222 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



learned, at the same time, our re- 

 verses in Italy, in Gei'inany, in 

 Holland, and even in La Vendee, 

 without its appearing that any pro- 

 per measure had been taken to ar- 

 rest the course of the misfortunes 

 which threatened even the existence 

 of the republic. 



Meanwhile the vizier advanced 

 from Damascus. On another quar- 

 ter, about the middle of October, a 

 fleet appeared before Damietta. It 

 disembarked about 4000 Janizaries, 

 who were to be followed by an 

 equal number, but time was not 

 left for their arrival. The first were 

 attacked, and completely defeated 

 in less than half an hour : the car- 

 nage was terrible ; more than 800 

 of them were made prisoners. This 

 event did not render the necocia- 

 toons more easy. The vizier mani- 

 fested the same intentions, and did 

 not suspend his march any longer 

 than was necessary for forming his 

 establishments, and procuring the 

 means of transporting his troops. 

 His army was then estimated at 

 60,000 men ; but other pachas were 

 following him, and were recruiting 

 his army with new troops from all 

 parts of Asia, as far as Mount Cau- 

 casus. The van of this array soon 

 arrived at Jaffa. 



Commodore sir Sidney Smith 

 wrote me about this time, that is to 

 say, some days before the debark- 

 ation of Damietta; and as I knew 

 all the influence which he had over 

 the vizier, I thought it my duty not 

 only to answer him, but even to 

 propose to him, as a place for hold- 

 ing conferences, the ship which he 

 commanded : I was equally repug- 

 nant to receiving in Egypt English 

 or Turkish plenipotentiaries, or to 

 sending mine to the camp of the lat- 

 ter: my proposition was accepted. 



and then the negociations assumed, 

 a more settled aspect. All this 

 however, did not stop the Ottoman 

 armv which the grand vizier con- 

 ducted towards Gaza. 



During all this time the war con- 

 tinued in Upper Egypt, and the 

 beys, hitherto dispersed, thought of 

 joining themselves toMourad, who, 

 constantly pursued and constantly 

 defeated, alluring to his cause the 

 Arabs and the inhabitants of the 

 province of Bennissoeuf, continued 

 to keep some troops together, and 

 to give disturbance. The plague 

 also threatened us with its ravages 

 and already was weekly depriving 

 us of several men at Alexandria 

 and other places. 



On the 21st December, general 

 Dessaix and citizen Poussielgue, 

 whom I had appointed plenipoten- 

 tiaries, opened the conferences with 

 sir Sidney Smith, on board the 

 Tigre, to whom the grand vizier 

 had given power to treat. They 

 were to have kept on the coast be- 

 tween Damietta and Alexandria, 

 but a very violent gale of wind 

 having obliged them to get into the 

 open sea, they remained out at sea 

 for eighteen days: at the end of 

 this time they landed at the camp 

 of the vizier. He had advanced 

 against El- Arisch, and had possessed 

 himself, on the 30th December, of 

 that fort. This success was entirely 

 owing to the remarkable cowardice 

 of the garrison, which surrendered 

 without fighting, seven days after 

 the attack. This event was so much 

 the more unfortunate, as general 

 Regnier was on his march to raise 

 the blockade before the great body 

 of the Turkish army had arrived. 



From that moment it was impos- 

 sible to hope to protract the nego- 

 ciations to any length. It was ne- 



