HISTORY OF EUROPE. [219 



was obliged, in spite of myself, to 

 cross the desert. 



" Although my army is as innu- 

 merable as the sands of the sea, full 

 of courage, inured to war in the 

 highest degree, and victorious ; al- 

 though it is completely provided 

 with every thing of which it can 

 stand in need; though I have castles 

 and fortresses of prodigiousstrength, 

 and though the centre, and extre- 

 mities of the desert are fortified by 

 batteriesof cannon; although I have 

 no fear nor apprehension of any 

 kind; though I have no precautions 

 to take, and that it is impossible for 

 me to be overcome : nevertheless, 

 out of commiseration for the human 

 race, respect for those honourable 

 ways of proceeding which are re- 

 sjiected by all nations, and above 

 all, out of a desire to be re-united 

 with the first and truest of our allies, 

 his most glorious majesty sultan Se- 

 lim, I now make manifest my dis- 

 position for peace. It is certain 

 that the sublime Porte can never 

 realize its wishes by force of arms, 

 and that its happiness can be effect- 

 ed only by a pacific conduct. What- 

 ever armies may march against Ca- 

 iro, I can repulse them all. — And 

 tjct I will facilitate, as much as pos- 

 sible, every proposition which shall 

 be made to me tending to peace. The 

 instant the sublime Porte shall have 

 detached itself from our enemies, 

 the Russians and English, there can- 

 not be a doubt but that the French 

 rq)ublic will renew and re-establish, 

 in the completest manner, the basis 

 of peace and friendship with the 

 sublime Porte. 



" If you wish to liave Egypt- 



tell me so. France has never en- 

 tertained an idea of taking it out of 

 the hands of the sublime Porte, and 

 swallowing it up. Give authority 

 to your minister, who is at Paris, or 

 send some one to Egypt, with full 

 and unlimited powers, and all shall 

 be arranged without animosity and 

 to your wish." 



Buonaparte, in the private in- 

 structions he left behind him to his 

 successor in the command of the ar- 

 my, general Kleber, directed him to 

 continue the negociation which he 

 had begun,and to conclude a treaty of 

 peace with the Turks, if necessary, 

 but, at the same time, to endeavour to 

 evade its execution. General Kleber 

 wascompletely satisfied,as his officers 

 also were, from the reduced state of 

 the French army, that a pacification 

 with the Turks was necessary. Con- 

 forming his conduct exactly to the 

 instructions of Buonaparte, he ad- 

 dressed a letter to the grand vizier, 

 dated the sixteenth of Rebeul-Ak- 

 hir, 1214, [fourth September, 1 7.99] 

 re-echoing the sentiments expressed 

 in Buonaparte's letter to that mi- 

 nister, wishing for a termination of 

 hostilities by a negociation for peace, 

 and stoutly maintaining that the 

 French government never had the 

 least idea of taking Egypt from the 

 grand signior.* — A convention was 

 signed, on the twenty-fourth of Ja- 

 nuary, 1800, near El Arish, by the 

 French and Turkish plenipotentia^r 

 ries, providing for the complete 

 evacuation of Egypt, and the un- 

 molested return of Kleber and his 

 troops to France. 



When it was known in England, 

 that pro^wsals had been made by the 



• See copies of Original Letters frojii the French Army in Egfypt, iiilercepted 

 ♦•y the Dritiiih fleet in the Mediterranean. 



