The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-03-18


deavor looked more and more to the crea-
ton of Continental power which should
countervail British supremacy on the deep.
The result to him of the battle of the Nile
was in every way disastrous. The effect
of it was calculated to inspire distrust in
France, encourage the Coalition, and in
particular to rekindle the smou dering
hatred of the Mamelukes.
Complaints broke out In the French
army. Though victory came, deprivation
came also. The soldiers were scorched on
the blistering plains, and had little to eat
but waternelons. Nevertheless, Napoleon
went steadily on with his scheme. On the
21st Of August he founded i'm Cairo an in
stitute of arts and sciences. The sayants
who had come with the expedition laid
the foundations of modern Egyptology.
Bonaparte had the dyke opened. by which
the canal of Cairo receives its supply from
the Nile. Then he participated in the an
nual festival of Mohammed. He made
common cause with the Islamite priests;
put himself-at least for day-into
Turkish dress; visited the mosques, and
attempted in every way to confirm his in
fiuence with the people. Volumes could
not contain the story of what was said
and planned by this extraordinary person
age on the sands of Egypt
On the 22nd of October. at n preconcert-
ed signal, Cairo broke into instruction.
For while the French occupancy was en-
dangered; but the revolt was suppressed
and "A terrible vengeance was wreaked on
its authors. Meanwhile, Napoleon con-
ceived the project of making a campaign
into Syria, and attacking the English
stronghold Of Jaffa and st. Jean Acre
The situation was this: France and Tur-
key were noninally at peace. Napoleon
bad overthrown the Sultan's rebellious
beys in Egypt Therefore he was a friend
of the Sultan; and he of him But the
thick brain of the Porte at length cleared
sufficiently to SEQ that Murad and Ibra-
him Beys were not half so dangerous as
the foreign lion that now sat on his
launches at Cairo, licking his :Gouth for
more. The Sultan perceived that the
French must be expelled. Napoleon had
seen that this conclusion would be reached,
and that Turkish army might he expect
ed 20 come against him out of Syria.
Therefore he would better preoccupy Syria.
Moreover. the hated English had got the
coast of tho Eastern Mediterranean. The
Turkish army might not be expected dur
ing the winter; but the English were
there already. Hence the Syrian expedi.
ton.
Napoleon divided his forces. He left
about twelve thousand mon to occupy
Egypt, and with like number set out, on
the lth of February, l799 in the direc-
tion of Suez and Palestine The march
was accompanied with great hardships.
At the wells of Messoudiah the French
found water; and soon afterwards the
green and fertile plains OF Syria arose to
view. El-Arish was taken on the 18th of
February. On the LIST of March, Napoleon
slept at the convent of Ramleh. He passed
within a few miles of Jerusalem, and then
made his way to Jaffa. siege was i'm
mediately begun, and on the 9th Of March
the place was taken, with pillage and mas
sacre. About four thousand of the pris-
oners were, after three days of delibera-
ton, set in lines on the seashore and shot.
This was done under the terrible neces-
sity of the French to preserve themselves
in the enemy's country.
Next came the horror of tho plague.
With the fall of Jaffa, the march was be-
gun against st. Jean d'Acre. The Arabs
now made common cause with the Turks.
Lannes, pursuing the wild men into the
passes of Nablous, was ambushed, and
lost considerable number of mon. On
the 18th of March the French arrived at
Acre, and found that the Pasha Djezzar
had cut off the head of Napoleon's envoy,
and thrown his body into the sea- The
English under Sir Sidney Smith, as well
as the Turks, held the fortress and town.
The civilized enemies had some fruitless
negotiations, ending in a challenge of
Bonaparte by Sir Sidney TO fight duel,
a la Plantagenetl To this Napoleon an
swered that he had too many affairs on his
hands to trouble himself with SO small a
matterl
Acre was besieged until the 4th of May,
when the French ammunition began to