The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-10 00:00:00

PRICE sth

ATTACK ON BEYROUT.

(From last night's Gazette.)
• Admiralty, October 7, 1840.
Despatches. of which the following are clp'es or ex-
tracts, have been this day received at this cffice, ad-
dressed to Richard More O'Ferrall, E q., by Admiral
the Honourable Sir Roltcrt Stopfor,l, G.C.8., Com-
mander-in-Chief of her Majesty's ships and vessels in
the Mediterrmean

Extract of a Desptteb from Admiral the Honourable
Sir Robert Stopford, to R. M. OTerrall, Esq.,
;I',dated Princess Charlotte. Djounie Bay, near Bey-
rout, September 20, 1840.

. .
I arrived off Beyrout on the morning of the 9th,
where I found Commodore Napier with the ships and
vessels named in the margin.*
The Turkish expedition, under Rear-Admiral Walker,
of the Ottoman navy, joined at the same time from
Cyprus, consisting of a line-of-battle ship, two frigates,
and two corvettes, with twenty-four transports, carry-
ing five thousand three hundred and seventy-three
troops, commanded by Selim Pacha.
Commodore Napier, baying previously examined the
coast and selected a position, accompanied by Lieute-
nant Aldridge, of the Engineers. (for I lament to say
LieuterpAt-Colonel Sir Charles Smith has been so ex-
tremely ill since his arrival as to incapacitate him for
any active duty), I directed the Commodore to com-
plete his plans and arrangements ; and the same night
the marines were removed to the steamers, and ,the
whole, amounting to about seven thousand Turks and
Allies, were in readiness to land in the morning ; when
after manoeuvring some time before Beyrout, lined with
Egyptian troops, in order to distract their attention, the
Commodore hastened to the point of disembarkation,
and succeeded without opposition or accident of any
kind. . _

For a more minute detail of this operation I must re-
er you to the Commodore's letter of the 16th, a copy
of which is herewith enclosed.

Great praise is due to Commodore Napier, whose in-
,defatigable zeal and izetleity ix securing his position
Were well seconded by the officers and Men under his
command.

In order to protect the landing, and insure the safety
of the troops exposed to a sudden attack of an over-
whelming force till the requisite defences were com-
pleted, I found it necessary to occupy the attention of
the Egyptian army, which made a formidable appearance
in armed masses along the hedges, and under cover of
the gardens, and broken ground between the town and
the sea, and opened a fire upon them from the shipping,
taking care to avoid injuring the town, while the Aus-
trian frigate Guerriera, commanded by his Royal High-
ness Prince Charles Frederic, Lipsia corvette, and her
Majesty's brig Zebra, took up a commanding position
in St. George's Bay, enfilading the road by the beach,
covering the bridge conducting to it, and drove the
Egyptians from their encampment on the landside of the
town.
On the forenoon of the 11th, a letter was sent by
Rear-Admiral Bandiera and myself, in the name of the
Sultan, to Soliman Paella, the Commander of the Egyp-
tian troops (of which a copy is enclosed, as well as of
his answer). Agreeably to his request, the letter was
again sent, in French, with instructions to the officers to
wait half an hour for the answer, much time having pre-
viously been lost. At the end of that time a verbal
message only was returned, that an answer would be
sent the following morning, which being too palpably
evasive, as circumstances then were, and that he might
benefit by a night's delay, by which his troops might
have been upon our quarters, and his powder and provi-
sions removed without danger or accident from our fire,
or otherwise profit by the interva4 I ordered the
fire to be renewed, and to be partially and sparingly
kept up for the night against the fort only, and prin-
cipally against one having mounted guns, in order to
disturb their movements, as well as to sustain the con-
fidence of the people of the country in our protection
and aid is the resumption of their allegiance to the
Sultan.

The mountaineers have come in considerable num-
bers, principally, I understand, Christians. Muskets,
with ammunition, have been distributed with all possible
discrimination and caution, and the demand for them is

increasing. On being supplied, they generally return
to their abodes in the recesses of the mountains ; some
skirmishing is said to have taken place between them
and the Egyptians; and Captain Martin's letter of the
sth, of which a copy is inclosed, will show that good ser-
vice had been done by a party of two hundred and fifty
of them at Batrona.
The line of operations taken up by the squadron,
extends from Tripoli to Caffa, beyond Acre, and
several points commanding the road along the coast
have been taken, but the Egyptian army, said to be
fifteen thousand strong, is concentrated within a few
hours' march, and an advanced post of about four
hundred men, is seen on the brow of a hill, near our
camp.
A new appointment of Paellas has taken plaoe, and
Isset Pasha has just arrived to take possession of his
province.
We have been now ten days occupied incessantly on
very active and fatiguing service, and it is gratifying to
me to be enabled to notice to their Lordships the fine
spirit with which it has been carried on both on shore
and on board. Commodore Napier's letter will speak
for the former, and my own observation bears equal tes-
timony to the other, but where the exertions of all are
so conspicuous it would be impossible as invidious to
particularize individual merit.
From Rear-Admiral Baron de Bandiera I have re-
ceived the most kind, ready, able, and efficient advice
and assistance ; and the zeal and active exertions of his
Royal Highness the Archduke Charles Frederic of
Austria have been most prominent upon every occa-
sion. The Austrian squadron has been of the greatest
service on this expedition ; two hundred of their ma-
rines are now serving on shore with ours, and the la-
bours and fatigue duties shared in common.
To the zealous, persevering, and active exertions of
Rear-Admiral Walker, in command of the Ottoman
squadron, his captain, officers, and men, much credit is
due for the ready co-operation and good understanding
kept up between the two services in the indefatigable
performance of their arduous duties.
The steam vessels have been eminently useful in con-
stantly moving along a great extent of coast with troops
and arms, and taking part in the attacks upon the dif-
ferent forts, which services have been executed entirely
to my satisfaction.

I have, Sce ,
ROBERT STOI'FORD, Admiral.

;Signed)

(Copy of the Letter sent to Solimao Paella.)
We the Admirals of the British and Austrian squad-
rons, acting in obedience to the instructions of our re-
spective Governments, and in the interests of his High-
ness the Sultnn, consider it 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 reflec-
tion come to the decision, in consonance with our
benevolent views, to spare the innocent inhabitants from
the inevitable horrors which a few hours will inflict upon
them.
We request your Excellency will send an answer, as
soon as you can, or at the latest by half-past one.
(Signed) ROBERT STOPFORD, Admiral.
BANDIERA.
Off Beyrout, Thursday, 11 A.M.
His Excellency Soliman M ajor-G eneral
of the Egyptian Amy Beyrout.

(Th 7-3 Answer.)
Le Generale Soliman Pacha a l'honneur de presenter
;es salutations a Messieurs les Amiraux des escadres
Anglaise et Autriebienne, et en meme temps il les
previent, quo ne sachant pas lire la langue Anglaise, it
lui est impossible de repondre a moins quo Messieurs
les Amiraux ne veuillent bien lid fare traduire en
Francais, et un Turque, ou en Arab lour communication.
Beyrout, to 11 Septembre, 1840.
(Signed) EUJXT. Z. SULEIMAN,
A Merieurs les Airaux, Commandant les
Escadres Anglaisem et Autrichienue Levant,
Baurriet
(Lieu-----7tenant Murray s Report.)
Princess Charlotte, off Ileyrout, Sept. 16, 1840.
remainletter
half
a addressedn hour
0 tour Solimant r
an a nPwsa:vct
elhira_a.;
I was sent on shore this afternoon to the town
an officer, who
tebarneedtotoawn I was received b
Port,
to to whom
remain
ursee
was the
flag
niMn
understoody
reaching oo fr
dt re
delivered the letter ; I was not permitted
shore, but laid off ; at the end of half on
minutes after 5 p.m., the same officer an hour, twenty
another, who I understood to be Soliman cer returned with
Secre-
tary, who delivered me the folio • Pacha's
repeated twice over at my wing message in French,
request ;-
6, That his Highness
of war, after which it naw,ass then engaged at a council
his intention to review his
troops ; but that his answer would be ready next morn-
ing." I demanded at what hcur, when the Secretary,
after a word or two with the Captain of the Port, fixed
two hours after sunrise. (Signed)
ALE '
XANDER MURRAY, Lieutenant.