marched conjointly to the siege of Damascus, and reduced the town to the utmost distress from want of provision. The inhabitants, after they had consumed the vilest food, did not scruple to feed on the bodies of such as died, to preserve their lives. Nedjm-Eddin had returned to Egypt ; but he hastened to Syria again, with a numerous army, attacked the Kharesmiens, and totally defeated them in two battles. In the year 644, the emir Fakreddin won from the Franks the castle of Tiberias and tbe town of Ascalon, both of which he razed to the ground. This year was fatal to the Franks, from their intestine divisions. In tbe year 645, the sultan returned to Egypt, and passed through Ramie.* He was there attacked with an abscess, which turned to a fistula ; but in spite of this accident, he continued his journey, and arrived at Cairo. New troubles, which had arisen in Syria, called him again into that province ; bnt having learned at Damascus, f that the French were preparing to invade Egypt, he preferred defending his own kingdom in person. In spite of the violence of his sufferings from pain, he mounted his litter, and arrived at Achmoum-Tanah,{ at the beginning of the year 647. A s he had no doubt but that Damietta would be the first place attacked, he endeavoured to put it in a state of defence, and formed there magazines of every sort of provision, arms, and ammunition. The emir Fakreddin was ordered to march toward that town, to prevent a descent on the coast Fak reddin encamped at Gizé de Damietta, with the Nile between his camp and the town. The disorder of the sultan, however, grew worse ; and he caused proclamation to be made, that all to whom he owed any thing should present themselves at his treasury, when they would be paid.§ * Ramlé. Remi signifies sand. Ramla is a town some leagues from Jaffa or Joppa, on the road to Jerusalem. f Makriai, in his description of Egypt, says, that in the year of the H egira 647 (A.D. 1249), the emperor sent an ambassador to the sultan Nedjm-Eddin, who was then ill at Damascus : that this ambassador was disguised as a merchant, and informed the sultan of the preparations of the king of France against Egypt. X Achmoum, or Achmoum-Tanah, a town on the Nile, and the capital of one of the provinces of Egypt called Dahkalié, fifty-four deg. longitude, thirty-one deg. fifty-four min. latitude.—Abulfeda. § It is one point of the Mahommedan law to pay all debts before