"I exhort you, then, citizens, whenever the law brings before your tribunal people above sixty years of age or women, to declare that you have respect for the aged and the women of your enemy even in the midst of fighting. "The military officer who signs a sentence against any person incapable of carrying arms is a coward. "BONAPARTE." As he left Bonaparte's house, my father met Kléber re-entering it. "You do not know what we are going to do over there?" he said. "We are going to found a colony." "No, we are going to re-establish a kingdom." "Oh! oh!" said Kléber, "we shall see." "Very well!--you _will_ see." And with these words the two friends parted. On the 19th of May they set sail. CHAPTER III The voyage--The landing--The taking of Alexandria--The _Chant du Départ_ and the Arabian concert--The respited prisoners--The march on Cairo--Rum and biscuit--My father's melons--The Scientific Institute--Battle of the Pyramids--Scene of the victory--My father's letter establishing the truth. Bonaparte sailed in the _Orient_, a fine boat of 120 guns. As she left the harbour, being very heavily laden, she drew too much water and touched the bottom, causing a short time of confusion among the fleet. The boatswain's mate, Boyer, of the _Guillaume Tell_, in which my father was sailing, shook his head gloomily. "What is the matter, Boyer?" my father asked. "Some disaster will happen to the fleet, General." "Why should it?" "Because the admiral's flag-ship touched ground. Don't you know it is an infallible omen?" My father shrugged his shoulders. Two months afterwards the fleet was destroyed at Aboukir. The details of the crossing are well known: they took Malta as they passed--Malta the impregnable! Caffarelli, who visited the fortifications with Bonaparte, could not help saying to him: "Upon my word, General, lucky for you to have someone inside the citadel to open the gates for you! If it had not been for that, I don't think you would ever have got in." Bonaparte set the Turkish prisoners free--a move to propitiate the Sultan. The fleet left Malta on the 19th June and set sail for Candia. Nelson was at Messina with the English fleet when he heard of the taking of Malta. He was convinced Bonaparte intended sailing for Egypt, and immediately set sail for Alexandria. During the night of the 22nd to 23rd of June, the English and French fleets passed within six leagues of one another. The English fleet did not see ours, and whilst we were bearing north it sailed south, reaching Alexandria three days before us. As Nelson had not discovered any trace of our passage, and learnt that our fleet had not been signalled by any ship, he thought our expedition was meant to conquer Asia, and rapidly moved off to Alexandretta, in Syria.