The first division of the army intended for the expedition to Egypt, under Colonel Murray, sailed from Bombay in January, 1801. Their voyage was rather a tedious one, and the small-pox and a remittent fever broke out among them. They touched for refreshments at Mocha and at Jedda, and on the 16th May, 1801, came to anchor in Kossier-bay; the prevailing winds in the Red Sea, at this time, rendering it impossible to get so far up as Suez.
The second division of troops, (originally intended for another service,) under Colonel Beresford, sailed from Point de Galle, in Ceylon, on the 19th February; and on the 19th May disembarked at Kossier.
The last division, under Colonel Ramsay, sailed from Trincomalée, in Ceylon. They were later of arriving at Kossier, and were not able to cross the desert before July.
At Kossier there is a fort and a town, if they deserve the name. They are built of mud, and the Arabs inhabit them only at the season when caravans arrive with the pilgrims for Mecca, and with corn for that and the other ports on the opposite Arabian coast.
Like every other place described by Mr Bruce, that we have seen, we found Kossier most accurately laid down by that traveller in lat. 26° 7″, and long. 34. 04.
Kossier is situated on the western coast of the Red Sea. Here, vessels for the expedition were daily arriving, and the troops in general landed in a very healthy condition. In one column of an annexed table, intended to show the diseases and mortality of the army, will be seen the strength of the different corps employed in that service.
JUNE, 1801.
At the beginning of this month we were in camp near the village of Kossier. Soon after the arrival of the troops at Kossier, all were attacked with a diarrhœa, occasioned by the water, which contained much sulphate of magnesia. At first it greatly debilitated the men; but, as they became used to it, the water ceased to affect the bowels. On the whole it appeared to have produced salutary effects, and the army was, for some time, uncommonly healthy.
On the 19th, the 88th, with two companies of the 80th regiment, under the command of Colonel Beresford, as the advance of the army, commenced the march across the desert. Having the digging of wells and other duties to perform, the advance did not reach the banks of the Nile until the next month. The rest of the army marched on the following days, the marches being always performed by night; and the army, with a very inconsiderable loss, reached the banks of the Nile in a very healthy state. The course which we took was nearly that travelled by Mr Bruce. For a considerable way after we left Kossier, the road had the strongest resemblance to the bed of a river. As we advanced from Kossier, the water became daily less salt, and less bitter. At Le Gita, and at Bir Amber, the two stations nearest to Ghenné, it was not much complained of.