386 FRANCE. 



of such an invasion, if ever it were really intended, the project was 

 changed for another likewise sufficiently absurd, which was an expe- 

 dition to Egypt, under the command of Bonaparte ; and the ultimate 

 object of which, it is believed, was to penetrate, either by the Isth- 

 mus of Suez, or by the Red Sea, to the Indian Ocean, embark the 

 troops, and, by a co-operation with Tippoo Sultan, endeavour to ef- 

 fect the overthrow of the British empire in the East. While prepa- 

 rations were secretly making for this expedition, the public were 

 amused with strange and monstrous stories of rafts to be constructed 

 for the invasion of England, and troops were collected on the north- 

 ern coast of France, while the navy of the republic were secretly re- 

 pairing to Toulon. At length the preparations being completed, 

 Bonaparte embarked on board the fleet, under the command of admi- 

 ral Brueys, with about 40,000 men, chiefly the veterans of the Italian 

 army, and sailed from Toulon in the latter end of May. On the 9th 

 of June he arrived off the island of Malta, where he demanded leave 

 to water the fleet, which was refused by the grand-master, in conse- 

 quence of which the French on the. following day landed a body of 

 troops. The little island of Gozzo was taken by one detachment, 

 while the southern parts of Malta were reduced by another. The 

 greater part of the inhabitants took refuge in the garrison, which, 

 however, made but a feeble resistance, the grand-master on the 1 1th 

 agreeing to a capitulation, by which the whole island and its depen- 

 dencies were surrendered to the French republic. 



After leaving a garrison of 4000 men in Malta, Bonaparte proceed- 

 ed on his voyage, about the 21st of June, and arrived at Alexandria 

 on the 1st of July, having escaped the British squadron which was 

 detached in pursuit of him under the command of admiral Nelson. 

 His usual good fortune appeared to attend him in all his first attempts. 

 The town of Alexandria was taken by assault, on the night of the 

 5th, with the loss of between two and three hundred men, and on the 

 21st the French army appeared before Cairo, which was defended by 

 Morad Bey with a considerable body of the Mamalukes ; but on the 

 23d it was attacked and carried. The beys, however, attempted to 

 rally, and collected a formidable force in the neighbourhood of Cai- 

 ro ; but the battle of the pyramids, which was fought on the 26th, 

 rendered the French masters of the greater part of the country. In 

 that engagement, twenty-three beys, with ail the forces they couid 

 bring into the field, were completely defeated. Two thousand of the 

 Mamalukes were slain, and four hundred camels with their baggage, 

 and fifty pieces of cannon, were taken, with a very trifling loss on the 

 part of the French. 



The conquest of Egypt now appeared to be complete ; but on the 

 1st of August the expedition received a terrible blow in the defeat 

 and destruction of the fleet, by admiral Nelson, of which an account 

 has already been given in our historical summary of the affairs of 

 England. The French land-forces, however, remained in possession 

 of Egypt; and, to secure his conquest, Bonaparte advanced into Syria, 

 where, after gaining some advantages, he received a decisive check 

 before St. John d'Acre. The English squadron, under sir Sydney 

 Smith, intercepted a flotilla which was bringing his battering artillery 

 and ammunition from Egypt; and, sir Sydney acting in concert with 

 the Turks, he was completely repulsed in every assault, and obliged to 

 raise the siege, and retreat back to Egypt with the shattered remains 

 of his army. From Egypt, Bonaparte soon after took an opportunity 



