332 
E G Y P T. 
manoeuvres, which diftinguifli the commanders of the 
Briti i navy, the Englifh admiral having penetrated with 
the half of his fquadron betw een the French fleet and 
the fliore, placed the enemy between two fires, and com- 
menoed the attack. At fun-fet the aiStion began, and 
foon appeared to be in favour of the Englifh. Both par- 
ties fought with great fpirit and bravery. Bruyes, the 
French admiral, was deprived of his life by a ball ; and, 
in the fpace of an bout after, his fliip, l’Orient, took 
fire, and blew up with a dreadful explofion. This event 
decided the victory. The Englifh took nine fail of the 
line, and another was burnt by order of her commander. 
This important vibtory, which will ever appear with 
In (Ire in the annals of hiflory, defiroyed the whole naval 
force of the French in the Mediterranean, infnlated the 
army of Egypt from their country, and precluded all 
means of obtaining fuppliesfrom France. 
Thus left to the refources of his own invention, Bona¬ 
parte continued his civil and military operations with 
wonderful activity. At Belbeis and Salahieh forts and 
redoubts were conftrucled, which might refill the attacks 
of the enemy, on the tide of Syria; and plans were pro¬ 
jected for the better defence of Alexandria and the city 
of Cairo. A national inftitute was eftabliftied, fome of 
whofe objedts were the purification of falt-petre; the 
conftrudtion of wind and water mills, which ferved for 
the purpofe of railing the water into cilterns, on account 
of its acquiring a brackifli tafte by lying on the ground, 
and alfo for the grinding of corn; the compofition of 
bread ; and a preparation of fermented liquors, as a fu'o. 
flitute for wine ; befides natural hiflory, arts, antiquities, 
and other refearches of fcience and literature. The 
fliieks of different provinces were alfo convened, who dif- 
cufTed with calmnefs and dignity certain topics of jurif- 
prudence and political oeconomy. As the feflival of the 
anniverfary of the French republic happened at this pe¬ 
riod, thefe Egyptian fages joined in the celebration, 
which took place at Cairo with great folemnity, notwith- 
ftanding the deftruftion of their fleet. By fuch courteous 
manners, Bonaparte endeavoured to obtain the confidence 
of the native Egyptians, which a continuance of victories 
over the beys and .mamelukes, their opprelfors, had 
feemed to confirm. 
But it being rumoured at Cairo, that the grand fignior, 
Selim III. had difpatched a numerous arn'y againfl the 
French invaders of Egypt, an infurrection broke out ; in 
the firft commotions of, which general Dupuis, the com¬ 
mandant of the city, and feveral foldiers, were maffacred. 
The houfe of general Caffarelli was befieged by the in¬ 
habitants, and taken, and all that had defended it were 
put to death. The French, however, recovering from 
their furprize, made a flrong and fpeedy relidance ; their 
cannon was pointed in every direction; and the T.urks 
and Arabs, who competed-the mafs of the revolt, were 
foon put to flight, and compelled to feek refuge in their 
mofques and temples. Thefe they confidered as fafe and 
inviolable afylums, becaufe the French had never pre¬ 
fumed to enter them,' from a regard to the religious 
ufages and opinions of the people, to which the com¬ 
mander in chief had jefuitically afrefted to be a convert, 
as his proclamations evince. Bonaparte fummoned the 
infurgents to deliver up their principals in the revolt; 
but the Turks refufing, the mofques were forced, and 
every foul perifhed. 
This revolt rather ferved to confirm the power and in¬ 
fluence of Bonaparte. The native Egyptians were not 
concerned in infurredtion; and the Greeks, who had hi¬ 
therto remained neuter, joined the French. This was 
deeiped by the general a favourable opportunity for pub- 
liihing the declaration of war, made againfl him by the 
Ottoman Porte ; and, having fecured the continuance of 
internal tranquillity, he prepared for extending his con- 
quefts; or, to ufe his own language, '■‘for the further de¬ 
liverance and regeneration of the eaflern world." 
England, however, could not endure the efkiblifhment 
of a French colony in Egypt, fo near and hoftile to her 
Eafl India territories, and had therefore combined with 
Selim III. emperor of the Turks, in a plan of general 
attack, which was intended to expel the French from 
their conquefls and ufurpations. The preparations were 
made in Syria, and committed to the care of the pacha 
Djezzar, who was to traverfe Afia Minor, and to attack 
Egypt with a powerful army. At the fame time a ftrong 
diverfion was to be made towards the mouths of the Nile, 
and by the troops of Mourad Bey in Upper - Egypt, united 
to the other hoflile parties. Whilfl Bonaparte was dif- 
tantly employed with the members of the inftitute, in 
making furveys of the canal of Suez, of which veftiges 
were found (till remaining, he was informed of the pre¬ 
parations and movements of Djezzar, whom the grand 
fignior had now appointed pacha of Egypt, tie refolved, 
therefore, to march into Syria, with an army of thirteen 
thoufand men, and to attack the enemy before they fhould 
have time to commence offenfive operations. During 
this abfence of Bonaparte, general Dugua was charged 
with the command of Cairo ; general Menou was ftationed 
at Rofetta; and general Almeyras at Damietta, the for¬ 
tifications of which he had orders to repair. General 
Marmont was entrufted with the command of Alexan¬ 
dria, which became daily of more importance, and was 
threatened both by the Engiifn, and the plague. Gene¬ 
ral Defaix Hill continued with his detachment of troops 
in Upper Egypt, endeavouring, by redoubled diligence 
and aCtivity, to keep in awe the mamalukes, and to pre¬ 
vent Mourad Bey from taking advantage of the expedi¬ 
tion into Syria. 
On the 17th of March, 1799, part of the French army 
crofted the river, which runs within fifteen hundred yards 
of the walls of Acre, during the night. A bridge being 
erefted early next morning, the remainder of the troops 
pafted over, and afcending the heights which command 
thCqvIace, beheld the town prepared for a liege, and, to 
their no fmali chagrin and alloniihment, difcerned the 
Englilh colours flying in the harbour. 
St. Jean d’Acre, fo celebrated during the time of the 
crufades, at this moment contained within its walls two 
Angular men, who, with the romantic heroifm of the 
days of chivalry, united all the knowledge appertaining 
to the modern art of war. Sir W. Sidney Smith, after 
attaining the rank of pod-captain in the Britifh navy, had 
offered his fervices to the king bf Sweden, and conducted 
himfelf with fuch bravery during an action with the 
Ruffian fleet, that the crofs of the order of the Sword 
was conferred upon him by Guftavus III. The war with 
France foon after atForded new opportunities of dillin- 
guilhing himfelf, and. it was to his care that lord Hood 
had entrufted the deftrufljon of the fleet in the port of 
Toulon. Become a prifoner to the French, in confe- 
quence of an exertion of perfonal bravery, he was im¬ 
mured within the walls of the Temple, and every attempt 
for his exchange or enlargement rejetled ; at length, how¬ 
ever, the gates were thrown open, his liberty procured, 
and his return to England facilitated, by means that fa¬ 
vour of romance rather than of hiftory. Appointed to 
the command of a fmali fquadron, the commodore re¬ 
paired to Conllantinople ; formed a treaty of alliance with 
the Ottoman Porte, in conjunftion with his brother, then 
ambaflador there ; and after procuring the liberation of a 
number of French prifoners, repaired to Egypt. While 
a Turkilh army was preparing to fail for the eall, he en¬ 
deavoured to defer the expedition to Syria by bombard¬ 
ing Alexandria; and when he found that the army was 
preparing to crofs the defert, Phellippeaux was fent to 
the afliftance of the intimidated pacha. This officer, 
bred in the fame academy with Bonaparte, and the com¬ 
panion of his (ludies and his amufements, had taken a dif¬ 
ferent fide in politics. Attached to the monarchy from 
principle, he had emigrated on the annihilation of the 
- throne, and appeared in arms in favour of his prince, but 
againft his country. It was he who, at the rilk of hi,s 
