22 MEMOIR. 



made its appearance. I could mention many curious adventures 

 that occurred during this campaign in the months of September 

 and October, but I will go on at once to the last great blow 

 which decided the whole affair. This was the capture of St Jean 

 d'Acre. This town is situated on a small promontory, so that it 

 has three sea fronts and only one side towards the land. The forti- 

 fications rise immediately from the sea and are extremely formid- 

 able ; indeed, both by land and sea it was reckoned impregnable. 

 Acre was taken by the Crusaders, and there is a hill very near 

 to the town which still bears the name of Richard CcEur de 

 Lion. The ancient name of St Jean d'Acre was Ptolemais ; by 

 the Turks it is called Accho. It was successfully defended by 

 Captain Sir Sidney Smith against Napoleon, who, at the head of 

 a victorious army, was checked and beaten by a handful of 

 British seamen and undisciplined Turks, the sole garrison of 

 this mighty fortress. But now it was doomed to fall by the 

 hands of British sailors and Turkish allies. 



All the smaller towns having been subdued, the fleet was 

 assembled at Beyrout preparatory to the grand attack meditated 

 on Acre. The squadron was augmented by the presence of two 

 Austrian frigates and a large Turkish line-of-battle ship called 

 the ' Mahoumadier.' She was commanded by Captain W., a 

 pacha in the Sultan's service. The ' Hydra ' steamer had been 

 previously sent to sound the depth of water in the neighbourhood 

 of the town, and she laid down some buoys, though a long way 

 out from the town, as she was directed to keep out of shot. The 

 enemy saluted her with a couple of shot ; one ranged over her 

 and the other struck her hull, though without hurting her. She 



