Some time after the revolt of Cairo the necessity of ensuring our own safety forced the commission of a terrible act of cruelty.  A tribe of Arabs in the neighbourhood of Cairo had surprised and massacred a party of French.  The General-in-Chief ordered his aide de camp Croisier to proceed to the spot, surround the tribe, destroy the huts, kill all the men, and conduct the rest of the population to Cairo.  The order was to decapitate the victims, and bring their heads in sacks to Cairo to be exhibited to the people.  Eugene Beauharnais accompanied Croisier, who joyfully set out on this horrible expedition, in hope of obliterating all recollection of the affair of Damanhour.

On the following day the party returned.  Many of the poor Arab women had been delivered on the road, and the children had perished of hunger, heat, and fatigue.  About four o’clock a troop of asses arrived in Ezbekye’h Place, laden with sacks.  The sacks were opened and the heads rolled out before the assembled populace.  I cannot describe the horror I experienced; but I must nevertheless acknowledge that this butchery ensured for a considerable time the tranquillity and even the existence of the little caravans which were obliged to travel in all directions for the service of the army.

Shortly before the loss of the fleet the General-in Chief had formed the design of visiting Suez, to examine the traces of the ancient canal which united the Nile to the Gulf of Arabia, and also to cross the latter.  The revolt at Cairo caused this project to be adjourned until the month of December.

Before his departure for Suez.  Bonaparte granted the commissary Sucy leave to return to France.  He had received a wound in the right hand, when on board the xebec ‘Cerf’.  I was conversing with him on deck when he received this wound.  At first it had no appearance of being serious; but some time after he could not use his hand.  General Bonaparte despatched a vessel with sick and-wounded, who were supposed to be incurable, to the number of about eighty.  All, envied their fate, and were anxious to depart with them, but the privilege was conceded to very few.  However, those who were, disappointed had, no cause for regret.  We never know what we wish for.  Captain Marengo, who landed at Augusta in Sicily, supposing it to be a friendly land, was required to observe quarantine for twenty-two days, and information was given of the arrival of the vessel to the court, which was at Palermo.  On the 25th of January 1799 all on board the French vessel were massacred, with the exception of twenty-one who were saved by a Neapolitan frigate, and conducted to Messing, where they wore detained.

Before he conceived the resolution of attacking the Turkish advanced guard in the valleys of Syria, Bonaparte had formed a plan of invading British India from Persia.  He had ascertained, through the medium of agents, that the Shah of Persia would, for a sum, of money paid in advance consent to the establishment of military magazines on certain points of his territory.  Bonaparte frequently told me that if, after the subjugation of Egypt, he could have left 15,000 men in that country, and have had 30,000 disposable troops, he would have marched on the Euphrates.  He was frequently speaking about the deserts which were to be crossed to reach Persia.