vos reconnoiffances auffi loin que poffible. Il eft important de s'affurer fi l'ennemi n'aura pas coupé et retranché la digue, par-delà Béda, s'il n'aura pas tenté de faire entrer l'eau du Lac Maadie dans le califch, et de là dans la plaine.

Vous examinerez s'il y auroit quelques moyens d'éviter le chemin de la digue en prenant dans le Lac Mareotis.

Vous fentez, Citoyen Général, qu'il faut que les reconnoiffances foient faites avec beaucoup de foin.

J'envoye à Damanhour, un officier du génie avec un officier d'artillerie, l'un et l'autre font chargé de faire les reconnoiffances les plus complettes de l'ennemi, de fes pofitions, et des chemins les plus convenables pour se porter fur Alexandrie dans toutes les hypothèfes poffibles. Vous leur donnerez un bon détachement pour remplir cette miffion.

Il est très important que vous trouviez les moyens de faire arriver un billet à Alexandrie, au Général Friant, foit par des hommes du pays foit par un détachement de vôtre cavalerie, ou par tous les deux à la fois. Le billet que vous donneriez aux gens du pays, porterait feulement ce qui fuit, le général en chef arrive avec l'armée.

Le détachement de cavalerie pourrait porter des détails plus circonftanciés fur le nombre des troupes qui confiftent dans la 13me, la 89me, la 21me, la 2me, la 32me, la 88me, un bataillon de la 29me, un bataillon Grec, et toute la ca

valerie.

valerie. J'espère qu'avec tout cela réuni, nous ferons vigoureusement rebrouffer chemin à meffieurs les Anglais.

Dites aux troupes que vous commandez, Citoyen Général, que c'eft en Egypte que fe fera la paix générale, que l'armée d'orient a commencé la guerre en Europe, qu'elle la finira en Egypte. C'eft le dernier coup de collier des Anglais.

Nous fommes à Naples, j'ai reçu des dépêches du Général Murat.

P. S. Je fais que les Anglais ont fait demander des vivres à quelques villages; faites bien dire à tous ceux qui font fur la route d'Alexandrie, qu'on détruira de fond en comble tous ceux qui auroient fourni méme un feul mouton.

TRANSLATION.

A. M.

LIBERTY.

ARMY of the East.

EQUALITY.

FRENCH COMMONWEALTH.

At Head Quarters at Rhamanieh the 24th Ventôfe (15th March) 9th Year of the Commonwealth, one and indivifible.

MENOU, Chief General, to General RoIZE, commanding the Cavalry of the Army.

CITIZEN GENERAL,

I GIVE orders to General Bron to fet off with all the

cavalry

cavalry at present here, in order to be under your orders at Damanhour. I only keep the guides with me. Probably to-morrow morning one hundred dragoons of the 20th regiment will arrive with the division of General Rampon ; as foon as they come I fhall order them to Damanhour.

Poor Latour not being able to command his own regiment, and the chief of fquadron Réfrogné having been killed, and the other chief wounded, it is of the utmost importance to appoint a very good officer to command that regiment. I authorife you to felect one: you will confult General Bron.

Every day you will fend reconnoitring parties on the road to Alexandria, and even as far as the walls of that city, until I have affembled all the troops and joined you; and that, I hope, will foon take place. The enemy has no cavalry; fo you may reconnoitre as far as poffible. It is highly important to afcertain whether the enemy has cut and entrenched the dam beyond Béda; whether he has attempted to introduce the water of lake Maadie into the Califch, and from thence into the plain.

You will examine whether it will be poffible to avoid the road of the dam, going through lake Marcotis.

You must be convinced, Citizen General, that the reconnoitrings fhould be made very carefully.

I fend to Damanhour an engineer officer, and one of the artillery, being both entrusted with the most important reconnoitrings

connoitrings of the enemy, as to his pofitions, and the roads moft convenient to advance to Alexandria at all poffible events. You will furnish a fufficient detachment to accomplish that object.

It is very effential that you contrive fome means by which a letter may reach General Friant at Alexandria, either by fending it by men of the country, or by a detachment of your cavalry, or by both at once. The letter you send by the natives fhould only say, the General in Chief comes with the army.

The detachment of the cavalry might carry detailed statements of the number of troops, which confift of the 13th, 85th, 21st, 2d, 32d, 88th, a battalion of the 25th, a Greek battalion, and all the cavalry. I hope, with all that united, we shall compel the English gentry to meafure back their ground.

Tell the troops under your command, Citizen General, that the general Peace will be made in Egypt; that the Army of the Eaft has begun the war in Europe, and will finish it in Egypt. It is the laft effort of the English.

We

e are at Naples; I have received dispatches from General Murat.

P. S. I am informed that the English have demanded fupplies from fome villages; let all thofe fituated on the way

to

to Alexandria be made well acquainted that they shall be wholly deftroyed, if they are found to have furnished even a fingle sheep.

A. M.

March 1801, from Galli near Damanhour. Tranflation of a Letter from the Arab Scheick ABDALL GAWY AL BAGOOSHI, to Sir Sydney Smith.

[After the ufual Titles and Compliments]

YESTERDAY the whole French army entered Damanhour; none of them are left either at Cairo or any where else in the interior. They meditate an attack on you in the night: therefore it is neceffary for you to reinforce your pofts on the land fide, and to be prepared to receive them.

You will be victorious, and we will join you: we will fall upon their rear. The day of the battle we faw them fly from the hills of Alexandria.

Health to you!

27 Ventôfe (18 Mars) au soir.

Le Général D'ESTAING au Général Roize.

JE vous envoye, mon général, dix-neuf prifonniers Anglois que nous avons pris aujourd'hui, après avoir tué

trente