Napoleon Bonaparte, against whose legions in Egypt and the Peninsula, the NINETY-SECOND regiment, in subsequent years, acquired great renown, was now rising, step by step, to that imperial sway which he afterwards attained. The National Convention had been succeeded in October, 1795, by the French Directory, and the latter, jealous of Bonaparte’s popularity, sent him, in May, 1798, on the expedition to Egypt. Napoleon took Alexandria by storm, and soon established himself at Cairo. The Sublime Porte, incensed by the invasion of Egypt, declared war against France, and formed an alliance with Russia. The fleet which had conveyed the expedition to Egypt, was almost destroyed by Admiral Nelson in Aboukir Bay, on the 1st of August. So large a portion of the French army, being thus secluded in a distant land, gave fresh impulse to the allies, and in November the island of Minorca surrendered to the British arms. In December, 1798, the co-operation of Russia against France was secured by Great Britain. [Sidenote: 1799] War was declared by the French Directory against Austria, in March, 1799, and the combined Austrian and Russian armies recovered the greater portion of Italy. Great Britain now determined to make a corresponding attempt, in conjunction with Russia, to recover Holland from the dominion of France, and a numerous army was selected to proceed to that country under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, previous to whose arrival, the troops were to be commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby. A plan of co-operation was concerted between Great Britain and Russia, in the expectation that the Dutch would rise in arms against the French, in favour of the Prince of Orange, and, aided by the Anglo-Russian force, would exert themselves to effect their emancipation. On the 15th of June, the NINETY-SECOND regiment, which had been selected to embark on the expedition to Holland, commenced its march by divisions for Cork, on which day the following address was received by the commanding officer:— “At a numerous meeting of the inhabitants of Athlone and its vicinity on the 15th June, 1799, Thomas Mitchell, Esq., in the chair: the following Address to Lieut.-Colonel Erskine, commanding His Majesty’s NINETY-SECOND regiment in this garrison, was unanimously agreed to:— “SIR, “We heard with concern, that His Majesty’s NINETY-SECOND regiment, which you have commanded in this garrison, has been ordered to march for the purpose of joining those troops intended for a foreign expedition: but however we may regret your departure, we are not surprised that a regiment, so eminently conspicuous for its steadiness and discipline, should be selected for an arduous enterprise.