THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 139 

 To His Highness the Viceroy of Egypt. 



"PARIS, January 26, 1860. 



" I arrived here four days ago, and I hasten to 

 send to your Highness, as promised, a copy of the 

 communication made to the French Minister of 

 Foreign Affairs by the Turkish Ambassador. There 

 is no need for me to tell your Highness that this note, 

 which is symptomatic of how the Porto s ways to and 

 fro between France and England, does not effect any 

 precise settlement. It is no more than a mere official 

 subterfuge, and it, in short, leaves to time and to the 

 course of events to bring about a definite arrange- 

 ment which the Porte has not ventured to make. 

 This is a political burial of the question which enables 

 us to act and to force on the solution afterwards. 

 This is what the Spaniards call cubrir el espediente 

 (saving the appearances). 



u The Emperor has received M. Beclard, the suc- 

 cessor of M. Sabatier, and has specially commended to 

 him the interests of the company. 



"In agreement with M. Thouvenel, I have ob- 

 tained from the committee the vote of the resolution 

 of which I enclose a copy, so that your Highness may 

 not be in any way troubled by inquiries with regard 

 to the works we are executing for the creation of 

 Port Said and of the inland fort at Timsah. 



"I have seen King Jerome and his son Prince 

 Kapoleon and the Ministers, but I have waited until 



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