich, were embarked in the
squadron. On the 30th the steamer started, and in
the night, a breeze springing up, the squadron
followed.
.bn 235.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XV.
.pm start_summary
Letter of Congratulation from Lord Ponsonby to the Author—Ibrahim
Pacha’s Standard, missing from the Field of Boharsof—Letters
to Lord Ponsonby, Colonel Hodges, and the
Admiral respecting it—Lord Ponsonby’s Speech to the
Sultan, and Letter to the Author—Colonel Hodges’ Explanation—The
Affair never satisfactorily cleared up.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
Before leaving Beyrout, I received a letter from
the Ambassador, dated October 22, congratulating
me on the affair of Boharsof, and expressing a hope
that we should follow up our successes. His Lordship
was also very active in urging the Porte to send
more arms and troops, and also to secure to the
mountaineers all their rights and privileges, and
remove that wicked and unprincipled old Turk, Izzet
Pacha, which I had requested him to do.
By the same conveyance I received the Oriental
Observer, in which paper it was stated that Colonel
Hodges had arrived at Smyrna, with the green flag,
under which I had seen Ibrahim Pacha reconnoitring
our position, and which we took at Boharsof,
and afterwards lost, as I was informed by General
.bn 236.png
.pn +1
Jochmus; this rather puzzled me. I always thought
there was a mystery about this flag, which never was
in my possession, and which I never sent to Constantinople.
How it got there demanded an explanation,
and I accordingly wrote to Lord Ponsonby
as follows:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' November 1, 1840.'
“I received your Lordship’s letter, and I am
happy to find that our operations have given so
much satisfaction at Constantinople, as also to
yourself. I do hope you will be able to do something
for the mountaineers; nothing would increase
our influence so much as giving them the sea ports,
because the Turks do not treat them well; and they
would be quite willing to pay a tribute. I was
yesterday at the residence of the Grand Prince, and
I am no longer surprised that he should have stuck
to Mehemet Ali; he had three palaces building at
the same time, which shows that he had his full
sway in the mountains, and it is to be hoped his
successor will be kept in check.
“We are at last going to Acre with 3500 men;
should the weather remain fine I think we shall
.bn 237.png
.pn +1
succeed, but it does not follow that it will be easy;
all depends on the disposition of the garrison.
“Ibrahim Pacha’s standard was taken, which I
should have sent to the Sultan, with the Admiral’s
permission, but General Jochmus told me it had
been lost, which very much surprised me. It
appears, by the Smyrna paper, that Colonel Hodges
was in possession of it, and that he was to present it
to the Sultan. I can hardly believe he would have
done this unless under some mistake. I have
written to him about it; and your Lordship will
oblige me by inquiring if Ibrahim’s standard has
found its way to Constantinople, and who sent it.
“I have two flags taken at Sidon, one by
Corporal James Symons; some mark of favour to
him would do good. I hope, in the course of the
winter, to be at Constantinople if operations cease
here, which I hope will not be the case till the
coast becomes dangerous.
.pm signature3\
'“I have the honour to remain,'\
' “Your Lordship’s obedient servant,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 238.png
.pn +1
I also very naturally applied to Colonel Hodges:
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“My dear Hodges,
.ce
*\ \ \ \ *\ \ \ \ *\ \ \ \ *\ \ \ \ *
“In the Oriental Observer the following paragraph
appears:
“‘Colonel Hodges, Her Britannic Majesty’s
Consul General at Alexandria, is on board, and has
the flag of Ibrahim Pacha, taken in the last engagement,
which, on his arrival at Constantinople, he
will present to the Sultan.’
“If this is true, this flag must have been sent to
you in a surreptitious manner, for I feel assured you
never would have lent yourself to such a transaction.”
.pm end_quote
A few days after this I received another letter
from the Ambassador, acquainting me that he had
presented the standard in question to the Sultan, in
form, and made the following speech:
“Sire, I solicited the honour of an audience of
your Imperial Majesty, that I might lay at the foot of
your Majesty’s throne the standard taken in battle by
your Majesty’s valiant troops, and sent to me from
the officer who had the happiness to direct the
.bn 239.png
.pn +1
action of those brave men in the glorious combat
of the 10th of October.
“A few weeks since, some rebellious subjects of
your Majesty boasted that the standard should be
displayed before the capital of your empire. The
standard is now here, a monument of the triumph
of your Majesty’s arms, and an evidence of the
error of those who proclaimed the weakness of
the Sublime Porte, and the power of the Pacha
of Egypt.”
His Lordship’s letter and his Lordship’s speech
puzzled me more than the Oriental Observer. I
began to doubt whether I had commanded the
Turkish army, or had ever been on the heights of
Boharsof at all, as I most certainly never sent this
flag to Lord Ponsonby, and I again wrote to his
Lordship for an explanation.
.pm start_quote
.ti 0
“My Lord,
“I have to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter, the 25th of September, inclosing the copy of a
speech your Lordship made to the Sultan on presenting
the standard of Ibrahim Pacha to His
Majesty, taken by the Sultan’s troops under my
command, at the battle of Boharsof.
.bn 240.png
.pn +1
“Your Lordship says it was sent to you by the
officer who had the happiness to direct the action of
those brave men in the glorious contest of the 10th
of October. I fear some deception has been practised
on your Lordship. I never sent the standard,
nor did I ever see it. General Jochmus reported to
me it was taken, and when I desired it might be
produced, he made inquiry, and found it had been
lost.
“The standard ought to have been brought to
me, and by me delivered to Sir Robert Stopford,
and I have considered it necessary to write officially
to him to request that he will order an inquiry into
this mysterious affair.
“Your Lordship must not be satisfied with the
capture of Acre; the next attempt should be made
on Damascus. I am ordered to Alexandria, and I
shall see what can be done there.
“The Sultan had better form the whole of the
Egyptian troops who have been captured or deserted,
give them their arrears of pay, promote the
officers, and land them in Egypt, promising that
when Mehemet Ali is put down they should go to
their homes, and that the rest of his army shall have
their arrears, and go home also, if they come over;
.bn 241.png
.pn +1
let him do that, and he will get Egypt as easily as
he has got Syria.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm address '“Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.”'
.pm end_quote
I also sent to the Admiral the following letter:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Powerful, off Acre,'\
' Nov. 7, 1840.'
“Lord Ponsonby has inclosed me a speech
made by his Lordship to the Sultan on delivering to
his Majesty Ibrahim Pacha’s standard, taken by the
troops under my command at the battle of Boharsof;
it is a mystery to me how that standard fell into
Lord Ponsonby’s hands. It was not sent to his
Lordship by me who commanded the troops, and
General Jochmus, the chief of the staff, declared
that the standard had been lost. I have not now the
power to officially inquire how this lost standard
found its way to Constantinople, but I have to
request you will take such steps as you see fit to
clear up this mysterious affair. Had an inferior
officer in the Duke of Wellington’s army sent a
captured standard to the King of Portugal, unknown
.bn 242.png
.pn +1
to the Commander-in-Chief, it may be easily answered
what would have been his fate; and I do
trust a severe example will be made of the person
who committed this extraordinary breach of discipline
and decorum, to give it the softest name.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.'\
' “Chas. Napier.”'
.pm address '“Admiral Sir Robert Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
The Ambassador never thought proper to reply
to either of my letters, and the only explanation I
ever got was from Colonel Hodges, which I subjoin:
“As to the flag, I was the bearer of it to this
place. I left Beyrout on Sunday evening. I called
on Sir Charles Smith on the afternoon of that day,
at his quarters on shore, when he asked me to take
charge of despatches, and a flag, that I understood
from him had been taken from the 2000 Egyptian
troops that had surrendered the day before at
Beyrout. This flag, with a parcel of red
flags, were sent by a sergeant of artillery to my
boat, that was waiting to carry me to the Princess
Charlotte. When I reached the ship the Admiral
was on the quarter-deck; he asked me ‘What that
flag was.’ I told him it was one that Sir Charles
.bn 243.png
.pn +1
Smith had requested me to take to Lord Ponsonby.
The Admiral replied, ‘It is I who ought to send
that flag to Lord Ponsonby to present to the Sultan,
and I shall write a despatch with it.’ This is all I
know of the transaction.”
This did not explain Lord Ponsonby’s speech,
and to this day it is a mystery. Now the flag
was either sent or not; if sent, the person has
managed to conceal it, and if it was not sent, then
some one has bamboozled the Ambassador or the
Ambassador bamboozled the Sultan. Here I shall
let it rest, and carry the reader at once to St. Jean
D’Acre, a place well known in ancient and modern
history.
.sp 2
.hr 20%
.bn 244.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XVI.
.pm start_summary
Former Sieges of Acre—Arrival of the Allied Squadron—Proposed
mode of Attack—Objections—Survey of the North
Channel—The Squadron under weigh—The Author attacks
from the North—Conduct of the different Divisions—Explosion
of the Grand Magazine—Close of the Action—Evacuation
of the Town—Fate of the Sick and Wounded.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
When Bonaparte sat himself down before Acre, in
1799, the fortress was not strong enough to resist a
regular siege; his heavy guns had been captured
by Sir Sydney Smith’s cruisers, and field artillery
was not sufficient to open a practicable breach in
the walls; there is, however, no doubt but it must
have fallen had it not been for the bravery and
exertions of Sir Sydney Smith, and the gallant
officers and crews of the Tigre and Theseus, who
obliged Bonaparte to raise the siege after having
been before it two months. Had Bonaparte succeeded
in capturing Acre the Grand Prince of
Lebanon would have immediately declared for him,
and it is difficult to say what then would have
stopped his enterprising career.
.bn 245.png
.pn +1
In November, 1831, Ibrahim Pacha anchored off
Jaffa with an Egyptian squadron, and invested Acre
in December; he must have been much favoured by
the weather to have ventured on such a dangerous
coast at that season of the year. Had a gale of
wind set in, not a ship would have escaped; but
fortune seems to have favoured all his undertakings
up to the time the Allies landed in D’Jounie Bay.
The Egyptian squadron attacked the south face of
the works, and left their mark behind, which was
still visible when the British squadron anchored;
but little real damage was done to the fortress by
their fire. The siege lasted six months; in that
time 20,000 shells and 200,000 shots are said to
have been thrown into the town, which ultimately
surrendered for want of water.
After Acre fell into the possession of Mehemet
Ali, he considered it of so much importance that
vast numbers of labourers were employed to make it
a fortress of the first order towards the land side,
but when the squadron arrived before it, there still
remained much to be done. It has two fronts to
the sea, one to the westward, the other to the south.
The allied squadron anchored, on the afternoon
of the 2nd of November, at some distance from
.bn 246.png
.pn +1
the fortress towards Mount Carmel. The Revenge,
Pique, and Talbot, had been off the port some
time, and had made a tolerable accurate survey
of the coast, and buoyed some shoals which were
not known: and here I may remark that, though
a British squadron had been there in 1799, the
Admiralty had not been able to furnish us with
anything like a correct plan of the fortifications
and the soundings. The Consuls in the different
parts of the world ought to be instructed to
procure information, and if a little more attention
were paid by the Foreign Office to these appointments
no place where the British Consular flag
waves would be unknown to the Government;
these situations are generally filled up without the
smallest regard to the capacity or fitness of the
gentlemen who hold them, to which may be traced
many of the disasters that have frequently befallen
our expeditions, and more particularly our last
to Egypt, from whence we were driven with great
loss by Mehemet Ali.
After dinner I went on board the Princess Charlotte,
where I met several officers of the squadron.
I found the following plan of attack had been settled
by Captain Boxer, of the Pique, to which the
.bn 247.png
.pn +1
Admiral had acceded. We had before Acre four
steamers, the Gorgon, Stromboli, Ph[oe]nix, and
Vesuvius; they had been throwing shells into the
town the day before. There were also seven line-of-battle
ships, the Princess Charlotte, bearing the
Admiral’s flag; the Powerful, bearing my broad blue
pennant; the Bellerophon, Captain Austin; the
Revenge, Captain Waldegrave; Thunderer, Captain
Berkeley; Edinburgh, Captain Henderson; Benbow,
Captain Stewart; and the Castor, Captain Collier;
Pique, Captain Boxer; Carysfort, Captain Martin;
Talbot, Captain Codrington; Wasp, Captain Maunsell;
and Hazard, Captain Elliot.
Captain Boxer had observed that at daylight it
was generally calm, the sea breeze not setting in till
twelve o’clock, or thereabouts; he therefore proposed
that three steamers should take the Princess
Charlotte, Powerful, and Bellerophon in tow; the
fourth the Admiral reserved for himself. These
three ships were to anchor on the west face of the
fortress of Acre; the steamers were then to return
for the other line-of-battle ships, the smallest of
which, the Benbow and Edinburgh, were to be
placed on the south. This novel mode of attack
certainly did not appear to me good, as I felt confident
.bn 248.png
.pn +1
that it would require at least two hours after
the three first ships were placed before the other
three could be brought into action, and about as
much more before the fourth, the Turkish line-of-battle
ship, and the frigates and small craft could
be in their stations, and that probably we should be
beaten in detail. I ventured to express my doubts
on the subject, but Captain Boxer assured me that
he knew the place perfectly well, and as everything
was settled with the Admiral, there was no necessity
for my attempting to change anything, as he knew
as much about battery work as I did. After making
some further observations, in disapproval of the
plan, I pointed out the propriety of the smaller
ships leading, to enable the line-of-battle ships to
place themselves sufficiently close without the
danger of grounding, which is the common mode
of attack, and more particularly necessary in a place
very imperfectly known, and at that advanced season
of the year. My opinion was, however, overruled,
and I took my leave. Preparations were made
during the night to anchor the ships by the stern,
some with bowers, others with the sheet, or stream,
according to the judgment of the several captains.
I preferred the sheet anchor, and gave directions
.bn 249.png
.pn +1
accordingly. At daylight next morning the steamers
proceeded to their different ships to be lashed alongside;
and after the most mature reflection, which in
no way changed my opinion, I went on board the
Princess Charlotte, I think with Captain Henderson,
of the Vesuvius; there I also found Captain Henderson,
of the Gorgon. I told the Admiral that
I thought it my duty to say that I felt satisfied,
if the present plan was persevered in, we should
be defeated. I appealed to Captain Henderson, of
the Gorgon, an experienced steam officer, to know
whether, even allowing everything to go right,
(which could not be expected,) he would be able,
after having placed one ship, to return and place
another in less than two hours, to which he replied,
“he could not.” I also pointed out to the Admiral
that, as the sea-breeze generally set in from the
northward, we ought to wait till it was steady; and
the ships destined to attack the west face should
come in from the northward, where fewer guns
would bear upon them, and where there was no spit
running out to interrupt their progress as there was
on the south point. The Admiral, I was glad to
find, came into my views, and the steam-boat plan
was abandoned.
.bn 250.png
.pn +1
The only objection that could be started was
the lateness of the hour before the sea-breeze set
in, and in a conversation with Captain Fanshawe,
that was the difficulty he raised, to which I
observed, that it was a very reasonable objection,
but still I was of opinion that a place like Acre
should either be attacked properly, or not at all; and
the masters of the Princess Charlotte and Powerful
agreed with me, that it was much preferable sailing
the ships in to towing them; and both these
officers went on board the Vesuvius and reconnoitred
the north channel, passing inside the shoal,
which lay about three or four miles from the west
face of the fortification. This passage they found
perfectly safe, and few guns defending the approach
from the northward. Our sheet cable had been
improperly bent, being unshackled inside, and
passed out of the stern port, round the bows, into
the hawse hole, and reshackled, leaving the bight on
board. I gave orders for remedying this inconvenience
immediately and went on board the flag
ship by signal. The breeze had sprung up from the
southward, and it was then determined to attack from
that quarter. The Powerful was to place herself on
the S.W. angle, and the Princess Charlotte to pass
.bn 251.png
.pn +1
ahead of her and anchor; the other Captains were
not on board, but I concluded they had their
instructions.
The general signal was now made to weigh, and
on coming alongside the Powerful, to my dismay,
in remedying the mistake that had been made in
bending the sheet cable, they let the bight, which
was through the hawse hole, go by the run, and the
weight of the cable almost tore the anchor from the
bows. All hands were sent on the lower deck to
rouse in the slack of the cable, but the chock in the
stern port had not been shipped, and all attempts to
get a fathom of it were unavailing. By this time
the squadron were under weigh, and we were obliged
to leave the cable to its fate and weigh also, which
was hardly done when the lashing of the anchor
gave way, and the ship was brought up by the
stern; there was nothing left but to cut away the
cable and substitute the stream, which is by no
means a safe way of bringing up a ship alongside of
a battery.
I do not know that in the whole course of a
long service I ever was before so annoyed; the
whole squadron were under weigh, and the Powerful
at anchor, without any person but ourselves being
.bn 252.png
.pn +1
aware of the cause, and at a time when there was
not a moment to be lost. The wind, however, died
away, which gave time to get our stream anchor
ready; and about one o’clock the proper sea breeze
set in, and the Ph[oe]nix, on board of which were
embarked Sir Robert Stopford and Sir Charles
Smith, (though the flag was flying in the Princess
Charlotte,) made the signal for the squadron to
close round the Powerful. Captain Stewart, of
the Benbow, who was to attack from the south,
under the orders of Captain Collier, together with
Castor, Edinburgh, Carysfort, Talbot, Wasp, and
Hazard, thinking there was some mistake, very
properly asked permission to attack from the south,
which was granted. Shortly after, as we were
standing to the northward to round the shoal, and
give room for the squadron to follow, the signal
was made to bear up, to which I replied, “Intend
attacking from the north.” I believe the answer
was not understood, and the Flag Lieutenant came
on board to know what we were waiting for. I
desired him to explain to the Admiral my intention.
A few minutes after, the signal was made to the
Revenge to keep under weigh as a reserve, much to
the annoyance of my friend Captain Waldegrave.
.bn 253.png
.pn +1
The Powerful, followed by the Princess Charlotte,
Thunderer, Bellerophon, and Pique, having
got well round the shoal, now bore up, and ran
along shore towards the north angle. As we drew
near the fortress, the colours were hoisted from
two flag-staffs, one on the citadel, the other lower
down. I desired the bow guns of the Powerful to
be fired to prevent the Egyptians pointing with
correctness. At this time the southern division,
led in with great judgment and gallantry by Captain
Collier, of the Castor, were fast approaching their
position, and when well within range, the Egyptians
opened their fire, the shot passing very considerably
over. In a few minutes we passed the circular
redoubt, where only three or four guns were
mounted, and then anchored abreast of the sea
wall, defended by forty guns, in six and a half
fathom water, and about seven hundred yards distance.
The wind was on the land, and we were
not sure of our soundings further in; and had
we been obliged to swing and veer, we might
have tailed on shore; besides, it was the month
of November, and fine weather was not to be
expected to continue.
Captain Fanshawe, of the Princess Charlotte,
.bn 254.png
.pn +1
supposing he was, under any circumstances, to take
her station to the northward of the Powerful, which
ship he thought would anchor on the S.W. angle,
(as if she had come in from the south,) and believing
we had brought up in consequence of shoal water,
anchored astern of us, as did the Bellerophon.
Captain Berkeley, seeing a sufficient opening, (and
being under the same impression, and having the
same orders as Captain Austin, to anchor in succession,)
pushed in between the Princess Charlotte and
Bellerophon. I was not aware of these orders, and
I sent a boat, which arrived too late, to desire them
to pass ahead of me. Perhaps I was wrong in
not making a signal, but as the Commander-in-Chief
was in the Ph[oe]nix, to direct the movements of the
squadron, I did not think it proper.
As each ship anchored, a tremendous fire was
opened, and the shot were so well directed, that the
bravest men of the bravest nation in the world could
not have resisted; no wonder, then, that the Egyptians
were soon thrown into confusion. Five of their
guns only, placed in a flanking battery, were well
served, and never missed; but they were pointed
too high, and damaged our spars and rigging only.
The main-top-mast and mizen-top-sail yard were
.bn 255.png
.pn +1
shot through on board the Powerful, and the rigging
much cut; two shots only struck our hull, but
did little or no damage. The ships astern suffered
also in their rigging. One man was killed on board
the Princess Charlotte, and the Thunderer had her
quarter-gallery shot away.
The Admiral, seeing room ahead of the Powerful,
made the signal for the Thunderer to weigh; but
she was so jammed between the Princess Charlotte
and Bellerophon, though she tried, it was
impossible to move without fouling either one or
other. Seeing this, and being apprehensive that
the five guns which kept playing upon us would
at last find their proper elevation, I first sent a
boat, but before she reached, took upon myself
to order the Revenge, who was in reserve, to anchor
ahead of me, which Captain Waldegrave did in
gallant style.
While this was going on on the west face, Captain
Collier’s squadron, (the Castor anchoring first, and
the others passing ahead of her,) were doing their
work to admiration on the south, supported by the
Austrians, under Admiral Bandeira. Nor was the
fire of the Turkish Admiral to be slighted; he ran
inside of all the squadron, and took up a warm
.bn 256.png
.pn +1
berth abreast a new, and very strong work. Nothing
could resist the fire of our ships; many
of the shot from our side passed over the town,
and might have much injured the ships to the
south, unknown to us; and I fancy a few of their’s
flew occasionally over us. The steamers outside
were not idle; most of their fusees, however, were
bad, and some fired shot instead; but still a few
shells must have done execution. Ours in the
Powerful, fitted agreeable to a plan of Mr. Jenner,
gunner’s-mate of the Edinburgh, rarely failed; and
I believe all those on his system did much good
service.
After a most severe firing of upwards of two
hours, the grand magazine blew up with a tremendous
explosion; whether caused by accident, or
by our shells, will never be known. Many ships,
as in similar cases, claimed the credit of it. The
Admiral gave it to the Gorgon; one of the captains
of our shell-guns claimed it also; and I
dare say there was not a captain of a shell-gun
in the squadron who did not think that he had
done the deed. But there let it rest; it was an
awful visitation on the enemy. Many an unfortunate
being finished his existence in the air; and
.bn 257.png
.pn +1
many still more unfortunate were buried in the
ruins or in the casemates, and probably lived for
days, and perished from starvation or gradual suffocation,
of all deaths the worse to die. The five
guns I have mentioned, the explosion,
kept up their fire with great spirit to the last.
About sunset the signal was made to discontinue
the engagement; but as that might have encouraged
the enemy to re-man their guns, we kept on till a
considerable time after dark, when the Flag Lieutenant
brought us orders to withdraw. The Revenge
slipped her stern anchor, and made sail with great
facility. The Princess Charlotte, I believe, picked
up both her anchors, and also made sail, but casting
the wrong way, nearly got on shore; she was conducted
in a most seamanlike manner, and not a
word was to be heard on board of her. The
Powerful, having her main-top mast badly wounded,
and the main-top-gallant mast down, was towed
out by the Gorgon. The Thunderer and Bellerophon
remained in their position.
The southern squadron being anchored in the
bay, with their stern to the beach, and their broadsides
bearing on the Mole, remained at anchor also;
and fortunately they did, for their position certainly
.bn 258.png
.pn +1
contributed to decide the Governor to abandon the
town, which he did after midnight, taking the
greatest part of the garrison with him.
Towards the west side there was no breach, and
the walls were much too high to surmount without
scaling-ladders, which were left behind, with the
exception of a few in the Princess Charlotte.
Towards the south the walls were lower, but still
they were not breached; and a determined enemy
might have remained secure under the breastworks,
or in the numerous casemates, without suffering
much loss, and, considering the season of the year,
it would have been worth their while to have made
the experiment. Be that as it may, it was decided
to evacuate the town. What number was withdrawn,
and finally escaped, is difficult to say, as
many deserted on the march and came over in the
morning, and others were picked up by the irregular
cavalry who had joined from the country. Before
the attack on the fortress, a regiment of Egyptian
cavalry, with their flying artillery, encamped outside,
charged the mountaineers who had collected in some
force; these, although they behaved with great
gallantry, were quite unequal to resist the disciplined
Egyptians, and suffered severely. The loss of
.bn 259.png
.pn +1
the enemy’s force during the battle, by the explosion,
must have been very great; an entire battalion,
who were formed near the magazine ready to resist
any attempt to storm, were entirely destroyed; and
nothing could be more shocking than to see the
miserable wretches, sick and wounded, in all parts
of this devoted town, which was almost entirely
pulverized. The Turks paid little attention to the
poor creatures, and many were seen lying in all
directions dying for want of seasonable relief.
.bn 260.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XVII.
.pm start_summary
Difference between the Admiral and the Author—The Author’s
Orders—Captain Berkeley’s Orders—The Author applies
for a Court Martial, but is refused—Correspondence with
the Admiral—The Admiral’s Dispatches.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
At daylight in the morning I went on board the
Ph[oe]nix steamer, where the Admiral still was; he
received me on the quarter-deck, and, after congratulating
him on the capture of Acre, I said, I hoped
he was satisfied with the position I had taken up.
To which, to my great surprise, he replied, in a most
abrupt manner, “Not at all! you ought to have
gone on to the south-west angle.” Such a reproof
on the quarter-deck of a man-of-war, and on such an
occasion, given by the Commander-in-Chief to his
second in command, even had he committed an
error of judgment, cannot be justified, particularly
after the services I had brought to so happy a termination
on shore, and which had been frequently
acknowledged by him.
That the squadron were not anchored so well as
they might have been, is quite true, but no blame
.bn 261.png
.pn +1
could be attributed to me, nor did I attribute any to
others. When I attacked from the north I never
doubted but the ships astern would pass on in the
same manner as if I had attacked from the south,
and anchor in a line ahead. But Captain Fanshawe,
in the Princess Charlotte, as I have before stated,
being impressed with the idea that, under any circumstances,
he was to take his station astern of the
Powerful, and believing we were in shoal water,
anchored astern, as did the other ships who were
under the same impression, and who had orders to
anchor in succession, of which I was not aware.
The Revenge, however, being in reserve, corrected
the mistake.
I had frequently been engaged with batteries last
war, and I believe was the only officer in the squadron
who had ever commanded a ship in action against
stone walls, and the system I followed was the one I
had always been accustomed to; it was the plan
followed by the leading ship at the battle of the
Nile, and I am not aware that Lord Nelson found
fault with Sir Samuel Hood for anchoring abreast of
the leading ship; and if that is the tactics to be
followed in attacking a line of ships, it is certainly
the same that ought to be followed in attacking
.bn 262.png
.pn +1
a line of stone walls. I never saw, in the whole
course of my service, the leading ship run along
a whole line of either ships or batteries; neither
did I ever hear of such a thing. There are two
palpable inconveniences attending such an attack;
the first is, the leading ship would be disabled
before she got to her station; the second, if the
ships were in close order of battle, it would be
perfectly impossible, in the smoke, for the next
ship astern to know the exact moment her leader
anchored, and she most probably would run aboard
of her, and those astern would fall into the
same difficulty. The fact is, the officers were not
called on board of the flag-ship, and the plan of
the place, and the plan of attack, under all circumstances,
was never pointed out to them; each
captain had separate instructions, and one did not
know the orders of the other. I have before stated,
that the first evening the attack was arranged between
Captain Boxer and the Admiral, which I
fortunately succeeded in changing. The officers
were not sent for afterwards, for I went immediately
on board my own ship, where I remained till my
signal was made to go to the Admiral, (the breeze
having sprung up,) who wished to ask my opinion,
.bn 263.png
.pn +1
if we should attack, which was agreed upon; and I
think Captain Fanshawe was the only captain there;
I certainly never saw either Captain Austin or
Captain Berkeley, nor did I know they were ordered
to anchor in succession. The orders I received
were as follows:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
''\
'“Princess Charlotte, off Acre,'\
' Nov. 2, 1840.'
“Memorandum.—The Princess Charlotte and
Powerful are to be ready at daylight to-morrow
morning to take their stations along the west front
of the battery at Acre, at a distance of about 500
yards, and to commence firing upon the batteries on
shore, which is to be continued until the whole seawall
is destroyed.
“Should the wind be favourable, and the water
sufficiently smooth, the ships may go in under sail;
but if the wind is off the land and moderate, steam-vessels
will be ordered to tow them.
“Signals made from the Ph[oe]nix are to be attended
to in the same manner as if made from the
Princess Charlotte.
.rj
“Robert Stopford, Admiral.”
.ti 0
“To Commodore Napier.”
.pm end_quote
.bn 264.png
.pn +1
What were the orders to the other Captains I
did not know at the time. Captain Berkeley has
since shown me a short note which he received the
morning of the action:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Dear Berkeley,' '“November 3, 1840.'
“If the wind comes from the south-west, I mean
to sail in from the south.
“Powerful, Princess Charlotte, Bellerophon,
Thunderer. Ships to anchor as named in succession.
You had better be prepared to bring up by
the stern.
.pm signature2\
'“Your’s truly,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“To Captain Berkeley.”'
.pm end_quote
It is much to be regretted, after an attack, which
succeeded beyond our expectations, that such an
observation should have been made to me by the
Commander-in-Chief; and I feel quite satisfied that
some mischievous person had told the Admiral that
the berth I took up had thrown out the rest of the
squadron, or words to that effect.
That I was hurt, beyond measure, can be easily
conceived. An admiral passing a censure after an
.bn 265.png
.pn +1
action on his second in command was not to be
borne with temper; some few words passed on both
sides, which I do not recollect, and the conversation
finished by my asking, in an abrupt manner, if he
had any further commands for me, which was
answered in the negative in the same style. I am
not at all aware that I had ever given the least
cause for this break-out. I certainly had frequently
pressed the Admiral to carry on active measures,
and perhaps in too urgent a manner, but I had no
reason to expect that I should ever have been so
treated.
On quitting the Ph[oe]nix I went on board the
Gorgon, and took the only step open to me, namely,
to ask for a court-martial. This was refused, and I
had just finished a letter, requesting that the correspondence
might be sent to the Admiralty if he
persisted in denying me a court-martial, when I was
beset by my brother officers, earnestly requesting
that I would be pacified, very naturally concluding
that a difference of so serious a nature between the
Commander-in-Chief and his second, would put a stop
to the promotion and rewards that it was expected
would be liberally bestowed on the whole squadron.
Of this I felt quite aware, but I considered myself
.bn 266.png
.pn +1
so unjustly and so indecorously treated, and that
my character as an officer would suffer, unless an
investigation took place, as there are always people
in the world ready to breathe upon one’s reputation.
This feeling for several days induced me to
resist all their endeavours to make matters up, but I
at last consented, much against my own inclination,
(and I believe, even now, that I was wrong in doing
so,) on condition the Admiral would write me a
proper letter on the subject. He did write me a
letter, which I subjoin:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Sir,' '“November 6.'
“I do not apprehend that a difference of opinion
implies a censure upon either party, as I cannot
allow infallibility to any body.
“That I differed in opinion with you is true,
but that therefore censure was intended is without
foundation.
.pm signature3\
'“Believe me, my dear Sir,'\
' “Yours truly,'\
' “Robert Stopford.”'
.pm address '“Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 267.png
.pn +1
I made answer:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My dear Sir,' '“Powerful, November 7, 1840.'
“I am glad to find, by your note, which I
received last night, that you had no intention to
censure me. I placed my ship to the best of my
judgment; I could do no more.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“Admiral Stopford.”'
.pm end_quote
Thus ended this unpleasant affair, and all the
correspondence was cancelled and destroyed. I
cannot say that I was satisfied with the Admiral’s
letter: the affront was public, and the reparation
should have been public also, but the opinion of
my brother officers was, that I ought not to push
the matter further, and I most unwillingly complied
with their wishes.
It is with reluctance that I have been obliged to
treat on this subject, but to write an account of the
campaign in Syria and the capture of Acre, without
entering upon a point not properly understood,
was impossible. I have endeavoured to state plainly
everything that occurred, without casting censure
.bn 268.png
.pn +1
upon any one; and the reader must judge whether I
was right or wrong.
I close this Chapter with Sir Charles Smith’s
report to Lord Palmerston, and the Admiral’s letter
to the Admiralty, in which he followed the example of
Sir John Jervis, on the 14th of February, 1797, and
made no mention of either the second in command,
who led in one division, or of Captain Collier, who
led in another, or any of the other officers engaged.
Captains Boxer and Codrington were thanked for
their exertions in sounding. In a second letter
which he wrote, and where he had an opportunity
of correcting this omission, he makes mention only
of his own captain and flag-lieutenant.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Princess Charlotte, off St. Jean D’Acre,'\
' November 4, 1840.'
“You will be pleased to acquaint the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty that the town and
fortress of Acre were taken possession of by the
allied forces under my command this morning in
the name of the Sultan.
“The circumstances which led to this result
occurred on the 3rd, when a heavy cannonade from
the ships and vessels, beginning at 2 P.M. and ending
.bn 269.png
.pn +1
at 5, completely demolished the town, and materially
damaged the fortifications, inducing the Egyptians
to evacuate the place in the night. A tremendous
explosion of a large magazine of powder took place
about 4 P.M. on the 3rd.
“The attacks were made upon the west lines
and south face of the works, the former composed
of the following ships:—viz., Princess Charlotte,
Powerful, Bellerophon, Revenge, Thunderer, and
Pique, under the immediate command of Commodore
Napier (as I thought it advisable to accompany
Colonel Sir Charles F. Smith in the Ph[oe]nix
steamer, to be ready to take advantage of any breach
that might be made in either of the two sea faces of
the walls of the place for an immediate assault).
The south face, being a more contracted anchorage,
was occupied by the Edinburgh, Benbow, Castor,
Carysfort, Talbot, Wasp, and Hazard: the destruction
caused by the fire of the ships on both sides
sufficiently proves its rapidity and precision.
“Rear-Admiral Baron de Bandeira, in the Austrian
frigate Medea, and the Guerriera, under the
command of His Imperial Highness the Archduke
Frederick, with the Austrian corvette Lipsia, rendered
much assistance. Rear-Admiral Walker Bey,
.bn 270.png
.pn +1
in the Sultan’s ship Mookuddimay-i-hive of 74 guns,
took up a most favourable position opposed to the
south face, and did good service.
“The steamers Gorgon, Vesuvius, Ph[oe]nix, and
Stromboli, fired shot and shells into the town with
much precision, and it is generally supposed that
shells from the Gorgon occasioned the destruction
of the powder magazine.
“A flag of truce having been offered by the
Turkish Admiral and rejected a short time before,
I did not think it necessary or becoming that the
summons should be repeated, particularly as hostilities
had already commenced, and the ships and
steamers had been fired upon as they approached
the walls.
“I have not been able to ascertain the number
of troops in the town of Acre at the commencement
of our fire: they have been estimated at 4500,
besides a body of cavalry outside the town of 800.
Many lives were lost by the explosion of the magazine.
700 Egyptians and two officers of rank came
in this morning with their arms, and surrendered
themselves as prisoners.
“To Colonel Sir Charles Smith devolves the
task of putting the town and fortifications into a
.bn 271.png
.pn +1
posture of defence, and I am happy to find that his
health enables him to perform his duty with his
usual intelligence.
“A great quantity of arms and ammunition was
found at Acre, and the fortifications were fast getting
into a state of preparation against attack.
“I am much indebted to Captain Edward Boxer,
of the Pique, and to Captain Codrington, of the
Talbot, for the excellent surveys which they made
of the shoals round Acre, which enabled the ships to
go in without risk of getting ashore.
“I return a list of the killed and wounded in
the allied squadrons, but the damage to the masts
and rigging can be made good without the ships
being sent off the station.
“The success of this enterprise, so important in
its results, has called for my acknowledgements in
general orders to the officers and men of the combined
squadrons, whose united exertions had so
much contributed to its attainment.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.,'\
' “Robert Stopford, Admiral.”'
.pm address '“R. More O’Ferrall, Esq., &c.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 272.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My Lord,' '“St. Jean d’Acre, Nov. 5, 1840.'
“On the 29th ultimo it was finally determined
between Sir Robert Stopford and myself that the
siege of Acre should be undertaken. I accordingly
detached Omar Bey for the purpose of advancing
from Sidon with 2000 Turks upon Tyre, and thence
to occupy the Pass of the White Mountain, to the
northward of this place; and on the 31st, the Admiral
made sail from Beyrout roads, having previously
embarked in the squadron 3000 men, under
the immediate command of the Pacha Selim, and
small detachments of Royal Artillery and Sappers
under Major Higgins, of the former corps, and
Lieutenant Aldrich, Royal Engineers.
“Omar Bey reached the position assigned to
him at the same hour on the 2nd inst. that the fleet
appeared off Acre.
“Owing to the light winds the ships did not get
into action till 2 P.M. on the 3rd, when an animated
fire commenced, and was maintained without intermission
until darkness closed the operations of the
day. About three hours later, the Governor, with
a portion of the garrison, quitted the town, which
was taken possession of by the allied troops at daylight
the following morning. The moral influence
.bn 273.png
.pn +1
on the cause in which we are engaged that will
result from its surrender is incalculable.
“During the bombardment the principal magazine
and the whole arsenal blew up. By the explosion,
two entire regiments, formed in position on the
ramparts, were annihilated, and every living creature,
within the area of 60,000 square yards, ceased to
exist; the loss of life being variously computed at
from 1200 to 2000 persons. Those who may have
been inclined to doubt the fighting qualities of the
Egyptian troops might acquire a lesson from the
example of their endurance, if they could but contemplate
the devastation and scene of horror by
which this once formidable fortress is enshrouded.
“To the Royal Navy I should be guilty of great
injustice were I to attempt to record services that
will be so much more ably detailed by their gallant
and respected Commander-in-Chief; whilst the
early departure of the despatch vessel for Malta,
and the labour that has devolved on me within the
walls, alike deprive me of the means of transmitting
returns of ordnance, ammunition, treasure, &c., that
have fallen into the hands of the captors, and of
giving your Lordship an approximation even to the
amount of prisoners, (over 3000,) as many are still
.bn 274.png
.pn +1
coming in, and others are dragged in numbers from
their places of refuge and concealment.
“To Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Constantinople
I have reported the measures I have adopted
for the temporary administration of the Pachalic of
Acre, pending the pleasure of the Sultan.
.pm signature3\
' “I have, &c.,'\
' “C.F. Smith, Colonel,'\
'“Commanding the Forces in Syria.'
.pm address '“Viscount Palmerston, G.C.B. &c.”'
.pm end_quote
.hr 10%
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
''\
'“Princess Charlotte, off St. Jean d’Acre,'\
' “November 8, 1840.'
“Since my letter of the 4th another explosion
has taken place of a magazine of live shells, from a
smouldering fire under the rubbish of the former,
which it had been found almost impossible entirely
to subdue; one marine of the Benbow was killed, and
several others slightly hurt; but I regret to say that
gallant officer, Captain Collier, of the Castor, who had
so distinguished himself in the attack, was severely
wounded, having his leg fractured, and several other
hurts of a slighter description, which require his
removal to Malta; and the Castor, having her
bowsprit badly wounded, and other masts and spars
.bn 275.png
.pn +1
shot away, I have ordered her and the Wasp,
having her fore-mast disabled, into Malta to refit,
and rejoin me with all dispatch.
“One thousand prisoners have been sent away
in the Turkish flag-ship, eighteen officers, and a party
of soldiers, by the Talbot, to Constantinople, and
2000 to Beyrout, by the Bellerophon, Thunderer,
Revenge, and Edinburgh; and the garrison being
placed in a state of order and tolerable security,
under Sir Charles Smith, is to be left with
3000 Turkish troops, under Selim Pacha, and
about 250 marines, under Lieut.-Colonel Walker,
with the protection of the Pique and Stromboli,
and occasional visits of other ships, as circumstances
require.
“The Hazard resumes her station at Tyre, and
Commodore Napier proceeds from Beyrout to take
charge of the squadron off Alexandria—Benbow,
Magicienne, and Daphne, at Scanderoon and the
neighbourhood.
“The people of the country seem very firm in
the cause, and keep the neighbourhood clear of
Mehemet Ali’s troops. Abundance of ammunition
and stores have been found in the place, and arms
have been sent in the Benbow and Powerful, for
.bn 276.png
.pn +1
distribution to the inhabitants to the northward.
Among those who surrendered themselves was the
Polish Colonel Schultz, the chief engineer, who has
been sent as a prisoner to Constantinople; he was
wounded, and says it was quite impossible to withstand
such an incessant stream of fire as was poured
from our guns, which I found, on going round the
ramparts with Sir Charles Smith, had torn and
almost demolished many of the embrasures, and
disabled the guns in such a manner, that it did
appear extraordinary that the garrison should have
made so good a defence; for the state of devastation
was beyond description.
“When I see the effects of our fire upon so
formidable a fortress, I cannot help feeling the
greatest obligation to every officer and man engaged
in this enterprise. The cool, steady, and
style in which the ships and vessels, through shoals
and banks, came into their positions, and the noble
spirit that animated the whole, in the destructive
fire opened and maintained against a very smart
return from the forts and batteries, were most
gratifying, and drew forth my admiration, being
enabled in the steamer to observe the simultaneous
attacks on both faces; but where all were animated
.bn 277.png
.pn +1
with the same spirit, and each did his duty to my
heart’s content, it cannot be possible for me to
single out cases of individual merit. I may be
allowed to observe, however, that in confiding to
Captain Fanshawe, my flag-captain, (who had been
of great service to me in the previous details and
arrangements on this and former occasions during
the expedition,) the charge of conducting my flagship,
while it behoved me to survey and direct the
whole, he most ably fulfilled his trust.
“Lieutenant Granville, my flag-lieutenant, besides
the duties he had to perform in the signals,
was actively employed in the boats communicating
with the different ships along the line of the two
divisions, as necessity required; I would, therefore,
beg to recommend him to their Lordships’ notice,
and I should feel gratified by any mark of approbation
their Lordships may be pleased to bestow on the
senior officers of each class for their gallant conduct,
in common with all, on this important occasion.
.pm signature2\
' “I am, &c.,'\
'“Robert Stopford, Admiral.”'
.pm address '“R. More O’Ferrall, Esq., &c.”'
.pm end_quote
.hr 15%
.bn 278.png
.pn +1
Return of killed and wounded in the squadron under the
orders of Admiral the Hon. Sir Robert Stopford, Commander-in-Chief,
in the attack of the fortifications of St. Jean d’Acre,
on the 3rd of November, 1840:—
Princess Charlotte—Killed, 1 seaman.
Powerful—Wounded, 1 seaman severely, 2 seamen and 1
royal marine slightly.
Bellerophon—None killed or wounded.
Revenge—Killed, 1 seaman, 1 drummer, royal marines;
wounded, 3 seamen severely, 1 royal marine slightly.
Thunderer—None killed or wounded.
Castor—Killed, 4 seamen; wounded, 1 seaman severely,
3 seamen slightly, 2 privates royal marines severely, 1 private
royal marine slightly.
Edinburgh—Killed, 2 seamen, 1 drummer royal marine,
1 private royal marine; wounded, Commander F.D. Hastings,
slightly; Mr. John Davies, master, slightly; Mr. Joseph
Plimsoll, assistant-surgeon, slightly; Mr. Henry Boys, midshipman,
slightly; 1 seaman, 1 boy slightly, 1 sergeant royal
marines slightly.
Benbow—None killed or wounded.
Pique—None killed or wounded.
Carysfort—None killed or wounded.
Talbot—Wounded, Lieutenant G.B. Le Mesurier, since
dead; Mr. Henry Haswell, mate, slightly; 1 seaman severely.
Gorgon—None killed or wounded.
Wasp—Wounded, 5 seamen severely, 1 private royal
marine.
.bn 279.png
.pn +1
Stromboli—None killed or wounded.
Ph[oe]nix—None killed or wounded.
Vesuvius—None killed or wounded.
Hazard—Wounded, 1 private royal marine, 1 boy slightly.
Turkish flag-ship, Rear-Admiral Walker—4 killed, 3
wounded.
Medea, Austrian flag-ship, Rear-Admiral Bandeira—1
killed, 4 wounded.
Guerriera, Austrian frigate—1 killed, 2 wounded.
Total killed, 18—Total wounded, 41.
.bn 280.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XVIII.
.pm start_summary
Second Explosion at Acre—Prisoners sent to Beyrout—The
Author ordered to Alexandria with a Squadron—Letter
from the Emir—Neglected State of his Troops—English
Commissary-General appointed—Excursion to the Mountains—Padre
Ryllo—French Priests in Lebanon—Visit to
the Wife of an Emir—Bad conduct of the Turks—Letters
to Lord Ponsonby, Palmerston, and Minto on the
subject.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
A day or two after the surrender of the ill-fated
town of Acre, another severe explosion took place,
but fortunately few suffered. Captain Collier had
his leg broke, and Sir Charles Smith received a
contusion on the foot.
The prisoners were sent in the ships-of-war to
Beyrout; and I was directed to proceed there also,
complete my water, and then take the command
of the squadron off Alexandria, which was to be
increased to six sail of the line. I had gained so
much influence over the mountaineers that I did
not think this a wise measure; and the Admiralty
seemed to have been of the same opinion, for orders
were afterwards sent for the Powerful to return.
The Admiral had decided to winter in Marmorice
.bn 281.png
.pn +1
Bay, and leave the Benbow at Beyrout, Pique and
Zebra at Acre, and the other small vessels and
steamers on various parts of the coast. We arrived
at Beyrout on the 9th of November, and a few days
after were followed by the Admiral who, with the
rest of the squadron, anchored in St. George’s
Bay, with the exception of the Bellerophon,
which remained off the town. The anchorage at
the latter place in winter is far from safe; the
former is quite open, but the holding-ground good.
We found things in the same state; Ibrahim was
concentrated at Zachle and Malaka, and the Turkish
troops divided between Tripoli, Beyrout, Sidon,
Acre, and Tyre. About this time they must have
amounted to 12,000. The Emir Bechir had been
left to himself to watch the mountains the best way
he could, without either forces or provisions, and
why Ibrahim did not attack him, and march upon
Beyrout, is to me inexplicable. The Emir shall tell
his own story.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Sir,' '“Ammanah, Nov. 11, 1840.'
“We have received your favoured letter, and
I thank you very much for telling me so soon about
Acre. The 3000 muskets which you sent me the
.bn 282.png
.pn +1
order for, I am sending for to-day, and I thank you
for it. I also inform you that the troops under
my command have had no provisions for three days,
nor the horses any barley, and in fact nothing at
all to eat. I have written to the Pacha several
times, and he has done nothing. You know very
well the troops cannot keep together without pay
and provisions, nor the horses without barley.
In consequence of this, the troops have returned
to their homes; and if they remain, the enemy will
come into the mountains. Perhaps this may happen,
and I write this to you that you shall not
blame me if it does.
“The bearer (Scheik Osman) will inform you
plainly about all this, and I leave every thing to
you.”
.pm end_quote
I communicated this to Sir Charles Smith, who
immediately gave orders to the Turkish authorities
to send the supplies that were wanted; they, however,
knew very little of the movements of a Commissariat,
and the probability is the orders were
badly executed. Shortly after, a Commissary General
arrived from England to take charge of this
department.
.bn 283.png
.pn +1
Three days after my arrival at Beyrout, I made
an excursion to the mountains, and went over the
ground whence we had so recently driven Ibrahim
Pacha. It was indeed a fine position; and how
so renowned a warrior as Ibrahim Pacha could
have allowed himself to be driven from such a
post, is not easily to be accounted for. After
getting possession of the third position, there is
a cavalry country; and had he taken the precaution
of ordering up a couple of squadrons of Souliman
Pacha’s horse, and attacked us unexpectedly, we
should have lost many men before we could have
recovered from the disorder unavoidably caused by
the difficulty of the ascent. After going over the
ground, we partook of the hospitality of Padre
Ryllo, at Bechfaya. He had been an officer in the
Polish army; and, after witnessing the destruction
of his country, became a priest, and took refuge
in the mountains of Lebanon. He was a most
useful and intelligent man; had a large correspondence
through the country, and was most serviceable
in procuring information. Besides the Padre, there
were half a dozen more priests in the convent,
French and Italians, who possessed great influence
in the mountains, and turned their attention to the
.bn 284.png
.pn +1
education of the people. The French priests were,
generally speaking, in the interest of Mehemet Ali;
and all his correspondence with the mountains was
carried on through them, and by means of French
vessels of war stationed on various parts of the
coast. We were well aware of this inconvenience;
but it was very difficult, if not impossible, to remedy
it, without running the risk of collision with
France, which the Government was anxious to
avoid.
After enjoying a good dinner, we mounted our
horses, and proceeded along the summit of the
mountains leading to Brumanah. The greater part of
the villages in this district had been burnt by order
of Ibrahim, after the first affair of Ornagacuan, and it
was out of my power to prevent it. Brumanah was
in ruins also; it had been destroyed by a party of
Albanians during the insurrection. We were well
received by the wife of the Emir of the place, whose
name I do not recollect; she was mother to the wife
of the Emir Bechir Cassim. We had a tolerable
dinner served on a low table; and were afterwards
invited into the ladies’ apartment, where were seated
the Princess and her two daughters, smoking their
pipes, dressed out in all their finery. The three
.bn 285.png
.pn +1
ladies wore horns on their heads, studded with
jewels, about two feet and a half long, over which
were hung veils, the horn richly ornamented. The
old lady had lost her beauty, but not her dignity.
The husband of the eldest daughter was a prisoner
in Nubia; and when she heard I was going off
Alexandria, she implored me to obtain his release;
she was a determined smoker, and frequently handed
me her pipe. The second daughter was unmarried
and handsome, and also treated me occasionally
with a whiff, which is considered a high compliment
on the mountains. After a good deal of conversation,
through the medium of an interpreter, we were
served with coffee; the ladies then retired, and we
followed their example; but as usual, were kept
awake the greater part of the night by our numerous
bed-fellows, who appeared more inveterate in this
château than we had ever found them before. After
breakfast we mounted our horses, and made the best
of our way to Beyrout.
The Turks now considering themselves pretty
secure in Lebanon, took no pains to gain the good
will of the inhabitants; on the contrary, they soon
made them feel that they had gained nothing by
the change of masters. Before leaving Beyrout for
.bn 286.png
.pn +1
Alexandria, I wrote to Lord Ponsonby the following
letter on the subject:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“H.M.S. Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' Nov. 14, 1840.'
“Things are going on here just as bad as possible.
I do not mean as to military affairs, for I
know nothing about them, except that the troops
are divided between Beyrout, Sidon, Tyre, and
Acre; but the Pacha is disgusting everybody. The
troops of the Grand Prince are left sometimes
without provisions, or any thing else, for days. I
send you the last letter I had from him. The
appointments to the different places are made
without judgment; and I verily believe, if the war
lasts, Ibrahim Pacha will get a party in his favour.
I understand Izzet openly says when Ibrahim is put
down, the next thing to do is to disarm the mountaineers.
This, I suspect, will be no easy matter;
and I see no prospect of any good coming out of
all this to the Sultan; he ought at once to give
them the same government they have at Samos.
“I before mentioned to your Lordship that
Sidon, Beyrout, and Tripoli should be added to
the government of the Grand Prince; and as the
.bn 287.png
.pn +1
mountaineers have land in the Bekaa, if that and
Anti-Lebanon could be also added to their government,
they would be quite content, and be the best
supporters the Sultan could have. If Mehemet Ali
was to offer it, even now, and they could depend
upon him, I verily believe he would be supported.
“The Turks in Beyrout treat the mountaineers
very ill, and they are beginning to find they will not
be a bit better off than they were. At present I
have great influence over them, and can make them
do just what I like, but I am unfortunately going to
Alexandria, where I do not believe anything can be
done without troops, and there will be no one here
to look after their interests. My son is come out to
join me; he is Major in the 46th. I have some idea
of sending him to the Emir, but he ought to have
Turkish rank; he has great talent, great application,
and knows a little Arabic, and will soon know more.
If you could get him Turkish rank, as Major-General,
he would be most useful. There is another
thing that ought to be done immediately, viz., to
send one who could be trusted, with a sum of money,
say 5000l., to distribute amongst the mountaineers
whose houses have been burnt. I was yesterday at
Bechfaya; there is a town near it entirely destroyed,
.bn 288.png
.pn +1
and the inhabitants without shelter or provisions, and
the winter coming on; they cannot go into the plain
to cultivate their lands, and there will certainly be
a famine if magazines are not formed to provide
against it.
“The garrison of Jaffa marched into Acre the
other day, and 500 irregular horse are come in
from Marash; I believe if Ibrahim was attacked
with vigour, we should get all the Egyptian army;
after another fortnight nothing more can be done,
because the rains will set in. Should anything
turn up at Alexandria I shall not fail to keep your
Lordship informed. It is generally believed here
that the French squadron are gone to Toulon, in
that case we shall probably go to Malta; they are, I
dare say, about something,—at least it looks like it,—or
they may have determined on war, and are
concentrating their squadron, which will be stronger
than ours, till the arrival of the Britannia and
Howe. The Admiral, for the present, talks of going
to Marmorice Bay, and the ships from home are
ordered to rendezvous there.
.pm signature2\
'“Believe me, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Lord Ponsonby.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 289.png
.pn +1
This letter I followed up by one to Lord Palmerston:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' Nov. 14, 1840.'
“By this time your Lordship will have known
of the defeat of Ibrahim Pacha, and the total
evacuation of Lebanon. Since then, Acre has
fallen; but no military operations have taken place.
Troops are arriving every day from Constantinople,
and we cannot now have less than 12,000 men.
Ibrahim Pacha is two days’ march from here, and
is watched by the mountaineers only; and they are
so neglected by the Pacha, that sometimes they are
without provisions for three days. I send you the
translation of the last letter I received from the
Grand Prince; this is not the first, second, or third
time. The Pacha here is the worst person that
can be; and unless he is removed, there will be
mischief. I have written fully to Lord Ponsonby
on the subject. Nothing would give England so
much influence here as giving Lebanon the same
government as Samos. The Grand Prince ought
to be a Pacha; Sidon, Tripoli, and Beyrout ought
to be added to his government; and, if possible,
.bn 290.png
.pn +1
the Bekaa and Anti-Lebanon. This would be a
prosperous country; but agreeable to the present
system, they are almost shut out from the sea.
God knows how the Sultan is to govern the other
provinces; but if his Pachas are all like the man
here, they will be worse off than they were under
Mehemet Ali; and I verily believe, should the war
last, he will have a party in his favour, the Turks
treat them so ill. If Mehemet Ali was a wise man,
he would do with the mountains what I have
stated, and he would get a strong party in his
favour.
“I am going to Alexandria, which I am sorry
for. I have great influence here at present, and
can make them do what I like; and would have
been of much more service here than off Alexandria,
where nothing can be done at this season.
“My son joined me the other day, which I
believe you know; I should have put him on my
staff had I remained in command of the army. I
have some idea of sending him to the Grand Prince,
where he would be of use; but I fear it might create
jealousies. I hope your Lordship will order him
the same fit-out and allowances with the other
officers. I wrote to Sir John Macdonald; at my
.bn 291.png
.pn +1
request he sent him to me, and it would be hard
if he was put to personal expenses.
“The weather is still fine; but if a movement
does not take place at once, it will be too late, and
the troops must remain in garrison all the winter.
Ibrahim will probably establish his head-quarters
at Balbeck, if he intends remaining in Syria; but
as he has given up the north, and lost Acre, I
do not see what he is to gain by remaining in this
country.
“We hear the French fleet are gone to Toulon;
I fear they are up to some mischief. If this is true,
we ought to be at Malta; but we never can, with
our present force, watch both the French and
Egyptians. I do not, however, apprehend the latter
will proceed to sea; if they do, I shall see what
I can make of them. I believe the best thing to
settle this affair would be at once to say to Mehemet
Ali, 'Withdraw from Syria, and give up the Turkish
fleet, and you shall keep Egypt.' If your Lordship
and the allies have any notion of that, try me as a
negotiator with six sail of the line, which I am to
have, and I dare say I should succeed. I believe
Egypt would be just as well governed by him, as it
would be by one of the Turkish Pachas; he is an
.bn 292.png
.pn +1
old man, and it is hardly worth while risking a
European war to turn him out.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to remain, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Lord Palmerston.”'
“P.S. If your Lordship expects a French war,
for God’s sake full man the ships, or we shall meet
with disasters. I have frequently written on this
subject, both to Parker and Lord Minto.”
.pm end_quote
I next wrote as follows to Lord Minto:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“H.M.S. Powerful, Beyrout,'\
' November 14, 1840.'
“I learn, with great pleasure, from Sir William
Parker, that my son is to be employed, for which I
beg to thank your Lordship. The defeat of Ibrahim
Pacha has led to greater events than I was aware of
when I last wrote to your Lordship. It appears
that he immediately sent orders to evacuate all the
north, and blow up the batteries in the passes; at
the same time he evacuated Tripoli.
.tb
“Ibrahim is now at Zachle with about 12,000
men, including 3000 cavalry. I believe there is
.bn 293.png
.pn +1
some intention of moving, but I fear it will be too
late, as the rains are expected every day. We
have had a very fine week, but I do not think a
forward movement will take place till the officers
arrive from England; it will be then too late.
.tb
“The Pacha they have sent here is the greatest
—— on earth; the appointments to the different
posts are given without judgment, and I
believe, are bought right and left. The inhabitants
are ill-treated by the Turks, and begin to
ask what they are to gain by the change. The
Pacha countenances all sorts of intrigues against
the new Grand Prince, who is left for days without
provisions, and his men are forced to go to
their houses; and I verily believe he is in the pay
of the old Prince and his family, who are very rich,
and are trying to regain their places. I go into the
mountains occasionally, where I have great influence,
and they all tell me this. Had I been Commander-in-Chief,
at my own risk and my own
responsibility, I would have shipped old Izzet Pacha
of to Constantinople, which would at once have
shown a determination that oppression should not
go on. I have written to Lord Ponsonby, who has
.bn 294.png
.pn +1
promised to have him removed, but if it is not done
speedily, it will be too late.
“The taking of Acre has had the same effect
in the south. The garrison of Jaffa has marched
to Acre, and a body of Naplouses have come
in from the mountains. Five hundred irregular
cavalry have marched in from Marash. A vigorous
attack on Zachle would finish the war which was
so happily begun. I hope the Admiral will not
leave the coast: the anchorage in St. George’s
Bay is quite open, but the holding-ground is good,
and country vessels lay there all winter, therefore
there can be no reason why a fleet should not lay
there. It never blows home.
“The Austrian squadron is to remain, and I
hope ours will remain too. I am to have six
sail of the line off Alexandria. If I get them out,
I hope to give a good account of them. Blockading
is of no use, particularly when you have not
the power to stop neutrals. One or two ships
there, to give notice if they come out, would be
quite sufficient, and the fleet, if they did come
out, never would get back again. I most sincerely
think the best thing to do would be to leave
Mehemet Ali in Egypt; he will govern it better
.bn 295.png
.pn +1
than a Turkish Pacha. Let him withdraw from
Syria, give up the whole of the fleet as a counter-balance
for the expense of the war, and pay the
Syrians for the damage he has done them; this
would be clipping his wings, and punishing him
with sufficient severity. He is an old man, and it is
hardly worth while to risk a European war to turn
him out. I wish Lord Palmerston would make
me a negotiator with six sail of the line under my
orders; I think it is most likely this affair of the
East would be soon finished.
.pm signature2\
'“I have the honour to be, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“To the Right Hon. Lord Minto.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 296.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
CHAPTER XIX.
.pm start_summary
The Author sent to Alexandria—Defences of the Town—Lord
Palmerston’s Instructions to Lord Ponsonby—Lord Ponsonby’s
dislike to Mehemet Ali—The Author’s Correspondence
with Boghos Bey—Interview with the Pacha—His
Arsenal—Further Correspondence—Signature of the Convention.
.pm end_summary
.sp 2
The Admiral having thought it necessary to increase
the squadron off Alexandria to six sail of the line,
I sailed on the 15th November to take the command;
the object was to make a powerful demonstration
before Alexandria under my pennant, as
the Admiral wrote to me. The rest of the squadron,
as I have before stated, were to be withdrawn, with
the exception of the Benbow. Ibrahim at this time
had collected a very strong force at Zachle and
Malaka, and I thought it very probable, unless he
had decided to abandon Syria altogether, that he
would take advantage of the absence of the squadron,
and march a strong force on Beyrout. Had he attempted
such an enterprise he must have succeeded;
Sidon would then have fallen, and probably Acre,
for the explosion had blown a great part of the
.bn 297.png
.pn +1
land-face down, and the temporary reparations could
not have resisted a powerful force.
On the 21st of November I arrived off Alexandria,
where I found the Rodney, Revenge,
Ganges, Vanguard, and Cambridge, of the line;
Carysfort, and Medea, steamer. The latter a
few days before had been nearly blown up by the
bursting of a shell. Before communicating with the
squadron, I ran in and reconnoitred the defences:
the sea-face appeared covered with guns, but, with
the exception of the Pharo Castle, I saw nothing
that could resist a strong naval force; but still any
attack without troops would lead to no result, and
at this season of the year, even if a force could have
been spared, it would not have been prudent to
have attempted it.
When I joined the squadron I was put in
possession of a copy of the following letter from
Lord Palmerston to Lord Ponsonby:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“My Lord,' '“London, Oct. 15, 1840.'
“Her Majesty’s Government having taken into
consideration the act by which the Sultan deprived
Mehemet Ali of the pachalic of Egypt, the bearings
of that act upon the present state of pending questions,
.bn 298.png
.pn +1
and the course which it may be expedient to
take thereupon, have invited the Representatives of
Austria, Prussia, and Russia at their court, to
submit to their respective Governments, that undoubtedly
there is much force in the reasons which,
according to your Excellency’s reports, induced
the Sultan to take this step; and, that while on
the one hand, this measure in no degree prevents
the Sultan from reinstating Mehemet Ali, if
he should speedily make his submission to his
Sovereign, on the other hand, it may operate as a
powerful instrument of moral coercion upon Mehemet
Ali, by making him aware, that if the contest
between him and his Sovereign should be prolonged,
and if the issue of that contest should be unfavourable
to him, he might lose everything by his too
obstinate resistance.
“That in this view, and in order to make the
recent exercise of the sovereign authority of the
Sultan useful towards effecting an early and satisfactory
settlement of pending questions, it is the
opinion of Her Majesty’s Government, that it
would be expedient that the Representatives of the
Four Powers at Constantinople, should be instructed
to proceed to the Turkish Minister, and state to him
.bn 299.png
.pn +1
that their respective Governments, in pursuance of
the stipulations of the Seventh Article of the Separate
Act annexed to the Treaty of the 15th July,
beg strongly to recommend to the Sultan, that if
Mehemet Ali should at an early period make his
submission to the Sultan, and should agree to
restore the Turkish fleet, and to withdraw his troops
from Syria, from Adana, Candia, and the Holy
Cities, the Sultan should not only reinstate Mehemet
Ali as Pacha of Egypt, but should also give him an
hereditary tenure to that pachalic, according to the
conditions specified in the Treaty of July, and liable,
of course, to the forfeiture by any infraction of
those conditions on the part of Mehemet Ali, or his
successors.
“Her Majesty’s Government have reason to
hope that this suggestion will meet the concurrence
of the Governments of Austria, Prussia, and Russia;
and your Excellency will accordingly take the steps
pointed out in this despatch, as soon as your colleagues
shall have received corresponding instructions.
“If the Sultan should consent to act upon this
advice, tendered to him by his four Allies, it would
be expedient that he should take immediate steps
.bn 300.png
.pn +1
for making his gracious intentions in this respect
known to Mehemet Ali; and your Excellency and
Sir Robert Stopford should afford every facility
which they may require for this purpose.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.,'\
'(Signed) “Palmerston.”'
.pm address '“To his Excellency Lord Ponsonby.”'
.pm end_quote
This letter shows that the British Government
was not quite satisfied with the deposition of Mehemet
Ali. The British Ambassador at Constantinople
merely announced it in a short despatch;
but his dislike of Mehemet Ali was so little concealed,
that it was generally supposed he used all his
influence with the Porte to induce the Sultan to
depose him. Great praise is, however, due to his
Excellency, for the vigour with which he had pushed
the armaments at Constantinople, and I believe, had
it not been for his exertions, neither a Turkish
army or fleet would ever have appeared on the coast
of Syria. Had the Ambassador stopped here, and
recommended the Porte to be satisfied with the
possession of that country, he would have shown
himself a great statesman, and a wise man; but it
will shortly be seen that he was so exasperated
.bn 301.png
.pn +1
against Mehemet Ali, that he endeavoured to hurry
the Porte into measures, that they had not the
power of carrying into execution, against the wish
of the Ambassadors of the other Powers, and at the
imminent risk of a war with France.
I saw things through a very different telescope.
We had met with great success, more than we had
the least right to expect, and notwithstanding the
menaces of France, a European war had as yet been
avoided. I knew it was the intention of the Commander-in-Chief
to leave the coast, and also shortly
to recall the squadron from Alexandria. Ibrahim
had collected his troops at Damascus, Zachle, and
Malaka, and they could not have consisted of less
than 60,000 men. He had the reputation of being
a great General, and the talents of Souliman were
undoubted; he had met with uninterrupted success
in all his campaigns, with the exception of the last;
and it was natural to expect he would seize the first
opportunity of wiping off the stain on his military
reputation. He must have known that the mountaineers
were badly provisioned and unsupported by
a regular force, and that the Turkish troops were
scattered in various garrisons, and as the season
advanced would be unsupported by a British fleet.
.bn 302.png
.pn +1
I gave Ibrahim credit for attempting to do the same
thing I should have done in similar circumstances,
and I determined to take the responsibility on
myself, and at once open a communication with
Mehemet Ali. Captain Maunsell, of the Rodney,
was an old friend of the Pacha's, and I decided on
making him my negotiator, and next morning he
proceeded with a flag of truce to Alexandria with
the subjoined letter to Boghos Bey:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'H.B.M. Ship Powerful, off Alexandria,'\
' November 22, 1840.'
“This will be delivered to your Excellency by
Captain Maunsell, an old acquaintance of his Highness
Mehemet Ali. I send him to request his
Highness will consent to release or exchange, the
Emirs and Scheiks of Lebanon, who were sent to
Alexandria last July by the authorities of Syria.
The greater part of those unfortunate individuals
were arrested only on suspicion of disaffection, at
at the instigation of the late Grand Prince, whose
government of Lebanon was anything but just, or
moderate, and who at last deserted Mehemet Ali.
“The retaining those unhappy individuals in
captivity can answer no good purpose at present:
.bn 303.png
.pn +1
Lebanon is entirely free and armed; and come what
may in other parts of Syria, the mountains never
can again fall under the rule of Mehemet Ali.
“His Highness is, no doubt, aware of the
willingness of the Allies to secure to Mehemet Ali
the hereditary government of Egypt.
“Will his Highness permit an old sailor to
suggest to him an easy means of reconciliation to
the Sultan and the other Great Powers of Europe?
“Let his Highness frankly, freely, and unconditionally
deliver up the Ottoman fleet and withdraw
his troops from Syria; the miseries of war
would then cease, and his Highness, in his latter
years, would have ample and satisfactory occupation
in cultivating the arts of peace, and probably laying
a foundation for the restoration of the throne of the
Ptolemies.
“By what has taken place in Syria, his Highness
must be aware what can be accomplished in a
country where the inhabitants are disaffected to the
Government. In one month 6000 Turks and a
handful of marines took Sidon, Beyrout; defeated
the Egyptian troops in three actions; possessed
themselves of 10,000 prisoners and deserters; and
caused the evacuation of all the seaports, the passes
.bn 304.png
.pn +1
of the Taurus and Mount Lebanon; and this in the
face of an army of more than 30,000 men; and in
three weeks more, Acre, the key of Syria, fell to the
combined fleets, after a bombardment of three
hours. Should his Highness persist in hostilities,
will he permit me to ask if he is safe in Egypt? I
am a great admirer of his Highness, and would
much rather be his friend than enemy.
“In the capacity of the former, I take the
liberty of pointing out to his Highness, the little
hope he can have of ever preserving Egypt, should
he refuse to be reconciled to the Sultan.
“Experience has shown that the Egyptian army
in Syria are disaffected, and the whole of the
country are in arms against them; and if Ibrahim
Pacha is attacked by a larger and increasing Turkish
force, he will probably be forced to lay down his
arms. Let his Highness look to Egypt: the
Turkish seamen are all disaffected; the Vice-Admiral
and several of his officers abandoned him
a few days ago, and are now in the squadron; the
Syrian troops in Egypt wish to return to their
country; the Egyptians are in arrears of pay, and
are sighing for their homes. From 12,000 to 15,000
Egyptian soldiers, now at Constantinople, are being
.bn 305.png
.pn +1
clothed, paid, and organized, under the eyes of the
Sultan; let his Highness reflect on his danger,
should they be thrown into Egypt, with a promise
of being disbanded, together with the rest of the
army, on the overthrow of his Highness.
“He may rely upon it, Egypt is not invulnerable;
he may rely upon it, Alexandria itself may be
made to share the fate of Acre; and his Highness,
who has now an opportunity of founding a dynasty,
may sink into a simple Pacha.
.pm signature2\
' “I am, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Charles Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Boghos Bey.”'
.pm end_quote
Captain Maunsell returned next evening with
the answer, accompanied by the English Consul,
Mr. Larking.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Commodore,' '“Alexandria, November 23, 1840.'
“I have received, with much pleasure, the letter
which you have done me the honour to address to
me, through my old friend Captain Maunsell, and I
have lost no time in laying a translation of it before
the Viceroy, my master.
“His Highness commands me to acquaint you,
.bn 306.png
.pn +1
that he is particularly sensible of the good feelings
which are expressed in your above-mentioned letter
of the 22nd instant.
“It seems to me impossible, Commodore, that
you should give credit to the malevolent reports
of the Rear-Admiral: and your honourable character
is a certain guarantee of the little credit which
you will give to the words of a man, who, when
he deserted from Constantinople, did not hesitate to
shower upon the Sublime Porte the calumnies of
which Egypt is now the object on his part. At the
time when the officers of the Ottoman fleet got
leave to quit Alexandria, this same Rear-Admiral
solicited the Viceroy’s permission to remain in
Egypt.
“Again, lately, he might without difficulty have
received from his Highness permission to retire, but
he preferred desertion to a frank and honourable proceeding,
because he thought that he saw in desertion
a means of re-establishing himself. It is enough to
be aware of the conduct of this officer, to appreciate
at their true value assertions which I do not even
think I need refute.
“His Highness’s orders have already anticipated
your intentions, with regard to setting the Druse
.bn 307.png
.pn +1
chieftains at liberty. Some time ago several of
these chieftains had quitted Syria and had fixed
themselves at Cairo; at the news of the late events
they came, of their own accord, to demand his
Highness’s permission to return among their countrymen,
there to act in the interest of the Egyptian
cause, and ten days ago they took the road for
Syria. It is at their request that the Druse chieftains,
who had formerly been banished to Nubia,
have been authorized to return to their homes,
and that the order for their return has already
been sent. The restoration of these different
personages to their country being thus, as it may
be said, a thing already done, your good intentions
with regard to them are carried into effect,
without its being necessary to have recourse to an
exchange.
“It had already come to our knowledge that the
intention of the Great Powers was to leave the hereditary
government of Egypt to his Highness, and
the Viceroy awaits an official communication upon
this point. His Highness is not the less grateful
for the proposal contained in your letter, for he
sees therein a personal manifestation of your friendly
and conciliatory sentiments. In no case has his
.bn 308.png
.pn +1
Highness intended to place himself in opposition
to the will of the Great Powers of Europe. You
are not ignorant, Commodore, that he had already
submitted to the stipulations of the Treaty which
grants to him the hereditary administration of
Egypt. His Highness had only reserved to himself
the power of soliciting from the Sublime Porte the
favour of joining the government of Syria for life
to this first concession; and this because the Viceroy
was convinced that Syria in his hands might still
furnish great resources to the Ottoman empire.
Instead of making any answer to this request,
hostilities have been had recourse to. You will
judge impartially, Commodore, whether the faults
have been on the side of the Viceroy. His
Highness is persuaded of the contrary, and remains
convinced that the Great Powers will do him
justice.
“With regard to the restoration of the Ottoman
fleet, and the evacuation of Syria, I hasten to reply
on these two points. It has never entered into his
Highness’s intentions to keep the fleet of his Sovereign,
and he has not ceased to express himself in
this sense from the very day that circumstances
brought the fleet of the Grand Signor to Alexandria.
.bn 309.png
.pn +1
“Moreover, when Sami Bey was sent on a mission
to the Sublime Porte, he offered, in the name of his
Highness, the restitution of the fleet, which was on
the point of putting to sea to return to Constantinople
when the hostilities begun in Syria postponed
the execution of the orders of the Viceroy.
With regard to the evacuation of Syria, his Highness
thought himself justified in waiting for fresh
orders from the Sublime Porte. You are aware,
Commodore, of the manner in which the request of
the Viceroy was replied to, who thereupon thought
it necessary to have recourse to the unofficial mediation
of France, manifesting thereby his intention of
entering upon the path of conciliation, and his
desire to see an end put to a state of things, which
his Highness is conscious he did not give occasion
for.
“The direct communications between the Viceroy
and the Commander-in-Chief of the Egyptian army
in Syria are for the moment suspended, in consequence
of the agitation which exists in that country.
It is with the sole object of putting a stop to the
disorders, and of ensuring the means of correspondence
between the army and Egypt, that the
Viceroy has directed a body of troops to march upon
.bn 310.png
.pn +1
the frontier, the object of whose mission is to re-establish
the communications.
“I hope, Commodore, that you will be satisfied
with the explanations which the Viceroy has ordered
me to transmit to you, and that you will perceive,
in the eagerness which I have shown to reply with
frankness to your friendly communication, a fresh
proof of the pacific and conciliatory feelings which
have never ceased to animate the Viceroy, my
master.
.pm signature2\
' “I avail myself, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Boghos Joussouf.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
The weather had been fine, but still we could not
expect a long continuance of it. Mehemet Ali I
knew was in some fears that Alexandria might share
the fate of Acre; a gale of wind driving us off the
coast would relieve him from those fears, and restore
his confidence, powerfully supported as he would
have been by France. I was so satisfied with
Boghos Bey’s answer, that, to save time, I resolved,
to accompany Captain Maunsell, who returned with
the following letter, and offer an interview, which
was accepted.
.bn 311.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
' “H.M.S. Powerful,'\
'Off Alexandria, November 24, 1840.'
“I have to acknowledge the receipt of your
Excellency’s letter, and am happy to find that the
Emirs and Scheiks of Lebanon have been released
and if they are not all gone, I shall be glad to send
them to Beyrout by sea.
“I have the honour of inclosing a copy of Lord
Palmerston’s letter[16] to Lord Ponsonby, by which
your Excellency will observe, that the desire of the
Allied Powers is to reinstate his Highness in the
hereditary government of Egypt, provided he at
once evacuates Syria, and gives up the Ottoman
fleet.
.fn 16
This letter, dated October 15, 1840, was by mistake, not
sent to the Minister. The error was soon discovered and
rectified. A copy of the letter will be found at p. 249 of this
volume.
.fn-
“It is of the utmost importance that my Government
should be informed, by the packet about to
leave Alexandria, of the intention of his Highness,
in a clear and distinct manner. I have therefore
to request your Excellency will at once inform me
whether or not it is his Highness’s intention to
give immediate orders for the surrendering the
.bn 312.png
.pn +1
Ottoman fleet, and the evacuation of Syria? If his
Highness consults his own interests he will not
hesitate a moment.
“I shall give every assistance with the squadron,
to prepare the Turkish fleet, and will permit any
number of transports to proceed to Beyrout or Acre,
to embark the army, who have now retired on
Damascus, the intelligence of which I have this
moment received from the Commander-in-Chief.
“I beg you will inform his Highness that if he
does not at once decide, should any expedition be
sent from Constantinople, I have no discretionary
power, and must act against him according to the
best of my abilities.
“I observe with regret, by your letter, that
more troops have already been sent into Syria, which
I fear will be interpreted at Constantinople, into a
determination of persisting in hostilities.
“To avoid all unnecessary delay, I am now on
board the steam-boat, and shall be most happy to
pay my respects to his Highness, should he wish to
see me, and offer him any guarantee in my power.
.pm signature2\
' “I beg, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “C. Napier.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Boghos Bey.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 313.png
.pn +1
The Minister speedily made answer, in these
terms:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Commodore,' '“Alexandria, Nov. 24, 1840.'
“I have laid before the Viceroy, my master,
the letter which you have this day done me the
honour to address to me.
“The Druse chieftains who were residing at
Cairo have departed for Syria by land, as I have
already had the honour to state to you. It is
not, therefore, in his Highnesses power to avail
himself of the means of transport which you place
at their disposal to accelerate their return to their
country.
“The copy of the letter from Lord Palmerston
to Lord Ponsonby was not, as you state, inclosed
in your despatch.
“I believe, however, Commodore, that I am
aware of the contents of that letter, and it is
upon them that I rely in considering as a fact not
to be doubted, the consent of his Highness to
restore the Ottoman fleet and to evacuate Syria;
and I can assure you in the name of the Viceroy,
that the fleet shall be restored and Syria evacuated
as soon as his Highness shall have received the
.bn 314.png
.pn +1
official and positive guarantee of the advantages
which are promised him in return for these concessions.
“On another hand, you are not ignorant,
Commodore, that the despatches received from
France by the last steam-boat have apprised us
that the French Government, having entered into
negotiation with the Four Powers at the request
of the Viceroy, a definitive arrangement was expected
to take place in a few days. In this
posture of affairs do not you think, Commodore,
that it would be fitting not to anticipate
the decision which the Great Powers, acting in
concert with the Sublime Porte, are about to
take? a decision which the Viceroy engages in
the most formal manner to submit to without
delay.
“You seem to fear that the sending of a body
of troops upon the frontiers of Syria might be
considered at Constantinople as a proof of the intention
of his Highness to prolong hostilities in
that country; it is in order to put you completely
at ease upon this point that I repeat to you
the positive assurance, that the column which has
recently been sent towards El-Arish has no other
.bn 315.png
.pn +1
object, no other destination, than to secure the
means of communication.
.pm signature2\
' “I repeat, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Boghos Joussouf.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
The Turco-Egyptian squadron, consisting of
twenty-one sail of the line, and numerous frigates
and corvettes were, when I arrived, lying in the
harbour, with the yards and topmasts struck; but
at noon on the 24th of November, being the
first day of the Bairam, an unusual movement
was observed on board the ships, and they began
to sway their masts up, and before sun-set, their
royal yards were across, and after dusk they were
brilliantly illuminated.
On the morning of the 25th, I entered the
harbour of Alexandria in the Medea steamer, passed
through the Turco-Egyptian fleet, and anchored off
the Palace. I then landed and proceeded to the
house of the British Consul, Mr. Larking. As the
Pacha was receiving visits from his officers and the
principal inhabitants of Alexandria, he appointed
the following day at noon to receive me. In the
afternoon we walked about the town, and there
.bn 316.png
.pn +1
appeared much satisfaction in the countenances
of the inhabitants of all nations and all religions
at being released from the apprehension they entertained
of having their town knocked about their
ears.
Alexandria is a tolerably good town, and is fast
improving. The naval establishments of the Pacha
are wonderful, and whatever may be said against
Mehemet Ali, it must be admitted, that no man of
ordinary abilities could have in so short a time
accomplished what he has done. I am not sure
that the means employed were justifiable, but judging
him by an Oriental standard, which is the only
fair way of judging him, he must be considered an
astonishing man. In less than twenty years he
has created an army and a navy, and a dockyard that
would do credit to any nation; he has constructed
nine or ten sail of the line, and some of them
very fine ships; he has made officers and sailors
of his Arabs, and has instilled some of his own
activity into the minds of the indolent Turks in his
service.
His dockyard is very complete; there is a large
basin capable of holding all his squadron; his storehouses
are well built, and full of stores, and the
.bn 317.png
.pn +1
whole establishment is well arranged. Everything
is done in the arsenal. He builds his ships, makes
his masts, yards, sails, rope, cabin furniture, compasses,
quadrants, clothing for the crews, (out of his
own manufactures,) shoes, &c.; he paints oil-cloths
for the cabins of his officers, and even the sealing-wax
and wafers they are supplied with are made in
the arsenal. He is now constructing a dry-dock,
which is, however, getting on very slow, and I do
not think they are going the right way about it.
His principal officers, and, indeed, many of the
inferior ones, have been brought up in our arsenals,
and appear perfectly to understand their
business. Outside of the dockyard is a tolerably
well built village for the wives and families of the
crews, half of which are allowed to be on shore
every night.
Previously to my interview with the Pacha, the
following letters passed between the Minister and
myself:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M. Steam-ship Medea, Alexandria,'\
' Nov. 25, 1840.'
“I wish your Excellency to acquaint me whether
in informing me that the Druse chiefs had
.bn 318.png
.pn +1
been sent back to Lebanon, your Excellency means
that all the chiefs that were removed from Syria
last July have returned to their homes.
“I observed to your Excellency in my letter of
yesterday, that I had no direction to suspend hostilities
by sea, unless his Highness would surrender
the fleet, and give immediate orders for the evacuation
of Syria, much less can I insure the discontinuance
of military operations; on the contrary, I
feel perfectly satisfied that operations will be carried
on, until orders are given for its complete
evacuation.
“I am perfectly ignorant of the despatches
brought by the last French steamer, nor have I any
knowledge that the French Government has entered
into negotiation with the Allied Powers.
“I only know that the Allied Powers have
recommended to the Porte to reinstate Mehemet
Ali in the government of Egypt, and render it
hereditary in his family; and I know that nothing
could afford so much pleasure to the British Government,
as my writing by this packet to say that,
orders have been given for the evacuation of Syria,
and the surrender of the fleet. I can enter into
his Highness’s feelings in hesitating to do this
.bn 319.png
.pn +1
until he officially receives the guarantee of the
Allied Powers; but at the same time I must do my
duty.
“I am most anxious to avoid any further effusion
of blood; war and sickness have already done
enough.
“Therefore, if his Highness will give immediate
orders for the evacuation of Syria, and send transports
to receive the troops, and get the fleet ready
for sea, I will not insist on their departure for
Constantinople, until the Pacha is guaranteed in the
hereditary government of Egypt, and on those
conditions I will suspend hostilities.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Charles Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Boghos Bey.”'
.pm end_quote
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Commodore,' '“Alexandria, Nov. 25, 1840.'
“I have just received the letter which you have
this day done me the honour to address to me, and
I have hastened to lay it before the Viceroy, my
master. Agreeably to his orders, I reply to the
different paragraphs contained in it.
“In the first place, with regard to the Druse
chieftains, I repeat to you, Commodore, that
.bn 320.png
.pn +1
those among them who live at Cairo, have set out
for Syria by land; with regard to those who are
still in Nubia, the order to secure their return
has already been forwarded, as I had the honour
to write to you, and I repeat to you the assurance
that the moment they arrive in Egypt,
they will be perfectly free to proceed to their own
country.
“With regard to the Ottoman fleet, which is to
be put into a fit condition for sailing, as soon as the
decision of the Powers shall have been officially
notified to the Viceroy, his Highness sees with
pleasure that you concur in his sentiments.
“His Highness, sincerely participating in the
wish which you express to put a stop to the
shedding of blood, has decided to put an end to
hostilities; but as you are not ignorant that the
transport by sea of an army which has a large
quantity of stores, horses, and camp equipage, presents
great difficulties, and that it is above all
important to put an end to the calamities of war,
the Viceroy is ready to order his son Ibrahim Pacha
to concentrate his troops in order to fall back with
them upon Egypt, an order which shall be transmitted
to the Commander-in-Chief by an Egyptian
.bn 321.png
.pn +1
officer, accompanied, if you think fit, by an English
officer accredited by you.
“By this means, Ibrahim Pacha will be enabled
completely to evacuate Syria the moment the decision
of the Powers shall be officially known.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Boghos Joussouf.”'
.pm address '“To Commodore Napier.”'
.pm end_quote
At noon on the 26th I proceeded to the Palace,
accompanied by Captains Maunsell, Martin, and
Warden. Sir William Eden, who was on board the
Carysfort, did me also the honour of accompanying
me, and Mr. Larking, the British Consul; and I
must take this opportunity of stating how much I
am indebted to Sir William Eden for some valuable
suggestions; as also to Captains Maunsell and
Martin. A battalion of Egyptian troops was drawn
up in the court-yard of the Palace, and presented
arms, the band playing martial airs.
On entering the reception-room of Mehemet
Ali, which is in the old palace, we were most graciously
received. The Pacha, in a short dress, was
standing surrounded by his officers, and free admission
seemed to have been given to Franks of all
.bn 322.png
.pn +1
description. After a few compliments on both sides,
the Pacha walked to a corner of the room, and
seated himself on his Divan. Pipes and coffee were
called for, and we smoked away for a considerable
time, as if we had been the best friends in the
world. The palace was too crowded to enter into
business; and it was arranged I should again see
the Pacha in the evening, after communicating with
Boghos Bey, and give him in writing the terms I
wished him to comply with.
The Pacha is a man of low stature, is a good deal
marked with the small-pox, his complexion sallow,
his eyes quick and penetrating. He wears a fine
white beard; and when in good humour, has a most
fascinating manner; but when out of temper, his
eyes sparkle, he raises himself up in his corner,
and soon convinces you he is much easier led
than driven. He is easy of access, and indeed
fond of gossipping; and seems to be informed
of every thing that is either said or done in
Alexandria. He has many friends amongst the
Franks; and when he takes a liking, the man’s
fortune is made. He has built a very handsome
palace, and furnished it with taste. Opposite the
palace is the harem, where his wife resides; but
.bn 323.png
.pn +1
the old gentleman has given up his visits to that
establishment.
After leaving the Pacha I had an interview with
the Bey, and settled with him the terms of the
Convention, which was submitted to the Pacha in
the evening, and after some discussion was agreed
upon. I was anxious that the Egyptian troops
should be embarked and return by sea, because I
foresaw their retiring by land would disorganize the
whole of Syria, and stir up the evil passions of
the inhabitants, which would not easily subside.
Besides I was afraid some untoward event might
bring the Turks and Egyptians into contact, and
upset all I had been doing. Mehemet Ali, on the
other hand, afraid of foul play, (and the sequel has
proved he had reason,) was anxious they should
retire by land; and it is singular enough that there
was a greater outcry against that Article which he
did not like, than against all the other Articles of
the Convention; and I feel quite satisfied that the
hold of Turkey on Syria has been more weakened by
that retreat than by any other follies they have since
committed; the different sects know their strength,
and the day is not far distant when the Turks will be
driven out of the country, with a severer loss than
Ibrahim Pacha met with.
.bn 324.png
.pn +1
The subjoined correspondence, together with the
Convention, is the best account I can give of the
progress of the transaction:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M. Steam-ship Medea, Alexandria,'\
' Nov. 26, 1840.'
“In the last paragraph of your letter of yesterday’s
date, you say that the Pacha will give orders
to concentrate the Egyptian army in Syria, in order
that they may evacuate the country, when the
decision of the Powers is officially known.
“I beg to observe to your Excellency that the
Egyptian troops are already concentrated, and my
demand is, that the order should be given for the
immediate evacuation; and I shall place a steamer
at your Excellency’s disposal to convey the officer
whom the Pacha sends, together with one I shall
appoint, to Beyrout, with the Pacha’s despatches to
his son Ibrahim Pacha.
“Nothing short of this will either meet the
Commander-in-Chief’s approbation, or put an end
to hostilities.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Chas. Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Boghos Bey.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 325.png
.pn +1
I received no answer to this letter, but the
following was published in the Journal des Debats:—
.pm start_quote
.pm heading '“Commodore,' '“Alexandria, Nov. 26, 1840.'
“I reply to the last letter which you have done
me the honour to address to me, and which I have
laid before the Viceroy, my master.
“His Highness consents to re-equip the fleet of
the Sublime Porte, to victual it, in a word to put
it in a state to sail at a moment’s notice for Constantinople,
on the express condition,—a condition
which you yourself have laid down,—that the said
fleet shall remain in our port until the official notification
of the Powers which shall guarantee the
hereditary government of Egypt to his Highness.
“Besides this, on the formal demand which you
have made to the Viceroy thereupon, his Highness
will send to Beyrout, and that forthwith, an officer
of his household, (already appointed,) who will be
the bearer of the necessary orders for the evacuation
of Syria by his son Ibrahim Pacha and his whole
army.
“This envoy will embark on board the steamer
which you have placed at his Highness’s disposal,
.bn 326.png
.pn +1
and will be accompanied by an English officer, on
his way there and back again.
“This is written with lively gratitude for the
care and the delicacy you have shown in the solution
of this difficult question. And in the name of
his Highness,
.pm signature2\
' “I am, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Boghos Joussouf.”'
.pm end_quote
I had already detained the Oriental with the
India mail three days, and not thinking it proper to
keep her longer, I decided on sending the correspondence
by her, and the Convention, when signed,
by the Medea. I wrote at the same time to Lord
Palmerston.
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“My Lord,'\
'“Medea, Alexandria,'\
' Nov. 26, 1840.'
“I have sent to the Admiralty copies of my
correspondence with the Egyptian Government. I
am not able to send the reply to my last letter,
because it will not be ready till to-night, when
everything will be signed. But I am just come
from the Pacha and Boghos Bey, who have consented
to the immediate evacuation of Syria. But
.bn 327.png
.pn +1
as I have already kept the Oriental three days, I did
not think it right to detain her longer. I hope I am
right, and that I have done what I think you wish;
and as I feel certain the Turkish army, as it is,
could not have followed up Ibrahim without cavalry,
artillery, or commissariat, I thought it better to get
them out of Syria by treaty. Had we attacked
them at Zachle, it would have been different; but
they are retired on Damascus. A French steamer
arrived here three days ago with a negotiator,
besides the one they had here; and they did all
they could to prevent this. But six eighty-gun
ships negotiate better than a steamer. I should
have sent your Lordship copy of the papers, but I
could not any longer detain the Indian mail. I
shall, probably, send a steamer home with the
Convention.
“I have done what I think will meet the views
of the Government. I know the responsibility I
incur. But an officer ought not to be afraid of
acting without instructions, when it is for the
advantage of his country.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Charles Napier.”'
.pm address '“The Right Hon. Lord Palmerston.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 328.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Medea Steamer, Alexandria,'\
' Nov. 26, 1840.'
“I have the honour of inclosing copies of a correspondence
that has taken place between the Egyptian
Government and myself. I have not been able
to send the reply to my last letter, as I could not
get it till late this evening; but I am this moment
returned from the Pacha and Boghos Bey, who have
consented to the immediate evacuation of Syria;
and as the India mail has been already detained
three days, I do not like to detain her another.
“I hope their Lordships will approve of the
steps I have taken to at once settle the Eastern
Question.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Charles Napier.'
.pm address '“R. More O’Ferrall, Esq.“'
.pm end_quote
On the morning of the 28th, the Treaty being
signed, I left Alexandria, and returned to the
Powerful. The Prometheus steamer had joined the
day before, and I now dispatched her to Beyrout to
the Commander-in-Chief; and the Medea, with the
Treaty and the rest of the correspondence, to the
Admiralty.
.bn 329.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“H.M. Steam-vessel Medea, Alexandria,'\
' Nov. 28, 1840.'
“In my letter by the Oriental, I sent the
copies of the correspondence that has taken place
between the Egyptian Government and myself.
I also acquainted you that the terms had been
agreed to.
“I have now the honour of inclosing a copy of
the Convention I have signed, which I trust will
meet their Lordships’ approbation. The whole of
the correspondence has been sent to the Commander-in-Chief;
and the Egyptian officer, with the
order to Ibrahim Pacha, has also proceeded to join
him.
.pm signature2\
' “I have, &c.,'\
'(Signed)\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ “Chas. Napier, Commodore.'
“P.S. I beg to observe that I am much indebted
to the decision of Captain Maunsell, of the
Rodney, in opening a direct communication with
the Pacha. It had been usual to send in letters by
the French boat, but Captain Maunsell very properly
landed at the Palace, and sent right up to the Pacha
at once.”
.pm address '“R. More O’Ferrall, Esq.”'
.pm end_quote
.bn 330.png
.pn +1
.pm start_quote
.in 4
.ti -4
“Convention between Commodore Napier,
commanding Her Britannic Majesty’s Naval
Forces before Alexandria, on the one part,
and his Excellency Boghos Joussouf Bey,
specially authorized by his Highness the Viceroy
of Egypt, on the other part; signed at
Alexandria, the 27th November, 1840.
.in
“Art. I.—Commodore Napier, in his abovementioned
capacity, having brought to the knowledge
of his Highness Mehemet Ali, that the Allied
Powers had recommended the Sublime Porte to
reinstate him in the hereditary government of
Egypt, and his Highness seeing in this communication
a favourable occasion for putting an end to the
calamities of war, he engages to order his son
Ibrahim Pacha to proceed immediately to the
evacuation of Syria. His Highness engages, moreover,
to restore the Ottoman fleet, as soon as he
shall have received the official notification that the
Sublime Porte grants to him the hereditary government
of Egypt, which concession is, and remains,
guaranteed by the Powers.
“Art. II.—Commodore Napier will place a
steamer at the disposal of the Egyptian Government,
which will convey to Syria the officer charged
.bn 331.png
.pn +1
by his Highness to carry to the Commander-in-Chief
of the Egyptian array the order to evacuate
Syria. The Commander-in-Chief of the British
forces, Sir Robert Stopford, will on his side appoint
an officer to watch over the execution of this
measure.
“Art. III.—In consideration of what precedes,
Commodore Napier engages to suspend hostilities
on the part of the British forces against Alexandria,
or any other portion of the Egyptian territory.
He will, at the same time, authorize the free passage
of the vessels appointed for the transport of the
wounded, the invalids, or of any other portion of
the Egyptian army, which the Government of Egypt
might wish to return to that country by sea.
“Art. IV.—It is well understood that the
Egyptian army shall have the liberty of retiring
from Syria with its artillery, arms, horses, ammunition,
baggage, and in general everything that constitutes
the stores of an army.
“Done in duplicate, each Contracting Party to
have an original.
.ta c:40 l:30 w=100%
(Signed) | “Ch. Napier, Commodore.
| “Boghos Joussouf.”
.ta-
.pm end_quote
.bn 332.png
.pn +1
In order, if possible, to avoid giving rise to any
cavil, I thought it necessary, at the time of signing
the Convention, to address the following explanatory
note to the Minister of Mehemet Ali:
.pm start_quote
.pm heading3\
'“Sir,'\
'“Her Majesty’s Ship Medea,'\
' Nov. 27, 1840.'
“In the Convention entered into by your Excellency
and myself, Mehemet Ali is styled his Highness
the Viceroy of Egypt. As this does not alter
the spirit of the Convention, I did not hesitate to
sign it, but you must clearly understand that I
cannot acknowledge that title until Mehemet Ali is
restored by the Porte.
.pm signature2\
'“I have, &c.,'\
' “Charles Napier, Commodore.”'
.pm address '“His Excellency Boghos Bey.”'
.pm end_quote
Venturing on so important a measure as this
Convention without authority, would only be justified
by the result; but it was not without precedent.
Sir Sydney Smith had entered into a
Convention with the French for the evacuation of
Egypt, and Captain Foote had also, when serving
under Lord Nelson, entered into one for the evacuation
.bn 333.png
.pn +1
of Naples. Both were rejected by their superior
officers. The rejection of the first led to the
expedition to Egypt, which cost some millions, and
the loss of much life; the rejection of the last, to
scenes that are better buried in oblivion.
.fm lz=h rend=h
.hr 20%
.bn 334.png
.pn +1
.bn 335.png
.pn +1
.sp 4
.h2
APPENDIX.
.in 4
.ti -4
Convention concluded between the Courts of
Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and
Russia on the one part, and the Sublime
Ottoman Porte on the other, for the pacification
of the Levant, signed at London, July
15, 1840.
.in
.sp 2
In the Name of the Most Merciful God.
His Highness the Sultan having addressed himself
to their Majesties the Queen of the United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the Emperor
of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, the
King of Prussia, and the Emperor of all the Russias,
to ask their support and assistance in the difficulties
in which he finds himself placed by reason of the
hostile proceedings of Mehemet Ali, Pacha of
Egypt,—difficulties which threaten with danger the
integrity of the Ottoman Empire, and the independence
of the Sultan’s throne,—Their said Majesties,
moved by the sincere friendship which subsists
between them and the Sultan; animated by the
desire of maintaining the integrity and independence
of the Ottoman Empire as a security for the peace
of Europe; faithful to the engagement which they
.bn 336.png
.pn +1
contracted by the Collective Note presented to the
Porte by their Representatives at Constantinople, on
the 27th of July, 1839; and desirous, moreover, to
prevent the effusion of blood which would be occasioned
by a continuance of the hostilities which have
recently broken out in Syria between the authorities
of the Pacha of Egypt and the subjects of the
Sultan; their said Majesties and His Highness the
Sultan have resolved, for the aforesaid purposes, to
conclude together a Convention, and they have
therefore named as their Plenipotentiaries, that is to
say:
Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom
of Great Britain and Ireland, the Right Honourable
Henry John Viscount Palmerston, Baron Temple, a
Peer of Ireland, a Member of Her Britannic Majesty’s
Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight
Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the
Bath, a Member of Parliament, and her Principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;
His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of
Hungary and Bohemia, the Sieur Philip, Baron de
Neumann, Commander of the Order of Leopold of
Austria, decorated with the Cross for Civil Merit,
Commander of the Orders of the Tower and Sword
of Portugal, of the Southern Cross of Brazil, Knight
Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stanislaus of the
Second Class of Russia, his Aulick Councillor, and
his Plenipotentiary to Her Britannic Majesty;
His Majesty the King of Prussia, the Sieur
.bn 337.png
.pn +1
Henry William, Baron de Bulow, Knight of the
Order of the Red Eagle of the First Class of Prussia,
Grand Cross of the Orders of Leopold of Austria,
and of the Guelphs of Hanover, Knight Grand Cross
of the Orders of St. Stanislaus of the Second Class,
and of St. Wladimir of the Fourth Class of Russia,
Commander of the Order of the Falcon of Saxe-Weimar,
his Chamberlain, actual Privy Councillor,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
to Her Britannic Majesty;
His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, the
Sieur Philip, Baron de Brunnow, Knight of the
Order of St. Anne of the First Class, of St. Stanislaus
of the First Class, of St. Wladimir of the Third,
Commander of the Order of St. Stephen of Hungary,
Knight of the Order of the Red Eagle, and of St.
John of Jerusalem, his Privy Councillor, Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Her
Britannic Majesty;
And His Majesty the Most Noble, Most Powerful,
and Most Magnificent Sultan Abdul Medjid,
Emperor of the Ottomans, Chekib Effendi, decorated
with the Nichan Iftihar of the First Class, Beylikdgi
of the Imperial Divan, Honorary Councillor of the
Department for Foreign Affairs, his Ambassador
Extraordinary to Her Britannic Majesty;
Who, having reciprocally communicated to each
other their full powers, found to be in good and due
form, have agreed upon and signed the following
Articles:—
.bn 338.png
.pn +1
Art. I.—His Highness the Sultan having come
to an agreement with their Majesties the Queen of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary and
Bohemia, the King of Prussia, and the Emperor of
All the Russias, as to the conditions of the arrangement
which it is the intention of His Highness to
grant to Mehemet Ali, conditions which are specified
in the Separate Act hereunto annexed; Their Majesties
engage to act in perfect accord, and to unite
their efforts in order to determine Mehemet Ali to
conform to that arrangement; each of the High
Contracting Parties reserving to itself to co-operate
for that purpose, according to the means of action
which each may have at its disposal.
Art. II.—If the Pacha of Egypt should refuse
to accept the above-mentioned arrangement, which
will be communicated to him by the Sultan, with
the concurrence of their aforesaid Majesties; Their
Majesties engage to take, at the request of the
Sultan, measures concerted and settled between
them, in order to carry that arrangement into effect.
In the meanwhile, the Sultan having requested his
said Allies to unite with him in order to assist him
to cut off the communication by sea between Egypt
and Syria, and to prevent the transport of troops,
horses, arms, and warlike stores of all kinds, from
the one province to the other; Their Majesties the
Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, and the Emperor of Austria, King of
.bn 339.png
.pn +1
Hungary and Bohemia, engage to give immediately
to that effect, the necessary orders to their naval
Commanders in the Mediterranean. Their said
Majesties further engage, that the naval Commanders
of their squadrons shall, according to the means at
their command, afford, in the name of the Alliance,
all the support and assistance in their power to those
subjects of the Sultan who may manifest their fidelity
and allegiance to their Sovereign.
Art. III.—If Mehemet Ali, after having refused
to submit to the conditions of the arrangement
above-mentioned, should direct his land or sea forces
against Constantinople, the High Contracting Parties,
upon the express demand of the Sultan, addressed
to their Representatives at Constantinople, agree,
in such case, to comply with the request of that
Sovereign, and to provide for the defence of his
throne by means of a co-operation agreed upon by
mutual consent, for the purpose of placing the two
Straits of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, as well
as the Capital of the Ottoman Empire, in security
against all aggression.
It is further agreed, that the forces which, in
virtue of such concert, may be sent as aforesaid,
shall there remain so employed as long as their
presence shall be required by the Sultan; and when
His Highness shall deem their presence no longer
necessary, the said forces shall simultaneously withdraw,
and shall return to the Black Sea and to the
Mediterranean, respectively.
.bn 340.png
.pn +1
Art. IV.—It is, however, expressly understood,
that the co-operation mentioned in the preceding
Article, and destined to place the Straits of the
Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus, and the Ottoman
Capital, under the temporary safeguard of the High
Contracting Parties against all aggression of Mehemet
Ali, shall be considered only as a measure of
exception adopted at the express demand of the
Sultan, and solely for his defence in the single case
above-mentioned; but it is agreed, that such measure
shall not derogate in any degree from the ancient
rule of the Ottoman Empire, in virtue of which it
has at all times been prohibited for ships of war
of Foreign Powers to enter the Straits of the Dardanelles
and of the Bosphorus. And the Sultan, on
the one hand, hereby declares that, excepting the
contingency above-mentioned, it is his firm resolution
to maintain in future this principle invariably
established as the ancient rule of his empire; and as
long as the Porte is at peace, to admit no foreign
ship of war into the Straits of the Bosphorus and of
the Dardanelles; on the other hand, their Majesties
the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary
and Bohemia, the King of Prussia, and the
Emperor of All the Russias, engage to respect this
determination of the Sultan, and to conform to the
above-mentioned principle.
Art. V.—The present Convention shall be ratified,
and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged
.bn 341.png
.pn +1
at London at the expiration of two months, or sooner
if possible.
In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries
have signed the same, and have affixed thereto
the seals of their arms.
Done at London, the fifteenth day of July, in
the year of Lord One thousand Eight hundred and
forty.
.ta l:30 l:30 w=75%
(L.S.) Palmerston. | (L.S.) Chekib.
(L.S.) Neumann. |
(L.S.) Bulow. |
(L.S.) Brunnow. |
.ta-
.hr 10%
.ni
.in 4
.ti 4
Separate Act annexed to the Convention concluded
at London on the 15th of July, 1840.
.in
.pi
His Highness the Sultan intends to grant, and to
cause to be notified to Mehemet Ali, the conditions
of the arrangement hereinafter detailed:—
§ 1. His Highness promises to grant to Mehemet
Ali, for himself and for his descendants in the
direct line, the administration of the Pachalic of
Egypt; and his Highness promises, moreover, to
grant to Mehemet Ali, for his life, with the title of
Pacha of Acre, and with the command of the
fortress of St. John of Acre, the administration of
the southern part of Syria, the limits of which shall
be determined by the following line of demarkation:
This line, beginning at Cape Ras-el-Nakhora, on
the coast of the Mediterranean, shall extend direct
.bn 342.png
.pn +1
from thence as far as the mouth of the river Seisaban,
at the northern extremity of the Lake of Tiberias;
it shall pass along the western shore of that lake, it
shall follow the right bank of the river Jordan, and
the western shore of the Dead Sea; from thence it
shall extend straight to the Red Sea, which it shall
strike at the northern point of the Gulf of Akaba,
and from thence it shall follow the western shore of
the Gulf of Akaba, and the eastern shore of the
Gulf of Suez, as far as Suez.
The Sultan, however, in making these offers,
attaches thereto the condition, that Mehemet Ali
shall accept them within the space of ten days after
communication thereof shall have been made to him
at Alexandria, by an Agent of his Highness; and
that Mehemet Ali shall, at the same time, place in
the hands of that Agent the necessary instructions
to the Commanders of his sea and land forces, to
withdraw immediately from Arabia, and from all the
Holy Cities which are therein situated; from the
Island of Candia; from the district of Adana; and
from all other parts of the Ottoman Empire which
are not comprised within the limits of Egypt, and
within those of the Pachalic of Acre, as above
defined.
§ 2. If within the space of ten days, fixed as
above, Mehemet Ali should not accept the above-mentioned
arrangement, the Sultan will then withdraw
the offer of the life administration of the
Pachalic of Acre; but His Highness will still consent
.bn 343.png
.pn +1
to grant to Mehemet Ali, for himself and for
his descendants in the direct line, the administration
of the Pachalic of Egypt, provided such offer be
accepted within the space of ten days next following;
that is to say, within a period of twenty
days, to be reckoned from the day on which the
communication shall have been made to him; and
provided that in this case also, he places in the
hands of the Agent of the Sultan the necessary
instructions to his military and naval commanders,
to withdraw immediately within the limits, and into
the ports of the Pachalic of Egypt.
§ 3. The annual tribute to be paid to the Sultan
by Mehemet Ali, shall be proportioned to the greater
or less amount of territory of which the latter may
obtain the administration, according as he accepts
the first or the second alternative.
§ 4. It is, moreover, expressly understood, that,
in the first as in the second alternative, Mehemet
Ali (before the expiration of the specified period of
ten or of twenty days), shall be bound to deliver up
the Turkish fleet, with the whole of its crews and
equipments, into the hands of the Turkish Agent
who shall be charged to receive the same. The
Commanders of the Allied Squadrons shall be present
at such delivery.
It is understood, that in no case can Mehemet
Ali carry to account, or deduct from the tribute to
be paid to the Sultan, the expenses which he has
incurred in the maintenance of the Ottoman fleet
.bn 344.png
.pn +1
during any part of the time it shall have remained
in the ports of Egypt.
§ 5. All the Treaties, and all the laws of the
Ottoman Empire, shall be applicable to Egypt, and
to the Pachalic of Acre, such as it has been above
defined, in the same manner as to every other part
of the Ottoman Empire. But the Sultan consents,
that on condition of the regular payment of the
tribute above-mentioned, Mehemet Ali and his
descendants shall collect, in the name of the Sultan,
and as the delegate of His Highness, within the
provinces the administration of which shall be confided
to them, the taxes and imposts legally established.
It is moreover understood, that in consideration
of the receipt of the aforesaid taxes and
imposts, Mehemet Ali and his descendants shall
defray all the expenses of the civil and military
administration of the said provinces.
§ 6. The military and naval forces which may
be maintained by the Pacha of Egypt and Acre,
forming part of the forces of the Ottoman Empire,
shall always be considered as maintained for the
service of the State.
§ 7. If, at the expiration of the period of twenty
days after the communication shall have been made
to him (according to the stipulation of § 2), Mehemet
Ali shall not accede to the proposed arrangement,
and shall not accept the hereditary Pachalic of
Egypt, the Sultan will consider himself at liberty to
withdraw that offer, and to follow, in consequence,
.bn 345.png
.pn +1
such ulterior course, as his own interests and the
counsels of his Allies may suggest to him.
§ 8. The present Separate Act shall have the
same force and validity as if it were inserted, word
for word, in the Convention of this date. It shall
be ratified, and the ratifications thereof shall be
exchanged at London, at the same time as those of
the said Convention.
In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries
have signed the same, and have affixed thereto
the seals of their arms.
Done at London, the fifteenth day of July, in
the year of our Lord One thousand Eight hundred
and forty.
.ta l:30 l:30 w=75%
(L.S.) Palmerston. | (L.S.) Chekib.
(L.S.) Neumann. |
(L.S.) Bulow. |
(L.S.) Brunnow. |
.ta-
.sp 2
.in 4
.ti -4
Protocol signed at London, on the 15th of July,
1840, by the Plenipotentiaries of Great Britain,
Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Turkey.
.in
.sp 1
In affixing his signature to the Convention of this
date, the Plenipotentiary of the Sublime Ottoman
Porte declared:
That in recording by Article IV. of the said
Convention the ancient rule of the Ottoman Empire,
by virtue of which it has been at all times forbidden
to foreign vessels of war to enter within the Straits
.bn 346.png
.pn +1
of the Dardanelles and of the Bosphorus, the
Sublime Porte reserves to itself, as heretofore, to
deliver passes to light vessels under flag of war,
which may be employed according to custom, for
the service of the correspondence of the Legations
of Friendly Powers.
The Plenipotentiaries of the Courts of Great
Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia, took note of
the above Declaration, for the purpose of communicating
it to their respective Courts.
.ta r:50 l:20 w=100%
(Signed)| Palmerston.
| Neumann.
| Bulow.
| Brunnow.
| Chekib.
.ta-
.sp 2
.in 4
.ti -4
Reserved Protocol signed at London on the
15th of July, 1840, by the Plenipotentiaries of
Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, Russia,
and Turkey.
.in
.sp 1
The Plenipotentiaries of the Courts of Great Britain,
Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Turkey, having,
in virtue, of their full powers, concluded and signed
this day a Convention between their respective
Sovereigns, for the pacification of the Levant;
Considering that, in consequence of the distances
which separate the Capitals of their respective Courts,
a certain space of time must necessarily elapse
before the ratifications of the said Convention can
.bn 347.png
.pn +1
be exchanged, and before orders founded thereupon
can be carried into execution;
And the said Plenipotentiaries being deeply
impressed with the conviction, that by reason of the
present state of things in Syria, the interests of
humanity, as well as the grave considerations of
European policy which constitute the object of the
common solicitude of the Contracting Parties to the
Convention of this day, imperiously require that, as
far as possible, all delay should be avoided in the
accomplishment of the pacification which the said
Convention is intended to effect;
The said Plenipotentiaries, in virtue of their full
powers, have agreed, that the preliminary measures
mentioned in Article II. of the said Convention,
shall be carried into execution at once, without
waiting for the exchange of the ratifications; the
respective Plenipotentiaries recording formally, by
the present Instrument, the consent of their Courts
to the immediate execution of these measures.
It is moreover agreed between the said Plenipotentiaries,
that His Highness the Sultan will
proceed immediately to address to Mehemet Ali,
the communication and offers specified in the Separate
Act annexed to the Convention of this day.
It is further agreed, that the Consular Agents of
Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia, at Alexandria,
shall place themselves in communication
with the Agent whom His Highness may send
thither to communicate to Mehemet Ali the above-mentioned
.bn 348.png
.pn +1
offers; that the said Consuls shall afford
to that Agent all the assistance and support in their
power; and shall use all their means of influence
with Mehemet Ali, in order to persuade him to
accept the arrangement which will be proposed
to him by order of His Highness the Sultan.
The Admirals of the respective squadrons in the
Mediterranean shall be instructed to place themselves
in communication with the said Consuls on
this subject.
.ta r:50 l:20 w=100%
(Signed)| Palmerston.
| Neumann.
| Bulow.
| Brunnow.
| Chekib.
.ta-
.ce
END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
.ce
London: Harrison and Co., Printers, St. Martin’s Lane.
.bn 349.png
.pn +1
.pb
.nf c
NEW WORKS
PUBLISHED BY
JOHN W. PARKER, WEST STRAND, LONDON.
.nf-
.hr 20%
.nf c
Two Volumes, with Portrait, from the original picture by
Sir T. Lawrence.
LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE LATE
SIR ASTLEY PASTON COOPER, Bart.;
From Documents bequeathed by him for the purpose.
By Bransby B. Cooper, Esq., F.R.S.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Octavo, with Portrait, &c., 13s.
LIFE AND SERVICES OF GENERAL
LORD HARRIS, G.C.B.
By the Right Hon. S.R. Lushington, late Governor of Madras.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Octavo, with Portrait, 12s.
BISHOP BUTLER.
Memoirs of the Life and Writings of the Author of The Analogy.
By the Rev. Thomas Bartlett, M.A.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
New Edition, Revised, Octavo, 9s.
THE LIFE OF ARCHBISHOP SANCROFT;
To which are added, Three Sermons, and the Tract on Modern Policy.
By George D'Oyly, D.D., F.R.S., Rector of Lambeth.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF THE
Royal Society of Literature.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Octavo, 12s.
The First of a Series of Volumes, intended to comprise, under the title of
BIOGRAPHIA BRITANNICA LITERARIA,
A Literary History of the
United Kingdom,
ARRANGED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER, AND COMMENCING WITH THE
ANGLO-SAXON PERIOD
.nf-
.bn 350.png
.pn +1
.pb
.nf c
Two Volumes, Post Octavo, 14s.
WOMAN'S RIGHTS AND DUTIES,
CONSIDERED WITH REFERENCE TO THEIR EFFECTS ON
SOCIETY AND ON HER OWN CONDITION.
By A Woman.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
The Tenth Edition, 3s. 6d.
WOMAN'S MISSION.
.nf-
“If Women could once be made to understand their real mission in this world,
and to feel their own importance and responsibility, a surprising change must
immediately take place in society, giving it a higher tone and purer spirit.”
.hr 15%
.nf c
Foolscap Octavo, 4s. 6d.
THE RUBI
A TALE OF THE SEA.
By Frederick W. Mant, late R.N.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
16mo., 4s.
ODES AND SONNETS, WITH OTHER POEMS,
IN SCOTCH AS WELL AS IN ENGLISH.
By C. Lesingham Smith, M.A., Rector of Little Canfield.
.nf-
.nf c
Three Volumes, with Portraits, 4s. 6d. each.
LIVES OF EMINENT CHRISTIANS.
By the Rev. R.B. Hone, M.A.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Crown Octavo, 7s. 6d.
LETTERS OF EMINENT PERSONS;
Selected and Illustrated by Robert Aris Willmott, B.A.,
Trinity College, Cambridge.
By the same Author.
LIVES OF THE ENGLISH SACRED POETS,
With a Historical Sketch of Sacred Poetry.
Two Volumes, with Portraits, 9s.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Second Edition, Enlarged, Two Volumes, Foolscap Octavo, 10s. 6d.
MUSICAL HISTORY, BIOGRAPHY, AND
CRITICISM.
By George Hogarth, Esq.
.nf-
.bn 351.png
.pb
.pn +1
.nf c
Seventh Edition, with Illustrations, 3s.
THREE WEEKS IN PALESTINE AND LEBANON.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Two Volumes, with Engravings, 11s.
THE CRUSADERS; SCENES, EVENTS, AND
CHARACTERS,
From the Times of the Crusades. By T. Keightley.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Foolscap Octavo, 5s. 6d.
HISTORY OF MOHAMMEDANISM, AND THE
PRINCIPAL MOHAMMEDAN SECTS.
By Dr. Taylor.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Post Octavo, 6s. 6d.
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, AND ITS FUNCTIONS.
Contents.
.nf-
.pi
.in 5
.ti -5
Chap. I.—Laws of the Nervous System relating to Sensation and Voluntary Motion.
.ti -5
Chap. II.—Application of the preceding Laws to explain Pathological Phenomena.
.ti -5
Chap. III.—Influence of the Nervous System on the merely Corporeal Functions.
.ti -5
Chap. IV.—Relation of the Brain to the Intellectual Faculties and active Principles
of our Nature.
.in
.ni
.nf c
By Herbert Mayo, F.R.S., Senior Surgeon of Middlesex Hospital,
formerly one of the Professors of Anatomy and Surgery to the
Royal College of Surgeons.
By the Same Author,
THE PHILOSOPHY OF LIVING.
.nf-
.in 5
.ti -5
Diversities of Constitution. Of Digestion. Of Exercise. Physical
Education of Girls; Spinal Curvature. Of Sleep. Of Bathing. Of
Clothing. Of Air and Climate. Health of Mind. Self-control. Mental
Culture.
.in
.nf c
New Edition, 8s. 6d.
Also,
MANAGEMENT OF THE ORGANS OF DIGESTION
IN HEALTH AND DISEASE.
Rules of Diet for different Constitutions.—Treatment of Indigestion; of Looseness;
of Costiveness.—Local Diseases of the Lower Bowel, and their Treatment.
Second Edition, 6s. 6d.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Second Edition, revised, Engravings, 7s. 6d.
POPULAR PHYSIOLOGY;
Familiar Explanations of interesting Facts connected with the Structure
and Functions of Animals, and particularly of Man.
By the late Dr. Percival B. Lord, of the Hon. E.I.C. Service.
.nf-
.bn 352.png
.pn +1
.pb
.nf c
Ornamentally printed, and bound and gilt, 3s. 6d.
NATIONAL PROVERBS, IN THE PRINCIPAL
LANGUAGES OF EUROPE.
By Caroline Ward.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Foolscap Octavo, 7s.
A HISTORY OF LONDON;
The Progress of its Institutions; the Manners and Customs of its People.
By Charles Mackay.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Three Volumes, 6s. 6d. each.
FAMILY HISTORY OF ENGLAND.
By the Rev. G.R. Gleig, M.A. With an extensive Series of
Pictorial Illustrations.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Two Volumes, with many Engravings, 7s.
A FAMILIAR HISTORY OF BIRDS;
Their Nature, Habits, and Instincts.
By Edward Stanley, D.D., Lord Bishop of Norwich.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
With many Engravings, 3s. 6d., bound and gilt.
DOMESTICATED ANIMALS
Considered with reference to Civilization and the Arts.
By Mary Roberts.
By the same Author, 3s. 6d. each, bound and gilt.
WILD ANIMALS;
Their Nature, Habits, and Instincts; with Incidental Notices of the
Regions they inhabit.
Also,
THE ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES OF AMERICA.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
One Volume, with upwards of a Hundred Woodcuts, 5s.
ROADS AND RAILROADS,
And the Vehicles and Modes of Travelling in all parts of the World,
popularly described.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
With numerous Woodcuts, 4s.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS MENTIONED IN
HOLY SCRIPTURE.
Illustrated by Extracts from the Works of Travellers.
.nf-
.bn 353.png
.pn +1
.pb
.nf c
Recreations in the Sciences,
A SERIES OF POPULAR WORKS.
The tendency of which is to show how much of recreation, combined with
sound knowledge, may be found in natural objects.
.nf-
.fs 85%
The traveller and the historian, the artist and the artisan, offer their various works
and productions for the study or recreation of young and old, but they invite attention,
for the most part, to the imperfect works of man; and their productions, though
valuable in themselves, possess not that attractive interest and unwearying amusement,
which is to be found in the contemplation of the perfect works of Nature.
But can it be doubted that, in the beautiful and endless variety of Nature’s works,
there exists a store of unfailing amusement and instruction, the pursuit of which is
sure to form a profitable occupation for the general reader during many a leisure
hour, and is also admirably calculated to supersede many of the recreations of the
young, which are productive of no useful results?
.fs 100%
.nf c
Of this Series there are already published,—
I.
RECREATIONS IN PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY;
Or, THE EARTH AS IT IS.
By Miss R.M. Zornlin. Foolscap Octavo, with numerous
Illustrations, Maps, &c. 6s.
II.
RECREATIONS IN GEOLOGY;
With a Glossary of Terms, and various Illustrations.
By Miss R.M. ZORNLIN. New Edition, 4s. 6d.
III.
RECREATIONS IN ASTRONOMY;
With a Glossary, and fifty Illustrations.
By the Rev. Lewis Tomlinson, M.A. New Edition, 4s. 6d.
IV.
RECREATIONS IN CHEMISTRY;
By Thomas Griffiths, Chemical Lecturer, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital.
4s. 6d.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Third Edition, with numerous Illustrations. 5s.
READINGS IN SCIENCE;
Familiar EXPLANATIONS of some of the most interesting Appearances
in NATURAL PHILOSOPHY.
.nf-
.bn 354.png
.pn +1
.pb
.nf c
Fifth Edition, 4s. 6d.
READINGS IN POETRY;
A Selection from the best English Poets, from Spenser to the Present
Times; with Specimens of the American Poets;
Biographical Sketches, and Notes.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
New Edition, 4s. 6d.
READINGS IN ENGLISH PROSE LITERATURE;
Choice Specimens of the best English Writers, from Lord Bacon to the
Present Time.
With Biographical Sketches, and Essays on English Literature.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
New Edition, 4s. 6d.
READINGS IN BIOGRAPHY;
A Selection of the Lives of the Most Eminent Men of all Nations.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Second Edition, Enlarged, 10s. 6d.
The STUDENT'S MANUAL of ANCIENT HISTORY;
The Political History, Geographical Position, and Social State of the
Principal Nations of Antiquity;
Carefully Digested from the Ancient Writers,
And Illustrated by the Discoveries of Modern Scholars and Travellers.
By W.C. Taylor, LL.D., M.R.A.S.
By the same Author, Second Edition, Enlarged, 10s. 6d.,
The STUDENTS MANUAL of MODERN HISTORY;
The Rise and Progress of the Principal European Nations,
Their Political History, and the Changes in their Social Condition;
With a History of the Colonies founded by Europeans.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
Uniform with the Bible Cyclopædia, 7s. 6d.
BIBLE MAPS.
A Series of New and Accurate Maps, accompanied by Explanatory Memoirs,
and forming a Complete Historical and Descriptive Atlas
of Scripture Geography;
The Ancient Authorities being verified and corrected, from the Information
of Travellers and Writers up to the Present Time.
By William Hughes, F.R.G.S.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
The First Volume, price 1l. 5s., with numerous Illustrations,
THE BIBLE CYCLOPEDIA;
A COMPREHENSIVE DIGEST OF THE CIVIL AND NATURAL HISTORY,
GEOGRAPHY, STATISTICS, AND GENERAL LITERARY INFORMATION
CONNECTED WITH THE SACRED WRITINGS.
To be completed in Two Volumes.
.nf-
.bn 355.png
.pn +1
.pb
.nf c
WORKS BY THE REV.
WILLIAM WHEWELL, B.D., F.R.S.,
Master of Trinity College; Professor of Moral Philosophy
in the University of Cambridge.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
ARCHITECTURAL NOTES ON GERMAN
CHURCHES,
With Notes of a Tour in Normandy and Picardy.
A Third Edition, with Additions.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
The PHILOSOPHY of the INDUCTIVE SCIENCES,
founded upon their history.
The Philosophy of Pure Mathematics; the Mechanical Sciences; of Physics; of
Chemistry; of Mineralogy; of Botany; of Zoology; and the Logic of Induction.
Two Volumes, Octavo, 30s.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
A HISTORY OF THE INDUCTIVE SCIENCES,
FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE PRESENT.
.nf-
.ni
Ancient Astronomy. Mechanics. Hydrostatics. Optics, and Harmonics. Modern
Astronomy. Mechanics. Hydrostatics. Optics. Acoustics. Heat. Electricity.
Magnetism. Galvanism. Chemistry. Electro-Chemistry. Mineralogy. Botany.
Animal Physiology. Zoology. Geology.
.pi
.ce
Three Volumes, Octavo, 2l. 2s.
.hr 15%
.nf c
ON THE PRINCIPLES OF
ENGLISH UNIVERSITY EDUCATION. Octavo, 5s.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
THE MECHANICAL EUCLID;
Containing the Propositions necessary for a Degree at Cambridge, 5s. 6d.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
THE MECHANICS OF ENGINEERING;
For use in Universities and Colleges of Engineers. Octavo, 9s.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
THE DOCTRINE OF LIMITS,
With Applications; viz., Conic Sections, the first three Sections of
Newton, the Differential Calculus. Octavo, 9s.
.nf-
.hr 15%
.nf c
ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF MORALS;
Four Sermons preached before the University of Cambridge. 3s. 6d.
.nf-
.bn 356.png
.pn +1
.pb
.ce
Published by authority.
.nf c
MINUTES OF THE COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL
ON EDUCATION,
For the Years 1840-1. Octavo, 3s. 6d.; also,
THE MINUTES FOR THE YEARS 1839-40. 3s. 6d.
.nf-
.hr 40%
.nf c
WILHEM'S METHOD OF TEACHING SINGING,
ADAPTED TO ENGLISH USE UNDER THE SANCTION OF THE
COMMITTEE OF COUNCIL ON EDUCATION,
By JOHN HULLAH.
The Materials for Teaching Singing on the above Method are
Published in the following forms:
WILHEM'S METHOD OF TEACHING SINGING,
New Edition. Parts I. and II. 2s. 6d. each; or the Two Parts bound
together in cloth, 5s.
These two Parts contain the Theory and Practice of the First Course, and are
adapted both for Teachers and Pupils.
II.
THE EXERCISES AND FIGURES for the Use of Pupils.
Three Books, 6d. each.
III.
HULLAH'S LARGE SHEETS,
Containing the EXERCISES and FIGURES, in bold Characters, on
Sheets Three feet Six inches long.
Nos. I. to X.; XI. to XX.; XXI. to XXX.; XXXI. to XL.; XLI. to
L.; LI. to LX.; and LXI. to LXX.; are ready, in parcels of ten
Numbers each. Price 7s. 6d. per parcel.
.nf-
.ni
These Sheets, though intended chiefly for the use of Schools, will also be found
useful in the Instruction of Classes provided with Books, as saving the Teacher the
time and labour required for the use of the Black Board. The succeeding Numbers
are in the Press.
.pi
.nf c
IV.
SINGING TABLETS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS:
Price, Sheets, 10s.; Mounted on Millboard, 25s.; in Box, complete, 30s.
These Tablets contain the Theory and Practice of the First Course, and are adapted
chiefly for Schools conducted on the Monitorial System.
.nf-
.hr 30%
.ce
LONDON: JOHN W. PARKER, PUBLISHER, WEST STRAND.
.pb
.dv class='tnotes'
.ce
Transcriber’s Note
The word 'reconnoissance' is also spelled 'reconnaissance', occurring
in both forms in the chapter summaries for Chapter V in the
Table of Contents and in the chapter heading itself. The former
form is used exclusively in the remainder of the text, and so these
have been corrected.
Errors deemed most likely to be the printer’s have been corrected, and
are noted here. The references are to the page and line in the original.
The following issues should be noted, along with the resolutions.
.ta l:8 l:46 l:12 w=90%
| Reconn[a/o]issance to Merouba | Replaced.
| a high idea of their indom[p/i]table intrepidity | Replaced.
| he halted a short time to reorganize his army[,/.]> | Replaced.
| he would recal[l] Ibrahim into Egypt | Added.
| throughout the Turkish territor[it]ies | Removed.
| Reconn[a/o]issance to Merouba | Replaced.
| About half-past 3[,] P.M. | Removed.
| [ /R.] M. O’Ferrall, Esq., | Restored.
| [“]Beyrout appears to have revived again | Added.
| his force was ass[e]mbled>. | Added.
| the court-yard of the ch[a/â]teau | Replaced.
| with a parcel of red [buntin] flags | sic
| notwithstand[i]ng the explosion | Added.
| The cool, steady, and beau[t]iful style | Added.
.ta-
.dv-