Mr. Perry to Mr. Seward
Sir: The Bey of Camp, who is the presumptive heir to the throne of Tunis, set off from the Bardo on the 15th instant with an army of eight thousand men, composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. He is to collect taxes from the various tribes in the regency, extending his visit as far as the Gereed, and he is to be gone one year. Such has been the ordinary way of raising a revenue for many years past. Last spring the usual visit of the Bey’s revenue agents was prevented by the rebellion.
The report of a battle between the Bey’s troops and the rebels, near Kef, reached here yesterday. This difficulty occurred with the tribe that commanded the rebellion, by killing several of the Bey’s most important officers.
The French consul made another visit to the Bey on the 10th instant, and as he held out his hand to the Bey the latter kept his hands firm in his side-pockets, as if not seeing the consul’s movement. This was probably done as a return for the consul’s previous act of disrespect to the Bey. * * * *
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.