The command devolved on Seid Ali Bey, who had just joined me with the troops from Constantinople, composing the second maritime expedition for the recovery of Egypt. As soon as our joint exertions had restored order, we proceeded to the mouth of the Damietta branch of the Nile to make an attack thereon, as combined with the Supreme Vizier, in order to draw the attention of the enemy that way, and leave his highness more at liberty to advance with the grand army on the side of the Desert. The attack began by the Tigre's boats taking possession of a ruined castle, situated on the eastern side of the Bogaz, or entrance of the channel, which the inundation of the Nile had insulated from the mainland, leaving a fordable passage. The Turkish flag displayed on the tower of this castle was at once the signal for the Turkish gunboats to advance, and for the enemy to open their fire in order to dislodge us their nearest post being a redoubt on the mainland, with two thirty-two pounders, and an eight-pounder field-piece mounted thereon, at point-blank shot distance.

"The fire was returned from the launch's carronade, mounted in a breach in the castle, and from field-pieces in the small boats, which soon obliged the enemy to discontinue working at an intrenchment they were making to oppose a

landing. Lieutenant Stokes was detached with the boats to check a body of cavalry advancing along the neck of land, in which he succeeded ; but, I am sorry to say, with the loss of one man killed and one wounded. This interchange of

in

shot continued with little intermission during the 29th, 30th, and 31st, while the Turkish transports were drawing nearer to the landing-place, our shells from the carronade annoying the enemy his works and communications; at length the magazine blowing up, and one of their thirtytwo pounders being silenced, a favourable moment offered for disembarkation. Orders were given accordingly; but it was not till the morning of the 1st of November that they could effectuate this operation.

"This delay gave time for the enemy to collect a force more than double that of the first division landed, and to be ready to attack it before the return of the boats with the remainder. The French advanced to the charge with bayonets. The Turks completely exculpated themselves from the suspicion of cowardice having been the cause of their delay; for when the enemy were within ten yards of them, they rushed on, sabre in hand, and in an instant completely routed the first line of the French infantry. The day was ours for the moment; but the impetuosity of Osman Aga

and his troops occasioned them to quit the station assigned them as a corps of reserve, and to run forward in pursuit of the fugitives. European tactics were of course advantageously employed by the French at this critical juncture. Their body of reserve came on in perfect order, while a charge of cavalry on the left of the Turks put them completely to the rout in their turn. Our flanking fire from the castle and boats, which had been hitherto plied with evident effect, was now necessarily suspended by the impossibility of pointing clear of the Turks in the confusion. The latter turned a random fire on the boats, to make them take them off, and the sea was in an instant covered with turbans, while the air was filled with piteous moans, calling to us for assistance. It was (as at Aboukir) a duty of some difficulty to afford it them, without being victims to their impatience, or overwhelmed with numbers: we however persevered, and saved all, except those whom the French took prisoners, by wading into the water after them; neither did the enemy interrupt us much in so doing.”

Nothing discouraged by this repulse, or at least putting a bold face on these disasters, on the 29th of December ensuing, a detachment of marines, under Colonel Douglas, LieutenantColonel Bromley, Captains Winter and Trotte,

and Mr. Thomas Smith, midshipman of the Tigre, accompanied an advanced body of the army of the Grand Vizier from Gaza to El Arish.

The fort El Arish was summoned, and the French refusing to capitulate, the place was reconnoitred by the English, and batteries immediately erected; the whole of which when opened had the most complete success. On the morning of the 29th, the enemy ceased to return the fire of the besiegers, and the fort, without any terms of capitulation being stipulated, was taken possession of. This success was disgraced by the revengeful ferocity of the Turks, whose thirst for blood could not be restrained. Three hundred of the French garrison were put to the sword by the Osmanlis.

The admixture of the British forces with the Turks had taught these barbarians admiration, but not mercy. They were unceasing in their applauses of the cheerful manner in which the detachment from the English squadron performed their unusual duties, exposed as they were on the Desert without tents, ill-fed, and with nothing but brackish water to drink. They beheld with astonishment these triumphs of civilised discipline.

The year 1799 was hardly completed, when

General Kleber, who had been left in command in Egypt on its abandonment by Bonaparte, had entered into a convention with the Grand Vizier for the total evacuation of Egypt by the French forces. This document was finally signed on the 24th January, 1800, and to which Sir William Sidney Smith, as auxiliary commander on the part of Great Britain, willingly acceded.

"Convention for the Evacuation of Egypt, agreed upon by Citizens Desaix, General of Division, and Poussielgue, Administrator-general of Finances, Plenipotentiaries of the Commanderin-Chief Kleber,-and their Excellencies Moustafa Raschid Effendi Testerdar, and Moustafa Rassiche Effendi Riessul Knitab, Ministers Plenipotentiaries of his Highness the Supreme Vizier.

"The French army in Egypt, wishing to give a proof of its desire to stop the effusion of blood, and to put an end to the unfortunate disagreements which have taken place between the French republic and the sublime Porte, consent to evacuate Egypt on the stipulations of the present convention, hoping that this concession will pave the way for the general pacification of Europe. "I. The French army will retire with its arms,