ABSTRACT
The French Ministry gave up plans for occupying Egypt in force in favor of developing a communication with India by way of Suez, employing much the same means as the English had used in the early seventies — agreement with the Beys of Cairo. Before the Ottoman Government had devised any effective way of chastising their rebellious feudatories in Egypt, French plans for exploiting the Red Sea route for trade and communications had largely fallen to the ground. The real responsibility for the reopening of the route through Egypt, Egypt was largely under Turkish authority once more, devolved upon Ainslie. The Foreign Office, in consequence, took up with the Post Office the matter of utilizing the Red Sea route for despatches, and through this department negotiated with the Board of Control and the East India Company.
