EGYfcTo 
17 T 
in the sand, covered with the branches of palm trees. In the 
evening we rode with them throughout the camp, and passed the 
outside of the lines. The whole front of the British army was 
then drawmoul, and under arms, behind the breast work. We 
visited the 28th regiment, in w hich were several officers of our 
acquaintance: and aiso the artillery upon the heights opposite 
Alexandria. Our videttes were then going out. From this 
place w r e very distinctly saw r the French cavalry descending 
from the works before Alexandria, to relieve their own videttes. 
They were so near, that we could discern the riders, and dis¬ 
tinguish them putting on their long white cloaks for the night. 
The French and English videttes were then stationed within 
an hundred paces of each other, and often conversed ; the 
French party coming frequently over to ours, to ask for water. 
At that time, the enemy occupied a lofty mound opposite to 
our line, and a deep valley separated the two armies. This 
valley reminded me of the neutral territory in America where 
Major Andre was taken, while endeavouring to effect his escape 
from the enemies’ works he had been so hardy as to reconnoi¬ 
tre. As we returned to the station occupied by the 12th, we 
passed the ruin where the action was hottest during the battle 
of the twenty-first; visiting its interior, an old soldier, one of 
the heroes who had there distinguished himself, pointed out the 
heaps of sand raised over the bodies of those who fell during the 
terrible conflict, and showed us the dark traces of their blood 
yet remaining upon the walls. Afterward we rode to examine 
the sluices made through the Alexandria canal, and beheld the 
torrent still gushing, with unabated force, from the lake of 
Aboukir. We had a tent allotted to us for the night; and al¬ 
though it was double lined, so copious are the dews of Egypt 
after sunset, that the water ran plentifully down the tent pole. 
We slept upon the sand, not without dread of scorpions, which 
are here very numerous, and had stung several of the soldiers* 3 
In the morning, we discovered that our tent w as the only one 
remaining upon that station. The 12th had marched before 
day light. During our return to the fleet, we had greater dif¬ 
ficulty than befpre in getting our boat over Aboukir Lake. 
Upon the twenty-fifth we again quitted the Braakel; and 
sailed for the caravanserai at the mouth of the lake Maadie, de¬ 
termined to visit Rosetta. As there was not sufficient depth of 
w ater in the lake, we steered along the coast, and landed at the 
* One of the privates received a wound from a scorpion, and lost the upper joiat o£ 
Ills fore'-finger before it could be healed. 
