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WAR IN SYRIA. ----

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WAR IN SYRIA. We have before us an account, given by an officer of high talents and reputation, dated from the Camp, off the heights of Djuna, the 19th of September. We cannot do better than extract from it the succinct nar- rative of the operations of the Allied forces, and the statement, drawn up from the best sources, of the strength of the different corps at the disposal of Ibra- him Pacha, and the positions occupied by them. It will be seen from this account that Ibrahim Pacha is not in a condition to be able to force the Allied troops to re-embark "On the 10th September, at ten o'clock, P.M., the Turkish troops and the British marines effected a landing on the Kelbson, 10 miles, and at the village of Djuna, 13g miles, north of Beyrout. 2 On the 11th September, a position was taken up on different heights, the right on the Kelbson, and the left on Djuna, the whole of the troops, eight bat- talions of Turks (5,000 rank and file), and 1,500 Ma- rines, being disposed in a semicircle, offering them ex- cellent and very strong positions. A.* Third position—1,500 Marines, one battalion of Turks. B. Second position-Four battalions of Turks. C. First position-Three battalions of Turks. Soliman Pacha had made his dispositions against an attcak to the south of Beyrout, and the troops landed consequently without opposition at Kelbson and Djuna. A communication was immediately established with some of the mountaineer chiefs, and up to this day from 5,000 to 6,000 muskets have been distribu- ted, principally through the means of Sheik Francis and Abdulloh Emir, a nephew of Emir Beschir. Two small forts north of this camp have also sur- rendered; and according to Admiral Walker's returns he is now rationing 400 Egyptian or Albanian de- serters and troops who have surrendered. Ever since the 10th of September Ibrahim Pacha has been manoeuvring against this corps. On that day he was at Habhuxbe, fifteen hours E.S.E. of Beyr out, on the 12th of September he was at Hanne's four hours from our extreme right, but having reconnoitred it, he marched eight hours by his own right to Gata- jos (on the 14th and 15th inst.), being then four hours from our left, but having reconnoitred it also, and find- ing it equally unattackable from the new position ta- ken up by this corps, in consequence of the enemy's movements, Ibrahim Pacha withdrew to Merouba, two hours dU3 east from Gatajos, being thus to-day six hours from our position. Some skirmishes have taken place between the newly armed mountaineers and the advanced guard of Ibrahim Pacha, in which the latter always fought to disadvantage. Sheik Francis was on two occasions supported by a battalion of regular Turkish infantry, who advanced several hours to the interior of the country. The Roman Capitals have reference to a sketch which accompanied the description. The forces with Ibrahim Pacha in person are re ported to consist of about 4,000 Egyptian infantry 1,200 Albanians, 2,500 Egyptians, under Osman Bashar, come from Baalbec. 7,700 Besides these, there are about 7,000 men, of whom 4,000 Cairo militia, under Soliman Basha (Selves) are at Beyrout and near it. The loss of the latter division since the opening of the campaign is said to have been 1,000 men, killed and wounded, by the fire of the ships before Beyrout. From all the information that 1 can collect, Ibrahim Pasha seems for the present to have aban- doned all idea of marching on Constantinople. Him- self and all his principal officers are in this neighbour- hood and several corps from the northern parts of Syria have been moved in a southerly direction. •' All reports agree that the following distribution may be considered as tolerably correct 19th September, 1840. Men. With Ibrahim Pacha at Merouba 7.700 With Soliman Pacha at Beyrout 7,700 At Baalbec, a regiment of Turks forced into the service 3,000 At Acre, Saida, &c. 12000 At Tripoli 4,000 For small forts on the coasts in this neigh- bourhood 1,300 35.000 If the whole effective army of Ibrahim in Syria, from the Egyptian frontiers to Adana, is estimated at 60,000,1 believe it rather above than below the mark, my estimate from the various sources being- Twenty-tive regiments ot infantry, 2,000 men each ef- fective 50,000 Eleven regiments of cavalry, 1,200 each 13,200 Albanians and Artillery 6,800 70,000 Deduct non-combatants, sick, &c. 10,000 60.000 Taking from this amount of 60,000 the above 35,000, there remain 25,000, from which garrisons must be furnished to a great many places not in the above list, besides the garrisons of the lines of the Taurus. For the present, Ibrahim cannot think of moving on towards Asia Minor and Constantinople, and this march becomes the less possible as the season is ad- vancing, and the Taurus will be covered with snow. The troops of the Sultan which hitherto covered Constantinople against such a movement, become therefore disposable, and ought to reinforce us here. "There is no possibility of conquering Syria with 5,000 Turks, and in order to render the insurrection against Mehemet Ali more general and formidable, we must be able to advance deeper into the moun- tains, as the Emir Beschir and Ibrahim, by occupying the passes in a semi-circle round us, prevent the pea- sants in many parts from joining us." No idea is entertained by this intelligent officer of the possibility of a successful attack by Ibrahim Pa- cha and the obstacle in the way of a reduction of all Syria, to which he alludes, namely, the inability to supply from such a small corps detachments for the clearing of the various mountain passes, was about to be removed by the embarkation of 10,000 Turkish troops, already ordered at Constantinople. When tlics-, additional troops arrive, the whole Syrian population will be enabled to reach their gallant de- liverers. We may thus confidently anticipate the termination of the rule of Mehemet Ali in Syria. Ibid. =

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