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CHA P. XIII.

Effect of the Victory at Helipolis on the Minds of the Egyptians.-Judicious Regulations carried into Effect by General Kleber.-Turkish Fleet of Alexandria.--Differences between the Generals Kleber and Menou.-Kleber affaffinated.Succeeded in the Command of the Army by General Menou.—Diffentions in the French Army.-Conjectures concerning the perfonal Views of Menou.- Military Preparations of the Turks.-Their Timidity and Irrefolution.-Overtures for Peace, from the Grand Vizier, rejected by General Menou.Arrival of an English Armament on the Coast of Egypt. -Landing of the Troops on the Peninfula of Aboukir.-Engagement on the 13th of March.—Fort Aboukir capitulates.—Battle of the 21ft.—Sir R. Abercromby mortally wounded, and fucceeded in the Command of the Army by Major-General Hutchinfon.-The French driven from Rhamanich to Cairo-From whence a Detachment marches against the Turkish Army near Belleis.-But are repulfed.-Capture of a valuable French Convoy.→→→ Capitulation of Cairo.—A British Army arrives in Egypt from India. Capitulation of Alexandria.-Evacuation of Egypt by the French and the English.-The Beys feized and fent to Conftantinople.-Government by Bafhaws eftablished in Egypt.

CTRESSE

IRCUMSTANCES unforefeen, and probably unexpect ed, had now entirely altered the fituation of the army of the east. It is in the effects of the last defeat of the Ottoman power, effects apparently to disproportionate to their caufe, that we must look for a change fo aufpicious to the French. As to the victory of Heliopolis, abftractedly confidered, if victory it may be termed, no one appears to have entertained a jufter idea of it than Kleber himself, who faid, on the evening preceding the engagement, that he had only to go out, and wave his hand towards the Turks, in order to incite them to retire!

It is the nature of weak minds to be unreasonably elated, and as unreafonably deprefled; to augur

more than the circumftances warrant, and to fink, on the disappointment of their hopes, into confternation and defpair. Seeing, therefore, the defeat of the vizier's forces, at the time when they were most confident of his fuccefs, the Egyptians concluded the ftruggle to be over, and haftened to make fubmiffion to their conquerors: and, notwithftanding the heavy fines exacted from Cairo, in punishment of what was called the difaffection of its inhabitants, the country remained tranquil and paffive. To these local and immediate advantages,

were

were added the knowledge of Baonaparte's triumph at Paris, and the confequent improvement in the affairs of the republic in Europe. Even those who lately arraigned the defection of their favourite com mander, in natural and bitter reproaches, feemed to be convinced of the propriety of his departure, and to forget their own fufferings, in the benefits likely to be derived from it by their country. They were, moreover, assured, that, connected as they were with the principal perfonage of their prefent government, every thing would be attempted for their affiftance. They relied with confidence on the affertion of Buonaparte" that he fhould look upon that day of his life as ill employed, in which he should not do fomething for the army he had left under Kleber, an army entirely compofed of his owN CHILDREN!" Kleber availed himlelf of thefe propitious moments, to carry many judicious regulations into effect. Two companies of Greeks, raifed by his predeceffor, having fignalized themfelves by their conduct and courage, Kleber railed a Greek legion, which foon But the wildom of Kleber's adamounted to 1500 men: to fecure the means of carriage, in cafes of exigency, he established a park of 500 camels, and gave orders for the purchase of horfes and camels: he threw flying bridges over the branches of the Nile; and oftablifhed pofts of communication between the different ftations of the army he formed a committee of works: he improved the condition of the foldiery, and fuppreffed the peculations of commiffaries.

Alexandria, with the Tarkifh fleet, in order to open a negotiation with the French. As this officer was entirely in the confidence of the fultan, and by no means friendly to the vizier, he probably hoped to render himfelf ftill more important by retrieving, through a peace, the difgrace and defeat of Heliopolis. But, whatever were the views of the bashaw, Kleber, emboldened by the fucceffes of the French arms, and acting upon the views of the chief conful, prohibited the landing of any agent of the Turks, and re fufed thefe advances to an accom> modation. By declining all communication with the Turkish and English commanders, Kleber expečied to open a direct correfpon- dence with Conftantinople, which might enable him to keep up a regular intercourfe with his own government, and prevail on the Turks to confent to a neutrality till the conclufion of a general peace. This policy was, however, fruftrated by the activity of lord Elgin, and by the vigour which that activity infuled into the councils and determinations of the Porte.

Towards the latter end of May, the captain-bafhaw appeared off

miniftration could not prevent the jealoufies and bickerings that too frequently impede the operation of public affairs. Differences had unhappily arifen, between this general and Menou: the latter did not make his appearance at Carro, although requefied repeatedly to repair thither during the fix preceding months, till the expulfion of the Turks from that city. When at laft arrived, he railed fo many objections to his taking the command of the place, and indeed to every other employ ment, that Kleber obferved, that,

* having

having offered him the most de firable commands, he had only that of commander-in-chief to add."

2

From this time, the diffentions of the French army were daily augmented; and various reports, injurious to Kleber, and calculated to deprive him of the confidence of the army, were conftantly in circulation.

He was affaffinated on the 13th of June, 1800, after reviewing the Greek legion in the ifle of Raoudah, while walking on the terrace of his garden at Cairo, in converfation with citizen Protain, his architect. The affallin, following him from Gizeh, had arrived at Cairo about the middle of May, and introduced himself into the houfe along with the workmen. Seizing the moment when Kleber's attention was deeply engroffed, he gave him feveral ftabs with a poignard. On the news of the affaffination, the generals immediately affembled at the house of general Damas. The affaffin was. foon after arrested, and interrogated. The fheiks and agas were likewife examined; but there appearing no reafon to believe that the deed was connected with any more extenfive confpiracy, the remains of Kleber were interred, and the affaffin was executed. His right hand was cut off; and he was then empaled!

Thus fell, in the vigour of his days, one of the ableft genarals of the French army. No man was more beloved by his troops, none more efteemed by his country, or more refpected by his foes. He poffeffed that loftinefs of foul, without which no true heroifm can exift, together with that difcrimination of mind, by which alone courage is preferved from rafinefs and inconfif

tency. He had great civil, as well as military, talents; which were uniformly exerted with a view to the welfare of the republic, unbiaffed by party, and undiverted by fortune. A nobler teftimony could not have been paid to his worth, than in the circumstances attending the removal of his remains from Egypt. "The army," fays general Reynier, "could not endure to leave in Egypt the remains of Kleber. The ceremony of conveying these remains from fort Ibrahim-Bey, where they had been depofited, was announced by falutes from all the forts. The English and Turks, who had been previously informed of the intended honour, that the firing of the artil lery might in the circumftance of the armies create no jealoufies, joined in the funeral honours, and antwered by their cannon the falutes of the French." It is with regret, that we find his fucceffor in command attempting to tarnish the reputation of Kleber, and to refufe that juftice to his memory, which hardly ignorance and vanity could withhold. Such attempts muft invariably recoil, with doubled indignity, on their authors. Far different are the natural indications of a great foul! Julius Cæfar wept over the head of the deceased Pompey !

On the 14th of June, the day after the affaffination of Kleber, general Menou affumed the title of commander-in-chief, ad interim: after the interment of Kleber, and the execution of the affaffin, he added that of general-in-chief.Though this was done in conformity with the withes of the other generals, and Menou at first appeared willing to conciliate all parties, mus

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trs of diffatisfaction were foon heard in every department of the fervice. The generals were disgufted, by the intrigues of the new commander to obtain the confirma tion of his authority; the foldiers were difpleafed with a chief, in whom they repofed no military confidence; and the agents of the civil administration found themselves quickly entangled in the execution of plans, which, however popular, betrayed only the folly in which they were conceived, and the utter impoffibility of their being carried into effect.

Miniftry having confirmed the treaty of El-Arifh, though unofficially concluded,* as foon as they were apprifed of the tranfaction, Mr. Wright, lieutenant of the Tigre, on the 9th of June, arrived at Cairo, by the Defert, with a flag of truce, bearing difpatches from the vizier and fir Sidney Smith. Menou knowing the importance attached to Egypt by Buonaparte, refused to liften to a renewal of the negotiation; though he was the more earnest to open another with the captain bafhaw, who was then concerting measures at Jaffa, with the vizier and fir Sidney Smith, against the common enemy. The reprefentations of fir Sidney Smith, backed by the recollection of the rebuff that he had recently experienced at the hands of Kleber,

when defirous of treating with that general, effectually counteracted the policy of Menou towards this bathaw. Egypt was now, to all appearance, tranquil; and, foon after this, the periodical inundation covered the country.

Diffention ftill raged in the French army. The injudicioufnefs of the new impofts excited universal reprobation in the country; a military force was abfolutely requifite to collect them, and, when collected, their produce by no means equalled the public expenditure, which, fince the death of Kleber, had augmented from 13 or 1400,000 to 17 or 1800,000 francs per month. Stores and magazines were neglected; and the whole fyftem was apparently conducted, on the fuppofition that Egypt was in no danger of being attacked. Under these circumftances, a remonftrance was prefented to Menou, from the other generals, on the 28th of October. To this, he replied, by offering to feveral of the remonftrants their paff ports for France. As little did he pay any attention to the labours of the Savants, who had been fpared by Buonaparte. Menou embodied them with the other camp followers, and they might thus be called on, if circumftances fhould require, to perform military, or any other fervice. He was, however, confirmed in the command, by the arrival

• The existence of the treaty could not be known to the British government, when lord Keith's inftructions were issued; and into which miniftry were probably deceived by the intercepted letters from Egypt, where the diftreffes of the French, and their inability to keep long in Egypt, were, however preffing, greatly exaggerated. The ratifications of the treaty of El-Arish were exchanged, January 28, 1800: the orders to lord Keith were ifued in December, 1799! We have fhewn that Kleber never intended to abide by that treaty, if circumstances should arise inducing bim to break it; consequently the charge of bad faith, with refpect to this treat, must be transferred wholly to the French. It served their purpose in Egypt, but, in Europe, as applied to Britain, it will be heard with contempt.

+ This was one of the boldest designs ever attempted by any tactician. To reduce a very confiderable number of philofophers to the fubordination of privates, we prefume,

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rival of difpatches from France, on the 5th of November. Damas, the intimate friend of Kleber, had already been fuperfeded; and the confirmation of his command encouraged Menou at once to throw -off the maik, and point out thofe whom he conceived to be inimical to his designs. What were the extent and scope of thefe, it is, perhaps, impoflible to afcertain. His having declared himself a Muffulnian, and his marriage with an Egyptian lady; his unceafing reprobation, nor without reason, in his difpatches to the government, of an anti-colonist faction;* his attempts at forming to himself a party fufceptible of his own views and opinions, and the anxiety which he conftantly difplayed to difembarafs himself ·

from the interference of those who were not adapted to his wishes: thefe circumstances gave birth to a fufpicion of his intending to erect Egypt into a colony, of which he might hope to become the fole and independent ruler. It is far from improbable, that Buonaparte had conceived fuch a defign, though induced, by events, to relinquish this object of his ambition; but there is no reconciling the imbecility and inactivity of Menou, with fo daring and extenfive a project. He, who feems wholly to have neglected the meafures neceflary to the defence of Egypt, can fcarcely be believed to have felt a wifh for the maftery of that country. Perhaps, too, great

a confidence in himself, and too high a contempt for the judgement and information of others, were the real grounds of thofe difgraceful altercations, which continually agitated the administration of general Menou. It does not seem so difficult to explain the imprudent avidity of his financial exactions. Confidering the retention of Egypt necellary only till the conclufion of a peace, and fuppofing that event to be fpeedily approaching, he might imagine himfelf justified in supplying the increased expenditure of the army, by large and extraordinary impofts: if Egypt was fhortly to be reftored to its former owners, this exhauftion of its resources, however painful to the country, would no longer diftrefs the French.

Not difcouraged at the reception of a former remonftrance on his conduc, with regard to both military and financial arrangements, but deeply affected by the afpect of their affairs, the French generals waited again on Menou, immediately after the arrival of the brevet, which confirmed him in the rank of general and commander-in-chief.Perceiving the inefficacy of their reprefentations, and perfuaded, at the fame time, that the general had obtained the confirmation of his command, by mifreprefenting the fituation of the army in his difpatches, they drew up a note, defcriptive of his conduct, November 24, and delivered it to an officer,

was not an eafy task. During the infurrection of Cairo, 1798, the Savants, who lived together in a spacious house and garden, fortified their precincts, as well as time and circumftances allowed, and armed themselves for their own defence, and chose their commander-in-chief and other vincers. But that con happened, which might have casily been forefccn. Every one had his own plan; all were eager to command, but none willing to obey. This anecdote we give on the authority of DENON.

* That is, men who were heartily fick of the fate of the army of the cast, and who were úg lag to return to France!

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