it had an English façade. A great many cressets were flaming on the roof, and shone with fitful brightness on the group of kawasses and Abyssinian servants who were feeding and fanning them. Fire-works were skillfully displayed in the court-yard, to the delight of hundreds of spectators. A large party assembled at the Consulate. A number of English travelers came, and many of the European residents. In the course of the evening some Arab musicians were allowed to enter, to play and sing for the especial entertainment of the strangers present. Impromptu songs were sung in honor of the Imperial Prince.
Invitations had, in the mean time, been issued to all the members of the "corps diplomatique" to a déjeûner à la fourchette, to celebrate the birth of the Prince officially, at the French Consulate, on the following day, April 1st.
I went, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Finn and my brother. We were received by M. Barrière, the Consul, and Madᵐᵉ L.—née Leseppes—the sister of the then Consul-General for Syria. The Pasha and all the Consuls, in full uniform, were soon assembled, but no other ladies arrived.
As this was rather a singular réunion, I will describe it in detail. After we had taken coffee, his Excellency Kamîl Pasha conducted Mrs. Finn to the elegantly-spread table in the breakfast-room, and placed her on his left hand. I was at the same time led in, and seated on his right hand. Madᵐᵉ L. sat exactly opposite to the Pasha, and was supported by the English Consul and the Latin Patriarch. Then the Spanish Consul-General and the other European Consuls, Abbé Ratisbon and several other distinguished French ecclesiastics, Le Comte de Fontenoy, and M. Gilbert, the Pasha's secretary, took their seats, making altogether eighteen.
Turkish, French, Greek, and Italian culinary skill had been employed in preparing the entertainment. While we partook of it, an animated conversation was being carried on in French, with occasional Spanish, Turkish, Italian, and German expletives, but no English was spoken.
