Outfitting the country boats as gunboats: indigenous vessels and the Egyptian campaign, 1798–1802

Abstract

ABSTRACT Napoleon's Egyptian campaign has long been a source of fascination for historians, as it can be considered a turning point in Western Europe's relationship with the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East. There are aspects of this campaign, however, that have not yet been critically analysed. The role played by the unique physical environment of the Nile and Levantine coast, and the specific vessel technologies that navigating these areas required, has as of yet been ignored in favour of the major naval actions at the Battle of the Nile and the Siege of Acre. Both French and British forces adopted indigenous Nile vessel types, in particular djermes, for use throughout the course of the campaign in response to restrictive Nilotic conditions. This article compiles mentions of the use of indigenous vessels in the historical record of Napoleon's campaign and stresses the importance of incorporating the use of locally developed craft into studies of the Egyptian campaign and other naval campaigns of the period.