STATE PAPERS. 



229 



■municated the intelligence to the 

 grand vizier and the Ottoman mi- 

 nisters, in the terms in which you 

 announced to me that sad event ; 

 and nothing less than the certainty 

 and detail with which you commu- 

 nicated it could have induced their 

 excellencies to credit the infor- 

 mation. The grand vizier has de- 

 clared to me, formally and officially, 

 that he had not the slightest know- 

 ledge of those who have been guilty 

 of the assassination ; and I am per- 

 suaded that his declaration is true 

 and sincere. Without entering into 

 the particulars of this unfortunate 

 event, I shall content myself with 

 answering the articles of your letter 

 that relate to our affairs. 



If the grand vizier has detained 

 in his camp the aide-de-campBaudet, 

 dispatched to him at Jebil-il-Illam, 

 it was because his excellency did 

 not think proper to suifer any per- 

 soA to quit his camp at the moment 

 when he saw himself surrounded by 

 his enemies. Baudet was detained 

 at Jebil-il-IUaminthe same manner 

 as the Turkish officers destined to 

 serve reciprocally with him as hos- 

 tages, were detained at Cairo. 



This aide-de-camp was sent to the 

 Ottoman squadron to be exchanged, 

 according to your desire ; and du- 

 ring that interval his excellency the 

 captain Pacha having arrived here, 

 the exchange was postponed in 

 consequence of his absence from the 

 squadron. When his excellency 

 shall have joined the squadron, the 

 exchange may be carried into effi;ct, 

 should you think proper, as the aide- 

 de-camp Baudet is off Alexandria ; 

 but I cannot perceive why you 

 make the release of one hundred 

 and fifty English, who were ship- 

 wrecked at Cape Brulos, depend 

 upon a transaction relating only to 



yourself and the Porte. I expect 

 from your good faith and your jus- 

 tice, according to the regulations 

 settled between both nations relative 

 to the reciprocal exchange of our 

 prisoners, which we are authorized 

 to enforce, that you will allow cap- 

 tain Buttal, his officers and crew, to 

 return. 



Your promises expressive of the 

 hope of reciprocity on my part 

 cannot apply to this circumstance, 

 and I think it superfluous to offer 

 you in return the assurance of my 

 good offices in favour of any person 

 who may be reduced to the painful 

 situation which I have myself expe- 

 rienced. I am convinced that the 

 grand vizier will sanction with his 

 generous and dignified approbation 

 all the humane proceedings which 

 we may adopt with respect to one 

 another. The tricks of warfare 

 are unknown to us both, and while 

 I shall continue to behave to you 

 with the same candour and the same 

 good faith which I have manifested 

 to the present moment, I shall ear- 

 nestly employ all my means to pre- 

 vent any person on whom I may 

 possess influence from pursuing a 

 contrary line of conduct. Be as- 

 sured that the hostile dispositions, 

 which have been recently announ- 

 ced, and which have acquired ex- 

 tent and publicity, may be ap- 

 peased by the opportunities fur- 

 nished to both parties by the present 

 circumstances of mutual correspon- 

 dence and communication, and 

 that we shall at length be united by 

 the ties of sincere friendship. In 

 the mean time we shall prosecute 

 hostilities aarainst vou withthe means 

 which we have hitherto employed 

 against you, and we shall endeavour 

 to render ourselves worthy of the 

 esteem of your brave troops. 



