The capture of the capital of Egypt added fresh laurels to the British arms; and the troops which had acquired these honours retired down the Nile to the vicinity of _Alexandria_, and, having driven in the French outposts, commenced the siege of that place with vigour. In the beginning of September, the garrison surrendered, on condition of being sent back to France.
Thus was Egypt delivered from the power of France; and the British troops, which overcame the boasted _invincible_ legions of Bonaparte, and forced the _Army of the East_ to surrender its conquests, were rewarded with the thanks of Parliament, the approbation of their Sovereign, and the royal authority to bear on their colours the "SPHINX," with the word "EGYPT;" and the officers were permitted to receive gold medals from the Grand Seignior.
Immediately after the conquest of Egypt, the British generals and admirals endeavoured to promote still further the interests of their country by preparing to make additional acquisitions, and the ROYAL IRISH regiment was one of the corps selected to proceed on another expedition. Several corps sailed on the 12th of September; but were met at sea by a ship of war bringing information that the preliminaries of a treaty of peace were signed; the troops proceeded to Malta, where the ROYAL IRISH regiment arrived in October.
After performing garrison duty at Valetta for six weeks, the regiment proceeded to the island of Elba, and occupied the fortress of Porto Ferrajo, the French being in possession of other parts of the island.
The treaty of Amiens being concluded, the regiment sailed for Ireland in the summer of 1802, and after landing at Cork proceeded to Armagh.
War was resumed in 1803, and in the summer of that year the regiment marched to Newry, where it was augmented to _two battalions_, from the army of reserve. Both battalions were completed to 1100 men each in less than two months, and in October the first battalion embarked from Ireland for Scotland; it landed at Greenock, and proceeded from thence to Edinburgh. It was followed to Scotland by the second battalion, which was stationed a short time at Stirling castle; but on the removal of the first battalion from Edinburgh to Haddington, the second battalion proceeded to Dunbar.