and its deserts, to the banks of the Nile-the Elysium of Egypt. Your devoted Aid-de-Camp, LOYER. The official dispatches of the marine on the calamitous event of the 2d, have just been remitted to General Menou. I shall take them with me. J. MENOU, Général de Division, au Général KLEBER. QUEL malheur, mon cher Général, que celui arrivé à notre armée navale! Il est affreux: mais il faut prendre courage, et être encore plus grand que le malheur. Je ferai partir demain matin, votre Aide-de-Camp, et le Commissaire sur un aviso pour le Caire. Je n'ai' point eu de détails d'Aboukir: n'ayant pas de cavalerie, je n'ai pû envoyer personne par la plaine, et le bogatsch est si mauvais, qu'il est d'une difficulté extrême à passer. Il me reste encore quelques espérances que tout n'est pas perdu. Si vous avez quelques nouvelles des tartanes et autres bâtiments qui portoient de l'artillerie et des cartouches, ainsi que d'autres effets nécessaires à l'armée, je vous prie de me les faire connoître; car nous en avons un extrême besoin ici, et au Caire. Si on pouvoit aussi, sans danger, envoyer ici les équipages restés à Alexandrie, cela seroit extrêmement utile pour les faire passer au quartier général. Au total, mon cher Général, donnez-moi de vos nouvelles, et de tout ce qui vous intéresse, ainsi que des débris de notre armée. J'envoie à Alexandrie un cou. rier du Général en Chef: il vous porte des dépêches Ici tout est assez tranquille; mais il faut veiller! J'ai fait arrêter ici Coraïm, qui avoit été relâché de dessus l'Orient. Je le ferai partir demain pour le Caire, avec bonne et sûre escorte. Est-il vrai que vous m'envoyez Demui? Sa troupe me seroit bien utile, si elle ne vous l'est pas. Salut et amitié franche, mon cher Général. De vos nouvelles; de vos nouvelles. TRANSLATION. J. MENOU. Rosetta, August 4th. J. MENOU, General of Division, to General KLEBER, WHAT a calamity, my dear General, has befallen our fleet It is dreadful in the extreme: but we must take heart, and rise superior to our misfortunes! I shall dispatch your Aide-de-Camp† to-morrow morning, together with the Commissary, in an adviceboat to Cairo. I have had no details from Aboukir.‡ * Menou was wounded at the attack on Alexandria, and left in consequence of it, with the command of Rosetta. The French reckon him one of their best officers. Loyer. See the preceding letter. They must have arrived soon after this letter was finished: for Loyer's, which is dated the same day, says, they had then reached him, and that he was to take them with him to Bonaparte. Not having any cavalry with me, I cannot dispatch a messenger over land; and the surf at the mouth of the river is so violent, that it is with the utmost difficulty and danger we can pass it.* I have still some faint hopes that all is not lost. If you have any intelligence of the tartanes, and other vessels, which had on board the artillery, cartridges, and other necessaries of the army, I beg you to communicate it to me; for we are in extreme want of them all here, and at Cairo. If you could also, without risk, send round the baggage of the army, it would be of the greatest consequence, as it might then be forwarded to head quar- ters. Finally, my dear General, let me hear from youI am axious to know every circumstance relative, as well to you, as to the ruins of our fleet. I am about to send you a courier, which is just arrived from the Commander in Chief; he has dispatches for you. Every thing is tolerably tranquil here; but we are obliged to keep a good look out! I have again arrested Coraïm,† who had been released on board the L'Orient, and sent on shore. I shall send him to Cairo to-morrow under a strong escort. Is it Menou had a considerable number of horse at Rosetta, and yet he did not think them sufficient to escort a courier to the fort of Aboukir, garrisoned by Frenchmen, and not more than eight or ten miles from the town! Can our readers wish for a more convincing proof of the state of security in which the French live in Egypt, or of the complete possession which they so truly declare in their official papers, they now have of the country. + The Cheriff mentioned in Loyer's letter. |