17® Clarke’s travels. 
When our troops landed, Jaques Abd’allah Mcnou, com¬ 
mander in chief of the French forces in Egypt, was in Cairo. 
Intelligence had been repeatedly sent to him, accompanied by 
entreaty, that he would hasten to the relief of Alexandria, The 
French described him as a pompous, obstinate, corpulent man, 
entirely absorbed in composing or in delivering harangues to 
his soldiers. No persvasion could induce him to move. Pie 
considered the affair of our invasion as of little importance. 
Until our army had actually gained footing in the country, and 
twice defeated the French troops, he took no measures to in¬ 
terrupt their progress. According to the French statement. 
General Friant, with a body of cavalry, amounting to fifteen 
hundred men, w ? as the only force upon the spot to oppose the 
landing of the English army. Had the resistance been greater, 
and Menou present, it is believed, that, with all the advanta¬ 
ges possessed by the French, a descent upon the coast would 
have been impracticable. 
A skirmish took place upon the twelfth of March. In this 
affair the 12th regiment of dragoons, by too precipitate a charge, 
suffered very considerably. Colonel Archdale, who command¬ 
ed it, lost an arm, receiving a shot in the very instant that he 
raised bis sabre as a signal for bis troop to advance, from one of 
the French tirailleurs. This did not prevent him from lead¬ 
ing his men gallantly through a body of the enem} T , much su¬ 
perior in numbers. Captain Butler of the same regiment was 
also taken prisoner. This brave, but rash action, was publicly 
noticed by our commander in chief ; and a caution promulga¬ 
ted, warning the army against the ill effects of too impetuous 
zeal and intemperate valor. The command of the 12th de¬ 
volved upon Colonel Brown, and Colonel Archdale came on 
board the Braakel. 
On the thirteenth, the following day, our army attacked and 
drove the enemy from the heights to which they had retreated 
after the action of the eighth. This battle was desperately 
fought on both sides, and mutual loss sustained to a very con¬ 
siderable amount. The result, however, made it evident that 
no resistance could be offered to the English bayonet. It was 
also discovered, that upon this occasion the French used bullets 
and cannon shot of copper and brass ; generally deemed a dis¬ 
honourable practice, as calculated only to gratify cruelty and 
malice. The slightest wounds so inflicted are said, with what 
truth others may determine, to be mortal. This species ofam- 
gmnitiou was obtained from the sheathing of ships in the port of 
