On June 18, 1798, the French expeditionary force bound for Egypt set sail from Marseille and arrived at Alexandria on July 1. They were fortunate: unlike the Mycenaeans who conquered Troy, they did not encounter windless weather. On the contrary, the winds were quite strong, allowing the fleet to sail at top speed. Then thick fog rose on June 22 and 23, causing them to pass Nelson's fleet by without meeting it head-on.
Yet it was also this strong wind that whipped the sea into huge waves like boiling water in a pot, and Napoleon became seasick under such conditions.
He was not alone. However, nothing improved after they followed the tides to Alexandria, despite taking the city with ease. The blazing sun, lack of water, and scorching sand all felt alien and daunting to them.
But that was not the worst of it. Their provisions had to be requisitioned locally. Egypt was a desert, not the fertile plains of the Po River. Feeding an army was the first problem that had to be solved. Competent commanders regarded this as common sense in military command, but war was cruel and ever-changing; seemingly simple matters often went unsatisfied because of countless variables. Compared with Dugao's detachment, which landed at Rosetta and had ample water and food, Desaix's detachment found only abandoned villages and wells filled with stones. The lack of water caused many to see mirages, while Bedouins harassed soldiers who fell behind. Even Dugao's troops lacked bread. The locals used fruit to make up for the shortage of grain, something many were unaccustomed to, and the soldiers generally came down with diarrhea. To order an advance through the desert toward Cairo at such a time was undoubtedly a journey through hell. Some collapsed from heatstroke during the march, while others