proceed to Constantinople, and await events. "It would be madness," he
added, "to go now to Damascus. I will hold myself responsible for the
advice I now give."

_Saturday, September 12th._--Attended divine service, afterwards
called on the Spiritual Head of the congregation, who showed us his
large and valuable library. Later in the day Sir Moses and Lady
Montefiore received many visitors: two gentlemen from Salonica
especially interested them in their accounts of communal matters in
that city. They informed us that there were about five thousand Jewish
families, and they possessed thirty-six Synagogues, and fifty-six
colleges for the study of Hebrew and theological literature, and over
one thousand gentlemen were distinguished for their knowledge of
Hebrew. They had suffered greatly by the fire which had broken out (in
the previous year) in their city, and had destroyed over two thousand
houses belonging to the Jews.

Our dinner party on that day included Colonel Hodges, Monsieur Laurin,
Captain and Mrs Lyons, Mr Paton, Mr Stoddart, Mr Drummond Hay, and
Monsieur and Madame Cremieux. Colonel Hodges said he had given the
Pasha time till Monday at twelve o'clock for his reply, failing to
receive which he would strike his flag. Sir Moses informed Monsieur
Cremieux that he felt convinced of the impossibility of obtaining
anything more from the Pasha, owing to the present serious state of
politics. The Consuls, he said, were making every preparation for
leaving Alexandria, and as our proceeding to Damascus at that time was
considered to be not only a most rash and unwarrantable act, but
almost an impossibility, he was of opinion that we should proceed to
Constantinople, and there await a favourable change in politics.
Should Damascus hereafter belong to the Sultan, then to request from
him the same justice for the Jews of that city as he had afforded to
those of Rhodes, but if Damascus continued under the Pasha, then we
should be forced to return to Egypt and thence to Damascus, and should
then, if politics still continued unsettled, return to Europe.

Monsieur Cremieux agreed with Sir Moses, and said he would go to
Constantinople, but first to Cairo. He then proposed to Sir Moses to
build an hospital for the Jews in Cairo, as he (Monsieur Cremieux)
intended building a house there for school purposes, having in hand
one thousand ducats from the Baroness de Rothschild in Paris for that
purpose. Sir Moses, however, did n