ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
ing, the troops were getting under 
arms, when they were alarmed by a 
pretty smart fire of musquetry, pro- 
ceeding from the farthest fléche, on 
the canal towards our left. This 
was conceived to be nothing more 
than a feint, to harass our troops, 
or try their alertness; for we were 
yet ignorant of the junction of all 
the French forces at Alexandria. 
However, on its continuing for some 
time, with now and then a cannon 
shot, brigadier-general Stuart was 
actually on his march with his bri- 
gade, to support the point attacked, 
when he was stopped by a very 
heavy fire both of cannon and mus- 
quetry, which commenced on our 
right. 
In this false attack on the left, 
the enemy, rapidly advancing, en- 
tered a small fléche at the same time. 
with the out-centinels. They imme- 
diately turned the twelve pounder, 
which was mounted init, upon our 
men, and had aétually fired one shot 
from it, when a redoubt in the rear 
of this fléche opening its fire upon 
them, they quickly retreated, car- 
rying oif with them three officers, 
one serjeant, and ten rank and file, 
of the fifth brigade. They had one 
officer and four privates killed in 
the fléche, but took away their 
wounded. The French, thinking 
to have drawn all our attention to 
the left hand, had hastily advanced 
with their whole body, having easi- 
ly driven in our picquets. Their 
object, as it afterwards appeared, 
was first, by a sudden and spirited 
attack, to turn and overthrow the 
reserve, which, by its advanced po- 
sition, was separated a little from 
the rest of the army, This accom- 
plished, their next aim was to force 
our centre with their united troops; 
951 
and, while the attention of oar left 
was fully occupied by the false at- 
tack, the whole force of their cayal- 
ry, in which they were very strong, 
was to avail itself of a favourable 
opportunity, and, by an impetuous 
charge, drive us into lake Aboukir ; 
thus, at one blow, deciding the 
contest. For this purpose, general 
Lanusse’s division, forming their left 
wing, advanced boldly against our 
right ; general Sylly’s brigade march- 
ed straight upon the redoubt ; while 
another, under general Valentin, 
proceeded along the sea side, to 
penetrate between it and the old 
ruins. 
General Syily’s brigade took pos- 
session of a small redan, in which 
there was a gun; but, staggered by 
the heavy fire from the redoubt, 
was obliged to fall back. The 
brigade moving along the sea, 
was stopped in its progress by the - 
fire from the old ruins, which were 
defended by the twenty-third and 
fifty-eighth regiments, and the flank 
companies of the fortieth. Still at- 
tempting to force its way between 
them and the redoubt, the sixty- 
ninth demi-brigade was taken in 
flank by one of the twenty-four 
pounders, loaded with grape-shot, 
and nearly exterminated. On this 
the remainder of the corps refused 
to advance ; when general Lanusse, 
using his utmost eijorts to rally 
them, and bring them to the charge, 
had his thigh carried off by a can- 
non-shot. Complete confusion then 
ensued, and a general dispersion of 
this column took place. .« 
General Sylly’s troops, not being 
able to clear the ditch of the redoubt, 
attempted to turn it, but were re- 
pulsed, with great loss, by the spi- 
rited opposition of the twenty- 
3P4 eighth 
