•    Επιστολή του Robert Ainslie (Κωνσταντινούπολη, 17 Ιουνίου 1779) προς τον Michell Delypherd μέλος του Board of Directors της East India Company με αναφορά στα προσκόμματα που θέτει η Πύλη στην βρετανική ναυτιλία στην Ερυθρά Θάλασσα και στην διακίνηση εμπορευμάτων στο Σουέζ και στις κινήσεις που ο ίδιος έχει κάνει για να αντιμετωπίσει αυτήν την κατάσταση, καθώς και τον έντονο ανταγωνισμό που επικρατεί για το εμπόριο της περιοχής από τους Γάλλους και τα Ιταλικά Κράτη σε συνεργασία με τους ισχυρούς τοπικούς μπέιδες της Αιγύπτου, ανταγωνισμός που επιχειρεί να εμποδίσει την βρετανική ναυτιλία στην Ερυθρά Θάλασσα, και ανταγωνισμός που συχνά υποκινείται και από την συνεργασία Βρετανών υπηκόων με τους Γάλλους και του μπέυδες της Αιγύπτου. Μάλιστα ο Ainslie επισημαίνει, πως του έχουν γίνει πολλές κρούσεις και του έχουν προσφερθεί μεγάλα ποσά για να διορίσει προξενική αντιπροσώπευση εκ μέρους της Βρετανίας στην Αίγυπτο – καθώς δεν υπάρχει βρετανική προξενική αρχή στην Αίγυπτο – αξιοποιώντας τις προξενικές υπηρεσίες μίας άλλης δύναμης, με απώτερο σκοπό να περάσει το βρετανικό εμπόριο στην Ερυθρά Θάλασσα υπό άλλη σημαία. Επίσης, ο Ainslie σημειώνει πως ο ίδιος προσπάθησε να πείσει την Πύλη πως ένα εμπόριο στην Ερυθρά Θάλασσα θα ήταν και προς όφελός της, ενώ από την άλλη σημειώνει πως στην ουσία οι προσπάθειες της Πύλης να σταματήσουν την ναυσιπλοΐα στην Ερυθρά Θάλασσα ήταν αποτέλεσμα της προσπάθειάς της να περιορίσει την αυξανόμενη δύναμη των τοπικών μπέηδων της Αιγύπτου και την πιθανότητα της ανεξαρτησίας τους.
Χαρακτηριστικά γράφει ο Ainslie:
Soon after my arrival here, towards the end of seventeen hundred seventy six, I had reasons to suspect that the Porte alarmed at the continuation of the trade carried on from India to Egypt was determined to obstruct, if possible, the British Navigation in the Red Sea beyond Gedda and Mocka; an official memorial to this effect had been delivered to the late Mr. Murray previous to his departure for England. […] In the spring, seventeen hundred seventy seven, some more ships arrived at Suez from India, which put the Ottoman ministry so much out of humor that a resolution was taken to disregard whatever representations should come from me in behalf of His Majesty’s Subjects, until a favourable answer was obtained on the subject of the above memorial.
I had the honor to inform Lord Weymouth of the disagreeable situation in which I found myself involved, and of the fatal and unavoidable effects it could not fail of producing to all our establishment in the Levant. I found it necessary not to lose a moment in applying proper remedies, and had the good fortune through my influence at the Porte, and by the means of money to soothe the resentment of the Ottoman ministers, and actually engaged them to sink their resentment, an to address to me the memorial formerly delivered to Mr. Murray. Besides this I obtained that the ships and goods already arrived, or that might be still coming to Suez in the course of the year should not be molested, and that the Company’s packets and messengers might pass freely through this Empire during the interval. This permission by proper management, and by employing presents was again prolonged for the year seventeen hundred seventeen eighty, in the course of which I did imagine the orders sent from England would be inforced and obeyed. The Court of Directors will have seen that even after these different concessions, and notwithstanding their regulations with regard to the Packet boats have been so ill executed, I again was indulged with a promise that ships dispatched with letters under their seals, having no merchandizes on board should be admitted at Suez during the current year. […] As it is, I am afraid the French Ambassador and his agents take great pains to open the eyes of the Porte, and to teach them the importance of securing the Indian trade, and that they cooperate with those of his Majesty’s subjects whose motives of personal interest encourage the resistance of the Beys, in which they are favoured and supported by the agents of the Italian powers, who purchase the pillaged goods in Egypt, and send them directly to Italy. […] Offers to a great amount were made me under denomination of consulage to engage my winking at this trade, and in consequence of my resulting, to other ministers to incline them to protect that navigation under their respective flags. As we have no consuls in Egypt, I have no correspondent there upon whom I can entirely depend; […] Afterall the obstacles and disappointments I have had already in executing His Majesty’s commands, and in complying with the desires of the Company in regard to the privilege of a free communication with India by the way of Suez, I had great reason to fear the Pore will not grant it […] [it is] the jealousy of the Court at the growing power of the Beys, and her apprehensions losty the Provinces of Egypt should become independent. On this account the very shadow of a foreign connection tendint to increase the power or evolvement of the ruling Beys acquires importance. This discovered and it served essentially in persuading the ministers that our interests coincided with those of the Porte; consequently it was not from want of inclination or proper orders of this trade was not absolutely stopt; and attribute the present irregularity to the machinations of our enemies. […]