In 1798, when the young man was twenty-nine years of age, the Sultan decided to send an army to Egypt to oust the French from that province of his empire.  Egypt was at that time under the command of Bonaparte.  As the head of the French Expedition he had established himself as the ruler of Egypt  after defeating the Mamluwk chieftains who had held authority in Cairo and Alexandria.
  A troop of three hundred men was recruited from the district of Qawalah for service in the war, the command being given to the Chief Magistrate's son; and Muhammad `Aliy managed to persuade his relative to appoint him as his lieutenant. This force joined the main Turkish army a few months later, and on July 14, 1799, landed at Abuw Qiyr, on the Egyptian coast. Here, by a process of events which can but be guessed at, it was arranged that the Chief Magistrate's son should return home to Qawalah and as soon as he had departed  Muhammad `Aliy  promoted himself to the vacant command. A few days later, on July 25, Bonaparte utterly routed the Turkish army, driving it into the sea; and Muhammad `Aliy was saved from drowning by the gig (small rowing boat) of the British Admiral, Sir Sidney Smith, who had anchored at Abuw Qiyr Bay in order to give a helping hand to the Turks.
 
 

To be continued
 
 


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