This chapter examines the image of the Orient as reflected in the personal papers of participants in the French campaign in Egypt and explores how these perceptions contributed to the formation of post-revolutionary French self-consciousness. The personal reflections of the French, recorded in letters, diaries, and memoirs, often diverged from the official narrative presented in the French military press. Both soldiers and savants expressed deep disillusionment with Egypt, which they experienced as a poor and hostile land. At the same time, when comparing themselves to the local population—their religion, customs, and way of life—the French felt affirmed in their sense of cultural superiority and increasingly convinced of their civilising mission. These experiences led to sweeping generalisations about “Orientals,” in the belief that their customs and habits were consistent throughout the entire region.