Brighouse & Rastrick Gazette. — 1882-09-30 (Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England)

THE REVOLT OF CAIRO AGAINST THE FRENCH IN 1800.  The Morning Post has published the following letter  Sir,—As there is uneasiness in Cairo just now, notwithstanding the large force we have there, it may be Interesting to your readers to turn to history, which so often repeats itself, and to observe what took place on a former occasion in that city. Before March, 1600, General Kleber made preparation to evacuate Egypt. By the 20th of that month he had defeated the Turkish army, more than twice as numerous as his own, at the battle of Heliopolis, a few miles from Cairo and was engaged in pacifying Damietta, Belbeis, and Lesheh. He bad sent nearly the whole of his matkriel to Lower Egypt, under the idea that he would very soon emblirk for France, when news arrived that Cairo was in revolt ) that soldiers and Christians caught separately had been murdered; that the houses of European merchants bad been stormed their owners slaughtered, and their wives and their daughters carried off ; that the Arab chief of the police, who attempted to restore order, had been impaled, together with another high official; and that 50,000 Turks, Budraashes, and Arabs, armed with swords, pikes, and old muskets, were surging round the Residency and its little garrison of two hundred French soldiers. General Verdier, shut up in the citadel with 2,000 men, could render no help, and it required heroic exertions on the part of the little garrison to keep the ferocious multitude si4 bay till General Lagrange arrived with his brigade and relieved them. On the arrival of lildber with the French army, 2000„Q strong, steps were taken to clear the front of the Reildency and the heads of the streets terminating in Ezbekyeh-square, whence the French army had to debauch. This was done on the 3rd and 4th of April; but all was not ready till the 15th. On that day, and in order to intimidate the city, , which had a full view of the scene, Kl4ber ordered the sulanb of Buulac to be btAubarded 11.1,d stoimed. The French infantry met k most obstinate resisthnce, General Friant's division struggled for hours In the suburb, the result being a dreadful massacre of the insurgents and the complete destruction of the place. The horrible eight was witnessed by the whole population of Cairo. The city was now attacked in its turn. The blowing down of the houses round Ezbekyeh-square was the signal for the divisions of Friant and Belliard to debauch from the square into the city. General ltegnier's division entered at the north and east gates, while Verdier, from the elevated citadel, rained bombs on the Arab quarter. The aeseadt lasted all day. A. dreadful menage took place, which only ceased on the separation of the combatants by night. Thousands were slain, and over 500 houses were burnt down in the city alone.  Now, what are we to learn from all this, which, though new to many of your readers, is not so to Sir Garnet Wolseley, who has always been a careful student of military history? We have this to learn, that, as the Egyptians would never have dared to rise had not the French made preparations for departure, so the withdrawal of our troops will probably cause our general some anxiety. The measures, therefore, he may advise regarding the care of that great city Cairo, with its 300,000 inhabitants, should meet with the hearty support of this country, whatever may be tho opinion of the rest of Europe.—Your obedient servant, —EDWARD PALLISSER, late Captain 7th Hussars. Army and Navy Club, Sept. 23.