268 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



has begun to lend me his aid. I enclose you a note 

 which I have received from Baron James de Boths- 

 child, to whom I was enabled to render some little 

 service while I was Minister at Madrid. I have had 

 the interview with him which in his note he proposes. 

 He asked me what my intentions were with regard to 

 the financial organization of the scheme. I told him 

 frankly that I did not intend to enter into any posi- 

 tive engagement, that the matter was under careful 

 consideration, and that I did not intend to bring it 

 forward until all uncertainty with regard to the exe- 

 cution of the scheme had been cleared up, but that as 

 soon as ever circumstances allowed he would be one 

 of the first persons whose co-operation I should seek. 

 He said that he thought I had chosen a very wise 

 course, and offered to assist me in any way that lay 

 in his power. Hearing that I was going to England, 

 he gave me the following letter to his London house, 

 which, considering how great is the perspicacity of 

 this prince of finance, I regard as a very favourable 

 symptom. 



" ' We have the pleasure to introduce to you M. 

 Ferdinand de Lesseps, who has just arrived from 

 Egypt, where he has, as you know, been busily en- 

 gaged in studying the question of making a canal 

 through the Isthmus of Suez. 



" ' We do not doubt that you will be very pleased 

 to see M. de Lesseps, who proposes to discuss this 

 subject with you. We beg to commend him to you 



