Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-06-23

demi. Swans. Buttoned up to the throat in hia
gold-laced coat, with his burning sword under
his arm--wth compressed lip and thoughtful
look, the leader firmly trod at the head Of his
staff He looked not to the right or the left.
The course was regularly laid down by the as.
| tronomer, and the amount Of each days march
was laid before the commandment chief, ere the
order to rest Numbered along the weary line.
The third day came, and the General began
to be aware that the river Of Egypt was at hand.
The arms of the careless wanderers were
now inspected Terrible as was the sun even
here, still the iron law Of military despotism was
enforced The uniforms of the stragglers were
now brushed up-the ranks closed their files,
The eagles waved in the centre, and the army
in order of battle drew near the river Nile.
Noon came, and all at once the river, the
beautiful river, rolled in ts majesty at the feet
of the adventures. At little distance ffoated
the fota, with the flag Of the republic waving
proudly DER it and green field and waving
groves, spread in beauty around them. The
Nile! tie Nile = Numbered along the line, and
then offcero and men, without due considera.
ton rushed headong into its Shiny waters.
Not soldier threw off his knapsack or stacked
his musket. Water! Water! Oh God, a
drop of water' cried the weary and sick ; nor
did the cry cease, until the foremost soldiers
having satisfied themselves, ministered to the
wants of their fellows. The army soon reach.
ed Danhour, and encamped upon field Of grain.
Hearing that the Mamelukes we're at Che
brelssa to dispute the progress, the leaders gave
the word, and the army moved up the Nile, in
solid squares. horserlan splendidly dressed
with his turban waving gaily in the breeze, now
lowered along the edge Of the horizon, refining
in his melted steed. Another and another ap.
peared until respectable number had mustered;
and with a horrid yell rushed upon the advanc.
ing army. II was the onset Of the Ma,nelukes,
under Mourad Bey, and dearly did the French
men suffer. Though near the Nile the soldiers
were dying with thurst and if one was adven.
turous enough to seek draught from the swol.
len river, the next moment he was either pierre
ed by the spear, or oehcaded by stroke Of the
scimltar from the Arab horsemen.
Where is Carrot it is but city Of mud
huts, cried the ignorant sufferers, If we are
TO die in the desert-if we are to thirst by the
rivers and starve by the green pastures, let us
Gle at once by the sword of the Mameukes.'
Observation-Disclosures, cried thousand
voices, as the morning of the 18th dawned upon
the Army Of the French.
Mourad Bey and his matchless cavalry await.
ed the approach Of the weary squares, and soon
the war cry Of tine horsemen struck upon the
; Generals ear The battle now commenced in
) earnest. The Mamelukes, fresh and powerful
on the most splendid horses Of the East glitter.
ing with gold and silver jewels, charged upon
. the squares of French infantry. Dreadful was
the onset, terrible the meeting; death hung
upon blow, and destruction upon horses
! hoof.
1t was battle Of stern necessity on the part
of the invaders The desert and shame lay be.
hnd-Cairo and glory before-the cymbals Of
Mourad Bey clash d-the bugles sounded shrill,
and the Mamelukes again threw themselves
upon the solid squares,
When stabbed or wounded witt, gunshot,
the wild horseman Of the desert chung 70 hs
s,eed and he was dragged along to the ground,
leaving bloody trail behind he CRASHED his
teeth in bitter hatred, and swept his flashing
scm;tar across the knee OF the foremost ranks
Of the bristling squares.
The Turkish fleet now attacked the French
flotila. Heavy cannon Numbered up the Nile.
and walked the echoes of the Pyramids but
after several hours hard fighting MouradBey pro.
nounced the French to be nvincible, leaving
three hundred CORY dead upon the battle field
The Turkish feet at the same time hauled off
!, in great distress, and the lannon's roar melted
into the bugle's meodious note upon the arid
, plains Of Chebreissa.
f Ha, Murat said Napoleon as ne rode over
the field of the dead, and saw the wild dog feast.
, ing upon the turbaned coroses, give me the Ma.
meluke cavalry and the French infantry, and
: will conquer the world
You will conquer i, without said Murat
. with smile, but see, the columns wait
Onward, said the leader, with wave of hiS
; hand; ten days, and cup in Cairo
For eight days the army continued to advance
now resting amid the ruins of some ancient city,
and now cooling their thirst from the sluggish
tide Of some muddy stream. The General, loo,
as he had done throughout the march, shared
in all things with the meanest soldier. His
head rested upon the sand stone of the waste
his marquee was the jewe!ed canopy of Heaven
his lull the howl of the iackals, and his re.
veille the yell of the skirmishing Mameluke.
In squares six deep on each side, with the ar.
tillery at the right angles, and the cavalry, bag.
gage and ammunition in the centre, the French
army drew near the plain Of Cairo.
II was on the 10Th of July, at daybreak, when
a shout from the vanguard broke upon the lug.
gard ear, and a peaked cloud seemed to rise
from the Nile, and caught his eager eye az he
gazed around the horizon. Napoleon and hS
staff; mounted on swift dromedaries, rode TO tho
front Of his columns. The night on its black
wings, passed swiftly among the mountains of
Upper Egypt. The sun rose in Eastern splen.
dor from the desert and lit the eolnbre sands
a bright ray flashed upon the far distant object.
1t was spectacle never equalled in sublimity.
The whole army exclaimed, as one man, the
Pyramids = and as the squares advanced with
martial music, train Of camels came tinkling
round the base OF the Sphynx an Arab horse.
man ganoped out of sight behind the shade of
the Grge, and the strain OF the dying cymbaIs
Of the Mameluke melted away in the rosy light.
Napoleon had passed the DESERT and the
tmedefying tombs of the Pharoahs flashed id
the clear atmosphere before him.