tween
the 25th of January and the fall of the Empire of Mysore, which
happened on the 20th of April following. The letter to Tippo Saib
commenced "Citizen-Sultan!"--Bourrienne]--

CHAPTER XVII.

1798-1799.

Bonaparte's departure for Suez--Crossing the desert--Passage of the
Red Sea--The fountain of Moses--The Cenobites of Mount Sinai--Danger
in recrossing the Red Sea--Napoleon's return to Cairo--Money
borrowed at Genoa--New designs upon Syria--Dissatisfaction of the
Ottoman Porte--Plan for invading Asia--Gigantic schemes--General
Berthier's permission to return to France--His romantic love and the
adored portrait--He gives up his permission to return home--Louis
Bonaparte leaves Egypt--The first Cashmere shawl in France--
Intercepted correspondence--Departure for Syria--Fountains of
Messoudish--Bonaparte jealous--Discontent of the troops--El-Arish
taken--Aspect of Syria--Ramleh--Jerusalem.

On the 24th of December we set out for Suez, where we arrived on the
26th. On the 25th we encamped in the desert some leagues before
Ad-Geroth. The heat had been very great during the day; but about
eleven at night the cold became so severe as to be precisely in an
inverse ratio to the temperature of the day. This desert, which is the
route of the caravans from Suez, from Tor and the countries situated on
the north of Arabia, is strewed with the bones of the men and animals
who, for ages past, have perished in crossing it. As there was no wood
to be got, we collected a quantity of these bones for fuel. Monge
himself was induced to sacrifice some of the curious skulls of animals
which he had picked up on the way and deposited in the Berlin of the
General-in-Chief. But no sooner had we kindled our fires than an
intolerable effluvium obliged us to, raise our camp and advance farther
on, for we could procure no water to extinguish the fires.

On the 27th Bonaparte employed himself in inspecting the town and port
of Suez, and in giving orders for some naval and military works. He
feared--what indeed really occurred after his departure from Egypt--the
arrival of some English troops from the East Indies, which he had
intended to invade. These regiments contributed to the loss of his
conquest.

--[Sir David Baird, with a force of about 7000 men sent from India,
landed at Cosseir in July 1801.]--

On the morning of the 28th we crossed the Red Sea dry-shod, to go to the
Wells of M