EGYPT. 



381 



History. 



Admiral 

 Blanquet 



sht-ik 

 Other. 



1-99. 



lory. a small distance ; and the French being exposed to a 

 '.'"**' cross and destructive fire, the British were victorious. 

 Having dropped further down on each side of the ene- 

 my's line as their success allowed them, the fleet of 

 Admiral Rrueys was either destroyed or taken, except- 

 ing two ships of the line and two frigates. The Cul- 

 loden having run aground, was prevented from having 

 a share in the action; and thus the British admiral, with 

 eleven ships of the line, and one of .50 guns, had to 

 contend, and contended successfully, with 13 ships of 

 the enemy, all of them of equal, and some of them of 

 superior force. The French Admiral had also four fri- 

 gates, while the British commander had only one brig 

 to employ in expeditious movements. L'Orient, the 

 flag ship of Admiral Brueys, carried 120 guns. The 

 admiral himself was killed during the action ; and his 

 ship having taken fire, was blown to pieces. 



Admiral Blanquet succeeded to the command, and 

 several of the officers perished in the conflict. The Bri- 

 tish lost Captain Westcott, and 15 other officers. The 

 French had upwards of SfXX) killed and wounded, while 

 the British loss scarcely amounted to nine hundred. 

 Sir Horatio Nelson was made a peer of Great Britain, 

 by the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile, and Burnham- 

 Thorp in the county of Norfolk. He was afterwards 

 raised to the dignity of viscount; and after the cele- 

 brated victory where he lost his life, additional honours 

 were accumulated on his memory; and his brother Wil- 

 liam succeeded the hero by the names of Baron Nelson 

 of the Nile and Hilborough in Norfolkshire, Viscount 

 Merton, and Earl Nelson of Trafalgar ; to which was 

 added the foreign title of Duke of Bronte. 



The court of Constantinople were quite transported 

 with the success of Nelson, and they lavished upon 

 him many honours. Money was also distributed among 

 the seamen of the British squadron. In the mean time, 

 Bonaparte arranged a constitution for the province 

 of Egypt, somewhat resembling the Turkish model j 

 but while the people had the appearance of choosing 

 the principal officer* of state, the power of the govern- 

 ment was really in the hands of the French agent. Bo- 

 naparte was much disconcerted by the events of Abou- 

 kir, but his presence could be of no avail in that part 

 of the country. The British squadron had sailed from 

 Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea was swarming with 

 British vessels. Besides, he had an expedition in view, 

 which was conceived in France to be of great interest. 



Upon the death of Sheik Daher, Ahmet Aljezzar was 

 nominated and appointed pacha of St John d'Acre. 

 For many years the merchants in Europe had been en- 

 larging their share of the Mediterranean traffic ; and 

 the divan of Constantinople was jealous of those en- 

 croachments. Aljezzar exercised his power to check 

 the growing commerce ; and he had been peculiarly 

 severe upon the adventurers of France. Soon after the 

 battle ot Aboukir, the Grand Senior proclaimed war 

 against France ; and this formed a pretext for Bona- 

 parte carrying his arms into Syria, which he had for- 

 merly l)cen determined to do. His army consisted of 

 12,000 men, and 10,000 of them were effective troops. 

 He had Generals Klelwr, Bon, Iwuines, and Hegnier, to 

 assist his views, and execute his plans. They met with 

 several obstacles on their march ; and had sonic engage- 

 ments, but always with success. They fir--t took Alarish, 

 then Jaffa, with several places of inferior consideration ; 

 and in the month of March 1 7!'9 ( they took possession of 

 an eminence on the east side of the city of Acre, and upon 

 the 20th opened trcnchi-i within a few yards of the wall. 



Acre. 



The Pacha Aljezzav was terrified at the approach of lllstory. 

 the French troops ; for the news of their uncommon ^""VT"* 

 successes had reached the whole dominions of the Grand 

 Signior; but he was encouraged and kept at his post 

 by the advice and assistance of Sir Sidney Smith. That 

 enterprising officer had been appointed by the British 

 government to co-operate with a Turkish squadron, in 

 bombarding the city of Alexandria, and seizing the 

 French vessels which were in the harbour. Finding 

 that his efforts could be of little avail upon the coast of 

 Egypt, he directed his course to St John d'Acre, on 

 board the Tigre, accompanied with the two frigates, 

 Alliance and Theseus. He was fearful lest the Pacha 

 Aljezzar should yield to the formidable troops of France ; 

 and he arrived in time to prevent the failure of which 

 he was apprehensive. Under the direction of Sir Sid- 

 ney Smith, the troops of Bonaparte were baffled in va- 

 rious attempts to take the town by assault. 



A part of the French troops, under Kleber and Junot, 

 found it necessary to leave the siege of Acre, and marck 

 towards the banks of the Jordan. When they were 

 liai'd put to it, Bonaparte himself marched with addi- 

 tional forces to the assistance of Kleber, and afforded 

 effectual aid. Having accomplished his purpose, he re- 

 turned to St John d'Acre, and renewed the siege with 

 vigour. He made a lodgment in one of the towers, but 

 was repulsed with great loss by the soldiers within, and 

 the British vessels which were moored in the roads. 

 In the course of a few days, the Turkish fleet made its 

 appearance under the command of Hassan Bey, and it 

 consisted of thirty sail. This addition of strength to 

 the forces of Aljezzar encouraged the Pacha, and sunk 

 the hopes of the French general. After a variety of 

 severe conflicts, in which many valuable lives were lost 

 on either side, Bonaparte was forced to abandon St 

 John d'Acre, after a siege of sixty days. 



Having resolved to depart for Egypt, he concealed Bonaparte 

 his design, by incessantly firing upon the town; and in l eave3 Acrl ' 

 the night-time made preparations for a safe escape. 

 Upon his retreat to Jaffa, he sunk the heavy artillery, 

 which could not be taken along with them in their 

 march; and put the howitzers and small cannon on 

 Ixjard some small vessels, together with the wounded 

 soldiers, to be conveyed to Egypt. But the heavy 

 ordnance was discovered; and the vessels with the sick 

 and wounded were taken at sea. Troops of cavalry 

 harassed his soldiers on the rear, and bands of Arabs 

 attacked them on every quarter. By fatigue and slaugh- 

 ter, the road was strewn with the bodies of the dead. 

 The troops of Bonaparte burnt the villages as they 

 passed, destroyed the fields of corn, and marked their 

 route by desolation. 



In the mean time, Desaix had pursued Murad Bey 

 into Upper Egypt as far as Syene ; but though vic- 

 torious, he could not subdue the Mamelukes, who mo- 

 ved from place to place with incredible swiftness. When 

 Bonaparte returned to Egypt, he found Murad among 

 the pyramids of Giza, but was not able to bring that 

 active bey to a general action ; for he retired into the 

 province of Fayum. In the mean time, a Turkish fleet 

 had arrived in the bay of Aboukir, with an army of 

 8000 or 9000 men. The news were distressing to Bo- 

 naparte; and the more so, as he was apprehensive that 

 Sir Sidney Smith, who had defeated his. views at St 

 John d'Acre. was present with the Turkish fleet, and 

 ready to assist them with all his activity and skill. But 

 the French commander in chief determined upon an 

 immediate trial of strength and fortune. He marched 



