7.I quote these words from SirR.Wilson's history, which contains a degree of knowledge that I could not pretend to. The statements which I give of the strength of the enemy, the number of cannon they had on the field on the different days, and what we took from them, I also state upon his authority. The account of the losses of the army I take from the statements in the gazettes, which I believe to be pretty correct, for I have found that they gave a true account of the loss of my own regiment, and I have heard soldiers of other regiments say the same of the gazette accounts of the loss of theirs.
7.I quote these words from SirR.Wilson's history, which contains a degree of knowledge that I could not pretend to. The statements which I give of the strength of the enemy, the number of cannon they had on the field on the different days, and what we took from them, I also state upon his authority. The account of the losses of the army I take from the statements in the gazettes, which I believe to be pretty correct, for I have found that they gave a true account of the loss of my own regiment, and I have heard soldiers of other regiments say the same of the gazette accounts of the loss of theirs.
8.The boats had gradually verged to the left during their progress, so that this height, which before appeared to be opposite their centre, was now opposite their right.
8.The boats had gradually verged to the left during their progress, so that this height, which before appeared to be opposite their centre, was now opposite their right.
9.It was afterwards said that it was the dromedary corps.
9.It was afterwards said that it was the dromedary corps.
10.He was taken on board one of the ships in the fleet, and had one of his legs amputated, but he died in a few days, and was buried on shore, at Aboukir.
10.He was taken on board one of the ships in the fleet, and had one of his legs amputated, but he died in a few days, and was buried on shore, at Aboukir.
11.For the information of such readers as have not access to large works, I will take the liberty of inserting an account of the dimensions of these celebrated and ancient monuments, from SirR.Wilson's history."Pompey's Pillar is of the Corinthian order, and eighty-eight feet six inches in height; the shaft formed of a single block of granite, retaining the finest polish, except where the wind on the north-east front has chafed the surface a little; it is sixty-four feet in height, and eight feet four inches in diameter."About thirty yards in the rear of the French intrenchments, stands Cleopatra's Needle, and one of equal magnitude is lying close by, horizontally. The form of these obelisks is of considerable elegance, and their magnitude is enormous, considering that each is only one piece of granite; their height is sixty-eight feet three inches, and their base seven feet seven inches by seven feet square; their sides are covered with hieroglyphics, which, on the eastern front of the one that is upright, are much effaced by the wind."Tradition affirms that they ornamented the gate of Cleopatra's palace. From the quantity of marble, &c. &c. found near the spot, probably the residence of the sovereigns of Egypt was placed there."—History of the Expedition,2dvol.pp.156, 158, 159.Dr.E. D.Clark, the traveller, who has paid great attention to the study of the age and design of ancient monuments, thinks that theshaftof Pompey's Pillar "is of much earlier antiquity than either thecapitalor thepedestal." He gives probable reasons to believe that theshaftwas made in the time ofAlexander the Great, the founder ofAlexandria, and who was buried there, to be a sepulchral pillar to the memory of that monarch; but thatJulius Caesarhad set it upon apedestal, and had put acapitalupon it in honour of Pompey, whose head he caused to be burnt with funeral honours, and the ashes put into anurn, and placed on the top of thepillar: but that thepillarhad likely fallen afterwards, and had been restored by the emperorHadrian.—Clarke's Travels,4thEdit.8vo.vol.v.ch.vii.p.361, &c.
11.For the information of such readers as have not access to large works, I will take the liberty of inserting an account of the dimensions of these celebrated and ancient monuments, from SirR.Wilson's history.
"Pompey's Pillar is of the Corinthian order, and eighty-eight feet six inches in height; the shaft formed of a single block of granite, retaining the finest polish, except where the wind on the north-east front has chafed the surface a little; it is sixty-four feet in height, and eight feet four inches in diameter.
"About thirty yards in the rear of the French intrenchments, stands Cleopatra's Needle, and one of equal magnitude is lying close by, horizontally. The form of these obelisks is of considerable elegance, and their magnitude is enormous, considering that each is only one piece of granite; their height is sixty-eight feet three inches, and their base seven feet seven inches by seven feet square; their sides are covered with hieroglyphics, which, on the eastern front of the one that is upright, are much effaced by the wind.
"Tradition affirms that they ornamented the gate of Cleopatra's palace. From the quantity of marble, &c. &c. found near the spot, probably the residence of the sovereigns of Egypt was placed there."—History of the Expedition,2dvol.pp.156, 158, 159.
Dr.E. D.Clark, the traveller, who has paid great attention to the study of the age and design of ancient monuments, thinks that theshaftof Pompey's Pillar "is of much earlier antiquity than either thecapitalor thepedestal." He gives probable reasons to believe that theshaftwas made in the time ofAlexander the Great, the founder ofAlexandria, and who was buried there, to be a sepulchral pillar to the memory of that monarch; but thatJulius Caesarhad set it upon apedestal, and had put acapitalupon it in honour of Pompey, whose head he caused to be burnt with funeral honours, and the ashes put into anurn, and placed on the top of thepillar: but that thepillarhad likely fallen afterwards, and had been restored by the emperorHadrian.—Clarke's Travels,4thEdit.8vo.vol.v.ch.vii.p.361, &c.
12.Or Sed; "sometimes called the Lake of Aboukir. The passage into it at Aboukir, is about two hundred yards wide, and was made about the year 1782, by the sea breaking down the dyke, which had been built ages back, to recover from the ocean that part of the country which now is Lake Maadie."History of the Expedition to Egypt, p. 27.
12.Or Sed; "sometimes called the Lake of Aboukir. The passage into it at Aboukir, is about two hundred yards wide, and was made about the year 1782, by the sea breaking down the dyke, which had been built ages back, to recover from the ocean that part of the country which now is Lake Maadie."History of the Expedition to Egypt, p. 27.
13.This canal commences at Rhamanieh, on the banks of the Nile, and passes over fifteen or sixteen leagues of country. The bed of it is above the level of Egypt; the banks are formed of earth raised wholly above the surface. There is no water in it, but at the time of the inundation of the Nile. The beds of the canals in Egypt are all above the level of the country, that, when cut, the water may run out of them. They are properly canals of irrigation.
13.This canal commences at Rhamanieh, on the banks of the Nile, and passes over fifteen or sixteen leagues of country. The bed of it is above the level of Egypt; the banks are formed of earth raised wholly above the surface. There is no water in it, but at the time of the inundation of the Nile. The beds of the canals in Egypt are all above the level of the country, that, when cut, the water may run out of them. They are properly canals of irrigation.
14.This wind was still more dreadful in the interior of the country; and at the place where the army was on its march to Cairo; as appears by the following extract from SirR.Wilson's History of the Expedition to Egypt,vol.1. p. 177.ALGUM,23dMay."This day will ever be remarkable to the Egyptian army; a sirocco wind darkened with a burning mist the atmosphere; the thermometer was at 120 in the shade; the ground was heated like the floor of a furnace; every thing that was metallic, such as arms, buttons; knives, &c. became burning hot; the poultry, exposed to the air, and several horses and camels died; respiration was difficult, and the lungs were parched with fiery particles. Had the heat continued forty-eight hours, the effect would have been dreadful: but happily as night drew on, the wind cooled, and at last changed to the north west."At Balbeis, the thermometer was at 130; on the western side of the Nile 120; at Alexandria 105."Extract from a Journal written by one of my comrades."We had one day's hot wind from the south; it began to blow about 9 o'clock; and wo be to him that is far from shelter, as neither man nor beast can survive it three days! It came from the desert as hot as the opening of an oven door, bringing small sand like mist along with it. All the sentinels were called in, and the cattle crept close to the ground and groaned for fear. The buffaloes took to the river, covering themselves, all but the nose, in the water; and no man was able to stir out of his tent until the evening."
14.This wind was still more dreadful in the interior of the country; and at the place where the army was on its march to Cairo; as appears by the following extract from SirR.Wilson's History of the Expedition to Egypt,vol.1. p. 177.
ALGUM,23dMay.
"This day will ever be remarkable to the Egyptian army; a sirocco wind darkened with a burning mist the atmosphere; the thermometer was at 120 in the shade; the ground was heated like the floor of a furnace; every thing that was metallic, such as arms, buttons; knives, &c. became burning hot; the poultry, exposed to the air, and several horses and camels died; respiration was difficult, and the lungs were parched with fiery particles. Had the heat continued forty-eight hours, the effect would have been dreadful: but happily as night drew on, the wind cooled, and at last changed to the north west.
"At Balbeis, the thermometer was at 130; on the western side of the Nile 120; at Alexandria 105."
Extract from a Journal written by one of my comrades.
"We had one day's hot wind from the south; it began to blow about 9 o'clock; and wo be to him that is far from shelter, as neither man nor beast can survive it three days! It came from the desert as hot as the opening of an oven door, bringing small sand like mist along with it. All the sentinels were called in, and the cattle crept close to the ground and groaned for fear. The buffaloes took to the river, covering themselves, all but the nose, in the water; and no man was able to stir out of his tent until the evening."
15.The promise that I made of informing his relatives of the time and circumstances of his death, I fulfilled when I came to Ireland, for which I received a letter of thanks from his brother.
15.The promise that I made of informing his relatives of the time and circumstances of his death, I fulfilled when I came to Ireland, for which I received a letter of thanks from his brother.