_M. Barthélémy Saint-Hilaire spoke of the operations as if they were to be confined to the neighbourhood of the frontier, and to be directed only to the punishment of the lawless frontier tribes_. Two days later he reports:— M. Barthélémy Saint-Hilaire’s language implied that the expedition was undertaken solely with a view to chastise the lawless tribes, and that it was not intended that it should enter farther into Tunisian territory than might be necessary for this purpose. It may be that the present intentions of the French Government do not go much beyond this. And also on the 12th April:— Having finished the perusal of the despatch, M. Barthélémy Saint-Hilaire read out in French the passage stating that, should there be a prospect of further action on the part of France, it might be necessary to send vessels of war to Tunis to protect the life and property of British subjects against a possible outbreak of Mahommedan fanaticism. M. Barthélémy Saint-Hilaire said that undoubtedly, in case there should be a probability that life and property would be in danger, every nation would feel bound to provide for the safety of its own people. In such a contingency the French Government also would send ships of war to Tunis, which it was not now their intention to do. After contradicting everything he had ever said to the Ambassador of a friendly Power upon the subject of Tunis, he next proceeded to demolish M. De Billing. “The Baron said to me,” continued M. Saint-Hilaire, “that he wanted to go to Utica, and asked if I saw any objection to his doing so. ‘Not the least,’ I replied; ‘in an archæological point of view a _monographie_ on Utica would be most interesting.’ M. De Billing had somehow or other conceived the idea of a treaty with the Bey. _He managed to secure the approbation of Italy_, but we never said anything to him on the subject. When in Tunis, instead of addressing himself to M. Roustan, he paid his respects to the Bey directly. M. Roustan informed me, and I promptly ordered the traveller to return. M. De Billing had no mission from me. I emphatically deny all insinuations of this kind.” His version of M. De Billing’s visit to Tunis a few weeks before the Khamír campaign, is hardly less unsatisfactory than his statement on oath as to the causes of the expedition. At the time M. De Billing went to Tunis his “mission” was announced in every paper in France, Italy, and England. Why was it not repudiated then? Is it likely that M. De Billing could personally obtain the consent of the Italian Government to any scheme of a private character? If M. Saint-Hilaire did not send M. De Billing to Tunis, how could he order him to return therefrom on his not treating the Pro-Bey in embryo with sufficient deference? And, lastly, why did he not accept M. De Billing’s challenge to allow the inspection of the cyphered contents of the mysterious red portfolio? The French public, who could hardly digest the Khamírs, could