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

SYRIA.

The following letter from Beyrout, dated July
11, is published in the Presse :—"lt was at two
o'clock in the afternoon of the day before yesterday
that the massacre began at Damascus. I have a
letter now before me which was sent off at midnight
the same day. Before 11 o'clock no less than 500
Christians had been massacred or burnt ; those
who perished by fire had taken refuge in the con-
sulates, convents, or churches, which were all
pillaged and then burnt down. At the departure of
the messenger who brought these letters, other
buildings had been set 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 torn down and insulted in every
possible manner, the archives destroyed, and the
furniture broken to pieces. After an unsuccessful
search for the consuls, the fanatical mob set fire to
all the foreign establishments, both civil and reli-
gious. The consuls had anticipated the outbreak,
and accepted for themselves and all under their
protection the hospitable asylum offered by Ah-del-
Kader. The more faithful and devoted of his Alga-
rines has assisted the consuls in making their retreat
through the Mussulman quarter when the explosion

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."