The flotilla thus unprotected fell in with seven Turkish gunboats coming from Cairo, and was exposed simultaneously to their fire and to that of the Mamelukes, fellahs, and Arabs who lined both banks of the river.

They had small guns mounted on camels.
Perree cast anchor, and an engagement commenced at nine o'clock on the 14th of July, and continued till half past twelve.
At the same time the General-in-Chief met and attacked a corps of about 4000 Mamelukes.

His object, as he afterwards said, was to turn the corps by the left of the village of Chebreisse, and to drive it upon the Nile.
About eleven in the morning Perree told me that the Turks were doing us more harm than we were doing them; that our ammunition would soon be exhausted; that the army was far inland, and that if it did not make a move to the left there would be no hope for us.

Several vessels had already been boarded and taken by the Turks, who massacred the crews before our eyes, and with barbarous ferocity showed us the heads of the slaughtered men.
Perree, at considerable risk, despatched several persons to inform the General-in-Chief of the desperate situation of the flotilla.

The cannonade which Bonaparte had heard since the morning, and the explosion of a Turkish gunboat, which was blown up by the artillery of the xebec, led him to fear that our situation was really perilous.