The Sun. — 1858-07-15 (London, England)

THE MASSACRE AT JEDDAH.  SUEZ, JULY 6. Her Majesty's steamer Cyclops arrived here from Jeddah on the 3d iust., bringing the remnants of the Christian population of that port, where an outbreak had taken place, costing the lives of the British acting vice consul, the French consul and his wife, and that of the three brothers Sawa, of the Greek firm of Toma Sawa; these were the leading members of the Christian community at Jeddah, which it appears consisted of not more than from 40 to 50 souls, of whom 22 were murdered. The official reports of the captain of the Cyclops were forwarded express to her Britannic Majesty's consul general at Alexandria, the accounts of the affair, as they have obtained currency at Suez, being but little to be depended upon, By these, however, it would appear that a question having arisen concerning the nationality of a certain merchant vessel, the ownership of which was disputed by two Anglo-Indian merchants, the one professing to become a subject of the Sublime Porte in consequence of the case having been decided against him by British consular authority, and, therefore, wishing to cause the Turkish flag to be hoisted, obtained from the local authorities permission to haul down the British ensign and hoist the Crescent, and did so, notwithstanding the protestations of the owner, in whose favour the case had been decided by a meeting of merchants presided at by the English consular authority. Mr. Acting Vice-Consul Page was absent at the time ; but on his return to Jeddah in the Cyclops, he was applied to by the rightful owner of the vessel, and with his sanction the Turkish colours were hauled down, and the British ensign again hoisted by order of the captain of the Cyclops. As, however, it would appear the Turkish flag had been I oisted with the approval of the local authority, whether rightfully or not, the na tive merchants, or Hadramooths, attended on the Kaimakan, governor of Jeddah, protesting against so summary a mode of setting his authority at defiance,-and calling upon him not to submit to such treatment in the land of the Prophet. The Kaimakan, being rather perplexed, is reported to have said, " Why make so much fuss about a flag ; are there not flag-staffs enough in the place to pull down?" or words to that effect, whereupon the match was lighted, and the flagstaffs were iminediatelyattacked, in doing which, however, the mob became infuriated, and proceeded to acts of violence, entering the houses of the French and the English consuls, burning and destroying everything they could lay their hands on, and murdering the inmates. The Pasha of the Hedjas was at the time at Mecca ; he was sent for in all baste, but did not arrive for four days, although he could have performed the journey in 48 hours. On his arrival he communicated with the captain of the Cyclops, who demanded that all the Christians in the place should be sent on board his vessel. Those remaining, some 20 in number, were endeavouring to hide themselves, and were exposed to the (neatest privations and distress until removed to the Cyclops.  The houses of both consuls are said to have been pillaged and destroyed, and the cry was that not a Christian should be permitted to remain in the holy land of the Prophet.