From that ill-fated
expedition he returned at the beginning of June. Advantage had been
taken of this opportunity by Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey to collect their
forces and attempt a joint attack on Cairo, but this Bonaparte arrived
in time to defeat, and in the last week of July he inflicted a crushing
defeat on the Turkish army that had landed at Aboukir, aided by the
British fleet commanded by Sir Sidney Smith. Shortly after his victory
Bonaparte left Egypt, having appointed Kleber to govern in his absence,
which he informed the sheiks of Cairo was not to last more than three
months. Kleber himself regarded the condition of the French invaders as
extremely perilous, and wrote to inform the French republic of the
facts. A double expedition shortly after Bonaparte's departure was sent
by the Porte for the recovery of Egypt, one force being despatched by
sea to Damietta, while another under Yusuf Pasha took the land route
from Damascus by al-Arish. Over the first some success was won, in
consequence of which the Turks agreed to a convention (signed January
24, 1800), by virtue of which the French were to quit Egypt. The Turkish
troops advanced to Bilbeis, where they were received by the sheiks from
Cairo, and the Mamelukes also returned to that city from their
hiding-places. Before the preparations for the departure of the French
were completed, orders came to Sir Sidney Smith from the British
government, forbidding the carrying out of the convention unless the
French army were treated as prisoners of war; and when these were
communicated to Kleber he cancelled the orders previously given to the
troops, and proceeded to put the country in a state of defence. His
departure with most of the army to attack the Turks at Mataria led to
riots in Cairo, in the course of which many Christians were slaughtered;
but the national party were unable to get possession of the citadel, and
Kleber, having defeated the Turks, was soon able to return to the
capital. On the 14th of April he bombarded Bulak, and proceeded to
bombard Cairo itself, which was taken the following night. Order was
soon restored, and a fine of twelve million francs imposed on the
rioters. Murad Bey sought an interview with Kleber and succeeded in
obtaining from him the government of Upper Egypt. He died shortly
afterwards and was succeeded by Osman Bey al-Bardisi.

On the 14th of June Kleber was assassinated by a fanatic named Suleiman
of Aleppo, said to have been