e occupation of the city. He procured a few
light boats, or djerms, and sent across the river a detachment of
troops, which at once restored tranquillity, and secured persons and
property from the fury of the populace.

Bonaparte established his headquarters at Gizeh, on the banks of the
Nile, where Murad Bey had an imposing residence. A considerable store
of provisions was found both at Gizeh and at Embabeh, and the soldiers
could make amends for their long privations. No sooner had he settled
in Cairo than he hastened to pursue the same policy which he had already
adopted at Alexandria, and by which he hoped to gain the country.
The essential point was to obtain from the sheikhs of the mosque of
Jemil-Azar a declaration in favour of the French. It corresponded to
a papal bull among Christians. On this occasion Bonaparte exerted his
utmost address, and was completely successful. The great sheikhs issued
the desired declaration, and exhorted the Egyptians to submit to the
envoy of God, who reverenced the Prophet, and who had come to deliver
his children from the tyranny of the Mamluks. Bonaparte established a
divan at Cairo, as he had done at Alexandria, composed of the principal
sheikhs, and the most distinguished inhabitants. This divan, or
municipal council, was intended to serve him in gaining the minds of the
Egyptians, by consulting it, and learning from it all the details of the
internal administration. It was agreed that similar assemblies should
be established in all the provinces, and that these subordinate divans
should send deputies to the divan of Cairo, which would thus be the
great national divan.

Bonaparte resolved to leave the administration of justice to the cadis.
In execution of his scheme of succeeding to the rights of the Mamluks,
he seized their property, and caused the taxes previously imposed to
continue to be levied for the benefit of the French army. For this
purpose it was requisite that he should have the Kopts at his disposal.
He omitted nothing to attach them to him, holding out hopes to them of
an amelioration of their condition. He sent generals with detachments
down the Nile to complete the occupation of the Delta, which the army
had merely traversed, and sent others towards the Upper Nile, to take
possession of Middle Egypt. Desaix was placed with a division at the
entrance of Upper Egypt, which he was to conquer from Murad Bey, as
soon as the waters of the Nile should subside in the