468 STRICTURES ON SEBASTIANI'S ACCOUNT. 
that he had no orders to that eiFect from his government. Sebastian! 
then observed, that the General ought to consider the consequences 
of its being refused, as he must be aware of the inferiority of the 
British force in Egypt, and the consequently precarious safety of the 
troops in Alexandria, several of the forts being in the hands of the 
Turks. Justly irritated at so indecorous a behaviour, General Stuart 
abruptly put an end to the conversation, by declaring that were his 
force reduced to fifteen men, he would keep Alexandria, till ordered 
by his Government to evacuate Egypt. That day Colonel Sebastiani 
dined with Major General Stuart, and the conversation having natu- 
rally fallen on the antiquities of Egypt, the General observed, that 
the inscription on Pompey's pillar had lately been made out by 
some British officers ; on which Sebastiani requested that Joubert, 
who acted as his interpreter, might have a copy of it. This was 
complied with, and some months afterwards, a paragraph appeared 
in the French papers, stating that Joubert had brought from Egypt 
an inscription which would determine at what period Pompey's 
pillar had been erected ; but no notice was taken of the manner in 
which Joubert had obtained the inscription. 
During his stay at Alexandria, Sebastiani received the most 
marked attentions from General Stuart : he was every day supplied 
with saddle-horses, and permitted to visit every spot within, as 
well as without the garrison, unattended by any British officer — a 
liberty of which he proved himself unworthy, by meanly holding 
private conversations with different soldiers of the foreign brigade, 
exhorting them to desert. 
Soon after his arrival, Colonel Sebastiani had his audience of the 
Governor- General of Alexandria. General Stuart directed his in- 
