Travels in Turkey, Asia Minor, Syria, and across the desert into Egypt ...

204 TRAVELS IN ASIATIC TURKEY,
An 'English schooner, commanded by Lieutenant Milne, ar-
rived on the 1 7 th , having on board Major Missett, with de-
spatches. We learned through this channel that Major M'lierras,
of the engineers,
had been killed, and Major Fletcher made prisoner,
in a reconnoitring party on the water, previously to the
landing of the British army. A French fleet with seven thousand
troops was expected at Alexandria from Toulon. L 'A'frkaine,
one of the
frigates belonging to this fleet, had been captured by the
English frigate the Phoebe, Captain Bar loin). The English, under
the command of Colonel Spencer, and the Turks, with the Capi-
tan Pacha, were before Rosetta, which was expected to fall very
speedily.
An overland despatch to the two British commanders in chief
was sent off by an Arab-, and an order transmitted by the Vizier
to Mahomed Pacha, to send a body of Turkish cavalry to act
with the British army.
At six in the morning of the 19th the trumpet was sounded to
prepare for the march. In consequence of the scarcity of camels,
the Vizier was to move forward with a part only of the Turkish
army. For the same reason the
party belonging
to the mission to
march with the Vizier's detachment, was confined to Colonel
Ilolloway, Major Hope, Mr. Whiteman, secretary, Mr. Pink,
draughtsman, myself, a Serjeant, and five men. The others were
to follow with the remainder of the Turkish army, as soon as beasts
cf burden could be procured. Strict orders were given to keep a
watchful eye over the camel-drivers, in crossing the desert, as there
was a possibility of their deserting with their camels—a disaster
which would expose the whole of the army to the risk of perish-
ing on its passage.
The Vizier quitted the ground of encampment at noon ; and
at three in the afternoon we followed. Prior to our departure,
Major Missett embarked for Aboukir, with answers from the Vizier
and Colonel IIallow ay to the despatches with which he was
charged.
After a very agreeable march of two hours along the sea-shore,
we arrived at the wells of Messoudieh, the place where the travel-
ler takes his supply of water, before he proceeds to cross the re-
maining part of the desert. Neither habitation nor inhabitant was
to be seen ; nor was there so much as the appearance of brushwood
to diversify the surface of the arid sands. It was with diffi-
culty that a few dried vegetables could be raked together to heat a