228 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



sir, observed, with regard to the 

 convention concluded at El-Arisch, 

 points out to me the road which I 

 have to pursue. You demanded 

 the ratification of your court : I 

 must also demand that of the con- 

 suls who now govern the French 

 nation, for any treaty that might 

 be concluded with the English and 

 their allies. This is the only legal 

 way, the only one admissible in 

 any negociations that may ever take 

 place. As well as you, sir, I abhor 

 the flames of war; as well as you, 

 I wish to see an end put to the 

 misery which it has caused. But I 

 shall never, in any point whatever, 

 exempt myself from what the ho- 

 nour of the French republic and of 

 her arms requires. I am fully con- 

 vinced that these sentiments must 

 also be yours. Good faith and mo- 

 rality must prevail in treaties con- 

 cluded between nations. The 

 French republicans know not those 

 stratagems which are mentioned in 

 the papers of Mr. Mories. They 

 know not any other behaviour than 

 courage during the combat, magna- 

 nimity after the victory, and good 

 faith in their treaties. One hun- 

 dred and fifty Englishmen are pri- 

 soners of war here ; had I followed 

 only the dictates of republican mag- 

 nanimity, I would have sent them 

 back, without considering them as 

 prisoners, for they were taken on 

 the coast of Egypt, not with arms 

 in their hands, and I am fully con- 

 vinced that the consuls would have 

 approved of it; but your allies have 

 detained citizen and chief of bri- 

 gade Baudet, adjutant of general 

 Kleber, whose person ought to have 

 been held sacred, as he had been 

 sent with a flag of truce. Contrary 

 to my principles and my inclina- 

 tion, I have, therefore, been forced 



to reprisals against your countryj- 

 men ; but they shall be set at li- 

 berty immediately on the arrival 

 of citizen Baudet at Damietta, who 

 shall there be exchanged against 

 Mustapha Pacha, and several other 

 Turkish commissaries. If, sir, as I 

 have no doubt, you have some in- 

 fluence over your allies, this affair 

 will soon be settled, which interests 

 your honour, and evidently endan- 

 gers one hundred and fifty of your 

 countrymen. I have the honour to 

 repeat to you, sir, that with en- 

 thusiastic pleasure I shall see the 

 termination of a war which has, for 

 so long a period, agitated the whole 

 world. The French and English 

 nations are destined mutually to 

 esteem, not to destroy one another; 

 but when they enter into negocia- 

 tions with each other, it must only 

 be done on conditions which are 

 equally honourable to both, and 

 promotive of their welfare. Re- 

 ceive, sir, the very sincere as- 

 surances of my esteem and high re- 

 spect. I have the honour to be, &c. 

 (Signed) Abdallah Bey J. Menou- 



Letter from Sir Sidtiey Smith to 

 General Menou, Commander-in- 

 Chief of the French Army in 

 Egypt ; originally written in 

 French ; dated Jaffa, June 22, 

 1800. 



General, 



I Received this evening the letter 

 which you did me the honour of 

 writing to me on the 20th instant. 

 At the instant when I expected to 

 see general Kleber under the most 

 favourable and satisfactory auspices, 

 I learned with the liveliest concern 

 and the most heart-felt sorrow his 

 tragical fate. I immediately com- 



