384 
found themfelves infeeure in its profef- 
fions, and its old and inveterate enemies 
feem likely to take advantage of the ge- 
neral indignation which this circumitance 
has exc;ted. A new and powerful com- 
binatidn of the continental powers is con- 
fidently fpoken of—in that cafe, we will 
“venture to predict, that either the Gallic 
republic will be diffolved, or the ancient 
empire of Germany will benomore. The 
conteft will be tremendoufly bloody, and 
the iffue wilk probably be fhort. 
Since our laft, fome further particulars 
have reached Europe refpecting the extra- 
vagant expedition of the French to Egypt. 
General Buonaparte, in a letter to the 
Direftory, dated the 24th of July, details 
his departure from Alexandria on the 
agth; the defeat of between feven and 
eight hundred Mamalukes, on the 22d; 
of Murat Bey and his army, by ‘200 
cavalry, wearied and hayrafied,” on the 
2sth. Phe enemy was again, it appears, 
defeated at Lambabe, when 300 of them 
were killed; and the final overthrow of 
23 beys and their numerous forees, took 
place at the battle of the Pyramids, the 
day following, when 2000 of the Mama- 
fukes were flain, and 400 camels laden 
“with baggage, and 50 picces of cannon 
feveral others were wounded ; 
taken. He adds, that Murat Bey, and 
but that 
the French had only 20 or 30 killed, and 
120 wounded :—that in the courfe of the 
night, Cairo, which contained 300,000 
snhabitants, was evacuated: and that a 
frigate with feveral corvettes, floops, 
-brigs, &c. belonging to the enemy were 
‘ deltroyed. 
© 
The French general fpeaks of the peo- 
ple of thefe countries in explicit but ex- 
traordinary terms. ‘* The cavalry of the 
"Mamalukes fhewed great bravery. They 
~ defended their fortunes, for there was not 
“houfes are wretched. 
one of them on whom the republican {fol- 
diers did not find three, four, or five hun- 
dred louis d’ors; all their luxury gon- 
fifted im their horfes and arms; their 
It is difficult to 
find a country more fertile, or a people 
more miferable, more ignorast, and more 
ttupid. *They prefer a button of a French 
-foldier to 2 crown of fix francs value. In 
the villages they do not even know the 
ufe of a pair of feiffars: they have no 
moveables but a fwaw mat and two or 
“three earthen pots; thgir eating confifts but 
of few things. “The ufe of windmills is 
~ unknown to them; - fo that the French 
found little flour, but immenfe quantities 
ofcorn. Some of the people convert.their 
grain into flour by bruifing it with ftones, - 
=p 
State of Public Affairs. 
{ Nov. 
but in the larger villages they have mills, 
which are turned by qxen.”” The gene- 
ral fays, ** He has been continually har- 
rafled by the Arabs, whom he calls the 
greateit robbers, and the greateft villains 
on-earth. General Mureur and feveral 
officers of the etat major, have been aflaffi- 
nated by them. He reprefented the coun- 
try as fruitful, healthy, and proper for a 
colony. 
Another letter from the general was 
afterwards received, dated Cairo, the 
19th of Auguft, wherein he ftates, that - 
onthe march of the army towards Syria, 
part of a caravan was relcued, which had 
been plundered by the Arabs 3 that he pur- 
fued and came up with the rear of Ebrahim 
Bey, which he defeated, and took from 
him. two pieces of cannon and five camels 
laden with tents, &e. He left at Sal- 
hiche the divifion of General Reynier, 
with officers and engineers, to conftru& 
a fortrefs, and on the 13th of Auguft 
proceeded on his return to Cairo. The 
remainder of this letter relates to Admi- 
ral Brueys and the deet, of whom (treat- 
ing of his continuing at Bequeires), he 
fays, ‘If, in this calamitous event he 
was to blame, he has expiated his faults 
by a glorious death; the deftinies have 
been defirous to prove on this occafion, as 
on many others, that if they grant us a 
great preponderance on the Continent, 
they have given the empire of the feas te 
our rivals.” 
The executive dire&tory, on the 321ft of 
O<tober, fent a meflage to the council ef 
five hundred, relative to a rebellion ( as 
they term it) which had broken out ina 
part of the Belgic departments, incorpo- 
rated with the republic, by the law of the 
oth Vendemaire, 4th year. 
An enquiry relative to the infurrection 
in’ Belgium, was entered into the 7th of 
November, by a member of the name of 
Wouffen. He concurred. in the opinion 
of the directory, that the confcription was 
only the pretext, and that it was the 
work of the enemy: there were very few 
included in the confeription to be found 
among the rebels. It was probable, 
theretore, that they were only the inftru- 
ments of perfons concealed, who concerted 
the plans, and inflamed difcontent. He 
propoled, therefore, that in order to ex- 
terminate the germs of revolt in the inte- 
rior of France, they fhould offer pardon 
and rewards to thoft who were feduced by 
others, upon condition of giving up their 
keadersin: i= 
It being the general opinion, that the 
Refociations at Raltadt are near a con-— 
e clufion, * 
