. Until they should have assembled, he was hovering with a thousand
horse about the army, in order to watch its march.

The army waited at Ramanieh for the arrival of the flotilla. It rested
till July 13th, and set out on the same day for Chebreiss. Murad Bey was
waiting there with his Mamluks. The flotilla, which had set out
first and preceded the army, found itself engaged before it could be
supported. Murad Bey had a flotilla also, and from the shore he joined
his fire to that of his light Egyptian vessels. The French flotilla had
to sustain a very severe combat. Perree, a naval officer who commanded
it, displayed extraordinary courage; he was supported by the cavalry,
who had come dismounted to Egypt, and who, until they could equip
themselves at the expense of the Mamluks, had taken their passage
by water. Two gunboats were retaken from the enemy, and Perree was
repulsed.

At that moment the army came up; it was composed of five divisions, and
had not yet been in action with its singular enemies. To swiftness and
the charge of horse, and to sabre-cuts, it would be necessary to
oppose the immobility of the foot-soldier, his long bayonet, and masses
presenting a front on every side. Bonaparte formed his five divisions
into five squares, in the centre of which were placed the baggage and
the staff. The artillery was at the angles. The five divisions flanked
one another. Murad Bey flung upon these living citadels a thousand or
twelve hundred intrepid horse; who, bearing down with loud shouts and
at full gallop, discharging their pistols, and then drawing their
formidable sabres, threw themselves upon the front of the squares.
Encountering everywhere a hedge of bayonets and a tremendous fire, they
hovered about the French ranks, Fell before them, or scampered off in
the plain at the utmost speed of their horses. Murad Bey, after losing
a few of his bravest men, retired for the purpose of proceeding to the
point of the Delta, and awaiting them near Cairo at the head of all his
forces.

This action was sufficient to familiarise the army with this new kind of
enemy, and to suggest to Bonaparte the kind of tactics which he ought to
employ with them. He pursued his march towards Cairo, and the flotilla
ascended the Nile abreast of the army. It marched without intermission
during the following days, and, although the soldiers had fresh
hardships to endure, they kept close to the Nile, and could bathe every
night in its wat