218] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



the most proper, undoubtedly, for 

 making peace, was sent by tlie 

 hands of an effendi, made prisoner 

 at Aboukir : "Alas, said Buona- 

 parte, why do the sublime Porte, 

 and the French republic, after hav- 

 ing been friends for so many years, 

 now find themselves at war ? Is it 

 because the boundaries of the two 

 states are so distant from each other 

 that they fight ? Is it because 

 the courts of Germany and Russia 

 border on the territories of the sub- 

 lime Porte, that they have united 

 themselves with it ? Yourexcellency 

 cannot be ignorant that the French 

 nation, without exception, is ex- 

 tremely attached to the sublime 

 Porte. Endowed, as your excellency 

 is, with the most distinguished ta- 

 lents, and acquainted with the real 

 interests of courts, can it have 

 escaped you, that the Russians and 

 Austrians have conspired, once for 

 all, against the sublime Porte, and 

 that the French, on the contrary, 

 are using every possible effort to 

 counteract their wicked designs ? 

 Your excellency knows that the 

 Russians are the enemies of the M us- 

 sulman faith, and that Paul the 

 First, emperor of Russia, as grand 

 master of Malta, that is to say, chief 

 knight, has solemnly swore enmity 

 to the Mussulmen. The French 

 have abolished the order of Malta, 

 given liberty to the Mahometan 

 prisoners detained there, and have 

 the same belief as themselves, that 

 ' There is no God but the true God.' 

 It is then very strange, that the sub- 

 lime Porte should declare war on the 

 French, its real and sincere friends; 

 and contract alliaiices with the Rus- 

 sians and Germans, its declared 

 enemies. 



" When the French were necessa- 

 «ly of the sect of the Messiah, they 



were the friends of the sublime 

 Porte ; now, that they are, as it 

 were, united by the same religion, 

 that power declares war against 

 them ! The courts of England and 

 Russia have led the sublime Porte 

 into an error. We had injormed it, 

 by letters, of our intended expedi- 

 tion into Arabia ; but those courts 

 found means to intercept and con- 

 ceal our papers; and, as if I had 

 not proved to the sublime Porte that 

 the French republic, far from wish- 

 ing to deprive it of its domains, had 

 not even the smallest intention of 

 making war on it ; his most glorious 

 majesty, sultan Selim, gave credit 

 to the English, and conceived an 

 aversion for the French, his ancient 

 friends. Is not the kind treatment 

 the ships of war and merchantmen 

 belonging to the sublime Porte, in 

 the different ports of Arabia, expe- 

 rienced at my hands, a sufficient 

 proof of the extreme desire and love, 

 of the French republic, for peace 

 and amity } The sublime Porte, 

 without waiting for the arrival of 

 theFrenchminister, D e scorches, who 

 had already left France for Constan- 

 tinople, and, without inquiring what 

 were the motives of my conduct, 

 declared war against the French, 

 with the most unaccountable preci- 

 pitation. Although I was informed 

 of this war, I dispatched Beauchamp, 

 consul of the republic, in the Cara- 

 vel, in full confidence of terminating 

 it ; and while I was expecting the 

 answer of the sublime Porte, by the 

 same conveyance, I found that he 

 had been thrown into prison : and 

 Turkish troops dispatched to Gaza, 

 with orders to take possession of 

 Arabia. 



" Upon this I thought it more 

 advisable to make war there than 

 iu the territory of Egypt; and | 



I .■:;. / 



II 



