sidering the sulphur
contract a violation of the treaty of 1816. The British government now
proceeded to enforce its demands: orders were sent to Admiral Sir R.
Stopford, in the Mediterranean, to hold himself in readiness to commence
active hostilities against the Neapolitan flag. Hostilities commenced on
the 17th of April by the British ships of war in the vicinity of Naples;
an embargo was laid on all in the ports of Malta that bore the Sicilian
flag. At first the king prepared to resist: but he was induced finally
to accept the proposed mediation of France, in adjusting the quarrel,
on the principle that the monopoly should be dissolved, and an indemnity
given to the contractors. Early in May amicable relations between the
courts of England and Naples commenced. In the month of July this year,
the affairs of the Levant were brought to a crisis. A convention was
signed at London between England, Russia, Austria, and Prussia--France
declined to concur in it; whereby the following ultimatum was offered
to the viceroy of Egypt. He was to have the hereditary sovereignty of
Egypt, and the possession of the pashalic of St. Jean d'Acre for life.
If within ten days from the notification of these terms the pasha should
not accept them, the Sultan was to offer him Egypt alone; and, if he
still persisted in refusing, the four powers were to compel him by force
to accede to the proposed settlement. Disliking the terms, Mehemet Ali
endeavoured to gain time by offering a negociation with the Porte: Rifat
Bey was sent to Constantinople with certain proposals; but these were
not deemed satisfactory; and the Sultan, acting upon intemperate
advice, pronounced the formal deposition of the Sultan of Egypt from his
pashalic, and sent a firman to Alexandria to notify that event. Mehemet
Ali intimated his intention of repelling force by force; and it was then
resolved by the four powers that the ports of Syria and Egypt should
be declared to be in a state of blockade. Captain Napier immediately
captured some Egyptian vessels off the coast of Syria; and on the 9th of
September, Admiral Stopford appeared off Beyrout, and the next day made
preparations for bombarding and taking that town and fortress. Beyrout
was captured, and the troops of Ibrahim Pasha, which consisted of 14,000
men, subsequently dispersed, while he himself fled to Damascus. The
ports of Syria and Alexandria were now strictly blockaded, and in a
short time after, Tripoli, Tort