Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte — Complete
passing the island of Candia his imagination was excited, and he spoke
with enthusiasm of ancient Crete and the Colossus, whose fabulous renown
has surpassed all human glories. He spoke much of the fall of the
empire of the East, which bore so little resemblance to what history has
preserved of those fine countries, so often moistened with the blood of
man. The ingenious fables of mythology likewise occurred to his mind,
and imparted to his language something of a poetical, and, I may say,
of an inspired character. The sight of the kingdom of Minos led him to
reason on the laws best calculated for the government of nations; and
the birthplace of Jupiter suggested to him the necessity of a religion
for the mass of mankind. This animated conversation lasted until the
favourable north winds, which drove the clouds into the valley of the
Nile, caused us to lose sight of the island of Candia.
The musicians on board the Orient sometimes played serenades; but only
between decks, for Bonaparte was not yet sufficiently fond of music to
wish to hear it in his cabin. It may be said that his taste for this art
increased in the direct ratio of his power; and so it was with his taste
for hunting, of which he gave no indication until after his elevation
to the empire; as though he had wished to prove that he possessed within
himself not only the genius of sovereignty for commanding men, but also
the instinct for those aristocratical pleasures, the enjoyment of which
is considered by mankind to be amongst the attributes of kings.
It is scarcely possible that some accidents should not occur during
a long voyage in a crowded vessel--that some persons should not fall
overboard. Accidents of this kind frequently happened on board the
'Orient'. On those occasions nothing was more remarkable than the great
humanity of the man who has since been so prodigal of the blood of
his fellow-creatures on the field of battle, and who was about to shed
rivers of it even in Egypt, whither we were bound. When a man fell into
the sea the General-in-Chief was in a state of agitation till he was
saved. He instantly had the ship hove-to, and exhibited the greatest
uneasiness until the unfortunate individual was recovered. He ordered me
to reward those who ventured their lives in this service. Amongst these
was a sailor who had incurred punishment for some fault. He not only
exempted him from the punishment, but also gave him some money. I
recollect that one dark night we heard a noise like that occasioned by
a man falling into the sea. Bonaparte instantly caused the ship to be
hove-to until the supposed victim was rescued from certain death. The
men hastened from all sides, and at length they picked up-what?--the
quarter of a bullock, which had fallen from the hook to which it was
hung. What was Bonaparte's conduct? He ordered me to reward the sailors
who had exerted themselves in this occasion even more generously than
usual, saying, "It might have been a sailor, and these brave fellows
have shown as much activity and courage as if it had."
After the lapse of thirty years all these things are as fresh in my
recollection as if they were passing at the present moment. In this
manner Bonaparte employed his time on board the Orient during the
voyage, and it was also at this time that he dictated to me the
following proclamation:
HEADQUARTERS ON BOARD THE "ORIENT,"
The 4th Messidor, Year VI.
BONAPARTE, MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE,
GENERAL-IN-CHIEF.
SOLDIERS--You are about to undertake a conquest the effects of which
on civilisation and commerce are incalculable. The blow you are
about to give to England will be the best aimed, and the most
sensibly felt, she can receive until the time arrive when you can
give her her deathblow.
We must make some fatiguing marches; we must fight several battles;
we shall succeed in all we undertake. The destinies are with us.
The Mameluke Beys who favour exclusively English commerce, whose
extortions oppress our merchants, and who tyrannise over the
unfortunate inhabitants of the Nile, a few days after our arrival
will no longer exist.
The people amongst whom we are going to live are Mahometans. The
first article of their faith is this: "There is no God but God, and
Mahomet is his prophet." Do not contradict them. Behave to them as
you have behaved to the Jews--to the Italians. Pay respect to their
muftis, and their Imaums, as you did to the rabbis and the bishops.
Extend to the ceremonies prescribed by the Koran and to the mosques
the same toleration which you showed to the synagogues, to the
religion of Moses and of Jesus Christ.
The Roman legions protected all religions. You will find here
customs different from those of Europe. You must accommodate
yourselves to them. The people amongst whom we are to mix differ
from us in the treatment of women; but in all countries he who
violates is a monster. Pillage enriches only a small number of men;
it dishonours us; it destroys our resources; it converts into
enemies the people whom it is our interest to have for friends.
The first town we shall come to was built by Alexander. At every
step we shall meet with grand recollections, worthy of exciting the
emulation of Frenchmen.
BONAPARTE.
During the voyage, and particularly between Malta and Alexandria, I
often conversed with the brave and unfortunate Admiral Brueys. The
intelligence we heard from time to time augmented his uneasiness. I
had the good fortune to obtain the confidence of this worthy man. He
complained bitterly of the imperfect manner in which the fleet had been
prepared for sea; of the encumbered state of the ships of the line
and frigates, and especially of the 'Orient'; of the great number of
transports; of the bad Outfit of all the ships and the weakness of their
crews. He assured me that it required no little courage to undertake the
command of a fleet so badly equipped; and he often declared, that in
the event of our falling in with the enemy, he could not answer for the
consequences. The encumbered state of the vessels, the immense quantity
of civic and military baggage which each person had brought, and would
wish to save, would render proper manoeuvres impracticable. In case of
an attack, added Brueys, even by an inferior squadron, the confusion
and disorder amongst so great a number of persons would produce an
inevitable catastrophe. Finally, if the English had appeared with ten
vessels only, the Admiral could not have guaranteed a fortunate result.
He considered victory to be a thing that was impossible, and even with a
victory, what would have become of the expedition? "God send," he said,
with a sigh, "that we may pass the English without meeting them!" He
appeared to foresee what did afterwards happen to him, not in the open
sea, but in a situation which he considered much more favourable to his
defence.
On the morning of the 1st of July the expedition arrived off the coast
of Africa, and the column of Septimus-Severus pointed out to us the city
of Alexandria. Our situation and frame of mind hardly permitted us to
reflect that in the distant point we beheld the city of the Ptolemies
and Caesars, with its double port, its pharos, and the gigantic
monuments of its ancient grandeur. Our imaginations did not rise to this
pitch.
Admiral Brueys had sent on before the frigate Juno to fetch M. Magallon,
the French Consul. It was near four o'clock when he arrived, and the sea
was very rough. He informed the General-in-Chief that Nelson had been
off Alexandria on the 28th--that he immediately dispatched a brig to
obtain intelligence from the English agent. On the return of the brig
Nelson instantly stood away with his squadron towards the north-east.
But for a delay which our convoy from Civita Vecchia occasioned, we
should have been on this coast at the same time as Nelson.
It appeared that Nelson supposed us to be already at Alexandria when he
arrived there. He had reason to suppose so, seeing that we left Malta on
the 19th of June, whilst he did not sail from Messina till the 21st.
Not finding us where he expected, and being persuaded we ought to have
arrived there had Alexandria been the place of our destination; he
sailed for Alexandretta in Syria, whither he imagined we had gone to
effect a landing. This error saved the expedition a second time.
Bonaparte, on hearing the details which the French Consul communicated,
resolved to disembark immediately. Admiral Brueys represented the
difficulties and dangers of a disembarkation--the violence of the surge,
the distance from the coast,--a coast, too, lined with reefs of rocks,
the approaching night, and our perfect ignorance of the points suitable
for landing. The Admiral, therefore, urged the necessity of waiting
till next morning; that is to say, to delay the landing twelve hours.
He observed that Nelson could not return from Syria for several
days. Bonaparte listened to these representations with impatience and
ill-humour. He replied peremptorily, "Admiral, we have no time to lose.
Fortune gives me but three days; if I do not profit by them we are
lost." He relied much on fortune; this chimerical idea constantly
influenced his resolutions.
Bonaparte having the command of the naval as well as the military force,
the Admiral was obliged to yield to his wishes.
I attest these facts, which passed in my presence, and no part of which
could escape my observation. It is quite false that it was owing to the
appearance of a sail which, it is pretended, was descried, but of which,
for my part, I saw nothing, that Bonaparte exclaimed, "Fortune, have you
abandoned me? I ask only five days!" No such thing occurred.
It was one o'clock in the morning of the 2d of July when we landed on
the soil of Egypt, at Marabou, three leagues to the west of Alexandria.
We had to regret the loss of some lives; but we had every reason to
expect that our losses would have been greater.
At three o'clock the same morning the General-in-Chief marched on
Alexandria with the divisions of Kléber, Bon, and Menou. The Bedouin
Arabs, who kept hovering about our right flank and our rear, picked up
the stragglers.
Having arrived within gunshot of Alexandria, we scaled the ramparts, and
French valour soon triumphed over all obstacles.
The first blood I saw shed in war was General Kléber's. He was struck
in the head by a ball, not in storming the walls, but whilst heading the
attack. He came to Pompey's Pillar, where many members of the staff were
assembled, and where the General-in-Chief was watching the attack.
I then spoke to Kléber for the first time, and from that day our
friendship commenced. I had the good fortune to contribute somewhat
towards the assistance of which he stood in need, and which, as we were
situated, could not be procured very easily.
It has been endeavoured to represent the capture of Alexandria,
which surrendered after a few hours, as a brilliant exploit. The
General-in-Chief himself wrote that the city had been taken after a
few discharges of cannon; the walls, badly fortified, were soon scaled.
Alexandria was not delivered up to pillage, as has been asserted, and
often repeated. This would have been a most impolitic mode of commencing
the conquest of Egypt, which had no strong places requiring to be
intimidated by a great example.
Bonaparte, with some others, entered the city by a narrow street which
scarcely allowed two persons to walk abreast; I was with him. We were
stopped by some musket-shots fired from a low window by a man and a
woman. They repeated their fire several times. The guides who preceded