Star.
London, England, 1802-09-20 00:00:00

Fcrpr.

The following is an extract of a letter from an
Officer belonging to the Britifh Forces in Egypt,
dated Alexandria, July 9:—
•'
We are (till in a (Late of uncertainty as to the
tme of our departure from this country ; and it
is confidered rather an extraordinary circumftance
that no orders have yet arrived for its evacuation.
I affure you, that if we do not either fpeedily quit
this place, or receive a reinforcement of troops,
Tome very ferious confequences may be apprehend-
ed. The Turks are actually afraid that we intend
to remain in the country. Their jealoufies have
already broke out into ads of infolence towards
the Englifh ; and for tome days reports have been
in circulation that if the Englifh did not evacuate
the country within a given time, ho(tilities would
be commenced again!! them. Of the infulting be-
haviour of the Turks to fome of our officers, a re-
prefentation was lately made to the Turkith Corn-
mindant, but without effeet ; he paid no attention
t) it. In confequence of this, Lord CAVAN has
rtached field-pieces to each regiment ; and or-
dered the toth regiment to encamp in the fquare
of Alexandria. The Turkifh Commandant has
had a conference to-day with the Commander in
Chief, in order to know the reafon for this pro-
ceeding ; and I am told his Lordfhip has declared
that he would make the Turks refpea the Englifh
as long as they remained in Egypt.
" A great part of Egypt is at this moment in a
(Late of diftraftion, a prey to peflilence and civil
war. The ravages which the plague has been
making over the country, has for fome time pre-
vented all communication between Alexandria and
the intetior ; but we know that feveral engage-
ments have taken place between the Turks and
Mamelukes in Upper Egypt, in which the latter
have always been victorious. A veffel which has
juff arrived, brings an account that Gen. STUART
is coming hither with to,ooo men, to fettle the
difputes between the Mamelukes and Turks.
" It has been mentioned that General BAIRD
had marched with his army to Ghiza, on his way
to Suez. I was at Ghiza at the time he (Lopped
there. His men being in great diftrefs for water,
the General fent cut feveral parties to dig wells in
the defart ; and although fome were funk 250 feet
deep, no water could be procured. General BAIRD
embarked on board a sloop of war on the sth of
June. In this MO he intended to go as far as
Cofeir ; and then get on board fome of the Indian
veffels, which are the fafeft in the paffage of the
Red Sea. All his army were embarked at the
time, except the 7th regiment of Seapoys, amongft
whom a cafe of plague occurred ; in confequence
of which the whole regiment remains behind un-
til the difeafe ccafes.

" In the beautiful town of Damanhour, which
had been confidered perfealy free from all danger
of infection, eight men belonging to a detachment
of the 26th Light Dragoons, who were quartered
there at the time, were on the 27th of May feized
with the plague. The detachment was immedi-
ately ordered to march towards Alexandria ; and
the lick were left under the care of Mr. Autzuun.
BELL, a young furgeon, who had been doing duty
there at the time. Out of the eight men who bad
been ill of the plague, and who had been given up
as loft, fix were recovered, and are now perfealy
well. While the detachment was marching to
Alexandria, fix more of the men were attacked
with the plague, and four of them died. The tick
who remained behind were in a camp at time dif-
tance from Damanhour ; there were no other Eng-
lilh in the interior. In this fituation, Mr. BELL.
was informed by the Sheik or Commander of the
town, that the Beduin Arabs, who live by plunder,
were committing depredations about the neigh-
bouring villages, ever fince the troops marched
away ; and that if he did not remove his men in-
to the town, they would be in danger of being
plundered and deftroyed. Mr. B. knowing that
the plague was at that moment raging in Daman-
hour, where twenty ufed to.die in a day, remain-
ed where he was ; but obtained from the Sheik, a
guard of twelve armed men, who patrolled about
the camp every night until the foldiers were in a
condition to be fent away to a peninfula between
Aboukir and Alexandria, where the detachment
was then performing quarantine.
g The plague has -almoft depopulated Rofetta,
and the town of Rhamanie on the banks of the
; and the communication between this and
the interior of the country being cut off, provi.
fions are brought from the villages, aryl received
at a place called Cavan's Cut, on the canal of
Foue ; where there is an officer's guard Ilationed
to fee this done, as well as to prevent the Arabs
on either tide from coming in contaa with each
other.' The progrefs of the plague hits been moil
, fortunately put a flop to at Alexandria, by the
exertions of the Board of Health eflabliihed here.;
over which Colonel BIRESFORD, of the 88th
attention meet,
P re
ftl! ethe publicStic has
welfare, been hisby
cuttingvi g vigilance ct
,f
f allcad
communication with chfeafed perfons ; making
thofe who had been fo perform the limitary qua-
' rantine, &c. that the diftemper has fcarcely (hewn
• .1* tr _