Wearied in waiting for an opportunity of practising his well-disciplined cavalry and artillery upon a detachment of Turkish infantry, Ibrahim, on the 21st instant, broke up from Zachle and Malaka in full retreat on Damascus, where he now is with 30,000 men, including 7000 cavalry and artillery. He has pushed a corps of 3000 irregular cavalry to El Mezereib, on the road towards Mecca,—the only route now open to him for a final retreat into Egypt,—whither I calculate on his going the moment he receives from Alexandria the political news brought by the Oriental. In as far as regards the sway of Mehemet Ali in Syria, I look upon the military part of the question as determined. I have, &c., (Signed) C. F. SMITH, _Major-Gen. Commanding_. P.S. The Emir Effendi and other chiefs who left Ibrahim near Damascus, report his force to exceed 50,000, of whom 40,000 are said to be effective. C.F.S. Footnote 19: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 119. Footnote 20: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 119. Footnote 21: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 163. Footnote 22: Ibid., p. 164. Footnote 23: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 202. Footnote 24: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 204. Footnote 25: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 265. Footnote 26: See p. 103. Footnote 27: See _Levant Papers_, Part III., p. 268. Footnote 28: Ibid., p. 268. CHAPTER IX. Examination of the Conduct of General Jochmus regarding Ibrahim Pacha’s Retreat—Sir Robert Stopford styled by him Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces—The General’s Reports to Sir Robert Stopford—Unwillingness of the Admiral to prolong the War—Reported Destruction of the Egyptian Army—Advance upon Gaza—Colonel Alderson’s Narrative of the Skirmish of Medjdel.