Meanwhile events were crowding thick and fast upon Bonaparte.  To free himself from the terrible risks which had menaced his force off the Egyptian coast, he landed his troops, 35,000 strong, with all possible expedition at Marabout near Alexandria, and, directing his columns of attack on the walls of that city, captured it by a rush (July 2nd).

For this seizure of neutral territory he offered no excuse other than that the Beys, who were the real rulers of Egypt, had favoured English commerce and were guilty of some outrages on French merchants.  He strove, however, to induce the Sultan of Turkey to believe that the French invasion of Egypt was a friendly act, as it would overthrow the power of the Mamelukes, who had reduced Turkish authority to a mere shadow.  This was the argument which he addressed to the Turkish officials, but it proved to be too subtle even for the oriental mind fully to appreciate.  Bonaparte’s chief concern was to win over the subject population, which consisted of diverse races.  At the surface were the Mamelukes, a powerful military order, possessing a magnificent cavalry, governed by two Beys, and scarcely recognizing the vague suzerainty claimed by the Porte.  The rivalries of the Beys, Murad and Ibrahim, produced a fertile crop of discords in this governing caste, and their feuds exposed the subject races, both Arabs and Copts, to constant forays and exactions.  It seemed possible, therefore, to arouse them against the dominant caste, provided that the Mohammedan scruples of the whole population were carefully respected.  To this end, the commander cautioned his troops to act towards the Moslems as towards “Jews and Italians,” and to respect their muftis and imams as much as “rabbis and bishops.”  He also proclaimed to the Egyptians his determination, while overthrowing Mameluke tyranny, to respect the Moslem faith:  “Have we not destroyed the Pope, who bade men wage war on Moslems?  Have we not destroyed the Knights of Malta, because those fools believed it to be God’s will to war against Moslems?” The French soldiers were vastly amused by the humour of these proceedings, and the liberated people fully appreciated the menaces with which Bonaparte’s proclamation closed, backed up as these were by irresistible force.[102]

After arranging affairs at Alexandria, where the gallant Kleber was left in command, Bonaparte ordered an advance into the interior.  Never, perhaps, did he show the value of swift offensive action more decisively than in this prompt march on Damanhour across the desert.  The other route by way of Rosetta would have been easier; but, as it was longer, he rejected it, and told off General Menou to capture that city and support a flotilla of boats which was to ascend the Nile and meet the army on its march to Cairo.  On July 4th the first division of the main force set forth by night into the desert south of Alexandria.  All was new and terrible; and, when the rays of the sun smote on their