to Cairo ; they had belonged to the guard of the camp against the mroads of the Arabs, among whom were two knights. The 5th of the same moon, thirty-seven were sent thither ; on the 7th, twenty-two ; and on the 16th, forty-five other prisoners ; and among these last were three knights. Different Christian princes, who held lands on the coast of Syria, had accompanied the French, by which their places were weakened. The inhabitants of Damascus seized this opportunity to besiege Bidon, which, after some resistance, was forced to surrender. The news of this, when carried to Cairo, caused an excess of joy, and seemed to compensate for the loss of Damietta. Prisoners were made almost daily from the French, fifty of whom were sent to Cairo the 18th of the moon Diemazilewel (Aug. 29, A.D . 1249). The sultan continued daily to grow worse in health ; and the physicians despaired of his recovery, for he was attacked at the same time by a fistula and an ulcer on his lungs. At length he expired, on the night of the 15th of the moon Chaban (Nov. 22), after having appointed as his successor his son Touran-Chah. Nedjm-Eddin was forty-four years old when he died, and had reigned ten years. It was he who instituted that militia of slaves, or of Mamelukes-Baharites,* thus * Melikul-Salih-Ne^jm-Eddin, son to Melikul-Kamil, the last but one of the princes of the dynasty of the Eioabites, opened, if I may so express myself, the road to the throne to these slaves. When this prince was besieging Naponloo8, his troops timorously abandoned him, bût the Baharite slaves alone supported the enemy's charge, and gave time to Nedjm-Eddin to escape. From that moment this prince gave them his whole confidence. Called some time after by the Egyptians to be sultan, in the place of his brother, Melikul-Adil-Seif-Eddin, he loaded these slaves with his bounties, and elevated them to the highest dignities. He quitted the castle, the usual residence of the sultans, to inhabit one which he had built in the small island of Roudah, opposite to old Cairo. The Baharite slaves had the guard of it, and thence took the name Baharite or Maritime, the Arabs calling all great rivers by the name of sea, as well as the sea itself. These slaves, or Mamelukes-Baharites, amounted to eight hundred at the time of St. Louis's invasion, and it was they who, at the battle of Mansoura, repulsed this prince, who had advanced as far as the palace of the saltan. They contributed greatly to the last victory of the Egyptians over St. Louis ; and, as the historian remarks, after these two battles their name and power greatly increased. A short time after they assassinated Touran-Chah, the last prince of the dynasty of the Eioubites, and seized the airone. Axeddin-Aibegh, the Turcoman, was the first who mounted it, and took the name of Melikul-Muez. Chegeret-Eddur, his wife, having caused him to be murdered, his son,' who was twelve years old, 2 Ν