g. Buonaparte
saved us all by one of those simple expedients which occur to an
imperturbable mind. Placing himself in the centre, he bade all the rest
form a circle round him, and then ride out each man in a separate
direction, and each to halt as soon as he found his horse swimming. The
man whose horse continued to march the last, was sure, he said, to be in
the right direction; him accordingly we all followed, and reached Suez
at two in the morning in safety, though so rapidly had the tide
advanced, that the water was at the poitrels of our horses ere we made
the land."

On his return to Cairo, the General despatched a trusty messenger into
India, inviting _Tippoo Saib_ to inform him exactly of the condition of
the English army in that region, and signifying that Egypt was only the
first post in a march destined to surpass that of Alexander! "He spent
whole days," writes his secretary, "in lying flat on the ground
stretched upon maps of Asia."

At length the time for action came. Leaving 15,000 in and about Cairo,
the division of Dessaix in Upper Egypt, and garrisons in the chief
towns,--Buonaparte on the 11th of February 1799 marched for Syria at the
head of 10,000 picked men, with the intention of crushing the Turkish
armament in that quarter, before their chief force (which he now knew
was assembling at Rhodes) should have time to reach Egypt by sea.
Traversing the desert which divides Africa from Asia, he took possession
of the fortress El-Arish, (15 Feb.) whose garrison, after a vigorous
assault, capitulated on condition that they should be permitted to
retreat into Syria, pledging their parole not to serve again during the
war. Pursuing his march, he took Gazah (that ancient city of the
Philistines) without opposition; but at Jaffa (the Joppa of holy writ)
the Moslem made a resolute defence. The walls were carried by storm,
3000 Turks died with arms in their hands, and the town was given up
during three hours to the fury of the French soldiery--who never, as
Napoleon confessed, availed themselves of the licence of war more
savagely than on this occasion.

A part of the garrison--amounting, according to Buonaparte, to 1200 men,
but stated by others as nearly 3000 in number--held out for some hours
longer in the mosques and citadel; but at length, seeing no chance of
rescue, grounded their arms on the 7th of March. Eugene Beauharnois, who
in person accepted their submission, was violently rebuked by Napoleon
f