82 RECOLLECTIONS OF FORTY YEARS. 



explaining the present state of affairs relating to the 

 Suez Canal. I trust you will say all you can in sup- 

 port of the request that instructions may be sent to 

 M. Thouvenel. The following are those already sent 

 to the representatives of Austria at Constantinople 

 and Alexandria : 



" i By reason of the keen interest which the 

 Austrian Government feels in the enterprise of the 

 Suez Canal, the demands made by the Viceroy of 

 Egypt in this matter are to be supported as effica- 

 ciously as possible by the Austrian agents in the 

 East, acting in harmony with the French diplomatic 

 agents.' 



" Upon the other hand, I am assured of the sup- 

 port of the United States Minister, as the Washington 

 Government regards opposition to the opening of the 

 maritime canal as an infringement upon the freedom 

 of the seas." 



To Count Th. de Lesseps, Paris. 



" PARIS, November 3, 1857. 



" I have just seen Prince Napoleon, upon his 

 return from Compiegne, and he assures me that the 

 Emperor is very favourably disposed and sees no 

 objection to my claiming the support of M. Thouvenel 

 within the limits of my note of the 20th ult., which 

 Count Walewski has had before him. I am both 

 inclined and advised to act with prudence, and I 

 shall be careful to avoid any cause of conflict. 



