I hope to see you, but the room I have to give you is truly abominable for such weather.

No. 25.

Wednesday Morning.

DEAR MR. URQUHART,-I have not had time to finish your admirable Review, or pamphlet, but I shall have fully ended by this evening. I have already made some remarks, on parts of it, which appear written in pencil on the margin.

I really think it, so far as I have read it, admirable.

The French courier will go away in three days.

I wish you would come here! I do not comprehend the cause or the sense of PALMERSTON'S letter to me, of which I wrote to you yesterday.

Yours faithfully,

PONSONBY.

No. 26.

Friday, Two o'clock.

MY DEAR URQUHART,-I have just now received your letter of Wednesday, wherein you tell me of your intention to come here on Thursday. I was, therefore, right in saying yesterday you had only mentioned to me that M. BLACQUE had received my invitation, &c. I have considered the question of your departure, and I incline to hasten it. I shall see you on Sunday, and then you perhaps will be ready to fix a day for going.

Yours faithfully,

P.

No. 27.

Saturday, 11th October, 1834.

DEAR URQUHART,-Unfortunately I have been out all day, and now at half-past six I only receive your note.

I do not understand what your postscript means, and therefore I cannot reply to it. I hope you will come to dinner to-morrow that we may talk over what has occurred in Circassia. But now without delay I must call to your mind the evident impossibility of my furnishing any money without the special authority of Government. That money so advanced would not be repaid to me is a trifling consideration; but the important matter is that I, the King's Ambassador, am bound not to do anything that can commit this Government. To give money to the Circassians, who are in arms against Russia, would be committing H. M. Government in the strongest way, and it would be a farce to pretend to have it done by me as a private individual. Who would separate my public and private character? Who would credit any such thing? As to the sums you have disbursed, I have now, you know, heard for the first time that you imagined you were acting under my sanction in that particular; but I can arrange the matter, I hope, by secret service money if the sum be not large.

You know what JOE HUME is, and the fear ministers have of him. I never like to speak on business except in the plainest terms, and I have told you bluntly the fact. We shall meet, I hope, early

to-morrow, as it seems the messenger goes at six o'clock, and tomorrow we can settle what is to be done.

What does your P.S. mean?

No. 28.

From Mr. URQUHART to M. BLACQUE.

British Embassy, October 12. MY DEAR FRIEND,-I cannot go to bed without writing a few lines to you.

The Memoir is off! And that is not all; it goes direct to a person who has received orders to have it inserted in a review, or if circumstances do not permit this, to have it published separately.

You cannot imagine the relief that I feel, but, as LORD PONSONBY says I require a few days' holiday, he will not allow me to return to Scutari, and I must therefore give you some details. In the first place I have made some additions to the first part, which you have read about Russia's views in making the English minister, Lord STRANGFORD, act in her name. The passage which you had demanded should be cut out, had already been re-written before I received your note. Your objection to that feeble and misplaced paragraph makes me esteem still more (if that were possible) your approbation of the remainder. I showed the draft of the second part, which treats of European policy and MEHEMET ALI, to Lord PONSONBY before making a fair copy, and it was very lucky I did so, as his criticism was most useful to me, as it suggested a better arrangement. I was obliged to change the part with reference to MEHEMET ALI; it was the only part which Lord P. made objections to. We will speak of this more fully together. But in all this the difficulty was how to cut out words and yet keep the arguments and the facts. The time was short, and the two last days were almost entirely taken up by another work-fifteen sheets on the interior condition of Turkey (material condition!) To-day at five o'clock (the post leaves at half-past six) Lord P. sent me the address to which the memoir was to be sent, and it was only then that I saw it was positively his intention to have it published without running the risk of modifications being introduced or of a change of decision elsewhere; but it was only after the letter bag had been sealed and taken to the French Embassy that I really believed he would not change his mind, and I remained for half an hour, as it were, absorbed, without being able to explain to myself what it was I felt.

At dinner he and I were so full of joy. We looked at each other now and then like secret lovers, who say much with little expenditure of language. The talk was about trifles. The same thing went on throughout the evening. When everybody was gone or retired to rest, we continued talking on in different subjects at least an hour. At last I asked him if he was glad of the decision he had taken, and what effect he thought it would have on the question. He answered, "Do you think that I have taken this step without the most "reflection-without being persuaded that everything was prepared, "so that by this blow the whole cause be gained? Go to bed, ad do not trouble yourself any more."

แ

Before going to bed I wished to let you know these motives of gladness and the joy which I feel.

This is not all.

now.

The day before yesterday we were out riding; Lord P. said to me : "I have something to propose to you, but I do not want an answer You will give me your answer when you have thought over it "well. What if you were to go to London!" "I have no need of reflecting on it," I answered," as I have thought about it every day "for the last six weeks." Now good night. I am done up with fatigue of mind and two nights spent at work.

Your affectionate,

No. 29.

D. URQUHART.

October 30th, 1834.

DEAR URQUHART,-I am disappointed, for I expected to see you, and if that had been the case I could have detained the Sooroogee, and your letters would have gone certified, and therefore not exposed to be opened at the Quarantine. I have sent directions to the ConsulGeneral to keep the Tartar till eight o'clock to-morrow morning, unless your papers arrive at his home before that time. You have, therefore, to send them as soon as you can.

Yours faithfully,

PONSONBY..

No. 30.

Tuesday, November 4th, 1834. MY DEAR URQUHART,-The Sultan is nothing more than the miserable vassal of Russia, and all your friends are poor creatures who, if they can comprehend what is right, have not the courage even to put the things they believe in to the Master.

The scheme suggested by MONSIEUR BLACQUE may be executed; but what then? The Sultan is equally the slave of avarice and fear. He will never do anything right nor suffer it to be done, if it excite either of the passions above mentioned. I sent you a letter from MANIN PASHA. I hope you received it.

Yours faithfully,

No. 31.

P.

November 20th, 1834.

MY DEAR URQUHART,-What can I say but that curs will bark and rogues lie, and fools believe and time show the cowardice of the one, the falsehood of the other, and vary the folly of the last. Who has concocted the contradictory charges against you? No matter, but do not despise them so much as not to refute them! I am too idle to act in the manner I counsel you to act. I will allow whoever pleases to abuse, to amuse himself. I know it is wrong, but I will not bore myself. You must make Sir HERBERT well understand the case as we settled it last night, and I will write on that subject, as it is a public affair.

I have written a note to the Porte touching MEREMET ALI's proposed independence and our reply to it. The despatch to CAMPBELL

ought not to be fully communicated to the Porte; it would bring the Sultan to determine on attacking Orfa-if that be not already done. By-the-bye, you must tell NAMICK PASHA that it is true. I spoke of him as a person said to be the creature of AHMED PASHA; so he was said to be, and so circumstances appeared to make possible, if not probable. I wish NAMICK to be told of it, because I now see he is a man of honour, who loves his country and is true to it. I congratulate you on having, I will hope, succeeded about BLACQUE. I am not certain you did right to speak of it to AHMED PASHA. No tariff has appeared.

What does it signify what your friend HUDSON writes? Does he know anything about this country? I have given to-day Baron STURMER my mind in full respecting the designs of Russia, and the disgrace that will fall on P. METTERNICH if he shall permit them to be effected, after having been warned, as he has been, of their existence. How the Baron METTERNICH would be not only disgraced but hanged if hereafter Russia should carry her point, for the world would know he had been well informed of the situation of things; that he could not stop the tongue of the Press; that he knew as well as Russia and myself the state of things, and that what he knew would be known by the world. I used very strong and undisguised language.

Let people talk at home; let our good friend Sir HERBERT even mistake the nature of our situation. We must succeed, for truth is with us, and honesty and resolution and your activity. MEHEMET ALI is at Cairo, to which place CAMPBELL is He gone. had not received the answer from our Government before he went

away. I suspect there will be an attack on Orfa by RESHID PASHA unless the Russians order the Sultan to be quiet, and so I told STURMER, who does not venture with me to deny the omnipotence of Russia.

No. 32.

From Mr. URQUHART to Lord PONSONBY.

[No date.]

P.

MY LORD,-It is with no less surprise than mortification that I learn by your Excellency's note of yesterday that Lord PALMERSTON thinks that I am wasting my time here. I remained by your Excellency's desire. You, my Lord, must therefore, justify me in having done so.

I enclose a copy of a letter which I wrote to Mr. BACKHOUSE, sketching a route for myself that sketch was approved by Lord PALMERSTON. On leaving London I received my verbal instructions from Sir HERBERT TAYLOR in the name of Lord PALMERSTON.

To this question, "Should subjects of greater interests or greater opportunities offer themselves at Constantinople for acquiring in"formation, shall I be justified in deviating from the general outline of "my journey?" I received this answer from Sir H. That, of course, "will be for the Ambassador to decide." On my arrival here, when I commenced to see the field that was opening, I wrote to Sir HERBERT

expressing my own opinion on the infinitely greater service I might be able to render here than elsewhere. I expressed the same opinion in more than one report to Lord P. Subsequently your lordship desired me to write to that effect in your name. In a letter from Sir H. TAYLOR, dated March the 3rd, there is this passage, "All hesi"tation on this point (your protracted stay) has been removed since you wrote by Lord PONSONBY's desire ;" and again; "I must again "repeat that you cannot do better than consider yourself at Lord PON"SONBY'S disposal." As Sir HERBERT TAYLOR had been the intermediary between Lord PALMERSTON and myself, of course I took these instructions as if they proceeded directly from Lord PALMERSTON. The letter above quoted contained an extract from a letter of Mr. BACKHOUSE, in which he says; "He is quite at liberty "to use his own judgment with respect to the proper period for his departure." I have received subsequently from Sir Ĥ. TAYLOR in Lord PALMERSTON's name as in his own, expressions of opinions which I am much at a loss to reconcile with the intimation contained in your Lordship's note as coming from Lord PALMERSTON. These circumstances are already well known to your Excellency, and I think might have justified me in remaining, even had your Lordship's opinion not been so unequivocally expressed.

I have the honour to be, my Lord,

Your Excellency's most obedient and humble servant,
D. URQUHART.

No. 33.

Saturday.

DEAR URQUHART,-I expected you yesterday. If you do not come here to-day you will receive this to-morrow, and I beg you will tell me on what day you can come and will? I have business with you. It must not be Monday.

No. 34.

Yours faithfully,

P.

Dec. 8th, 1834.

MY DEAR URQUHART,-According to your desire I send your letter of the 1st December, which I received this evening, and which interested and amused me much. You will hear by this messenger from Dr. MILLINGEN, who will tell you all that passed between himself and me on a visit he made me by order of ACHMET PASHA, and further, what your servant has been about. The latter intelligence may possibly clear up your doubts as to the source of MUSTAFA'S information respecting your visit to Circassia. The doctor will further tell you of new successes obtained by the Circassians.

The Circassian question is that which will demand your greatest exertions in England, and it will be the most difficult.

I have forced the Porte into a corner about the free passage of British ships through the Bosphorus if free passage be granted to Russian. I think you will reckon my note a good one when you see it in London, it is dated 4th December. You may be sure I had Circassia in view. I have written home respecting ACHMET PASHA