The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-20 00:00:00

EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, DEC. 26, 1840.—The intelligence which
the last French steamer has brought us from Constanti-
nople is by no means calculated to encourage the hopes of
peace which were beginning to be entertained he: e.
Captain Fanshawe had arrived there on the 16th inst.
with the act of submission of Mehemet Ali, which had
been graciously accepted, and a steam-boat was appointed
to leave that capital on the 20th instant, and convey hither
the officers nominated to deliver to the Pacha the Sultan's
pardon, to reinstate him in the Government of Egypt, and
receive the Turkish fleet. All cycs have anxiously watched
for the arrival of this steamer ; but although, with the fa-
vourable weather that prevailed, it might have been here ere
this, nothing has yet been seen of it. The sun has now set,
the post closes to-night, and the French steamer sails early
in the morning, so that it may be some days ere I shall have an
opportunity of informing you of the result. If the Turkish
officials came with no other objects than those above men-
tioned, there would be little doubt of their favourable re-
ception ; but the Pacha has learned that the Sultan is far
from being eontent to let matters rest there. We now
understand that the Divan, after receiving the convention
of Commodore Napier, made known to the Ambassadors
that the Porte was disposed to grant Mehemet Ali the civil
government of Egypt en heredite, but not the military go-
vernment. It also declared that the Pacha must give up
possession of the Egyptian feet, must reduce his army,
and surrender the keeping of his fortresses to officers ap-
pointed by the Sultan, Ste.
It is believed that the Pacha has long been aware of
this artiere pensee of the Divan, and that he is pre-
pared, at all hazirds, to resist any interference with
his military authority in Egypt (at least any Turkish
interference) as equivalent to an attempt to destroy
him outright. Every body says without hesitation, that
if another Pacha were sent here clothed with military
authority, the life of Mehemet Ali would not be safe a sin_
gle day. If therefore the Sultan be permitted to persevere
in this demand, we shall certainly see bloodshed in Alex-
andria; for the old man will not yield to certain ruin
without a struggle. To-day he sites been exercising his
harbour laatteries with ball. Those adjoining the French
mid English Consulates have been firing at the Diamond
Rock, in the eastern harbour, adjoining. the Pharillon.
Their aim is curiously short or wide of the mark ; but
practice may make, if not perfect, at least dangerous, for
the French engineers hero have said so much, and been so
much laughed at, in common with M. Thiers and his war-
like sentiment, " Let us gain time," that they are now, I
believe, anxious to have something to do, even if it be to
discover the truth of the theorem which they still maintain
theoretically, that four guns in battery (24 or 32 pounders)
arc equal to the broadside of a line-of-battle ship ! They
exult considerably in the fact (perhaps I should say,
assertion, although it was freely spoken of as matter
of undh-puted notoriety in our fleet), that the Paixhans
shells of the four steamers which formed the central
division at the siege of Acre (the Phoenix, the Stromboli,
the Gorgon, and the Cyclops) were all seen to fall short
of their mark by the ships stationed right and left in the
eseseent of attack. It is surprising what pains they take
to criticise the British service, and to blazon forth all the
minut4ae of omission or neglect. They all have it here
that poor Lieutenant Hocking bled to death in his first
affair on shore for want of a tourniquet, there being no sur-
geon landed at the time, although there were 500 men
then itt fire on the beach.
On the 23d inst. the Pasha received a courier from Gaza,
and it is stated that he has received certain accounts
thence of the forces concentrated there, viz., 4,000 men,
who lately left Cairo to meet Ibrahim Pacha with Neilsen
Bey, the son of the Sheik I3echir, and the other Druse
chiefs,, who had been held as hostages in Egypt till now.
These were all led by Selim Bey, who writes to the
Paella, that he had during his march received the
submission of the revolted Bedouins, who had come to
excuse themselves, saying that they had been deceived,
having been led to believe that the English were masters of
Alexandria, and were marching on Cairo; and that, in fact,
they had thought they were then without a Government.
It appears that Selim Buy had thought this excuse quite
sufficient, and reported progress accordingly. At Gaza he
had found 8,300 more of the army of Syria collected from
various garrisons (and particularly the debris of '.6crei:
among which were 8 Colonels and 3 Mtainl.!.
await the Pasha's orders there, .rans. They all
Sarni Bey has gone to Cst to gather money to pay the
troops. The exaction-, in the provinces are made with ex-
treme rigour to meet the urgency. The amounts absorbed
by the various petty Pachas would of themselves empty a
treasury, There are 16 of them in Egypt of the double-
t4ii dignity, who enjoys 350 purses each, or 1,7501, per
annum. Ibrahim Pacha (nephew of Mehemet Ali) has
been appointed administrator of the Chiftlik of Sharkie,
Said Hey (the son), to the Chiftlik of Behera, and Abbas
Pacha (the grandson), to the Chiftlik of Garble.

The flag on the Round Tower of Windsor
Castle, which it will be remembered suffered material da-
mage some time since, has again been rent by the violence
of the wind. In the paltry spirit of economy, which is
now observed in the most minute particulars concerning
the castle, an old flag is usually hoisted during stormy
weather, the new one being only kept for gala da)s.
Shortly after the flag had been hoisted on Sunday morn-
ing, a large rent was perceived in its centre, the wind at
the time blowing ratbor violently. To save the large flags
a small onq is sometimes hoisted. When seen from the
tcovn it has all the appearance of a pocket handkerchief,
and excites pretty general ridicule.
During the past year the Wesleyan Methodists
have erected no tewer than 130 chapels,
at a cost of
80,004, being a larger number than in any other year
wring tbcjf VAiSteaca as a body.