Malta. He made prefents to Turks, Greeks, and Arabs. He patronized ftrict juftice between man and man: he gave free paffage and protection to the pilgrims going to and from Mecca, and encouraged all kinds of commerce. On the filth of Auguft, when in purfuit of Ibrahim Bey, he had the good fortune to fall in with different parties of Arabs, who had taken a great part of a caravan, on its return from Mecca. He fent the pilgrims and merchants, under a proper escort, to Cairo.

He found a number of prædial flaves whom he encouraged, and endeavoured to raise, by hope, to induftry, and the dignity of men, by giving them lands to be cultivated on their own account. He gave equal rights of inheritance to all the children of the fame parents. He improved the condition of women, by giving them a certain portion of their hufband's goods, at their decease, and the right of difpofing of it. He encouraged marriages between his foldiers and the natives, and endeavoured to refirain polygamy. He established fchools for the inftruction of the young French, Cophts, and Arabs, in French, Arabic, geography, and mathematics. He was a friend to thews, feftivities, games, and other diverfions; in all which he wished the French and the natives to mingle together. And he fubmitted, as a problem, to the inftitute by what infiruments and airs, the minds of these last, might be the most readily and effectually imprefled through the power of inufic.

By his orders, illued about the middle of September, a general aflembly was to be held, on or before the twelfth of October, of all the nota

bles throughout the fourteen provinces, into which Egypt is divided. Deputations from each of thefe provinces were to form a general council, or divan, for the government of the nation at the capital, Grand Cairo. Each deputation was to confift of three men of the law, three merchants, and three fheicks, or chiefs, of Arabs. The French generals, commanding the different provinces, had it in charge to choose the perfons who should form the affemblies of notables, in the particular provinces, out of thofe perfons who had most influence with the people, and were the most diftinguished for their knowledge, their talents, and the manner in which they had received the French: They were charged to take fpecial care not to name any perfons for notables, who had declared against the French: but to take a note of their names, and tranfmit them to the general-in-chief. A registeroffice was eftablished for titles to eftates, and other deeds that might be produced as evidence. The members of the, divan allowed libe`ral falaries, and every measure was taken that might tend to reconcile the Egyptians to the government of

was chofen prefident. The only bufinefs tranfacted in the divan was the paffing into laws, or the giving confent to the decrees of the general.

But this fhew of freedom could fcarcely be expected to impofe on the weakest minds. Befides the prefence of the French commiffionérs, and the manner of the appointment of the notables, there were other circumstances which brought the fubjection of the Mufielmen ftill more forcibly to their recollection. Orders had been given, that the whole of the inhabitants of Egypt fhould wear the three-coloured cockade; that all the Egyptian veffels (called germes) navigating the Nile, fhould hoift the three-coloured flag. And this flag was flying from the great pyramid, the pillar of Pompey, and the loftieft minaret of the caftle of Cairo, and the highest minaret of all the places of note in the fourteen provinces. To the members of the divan alone it was permitted to wear, by way of diftinction, if they chofe it, threecoloured fhawls on their fhoulders. A government refembling, as near as circumftances would admit, the form of the French republic, was organized throughout Egypt. A land-tax was impofed on all the villages in all the provinces. And a tax on houses in Grand Cairo, and other cities.

Though it has been an easy matter to produce fudden effects on the minds of barbarians and femi-barbarians, it is extremely difficult, by any powers of reafoning or improvements, however beneficial, to produce any permanent change in their fyftem of thinking; which, in proportion to the paucity of their ideas,

Neither the grand divan at Cairo, nor the fubordinate councils, an-, fwered the fanguine expectations of Buonaparte. Murmurs of difcontent were foon intermingled with the deliberations of the national affembly of Muffelmen. Every innovafion, it was generally agreed, though not at firft refolutuly expreffed, was contrary to the Koran, which had forefeen and provided for all cafes, worthy of confideration. Thefe murmurs did not elcape the vigilance of the French commander, who had his fpies in every place, and was informed of every thing that paffed. He endeavoured to preferve peace and good order, by meafures of prevention. Out of the numbers of individuals who were followers, and employed in various fervices of the government and army; and all the Europeans, of whatever nation, refiding at Cairo, he formed, about the beginning of October, ten companies of national guards, not to he employed as regulars, but to occupy and maintain certain appointed pofts in the city, on any announced emergency.

It was not long before the infurrection apprehended burft forth. On the twenty-fixth of that month, immenfe crowds, armed with spears and fharp ftones, affembled in and around the grand mofque, and every other mofque in Cairo. These were the fortrelles in which they were to make their ftand, and from which to make their attacks. A fecret correfpondence was established between the Mahometan pricfts and the Mammalukes; fome of whom were concealed in different houfes, in the garb of women. General Dupuy, at the head of a regiment of dragoons, repaired to the grand

mofque,

ofque, to difperfe the multitude that was every moment increafing. He was furioufly attacked, and mortally wounded. Not a few of his men were killed. The rest carried back the general to his quarters, where he died in a few hours thereafter. The alarm being given, the whole of the French were immediately under arms. The gene ral gave orders for a battalion to march against the grand mofque, where the Turks were affembled, to the number of eight or ten thoufand. They were fummoned, but decidedly refufed to furrender. The Citadel then fired on the city, particularly the grand mofque, into which there fell feveral bombs, exciting terror and defpair. Other battalions were fent against the other mofques, in the avenues and approaches to which the Turks were attacked, and driven back into the molques. The doors of thefe were forced by the French, who made a dreadful flaughter. But the Muffulmen, though defeated, were not yet conquered. The place of the flain was fupplied by new comba tants, and the content was prolonged. This was a terrible day, and fcarcely was that which followed lefs bloody. Not a Turk who was armed with fo much as a club, or a lione, efcaped with life. The Turks, on their part, affaffinated every in dividual, or fmall party of French, whom they found in the ftreets. They burst into the houses of the French, and phindered them; and, if any European domeftics were found, they were put to the fword. Some traces of the infurrection remained till the twenty-third of October: towards the evening of which the city began to refume the appearance of tranquillity. The lofs of the VOL. XLI.

infurgents was calculated, by the French, at five or fix thousand men : that of the French themselves, in killed and wounded, was stated by them not to have exceed a hundred, in killed and wounded. And this lofs, it was alfo ftated, was owing to a fhower of heavy ftones thrown on the French, from the tops of houfes. In this affair the Greeks, at Cairo, took a decided and active part on the fide of the French. Some of them took up arms in their caufe, while its iffue was yet dubious: a greater number, after it was decided, were active in the difcovery of fugitives. All the prifoners, whom they brought to the different military flations in Cairo, and who were found guilty on evidence, we may prefume not very fcrupulous, were put to death. The difguifed Mammalukes, conformably to a former decree, underwent the fame fate. Several parties of the infurgents retaining their armis, endeavoured to efcape death by a precipate flight; but thefe unfortunate men were affailed by double terrors, While they were purfued by general Danourt, at the head of a body of cavalry, they were met in front by the Arabs of the defart, who are equally hoftile to all strangers, Turks, Europeans, and Egyptians, and fometimes parties of their own nation; all ftrangers not of their own tribe, They are always on horfeback, and live in the midft of the defart. Their ferocity is equal to the wretched life they lead, expofed for whole days to the burning heat of the fun, without a drop of water to drink. They are perfidious, and, maintaining a conftant ftruggle for the maintenance of their own exiftence, are but little fufceptible of humanity and compaffion for others. [C]

They

They prefent the most hideous picture of barbarians that can be conThe unhappy fugitives from Cairo, hemmed in between fuch enemies, and the avenging French, had no retreat. The fate of the whole was ruin, flavery, or death. Buonaparte, having inflicted fevere, though in his circumfiances perhaps not unneceffary, punishment, published an amnefty to all peaceable people, and held the fame language of conciliation, and affected confidence, as ufual.

While the infurrection was brewing at Cairo, the French arms were employed in the fuppreffion of plots of lefs moment, and in fubduing open refiftance in other places. Scarce a day paffed without fome fkirmishing between the French and Arabs. At Sombat, capital of a diftrict of Gambia, the inhabitants affaffinated a detachment of French, confifting of one half of a demibrigade, and a part of a regiment of dragoons. On the thirteenth of September, the village, by orders of the generals Dugua and Verdier, was burned. About the fame time there was an engagement at Mitcamar, between the Arabs and the troops under general Murat, in which the former were completely routed. On the night between the fifteenth and fixteenth of September, the French garrifon of Damietta was attacked by a number of Arabs, joined by infurgents from feveral neighbouring provinces. The generals Vial and Andreoffi attacked them in their turn, at their head-quarters in the village of Schouarra, fituated within cannon fhot of Damietta. The Arabs, to the number, as ftated by the French, of about ten thousand, were ranged in one

line, extending from the Nile to the lake Menzales. The number of the French did not exceed five hundred. Fifteen hundred of the Arabs were killed or drowned, in the inundation of the river, and in the lake. The village Schouarra was taken, and committed to the flames. Columns of light troops fcouring the country, between Damietta and Manfoura, punished the chiefs of the revolt. On the feventh of October the divifion of the French, under general Deffaix, who, having driven the Mammalukes before, had paffed fome weeks in the neighbourhood of the cataracts, in search of the ruins of Thebes, defeated Mourad Bey, at Sediman, in Fayoum, a province of Upper Egypt. The French had been greatly haraffed on their march by the troops of the bey, who endeavoured to ftraiten the quarters of the French, and cut off their provifions. At day break they found themfelves in front of the army of the bey, five or fix thousand ftrong, composed of nearly an equal number of Mammalukes and Arabs, and a corps of infantry, which guarded the entrenchments of Sediman ; where there were placed four pieces of cannon; general Deffaix formed his infantry into a square battalion, which he flanked with two finall divifions of two hundred horfemen each. The Mammalukes and Arabs, after long he fitation, formed their refolution, and charged a fmall platoon on the right, commanded by captain Valette, with horrible cries, and the greatest valour; and, at the fame time, the rear of the fquare. They were every where received by the French with the greatest

coolness.

coolness. The chaffeurs, compofing the platoon, prefented their bayonets, and referved their fire till the enemy were within ten paces. The barbarian cavalry were no lefs intripid. They advanced impetuoufly in front of the French ranks. After firing, and throwing their piftols and mufkets at the heads of the French, they rufhed on into close action with their fpears and fabres. Some of them, whofe horfes were killed under them, crept along upon their bellies, in order to be under the bayonets, and cut the legs of their enemies. But all was in vain: they were obliged to fly. The French, notwithstanding the fire of the four pieces of cannon, which was the more to be dreaded, that their ranks were deep, advanced to Sediman; and the entrench

ment, cannon, and baggage were immediately in their poffeffion. On the fide of the united forces of the Mammalukes and Arabs, three beys were killed, two wounded, and four hundred of the flower of his troops killed on the spot. The lofs of the French was, by them ftated, to be thirty-fix killed, and ninety-fix wounded.

Here, as well as at the battle of the the Pyramids, the fol diers made a confiderable booty. There was not a Mammaluke on whom they did not find from three to five hundred louis. Mourad Bey retreated to the gorges of the mountains of Tajain-raft, to take care of his wounded, and recruit his army. And thus Def faix was left in poffeffion of the beft part of Upper Egypt.