How many, times have I seen him extended on the ground, examining the beautiful maps which he had brought with him, and he would sometimes make me lie down in the same position to trace to me his projected march.  This reminded him of the triumphs of his favourite hero, Alexander, with whom he so much desired to associate his name; but, at the same time, he felt that these projects were incompatible with our resources, the weakness of the Government; and the dissatisfaction which the army already evinced.  Privation and misery are inseparable from all these remote operations.

This favourite idea still occupied his mind a fortnight before his departure for Syria was determined on, and on the 25th of January 1799 he wrote to Tippoo Saib as follows:—­

You are of course already informed, of my arrival on the banks of the Red Sea, with a numerous and invincible army.  Eager to deliver you from the iron yoke of England, I hasten to request that you will send me, by the way of Mascate or Mocha, an account of the political situation in which you are.  I also wish that you could send to Suez, or Grand Cairo, some able man, in your confidence, with whom I may confer.

—­[It is not true, as has often been stated, that Tippoo Saib wrote to General Bonaparte.  He could not reply to a letter written on the 23th of January, owing to the great difficulty of communication, the considerable distance, and the short interval which elapsed between the 25th of January and the fall of the Empire of Mysore, which happened on the 20th of April following.  The letter to Tippo Saib commenced “Citizen-Sultan!”—­Bourrienne]—­

CHAPTER XVII.

1798-1799.

Bonaparte’s departure for Suez—­Crossing the desert—­Passage of the Red Sea—­The fountain of Moses—­The Cenobites of Mount Sinai—­Danger in recrossing the Red Sea—­Napoleon’s return to Cairo—­Money borrowed at Genoa—­New designs upon Syria—­Dissatisfaction of the Ottoman Porte—­Plan for invading Asia—­Gigantic schemes—­General Berthier’s permission to return to France—­His romantic love and the adored portrait—­He gives up his permission to return home—­Louis Bonaparte leaves Egypt—­The first Cashmere shawl in France—­ Intercepted correspondence—­Departure for Syria—­Fountains of Messoudish—­Bonaparte jealous—­Discontent of the troops—­El-Arish taken—­Aspect of Syria—­Ramleh—­Jerusalem.

On the 24th of December we set out for Suez, where we arrived on the 26th.  On the 25th we encamped in the desert some leagues before Ad-Geroth.  The heat had been very great during the day; but about eleven at night the cold became so severe as to be precisely in an inverse ratio to the temperature of the day.  This desert, which is the route of the caravans from Suez, from Tor and the countries situated on the north of Arabia, is strewed with the bones of the men and animals who, for ages past, have perished