58 Egypt
success for our sea-power. The deserting Ottoman fleet
had proved to be no reinforcement for Egypt, as the
Egyptian fleet had to stand guard over it and its dis-
contented crews. Syria was by now as hostile to the
Egyptians as it had been friendly on their first arrival.
The Egyptians were defeated in engagements with the
Turks, and a British squadron bombarding Acre blew
up Ibrahim's magazines. His disastrous retreat from
Damascus to Gaza coincided with the appearance of
Napier's fleet off Alexandria. Calling on Mehemet AH in
his palace at Ras-el-Tin, Napier concluded his interview
thus : 'c If Your Highness will not listen to my unofficial
appeal, by God, I will bombard you and put a bomb right
where you are sitting/' This bombast was probably for
home consumption, as the Pasha had only to retire to
Cairo out of range. But he was statesman enough to let
the other side have the last word, provided he got what
he most wanted. So he made his formal submission to
the Padishah and to Pam, surrendered Syria that was
already lost, and Crete that was useless, and got in return
such formal recognition of his hereditary dynasty as
secured for ever Egypt's economic independence from the
Empire. What he thus gave up Egypt was better with-
out, but Egypt could not do without that which he got.
But much water was to flow down the Bosphorus and
Nile, much ink was to run in the Chanceries, and some
blood was still to be shed before this solution was finally
enforced. For Palmerston had broken up the Concert,
and the Porte refused to comply. It was Austria that
eventually obtained from the Porte the Hatti Sheriffs
establishing the independence of Egypt (April 13 and
April 19, 1841), The Treaty of London (July 113, 1841)
gave, under international guarantee, the government of
Egypt to Mehemet Ali and to the eldest male of his