pit, where
his arrival was anxiously expected, as all were curious to learn what he
had been signalled for. When at last they understood that he was in
earnest, he was very warmly congratulated. Three of them were senior to
him; but he was so generally liked, and his acquirements in the way of
languages so fully acknowledged, that there was no feeling of jealousy,
especially as they felt sure that, when the campaign was over, Sir
Sidney Smith would get him appointed to another ship. Two of them that
evening got a boat and rowed to several other men-of-war, and at last
succeeded in buying an epaulette from an officer who had bought the kit
of another who had died some time before, and this they formally
presented to Edgar that evening.

While at Marmorice Bay the latter had almost daily interviews with the
general. At these the quarter-master and adjutant-generals and several
other superior officers were often present, and he was asked innumerable
questions as to the country between Alexandria and Cairo, the
probabilities of obtaining animals for the baggage-waggons and
artillery, the amount of provisions that could be obtained from the
country, the length of the marches and the nature of the ground, and
whether the Arabs were likely to render any efficient assistance. All
these questions he answered to the best of his power, saying, however,
that it would be absolutely necessary to depend to a large extent on the
boats for provisions as the French had done, for that comparatively few
horses could be obtained, as the French had purchased all that they
could lay their hands on.

Then to an engineer officer he described the position of the old and
newly-erected works at Cairo, saying that the latter were intended
solely to overawe the town, and that some of them were open works in the
rear, although no doubt they would be much strengthened, and some of the
guns turned outward, as soon as news was received of the landing of the
British army. He pointed out that many of the guns must, however, be
retained in their present position, in case the population should rise
as soon as the army approached, and that the guns were in most cases
small, as the French had brought no battering-train with them.

"There is no doubt," the general said, "that Damietta and Rosetta must
be taken before we advance, and that a strong force of our gun-boats and
armed ships' boats must convoy the native craft laden with provisions
and stores, for