diness; four hundred transports were assembled,
and chartered by government in the port of Marseilles, while the vessels
of war, which were to form the convoy, were appointed their rendezvous
in the neighborhood of Toulon. After some hesitation as to who should
command this important expedition, the Count de Bourmont, then minister
at war, thought fit to appoint himself; and his etat-major was soon
complete, Desprez acting as chief, and Tholoze as second in command.
Maubert de Neuilly was chosen provost-marshal, De Bartillat (who
afterwards wrote an entertaining account of the expedition)
quarter-master general, and De Carne commissary-general to the forces.
In addition to these, there were about twenty aid-de-camps, orderlies,
and young men of rank attached to the staff, together with a Spanish
general, an English colonel, a Russian colonel and lieutenant, and two
Saxon officers, deputed by their respective governments. There were also
a section of engineer-geographers, whose business was to survey and map
the country as it was conquered, "and," says M. Roget, who was himself
employed in the service we have just mentioned, and to whose excellent
work, written in that capacity, we are so much indebted, "twenty-four
interpreters, the half of whom knew neither French nor Arabic, were
attached-to the different corps of the army, in order to facilitate
their intercourse with the inhabitants." As the minister had determined
on risking his own reputation on the expedition, the supplies were all,
of course, of the completest kind, and in the greatest abundance.
Provisions for three months were ordered; an equal quantity was to be
forwarded as soon as the army had landed in Africa; and, amongst the
other materials furnished we observe, in looking over the returns,
thirty wooden legs, and two hundred crutches, for the relief of the
unfortunate heroes, a boring apparatus to sink pumps, if water should
run short, and a balloon, with two aeronauts, to reconnoitre the enemy's
position, in case, as was represented to be their wont, they should
entrench themselves under the shelter of hedges and brushwood.

The French effected a landing at Sidy-el-Ferruch, a small promontory,
about five leagues to the west of Algiers, and half a league to the east
of the river Massaflran, where it discharges itself into the bay. On the
14th of June they all landed without opposition.

After a continued series of engagements and skirmishes the army got