332 
-. After this affair at Sed jarra, the ene- 
my withdrew towards Labzrie, the bridge 
of Gezel and Baizard. This latter point 
was the rendezvous for a general mutter 
of their foldiers, who, three days after, 
marched to the plains of Faouli, where 
they operated a junction with the Sama- 
ritans. This army confited of eizhteen 
thoufand men; when Kleber immedi- 
ately marched to attack them. © Bona- 
parte, feeing the neceflity of coming toa 
general and decilive aflion, in order to 
difperfe an ariny fo numercus, and fo ca- 
pab'e of harafling him inceffintly, even 
in his very camp, determmed that they 
fhould be attacked on all points, and com- 
pelled to repafs the Jordan. 
On the 25th of Germinal, Kleber fent 
Notice to General Bonaparte of his inten- 
tion ¢o turn the enemy in their pofition at 
Faoult and Tabarie, to fall upon them by 
‘furpize, and attack their camp during 
the night. On the 27th he ;was already 
renseged with the enemy, aiale forces 
now amounted to twénty-five thoufand 
men, in the midf&t of whom’were himfelf 
“and two-thoufand French. Several times 
did they charge him with the greateft im- 
‘petucfity, but were as often repulfed by 
the mufketry and grape-fhot of bis ‘divi- 
fion, which fought with equal bravery 
and coolnefs. Bonapa a now arriving 
within half a league of General Kleber, 
whom he faw warmly engaged, ordered 
fome columns’ from the ‘right and left 
wings to attack the enemy in ‘flank and 
rear. Atthe moment when thefe columns 
fet out on their march, Bonaparte ordered 
‘@ ‘twelve- pounder to be’ fired. At this 
fignal, wich had ‘been preconcerted, 
Kleber, ‘affured of the*artivaloof Bona- 
parte; no Jonger aGted/on ‘the defenfive ; 
he attacked and carried the village of Fa- 
ouli, put all that came in his Nase to the 
{word, and continued’ his march: sgaink 
the cnaemy’s cavalry, wrist was likewife 
‘charged by another column. Diforder 
“now ‘began to fpread amoneft the enemy, 
swho'feeing them cives cut off from their 
camp, feparated from their magazines, 
and furrounded on all fides, fought refuge 
-bebind Mount Taber, 
-"Phisowas one of the mok cornpléte bat- 
‘tles of the whole campaign. » The enemy 
Jott confiderably i) men, horfes; and 
fores: General Kleber diitinguifhed 
chim(elf highly by his bravery and PaletE, 
Heuser having been compelled to 
-raifethe fiege of Acre, Kleber returned 
fwithhis divifion to Cairo, and fome time 
‘afrer went pon the expedition again 
Aboukir, where he fignalized himfelf on 
Biographical Account of General Kleber. 
-Grand. Vizir, 
delayed. 
| Nov. }, 
various occafions. Bonaparte now quitting 
Egypt omhisreturn to France, appointed 
‘Kleber General in Chief. The Gtuation 
of the French army was by no means ad- 
vantaceous. Bonaparte himfelf had al- 
ready entered upon a negotiation with the 
an Kleber continued it. 
Although he placed little reliance on the 
fuccefs of this meafure, he hoped, never- 
_thelefs, that it might ferve to delay the 
march and preparations of the Grand Vi- 
zir, till be could receive a reinforcement 
of men and arms from the Direétory, or, 
at all events, proper orders as to the line 
of condu& ie was to follow in his _prefent 
difficulties.’ This hope was grounded on 
the knowledge of the jubn&ion which had 
taken place between the French’and Spa- 
nifh fleets at Toulon, and that they only 
waited fora favourable wind to leave the 
port. 
In the méan time the Gian id: Vizir was 
advancing irom Damaicus, and on the 
otuer fide a fleet appeared off Damietta. 
. Four thoufand Janizaries were di‘embark- 
ed, who were attacked and beaten in Jef§ 
than half an hour. The flaughter was 
dreadful, and the number’ of prifoners 
amounted to eight hundred: 
This event did not render the negotia- 
tion lefs dificult. The Vizir ttif! conti. 
nued’ his march, wiih as army (of fixty 
thoufand men: many of the Pachas fol. 
deed bim, and fupplied@him with freth 
troops from all parts of Afia. The ad- 
vanced-guard of this army foon arrived at 
Jaffa. Kleber now ptopofed a conference 
with Sir Sidney Smith, on board the vet. 
fel he ‘commanded. This propofal wis 
ace¢pted, and from that moment the ne- - 
gotiations took a ‘more resular courfe, 
All this, however, dia ‘not top the pro- 
erefsiof the O.toman army, whieh the 
Grand WVizir was leading to Gaza. 
General D. faix and Citizen Povflielgue, 
whom Kleber had > invefted’ with full 
powers on the cceafion, opened-a confe= 
renee with Sir Sidney on boatd the Tigre. 
“The Vizir, in the mean time} had dire&t- 
ed hismarch to El Arifch, ‘which fortrefs 
he took on the 19th’ of Nivole. “He was 
indebted for this fuccefs to “the fignal 
cowardice of the garrifon, which furren- 
dered on the feventh day after the attaek, 
without making any oppofition. OEE 
' From this moment it beeatite’ every” day 
more neceflary to hiffen’the negotiations, 
and to pay full attention ‘to the dangers 
that the French army mutt unavoidably 
incur in cafe they fhould be broken off or 
The Ottoman army was efti-— 
mated ’at. eighty thoufand- ‘men, with fe+ 
: bate: 
