tention, he faid, at the proper feafon, to return to Egypt, in order to oppofe and defeat any operation that might be combined at fea, and which might probably take place early in July. With regard to the retreat, general Berthier, in his narrative, affirms, that the French army retreated, from Acre, in perfect order, after deftroying an aqueduct of feveral leagues, which fupplied Acre with fresh water, as well as burning all the magazines and harvefts in it of all the fick and wounded, the narrative ftates, not a Frenchman was left behind. A fire in Acre was kept up to the laft. The troops moved off in perfect filence, with their baggage, in the best order. After the whole had paffed, the bridges over the river of Acre were cut down. A body of troops, left to protect the workmen employed in that fervice, had orders not to leave the river, until two hours after the whole of the troops had paffed over. The Turks and English continued to fire on the French lines, during the whole night of the twentieth and twenty-firft of May. On this laft day, the army arrived at Cantoura, where an immenfe quantity of artillery was thrown into the fea. Twenty pieces, with the fick and wounded, were fent by fea to Jaffa. On the twenty-second, it refted all night on the ruins of Cefarea, and, on the fifth, arrived off Jaffa, where it remained for three days following, and took vengeance on the neighbouring villages, that had fhewn themselves hoftile, carrying away all their grain and cattle. The fortifications of Jaffa were demolifted, and all the artillery of the place, which was iron, thrown into the fea. The fick and wound

ed were fent on to Egypt, part by fea, and part under proper convoys by land. A contribution was levied, from the merchants, of one hundred and fifty thoufand livres. On the thirtieth it reached, and on the thirty-firft departed from Gaza. The fort of this place was blown up. Three of the principal and richeft inhabitants, with whofe conduct the French were diffatisfied, were fined in a hundred thousand livres. On the firft of June, it came to Kan-Iouaneffe, and, on the thirteenth, entered into the defart, followed by a confiderable quan-` tity of cattle taken from the enemy, and defigned for the provifion of El-Arifch. The defart, between this place and Kan-Iouaneffe, a fpace of eleven leagues, was inhabited by Arabs, who had made frequent attacks on the French convoys. Several of their camps, by order of Buonaparte, were burned. The French carried off a confiderable number of their cattle and camels, and fet fire to what little harvest was here and there found in this barren defart. On the third of June, they halted at El-Arifch, where Buonaparte left a garrifon. He raised new works, for the defence of the fort, which he furnifhed with ammunition and provifions. The army, in croffing the defart between El-Arifch and Cathich, a journey of twenty-two leagues, though in different and fucceffive divifions, fuffered greatly from thirst. From Cathich, where the army refted on the fourth of June, Buonaparte went to reconnoitre the port of Tinch, and the mouths of the Annufarraga. On the fixth, the divifion of Kleber marched to Tinch, there to embark for Damietta. The reft of the army

pro

proceeded from Cathich, by Salihich, to Cairo, where it arrived on the fourteenth of June.

The French army, in the expidition to Syria, loft about feven hundred men, who died of difeafe; five hundred killed; and about one thoufand eight hundred wounded; of whom ninety-eight were obliged to undergo amputation: nearly the whole of the other wounded were healed and rejoined their respective companies. This is an abstract of Berthier's narrative.

If the French general wafted a greater part of his troops in the fiege of Acre, and in croffing and re-croffing the defart, than has been publifhed to the world by general Berthier, ftill the projected invafion of Egypt, on the fide of Syria, was fruftrated by the fevere check in which the French army had kept Ghezzar Bashaw, and by the repulfe of the army of Damafcus.

A

But, while the enemy was held at bay within the walls of a town, or defeated in the field, in one quarter, they had collected different bodies, and indicated a difpofition to make fresh attacks in others. British fquadron cruized in the gulph of Suez: an Anglo-Ruffian fquadron, of about a hundred fail, with a large body of troops, he was informed, was on its way for the coaft of Egypt. He was apprifed, at the, fame time, by general Deffaix, that the Mammalukes, in Upper Egypt, had divided their forces: the one party intending to join Ibrahim Bey, who had fallen back to Gaza; the other, under Murad Bey, to defcend by the Fayoum, and gain the paffes of the lakes of Natron. It was, probably, the intention of the latter to form a junction with a body of Arabs already aflembled in

that quarter, with the defign of protecting a defcent either at the tower of the Anates or at Aboukir.. Symptoms of revolt, which had for fome time appeared in the Lower Egypt, had lately been heightened by a report of the death of Buonaparte, and the total defeat of his army; which alienated the minds of the chiefs, in whom the general had been induced to repofe confidence. In a word, while internal diffatisfactions and commotions took place in Egypt, every thing on the frontiers and in the, neighbouring countries indicated a great plan of attack on every part of it; while Ghezzar Bafhaw occupied the army in Syria. The proper feafon, too, for re-croffing the defart, and re-embarking from Syria, was nearly expired; and, on the whole, the feafon of the year and the actual circumftances of affairs rendered it prudent, on the part of Buonaparte, to raise the fiege of Acre, and return, on his fteps for the protection of his infant colony, menaced equally by internal difcord and foreign aggreffion.

The army engaged in the Syrian expedition.amounted to one hundred and twenty-nine thoufand four hundred and thirty-five men; of which, in four months, feven hundred died by difeafe, (the plague raging, at that time, in Syria); five hundred killed in battle; and about one thou. fand wounded, ninety of whom underwent amputation. The lofs of the Turks and English he rates at feven thoufand men, in killed, wounded, and prifoners; befides forty pieces of cannon and fifty ftand of colours, taken in the courie of the expedition into Syria.

Neither the loffes of the French, during the fiege of Acre, or on [D4]

their

their retreat and return to Egypt, according to this report of Berthier, given in the face of the army, can well be fuppofed to be extremely inaccurate and wide of truth. On the other hand, it may be obferved, that the account which is given of the main defign of the expedition, by general Berthier, was drawn up after his return to Egypt, and may not, improbably, have been warped, in fome meafure, and bent, in order to correfpond with the courfe of events. But, even on this fuppofition, we muft acknowledge the good generalfhip and addrefs of Buonaparte. It was of great confequence, efpecially in a country where almost every thing depends upon the opinion that is entertained of the perfonal powers, fortune, and deftiny, of the commander, that a report fhould go forth, and prevail, that nothing had happened but what Buonaparte had forefeen, and for which he had provided.

In weighing oppofite teftimonies, every reasonable and candid judge confiders the means or opportunities poffeffed by the reporters, and alfo the motives they might probably have had, either to declare the truth, or to conceal or difguife it. The views of Buonaparte, both in forming and rafing the fiege of Acre, were, undoubtedly, better known to himself than to fir Sydney Smith: and, however he may have feigned or concealed his views in undertaking the fiege, the real caufe or circumstance that induced a neceffity of rafing it could not poffibly have been concealed or gloffed over, and far lefs wholly omitted; if that had been the real caufe which is affigned by fir Sydney. It must have been notorious

and palpable, not only to every officer, commiffioned and non-commiffioned, but to every private in the whole French army. It is farther to be remarked, on this queftion, that fir Sydney had not, at that time, formed, by any means, a juft eftimate of the mind of Buonaparte; and, confequently, that he was apt to mistake his views, and the motivés by which he was actuated. Instead of giving his illuftrious antagonist credit for found judgement and uncommon abilities, in a letter to admiral Nellon, he fpeaks of "Buonaparte's impatience and precipitation, which," he fays, "led him to commit fuch palpable errors as even the common feamen could difcern: he feemed to have no principle of action but that of preffing forward:" and he adds, "Two attempts to affaffinate me, in the town, having failed, recourfe was had to a moft flagrant breach of honour and of war:" which, as already mentioned, was pofitively denied by the general-in-chief and the other French officers. There is fomething in the manner, in which our Chriftian Knight (a name in which fir Sydney juftly glories) fpeaks of Buonaparte, contrary to the ufual courtely with which knights and gentlemen of the army are wont to treat one another: while he pretty plainly infinuates, in favour of himfelf, that the enemy had little hopes of fuccefs, as long as he was perfonally fafe. It would, indeed, be invidious to mingle little foibles with the praife juftly due to the amiable as well as heroic qualities and actions of fir Sydney Smith: if otherwife not neceflary in balancing his ideas and reports with thofe of Buonaparte and general Berthier.

It will not escape obfervation, that the courage and perfevering refolution of the befieged are greatly inhanced by the fuppofition, that the French grenadiers, after fuch a brilliant career of uninterrupted conqueft, though animated by the prefence of Buonaparte, were yet fo much intimidated by the efforts of the garrifon as to difobey the pofitive orders of their commander. Farther ftill, neither the conduct of the French foldiers, before nor after the fiege of Acre, gives the leaft countenance to the allegations of fir Sydney Smith. The proceed ing of Buonaparte, after his return from Syria, in Egypt, are, indeed, a complete refutation of the reports made by fir Sydney, of the most terrible loffes and difafters fuffered by the French army. Time, the grand critic and judge of hiftoric evidence, will, no doubt, bring all thefe points, concerning which, fome doubts may be entertained, for the prefent, to the clearest light. But, as it is painful, and indeed fcarcely poffible, for the human mind to perfevere long in the equilibrium of perfect fufpenfe, but muft lean to one fide on every fubject, we have anticipated the dicifion of time by a few palpable obfervations and undeniable rules of criticism.

The various feeds of difcontent, jealoufy, and refentment, that prevailed among different tribes and claffes of men in Egypt, during the absence of the commander-inchief and flower of the French army, in Syria, threatened an eruption into open infurrection and re

volt. Soon, however, after his return, all things were reduced to their former ftate of tranquillity.

But, ideas of reconquering Egypt, as Buonaparte had foreseen, were infpired into the councils of the divan, by the victory of lord Nelson, and the confequences naturally refulting from that event; and also, what Buonaparte probably did not forefee, the brave and fuccefsful defence of St. John d'Acre.

Immediately upon his return to Cairo, from the Syrian expedition, Buonaparte directed his attention to the formation of different corps. He foon put the army in a state to march to new combats. He had deftroyed one part of the general plan of attack, combined between the Porte and England, and he every moment expected that he would have to attack the other parts.

He was informed by general Def faix, as already mentioned, that the Mammalukes, in Upper Egypt, had divided their forces; that a part had proceeded to the pafles of Sababier, with the intention of joining Ibrahim Bey, who had gone back to Gaza; and that Murad Bey defcended, by the Fayoum, to gain the paffes on the lakes of Natron. He was of opinion that it was the intention of the latter to form a junction with a body of Arabs already aflembled in that quarter; but that general Deftaing would difperfe them with the moveable column under his command.

General Le Grange, with a moveable column, left Cairo, on the tenth of July, and arrived at Sababier, where he furprized the