Boghos Bey had announced his intention of selling the crop of cotton on the 20th of February, and continuing the sale the first of every succeeding month. The British merchants complained of the difficulty they had in becoming purchasers under this arrangement; they alleged that if they imported cash to purchase the cotton, it might be put up at such a price that they would either be obliged to take it at a loss, or re-export their specie, and they requested I would use my influence with Boghos Bey to get him to put it up at public sale. I thought their request so reasonable, that I immediately went to Boghos Bey, and suggested to him, that the cotton in question should be put up at public sale, when it is sure to fetch its real value, and the merchants would then have a fair chance of becoming purchasers; that this system was invariably followed by the East India Company, and they found it to answer their purpose and satisfy the public. I also took the opportunity of asking Boghos Bey whether the Pacha intended to execute the Commercial Treaty of the 16th of August, 1839, which, I assured him, the British Government would insist upon; and that I felt certain, if the Pacha would allow it to take its course, he would not only gain many friends in England, but it would engage Lord Palmerston more strongly to push the point of the hereditary government. I told him that as I had signed the Convention of the 27th of November, which had been approved of, I felt bound in honour to do all in my power to carry it out, and that no argument I could make use of would weigh more than being able to write to Lord Palmerston that the Commercial Convention was in full operation. I also expressed to his Excellency my satisfaction at the loyal manner in which His Highness had acted throughout the whole affair of the evacuation of Syria, and the delivery of the fleet, and I trusted it would have its due weight at Constantinople. The substance of this I put in writing, and requested Boghos Bey to give me a reply, which he did next morning. “Commodore, “Alexandria, Jan. 15, 1841. “After having informed you, Commodore, that I had made known to the Viceroy, my master, the friendly letter which you wrote to me on the 14th of this month, I had the honour to accompany you this morning to his Highness, and in the conversation which ensued, you have been enabled to convince yourself, Commodore, of the sincerity of his sentiments and conduct. All the means which we possess have been placed at the disposal of the Admiral Yaver Pacha to facilitate the departure of the Ottoman fleet, which is ready to put to sea; the retreat of the Egyptian troops is being carried into effect in Syria; the garrisons in Candia, Arabia, and the Holy Cities, only wait the arrival of the forces to replace them, in order to maintain the tranquillity of those countries.