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 states, 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 Englith continued to fire on the French lines, during the whole night of the twentieth and twenty-first 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-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 themselves hoftile, carrying away all their grain and cattle. The fortifications of Jaffa were demolifhed, 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 fca, 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 dilatisfied, were fined in a hundred thousand livres. On the fit of June, it came to Kan-Iouaneffe, and, on the thirteenth, entered into the desart, followed by a confiderable quantity of cattle taken from the ene my, 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. 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-Arisch and Cathich, a journey of twenty-two leagues, though in different and fucceffive divifions, fuffered greatly from thirft. From Cathich, where the army refied on the fourth of June, Buonaparte went to reconnoitre the port of Tinch, and the mouths of the Ammufarraga. 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 abftract 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-crolling the defart, than has been published 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 Bafhaw, and by the repulfe of the army of Damafcus.

But, while the enemy was held at bay within the walls of a town, or deteated in the field, in one quarter, they had collected different bodies, and indicated a difpofition to make fresh attacks in others. A British fquadron cruized in the gulph of Suez: an Anglo-Ruffian quadron, 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 Deflaix, 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 budy of Arabs already allembled 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 diflatisfactions 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 featon, 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 raife the ficge 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 difcafe, (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 thousand men, in killed, wounded, and prifoners; betides forty pieces of cannon and fifty ftand of colours, taken in the courte 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 almoft every thing depends upon the opinion that is entertained of the perfonal powers, fortune, and defliny, 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 circumftance that induced a neceflity of rafing it could not pofiibly 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

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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 motives by which he was actuated. Inftead of giving his illuftrious antagonist credit for found judgement and uncommon abilities, in a letter to admiral Nelson, 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 otherwise not neceflary in balancing his ideas and reports with thofe of Buonaparte and general Berthier.

It will not efcape obfervation, that the courage and perfevering refolution of the befieged are greatly in hanced 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 nuch intimidated by the efforts of the garrifon as to difobey the pofitive orders of their commander. Farher ftill, neither the conduct of he French foldiers, before nor afer the fiege of Acre, gives the balt countenance to the allegations o fir Sydney Smith. The proceed ing of Buonaparte, after his return from Syria, in Egypt, are, indeed, A complete refutation of the reports nade by fir Sydney, of the moft errible loffes and difafters füffered ly the French army. Time, the gand critic and judge of hiftoric etidence, will, no doubt, bring all thefe points, concerning which, fone doubts may be entertained, for the prefent, to the cleareft light. Bu, as it is painful, and indeed carcely 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 criticifm.

The various feeds of difcontent, jealoufy, and refentment, that pretailed among different tribes and Calles of men in Egypt, during the abfence of the commander-inchief and flower of the French army, in Syria, threatened an erupon into open infurrection and re

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

But, ideas of reconquering Egypt, as Buonaparte had forefeen, were infpired into the councils of the divan, by the victory of lord Nelson, and the confequences naturally refulting from that event; and alfo, 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 affembled in that quarter; but that general Deflaing 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