Mr. Hale to Mr. Seward.
Sir: The United States steamer Ticonderoga arrived in this port on the 6th instant. The next morning I accompanied Commodore Steedman in making a visit to Zoulfikar Pacha, the governor of Alexandria, and his excellency returned the visit on board the steamer the following day.
The same afternooon I accompanied Commodore Steedman to Cairo, where a special audience was given us by his Highness the Pacha, in his camp at Abassiia, near Cairo. The next afternoon, that is the 9th, his Highness received us under canvass. His manner was extremely cordial, and he took evident interest in conversing with the commodore.
The commodore was able to tell his Highness of having seen his illustrious grandfather, Mehemet Ali, and his father, Ibrahim Pacha, and of having watched with interest the manœuvres of the Egyptian fleet, on occasion of visiting Alexandria thirty years ago as a midshipman under Commodore Eliot. His Highness remarked in the course of the conversation that he had ordered some muskets for his army to be altered to breech-loaders, according to a system invented in America.
Commodore Steedman and myself returned from Cairo on the 11th. Before going thither we called on the representatives, in Alexandria, of the principal foreign powers, and upon the others after our return, and several of these gentlemen, namely, the agents and consuls general of Italy, England, and France, and the consuls general of Sweden and Norway, Russia and Portugal, returned the commodore’s visit on board, but the briefness of his visit prevented this in other cases.
Before leaving Cairo we received an intimation that the Russian community in Alexandria wished to tender a banquet to Commodore Steedman and his officers, but the shortness of his stay compelled the commodore to decline this distinguished compliment. He received a deputation of the Russian residents, however, on Saturday, accompanied by the acting consul general, who made an address marked by courtesy and good will, to which, at the request of Commodore Steedman, I made a brief response in the same spirit.
Commodore Steedman granted permission to his officers to go to Cairo in two parties, and Zoulfikar Pacha wrote to inform me that carriages in the railway trains would be placed at their disposition. This mark of courtesy on the part of the Egyptian government was duly appreciated by the officers, nearly all of whom went to Cairo, and, notwithstanding the great height of water just now, from the overflow of the Nile, made the journey across the valley somewhat difficult, visited the pyramids.
Great interest was taken here in the visit of the Ticonderoga, and much regret has been expressed that her stay was so short. She sailed on the afternoon of the 13th.
The armament of the Ticonderoga at present consists of five large Dahlgren guns and two field pieces. This is not sufficient, under the rules of the Navy Department, to allow her to fire salutes. I understand that lately a strict observance of the rule has been enjoined on Commodore Steedman by the admiral. The fact that so large and powerful a war vessel as the Ticonderoga did not salute naturally excited remark and required explanation, and I cannot refrain from calling attention to the inconvenience of the rule.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.