Day after day passed away, and the expected move forward was still delayed. The activity of M. Roustan’s agents was redoubled. General Musalli and the Bey’s physician, Mascaro, undertook to convince the refractory Prince himself, while Sumaripa and the future “master-of-the- mint” Volterra, took charge of the Prime Minister. As soon as each successive post brought its burden of newspapers, the most warlike and menacing extracts were translated into Arabic and judiciously administered to the inmates of Kasr-es-Said, while every conceivable argument that ingenuity could suggest was employed to induce them to abandon the logically unassailable position they had almost spontaneously assumed. These efforts were seconded by official correspondence couched in increasingly angry language, but the Bey showed no signs of yielding and gained an advantage over M. Roustan in each calm and dignified reply. The letters exchanged on the 15th April have never yet been published. _M. Roustan to the Bey._ TUNIS, _April 15th._ HIGHNESS,—The Government of the Republic has learned with infinite pain, that I have not been fortunate enough to secure your co-operation in the repression of the Khamírs, and the operations necessary to prevent the recurrence of disorders on the frontier. Nevertheless, it retains its conviction that energetic action is necessary. In the presence of so grave a difference of opinion (of which the consequences may be still graver), I venture to renew my demands with that “respectueuse liberté” which your condescension towards me alone can justify. I cannot believe the decision arrived at is final, in spite of the declaration made to me by your Highness, and repeated yesterday by the Prime Minister to my interpreter (Sumaripa). The departure of the camp yesterday morning affords a new proof in support of my arguments, and demonstrates conclusively that the present situation is wholly irrational. Amongst the troops which have set out under the command of Ali Bey, and the crowd which witnessed their departure, there was neither a soldier nor a spectator, who believed that they were marching against the Khamírs and _not_ against the French. This idea is not confined entirely to the natives; it is shared in by a great number of Europeans, as can be proved by the current of general public opinion since yesterday (_sic_).