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retreated to Siout, and afterwards beyond Dirge, whither he was followed by Desaix. A body of Mameluke horsemen, aided by some armed bodies of peasantry on foot, who had assembled at the village of Souagui, were defeated by general Davoust on the 3rd of January, and dispersed with the loss of 800 killed. Scarcely, however, was this multitude put to the rout before a 'more formidable insurrection occurred near Siout, in the rear of the French. The intrigues of the Mamelukes had not only incited the peasants to resistance, but prevailed on great numbers in the different provinces to join their standard. It became necessary, therefore, to make such an impression as might intimidate the insurgents from taking similar steps in future. General Davoust returned with the cavalry to Thata, where he encountered the enemy on the 8th of March, and killed about 1000. On the 18th, the French flotilla on the Nile arrived at Girge, and dissipated the alarm excited by its tardy navigation. In the mean time a body of Scherifs from Yambo and Jedda, crossed the Red sea, and disembarked at Cosseir. They afterwards advanced to Kene, and joined Murad Bey, who was also reinforced by a corps of Mamelukes, several bodies of Nubians and Maugrabius, and 2000 or 3000 Arabs, while the whole country as far as the cataracts was in arms. On the 22nd, the two armies met near Samanhout. The French infantry were divided into two squares; that on the right, commanded by general Friant, and that on the left by general Belliard. General Davoust, with the cavalry, which was also formed in a square battalion, stationed in the interval between these two divisions, was protected and flanked by their fire. Murad instantly advanced his horse, and endeavored to surround the enemy, while a column of his infantry occupied a large canal on their left flank, and began to annoy them with the fire of musquetry. Having detached a corps to clear the canal, Desaix made himself master of the village, which, however, was attacked with great fury by the Arabs of Yambo, while several corps of infantry

and the Mameluke horse, assailed generals Friant and Belliard. In a few moments, however, the army of Murad was totally defeated.

After this engagement, the beys, exhausted by fatigue, and having lost great part of their baggage, horses, and men, retired beyond the cataracts into the sterile country of Brida. Desaix advanced to Sienna and afterwards to Hesso, or Hesne, whence he sent out parties in pursuit of the enemy, One of his corps made an incursion into Ethiopia; another fell in with and routed Osman Bey Hassan, on the road towards Cosseir; and detachments scoured both banks of the Nile, where many partial actions ensued and proved extremely fatal to the peasants. Numerous encounters occurred, particularly at the antient Caphtos, and in the neighbourhood of Kene, which is the debouché from the desart, and the point where the road from Cosseir meets the Nile. At Aboumana an engagement took place between general Friant and the Arabs of Yambo, who were joined by a vast assemblage of the warlike inhabitants of the right bank of the river. French discipline and valor prevailed as usual. The hostile cavalry and the natives took to flight; but the Arabs, throwing themselves into a village, fought with great firmness, till, being attacked by a body of grenadiers, they were all cut to pieces. In the battles of Birambra, Bardis, Girge, and Gehemi, the French were equally victorious; and at Benedi the combined army of Arabs, Maugrabins, and Mamelukes, were defeated with the loss of 2000 men. The village itself was reduced to ashes; and an immense booty, consisting among other articles, of several boxes full of gold, rewarded the toils and peril of the soldiers. The hostile inhabitants of Abon Girge were put to the sword, their village burnt, and the province of Benesouef subjected to obedience. It would be superfluous to enumerate the frequent but unimportant actions fought on the frontiers of Nubia, and in the once celebrated Thebais. The movements of of Desaix, though skilful and brilliant, were more productive of momentary glory than per

manent advantage: he defeated his enemies without subduing them; and the excesses of which the French were guilty, continually increased the number of their foes. By his constancy in misfortune, and the fertility of his resources, Murad Bey shewed himself an adversary worthy of Desaix; nor can it be decided whether the ingenious and reiterated attacks of the one, or the circumspect resistance of the other, was most to be admired.

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The French, in their narrative of the contest in Upper Egypt, are loud in their expressions of abhorrence at the inhumanity and hostility of the Arabs. Yet one of the literary favorites of Buonaparte, and an enthusiastic eulogist of the virtues of his countrymen, records a series of atrocities which might well have provoked to retaliation the most timid and gentle people. We," says Denon, "who boasted that we were more just than the Mamelukes, committed daily and almost necessarily, a number of iniquitous acts. The difficulty of distinguishing our enemies by their exterior form and colour, was the cause of our continually putting to death innocent persons. The soldiers who were sent out on scouting parties, frequently mistook for pilgrims from and to Mecca, the poor merchants belonging to private caravans; and, before justice could be done them, which in some cases the time and circumstances would not allow, two or three of them had been shot, a part of their merchandise plundered or pilfered, and their camels exchanged for ours, which had been wounded. The gains which resulted from these outrages fell invariably to the blood-suckers of the army, the civil commissioners, copts, and interpreters: the soldiers, who sought every opportunity to enrich themselves, being constantly obliged to abandon or forget their projects by the drum beating to arms or the trumpet sounding to horse. The situation of the inhabitants, for whose happiness and prosperity doubtless, we had come to Egypt, was no better. If through terror they had been obliged to quit their homes on our approach, on their return, after we had withdrawn, they could find nothing but

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the mud of which the walls were formed. Utensils, ploughs, roofs, doors, every thing in short of a combustible nature, had been burnt for cooking. The earthen pots were broken, the corn consumed, and the fowls and pigeons roasted and devoured. Nothing was to be found except the bodies of their dogs, killed in endeavoring to defend the property of their masters. If the French made any stay in a village, the unfortunate inhabitants, who had fled on their approach, were summoned to return, under pain of being treated as rebels who had joined the enemy, and of being compelled to pay double contributions."

If this expedition had no material effect on the final issue of Buonaparte's enterprise, it will always be memorable to the lovers of the belles-lettres, for the labors of Vivant Denon, who held a commission in the army of Desaix. Amidst scenes of war and devastation, that ingenious artist investigated the ruins of Thebes and other celebrated places of antiquity, and, by the accuracy of his drawings, rescued from oblivion the curious specimens of sculpture and architecture, and the monuments of opulence and devotion, enabling the learned to trace the progress of the fine arts from the remotest ages of the world.

The means adopted by Buonaparte for the advancement of arts, sciences, and letters, though they can only be considered as accessaries to his principal objects, the conquest of Egypt and the ruin of the English trade to the east, were yet the most meritorious part of the expedition. He appears to have been convinced that the splendor of military atchievements would soon fade, unaccompanied by the more lasting fame arising from the patronage of every liberal pursuit. In the interval of active hostilities, he devoted his leisure to the encouragement and cultiva tion of art, learning, and science, and adopted many judicious measures which may be regarded as some atonement for the bloodshed and misery occasioned by his selfish and boundless ambition. Without adverting to his motives it is a debt which candor owes even to the merit of

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Buonaparte to commemorate such actions.
While the artists, philosophers, and literati
who attended him on this expedition were
employed in their several departments, as
astronomers, naturalists, chemists, me-
chanics, and antiquarians, he provided for
their establishment by founding a national
institute at Cairo on the model of that of
Paris. He established a public library,
and a commercial company in that city.
He visited Suez, an antient decayed mart,
situated on the southern side of the isthmus,
which divides the Mediterranean from the
Red sea.
He encouraged its trade by
lowering the duties formerly paid to the
bashaws, and establishing a caravan for the
conveyance of merchandise to and from
Cairo. He also inspected the traces of the
canal by which an attempt had been made
to connect the two seas, and ordered it to
be accurately surveyed by an able engineer.
On the 18th of March the French army
under Buonaparte having crossed the little
river of Acre encamped upon an insulated
eminence near to, and parallel with the sea.
On the 20th, the trenches were opened at
about 150 fathoms from the fortress. In
the mean time Djezzar Pacha having sent
timely notice of the approach of Buonaparte
to sir Sidney Smith, on whom the command
of the British naval force in the Archipelago
had devolved, after the departure of com-
modore Trowbridge. Sir Sidney hastened
to the anchorage in the bay of Acre, where
he arrived in time to place it in a state of
comparatively tolerable defence. On the
7th of March he proceeded to the coast of
Syria, and on the 11th arrived before Caiffa.
On the 15th he steered for St. John
D'Acre, to concert measures with Djezzar
Pacha, having arrived at the place of des-
tination two days earlier than the enemy.
On the 16th, about eight in the evening, after
a chace of three hours sir Sidney captured
the flotilla which conveyed the greater part
of the enemy's ammunition and artillery.
As the vessels of which it was composed
were doubling mount Carmel, they were
descried by the Tiger, pursued, and shat-
tered by the English fire. Seven of the
number lowered their flags; a corvette,
and two shallops effected their escape.

The artillery consisting of 44 pieces was im-
mediately mounted
mounted on the ramparts of
Acre against the lines and batteries of the
enemy, or planted on gun vessels. To
this unexpected and important capture the
fortress of Acre was chiefly indebted for its
safely.

The nature of the ground permitted the
French to carry their trenches within half
a nusket-shot of the ditch. On the 30th
of March, having effected a breach on the
north-east part of the town, they endeavour-
ed to take it by assault but were vigorously
repulsed by the garrison with considerable
loss. The troops of Djezzar Pacha after-
wards effected three successful sorties; of
which the last was intended to destroy a
mine which the enemy had constructed
under a covered way, to the northward
of the town. The English took charge
of this enterprise, and, while 2000 Turks
were engaged in the sortie, jumped into
the mine, tore down the supports, and
destroyed the whole construction. After
this event an uninterrupted fire was
kept up from the fortress of Acre; the
artillery being served by English and
Turkish artillery men, who had arrived
from Constantinople. These men were
placed under the immediate command of
colonel Phellipeaux the chief engineer in
the place, to whose counsels, plans, and
unwearied exertions, the safety of Acre, the
important consequences which followed,
were by the most intelligent part of the
Anglo Turkish garrison, principally at-
tributed. As the town of Acre stands
upon a rectangular point of land in the
form of a square, of which two sides are
washed by the sea, the British ships in the
bay of Acre were enabled by their fire to
contribute to the protection of the garrison,
and of the working parties employed in
throwing up two ravelins or half moons,
which taking the enemy's nearest approaches
in flank, considerably impeded his opera-
tions. It would be endless" says sir Sid-
ney Smith, whose accounts I have compared
with those of Berthier and others,
ter into the detail of the events of this most
singular siege. Suffice it to say that we have
been within a stone's throw of each other for

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