The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-27 00:00:00

THE LEVANT MAIL.

From Beyrout our advices are of the 3d inst. Essad
Pacha returned there on the 2d, after completing the
disarmament of the population of Tripoli, and re-
establishing order and tranquillity in that town.
Twelve of` the most influential inhabitants had been
arrested by his orders and sent to prison. The moun-
taineers of Beisciarre, who had assumed a hostile at-
titude, had returned to their duty, the Pacha having
thought proper to suspend the collection of the miri
until their claims should be examined. The Ottoman
fleet, with the exception of two ships of the line sta-
tioned at Tripoli, was still lying at anchor in the
roads of Beyrout on the 25th ult. The British fri-
gate Tyne sailed from Beyrout for Alexandria on
the 31st. _ _

Our private correspondence from Alexandria on
the 7th inst. announces that Mehemet Ali, after
having received a visit from his son, Said Pacha, who
followed him from Alexandria to Cairo, had consented
to receive Ibrahim Pacha, and had subsequently con-
sented to resume the administration of affairs and to
return to Alexandria, whence a steam-boat had been
dispatched on the 7th inst., which was to meet his
Highness at Atfe. Much apprehension was felt at
Alexandria that the inundation of the Nile during

this year would not be sufficient to produce good
crops. No case of plague had been reported for some
days. The Geyser was waiting at Alexandria to con-
vey Lord Ellenborough to Marseilles. His Lordship
was expected to arrive at Alexandria in a few days.
Our letters from Jerusalem of the 18th ult. state,
that a very considerable sensation still existed there
amongst the French and other Christian population,
on account of the murder of the French Consul's ser-
vant (mentioned in one of our former letters). It was
even said that the Consul was so alarmed at the ap-
pearance of affairs, that he would write to his Go-
vernment to supply him with means of protection for
the French now in his neighbourhood.
Our letters from Constantinople of the 7th instant
state, that the intelligence from Alexandria had pro-
duced a lively sensation in the Turkish capital. The
Ministers immediately met in council, at the country
seat of the Grand Vizier, and the result of their deli-
beration was, that Masloum Bey, the Minister of
Justice and Chargé d'Affaires of Mehemet Ali, should
repair forthwith to Alexandria to inquire into the real
situation of affairs. Maslouna Bey accordingly em-
barked on the 7th in the French steamer to fulfil that
important mission. The last packet from Salonica
conveyed to Constantinople 227 other Albanian pri-
soners, among whom were several chiefs, who were
thrown into prison to await their trial before the Su-
perior Council of Justice. The Russian steamer
Polar Star had arrived with the family of M. Cata-
cazy, former resident Minister of Russia at Athens,
where he had resided for some time. A libel on the
Minister of Finance having been received by the last
Levant packet, and profusely circulated in Constan-
tinople, Baron de Bourqueney had given permission
to the Ottoman police to examine all the brochures
arriving by the French mail, and to seize such as
it might disapprove, of a political character.
Our naval intelligence from Malta is to the 15th
inst. Beyond the arrival of the two Dutch frigates,
the Rhin, having on board his Royal Highness Prince
Henry of the Netherlands, and the Jason, both from
Tunis, there is, however, little to communicate. They
are both performing quarantine.
Her Majesty's steamer Acheron returned to port on
the 13th inst., from Toulon, where she had been
obliged to put in, in consequence of the violent gale
of wind she encountered. She was ten hours under
full steam from this port to Toulon. The sea broke
over her in a fearful manner; at one time she had six
inches of water on her decks. She got under the lee
of the islands of Hyeres, for shelter from the fury of
the gale. The Acheron was the bearer of the news
received at Malta on the 4th, from Alexandria. No
communication whatever was allowed with the shore.
The quarantine flag was hoisted on her arrival, and
the Captain, with Mr. and Mrs. Carter Smith, landed
with the dispatches. After waiting an hour at Tou-
lon, the Acheron returned to Malta. On leaving she
took no mail, and several letters sent by her in the
hope of being landed, were brought back to the senders
on the return of the steamer to this port.
The Oriental arrived this morning, and will leave
port to-night, for Alexandria.
The Sydenham had been sent from Barcelona to
Marseilles, with dispatches by a Queen's messenger.
The Tyne and Belyidera had arrived off Alexandria,
from Beyrout, but having exchanged signals with the
Geyser, put back again for the port they had left.
The Polyphemus leaves to-day fur the lonian
Islands and Greece, with mails; and the Acheron for
Gibraltar, with the intermediate London mail.
The Orestes was at Argostoli, and about to pro-
ceed to Samos ; the Medea at Corfu, Snake and
Virago at Athens, and the Beacon at Poros.
The news of the bombarding of Tangiers reached
Malta on the morning of the 15th.
The following is the disposition of the fleet on the
Mediterranean station :
Malta Harbour—Ceylon, G, bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral Sir L. Curtis, Lieut. R. Curtis ;
steamer Locust, Lieut. Commander J. Lunn ; Alecto,
Lieut. W. Hoseason.
On Surveying Duty—Beacon, Commander Graves.
Gibraltar—Caledonia, 120, Captain A. D. Milne ;
Albion, 90, Captain Lockyer, C.B. ; Formidable, 84,
Captain G. F. Rich ; Warspite, SO, Captain P. W. P.
Wallis; Scout, 18, Hon. J. R. Drummond; Hecla,
Commander John Duffil; Vesuvius, Commander

Ommanney; Sydenham, Lieut. Commander Mapleton.
Pirxus.—Savage, Lieut. Bowker ; Virago, Com-
mander G. G. Otway.
Coast of Syria.—Tyne, 26, Captain W. N. Glas-
cock ; Belvidera, Captain Hon. G. Gray.
Chalcis.—Snake, 16, Hon. H. B. Devereux.
Alexandria.—Geyser, Commander Carpenter.
Corfu.—Orestes, Commander Cannon; Medea,
Corn mander Warden.
Constantinople.—Devastation, Commander Kitchen.

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES.
We have been informed, and are most gratified at
learning, that measures of military precaution of the
usual kind in fortified towns have lately been adopted
in this invaluable fortress. To whatever intone:

nience such a measure may subject the inhabitants of
this island, it is, nevertheless, called for by circum-
stances. There cannot be a shadow of doubt that,
whenever France considers hostilities about to take
place with England, she will attempt a coup de main
on Malta. It is not for us to point out the most vul-
nerable point in either harbour, nor the means of pre-
venting a furtive nocturnal entrance of the one part
or the other, and of securing the entrance into Val-
letta, in case of an attempt of the troops located in
the other cities and suburbs. These are matters we
are not bound to deal with, and which, no doubt,
those who have the responsibility of keeping pos-
session of the place have already calculated
in all their details. It is sufficient for us to re-

peat—we will do so a thousand times if necessary
that France has commenced naval and military
operations, incompatible, if carried out, with the in-
terests of England ;—that a similar course, simul-
taneously pursued by Spain, and some of the northern
Powers, the former confessedly under French in-
fluence, is of a nature to show a common intention of
throwing down a formidable barrier to French ambi-
tion to the westward. In Tunis we have a British
Consul insulted—the Bey intimidated—a Maltese
party conciliated—with a contemporaneous 'stirring
up of parties within the Island of Malta. In Egypt
we have the opening act of a new French intrigue.
We havealso a pamphlet which, boyish as it is, and
however covered up with hypotheses, is evidently in-
tended to heighten the moral influence of France, and
to weaken that of England, with Powers subject to
the maritime superiority of either Power, and to in-
timidate those in the united kingdom who are
engaged in the pursuits of maritime commerce.
Whether these demonstrations will be acted upon
now, or, being found too premature, will be desisted
from till a future period, we neither know nor care.
This we know, that whenever they may be persisted
in England has the power, and her Administration
will, no doubt, have the firmness, successfully to re-
sist them. To talk of British commerce on the sea
being a vulnerable point now that steam-vessels
are in use is ridiculous. Was it a serious
vulnerable point in the last war, when protected by
sailing vessels? Certainly not. But a steamer will
protect a merchant fleet better than half a dozen sail-
ing vessels. Neither can France place on the water
an equal number of steam-vessels with England fully
manned ; but she would have to combat against Bri-
tish sailors, with sea-sick soldiers ; nor can she dis-
perse her guerilla steamers over the ocean, unless
accompanied by transports loaded with combustible
matter, whereby to produce the steam they move by.
Be all this, however, as it may, the Island of Malta
ought in the meantime to be most diligently watched
against surprise ; and when our neighbours shall
attempt to scour the ocean without coals, to put in
practice the schoolboy exercises of fighting, running
away, joining, and disuniting forces, they will soon
find that there is nothing new in this ; on the con-
trary, it is as old as the first details of the history of
play-grounds and warfare. But single-handed fight-
ing is nothing when powder and fire-arms are the
means of offence. No man can carry his own depOt
with him, nor can any depot be safe without an as-
sembled force ; and, in this respect a steam-vessel
may, by analogy, be compared to an individual, since
she cannot carry with her a supply, for any length of
time, of what she is most in want of in order to in-
sure her efficiency.—Malta Mail.
,e-

TRIPOLI, JULY 22.
The British Consul-General, ten days ago, dis-
patched a courier to Malta. However, no letters
were permitted to be sent by that conveyance. The
affairs in the mountains have been settled without
bloodshed : a demonstration was sufficient to keep that
people in order. The difference had been settled by
the old Barachala, colonel of the irregular cavalry,
and attached to the present Government, like to the