they could make any impression, and several times endeavoured
to charge, but without effect. Having thus spent great part of
the dây within about half cannon shot of the french, they retreated
with the loss of near three hundred men. The squadron of Mourad
likewise retired, leaving behind three french vessels, which it had
taken in the beginning of the action, plundered, and run aground.
The french pursued their march, in want of almost every thing,
and scorched by excessive heat, till the 20th of july. On thé
morning of this day they perceived the pyramids, and in the even*
ing were within fifteen miles of Cairo. Here they learned, that
twenty-three beys, with all their troops, were intrenched at Em*
babe, a village opposite Bulac, and had fortified their intrench*
ments with fifty pieces of cannon. On the 21st at daybreak they
fell in with the advanced guard of the mamalukes, and drove them
from village to village, till two in the afternoon, when they had
nearly reached their intrenchments. Advancing in the same order
of battle as the 13th, the divisions of generals Desaix and llegnier
took a position on the right, between Giralo and Embabe, so as to
cut off from the mamalukes all communication with Upper Egypt,
to which they would naturally endeavour to retire, if defeated;
the division of general Kleber formed the centre of the army; and
that of general Bon the left wing, which was covered on it’s flank
by the Nile.
As soon as Mourad bey was apprised of the movement of
general Desaix, he determined to attack him, and dispatched for
this purpose one of his most resolute beys, with a chosen body of
cavalry, which rushed with the rapidity of lightning on the two
divisions. They were suffered to approach unmolested within a
hundred yards, when a shower of great and small shot was poured
on them, which made considerable havock; and as they threw
themselves into the opening between the two divisions, they were
received by a cross fire, which completed their defeat- While
this was passing on the right, the divisions of Menou and Bon
attacked the intrenchments of Embabe. General Rampon, at
the head of the assaulting columns, advanced with impetuosity,
in spite of the cannonade. The mamalukes too made a vigorous
charge from the intrenchments, darting from them at frill gallop:
but the french columns had time to halt, to present a front on
every side, and to receive them at the point of the bayonet, after
a general discharge of their muskets. Their dead fell thick on the
field of battle, and the french soon carried the intrenchments.
The discomfited mamalukes urged their flight in a crowd toward
their left, where many fell by the fire of a battalion of carabineers,
under which they were obliged to pass at the distance of five hundred
paces, and many were driven into the Nile and drowned.
In this battle the mamalukes lost seven or eight hundred killed
and wounded, among whom were several beys; their commander,
Mourad, was wounded in the cheek; and more than four hundred
camels laden with baggage, and fifty pieces of artillery, fell into
the hands of the french, who had about two hundred men killed
and wounded.
The mamalukes, having experienced this defeat of their army,
evacuated Cairo in the night, after burning the greater part of
their ships of war: and on the 22d of july the french took pos-
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