The Sultan gave his word in the presence of the representative of the English Government, and would not, if reminded of it by Her Majesty's Government, withdraw his promise.
_East Cliff, February 6th._--Sir Moses, being anxious to see if anything could be done through the medium of the English officers of engineers then at Jerusalem, with regard to the water supply there, he proceeded to London. "In spite of old age and weakness," he says, "I would willingly undergo any fatigue and risk to benefit Jerusalem." He called at Adam Street for a copy of the resolution on the subject passed by the Committee of the Syrian Relief Fund during his absence, went to the Athenæum to see Mr John Freeland, and called on Sir John Macneil.
_February 9th._--He went to Southampton on a visit to the Ordnance Survey Office, where he had a long interview with Sir Henry James with reference to the survey of Jerusalem, then being carried out by a party of engineers belonging to that department--a work in which, as may readily be imagined, Sir Moses took the deepest interest. Sir Henry presented him with a beautiful photograph of the wailing wall at Jerusalem, with which Sir Moses expressed himself highly gratified.
_February 15th._--He attended a meeting of the Syrian Improvement Fund Committee, Mr Layard, Mr Hodgkin, and several other members being present, when £100 was voted for the use of Captain Wilson and the engineers at Jerusalem towards the expenses of excavations, &c., for the purpose of finding a mode of providing Jerusalem with a better supply of water.
_February 16th._--Count P. de Strezelski wrote a letter, by desire of Miss Coutts (now Baroness Burdett-Coutts), to learn whether they could venture on some steps to improve the lamentable and humiliating state of the Jewish community at Rome. In spite of the snow, Sir Moses went to see the Count, and told him that he believed no good could be achieved by agitation; but perhaps a mild and very quiet application, personally made at Rome on behalf of the Jews, might be successful. "I would," Sir Moses says, "if this plan was favourably received, go at my own personal expense to Rome."
The Count, wishing to have Miss Coutts' advice, and Sir Moses being himself desirous of expressing to her his thanks for her kind and benevolent solicitude for the welfare of his co-religionists, they drove to Piccadilly, but as Miss Coutts was not at home, the Count promised to see her in the evening, and report to Sir Moses by letter to Ramsgate.