“This will be delivered to your Excellency by Captain Maunsell, an old acquaintance of his Highness Mehemet Ali. I send him to request his Highness will consent to release or exchange, the Emirs and Scheiks of Lebanon, who were sent to Alexandria last July by the authorities of Syria. The greater part of those unfortunate individuals were arrested only on suspicion of disaffection, at at the instigation of the late Grand Prince, whose government of Lebanon was anything but just, or moderate, and who at last deserted Mehemet Ali. “The retaining those unhappy individuals in captivity can answer no good purpose at present: Lebanon is entirely free and armed; and come what may in other parts of Syria, the mountains never can again fall under the rule of Mehemet Ali. “His Highness is, no doubt, aware of the willingness of the Allies to secure to Mehemet Ali the hereditary government of Egypt. “Will his Highness permit an old sailor to suggest to him an easy means of reconciliation to the Sultan and the other Great Powers of Europe? “Let his Highness frankly, freely, and unconditionally deliver up the Ottoman fleet and withdraw his troops from Syria; the miseries of war would then cease, and his Highness, in his latter years, would have ample and satisfactory occupation in cultivating the arts of peace, and probably laying a foundation for the restoration of the throne of the Ptolemies. “By what has taken place in Syria, his Highness must be aware what can be accomplished in a country where the inhabitants are disaffected to the Government. In one month 6000 Turks and a handful of marines took Sidon, Beyrout; defeated the Egyptian troops in three actions; possessed themselves of 10,000 prisoners and deserters; and caused the evacuation of all the seaports, the passes of the Taurus and Mount Lebanon; and this in the face of an army of more than 30,000 men; and in three weeks more, Acre, the key of Syria, fell to the combined fleets, after a bombardment of three hours. Should his Highness persist in hostilities, will he permit me to ask if he is safe in Egypt? I am a great admirer of his Highness, and would much rather be his friend than enemy. “In the capacity of the former, I take the liberty of pointing out to his Highness, the little hope he can have of ever preserving Egypt, should he refuse to be reconciled to the Sultan.