Letter of Congratulation from Lord Ponsonby to the Author—Ibrahim Pacha’s Standard, missing from the Field of Boharsof—Letters to Lord Ponsonby, Colonel Hodges, and the Admiral respecting it—Lord Ponsonby’s Speech to the Sultan, and Letter to the Author—Colonel Hodges’ Explanation—The Affair never satisfactorily cleared up. Before leaving Beyrout, I received a letter from the Ambassador, dated October 22, congratulating me on the affair of Boharsof, and expressing a hope that we should follow up our successes. His Lordship was also very active in urging the Porte to send more arms and troops, and also to secure to the mountaineers all their rights and privileges, and remove that wicked and unprincipled old Turk, Izzet Pacha, which I had requested him to do. By the same conveyance I received the Oriental Observer, in which paper it was stated that Colonel Hodges had arrived at Smyrna, with the green flag, under which I had seen Ibrahim Pacha reconnoitring our position, and which we took at Boharsof, and afterwards lost, as I was informed by General Jochmus; this rather puzzled me. I always thought there was a mystery about this flag, which never was in my possession, and which I never sent to Constantinople. How it got there demanded an explanation, and I accordingly wrote to Lord Ponsonby as follows: “Powerful, Beyrout, November 1, 1840. “My Lord, “I received your Lordship’s letter, and I am happy to find that our operations have given so much satisfaction at Constantinople, as also to yourself. I do hope you will be able to do something for the mountaineers; nothing would increase our influence so much as giving them the sea ports, because the Turks do not treat them well; and they would be quite willing to pay a tribute. I was yesterday at the residence of the Grand Prince, and I am no longer surprised that he should have stuck to Mehemet Ali; he had three palaces building at the same time, which shows that he had his full sway in the mountains, and it is to be hoped his successor will be kept in check. “We are at last going to Acre with 3500 men; should the weather remain fine I think we shall succeed, but it does not follow that it will be easy; all depends on the disposition of the garrison. “Ibrahim Pacha’s standard was taken, which I should have sent to the Sultan, with the Admiral’s permission, but General Jochmus told me it had been lost, which very much surprised me. It appears, by the Smyrna paper, that Colonel Hodges was in possession of it, and that he was to present it to the Sultan. I can hardly believe he would have done this unless under some mistake. I have written to him about it; and your Lordship will oblige me by inquiring if Ibrahim’s standard has found its way to Constantinople, and who sent it.