THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 107 



hold its own. I shall very shortly return to Egypt 

 and Constantinople." 



To M. BartUlemy St. Hilaire, Paris. 



"LONDON, June 9, 1858. 



" I send you the substance of my conversation with 

 our ambassador, the Due de Malakoff: 



" 1st. The marshal is very well disposed towards 

 our enterprise. 



" 2nd. He has no instructions to take any action 

 here. 



"3rd. He seemed. relieved when I told him that 

 I had come to London upon business relating to the 

 canal, and had no need to ask for his intervention. 



"4th. My assurance and the declaration which I 

 made him of my intention of following up the enter- 

 prise and carrying it into execution, despite the oppo- 

 sition of the English Government, created a very 

 favourable impression upon his mind, and upon his 

 attitude towards me, as he expressed the hope that 

 he might live to assist at the inauguration of the canal. 



"At a large dinner and evening party given by 

 Mr. Hankey, M.P., governor of the Bank of England, 

 several members of the house who were formerly 

 opposed to the scheme, assured me that I had con- 

 verted them. 



" In short, after having heard many opinions, I 

 judge the situation in England to be pretty much this : 



"The sixty- two members who voted for Mr. Eoe- 



