218 
clarke’s travels. 
ing round a head land, called Cape Brule, we saw again (he 
whole coast of the Delta, as far as the Bosetta branch of the 
JNXle. We arrived in Aboukir Bay upon the morning of the 
twentieth. An alarm had been given at day break, as we drew 
near to the fleet, of smoke issuing from a frigate on fire. It 
proved to be the Xphigenia, Captain-Stackpole, which ship we 
had so lately seen at Cyprus. Site broke from her mooring as 
we were sailing toward her, and, passing through all the fleet* 
discharged her guns as they grew hot, but without doing any 
mischief. Exactly at nine o’clock, the very instant we let go 
our anchor, she blew up, and presented a tremendous column of 
smoke and Oarne, being then close in with the shore. We be¬ 
held the explosion from our cabin windows. After it took place, 
not a vestige of the ship remained. We breakfasted with Cap¬ 
tain Bussell, and took leave of the crew : my brother’s barge 
then coming alongside, conveyed us to the Braakel. 
We had been only two days in the fleet, when, being on 
board the Dictator, Captain Hardy, to attend a court martial 
held in consequence of the loss of the Iphigenia, Captain Cui- 
verhouse, of the Bomulus frigate, said he was ordered to Acre 
for a supply of bullocks; and asked if we were willing to ac¬ 
company him. To this proposal we readily assented ; happy 
jo the favourable opportunity it offered of enabling us to visit 
the Holy Land, as well as to become acquainted with a very 
extraordinary mao, Djezzar Pacha , tyrant of Acre, the Herod 
of his time, whose disregard for the Ottoman government, and 
cruel mode of exercising government among his people, render¬ 
ed him the terror of all the surrounding nations. The old story 
of Blue Beard seemed altogether realized in the history of this 
hoary potentate. Sir Sidney Smith entrusted some presents for 
him to my care; and Captain Culverhouse* expressed a wish 
that I would act as his interpreter with Djezzar’s dragoman, 
who could only translate the Arabic spoken in the country into 
the Italiaa language. We therefore made all things ready for 
another embarkation. 
•£ Neither of these excellent officers, Captain Russel, and Captain Culverhouse, are 
now living. Captain Russel died of the fever he caught in Cyprus ; and Captain Cul- 
rerhouse fell a victim to his endeavours to save a beloved wife, who was upset with 
him in a boat off the Cape of Good Hope. He narrowly escaped a similar fate in early 
life, being by accident on shore when the Royal George sunk at^Spithead, to which 
,3hip he then belonged, as a midshipman. 
