IOR/L/PS/5/464, ff 267-677

This part of the volume consists of copies of enclosures to a despatch from the Government of Bombay Secret Department to the Secret Committee, Number 38 of 1850, dated 25 July 1850. The enclosures are numbered 3-13 and are dated 21 January to 25 July 1850.

The majority of the item consists of a memoir on Egypt by Lieutenant-Colonel James Outram, enclosed in a letter to the Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay, Arthur Malet (enclosure No. 7), for the attention of the Governor in Council of Bombay, Viscount Falkland. Outram’s memoir concerns the military resources of Egypt and the danger of overland communication between Great Britain and India through Egypt being prevented in the event of war between Britain and France.

The memoir contains a preface, twelve sections, a conclusion and twenty-seven appendices. The plans, maps and drawings which Outram mentions in his letter are not included in this item (the only plans included are the plans on f 513 and f 514 in appendix 10, as listed below).

The sections relate to the following:

• Section I Fortifications of Alexandria
• Section II Resources of Egypt
• Section III Defensive measures likely to be adopted by the French
• Section IV Preliminary proceedings of the British fleet. Measures to be adopted to prevent reinforcements reaching the French army
• Section V Descent by the British on Egypt, from the Mediterranean
• Section VI Seige of the Baghaz Forts and Fort Lesbeh
• Section VII Policy to be pursued when the British have established a footing in Egypt
• Section VIII Preliminary measures of the Indian Government
• Section IX First proceedings of the Indian Army. Capture of Suez, and the operations to be conducted from that base
• Section X Invasion of Upper Egypt from Cosseir [El Qoseir]
• Section XI Siege of Cairo
• Section XII Blockade of Alexandria.

The appendices are as follows:

• Appendix 1: Letter from Outram to the British Consul General in Egypt, Charles Augustus Murray, dated 17 December 1849, describing the coast defences near Damietta and Rosetta, and providing supplementary information regarding the present state of the Alexandria fortifications
• Appendix 2: Extracts from papers presented to the British Parliament in 1841, relating to affairs of the Levant in 1839-40, illustrating French ‘intrigues’ in Egypt
• Appendix 3: Translation of the firman of investiture of Mehmet Ali Pasha [Muḥammad ‘Alī Pāshā al-Mas‘ūd bin Āghā], on his being re-installed in the Pachalic [Pashalik] of Egypt, dated 20 May 1841
• Appendix 4: Extracts from papers on the affairs of the Levant laid before the British Parliament in 1841, showing the state of the Egyptian Army at the time of the Second Syrian War
• Appendix 5: Census of the population of Egypt taken in 1847-48
• Appendix 6: Information regarding the strength and organisation of the Egyptian Army and Fleet at the end of 1849
• Appendix 7: Account of the British expedition to Egypt in 1807
• Appendix 8: Extract from a report of 1840 on the supply of war munitions in Egypt
• Appendix 9: Information regarding the revenues of Egypt, relating to grain produce, livestock, fish, and other articles of consumption
• Appendix 10: Report on Lake Menzaleh [Birkat al Manzilah], which includes a ‘Plan of the Foum Dibe Corresponding with the ancient Mendesian Mouth of the Nile’ on folio 513, and ‘Plan of the Town of Menzaleh And its immediate vicinity’ on folio 514
• Appendix 11: Information on supplies of grain and boats in Egypt
• Appendix 12: Information regarding the ‘Arab tribes’ bordering Suez and Cosseir and their resources
• Appendix 13: Translations of letters addressed by General Reynier to General Menon, dated 4 March to 13 April 1801
• Appendix 14: Information on the strength and disposition of the French and English armies in Egypt in 1801
• Appendix 15: Information regarding coast routes from Tripoli to Bengazi [Benghazi, also spelled Bengasi in this item] and Derna [Darnah]
• Appendix 16: Information on coast routes from Alexandria to Derna
• Appendix 17: Extract from a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Outram to Lieutenant-Colonel Le Messurier, dated 14 March 1850, detailing certain points on the African coast regarding which further information is desirable
• Appendix 18: Meteorological observations taken at Alexandria in 1639, 1847, and 1848-49, Rosetta in 1777-78, and Cairo in 1777 and 1791
• Appendix 19: Nautical information derived from various sources, relating to the Mediterranean and northern coast of Egypt
• Appendix 20: Nautical information derived from various sources, relating to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean
• Appendix 21: Table displaying the pay and allowances of the Indian and Egyptian Armies
• Appendix 22: Description of the routes between Keneh or Geneh [Qina] (on the Nile) and Cosseir
• Appendix 23: Description of the routes between Cairo and Suez
• Appendix 24: Information regarding the coast route from Cosseir to Suez, and Cosseir to Cario, direct
• Appendix 25: Enumeration of the commanding points on the Nile below Keneh
• Appendix 26: Information regarding the southern route from Cairo to Suez via Bazatin [Al Basatin, also spelled Bazateen in this item], and from Atfieh [Atfih] to Suez
• Appendix 27: Information on the water supplied to Alexandria.

The other enclosures in this item are minutes of the Governor and members of council of the Bombay Presidency, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Bombay Army, Willoughby Cotton, and letters from the Chief Secretary to the Government of Bombay, relating to Outram’s memoir.

These enclosures discuss matters including: the memoir being sent to Court of the Directors of the East India Company and the Government of India; the copying of the plans submitted with Outram’s memoir by an officer of the Bombay Engineers and his remuneration for this; and remuneration proposed to be granted to Outram for the period he was detained in the Bombay Presidency supervising and correcting the copies of his memoir to be sent to England. The enclosures also include: a minute by John Pollard Willoughby containing a condensed summary of Outram’s memoir (No. 8); and a letter from Malet to Outram conveying the thanks of the Government of Bombay and the highest commendations from the Governor in council for his memoir (No. 11).