XXIV. 1798. But while every thing was thus prospering on land, CHAP. a desperate reverse awaited Napoleon at sea, brought about by the genius of that illustrious man who seemed to have been the instrument of Providence Naval opeto balance the destiny of nations, turn from Asiatic rations. wilds to European revolution the chains of military power, and preserve safe, amidst the western waves, the destined ark of European freedom. of Nelson. dria. After having sought in vain for the French fleet on the coast of Egypt, Nelson returned to Candia, Movements and from thence to Syracuse, where he obtained, He arrives with extraordinary rapidity, the supplies of which he at Alexanstood so much in need. The failure of his pursuit was owing to a singular cause. Nelson had set sail from Sicily on the 21st June, and the French fleet on the 18th; nevertheless, so much more rapidly did his fleet sail than their antagonists', that they passed them on the voyage, and arrived at Alexandria on the 28th, two days before the French squadron. They set sail immediately for Candia upon not finding them there, and thus, through their activity and zeal, twice missed the fleet of which they were in search. But the time was now ap blind it to their real designs, and induce it to come to a rupture with other and friendly powers; while, on the other, the commanders and generals of the French troops in Italy, with the perfidious design of corrupting the subjects of his highness, have never ceased to send into Romelia, the Morea, and the islands of the Archipelago, emissaries, known for their perfidy and dissimulation, and to spread every where incendiary Turkish depublications, tending to excite the inhabitants to revolt. And now, as claration of if to demonstrate to the world, that France makes no distinction between war. its friends and its enemies, it has, in the midst of a profound peace with Turkey, and while still professing to the Porte the same sentiments of friendship, invaded, without either provocation, complaint, or declaration of war, but after the usage of pirates, Egypt, one of the most valuable provinces of the Ottoman empire, from which, to this hour, it has received only marks of friendship."-See the Manifesto in HARDENBERG, vi., 483, 493, dated 10th Sept. 1798. XXIV. 1798. He CHAP proaching when his wishes were to be realized. set sail from Syracuse for the Morea on the 25th July, steered boldly through that dangerous passage, the Straits of Messina, and having received intelligence in Greece that the French fleet had been seen four weeks before, steering to the south-east from Candia, he determined to return to Alexandria. On the 1st August, about ten in the morning, they came in sight of the Pharos; the port had been vacant and solitary when they last saw it; now it was crowded with ships, and they perceived, with exultation, that the tricolor flag was flying on the walls. The fleet of Brueys was seen lying at anchor 1st August. in the bay of ABOUKIr. For many days before, the anxiety of Nelson had been such, that he neither ate nor slept. He now ordered dinner to be prepared, and appeared in the highest spirits. "Before this time to-morrow," said he to his officers, when leaving him to take the command of their vessels, "I shall have gained a peerage, or Westminster Abbey."1 1 Dum. ii. 128. South. ii. 218, 221. Admiral Brueys having been detained, by Napoleon's orders, at the mouth of the Nile, and being unable to get into the harbour of Alexandria, had drawn up his fleet in order of battle, in a position in the bay of Aboukir so strong, that in the opinion Brueys' po- of his best officers the English would never venture sition. to attack it. The headmost vessel was close to the shoal on the north-west, and the rest of the fleet formed a sort of curve, with its concave side towards the sea, and supported on the right by the batteries on the fort of Aboukir. He had done his utmost to get his ships into the harbour of Alexandria; but finding that the draught of water was too small for the larger vessels, he wisely determined not to adopt CHAP. XXIV. 1798. 1 On 30th Bourrienne, a measure which, by dividing his fleet, would have exposed it to certain destruction. After Napoleon was fairly established in Egypt, by the capture of Cairo, he sent orders to the admiral to go to Corfu, July. See if he could not get the ships into the harbour of Alex- the letter in andria; but till that event took place, he was in precarious a situation to deprive himself of the sistance of his fleet; and it was then too late escape the danger, as the English were within sight 327, 333, of the ramparts of Alexandria. 1 too ii. 329; and Corr. as- Conf. v. to 332. Bour. ii. 155, 318, 335. South. i. 222. 77. plan of at No sooner did Nelson perceive the situation of Scott, iv. the French fleet than he resolved to penetrate between them and the shore, and in that way double with his whole force on part of that of the enemy. "Where there is room for the enemy to swing," Nelson's said he, "there must be room for us to anchor." tack. His plan was to place his fleet half on the outer, and half on the inner side of the French line, and station his ships, so far as practicable, one on the outer bow and another on the outer quarter of each of the enemy's. Captain Berry, his flag captain, when he was made acquainted with the design, exclaimed with transport," If we succeed, what will the world say?" "There is no 'If' in the case," replied Nelson; "that we shall succeed is certain; who may live to South. i. tell the story is a very different question.' 3 226. Jom. xi. 416. two sides. The number of ships of the line on the two sides was equal; but the French had a great advantage in Relative the size of their vessels; their ships carrying 1196 forces on the guns, and 11,230 men, while the English had only 1012 guns and 8068 men. The British squadron South. ii. consisted entirely of seventy-fours; whereas the xi. 417. French, besides the noble L'Orient of 120 guns, had Ann. Reg. two 80 gun-ships, the Franklin and Guillaume Tell.* ↑ James, ii. The battery on Aboukir fort was mounted with four 232. 224. Jom. 1798, 140. XXIV. CHAP. pieces of heavy cannon and two mortars, besides pieces of a lighter calibre. 1798. Battle of the Nile. The squadron advanced to the attack at three o'clock in the afternoon. Admiral Brueys at first imagined that the battle would be deferred till the fol1st Aug. lowing morning; but the gallant bearing and steady course of the British ships as they entered the bay, soon convinced him that an immediate assault was intended. The moment was felt by the bravest in both fleets; thousands gazed in silence, and with anxious hearts, on each other, who were never destined again to see the sun, and the shore was covered with multitudes of Arabs, anxious to behold a fight, on which, to all appearance, the fate of their country would depend. When the English fleet came within range, they were received with a steady fire from the broadsides of all the vessels and the batteries on the island. It fell right on the bows of the leading ships; but, without returning a shot, they bore directly down upon the enemy, the men on board every vessel being employed aloft in furling sails, and below in tending the braces, and making ready for an anchorage. Captain Foley led the way in the Goliath, outsailing the Zealous, under Captain Hood, which for some time disputed the post of honour with him; and when he reached the van of the enemy's line, he steered between the outermost ship and the shoal, so as to interpose between the French fleet and the shore. In ten minutes he shot away the masts of the Conquerant, while the Zealous, which immediately followed, in the same time, totally disabled the Guerrier, which was next in line. The other ships followed in their order, still inside the French line, while Nelson, in the Vanguard, at the head of five ships, anchored XXIV. 1798. outside of the enemy, within pistol shot of their third CHAP. ship, the Spartiate. The effect of this manœuvre was to bring an overwhelming force against two-thirds of the enemy's squadron, while the other third, moored 'Southey, i. at a distance from the scene of danger, could neither aid their friends, nor injure their enemies.1 228, 229. James, ii. 238, 239. Ann. Reg. Dum. ii. xi. 11, 17. Nelson had arranged his fleet with such skill, that 1798, 143. from the moment that the ships took up their posi- 149. Jom. tions, the victory was secure. Five ships had passed the line, and anchored between the nine first of the enemy and the shore, while six had taken their station on the outer side of the same vessels, who were thus placed between two fires, and had no possibility of escape. Another vessel, the Leander, was interposed across the line, and cut off the vanguard from all assistance from the rearmost ships of the squadron, while her guns raked right and left those between which she was placed. The Culloden, which came up sounding after it was dark, ran aground two leagues from the hostile fleets, and notwithstanding the utmost efforts of her captain and crew, could take no part in the action which followed; but her fate served as a warning to the Alexander and Swiftsure, which would else have infallibly struck on the shoal and perished. The way in which these ships entered, Dum. ii. the bay and took up their stations amidst the gloom 150. South. of night by the light of the increasing cannonade, ex- Ann. Reg. cited the admiration of all who witnessed it." i. 231. 1798, 145. ture of the The British ships, however, had a severe fire to sustain, as they successively passed along the enemy's line Dreadful nato take up their appointed stations; and the great action. size of several of the French ships rendered them more than a match for any single vessel the English could oppose to them. The Vanguard, which bore proudly down, bearing the admiral's flag and six |