army is in a fituation to require my prefence, or it becomes indifpenfable by the urgency of circumftances. In making this refervation, I beg it to be understood, that I do not mean to withhold any affiftance to arrange and organize the army, which you may think I can afford. I take the liberty alfo to mention, that I muft decline having my acceptance confidered as drawing after it any immediate charges upon the public; or that I can receive any emoluments annexed to the appointment, before entering into a fituation to incur expenfe. The Secretary of War being anxious to return to the feat of government, I have detained him no longer than was neceflary to a full communication upon the feveral points he had in charge. With very great refpect and confideration, I have the honour to be, dear Sir, Your most obedient, humble fervant, Buonaparte to the Pacha of Egypt. On board l'Orient, 12 Meffidor (June 30). THE Executive Directory of the French republic have frequently applied to the Sublime Porte to demand the punishment of the Beys of Egypt, who oppreffed with their vexations the merchants of France. But the Sublime Porte declared, that the Beys, an avaricious and fickle race, refused to liften to the principles of justice, and not only that the Porte did not authorize thefe infults, but withdrew their protection from the perfons by whom they were committed. The French republic has refolved to fend a powerful army, to put an end to the exactions of the Beys of Egypt, in the fame manner as it has been feveral times compelled, during the prefent century, to take thefe meafurcs against the Beys of Tunis and Algiers. You, who ought to be the mafter of the Beys, and yet are kept at Cairo, without power or authority, you ought to regard my arrival with pleafure. You are, doubtlefs, already apprifed that I come not to attempt any thing against the Alcoan or the Sultan. You know that the French nation is the only ally which the Sultan has in Europe. Come then and meet me, and curfe along with me the impious race of the Beys. (Signed) BUONAPARTE. Buonaparte, a Buonaparte, Commander in Chief, to the Commander of the Caravan. On board l'Orient, 13 Melfidor (July 1). THE Beys have oppreffed our merchants with vexation; I am come to demand reparation. To-morrow I fhall be in Alexandria. You ought to feel no uneafinefs; you belong to our grand friend, the Sultan; conduct yourself accordingly. But if you commit the leaft hoftility against the French army, I fhall treat you as an enemy; and for this you must be accountable, as it is far from my heart and from my intentions. BUONAPARTE. (Signed) Buonaparte, General in Chief, to the People of Egypt. FOR a long time the Beys who govern Egypt have infulted the French nation, and opprefled the merchants with exactions. For a long time this heap of flaves, purchafed in the Caucafus and Georgia, have tyrannized over the fairest part of the world. But God, upon whom all depends, has directed that their empire fhould finish. Inhabitants of Egypt, when the Beys tell you I come to deftroy your religion, believe them not. Anfwer them, that I come to refcue the rights of the poor from the hands of their tyrants; and that the French refpect, more than the Mamelucks, God, his Prophet, and the Koran. Tell them that all men are equal in the eyes of God. Underftanding, ingenuity, and fcience alone, make a difference between them; and what wisdom, what talents, what virtues diftinguish the Mamelucks, that they should have exclufively all that renders life fweet and pleasant? Is there a beautiful woman? She belongs to the Mamelucks. Is there a handfome flave, a fine horfe, a fine houfe? They belong to the Mamelucks. Is Egypt their farm? Let them fhow the leafe which God has given them. But God is just and merciful to all people. All the Egyptians are entitled to the poffeffion of all places. The wifeft, most enlightened, and most virtuous will govern, and the people will be happy. You had once great cities, large canals, much trade who has deftroyed them but the avarice, injuftice, and tyranny of the Mamelucks? Cadis, Cheiks, Imans, Tcherbadjies, tell the people that we are the friends of true Muffulmen. Did not we deftroy the Pope, who saw that it was neceffary to make war against the Mullulmen? Did we not destroy the Knights of Malta, because those foolish men thought that God wifhed war to be carried on against the Muffulmen? Have not we been at all times the friends of the Grand I Grand Seignior, (may God accomplish his wishes!) and the foe of his foes? The Mamelucks, on the contrary, are not they ever revolting against the authority of the Grand Seignior, whom they ftill refufe to acknowledge? Thrice happy thofe who are with us! they fhall profper in their fortune and rank-happy thofe who are neuter! they will have time to learn, to know us, and will be with us. But miferable, thrice miferable thofe who fhall arm for the Mamelucks, and fight against us there fhall be no hope for them, they shall perish! Art. I. All places which thall be three leagues diftant from the route of the French army, fhall fend one of their principal inhabitants to the General to declare that they fubmit, and will hoift the French flag, which is blue, white, and red. II. Every village which thall arm against the French army fhall be burned to the ground. III. Every village which fhall fubmit to the French fhall hoift the French flag, and that of the Sublime Port, their ally. IV. The Cheiks fhall feal up the houfes and effects of the Mamelucks, and take care that not the fmalleft article fhall be loft. V. The Cheiks, Cadis, and Imans, fhall continue to exercife their refpective functions. Each inhabitant fhall remain in his houfe, and prayers fhall continue as ufual: every one shall return thanks to God for the deftruction of the Mamelucks. Glory to the Sultan, glory to the French army His friend! Curfes to the Mamelucks, and happiness to the people of Egypt ! BUONAPARTE. (Signed) Orders of Buonaparte, General in Chief. Head Quarters on board l'Orient, 3d Mefider (21ft June), 6th Year. ART. J. Every individual of the army who fhall pillage or fieal fhall be fhot. II. Every individual of the army who fhall impofe contributions upon towns, villages, or individuals, or fhall commit extortions, of whatever kind they may be, fhall be fhot. III. When any individuals of a divifion fhall have committed any diforders in a country, the whole divifion fhall be responsible. If the guilty are known, the General in Chief fhall order them to be fhot; if they are unknown, the General in Chief fhall endeavour to difcover them; and if they remain undiscovered, he fhall retain, on account of the divifion, the fum neceffary to indemnify the inhabitants for the lofs they may have sustained. IV.No individual of the army is authorized to make requifitions, nor raise contributions, unlefs furnished with inftructions from the Commiffary in Chief, in purfurance of an order of the General in Chief. In cafe of urgency, as it often happens in war, if the General in Chief and the Commiffary in Chief fhould chance to be at a diftance from a divifion, the General of Divifion may authorize the Commiffary at War to make the requifitions of urgency. V. The General of Divifion fhall immediately fend to the Ge neral in Chief a copy of the authority which he fhall have given; and the Commiffary at War fhall immediately fend to the Com miffary in Chief a copy of the objects he requires. VI. Nothing but neceffaries for the foldiers, hofpitals, tranfports, and artillery, fhall be put in requifition. VII. When once the requifitions are made, the objects required fhall be put into the hands of the agents of the different adminiftrations, who shall give receipts for them, and receive others from thofe to whom they fhall diftribute them, and shall be accountable for every thing. Thus in no cafe can officers or foldiers receive directly the objects required. VIII. All money, gold, and filver, proceeding from requifitions, contributions, or otherwife, fhall within twelve hours be depofited in the cheft of the Paymaster of divifion; and in cafe he fhall be at a distance, it mall be depofited in the cheft of the Quartermaster of the corps. IX. In thofe places where there fhall be a commandant, no requifition fhall be made without the Commiffary at War first acquainting the commandant of the place by whose order it is the requifition is made. The commandant of the place fhall immediately inform the Etat Major-general thereof. X. Those who act contrary to the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and roth articles, fhall be cafhiered, and condemned to two years imprisonment. XI. The General in Chief orders the General Chief of the Etat Major, Generals of Divifion, and Commiffaries in Chief, to ufe their utmost endeavours to execute the prefent order; his intention being, that the funds of the army fhall not be applied to the advantage of a few individuals, but to the advantage of all. The General in Chief, (Signed) BUONAPARTE. VOL. VII. 3 L Declaration Declaration of the Mufti and principal Cheiks of the City of Alexandria, in the Name of the Inhabitants. GLORY to God, to whom all glory is due, and peace to the holy Prophet Mahomet, his family, and the companions of his divine miffion. The following agreement has been concluded between us, the chief men of the city of Alexandria, whofe names are hereunto fubjoined, and the General in Chief of the French army encamped in this city. The undersigned Chiefs fhall continue to obferve the law and facred inftitutions. They hall determine all difference according to the pureft juftice, and carefully keep at a distance from the crooked path of iniquity. The Cadi, to whofe care the tribunal of justice is to be confided, fhall be a man of the pureft morals and the most irreproachable conduct; but he fhall not pronounce any fentence without firft confulting the chiefs of the law, and his final judgment fhall be regulated by their decifion. The fub. fcribing Cheiks fhall ftudy the means of making righteousness flourish, and direct all their efforts to that object, as if animated with the fame fpirit. They fhall take no refolution but what is adopted with one accord. They fhall zealously labour for the good of the country, the happiness of the people, and the deftruction of the children of vice and iniquity. They further promife never to betray or attempt to enfnare the French army, to ac contrary to its interefts, nor enter into any confpiracy that may be formed against it. To all these promifes they have bound themselves by the most folemn oath, which they renew by this act in the fincereft and moft religious manner. The General in Chief of the French army promifes on his part, that no one of the foldiers fhall moleft the inhabitants of Alexandria by vexatious proceedings, rapine, or menaces; and those who shall commit fuch excelles fhall be punished with the utmost rigour. The General in Chief has alfo moft folemnly promifed, that he fhall never attempt to compel any of the inhabitants to change their religion, nor to make any innovation in their religious ufages; but, on the contrary, affures them, that his wifh is, that they fhall continue to profefs their religion, and that he will continue to maintain their tranquillity and property by all the means in his power, as long as they fhall abstain from any attempt against his perfon, or the army which he commands. The prefent convention was prepared and figned on the morning of Wednesday the 20th of the moon Muharem, 1213th year of |