The National Register.
London, England, 1816-12-23 00:00:00

ationat ctitittr+

Our iltna, ConiStitution anb 31.4b3d.

MONDAY, DECEMBER SI, 1816.

quiry, since it has commenced with ourselves, and since
we have the precedence of all thew competitors in every
other branch of political philosophy, and in the perfect
model we have presented of its practical application in
the BRITISH CONSTITUTION.

B UONAPA RTE.
--41 -

FROM Mr. WARREN'S publication walleye further
extracted the account of the transactions at Jaffa.
Here be ceased to speak ; and as I was deppilined to gra.
tify my curiosity as far as his pthent mamatunicative spirit
would allow, I was determined to continue the conversation.
—I accordingly observed, "that of all the undertakings
which composed his wonderful career, no circumstance had
excited sock astonishment in England as his expedition to
Russia, before he bad brought the Peninsula war to a termi-
nation, which, at that time, appeared to be an attainable ob-
ject." I panted, expecting a reply on the subject ;—however
be gave none ; but, as if he had not heard my observation'
proceeded to a renewal, la some degree, of the former to-
pies!_

" Your country," be said, "has ',tensed me of having mur-
dered the sick sod wounded of soy armyat Jaffa. Be assured
that if I bad committed such a horrid act, my very soldiers
themselves would have execrated awl and I might have
looked to their ceasing to obey me. There is no occurrence
of life to which I gave more publicity than this. Yon have
an (Alcor, a Sir Robert Wilson, who has written very co-
piously on the subject of my campaign in Egypt." As he
repeated the last sentence, lie assumed au air and tone bf
sarcastic jocularity; and then asked me, if I had read Sir
Robert's publication. I rept.ied in the affirmative It is
possible," he said, " that he wrote from the testimony of other
people equally prone to error as himself: be cannot pretend
to have done it from his own observation. Can you tell ine,"
continued Napoleon, " whether Sir Sydney IS in any
otacial conaniuuicatioas to your gov , ye
any way, to corroborate the testimony Wilson 1"
I could Dot, at the moment, sufficiently, lest the purport
of his dispatches, to determine the point, but I replied. as I
felt, "That he had not." This reply, however, indecisive as
it was, appeared to afford him considerable satisfaction, as he
instantly repeated—" I believe so : for Sir Syducy Smith is
a brave and just man."

" On raising the siege of St. Jean de Acre, the amity retired
upon Jaffa. It had become a matter of urgent necessity.
The occupation of this town for any length of time Was totally
impracticable, from the fiarce that Jesse Pacha was enabled
to briug tarward. The sick and wonoded were nutnerons
and their removal was my first consideration. Carriages,the
most convenient that could be formed. were appropriated to
the purpose. Some of them were sent by water to Damietta,
and the rest were accommodated, in the best possible man-
ner, to accompany their comrades in their march through the
desert. Seven men, however, occupsd a quarantine hospi-
tal, who were infected with the plants ; whose report was
made me by the chief of the medical staff; (1 think it was
Denegette). He further added, that the disease had gained
such a state of malignancy, that there vas not the least pro-
bability of their continuing alive heyorid forty-eight hours."
—I here exclaimed in a dubious tone, the.word—seven I cud
immediately asked whether I was to understand that there
were no more than seven.—t'.lpereeive,7 he replied, " that you
have heard a different account."—" Most assuredly,General:
Sir Robert Wilson states fifty-seven or seventy-seven and
' speaking more collectively, your whole sick and wounded."
tie then proceeded-4 The Turks were numerous sad
powerful, and their cruelty proverbial throughout the army.
Their practice of niutilatlug and barbarously treating their
Christian prisoners, in particular, was well kuowu among my
troops, and had a_preservative influences's+ my mind and con
duct: and I do affirm, that there were only seven men whom
circumstances compelled me to leave as shert lived sufferers
at Jaffe. They were in that stage of the 4,sease which ren-
deied their removal utterly impracticable, exclusive of the
dissensinatiun of the disease among the healthy troops. Si-
tuated us I was, I could not place then tinder the protection
of the Euglish ; I, therefore, desired tat see the senior medical
officer, and °Users lug to him, that the afflictions of their dis-
ease would be cruelly aggraveted by the conduct of the Turks
I towards them ; and that it was Impossible to continue in pos.
session of the town, 1 desired hint to give me his hest advice
on the occasion. I said, tell me what le to be dune He lie-
skated for some time, and then repeated, that these men, who
were the objects of my very painful solicitude, could not war-
vire furtpeight hours.-1 accoribugly suegeste.l, (what ap-
peared to he his opinion, though lie alight uut choose to de-
clare it, but wait with the trembling hope to receive it from
me;) the propriety, because I felt it would be humanity, to
shorten the sufferings of these seven men by ediniuistering
opium. Such a relief, I added, in *similar ocoasion, I should
anxiously solicit for myself. —But, rather contrary to my ex-
pectation, the proposition was opposed, and constapiently
abandolied. I therefore halted the army one day longer than I
intended; and on my quitting Jaffs,lefl it strung rear guard,
who continued in that city till the third day. At the expira-
tion of that period, an iiificer's report' recited me, that the
men were dyad."—" Then, Gencrer I could not resist ex-
, t "no opium was g:s-en." We emphatic answer I

Pilot 90.

received was, " No: none !—A report was brought me thaw
the me. died before the rear geoid had evaenated the city.
I again Interrupted him, by mentioning that Sir Sydeer
Smith, when he afterwards entered Jaffa, found one or tsse7
Frenchmen alive.---" Welt," he answered, "that, after angles
may be posaibler —lt was, I think, et this period of the con-
versation' that he stated his being in possession of a letter
from Air Sydney Smith, written in very complimentary Ma-
gnetise, which expressed the writer's astonhhanent, as well aw
praise, or the accouunodetioes which were contrived and exe-
cuted to transport the French sick and wounded from Acre
to Jaffa, and thence across the Desart.
I here took *melon to observe, " that a tate
of
traveller, a distinguished scholar and learned professor . the
University of Cambridge, had excited a very general doubt
respecting the accuracy Of this particular part of Sir Robert
Wilson's narrative. Dr. Clark, the person to chant I alliided.
had" I said," travelled throttgb Turkey, and as I believed.'
by the route of Aleppo and Damascus to Jerusalem, and
lions thence to Jaffa, where he remained souse time. This'
gentlensadrehose character stands high in the world, may he
said to cohtradict the testimony of his countryman Sir Robert,
respecting the charge which the former niarbe said to have
brought forward against yon. Though he merely states that
he never heard of the cruel transaction ; but very naturalli
observes, that if such an extraordinary event had occurred,
as the murder of such a number of Frenchmen by their own'
General, 1101118 traces or recollection of so horrid an event.
and of such recent occurrence, must have transpired, and
been communicated to him during his residence there." A.
question instantaneously followed—" 11.14 this traveller said
any thing of El Arish?"—My memory did not serve me sra.
cieutly to give au answer. " Well," be continued," you dud
also bear the particulars of El Arab and the garrison of Jaffa.
You have read, without doubt, of my having ordered the
Turks to be shot at Jaffa." " Yes, indeed," I replied, " g
have often heard of that massacre in England: it was sr
general topic at the time, and treated as a Britielt mind never
fails to consider subjects of that description."—" At the
period in question. General Desalt was left in flipper Egypt)
and Kleber in the vicinity of Damietta. I let Cairo, and
traversed the Arabian Desert, in order to unite my force witk
that of the latter at El Arish. The town was attacked, and
a capitulation succeeded. Many of the prisoners were found,
on examination, to be natives of the mountains, and
tants of Mount.Tabor' but chiefly from Nazareth. They were
immediately released, on their engaging to return quietly to
their houses, children, and wives: at the same time, they
were recommended to acquaint their conntrymee, the Names
lese, that the French were no longer their enemies, melee sy
were foetid ie arms assisting the Packs. When this es rf~
minty was concluded, the army proceeded on its march
toward, Jaffa. Gaza surrendered on the route.—That city,
on the first view of it, bore a formidable appearance, and the
garrison was considerable. It was summoned to surreuder,
when the °flit er, who bore my flag of truce, no sooner passed
the city wall, than his head was inhumanely struck off,, in.
stantly.ifixed on a pole, and insultiagly exposed to the view
of the French army. At the sight of this horrid and unex-
pected object, the indignation of the soldiers knew no
bounds: they were perfectly infuriated; and, with the most
eager impatience demanded to be led on to the storm. I
did not hesitate, under such circumstances, to eonimand it.
The attack was dreadful and tbe carnage exceeded any action-
I had then witnessed. We carried the place, cad it tegtrired
all my efforts and influence to restrain the fiery of the enraged
soldiers. At length I succeeded, and night closed the sae.
gninary scene. At the dawn of the following morning, a report
was brought me, that five hundred men, chiefly Napolese,
who had funned a part of the garrison of El Arish, and tie
whom I bad a few days before given liberty, on condition that
they should return to their homes, were actually found a:ld
recognised amongst the prisoners. On this fart being hide.
Wieldy ascertained, I ordered the five hundred men to b
drawn out and instantly shot."--In the Course of our con-
versation, his anxiety appeared to be extreme, that I should
be satisfied of the truth of every part of his mutative, and
be continually interrupted it, by asking me if I perfectly
comprehended him. He was, however, patience itself, whet
I made any observations expressive of doubts I had previously
, entertained respecting any part of the subjects agitated
between us, or any mat Isle opinion entertained or pre.
'invited in England.

Tee GRAND Duce NlcuotAs.—(From a counter
paper.)—On Saturday the 14th instant, his Imperial
Highness the Grand Duke NichoLis arrived in News.
castle-upon-Tyne. He had slept the night before at Sun..
dedand, where he next morning viewed the pier, the
east iron bridge over the river Wear, the coal straith of
111zslirs. Neshatn and Co., and afterwards took refre3h.
went at Biahopweannouth Rectory. Almost immediate.
ly after his arrival, he priireeded to the Royal Jubilee
Laactisterian School, where he' remained more than an
hour, and expreased himself highly delighted. Before
leaving tke school he inscribed with his own hand, in
the visitor's book, his name in the Russ character, to re.
main as a testimonial of his visit. From the school the
Prince proceeded to Wall's-end colliery, whcr3 Mr.
Buddel explained the whole process of ventilating and
working the mines, and the shipping of caul. Mr.
Bewick hail afterwards the honour of laying before the
Grand Duke specimens of his skill in the art of engray.
in;; upon wood. On Sunday morning his Meiners set
of for Alnwick-castle, and thence to Belford, where we
understand he was to pass the aight, and rowed c*
blonda7 to Edinburgh.