_October 24._
Chairs at 11.
The Chairs say the Court have the matter entirely in their hands as to
Batta. They wish to have the opinion of the Cabinet, and to be governed by
that. I have written to the Duke to tell him so.
I am glad there is to be a Cabinet, because I think a Cabinet will take a
more popular view of the question than the Duke, and, as I think, a juster
view. I am for standing firm.
The Duke's letter on Persian affairs arrived while I was with the Chairs. I
read it to them. The Duke suggests that McDonald should raise his escort in
Persia--an excellent idea. He objects to Major Hart having an assignment of
land. He thinks Willock may be recalled. The officers not; but if the
prince will pay them, so much the better. I think the Duke may be right as
to the assignments of land. Upon all the other points I entirely agree with
him. Read last night a letter of Lushington's, or rather a minute, which
shows he is determined to remain.
Cabinet room. Cunningham came in and showed me a draft of Aberdeen's to our
Minister in Spain on the recognition by Spain of Don Miguel--finding
excuses for Spain, and saying we cannot do it. What I saw was the
_brouillon_ which had been sent to the Duke. It had his observations in
pencil, and it seems Aberdeen sends all his proposed despatches to him and
alters them at his suggestion. Certainly Aberdeen, left to himself, would
be a very incautious writer.
_October 26._
Office early. Saw Captain Hanchett on the subject of the navigation of the
Red Sea. He was there two years and a half. He says in going in you should
make Aden and wait there for a wind. Water can be had there. Avoid Mocha,
where the anchorage is dangerous and the water bad, and go to the Island of
Cameran, then straight up in mid channel. All the dangers are visible, and
in the mid channel there are none. Cosseir a good little harbour, the
danger is going up to Suez; but that easy for a steamer. He worked with
topgallant sails against the north-west monsoon. There is a breeze along
shore at all times. The danger has been occasioned by the timid sailing of
the Arabs, who always hug the shore, and anchor at night.
_October 27._
I omitted yesterday to mention that at the Foreign Office I saw some
despatches just received from Sir R. Gordon. I think the date of the first
was October 2. He had the day before at last got the Turks to ratify the
treaty, but it seems there was a hitch, and until the ratification the
officers did not set off to stop hostilities in Asia. A Pasha had advanced
on Philippopoli and General Geismar on Sophia. Diebitch threatened to
advance on Constantinople. However, the day after he wrote his threatening
letter he must have received the ratifications. The Sultan is very anxious
to get the Egyptian fleet to Constantinople, probably as a pledge for the
allegiance of the Pasha, and to show his greatest vassal obeys him. The
Turks say it is the moral effect of the presence of the fleet on their own
subjects that they want, that they have no idea of not acting faithfully.
Sir R. Gordon assures me they mean to preserve the peace and must.
He has written the representation the Turkish ambassador is to present to
the Emperor. It would be a good remonstrance for us, but it is not a good
one for the Turks. It is very well written, but it is quite European in its
style, and the Russians will at once know, as I did, the author.
The Turks intended to send a splendid embassy to Petersburg, and Halil
Pasha, once the slave of the Seraskier, now the Sultan's son-in-law, was to
have been the ambassador. He is their least officer. However, Diebitch
tells them they must not send it till they have the Emperor's consent. The
Turks have ready the first 100,000 ducats, to get the Russians out of
Adrianople.