THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 85 



win their ear in favour of the enterprise. I have also 

 had one or two important conversations with Nedgib 

 Pasha, whom the Sultan had recently sent to Egypt. 

 He is a sort of steward of the Harem, and he is in 

 such favour with his sovereign that the ministers have 

 to keep on good terms with him. 



" My arrival at Constantinople was very opportune, 

 as the intrigues of the English Embassy, which have 

 been at work for the last three years, were beginning 

 to tell, and threatened to take root. 



"You can tell the minister that M. Thouvenel never 

 goes too far, and is not at all likely to compromise 

 himself; but few ambassadors could do what he can 

 in a country of this kind, so long as he is left free to 

 act in his own way. The representatives of the foreign 

 powers continue to aid me with their advice and 

 influence, and I have communicated my memorandum 

 to each of them. The Times correspondent is sending 

 it to his journal. 



" I have now something confidential to tell you 

 which will explain why Lord Stratford de Eedcliife 

 went on leave before my arrival. I learn from a 

 foreign source that during the visit of the Emperor 

 and Empress to Queen Yictoria, at Osborne, the Suez 

 Canal question was discussed at a conference attended 

 by Lord Palmerston and Count Walewski. As the 

 Prime Minister could not get the French Government 

 to use its influence here against the canal, the only 

 thing done was to renew the agreement that the 



