The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-11 00:00:00

EGYPT.

Private letters from Alexandria come down to the
29th ult. On the 25th Captain Fisher, of the. Asia,
announced to the Consul-General of Holland that he

has received instructions from Admiral Stopford to post•
pone the blockade of the harbour of Alexandria until
the 20th of November, for the purpose of permitting
vessels in ballast to enter, and allowing the merchants
of neutral nations to export their goods and mer-
chandise.
The steamer Liverpool arrived at Alexandria on the
19th with passengers, but without mails either for
Egypt or India, both of had been detained by
the postmaster at Malta. The passengers for Bombay
set out on the 24th, and every facility was afforded
them for their journey to Suez.

ALEXANDRIA, OCT. 29.
On the 25th inst. the note of M. Thiers, in reply to
Lord Palmerston, containing 27 printed pages, in justi-
fication of his conduct, was presented by M. Cechelet
to the Pacha, whose patience failed him at the sight: It
is said that as he subsequently settled himself to have a
comfortable smoke during its translation, he drily ob-
served, " You may translate it at one glance, in three
words—' France won't fight !' " On the 21st inst.
his fleet was reported " ready for sea ;" the wind was
fair, and he issued his " scaled order" that it should
go forth. But the wind chopped about before noon, and
the -order was reversed. Mehemet Ali still continues
his preparations for defence unremittingly. Eight heavy
pieces of cannon are planted behind the house lately inha-
bited by Col. Hodges. and seven in the rear of that in
which M. Cochclat resides. to prevent a landing.
With the prospect of a winter's blockade, and the sup-
ply of wood from Syria for fuel cut off (the prices of it
and oil, and other necessaries, have advanced already),
the pitiable condition of the poor inhabitants (always on
the brink of destitution) may be imagined. Of course
the troops will be first provided for, whoever may be
left to suffer. An order for part payment of the arrears
of the fleet was made at the same time the firm an was
issued for sending it out to sea ; but, in fact, only six
months' pay was advanced to those who had not received
a similar instalment about two months ago. There now
remain due about 13 or 14 months to all the Egyp-
tian and Arsb portions of the fleet, this last payment
being Merely intended to place all on a footing of
equality in that respect. Troops owed only so much,
it is understood, have not the slightest cause of
complaint. The Turkish sailors have not been sent
ashore after all, and are now distributed throughout the
fleet in the proportion of one-fourth of the strength of
the crew, who it is understood may make short work
with them upon the next outbreak or symptom of mutiny.
They would doubtless rather be permitted to go ashore
with their officers, but the Pacha has fed them so long,
he cannot be satisfied till he has taken the value out of
them in some way. Meanwhile he " keeps the rats
shaking in t4ie bag,' by constant exercise on board and
preparations for sailing and fighting. Each day the sails
are furled and unfurled, the anchors weighed, the guns
pulled and pushed about, and a vast quantity of noise
made, very harmlessly.
The National Guard or Redif constitutes another of
the Pacha's " misfortunes," or rather " mistakes," of
which the dwellers ;n Alexandria were afforded an op-
portunity of perceiving some of the dangerous liabilities
last Wednesday in a very striking style. A rumour ran
through the town that the Turkish sailors were to be
turned adrift, and that the Redif were to be draughted
on board to do duty in their place. This sufficed to
bring their wives into the Grand Place uttering their
peculiar wild and savage note of ullulation or tribulation
(something between the Irish cry and a dog's howl to
the moon), which they resort to whenever they are in
grief, and which, singular to say, differs very slightly from
the expression of joy or congratulation used at wed-
dings and so forth. Here the Redif marched in to be
dismissed as usual after their review in the desert ; but
their ladies taking it for granted that they were to be
kEelptGuvillea
ary theirrbi,su
mtanalogmroaor(3l.
and
pt.eusasclatter, into
thestill order servicetb
a of the
e
w commander,sexecuted fleet,
in a
pale, and commanded them to be driven out of the
s g
and brutal manner. The women, old and young, were
lashed away by the mounted officers, armed with whip-
thongs of hippopotamus hide, and others on foot struck
them with cudgels on the head, back, and shoulders,
with their full force. The poor wretches, who are almost
all clad in a single blue chemise, which forms their en-
tire dress, felt the blows severely, and ran howling away.
It was a very disgusting sight to Frankish eyes, and all
expressed themselves shocked—all but one philosopher,
who took up his testimony against our pity, and wished
they had got twice as much to remember, warning us at
the same time "that if ever we had our throats cut bs
either soldiers or fanatics, we should find them excited
to it by that cursed &aloe of the women."
This day (the 21st inst.), while the order for stand-
ing out to sea was in full force, the Minister, 130ghos
Bey, sent round circulars to the European merchants
requesting advances on account. This requisition it
was easy to perceive was not at all popular, though the
work in hand (paying the fleet) was approved by every.
body as a judicious preliminary to the greater work
which awaited it without.
After all, this is not a pleasant month for either
Turkish or Egyptian sailors or soldiers to
rfight
Giaours. The Scotch have a proverb, " ' [is ill talk
that goes on between a full man and a fastiryg,,, and
any
fight that alight take place would be quite as unsa-
tisfactory, at least to the faster. The month of Rha
madan has commenced, and none of the Pacha's soldiers
can eat from two hours before sunrise to sonset. 'This
fast continues 30 days.
We have had a surprise. The new and splendid
steamer Liverpool arrived here on the morning of the
19th inst., with 17 passengers for India, but without
her mails, that for Alexandria as well na that for India
having been taken out and detained at Malta by Rear-
Admiral Sir John Louis, who kept her two days to
think over it ! this second What are we to think of stoppage of our
letters? The detention of the mail for India may pos-
sibly be justified by political considerations, and the
stringent orders of the Board o f
Control, who claim a
right to keep their eastern hemisphere in literary if not
hat shadow of
literal darkness ; but w _ pretence can he
or they have for preventing the commercial communica-
tions addressed to private. di
h oua sin this city coming
to band ? There is no 13ritie Consul here now to com-
promise the bag by the inclusion of dangerous de-
spatches. The British passengers (who are at least of
as much value as so many letters) were allowed to come
on freely, and safely made theirway down the Red Sea
24th inst., in the Berenice.
last Saturday, the
I am happy to be able tot say, that the Great Liver-
pool did not find the sligh e• 0. stacle thrown in the
chorage off this port, and free
way of her safe ancom-
munication with the shore.
Of the blockading d
squa ron only the • Dido was visible,
and the Captain of that corvette having formally
dis-
charged his duty by conveyingthe harbour
usual warning, the
probable danger of entering he in the present
unsettled state of affairs, left Captain. Engeldue to act
in continuation to the best of his judgment. The Great
accordingly Liverpool a anchored at a safe distance off
the agents put off to
the port, and communicate with
the captain and passenger!y were very agrecab,y
surprised to find that no impediment The whatever existed
to their further progress to Suez, and accordingly in the
course of the day came ashore, and next day pursued
their journey uninterruptedly to Suez : 17 by the Li-
verpool, and 13 by previous vessels, fairly embarked on
the 24th inst. in the Berenice (Captain Lowe), which
brought the Bombay mail to Suez.
As the Great Liverpool sails at sunset, I must con-
clude. Her passengers (twelve from India and about
thirty from Alexandria) are chiefly British, leaving
from a natural wish to breathe an attnosphere free from
blockades and bombardments, or a residence in sonic
British port where British steamers
st them is .can bring them
their British letters. Among Lady Isabella