rmed us that the four
ambassadors had arrived from Constantinople with the Ultimatum, and
would visit the Pasha.

_Monday, August 17th._--Sir Moses called on Mr Briggs, and gave him
copies of several Bulls of the Pope, with some letters and Smyrna
papers; also a list of merchants at Damascus, with their supposed
amount of capital. Mr Briggs promised he would see the Pasha in the
evening, but his manner of speaking was much less sanguine of success.

On the same day Dr Madden and Mr Wire left us for a trip to Cairo and
the Pyramids. Sir Moses writes: "I would gladly have accompanied them
with my dear wife and Dr Loewe, as I am sure it would have been most
beneficial to our health, but it did not appear to me right to leave
my post, even for an hour."

_August 18th._--Mr Briggs went in the morning to the Pasha. Colonel
Hodges informed Sir Moses (confidentially) that three of his
Highness' transport ships, with provisions and arms, had left the
harbour for Syria, and that he (Colonel Hodges) had sent the _Gorgon_
to bring them back. They were not to be allowed to land on the coast;
if they refused they were to be compelled to return, and if force was
used they were to be sent to Malta. When this was accomplished, notice
would be given to the Pasha that none of his war-ships would be
allowed to leave the harbour. Nothing could be more warlike than the
momentary aspect of affairs. The Pasha sent Mr Briggs and one of his
Secretaries to Sir Moses with a copy of a despatch he had received
from Sheriff Pasha, of Damascus, giving an account of the manner in
which prisoners were treated by him. Of course it was stated to be
most lenient, and it was denied that tortures had been used. Monsieur
Cochelet made the following proposal to Monsieur Cremieux for the
solution of the Damascus difficulty:--

That the Pasha was to declare that the Jews who had died had committed
the murder from motives of private vengeance, but that the nine Jews
still in prison were innocent, and were to be set at liberty. The
Pasha would also publish his opinion that there was nothing in the
Jewish religion or writings that in any way sanctioned the shedding of
blood for the Passover.

Sir Moses told Monsieur Cremieux that it was impossible for him to
consent to such an arrangement. He never would allow that any Jew
committed the murder of Father Tommaso and his servant, either from
vengeance or any other motive; were he base enough to admit such a
th