The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-01 00:00:00

S YRIA.

The following lel:t gr from Beyrout, dated July
11, is published in 'the Presse :—" It was at two
o'clock in the aftern,o Dn of the day before yesterday
that the massacre be gan at Damascus. I have a
letter now before me ,vhich was sent off at midnight
the same day. Beft ,re 11 o'clock no less than 500
Christians had beer massacred or burnt ; those
who perished by fire :had taken refuge in the con-
sulates, convents, oir churches, which were all
pillaged and then bra nt down. At the departure of
the messenger who brought these letters, other
buildings had been s el , on fire, and when at an hour's
distance from the town he saw a red light in the
sky over Damascus , The Mussulmans first attacked
the Russian consulate, and then went to the others.
The flags were to cn down and insulted in every
possible manner, 1 ;he archives destroyed, and the
furniture broken t a -pieces. After an unsuccessful
search for the con role, the fanatical mob set fire to
all the foreign est Ablishments, both civil and reli-
gious. The censi xls had anticipated the outb teak,
and accepted for thorns Alves and all under their
protection the hasp ituble asylum offered by Ali-del-
Kader. The more_ Saithfi al_ and devoted of his,/ Ogo-

ppeared imminent. With the exception of two,
they all arrived at the Emir's in safety. M. Costi,
the United States consul,was seriously wounded, and
had a very narrow escape from the hands of the
assassins. M. Costi is a native of Damascus, and of
Arab extraction; he has worn the European costume
for some years. The Dutch consul, also a native,
was less fortunate, as he was killed and his body
cut to pieces. Ab-del-Kader displayed great energy.
A furious crowd threatened but could not inti-
midate him ; and his calm and firm demeanour,
aided by his religious character, has, so far, suc-
ceeded in restraining the fanatics who threatened
his guests. He sent messenger after messenger
to the two pachas demanding troops to save the
Consuls and Christians who had taken refuge with
him. When the last letters left, Ahmed-Pacha
had not sent a single soldier. We have here letters
from the French consulate, dated the Bth. M.
Lanusse then wrote that no moral force could
longer prevent the Mussulmans from rising against
the Christians. The incessant efforts of Ab-del
Kader were totally unavailing in presence of the
instigations addressed to the mob ; the priests were
parties to the conspiracy. Ahmed Pacha, to shield
his responsibility, had made a demonstration which
was absolutely ridiculous from its insufficiency.
The attitude and language of the troops
showed the Mussulmans that they had nothing
to fear either from them or their commander. One
officer even said If there is any disorder in the
quarter of the, Ghiaours, the citadel will throw a
few shells amongst them.' We have no news of
M. Lanusse since his retreat to Abd-el-Kader's, on
the 9th ; but I have a note before me, dated the
evening of that day, and written by M. Nicora, a
Corsican, and sanitary physician for the French
Government. M. Nicora is also at Abd-el-Kader's.
His note confirms the facts above related, and adds
that two of the four Lazarist priests, forming the
mission at Damascus, also succeeded in reaching
the Emir's; they are M. Le Roy, the Apostolic
Prefect, head of the mission, and M. Najan. He is
unable to give any information about the fourteen
Sisters of Charity or the children, about a hun-
dred, chiefly girls, who were being educated in
their establishment."

BANQUET TO GENERAL LORD CLYDE,

G.C.B.

The members of the United Service Club paid a
handsome tribute of respect last evening to General
Lord Clyde, the " pacificator of India," on his re-
turn home. A" more enthusiastic appreciation of
his gallant labours could not have been displayed
by both services—military and naval.
The spacious coffee-room of the noble club-house
in Pall-Mall, the largest and most elegant apart-
ment in the house, was selected for the entertain-
ment. A more appropriate salle a manger could
not have been selected, for the walls are hung with
the full-length portraits of some of the illustrious
heroes—naval and military—who have shed a lustre
over sea and land, names renowned in history.
Among the conspicuous heroes there to be seen
on canvas are Admiral Sir Francis Drake, John
Duke of Marlborough, Admiral Lord De Saumarez,
General Sir Ralph Abercromby, Admiral Sir Geo.
Cockburn, Marshal Viscount Beresford, General
Lord Saltoun, the late King of the Netherlands,
and the present King of the Belgians.
The tables were so arranged that the one at which
Lord Clyde sat formed the principal one. All were
equally sumptuously adorned by a profusion of
plateaux and ornamental plate, furnished from pri-
vate sources, through the medium of the well-known
firms of Hunt and Roskill, and of Hancock and
Shepard, :of Bond-street. The chief groups, in
silver, were selected from English history. That
before the president's chair represented the figure
of Victory, upon a pedestal, holding a wreath of
trophies, with emblematical figures, with inscrip-
tions in commemoration of the battles in the Crimea. '
A great variety of beautiful specimens of art, in
silver and gilt, cups, vases, tazzas, &c., filled with
the choicest flowers, relieved the tables. The deli-
cious fruits, clusters of grapes, &c., were inter-
spersed with the flowers, which gave a beautiful
effect to the ensemble. Messrs. Chater, of the
London Tavern, had the distinction to supply the
banquet, which was of a princely character.
By half-past seven o'clock the company began to
assemble, the dinner committee being in attendance
somewhat earlier. The Secretaries of State for
India and War (Sir Charles Wood and Mr. Sidney
Herbert), who came together, arrived early.
General Lord Clyde, accompanied by his relative
and military secretary, Colonel Sir A. Sterling,
arrived punctually at eight o'clock. A crowd Ilad
collected outside the club-house, in order to see the
hero of the late struggle in India. In alighting
from his carriage, the gallant general made a rapid
dash into the club, those who obtained a glimpse
setting up a hearty cheer, which was reiterated by
those less fortunate in their object. On entering
the grand staircase, the full band of the Coldstream
Guards, conducted by Mr. Godfrey, the veteran
master of the band, saluted the presence of the noble
and gallant guest by playing the grand march of
the Coldstream Regiment of Guards, of which his
lordship is now colonel.
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, at-
tended by his aide-de-camp, Colonel Tyrwhitt, came
shortly afterwards.
As the Duke of Cambridge and the other gallant
company, who had congregated in one of the upper
saloons of the Club-house, descended from the stair-
case to pass into the banqueting-room, the military
band played the familiar air of " The Roast Beef of
Old England."
His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
presided on the occasion, having seated on his right
hand, General Lord Clyde, G C. 8., the Right Hon.
Sir Charles Wood, Bart., M.P., and Admiral Sir
Thomas Cochrane, G.C.B. ; and on the left, the
Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., General Sir
William Gomm, G.C.8., and General Sir John
Burgoyne, G.C.B.
Major-General Stanhope, Lieut.-General Sir Jas.
Jackson, K.C.8., Major-General Sir W. Brereton,
C. 8., Colonel Gilpin, M.P., Colonel Blois, and Col.
de Bathe officiated as vice-presidents at the different
tables.

Lieutenant-Colonel Norman, Colonel Metcalfe,
and Major Allison, recently on the Staff of Lord
Clyde in India, were the only " strangers" present
at the banquet, and were invited expressly in com-
pliment to Lord Clyde, for, being hon. members of
the club, they were not eligible.
Covers were laid for 160 persons.