While he was gaining time, he completed his treaty of alliance with Murad Bey.  He granted to him the province of Sai’d, under the supremacy of France, on condition of paying a tribute equivalent to a considerable part of the imposts of that province.  Murad Bey engaged, moreover, to fight for the French; and the French engaged, if they should ever quit the country, to facilitate for him the occupation of Egypt.  Murad Bey faithfully adhered to the treaty which he had just signed, and began by driving from Upper Egypt a Turkish corps which had occupied it.  The insurgents of Cairo obstinately refused to capitulate, and an attack by main force was, therefore, indispensable for completing the reduction of the city, during which several thousand Turks, Mamluks, and insurgents were killed, and four thousand houses were destroyed by fire.  Thus terminated that sanguinary struggle, which had commenced with the battle of Heliopolis on the 20th of March, and which ended on the 25th of April with the departure of the last lieutenants of the vizier, after thirty-five days’ fighting between twenty thousand French on one side, and, on the other, the whole force of the Ottoman empire, seconded by the revolt of the Egyptian towns.

In the Delta all the towns had returned to a state of complete submission.  Murad Bey had driven from Upper Egypt the Turkish detachment of Dervish Pasha.  The vanquished everywhere trembled before the conqueror, and expected a terrible chastisement.  Kleber, who was humane and wise, took good care not to repay cruelties with cruelties.  The Egyptians were persuaded that they should be treated harshly; they conceived that the loss of life and property would atone for the crime of those who had risen in revolt.  Kleber called them together, assumed at first a stern look, but afterwards pardoned them, merely imposing a contribution on the insurgent villages.  Cairo paid ten million francs, a burden far from onerous for so large a city, and the inhabitants considered themselves as most fortunate to get off so easily.  Eight millions more were imposed upon the rebel towns of Lower Egypt.  The army, proud of its victories, confident in its strength, knowing that General Bonaparte was at the head of the government, ceased to doubt that it would soon receive reinforcements.  Kleber had in the plain of Heliopolis made the noblest amends for his momentary faults.

He entered upon a second conquest, showing clemency and humanity on all sides, and everywhere he laboured hard to encourage the arts and industries and agriculture.  He assembled the administrators of the army, the persons best acquainted with the country, and turned his attention to the organisation of the finances of the colony.  He restored the collection of the direct contributions to the Kopts, to whom it had formerly been entrusted, and imposed some new customs’ duties and taxes on articles of consumption.  He gave orders for the completion of the forts constructing around Cairo,