forcements arrived, and which army the French nearly doubled in numbers, exclusive of the vast superiority which possession of the country, a powerful cavalry and artillery afforded them. The Turks certainly altogether must not be excluded from a share in the triumph; but General Reynier exaggerates their numbers; and although they did contribute greatly to the success, still we must remember that this is the first occasion where their hordes have been honoured with any respectful attention by the French; yet also must we confess, that there is more reason after General Belliard's defeat, which affair however a superior general officer described with much humour, " as a parcel of sheep running from dogs without teeth." 66 Still, notwithstanding General Reynier's injustice, I cannot conclude these remarks without adding what is due to his talents, that the world has much reason to regret that General Reynier did not exert his commanding abilities to investigate and relate facts, and that various prejudices have prevented the military service from receiving that information which no officer was better qualified to give. Since this work first went to press, Vivant Denon, one of the Savans who accompanied General Buonaparte to Egypt, has published what was advertised to be a scientific exposition of the antiquities of that country, and which consequently was a labour warmly to be encouraged. Unfortunately, the philosopher proves himself a most obsequious courtier, using that bombast in the relation of the battles he was a spectator of, which has rendered every public French dispatch during the war, with some very few exceptions, ridiculous; and he at last terminates many exaggerations with the round assertion, that at Aboukir Buonaparte destroyed twenty thousand Turks, six thousand being killed, two thousand taken, and the rec 2 mainder mainder drowned, whilst the Turkish force altogether consisted but of eight thousand men, as the reader will afterwards find. Such a perversion of fact, by a man of Mons. Denon's character, will make no favourable impression in honour of his countrymen; but if he has forgotten what is due to truth, the world will not forget that this Savan was the distinguished favourite of Buonaparte; for that general, almost immediately previous to his leaving Egypt, sent the rest of the commission into Upper Egypt, contrary to a sacred promise, that whenever he returned to France, they should accompany him, and selected this man to be the companion of his fortunes. The boon was considerable, and Mons. Denon endeavours to repay his patron; but perhaps his former associates may not be so obsequious, irritated particularly as they must be at this second march being stolen upon them, by a publication which certainly anticipates, in some degree, yet will not eventually lessen the value of theirs, some destined parts of which have been shewn, when I had the good fortune to be present, and which surpass, in elegance and execution, all works of a similar nature which have yet appeared.* I have now to return my thanks to the officers who so kindly favoured me with the communications I required, and to ex *Fourier, a gentleman of most considerable information, who made the discovery of the declination of the Zodiac in the Temples of Upper Egypt, and who proposed, in order to avoid distracting the world with any new theories, to publish his observations on that subject in Latin, for the discussion only of the superior order of society, has undertaken the compilation of this voluminous and extensive work, for the benefit of all the artists who contributed to its formation: Nouét gives the astronomical part; Redouti the natural history, and nothing can exceed the beauty of his drawings; Fourier the mathematical division; and other men of science the various other branches. The public will also hereafter probably be gratified by some accounts on a smaller scale from Mr. Hamilton, secretary to Lord Elgin; Lieutenant Hayes of the Engineers, and Captain Legge of the Artillery, who, since the conquest of Egypt, have penetrated further than any of the French, proceeding near 100 miles beyond the Cataracts. press press particular obligations to Captain Marley, of the staff corps, an officer whose zeal and abilities rendered very great service to Colonel Stuart in the Delta, with whose column he acted as quarter master general, for the maps of Egypt he furnished me with, and which so well exemplify his talents, those of Major *Birch, and the officers of the military college, by whose united labours the original work was perfected during the campaign, notwithstanding the severity of their other duties. To Mr. Hopner, who, without the smallest hesitation, accorded me permission to have an engraving from a picture drawn by him of Sir Ralph Abercromby, the world as well as myself must acknowledge a debt of gratitude, since the portrait represents to life a hero, who is the pride of the British service, and "an honest man, which is the noblest work of God." * Major Birch was senior officer, and under his immediate and active superintendence the country was reconnoitred, and the plans traced. CONTENTS OF THE APPENDIX. Shipping taken in the Harbour of Alexandria Account of Pieces of Ancient Sculpture found in Egypt Strength of the Army on the 21st of February, 1801 Return of the Killed, Wounded and Missing of the British Army State of the Army under the command of Sir Ralph Abercrombie, 30th March General Morning Orders, 16 August Distinctions conferred on the Officers and Corps employed in the Egyptian Expedition Epitaph inscribed on the Tomb-stone of Sir Ralph Abercrombie |