Sir Sidney Smith, conceiving the ideas of the Syrians, as to the fuppofed irreftability of the French, muft be changed, fince they had witneffed the checks which the befieging army daily met with, in their operations before the town of Acre, wrote a circular letter to the princes and chiefs of the Chriftians of mount Lebanon, recalling them to a fenfe of their duty, and engaging them to cut off the fupplies from the French camp. He fent them, at the fame time, a copy of Buonaparte's impious proclamation, in which he boafts of having overthrown all Chriftian establishments, accompanied with a fuitable exhortation, calling upon them to choose between the friendflip of a Chriftian knight, and that of an unprincipled renagado. This letter had all the effect that he could defire. They immediately fent him two ambaffadors, profeffing not only friendship but obedience; affuring him that, in proof of the latter, they had fent out parties to arrest fuch of the mountaineers as fhould be found carrying wine and gun powder to the French camp; and putting eighty prifoners of this defcription into his hands, and to be at his difpofal. Buonaparte's career farther northward was thus effectually ftopped by a warlike people, inhabiting an impenetrable country. The Turkish Chifflick regiment made a fresh fally, the next night, "the ninth of May, the lieutenantcolonel, Soliman Aga, being deter mined to retrieve the honour of the regiment by the punctual execution of the orders he had received, to make himself mafter of the enemy's third parallel, which he did moft effectually but the impetuofity of 3 a few carried them on to the fecond trench, where they loft fome of their standards; though they spiked four guns before their retreat. Kleber's divifion, instead of mounting the breach, according to Buonaparte's intention, was thus obliged to wafte its time and ftrength in recovering their trenches; in which, after a conflict of fome hours, it fucceeded. A flag of truce was now fent into the town, by the hand of an Arabian dervife, with a letter to the bafhaw, propofing a ceffation of arms, for the purpose of burying the dead bodies, the stench from which had become intolerable, and threatened the exiftence of every one of the armies on both fides; many having died delirious within a few hours after being feized with the firft fymptoms of infection. While the anfwer was under confideration, a volley of flot and fhells on a fudden announced an affault, which, however, the garrifon was ready to receive, and the affailants only contributed to increase the number of the dead bodies in queftion, "to the cternal difgrace of the general" fays fir Sydney Smith, "who thus difloyally facrificed them.” Sir Sydney faved the life of the Arabian dervife, who had come with the flag of truce, from the effects of the indignation of the Turks, and took him off with himself to the Tigre, from whence he fent him back to the general with a meffage, which made the army afhamed of having been expofed to fuch merited reproof. It must have been extremely pain ful to fir Sydney, whofe humanity was equal to his extraordinary intrepity and bravery, and who had exerted himfelf, with fuccefs, fuccefs to foften the fate of the French prifoners at Conftantinople, to behold the multiplied horrors which were committed under his inspection, and thefe under the united flags of the Sublime Porte and of Great Britain. The French wounded and prifoners were maffacred by the Turks, in cold blood. As they have a favage fatisfaction themfelves in flaughtering their enemies, and even their women and children, they place no faith in capitulations, and think the only way to be fecure against any future attacks from their prifoners of war is to put them to death. They bound two and two of them together, having firft cut off their heads, in one fack, and threw them into the fea. It is uncertain, whether this invention was borrowed by the Turks from the French, in their war in La Vendée, or by the French from the Turks. All hopes of fuccefs having yanifhed, the enemy had no alternative left but a retreat, which was put in execution on the night between the twentieth and twentyfirst of May, after a fiege of fixty days. It has been already faid, that the enemy's battering train of artilJery, amounting to twenty-three pieces, fell into the hands of the English cruizers. Their howitzers, and the medium twelve-pounders, originally conveyed by land with great difficulty, and fuccefsfully employed to make the firft breach at Acre, were embarked in the country-vessels, at Jaffa, to be conveyed coaft-wife, together with the worft among the wounded, which embarraffed the march of the army. This operation was to be expected: fir. Sidney Smith (the British commodore), therefore, took care to be between Jaffa and Damietta, before the French army could get as far as the former place. The vefiels being hurried to fea, without feamen to navigate them, and the wounded being in want of every neceffary, even water and provifions, they fteered ftraight to his majesty's fhips, in full confidence of receiving the fuccours of humanity: in which they were not difappointed. He fent them on, to Damietta, where they would receive fuch farther aid as their fituation required, but which it was out of his power to give to fo many. Their expreffions of gratitude (fir Sidney relates), to the English failors, were mingled with execrations on the. name of their general, who had, as they faid, expofed them to peril, rather than fairly and honourably renew the intercourfe with the English, which he had broken off by a falfe and malicious affertion, that the English commander, fir Sidney, had intentionally expofed the prifoners, he had formerly taken, to the infection of the plague.* The French army had not long begun to retreat, when it was ha raffed in rear by the Arabs (a party of whom came down to the boats, and treated the English flag with every token of union and respect), We cannot, notwithstanding all that has been advanced by one of the parties, but fufpend our final judgement, refpecting the real caufe, or, perhaps, accidental circum. ftances, or mistake, that may have led to the renewal of hoftilities against the English, while the meffenger for a truce was yet in their hands, and before an anfwer was given. The narrative of Berthier, and a letter of Buonaparte's, afcribes the blame to the garrifon. Ishmael Bafhaw, governor of Jerufalem, entered the town of Jaffa by land, at the fame time that the English fquadron brought their guns to bear upon it by fea.* The plunder and maffacre of the helplefs inhabitants, begun by the Naploufians, was ftopped by the united efforts of Ifhmael Bafhaw and the English commodore. The English flag, re- hoifted on the conful's houfe, and under which the bafhaw of Jerufalem met fir Sidney, ferved as an afylum for all religions, and for every defcription of the furviving inhabitants. Two thoufand cavalry were dispatched, to harafs the French rear. But this, after all the loffes it had fuffered, and difadvantages under which it laboured, returned, on its steps, from an un In fortunate and difaftrous expedition, *Thefe are the words of fir Sidney Smith. But we prefume, that he meant to fay only, that the fhips were brought to a ftation from which the guns might be made to bear on it by fea. There was no refiftance made by the inhabitants of Jaffa: and, as for the French, they had taken to flight, after having laid the town under a contribution of one hundred and fifty thousand livres, blowing up the fortifications, and throwing the artillery into the fea, and also punishing the villages which had haraffed their convoy, during the fiege of Acre. The following account of this bafhaw is given under the authority of general Berthier's Journal: and farther, we fay, not for the credit to which it is entitled. Our readers will, perhaps, difcern in it a characteristic trait of the French nations; a defire of degrading a powerful opponent, to facilitate conqueft, and to elevate their own character in the fame ratio in which the other finks. "Achmet, furnamed Ghezzar (which fignifies butcher), is a difgrace to human nature, and is regarded as a monster of ferbcity, even among the most barbarous people of the east. This chieftain has filled his territories with monuments of cruelty, unheard of till his time. He has caufed feveral of his wives to be fiayed, on the most frivolous pretexts. He caufes the men, he wishes to chaftife, to be loaded with irons. He cuts off, with his own hands, the heads of his confidents. He cuts off nofe, ears, hands, and feet, from the most trivial fufpicions. He makes thofe, who difplease him, rot alive, to the very head. He encourages the rob bery and peculation of his officers, in order to feize and ftrangle them, for the wealth they have amaffed. He had been appointed, by the grand feignior, bashaw of Egypt and Damafcus, as well as of Acre.” С НАР. CHA P. II. - Account of the Siege of Acre, by the English.-And by the French Commanders -Demolition of Forts.-Contributions.-The French Army reenters the Defart.-Camps of the Arabs burned.—Arrival of the French Army at Cairo.-Lofs of the French Army in the Syrian Expedition.— Internal Diffatisfaction and Commotion in Egypt.-And new Attacks threatened on the Coast and Frontier.—Obfervations on the different Reports of Sir Sidney Smith and General Berthier.-Proceedings of Buonaparte, after his Return to Egypt.-The Mammalukes, furprized in their Camp, betake themfelves to Flight.-A Turkish Army, Supported by a Fleet, advances against Aboukir.-Pofition of the Turks at Aboukir.And of the Squadron.—Difpofition of the French Army, for an Attack on the Turks.-Declarations Battle of Aboukir.-Gained by the French.by Buonaparte.-Buonaparte, amidst all his Proceedings, military and political, pays confiant Attention to the Interests of Commerce, Arts, and Sciences. A Detachment of the French Army occupies Suez.-Journey tə Suez, by Buonaparte. F the immediate circumftances OF or caufes that induced Buonaparte, on the twenty-firft of May, to abandon the fiege of Acre, as well as the means and mode in which he effected his retreat, the account given has been no other than very general, though thefe points, particularly the laft, excite a lively curiofity in all who are, in the leaft, acquainted with the nature of military operations. The reports of the English commandant at Acre, and the French general, on these subjects, are widely different. Sir Sidney Smith, in his difpatches to the British government, ftates, that all fubordination among the French troops was at an end, and that the grenadiers refufed any more to mount the breach, in the walls of Acre, over the putrid bo dies of their unburied companions, as well as thofe of their enemies. The utmoft diforder, he fays, was manifested in their retreat; and the whole track, between Acre and Gaza, ftrewed with the dead bodies of those who had funk under fatigue, or the effect of wounds. ---Buonaparte gave out to his army, and to the world, that he was unwilling to wafte even a few days longer, in the fiege of Acre, though, in that fhort fpace, the bafhaw might have been taken in the midst of his palace. The brave men that he muft have loft, were necessary for more important operations. He had accomplished his original defign, of giving an effectual check to Ghezzar, and preventing an invafion of Egypt on the fide of Syria. It had always been his in[D3] tention, tention, he faid, at the proper feafon, to return to Egypt, in order to oppofe and defeat any operation that might be combined at sea, 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 fect filence, with their baggage, in the beft order. After the whole per 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-firit 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 sent by fea to Jaffa. On the twenty-fecond, 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 themfelves hoftile, carrying away all their grain and cattle. The fortifications of Jaffa were demolished, and all the artillery of the place, which was iron, thrown into the fea. The fick and wound Se 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 thoufand livres. On the firft of June, it came to Kan-Iouaneffe, and, on the thirteenth, entered into the defart, followed by a confiderable quantity of cattle taken from the enemy, and defigned for the provifion of El-Arifch. The defart, between this place and Kan-Iouaneffe, a space of eleven leagues, was inhabited by Arabs, who had made frequent attacks on the French convoys. veral 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-Arisch, where Buonaparte left a garrifon. He raised new works, for the defence of the fort, which he furnished 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 thirft. From Cathich, where the army refted on the fourth of June, Buonaparte went to reconnoitre the port of Tinch, and the mouths of the Annularraga. On the fixth, the divifion of Kleber marched to Tinch, there to embark for Damietta. The rest of the army pro |