158 LETTERS FROM PROFESSOR CARLYLE 



They are all of them however, I think, clearly inimical to their 

 late General, and I could not help noticing that scarce one of them 

 at Alexandria who appeared like a gentleman, wore the three 

 coloured cockade. I have been to-day in the Turkish camp near 

 this place. They knew that I was an Englishman, but I am sorry 

 to say that at present, they scarce either treat or consider the 

 English as their friends. They accuse us as the cause of the defeat 

 they have just received, and are not sparing in insult and abuse. 

 The poor Grand Vizier is quite in despair, and means to return by 

 land to Constantinople, thoroughly convinced that his present army 

 is incapable of ever effecting any thing against the French. I sincerely 

 hope he may be able to raise another which may be more efficient, 

 I mean of Turks; for the Mamelukes have undoubtedly fought most 

 gallantly during the whole of this contest ; and I am glad to find, 

 even from the account given by the French themselves, that their 

 numbers are very little reduced, and that they watch every 

 opportunity of attacking the enemy that presents itself. When 

 Kleber marched from Cairo against the Vizier, Mourad Bey imme- 

 diately rushed down from the mountains in the neighbourhood and 

 got possession of the city, and he still remained master of it when 

 I was at Alexandria, although the French retained the citadel in 

 their hands. I believe this is the first letter I have written, and I 

 trust it will be the last letter I shall write on any political subject ; 

 but I thought the information I could give upon the present 

 occasion would not be unacceptable to Your Lordship, as there has 

 no other Englishman been permitted to go into Egypt with so little 

 reserve since it has been in possession of the French. Indeed they 

 offered me an escort to conduct me to Cairo, but in the present 

 situation of that place, they scarce thought it safe for me to 

 make the attempt ; this, together with knowing that the plague 

 raged in most parts of the country, obliged me to decline their 

 offer. I had an opportunity however of seeing their Scavans, and 

 hearing a full and very interesting account of their discoveries. I 

 confess I could not look at these poor men without a great deal of 



