246 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



have reason to fear that the undertaking will not 

 be appreciated as it deserves to be by some few 

 statesmen in Great Britain, the opinion of the king 

 your father, whose great experience and wise spirit of 

 conciliation have often rendered such service to 

 Europe, may be of immense weight. 



"His Highness the Yiceroy, in a reply to a letter 

 from Prince Metternich the other day, requested 

 him to thank the Emperor of Austria for the official 

 support which his internuncio at Constantinople had 

 given to this enterprise, as one of universal benefit, 

 and as one which could only be opposed out of narrow 

 and egotistical motives. I beg of your Eoyal High- 

 ness to accept my thanks and my gratitude for the 

 encouragement you have afforded me." 



Confidential Memorandum to His Highness the 

 Viceroy. 



" BOUBAJAT (LOWER EGYPT), March 26, 1855. 

 " Following upon a conversation between the 

 Emperor Napoleon and the English Ambassador, in 

 the cause of which the Emperor warmly advocated 

 your Highness' s scheme for piercing the isthmus of 

 Suez, the English Ambassador had an interview 

 with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and gave it to 

 be understood that instructions had been sent to 

 Constantinople to temporize only, and not to compro- 

 mise the political situation of England with regard to 

 France. 



