Fortunately for the honour of the Porte there were wiser men on the spot who decided to follow neither the advice of the General nor that of the Diplomatist, and I should like to have seen the faces of these latter when they heard of the arrival of Ibrahim’s cavalry, and the near approach of the infantry. Next day the accounts came in of the arrival of the Egyptians, and Captain Stewart most wisely sent Colonel Alderson, at the desire of General Michell, with instructions[56], very properly saying nothing about the advance by columns of 3000 men. The mode in which Colonel Alderson acquitted himself of his delicate mission may be best told in his own words[55]:— “Being selected for this duty, I left Jaffa on the afternoon of the 22nd, with my instructions, and arrived the following day at Gaza. I immediately waited on the commanding officer, Achmet Menekli Pacha, the General of Cavalry, who had arrived two days previous, with eight regiments of cavalry, after much fatigue and suffering, and annoyance also from the attacks of the Arabs in the interest of the Turkish authorities. “On my first interview with the Egyptian General, I urged the necessity of their immediately commencing their retreat, so as not to assemble a large force in Gaza. At first this was stated to be impossible till the arrival of Ibrahim, or orders from him to that effect, but the following morning, on going to see the General at the camp, he agreed to commence the retreat on the 26th, if Ibrahim did not in the mean time arrive, and that a brigade of cavalry, (two regiments) should march daily. “On the 25th, five regiments of infantry arrived, and on the day following, five more, each consisting of four battalions; they were evidently much fatigued and reduced in numbers, and stated that they had not had rations for the last seven, nor water for the last three days. “This day Captain Houston Stewart arrived in the Hecate, with Colonel Rose, who came to go in search of Ibrahim, Rechid Pacha, and Lieutenant-Colonel Napier. We all went to the General Achmet Menekli Pacha’s quarters, to urge the propriety of not obliging the Syrians to return to Egypt, but, as he said he had no powers to interfere, it was determined on sending off a letter to Commodore Napier[57], for an order from Mehemet Ali to this effect, as well as to order Ibrahim to retire in columns of 3000 men, and not assemble a large force at Gaza. “On the 28th a council was held, at which Captain Stewart and myself attended. “We requested that a pledge should be given that Ibrahim would, on his arrival, carry into execution the orders of his father, Mehemet Ali, for the evacuation of Syria. This was at once done without the slightest hesitation. Indeed Hourschid Pacha, a fine old man, with a magnificent white beard, who commanded the irregular force, stated he had been forty years in Mehemet Ali’s service, and during the whole of that period had never once known Ibrahim to refuse to obey his father’s orders.