The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1803-05-16 00:00:00

r--

.

•

C.11111'416N IN £GI-PT.

IitTRACT OF A LETTER 'Rom AN orricei BET.CING-

iso To Tur. sslT:su ARMY LATetv ssavist• is
toyer, OA rya) MALTA, mAseu 29.
• We arrived here last night from Alexandria, af-
ter a passage of sixteen days. Several transports
tame theta in the nionui of January, fur the pat pose
if taking away t'ae troops ; bat it WO not until the
heginning of February that these vessels were or-
dered to be in readiness to receive them. On the
Cl st of that month, all the sick cf the dill:relit regi-
meats were sent on board the Ducben of Rutland
transport, which was made an hospital ship ; and I
cannot give you a better proof of the healthy state
of the army, than by telling you that these consisted
of no more than twenty persons. The embarkation
of the rest of the troops took place between the Ist
and I..th of March.
Our departure was d. Layed, I believe principally,
by certA:n arraerementt, which Gen. Stewait had
been making with the Turks and the Mamelukes.
The General's AiJ-de-Canip went to Cairo, in or-
der to settle for All the ordnance, and returned w ith-
oat bringing the business to a conclusion. The
Tails w.re required to give the sum of 100,000 1.
which was one half less than the real value of it;
Betide we sailed, however, two Turkish oficers
came to Alexandria, and agreed to putchaie the
mummer.. In the middle of February, the General
went to the camp of the Nlameluices' about fifteen
miles beyond Damanhour, where he found them in
the most wretched condition that can be imagined.
They were in want of money, tents, and almost
every other necessary. Besides this, the most vio-
lent dislentions existed between their Heys, of whom
there were three at the time in the camp, who would
not speak to each other. But the General, by his
address and conciliating manners, reconciled and
made them gond friends before he left the place.
One of these, Mahommed Alphy Bey, expressed a
strong wish to go to England ; and for that purpose
he came to Alexandria a few days after,accompanied
by twelve Islamelukes ; he embarked on board a
Ragusan vessel, and is arrived here with the fleet.
It is said he means to solicit the protedion of his
Britannic Majesty. He is the richest of all the
Bevis, but not the Shirk ii Ballad, or Chief Bey.
Another difficulty still remained to be settled, be-
fore we took our departttre. It was discovered that
the Turks had a Long list of unfortunate inhabitants
at Alexandria, who were to fall vidims to their rapa-
city and revenge. I was myself informed of this cir-
cumstance by a Christian, who had received a pri-
vate intimation to fly from the place. General Stew-
art, however, before he sailed, entered into some sti-
pulations with the Pacha, for the purpose of ensur-
ing the safety of the inhabitants.
On the 11th of March, the General embarked on
board the 'boson, accompanied by the Pacha, the
Pedrona Bey, the Capta`n Pacha, Ste. and was sa-
luted by all the Turkish forts, and men of war. The
salute was immediately returned by the English, and
repeated the next day, after the fleet had crossed the
bar. The following is a list of all the ships which
sailed from Alexandria, on the 11. th, together with
the number of men in each, and the regiments they
belong to. The particulars may be interesting to
some of your readers.

The Anson, General Stewart and Staff.
The Nsrcersits, Dnoutv A.ij ut ant-Getteral. Men.
lf.ttitirs, 2tith Light Lb-spons 36..)
14. tser transvort, ditto 40
p.•g hns, 10th Foot -230.
Erechsre transport, ditto ...07
Amphitrite ditto, ditto .230
Dedalua, pin. B*, ditto. ditto 130
Toutcrele, D: Role', Regiment lBO
Pitt tranvortolitto 240
Ariel ditto, Moo 182
Anacreon ditto, Stith Fcrit 333
Regulus, Common Britannic l4l
Lady Jane trantimit, W.,tivili's Regnuent —2OO
Apidin trar.iport, 61,t Regiment 240
Pelican ditto, • ditto 200
14.0sella ditto, ditto 1;6
E d-s ditto, P. tn -237
Planter ditto, Royal Artillery
Vii.un ditto . lO
Yuritl.:t:iw tile dirt°, Roiral Artificers 26
MelsitthE ditto, De Dtdon'i Regiment ....214
Pedalos No. 102, ditta, ditto 2ll
Ilupc ditto, dim) B7
~ _._..

not i waitron, Commiv.ariatc.
Lord E don ditto, ditto.
Besides the above there was the ship in which the
Rey-Alphy sailed, and a Turkish vessel, that was
made a pest-ship, in case the plague should break
o.it among any of the troops. Before we sailed,
two persons on board the 7aner transport, in which
were 220 set Watteimille's regiment, causht the
plague, as did also one person in the Major, which
had 50 men on hoard. These vessels were conse-
quently left behind, and Mr. Webb, the assistant in-
speaor, volunteered his services to remain with
them until the disease is at an end. For a consider-
able time before we embarked, very few cases of
plague occurred at Alexandria. The only officers
who cauht it this year were, Captain Gaiton, of the
Royal Artillery, and Mr. Dent, of the 10thregi-
silent of foot. The former unfortunately fell a vic-
tim to it in the beginning of February, and died very
much regretted by all who knew him. Mr. Dent re-
covered. Although no case of plague has occurred
throughout the whole of the fleet that sailed from
Egypt, yet the ships that remain here are to perform
quarantine for thirty-five days. Ills unusual length
of time is, I am told, owing to letters received from
Naples and Messina, complaining of the want of
strianess of the Maltese with respea to quarantine.'
Of the whole army that has arrived at this place,
there are but thirty-one men in the hospital ship, and
only one of these is confined to his bed ; the rest are
almost wdl. In addition to this proof of the un-
common skill, attention, and zeal, manifested by all
the medical gentlemen, who served with us in
Egypt, I send you the tollowing most honourable
testimony cf their merits.
" Ste, Alexandria, March 8, 11303.
11 While I signi4 my Sense lc time merits of those
prof...vanel t.Veritlanien, who have devotool them-elves to the
institutionx of the pea establishment, 1 fret myself also called
two' to express so yea, and through you to the Me4i,al
seri an general, my equal conviction of the impurtarit ohliga-
lions which the army owes to their services. That in an eni-
barkatiast sf 'airy/aids of 5000 men, there should be only a ne-
t eel&A/y separation of 41 subjects for the general hospitals, cau-
lk of be attnbuied to the happincss of climate alone, it is a cor-
roborating • nil h gill y tering telt off the abilities and attention
of every branch or the departmcnt which you have so ably di-
rectdi, aril wlerae exemplary zeal and cOillleielibuau sesiduitses,
shall feel A my duty particiearry to report, antrum Ow many
instances of reciprocal merit, by which this army has loceu
dot liquidised.
"1 bays the honour to be, with great regard, Sir,
" Your muStobedigla hugs isle terrain,
"Dr. Shapter, bar :clef .1. B,TEWART, Meior•Sen.
of Huspita6. Cent/omelet in Chief."