FROM ASIA BUNGE TO ECUfJCT. 
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-tire guardianship of the coast of Egypt. Over an expanse com¬ 
prehending six degrees of latitude, it might have been supposed 
a vessel lying so low in the water, and so small as that wherein 
we sailed, would escape observation; but we were spoken to at 
least half a dozen times ; and the master of one of the ships 
actually boarded the Tauride, believing, from her French as- 
pect, that he should take possession of her as a prize. A very* 
remarkable circumstance occurred, which may convey notions 
of the propagation of sound by means of water, greater than 
will perhaps be credited.. I can appeal to the testimony of 
those who with me were witnesses of the fact, for the truth of 
what I now relate. By observation of latitude, we were an 
hundred miles from the Egyptian coast: the sea was perfectly 
calm, with little or no swell, and scarcely a breath of wind 
stirring: suddenly, captain Castle called our attention to the 
sound as of distant artillery, vibrating in a Low, gentle murmur 
upon the water, and distinctly heard at intervals during the 
whole day. He said it was caused by an engagement at sea, 
and believed the enemy had attacked our fleet off Alexandria. 
Ho such event had, however, taken place; and it was afterward 
known, that the sounds we then heard proceeded from an at¬ 
tack made by our troops against the fortress of Rachmanie 
upon the Nile, beyond Rosetta: this had commenced upon that 
day, and hence alone the noise of guns could have originated. 
The distance of Rachmanie from the coast, in a direct line, is 
about ten leagues; allowing a distance of one hundred and 
thirty miles for the space through which the sound had been 
propagated when it reached our ears. 
On the sixteenth of April, toward sunset, we first made the 
fleet olF Alexandria from the masthead of the Tauride. Our 
captain, being out of his course, mistook it for the fleet of troop 
ships and other transports. Evening coming on, we steered 
for the harbour of Alexandria, believing it to be Aboukir Bay, 
and wishing to get in before it grew dark; an intention which 
would soon have been interrupted by the guns of our fleet, if 
we had persevered ; but the boatswain at length perceiving our 
error, we luffed up, and lay to all night. In the morning of 
April the seventeenth, -we saw 7 Alexandria very distinctly, with 
the French ships lying in the harbour; and had a fine view 7 of 
the famous column of Diocletian, then called Fompey’s pillar, 
as well as of the obelisk, to which mariners give the name of 
Cleopatra’s needle. A stiff gale coming on, we steered along 
the coast for Aboukir. About nine o’clock A. we made 
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