gaiety and fortitude, they reached the Nile on the 10th of July, after a march of four days.  At the sight of the Nile and of the water so much longed for, the soldiers flung themselves into it, and, bathing in its waves, forgot their fatigues.  Desaix’ division, which from the advance-guard had become the rear-guard, saw two or three hundred Mamluks galloping before it, whom they dispersed by a few volleys of grape.  These were the first that had been seen, which warned the French that they would speedily fall in with the hostile army.  The brave Murad Bey, having received the intelligence of the arrival of Bonaparte, was actually collecting his forces around Cairo.  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 waters.