mofque, to difperfe the multitude that was every moment increafing. He was furioufly attacked, and mortally wounded. Not a few of his men were killed. The reft carried back the general to his quarters, where he died in a few hours thereafter. The alarm being given, the whole of the French were im mediately under arms. The gene ral gave orders for a battalion to march against the grand mofque, where the Turks were aflembled, to the number of eight or ten thoufand. They were fummoned, but decidedly refufed to furrender. The citadel then fired on the city, particularly the grand mofque, into which there fell feveral bombs, exciting terror and defpair. Other battalions were fent against the other mofques, in the avenues and approaches to which the Turks were attacked, and driven back into the mofques. The doors of these were forced by the French, who made a dreadful flaughter. But the Muffulmen, though defeated, were not yet conquered. The place of the flain was fupplied by new combatants, and the conteft was prolonged. This was a terrible day, and fcarcely was that which followed lefs bloody. Not a Turk who was armed with fo much as a club, or a ftone, escaped with life. The Turks, on their part, aflaffinated every individual, or fmall party of French, whom they found in the ftreets. They burft into the houfes of the French, and plundered them; and, if any European domeftics were found, they were put to the fword. Some traces of the infurrection remained till the twenty-third of October: towards the evening of which the city began to refume the appearance of tranquillity. The lofs of the VOL. XLI. infurgents was calculated, by the French, at five or fix thoufand men': that of the French themfelves, in killed and wounded, was stated by them not to have exceed a hundred, in killed and wounded. And this lofs, it was alfo ftated, was owing to a flower of heavy ftones thrown on the French, from the tops of houfes. In this affair the Greeks, at Cairo, took a decided and active part on the fide of the French. Some of them took up arms in their cause, while its flue was yet dubious: a greater number, after it was decided, were active in the difcovery of fugitives. All the prifoners, whom they brought to the different military ftations in Cairo, and who were found guilty on evidence, we may prefume not very fcrupulous, were put to death. The difguifed Mammalukes, conformably to a former decree, underwent the fame fate. Several parties of the infurgents retaining their arms, endeavoured to efcape death by a precipate flight; but thefe unfortunate men were affailed by double terrors. While they were pursued by general Danourt, at the head of a body of cavalry, they were met in front by the Arabs of the defart, who are equally hoftile to all strangers, Turks, Europeans, and Egyptians, and fometimes parties of their own nation; all strangers not of their own tribe. They are always on horfeback, and live in the midft of the defart. Their ferocity is equal to the wretched life they lead, expofed for whole days to the burning heat, of the fun, without a drop of water to drink. They are perfidious, and, maintaining a conftant ftruggle for the maintenance of their own exiftence, are but little fufceptible of humanity and compaffion for others. [C] They They prefent the most hideous pic- line, extending from the Nile to ture of barbarians that can be con- the lake Menzales. The number ceived. The unhappy fugitives of the French did not exceed five from Cairo, hemmed in between hundred. Fifteen hundred of the fuch enemies, and the avenging Arabs were killed or drowned, in French, had no retreat. The fate the inundation of the river, and of the whole was ruin, flavery, or in the lake. The village Schoudeath. Buonaparte, having inflict- arra was taken, and committed to ed fevere, though in his circum- the flames. Columns of light ftances perhaps not unneceffary, troops fcouring the country, bepunishment, published an amnefty tween Damietta and Manfoura, to all peaccable people, and held punished the chiefs of the rethe fame language of conciliation, volt. On the seventh of October and affected confidence, as usual. the divifion of the French, under general Deffaix, who, having driven the Mammalukes before, had paffed fome weeks in the neighbourhood of the cataracts, in fearch of the ruins of Thebes, defeated Mourad Bey, at Sediman, in Fayoum, a province of Upper Egypt. The French had been greatly haraffed on their march by the troops of the bey, who endeavoured to ftraiten the quarters of the French, and cut off their provifions. At day break they found themfelves in front of the army of the bey, five or fix thousand strong, composed of nearly an equal number of Mammalukes and Arabs, and a corps of infantry, which guarded the entrenchments of Sediman; where there were placed four pieces of cannon; general Deffaix formed his infantry into a fquare battalion, which he flanked with two fmall divifions of two hundred horfemen each. The Mammalukes and Arabs, after long hefitation, formed their refolution, and charged a small platoon on the right, commanded by captain Valette, with horrible cries, and the greatest valour; and, at the fame time, the rear of the fquare. They were every where received by the French with the greatest While the infurrection was brewing at Cairo, the French arms were employed in the fuppreffion of plots of lefs moment, and in fubduing open refiftance in other places. Scarce a day paffed without fome fkirmishing between the French and Arabs. At Sombat, capital of a diftrict of Gambia, the inhabitants affaffinated a detachment of French, confifting of one half of a demibrigade, and a part of a regiment of dragoons. On the thirteenth of September, the village, by orders of the generals Dugua and Verdier, was burned. About the fame time there was an engagement at Mitcamar, between the Arabs and the troops under general Murat, in which the former were completely routed. On the night between the fifteenth and fixteenth of September, the French garrifon of Damietta was attacked by a number of Arabs, joined by infurgents from feveral neighbouring provinces. The generals Vial and Andreoffi attacked them in their turn, at their head-quarters in the village of Schouarra, fituated within cannon flot of Damietta. The Arabs, to the number, as ftated by the French, of about ten thousand, were ranged in one coolness. coolness. The chaffeurs, compofing the platoon, prefented their bayonets, and referved their fire till the enemy were within ten paces. The barbarian cavalry were no less intripid. They advanced impetuoufly in front of the French ranks. After firing, and throwing their piftols and mufkets at the heads of the French, they rufhed on into close action with their fpears and fabres. Some of them, whofe horfes were killed under them, crept along upon their bellies, in order to be under the bayonets, and cut the legs of their enemies. But all was in vain: they were obliged to fly. The French, notwithstanding the fire of the four pieces of cannon, which was the more to be dreaded, that their ranks were deep, advanced to Sediman; and the entrench ment, cannon, and baggage were immediately in their poffeffion. On the fide of the united forces of the Mammalukes and Arabs, three beys were killed, two wounded, and four hundred of the flower of his troops killed on the spot. The lofs of the French was, by them ftated, to be thirty-fix killed, and ninety-fix wounded. Here, as well as at the battle of the the Pyramids, the foldiers made a confiderable booty. There was not a Mammaluke on whom they did not find from three to five hundred' louis. Mourad Bey retreated to the gorges of the mountains of Tajain-raft, to take care of his wounded, and recruit his army. And thus Def faix was left in poffeffion of the beft part of Upper Egypt. CHA P. II. · - The French keep their Ground in Egypt.-Yet many Caufes remain of Alarm.-Means ufed by Buonaparte, for obviating or encountering thefe.An Alliance, offenfive and defenfive, between the Turks and Ruffians.-Expedition of the French into Egypt.-Objects of this avowed.-Or probable. -Preparations for the Expedition.-Difpofition of the Troops. And March.-Oppofed by Mammalukes, Arabs, Samaritans, and other Syrian Tribes.-Battle of El-Arifch.-El-Arisch taken by the French.-Progrefs of the French Army to Gaza.—Of which it takes Possession without Refiftance. And of Jaffa (the ancient Joppa), after a defperate Refiflance.Importance of Jaffa.- Letter from Buonaparte to Ghezzar, Bafhaw of St. John d'Acre.-Ghezzar's Anfwer.-March of the French Army along the Roots of Mount Carmel.-Towards St. John d'Acre.-Defcription and Hiftory of Acre. French encamp before Acre. And open Trenches against it.-Project, combined by the British and Turkish Governments, for a general Attack on Buonaparte, by Sea and Land.-A French Flotilla, with Battering-cannon, Ammunition, and Stores, taken by Commodore Sir Sidney Smith.-Breach effected in the Wall of Acre.-Repeated Affaults of the French, on Acre, repulsed.-Immenfe Multitudes affembled on the furrounding Hills, waiting for the Iffue of the Contest, with a Determination to join the Victors.-Circular Letter from Sir Sidney Smith to the Princes and Chiefs of the Chriftians of Mount Lebanon.-Their friendly Anfwer-Sallies from the Garrison of Acre.-Account of Ghezzar Bafhaw.-Discomfiture and Retreat of the French from Acre. Nowution of the French destruction of the French fleet, and that all reasonable hopes of timely fupport from the fquadrons at Genoa, Toulon, and Corfu, were cut off, by the irrefiftible power of the English in the Mediterranean, the French had now established themfelves in Egypt. Their dominion might be fapped by peftilence and disease, or thaken and fubverted by external aggreffion; and this the rather, that they were fo completely humbled at fea; but, over the inhabitants of Egypt, their thofe defultory and predatory incurfions of the Arabs, who often moleft the beft eftablished governments. Buonaparte had ftrengthened his army by the wrecks of the navy, and by recruits of different nations in Egypt. All the impor tant ftations were occupied by the French. Taxes were impofed and collected. Horfes and camels, as well as provifions for the army, were fupplied in abundance. And new fortreffes, rifing in divers places, frengthened the hands of the the invaders, by their genuine importance, and alfo by that air of fovereign power which they carried to the imaginations of the humbled Muffelmen. Yet many circumftances of alarm continued to agitate the mind of Buonaparte.The extenfion of the French arms extended alfo the sphere of hoftility and refistance to their power. Ghezzar Oglou, the bafhaw of St. John d'Acre, had affembled a great force, the deftination of which, in the prefent circumftances, could not be doubtful. The bafhaw of Damafcus, too, was in motion. Multitudes of Arabs might be induced to join the enemies of the French. The appearance of a great force in Egypt, or on its confines, might awaken the courage, with the refentment of the inhabitants, and overturn an authority not yet confirmed by the lapfe of time, the abatement of prejudices, and the change of habits. While thefe dangers were threatened in the east, farther attacks were to be apprehended, and new combinations, against the French in Europe. Among the fhips which lay in the harbour of Alexandria, at the arrival of the French, was a large veffel, belonging to the Turkish government, of that kind called caravals, fent to bring home the annual tribute. It was the time when the Turkifh fhips of commerce ufually fet fail from Egypt; and the caraval received orders from government to return, with the other veffels, to Conftantinople. Buonaparte affured the captain of the veffel of the friendship of the French; defired that he would bear witness at home, that the Turkimh, as well as the French flag, was flying at Alexandria; and, giv ing him a prefent, gave him in charge, as a paffenger, citizen Beauchamp, with difpatches to the Porte, containing affurances of the fincere defire of the French nation to live with the Porte on the ufual terms of friendship. At the fame time he ftated, in the letter, the grounds of complaint which he had against the bafhaw, Ghezzar, who had given a cordial reception to Ibrahim Bey, with about a thoufand Mammalukes, after he had been driven out of Egypt into Syria. Finally, he ftated, that the punishment which he might find it neceffary to inflict on that bafhaw, ought not to give the Porte any uneafinefs. Buonaparte, foreseeing every thing that would tend to give of fence to the Porte, had already difpatched an officer to Ghezzar, by fea, with a letter, affuring him that the French nation was defirous to live at peace, and preferve friendfhip with the grand feignior. But he infifted that Ghezzar should difmifs Ibrahim, with his Mammalukes. Ghezzar, who, in his military preparations, had acted by orders from the Porte, made no answer to this letter from Buonaparte, but fent back the officer who carried it, and put the French at Acre into irons. The fpirit and fubftance of thefe difpatches, from Buonaparte, very emphatically mark the advanced decline and degradation of the Turkifh empire. Such infolence and contempt, however, one would imagine, muft have tended rather to provoke the refentment and revenge of the Turks, under all their political weakness, ftill retaining a proud and haughty fpirit, than to conciliate even the appearance of acquiefcence and connivance. Yet [C3] Buo |