1799
OurdeparturefromEgypt—Nocturnalembarkation——Oncourse—Adversewinds—FearoftheEnglish—Favourableweather—Vingt-et-un—Chess—WelandatAjaccio— Bonaparte'spretendedrelations—Familydomains—Wantofmoney— BattleofNovi—DeathofJoubert—Visionaryschemes—Purchaseofaboat—DeparturefromCorsica—TheEnglishsquadron—Ourescape— TheroadsofFréjus—OurlandinginFrance—TheplagueortheAustrians—Joyofthepeople—Thesanitarylaws—Bonapartefalselyaccused.
Wewerenowtoreturntoourcountry—againtocrossthesea, toussopregnantwithdanger—, , 'Acre, , andwewereobligedtoobeyitsdecrees.
Onthe23dofAugustweembarkedonboardtwofrigates, the 'Muiron'
—[NamedafterBonaparte'saidedecampkilledintheItaliancampaign]—
and 'Carrère'., andsuchtheformidablearmywithwhichBonapartehadresolved, ashewrotetothedivanofCairo, "toannihilateallhisenemies." Thisboastingmightimposeonthosewhodidnotseetherealstateofthings; butwhatwerewetothinkofit? WhatBonapartehimselfthoughtthedayafter.
ThenightwasdarkwhenweembarkedinthefrigateswhichlayataconsiderabledistancefromtheportofAlexandria; butbythefaintlightofthestarsweperceivedacorvette, whichappearedtobeobservingoursilentnocturnalembarkation.
—[Thehorsesoftheescorthadbeenlefttorunlooseonthebeach, andallwasperfectstillnessinAlexandria, whentheadvancedpostsofthetownwerealarmedbythewildgallopingofhorses, whichfromanaturalinstinct, werereturningtoAlexandriathroughthedesert.