220] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



French, in Egypt, for the safe retreat 

 of the invaders, the British ministry, 

 apprehensive, not without reason, 

 of danger, from the return of such 

 an army, while a war between 

 France and the allies was carried 

 on in Italy and Germany, sent an 

 order to lord Keith, commanding 

 the British fleet in the Mediter- 

 ranean, not to ratify any conven- 

 tion that might be entered into for 

 that purpose. A dispute arose, on 

 this point, between general Kleber 

 and lord Keith, who declared that 

 he would not suffer the French to 

 pass unmolested. The grand vizier, 

 having taken possession of many 

 posts which the French had eva- 

 cuated, demanded the immediate 

 surrender of Cairo. General Kle- 

 ber, urging that the English were 

 hostile to the convention, refused to 

 deprive his endangered army of so 

 important a station, and announced 

 his intention of renewing the war. 

 On the eighteenth of March, he at- 

 tacked a body of Turks, and routed 

 them. He then engaged the grand 

 army, and obtained a complete 

 victory. 



As soon as it appeared that the 

 convention between the Turks and 

 French had been sanctioned by sir 

 Sidney Smith,, the British court, 

 though not pleased at his conduct, in 

 protecting an enemy whom, in their 

 judgment, he might have crushed, 

 «nd that by exceeding his powers 

 or instructions, sent orders for a ra- 

 tification of the treaty. General 

 Kleber now consented to a re- 

 vival of this : and it was expect- 

 ed that he and his countrymen 

 cwould speedily take the benefit of 

 it. But, on the fourteenth of Ja- 

 nuary, he was assassinated by a fa- 

 jnatic, who had been sent for that 

 purpose from Gaza, by the Aga of 



the Janissaries. The assassin was 

 justly punished with death. The 

 obsequies of general Kleber were 

 celebrated with due solemnity — and 

 he was succeeded in the command 

 of the army by general Menou. 



The West India islands, during 

 the greater part of 1799» had been 

 in a state of tranquillity. But in 

 1 800, they were ravaged by a fu- 

 rious war, arising from a contest be- 

 tween the two chiefs, Rigaud and 

 Toussaint Louverture. Many acts 

 of cruelty were committed on both 

 sides, more especially by the black 

 inhabitants of that island. 



In the East Indies, the reduction 

 ofSeringapatamwasnotimmediately 

 followed by the submission of all the 

 subjects of Mysore. The command- 

 ants of certain forts refused, for 

 some time, to yield to the British 

 arms ; but they were at length com- 

 pelled to surrender. Jemaulabad, 

 the last fortress that stood out, was 

 taken in October, 1799' 



Towards the end of 1800, the 

 revenge of Paul I. provoked by a 

 refusal of the isle of Malta, of which 

 he was the chief knight, or grand- 

 master, raised a storm on the shores 

 of the Baltic ; which lowered for 

 some time over the English with a 

 frowning and formidable aspect, but 

 which was soon dispersed, by the 

 promptitude and vigour of the Bri- 

 tish navy ; as will be related in the 

 History of Europe, for 1801. 



xviiith century. 



The never-ceasing lapse of time 

 has, in all ages, been divided into 

 different periods, not only of day 

 and night, the most simple and ob- 

 vious, but other divisions. These 

 divisions correspond in general, and 

 almost without exception, to certain 



