library, of small volumes, arranged under the different
heads of Science, Geography and Travels, History, Poetry, Romance,
Politics. The "works on Politics" are six in number: viz. Montesquieu's
_Spirit of Laws_, a compendium of Mythology, the Vedam, the Koran, and
the Old and New Testaments--all in French.]

CHAPTER XI

The Voyage to Egypt--Malta surrendered--The French escape Nelson,
and take Alexandria--The March up the Nile--The Battle of the
Pyramids--Cairo surrenders--The Battle of Aboukir.

The French fleet was reinforced, ere it had proceeded far on its way, by
General Dessaix, and his division from Italy; and, having prosperous
winds, appeared on the 10th of June off Malta. The Knights of St. John
were no longer those hardy and devout soldiers of the cross, who for
ages inspired terror among the Mussulmans, and were considered as the
heroic outguards of Christendom. Sunk in indolence and pleasure, these
inheritors of a glorious name hardly attempted for a moment to defend
their all but impregnable island, against the fleet which covered the
seas around them. The Parisian authorities had tampered successfully
beforehand with some of the French knights. Division of counsels
prevailed: and in confusion and panic the gates were thrown open. As
Napoleon was entering between the huge rocky barriers of La Valette,
Caffarelli said to him: "It is well there was some one within to open
the door for us; had there been no garrison at all, the business might
have been less easy."

From Malta--where he left a detachment of troops to guard an acquisition
which he expected to find eminently useful in his future communications
with France--Buonaparte steered eastwards; but, after some days, ran
upon the coast of Candia to take in water and fresh provisions, and, by
thus casually diverging from his course, escaped imminent danger. For
Nelson, soon returning to Toulon, missed the shipping which had so
lately crowded the harbour, and ascertaining that they had not sailed
towards the Atlantic, divined on the instant that their mark must be
Egypt. His fleet was inferior in numbers, but he pursued without
hesitation; and taking the straight line, arrived off the Nile before
any of the French ships had appeared there. Buonaparte, on hearing off
Candia that the English fleet was already in the Levant, directed
Admiral Brueyes to steer not for Alexandria, but for a more northerly
point of the coast of Africa.