812 



CAMPAIGN OF THE FRENCH IN EGYPT. 



the Bashmuric, together with Alphabets and Numeral 

 in the Hieroglyphic ami Enchorial Characters, it, 

 Henry Tattam , with an Appendix, consisting of th 

 liiniiments of a Dictionary of the ancient Egyptian 

 Language, in the Enchorial Character, by Thoma 

 (London, 1830); also an Account of Egyptiat 

 , by Doctor Th. Young (London, 1823) 

 (lie Two letters of Champollion the Younger, t 

 the Duke Blacas D'Aulps (Paris, 1826), and the othe 

 works mentioned under the article Champollion, wh 

 unfortunately died before he could give to the worli 

 all the results of his indefatigable researches, during 

 Ids stay in Egypt. See the articles Hieroglyphics (ii 

 which the reader -will find an account, also, o 

 Egyptian mythology), Mummies, Pyramids, Nile 

 Esneh, Denderah, Rosetta Stone, &c. ; also the note 

 at the end of Constitution. Respecting the presen 

 state of 1 1 ic Egyptian institutions, which are founded 

 in pail, on the ancient division into castes, L. Iley- 

 nicr, who served in Egypt under Bonaparte, lias pub- 

 lished an instructive statistical work, which does not 

 however, treat of the ancient history of the country 

 De r Economic publiaue et rurale des Egyptiens et 

 des Carthaginois (Paris, 1823). For information con 

 cerning the modern history and administration 01 

 Egypt, see Felix Mengin's Hisloire de i'Egypte sous 

 le Gouvernement de Mohammed Aly ; (Paris, 1823, 

 2 vols., with engravings and maps.) 



Landing and Campaign of the French in Egypt. By the 

 two campaigns of 179H and 1797, general Bonaparte Inn: 

 compelled the continental powers of Europe to make peace 

 with France a result ardently desired by the French, to allow 

 their country time to recover from the deep wounds which she 

 had suffered during the convulsions of the revolution, and 

 from the worthless administrations that had preceded it. The 

 next object was to force Britain, also, to a peace, as she in- 

 flexibly opposed the general wish of Europe, and Bonaparte 

 was appointed comraander-in.chief of an army destined for the 

 invasion of Britain. In February, 1798, he visited in person 

 the coasU of the Channel, and all Europe was expecting the 

 commencement of the expedition, when, in May of the same 

 year, the general appeared as commander-in-chief at Toulon, 

 where an expedition had been fitting out, of the destination of 

 which the public knew nothing a circumstance highly remark, 

 able, as so many persons, military and civil, were acquainted 

 with it. It was the expedition to Egypt. It also appears, 

 from a letter written by general Bonaparte to the minister 

 Talleyrand, dated Passeriano,27th Fructidor, year V. (Septem- 

 ber 13, 1797), that one of the main objects of this great under- 

 taking was to put the French in possession of part of the East 

 India trade, then entirely iu the hands of Britain, by the con- 

 quest of Egypt a plan by no means chimerical. It was intended 

 to establish French colonies on the Nile, and thus to recom- 

 pense the republic for the loss of St Domingo, and of the sugar 

 islands, and to open a channel for the French manufactures 

 into Africa, Arabia, and Syria, where they might be exchanged 

 for commodities wanted in France. Napoleon's views were, 

 in fact, similar to those which, it is said, led the French 

 to undertake the conquest and colonization of Algiers an 

 object which seems to be generally applauded. It seems, 

 also, to have been intended to make Egypt a military position, 

 from which a French army could march into India, raise the 

 Mahrattas against the British, and injure the power of the 

 latter there. On this point we refer the reader to the count 

 St Leu's (Louis Bonaparte's) Antwer to Sir Walter Scott, 

 Paris, 1829, page 33. The directory probably encouraged the 

 enterprise with the further object of getting rid of a general 

 whose victories and rapidly increasing popularity it feared. It 

 has, indee^ been said,' that it was, at first, decidedly opposed 

 to the plan; but this is very improbable. March 5, Bonaparte 

 received the decree of the directory, relative to the expedition 

 against Egypt.* He had full power to conduct the business as 

 he saw fit. The ministers iu all the departments, were ordered 

 to give him whatever assistance he should require ; and he had 

 full powers to act according to his discretion in Egypt, to re- 

 turn whenever he saw fit, and to appoint his successor. Na- 

 poleon now collected all the information necessary for his own 

 direction ; engaged some of the most distinguished savants and 

 artists of France to accompany him, drew up questions and 

 problems to be resolved in Egypt, and informed himself accurate- 

 ly respecting the commercial connexions which it was proposed 

 to establish. In fact, he seems to have always viewed this ex- 

 pedition in the double light of a military and a scientific enter- 

 prise. The beginning of his proclamation, before landing in 

 Egypt, is remarkable : " Bonaparte, member of the national 

 institute of France, and general in chief of the army of 



* Leibniu endeavoured to lorn Louis XlV.'i attention to the conquest of 

 Ejrpt, in order to deliver Germany and Holland torn his attacks. Under 

 Iuii XV., lhi project was again discussed, at the lime when all the French 

 fMtMsvoni in America were in danger ; and it nt again renewed, when the 

 alliano* of Joseph II. and Catharine II. thractemt the partition of Prussia. 



Egypt" His brother Joseph (count de Survilliers) still pos. 

 senses the papers of general Bonaparte relating to these prepara- 

 tious ; and w hope that such important and interesting docu- 

 ments will not be forever withheld from the public, as they 

 mut give a great insight into Napoleon's views. The number 

 of these papers is very great. Bonaparte was to leave Paris in 

 April, for the purpose of embarking; but despatches fnun 

 Kastadt, and from the French ambassador at Vienna, licrna- 

 dotte, made a new rupture with Austria probable. Bonaparte, 

 however, left Paris Mays, and went onboard of the Orient 

 the 19th. The fleet net sail the same day, commanded by ad- 

 miral Brueys.* Bonaparte's proclamation issued before sail- 

 ing, and several others, either prove how much he himself was 

 animated by the military fame of ancient Rome, or that ha 

 tbOOffct it the strongest stimulus to the French soldiers. Re- 

 ports had been carefully spread to divert the attention of the 

 British to other points ; and the admiral, lord St Vincent, sent 

 rear-admiral Nelson, with only three vessels of the line, four 

 frigates, and one corvette, to watch the gulf of Lyons, and to 

 prevent the French from leaving it. But Nelson arrived loo 

 late. He alo suffered severely from a gale, so that the French 

 fleet was not molested. Bonaparte had an assurance from the 

 directory, that the minister of foreign affairs should go to 

 Constantinople, still retaining his office, for the purpose of ne. 

 gotiating with the Porte, and preventing it from interfering in 

 favour of the Mamelukes. Talleyrand, however, never went. 

 This omission, and the defeat at Aboukir, proved fatal to the 

 expedition. About 2000 savant*, artists, physicians, surgeons, 

 mechanics, and labourers of all descriptions, accompanied the 

 army. The flower of the troops was that Italian army, whose 

 valour had effected the peace of Campo-Formio. The principal 

 officers were Berthier (who was averse to going to Egypt, be- 

 cause in love with the marchioness Visconti), Desaix, Kegnier, 

 Menou, Kleber, Dumas, Caffarelli, Mnrat, Junot, Marinont, 

 Belliard, Davoust, Lanues, Duroc, Louis Bonaparte, Eugene 

 Beaulmrnois, and others. June 9, the armament appeared be. 

 fore Malta. Bonaparte solicited of baron von Hompesch, the 

 grand master, permission to procure a supply of fresh water 

 Irom the island. His refusal afforded a pretext for the conquest 

 of the island, which had been long contemplated. The next 

 morning, the French had landed on all points, and at evening, 

 and notwithstanding a brisk cannonade, were masters of the 

 island, whirh was surrendered at midnight, with all its fortres- 

 ses. The victors left a garrison of 4000 men, and on the 19th 

 sailed for Alexandria. July l, the minarets of Alexandria were 

 seen, and Bonaparte issued an order on board the fleet, in 

 which he exhorted his army to endure with patience the diffi- 

 culties before them, to respect the religion of Mohammed, and 

 the customs of the Egyptians, not to plunder, to imitate the 

 Roman legions in protecting all religions. Nelson had been 

 here a short time before in search of tiie French. The appre- 

 hension that he might soon return induced the general to has. 

 ten the disembarkation of the troops. This was accomplished, 

 without interruption, July 2, at Marabout, an anchorage to the 

 east of Alexandria, notwithstanding the wind and waves were 

 unfavourable. The French army marched, without cannons 

 or horses, towards Alexandria. Bonaparte was himself on foot. 

 Some Arabs attacked the French; general Kleber was severely 

 wounded. On the 5th, Alexandria was taken and immediately 

 Fortified. Rosetta was taken at the same time, by general Mar- 

 mont, and, July 6, the whole fleet was moored in the roads be- 

 fore Aboukir. Garrisons were left in Alexandria (where Kle- 

 )er was made governor), Rosetta, and Aboukir, and the army, 

 now 30,000 strong, marched in five divisions towards Cairo, the 

 capital of Egypt Not far from it. near the pyramids of Gizeh, 

 a decisive battle was fought. Murad Bey had intrenched him- 

 self there, with about 20,000 Mameluke infantry, several thou- 

 sand Mameluke cavalry, and forty pieces of cannon. The well, 

 directed fire of the French, and the resolution with which they 

 ised their bayonets, frustrated all the attacks of the Marne- 

 ukes, who fled to the contiguous deserts, as soon as the camp 

 and the village of Embabey were taken by storm. All the can- 

 non and 4oo camels fell into the hands of the French ; 3000 of 

 the enemy lay dead on the field ; the French lost few men in 

 comparison. This happened on the 23d, and Bonaparte entered 

 Cairo on the 24th ; for Ibrahim Bey, who was to cover it, after 

 he unfortunate issue of the battle of the pyramids, was driven 

 >y Desaix over the deserts toUpper Egypt. Napoleon establish. 

 ?d a government here, consisting of seven members, summoned 

 he sheiks, raollas, and sheriffs, who promised to acknowledge 

 he French republic, and, on his side, pledged himself to respect 

 he Mohammedan religion, and the property of the inhabitants. 

 July 25, general Bonaparte left Cairo to pursue the Mamelukes, 

 md, after many combats with them, returned to the capital, 

 eaving Regnier as commandant of the province of Charquich. 

 Un his return to Cairo, an aid of Kleber brought him the news of 

 he defeat of the French fleet at Aboukir (q. v.) by Nelson. The 

 efeat was in part owing to the negligence of admiral Brueys 

 and vice-admiralVilleneuve, who allowed themselves to be sur. 

 irised when the whole fleet was taking in water, and not ready 

 or battle, and who have always been said to have acted against 

 he express orders of general Bonaparte, who had directed 

 hem to enter the harbour of Alexandria, or to sail for Corfu, 

 >efore he left the shore to penetrate into the country. Boun- 

 nue, however, in his Memoirs (Paris, 1829), asserts that 



The Beet consisted of ten 74's, with one ship of 120 and two of 80 gimj, 

 two Venetian vessels of 64 guns, fourteen frigates, seventy-two corvettes, Ate. 

 id 400 transports, from Toulon, Genoa, Ajaccio, Civil* Vecchia, one of 

 e greatest naral armaments that ever sailed, containing 40,000 soldiers, 

 d 10,000 sailors. The fleet which sailed for Algiers, in April, 1830, con- 

 ited of eleven ships of the line, twelve frigates of 60, and as muiij ol 5C 

 uns, with corvettes, c.; in the whole, ninety-seven men-cf- '.tar. 



