674 



BRITAIN. 



Denmark 

 secedes 

 from the 

 northern 

 league. 



Murder 



Britain, to spare Denmark when no longer resisting ; but if the 

 '.., v - _> firing is continued on the part of Denmark, Lord 

 GEORGIIH. Nelson must be obliged to set on fire all the floating 

 ' batteries he has taken, without having the power of 

 saving the brave men who have defended them." His 

 royal highness immediately sent his adjutant- general 

 on board Lord Nelson's ship to inquire the particular 

 object of sending the flag of truce. The vice-admi- 

 ral's answer was, ' Lord Nelson's object in sending 

 the flag of truce was humanity ; he therefore consents 

 that hostilities shall cease, and that the wounded 

 Danes may be taken on shore. Lord Nelson will 

 take his prisoners out of the vessels, and burn or car- 

 ry off his pri/es as he shall think fit." Hostilities 

 eeased after this correspondence, which led first to 

 an armistice, and afterwards to a compromise between 

 Britain and Denmark ; the secession of Denmark from 

 the northern league being the primary condition of 

 the treaty. A few days previous to this engagement, 

 the Danish and Swedish islands in the West Indies 

 Lad been reduced by a squadron under Admiral 

 Duckworth. 



A Swedish fleet left Carlescrona on the 31st of 

 Marchf but were prevented by contrary winds from 

 joining the Danes. The British admiral arriving be- 

 fore that harbour, required an explicit declaration 

 from the Swedes, with regard to their intentions 

 against Britain. The Swedish Admiral Cronstedt, 

 replied in the name of the king, that Sweden would 

 be faithful to her allies, but would listen to equitable 

 proposals from England, if they came through regular 

 plenipotentiaries. 



But an event, important to the present peace of 

 of the Em- Europe, had occurred a few days before the action 

 perorPaul. o f Copenhagen, which, if known sooner, might have 

 saved the lives and limbs of many thousands. This 

 was the death of the insane Emperor Paul, who was 

 strangled by a conspiracy of the nobles in his own 

 palace. The accession of Alexander opened the 

 path to immediate conciliation between the northern 

 powers and this country. Britain, by a few salutary 

 concessions, maintained the right of searching neu- 

 trals, and commerce returned to its wonted channels. 

 Conven- A convention with Russia was signed on the 17th of 

 tion signed June, to which Denmark and Sweden acceded, recei- 

 with Rus- ving back from us their captured ships and colonies. 

 sia> The affairs of the French in Egypt had begun to 



wear a more promising aspect, when the poinard of 

 an assassin deprived the French army of their able 

 and popular commander Kleber. General Menou, 

 his successor, had still nearly 30,000 regular troops, 

 independent of Copts, Greeks, and Arabs, on whose 

 fidelity, however, small reliance could be placed, to 

 defend the new colony, when a plan was adopted by 

 ^ ngw coa ]; t j onj f or invading it with three different 

 armies. It was concerted between the powers inter- 

 ested in the recovery of Egypt, that the grand vizier 

 should lead a body of Turks across the desert. An 

 English army, commanded by General Baird, was to 

 be brought from India by the Red Sea, while the main 

 army of the English was to be landed on the oppo- 

 site shores. This last and most important body col- 

 lected at Malta in November 1800. The command 

 of them being declined by General Sir Charles Stuart, 

 K. B. devolved on Sir Ralph Abercromby. Em- 

 barking from Malta in December, the British re- 

 mained for some time on the coast of Caramania, and, 



General 

 Kleber as- 

 sassinated. 



Invasion of 

 Egypt by 

 the Eng- 



having encountered severe gales, reached the bay of Brit* 

 Aboukir on the 2d of Marcli 1801. There they ef- * V 

 fccted a landing upon the 8th, in the face of a nume- Gr<mr.r,IIr. 

 rous opposing body of the. French. On the 13th, 1K01 ' 

 they fought another spirited action with the advan- The 3 r ; t ;^, 

 ccd body of the French near Alexandria, whom they army !and 

 drove back to the heights of Nicopolis. In a few in Egypt, 

 days the fort of Aboukir surrendered ; while Menou, 

 arriving from Cairo with his whole disposable force, 

 was on the 20th of March concentrated at Alexan- 

 dria, and prepared for a decisive battle on the follow- 

 ing day. The British occupied a position about four 

 miles from Alexandria, having a sandy plain in their 

 front, the sea on their right, and the lake of Abou- 

 kir and the canal of Alexandria (at that time dry) 

 on their left. The action began two hours before Battle of 

 day light. A feint attack upon the left of the Bri- Alexan- 

 tish was succeeded by a furious onset of the French dria - 

 upon their right. After an obstinate conflict, the 

 repulse of two charges left the British masters of the 

 field ; the French returning under the protection of 

 their cannon. The deficiency of ammunition pre- 

 vented an effective pursuit of them; but the fire of 

 some of our vessels in the harbour gave considerable 

 celerity to the retreat of Menou. Above 3000 of Death of 

 the enemy were killed, wounded, or taken. On the General 

 side of the British, 1200 men, including the just- Abercrom 

 ly lamented Abercromby, were the price of the vie- ?' 

 tory. See ABERCROMBY. 



The chief command, after the death of Abercrom- General 

 by, devolved on General Hutchinson. The battles Huichin- 

 of his predecessor had opened the way to the con- son 

 quest of Egypt, but had not secured it. For some tlle 

 time the operations of the new commander were slow the 

 and cautious. Rosetta, however, was taken ; and tUh arm 

 the Turks, who had now joined the English, gain- 

 ed some advantages over the enemy at Ramanich. 

 These successes, and the exemplary behaviour of our 

 troops, encouraged both the Arabs and the Mame- 

 lukes to join our army in great numbers. While 

 their progress was marked with victory on the left 

 bank of the Nile, they made advances in the Delta, 

 till, possessing both shores of the river, they traver- 

 sed the burning desert, and, coming in sight of the 

 pyramids, proceeded to reduce the once famed capi- 

 tal of Egypt. General Belliard surrendered Cairo, 

 on condition of its garrison being allowed to return Gran C 

 to France. They carried with them, as a mark of rc 

 unfeigned regard, the body of General Kleber. The 

 surrender of Alexandria was alone wanting to com- 

 plete the conquest of Egypt : But here Menou, far 

 from approving the capitulation, of Cairo, increased 

 the fortifications, and threatened to bury himself un- 

 der their ruins rather than yield. He did not yet 

 despair of receiving reinforcements from Admiral 

 Gantheaume, who, after having been two days with- 

 in thirty leagues of Alexandria, was obliged to bear 

 away, for fear of an interview with the English fleet. 

 The siege was protracted till September, when the Surrender 

 conditions which had been granted to Belliard were of . Ale * i 

 renewed to the 'commander in chief. About 23,000 dna- 

 Frenchmen thus returned from an expedition for 

 which 40,000 had embarked. They were accom- 

 panied by several hundreds of the natives of both 

 sexes. 



In the naval campaign of this year, although no 

 great battle took place between the rival fleets of the 

 3 



