IBRAHIM PACHA'S SYRIAN CAMPAIGN. 287 



the same route as Bonaparte, and rapidly advanced against St. Jean 

 d'Acre. Without firing a shot, he made himself master of Jaffa, 

 Caipha, Jerusalem, Naplonsia. Tabaneh and all the country between 

 Gaza and Acre submitted at his approach. Master of the sea, by 

 which he expected reinforcements both in men and materiel, he made 

 haste to occupy the whole line of coast as far as Ladikich, and set 

 down, on the 27th of November, before St Jean d'Acre, with a corps 

 of 15,000 regular infantry, two regiments of lancers, 1000 Bedouins, 

 two companies of sappers, one of cannoniers, one of bombardiers, and 

 a train of field and siege artillery. The place is situated on a pro- 

 montory surrounded on three sides by the sea, and defended on the 

 fourth by a fort crowned by a tower, which serves as a citadel. This 

 last front, the bastions of which, from their retiring flanks being too 

 short, is the only one accessible on the land side, but it was enfiladed 

 from a neighbouring height. Bonaparte, at the siege of St. Jean 

 d'Acre, was destitute of siege artillery, and was not master of the 

 sea, he had, therefore, many more obstacles to encounter than Ibrahim. 

 During the first ten days the fire of the besiegers was not very vigor- 

 ous, but on the 9th of December, five frigates having cast anchor 

 before the place, with some gun-boats under sail, a general attack was 

 made, and from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, the 

 fleet and the batteries on shore kept up a well-directed fire. The 

 besieged on their side were not inactive, the Egyptians experienced 

 a heavy loss, and several of their ships were much cut up. From the 

 9th to the 18th the bombardment lasted night and day. On the 10th 

 some heavy guns were placed in battery, the operations of the siege 

 were now pushed forward with great ardour, but yet nothing denoted 

 the immediate reduction of the place. The defence of Abdallah 

 Pacha was marked by the most determined energy. He had sworn, 

 it was reported, that he would blow up the town. It was, however, 

 of the utmost importance to push forward the operations with the 

 greatest activity. The first disposition of the population which had 

 been favourable, might undergo a change should not Ibrahim suc- 

 ceed in striking a great blow. The mountaineers of Lebanon and of 

 Naplonsia had sent their chiefs to the Egyptian camp, and were 

 ready to furnish a contingent of their warriors. 



The news of the invasion of Syria, by the army of Mehemet Ali, 

 spread terror at Constantinople. The Porte, with her usual craft 

 dissimulated, and feigning to see in this event, but a quarrel be- 

 tween two Pachas, she summoned them to lay before her their 

 respective griefs; but finding her orders were disregarded, she 

 made preparations for war. On the 16th of December, 1821, 

 Mehemet Pacha, already governor of Racca, was appointed governor 

 of Aleppo, and Seraskier of Syria and Arabia. Orders were sent to 

 the director of the Imperial Mines, Osman Pacha, to the Muselims 

 of Marash, of Sevas, of Adana and of Payas, to levy troops. Strict 

 injunctions were also given to the governors of Caramania, and of 

 Caesarea, to hold themselves in readiness; but this movement of 

 Tartars, was insufficient to produce a numerous army; the luke- 

 warm devotion of the subjects of the Porte, found ample means of 

 evasion ; and every day, the efforts of the Turkish government in 



