make over command of the whole army, including the Anglo-Indian force, to Lord Cavan.
Shortly after this intelligence arrived of the signing of the preliminaries of peace between France and England, and, at nearly the same time, General Baird received from Marquess Wellesley a despatch, in which, whilst expressing full approval of his conduct, he intimated a wish that when the services of the army should be no longer required in Egypt, General Baird should return with his troops, or at least with such portion of them as it might not be necessary to leave in Egypt, to the nearest port in India.
On the both April, 1802, despatches were received from England directing that the native troops, and a portion of the European troops on the Indian establishment serving in Egypt, should return at once to India by sea from Suez.
General Baird at once made the necessary preparations for evacuating the country. He ordered parties to be sent from Gizeh, to be stationed along the desert, in order to dig for water. He himself left Alexandria for Gizeh on the 7th May, and arrived at that place on the 11th. He set out thence, after an interview with the Pasha, at the head of his troops, for Suez, which place he reached on the 25th. The troops crossed the desert in successive divisions, in five easy marches each, without experiencing much inconvenience, and with the loss of only three Europeans.
On the 5th June, General Baird and his army left Suez. The ship on which he himself was on board, H.M.S. Victor, reached Madras the 6th July, and Calcutta the 31st idem. On that day the Governor-
