Wilson, Robert Thomas: The British expedition to Egypt: carefully abridged in two parts (London, 1803)

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In the advance

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But in all these labours,
of the cannon through the

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nearly perpendicular, extending from the sea
almost to the canal of Alexandria, where,
gradually sloping to its level, they formed the
main position to this front. In the advance
of their right, they occupied a tongue of
land, projecting a mile parallel to the canal,
which obliged the English advanced posts to
be thrown far back.

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fhe whole, in fine,
../’.presented a most interesting appearance, in
’ *' an historical as well as a military point of
/ ' •. view. Even the very ruins under their feet,
r““ * £ Sir R. Wilson observes, were sacred from
their antiquity. It was now that the want
‘ of horses and camels was severely felt, to
’**' C“JI assist in bringing up the heavy guns : even
. the provisions were obliged to be brought on
* mens’ shoulders from the magazine, a mile
' ’ • '55 and a half distant. Heavy casks of spirits
’ (l ‘: also required great labour to roll through the
sand : the date-tree, for fuel, was also brought
■■•■from a considerable distance; after all, it
■gl tk if burned badly, and its smoke was very hurt-
HSfiR'ful to the eyes.
. ••’and the dragging
111 T ® « i •
is.: iwheavy sands, the activity of the sailors should
i< StfKflinot be forgotten. Water was here in plenty;
>. evej’and the 13th regiment dug into a fine ancient
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aqueduct, well arched, and of which the
u (tai’Arabs themselves could give no account, but
Ml seemed quite astonished at the discovery. A
market was also established after some time ;
ini Imt, as it depended upon the Arabs for the