in one uniform, and which were at the disposal of government, or rather that of the beys, who seem to have considered themselves as forming, in some respects, a kind of republic. But, besides these, each mameluke kept on foot, or could easily raise bodies of men among his own vassals.

Besides the Turks and the Mamelukes, the Arabs and Copts form another set of inhabitants. The Arabs, who are all musselmen, may be divided into three classes: the first consists of the Fellahs, or husbandmen and artisans; the second of the Occidentals, who either cultivate the earth or live by trade; and, lastly, the Bedouins, or inhabitants of the desert, some of whom arrive yearly from the heart of Africa to profit by the fertility of the country, and retire, during the spring, into the desert; others are stationary in

Egypt: but all of them are detested by the far- BOOK III. mers, whom they pillage, and by the travellers, whom they rob. The Bedouin Arabs were at tached to the Mahometan faith.

The Copts, christians of the Eutychian sect, are descended from the mixture of Egyptians, Persians, and Greeks, who possessed the country under the Ptolemies and Constantines. Being less ignorant than the other inhabitants, they are become the depositaries of the registers of the lands and tribes; at Cairo they are also the secretaries and collectors of government.

The other inhabitants consist of Jews and Greeks. The mamelukes, disdaining to marry the natives, form alliances with their own countrywomen alone, who, like themselves, are slaves brought from Georgia, Mingrelia, &c.

CHAP. V.

1798.

BONAPARTE, while contemplating the scene of his future conquests, received a visit from the French consul, who repaired on board the Orient, and communicated very unpleasant intelligence. He stated, that the appearance of the fleet had occasioned great commotions in the city, which was prepared for defence; that all the christians were in danger of being massacred; that Admiral Nelson, with fourteen line-of-battle ships, had ar rived three days before, and, not finding the ar mament there, sailed immediately in pursuit of it, towards the north-east. The commander-inchief found, by this information, that his situation was very critical, and he was therefore deter mined to precipitate all his movements.

Bonaparte addressed his army in a manner perfectly suited to the designs he had in view, and spoke to the following purport:

"The people with whom you are now going to establish an intercourse, are Mahometans. The first article of their faith is, There is no god but God, and Mahomet is his prophet. Do not con tradict them. Treat their mufties and îmans with respect, as you have done the rabbies and bi shops. The Roman legions protected all reli gions. You will find here usages different from those of Europe. You will reconcile yourselves to them by custom." The French general also told them, that they were going to undertake a valuable conquest, and give the English a most sensible blow; that they should have much to do,

and fight several battles; but that they should succeed in every thing. He then railed against the mamelukes, who, he said, tyrannize over the inhabitants of the banks of the Nile; but that they should cease to exist. He informed them, that the first city they should arrive at was built by Alexander, and that they would meet, at every step, with objects to excite emulation.

Bonaparte then issued general orders from on board the Orient. He commenced by ordering the generals, who commanded detached divisions, to seal up the registers of the revenue; and all the mamelukes to be arrested and taken to headquarters. Having made a disposition of all horses and camels for the use of the army, and stated the sum to be paid for each by the quarter-master-general, he concluded by stating, that all soldiers, stealing horses or camels, should be punished.

In a subsequent order he fixed the superinten dence of the coast, and appointed the officers to their situations; he also added a clause, that all sailors, under thirty, should be put in requisition.

Bonaparte transmitted three proclamations, prepared beforehand, and dated on board the Hag-ship; the first to the Pacha of Egypt, stating, "that he was come to put an end to the exactions of the mamelukes ;" and inviting his highness, in the oriental style, " to meet and curse, along with him, the impious race of the beys;" the

"Cadis, Cheiks, Imans, Tchirbadjees," he continued, "tell the people that we are the friends of the true musselmen. Did we not dethrone the Pope, who preached that it was necessary to make war against the true believers? Did we not destroy the knights of Malta, because those foolish men thought that God wished hostilities to be perpetually carried on against those of your faith?" After stating that all the towns and villages, which might arm against the French, should be burnt, he, commanded every one to remain in his house, enjoined prayers to be said as usual, and concluded with "Glory to the sultaun; glory to the French army, his friends; curses to the mamelukes; and happiness to the people of Egypt."

The third proclamation was to the following effect:

BONAPARTE, Member of the National Institute,
Commander-in-Chief, to the Commander of the
Caraval, at Alexandria.

Head-quarters, on board the Orient,
July 1.

"The beys have loaded our merchants with exactions, and I am come to demand reparation.

"I shall be at Alexandria to-morrow; but this ought not to alarm you. You are a subject of our great friend the sultan; conduct yourself accordingly; but, if you commit the slightest act of hostility against the French army, I shall treat you as an enemy, and you will have no one to blame you will have no one to blame for it but yourself; for such a thing is far from my intention, and from my heart.

"Your's,

"BONAPARTE."

On the same evening Bonaparte made arrange ments for landing, and fixed on the Point at Marabou as the spot; he ordered the fleet to anchor as near t the Point as possible; but two ships of war, in preparing to execute this, ran foul of the admiral's ship, which caused the order to be countermanded, and the armament remained at its then situation. They were at a distance of about three leagues from the shore, the wind was northerly, and blew with violence, and the debarkation was equally perilous and difficult; but nothing could retard the brave men, who were eager to anticipate the hostile dispositions of the inhabitants. The sea was covered with boats, which stemmed the impetuosity of the waves. The galley with Bonaparte approached the nearest

breakers, whence the entrance to the creek of Marabou was discovered; he waited for those boats that were to join him, but they arrived not till after sun-set, and could not, during the night, penetrate the ledge of breakers. Near one o'clock in the morning of July 2, the general-in-chief landed, at the head of the foremost troops, who formed in the desert, about nine miles from Alexandria.

Neither Desaix nor Regnier had as yet been able to reach the shore, and the distance of the shipping had also precluded the arrival of both cannon and cavalry. The troops which landed consisted of 1000 men belonging to Kleber's division, 1800 of Menou's, and about 1500 of General Bon's. As expedition was chiefly aimed at, the van of the army was to commence its march at half after two.

It is asserted upon good authority, that the French troops, on beholding the dreary aspect of the desert, actually mutinied, and refused to land, until Kleber interposed, and prevailed upon his division to consent.

Bonaparte, accompanied by his staff, headed the advanced guard along with General Caffarelli, who, notwithstanding his wooden leg, did not wait the arrival of a horse. General Bon commanded the column on the right; that in the centre was led by General Kleber; while the left, under General Menou, proceeded along the sea-coast. The troops met with little interruption, except from a few scattered Arabs, who killed an officer, and at break of day beheld Pompey's pillar. At length they arrived within a short distance of the old town, which was immediately summoned; but the shouts of men, women, and children, accompanied by some cannon-shot, soon demonstrated that the enemy was not inclined to surrender. Hereupon Bonaparte gave orders to beat a charge, and the French, advancing towards the walls, prepared to scale them, although the fire of the besieged was accompanied by a dreadful shower of stones. While the generals and privates were attempting to reach the summit, Kleber received a musket-shot in the head, and Menou was thrown back from the parapet covered with contusions, By means of a guide, the walls were at length covered by the French troops, and the besieged fled; those, how, ever, who garrisoned the old town, continued their fire, and refused to submit,

These generous invaders, who came, as Bonaparte said, to visit them in pure friendship, in order to introduce liberty and happiness, now pe netrated into the city, engaged in the streets, and put a great number of the inhabitants to death, The rest of the natives, dispirited by the dreadful slaughter that had taken place, and being pro mised that their property should be safe, laid down their arms. The city, notwithstanding, was

pillaged by the French, though in the treaty, signed between the inhabitants and the invaders, who with the city obtained possession of two forts, the following clause was inserted :

"The general-in-chief of the French army promises, on his part, that no one of the soldiers shall molest the inhabitants of Alexandria, by vexatious proceedings, rapine, or menaces; and those who shall commit such excesses, shall be punished with the utmost rigor."

The following account of the capture of this city was given by Louis Bonaparte, in a letter to his brother Joseph, dated Alexandria, July 6.

"At break of day on the 2d, we invested Alexandria, after driving into the town several small detachments of cavalry. The enemy defended themselves like men; the artillery, which they planted on the walls, was wretchedly served, but their musketry was excellent. These people have no idea of children's play; they either kill, or are killed. The first inclosure, however, that is to say, that of the city of the Arabs, was carried; and soon after the second, in spite of the fire from the houses. The forts which are on the coast, on the other side of the city, were then invested, and in the evening capitulated.

"Since the 2d of July we have been engaged in disembarking the troops, the artillery, and the baggage. General Desaix is at Demanhur, on the Nile; the rest of the army is to follow him.

"The place where we disembarked is about two leagues from hence, at the tower of Marabout, or the Isles des Arabes. The two first days we had a number of stragglers cut off by the Arab and mameluke cavalry. I imagine that we have lost about 100 killed, and as many wounded. The generals, Kleber, Menou, and Lascalle, are wounded.

"I send you the proclamation to the inhabitants of the country, which has produced an effect altogether astonishing, The Bedouins, enemies of the mamelukes, and who, properly speaking, are neither more nor less than intrepid robbers, sent us back, as soon as they had read it, thirty of our people whom they had made prisoners, with an offer of their services against the mamelukes. We have treated them kindly. They are an invincible people, inhabiting a burning desert, mounted on the fleetest horses in the world, and full of courage: they live with their wives and children in flying camps, which are never pitched two nights together in the same place. They are horrible savages, and yet they have some notion, of gold and silver; a small quantity of it serves to excite their admiration. Yes, my dear brother, they love gold; they pass their lives in extorting it from such Europeans as fall into their hands; and for what purpose?-for continuing the course of life which I have described, and for teaching it to their children. O Jean Jacques! why was

it not thy fate to see those men, whom thou callest BOOK III. the men of nature? Thou wouldest sink with shame, thou wouldest startle with horror at the CRAP. VI. thought of having once admired them!

"Adieu, my dear brother, let me hear from you soon. I suffered a great deal on our passage; this climate kills me; we shall be so altered that you will discover the change at a league's dis

tance.

"The remarkable objects here are, Pompey's column, the obelisks of Cleopatra, the spot where her baths once stood, a number of rains, a subterraneous temple, some catacombs, mosques, and' a few churches. But what is still more remarkable, is the character and manners of the inhabi tants; they are of a sang-froid absolutely astonishing; nothing agitates them; and death itself is to them what a voyage to America is to the English.

"Their exterior is imposing; the most markedphysiognomies amongst us are mere children's countenances compared to theirs. The women wrap themselves up in a piece of cloth, which passes over their heads, and descends in front to the eyebrows. The poorer sort cover the whole of their face with linen, leaving only two small apertures for the eyes; so that, if this strange veil happens to be a little shrivelled, or stained, they look like so many hobgoblins.

"Their forts and their artillery are the most ridiculous things in nature. They have not even a lock, nor a window to their houses; in a word, they are still involved in all the blindness of the earliest ages.

"Oh! how many misanthropes would be converted, if chance should conduct them into the midst of the deserts of Arabia!”

On establishing his head-quarters at Alexandria, Bonaparte issued a proclamation, stating, that the beys from Georgia had desolated the country, and oppressed the French merchants; that he had arrived, and the fate of the beys was sealed. He told the inhabitants, that the French were come to rescue them from the hands of their tyrants; that they adored God, and honored the prophet and the koran; that their friendship should be extended to all who joined them, or maintained a strict neutrality-but for the beys there should be no deliverance; that all the villages should send to the French general, stating their submission, and that they should hoist the French flag; every village opposing the French was doomed to be burnt; the cheiks and other public officers should continue to execute their respective functions, and all the people of Egypt should offer up their prayers for the destruction of the beys.

Bonaparte established himself at Alexandria, as he had done at Malta; like an arrogant tyrant, he ordered every person, except the muftis, imans,

1798.

BOOK III. and cheiks, to deposit their arms in a given place within twenty-four hours after; that all the CHAP. VI. inhabitants should wear the tri-colored cockade,

reserving to himself the right of distributing a 1798. tri-colored shawl to the cheiks who might distinguish themselves; that the troops were to pay military honors to whoever wore a shawl, and that they should be treated with all due respect. Foreign agents were not to display their colors, and the consul only was to have his name over his door.

Bonaparte, judging the people to be only barbarians, treated them as too ignorant to exercise any of the reasoning faculties; the next procla mation called upon them for reliance on his honor and friendship, in the very paper which acknow ledged him the ally of the grand seignior, whose territories he had thus wrested from him!

Possession having been thus obtained of Alexandria, with the loss of only a colonel and seventy soldiers killed and wounded, General Desaix, who had arrived with his division, accompanied by two field-pieces, was immediately dispatched towards Cairo, on purpose to take advantage of the terror with which the mamelukes would necessarily be inspired by the sudden arrival of the French.

During the interim, Bonaparte issued orders for the transports and two Venetian men of war to enter the old port. He was desirous also, that the fleet should shelter itself there from the enemy; but, on sounding the channel, it appeared there was not sufficient depth of water for the Orient; the road of Aboukir was, therefore, chosen as the fittest anchorage.

The cannon, cavalry, and military stores, having been disembarked, a divan established at Alexandria, and the chief command entrusted to Kleber, in the course of five days a flotilla was established on the Nile. This flotilla consisted of seven small sloops, three gun-boats, and a xebeck, and would have been a great assistance to the army, had the route of Rosetta been taken, in carrying the baggage and provisions of the troops, but the French had not yet taken Rosetta, and by that route Bonaparte would have retarded the progress to Cairo at least eight or ten days; he therefore determined to advance through the desert by Dementour, and by this way General Desaix was ordered to proceed.

General Dugua had orders to proceed with the dismounted cavalry to the mouth of the Nile, to cover the entrance of the French flotilla into that river; he was also instructed to take possession of Rosetta, to establish a divan, erect a battery at Lisbé, and embark a quantity of rice in the flotilla; after which he was to proceed towards Cairo, on the left bank of the Nile, to join the army near Rahmanieb, and the flotilla was to proceed up the river.

The French were greatly annoyed by the Arabs; General Desaix was nearly taken prisoner, when not more than fifty paces in the rear; and Le Meriar fell a sacrifice within 100 paces of the advanced guard: Delanau, an adjutant, was made prisoner within a few yards of the troops; and the Arabs settled a quarrel amongst themselves about sharing the ransom, by blowing_out his brains! The mamelukes presented themselves in front of the army; these horsemen retired, and, certain of victory, ceased to harass a march which, under a burning sun, gave nothing but hunger and thirst; the soldiers cried for bread, while the dazzling sunbeams, playing on a sandy soil, displayed such a resemblance to water, as to deceive, not only the stranger, but those who had before witnessed it.

Early in July, the main army left Alexandria, The Arabs filled up all the wells at Beda and Birkit; so that the soldiers, scorched by the heat of the sun, felt a parching thirst, which they could not assuage. The wells were explored, but a little muddy water could only be obtained. Many skirmishes took place, in one of which Ge neral de Brigade Mireur was mortally wounded.

When the army was on its march for Rhaminie, the scarcity of wells obliged some of the divisions to halt. The soldiers soon discovered the Nile; they plunged in, and eagerly assuaged their thirst. Speedily the drums recalled them to their colors; a corps of about eight hundred mamelukes were seen approaching in order of battle; the soldiers ran to their arms; the enemy retired, and went towards Dementour, where they met the division of General Desaix: the discharge of cannon announced an action. Bonaparte marched against the mamelukes, but the artillery of General Desaix had made them retreat, leaving forty men killed or wounded; ten of the infantry were slightly wounded. The troops, being exhausted, were greatly in want of repose; and the horses, harassed by the voyage, required it still more. This induced Bonaparte to halt at Rhaminie the 11th and 12th, when he expected the flotilla, and the division, under General Dugua.

General Dugua had taken Rosetta without any obstacle, and joined the army at the expected period. As to the flotilla, he announced that it ascended the river with great difficulty, from the shallowness of the water; however, it arrived on the 14th, and, during that night, the army set out for Miniet-el-Sayd, where it rested; and proceeded again on its march..

About 4000 mamelukes were discovered at the distance of a league, their right covered by the village of Chebreisse, where they placed some pieces of cannon, and also by the Nile, on which was a flotilla of gun-boats and armed germes. Bonaparte ordered the French flotilla to dispose itself so as to act with the left of the army, and to

engage the enemy's vessels, when the former should attack the mamelukes and the village of Chebreisse. The violence of the wind deranged this plan; the flotilla was driven nearly a league higher up, where it engaged at a great disadvantage, as it had, at the same time, to sustain the fire of the mamelukes, the peasants, and the Arabs, and to defend itself against the enemy's flotilla. Some of the peasants, led on by a party of mamelukes, possessed themselves of one galley and a gun-boat. The commander, Perée, made a successful attack in his turn, and retook the galley and the gun-boat. His xebec, which dealt fire and death, destroyed several of the enemy's gun-boats; he was powerfully supported in this unequal contest by the coolness of General Andreossi, and Bourienne, secretary to Bonaparte, who were on board the xebec.

Bonaparte soon understood, by the noise of the artillery, that the flotilla was engaged; and im mediately approaching Chebreisse, perceived the mamelakes ranged in front of the village. He reconnoitred the position, and formed his army into five divisions, each of which constituted a hollow square; the artillery, was at the angles, and in the centre the cavalry and baggage. The grenadiers of each square formed platoons, which flanked the divisions, and were to reinforce the points, of attack. The miners posted themselves in two villages in the rear, to secure places of retreat. The mamelukes suddenly advanced in crowds, and wheeled about on the flanks and on the rear; others fell on the right and front of the army. They were allowed to approach, when the artillery opened, and they were soon put to flight. Some of the bravest Tushed upon the platoons on the flanks; these were received with firmness, and nearly the whole were killed by the fire of the small-arms,, or by the bayonet. The army advanced against the village of Che breisse, which the right wing was to attack. It was carried after a slight resistance; the defeat of the mamelukes was complete; they fled in disorder towards Cairo; their flotilla got up the Nile with all possible expedition. The loss of the mamelukes was about 700 men, more killed than wounded: that of the French was about seventy, besides the loss on board the flotilla. When the French recovered their squadron from the mamelukes, they found themselves stripped of every thing.

Perée, in his account of this engagement, said, "I cannot describe to you what we suffered in this expedition: we were reduced, for several days, to subsist entirely on water-melons, during which, we were constantly exposed to the fire of the Arabs, although, with the exception of a few killed and wounded, we always came off victori bus. The Nile is very far from answering the

description I had received of it; it winds inces- BOOK III. santly, and is withal very shallow."

1798.

Bonaparte ordered Zayoncheck, the general CHAP. VI. of brigade, to proceed with about 500 dismounted cavalry, along the right bank of the Nile, in a parallel line to the march of the army, which advanced on the left bank. The army was incessantly harassed on the mareh by the Arabs; it could not advance farther than a cannon-shot without falling into an ambuscade. All communication, beyond 300 toises from the rear of the army, was cut off, and no intelligence could be forwarded to, or received from, Alexandria. Neither men nor cattle were to be seen, for all the villages were abandoned. The French soldiers lay upon heaps of corn, and subsisted only upon some lentils, and a kind of thin cakes, which they made themselves by bruising the corn.

The army continued its march towards Cairo; and, on the 19th of July, General Zayoncheck united with the main army, where the Nile di vides itself into two branches, those of Rosetta and Damietta. At this time, Mourad Bey, at the head of 6000 mamelukes and a host of Arabs. and peasants, was entrenched at Ernbabé, wait-› ing for the French; and, on the 221, Desaix, with the advanced guard, arrived within two miles of the spot. The heat was intense, and the soldiers excessively fatigued, which induced Bonaparte to halt. But the mamelukes no sooner saw the army, than they formed upon the plain ; an appearance so grand was never before witnessed by the French; the cavalry of the mame→ lukes were covered with resplendent armour. Beyond their left were the celebrated pyramids, which have survived so many empires, and braved, for more than thirty centuries, the outrages of time. Behind their right was the Nile, the city of Cairo, the hills of Mokattam, and the fields of the ancient Memphis.

The same disposition having been made as at Chebreisse, Bonaparte gave orders for a charge, but the mamelukes prevented this movement; they made a feint against the centre, and rushed, with their usual impetuosity, on the divisions of Desaix and Reignier, which formed the right: they charged their columns, which reserved their fire until the enemy advanced within half-musket shot, when the mamelukes in vain strove to break through a rampart of bayonets; their ranks were thinned, a number of killed and wounded remained on the field, and they fell back in disor der, not venturing to renew the action.

General Dugua, with the divisions of Bon and Menou, supported by that of Kleber, advanced against the intrenched village of Ernbabé. Two battalions, under the Generals Rampon and Marmont, were detached to turn the village, and to