Will it be believed that Burton never sent home any report of
the affair until some weeks afterwards, when he returned to Damascus,
and found a telegram awaiting him from the British Ambassador at
Constantinople, asking what it all meant? His silence in this matter
though not intentional, created the very worst impression among the
authorities at home. Sir Henry Elliot wrote to Isabel subsequently:
"I received versions of the affair from different quarters, without
having a word of explanation from Captain Burton, from whom I got
letters of a date much subsequent to the occurrence."[5]
Considering how very fond Burton was of referring all sorts of questions
on the internal government of Syria, with which he had nothing to do, to
his Ambassador at Constantinople, his silence on this occasion, in a
matter with which he had all to do, was, to say the least, somewhat
unfortunate.
5. _His dispute with the Wali_.--The Wali (the Turkish Governor-General
of Syria) was, from the first, exceedingly jealous of Burton, because of
his knowledge of Eastern affairs, and his habit of interfering with the
internal government of the country, with which he had no concern.
Corrupt though Turkish rule undoubtedly was, and is, it was not part of
the British Consul's duty to be perpetually meddling in disputes between
the Wali and his subjects. Sir Henry Elliot wrote to Isabel, in reply
to a letter of hers excusing her husband:
"I should not be frank if I allowed you to suppose that your letters
had satisfied me that there were not grounds for the complaints which
have been made of Captain Burton going beyond the proper attributions
of a Consul, who ought to be very careful to avoid encroaching upon the
domain of the legitimate authorities, who are for the administration of
their district, when he is not.
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