ANNALS OF THE WARS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

1801.

1. WAR IN ITALY. ARMISTICE OF TREVISO WITH THE AUSTRIANS. — 2. ARMISTICE BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND NEAPOLITANS AT FOLIGNO.— 3. SIR RALPH ABERCROMBIE DISEMBARKS HI8 ARMY IN ABOUKIR BAY.—4. AFFAIR AT NICOPOLIS.—5. BATTLE OF ALEXANDRIA.— 6. DEATH AND MILITARY CHARACTER OF GENERAL SIR RALPH ABERCROMBIE.—7. THE TURKISH ARMY LANDS IN EGYPT. THE ALLIES MARCH ON CAIRO. — 8. WAR IN SCANDINAVIA.—THE ARMED NEUTRALITY OF THE NORTH. — 9. THE BRITISH FLEET PASSES THE SOUND. —10. ADMIRAL LORD NELSON ADVANCES TO THE ATTACK OF COPENHAGEN. —11. AN ARMISTICE IS CONCLUDED BETWEEN THE CROWN-PRINCE AND NELSON. —12. WAR IN EGYPT.—AFFAIR AT EL HANKA BETWEEN FRENCH AND TURKS.—13. GENERAL BELLTARD CONCLUDES A CONVENTION FOR THE EVACUATION OF CAIRO. —14. GENERAL HUTCHINSON BESIEGES ALEXANDRIA.—15. GENERAL MENOU SURRENDERS IT, AND THE FRENCH QUIT EGYPT.— 16. THE BRITISH SUCCESSFULLY DEFEND PORTO FERRAJO AGAINST THE FRENCH.— 17. THE FRENCH AND SPANIARDS INVADE PORTUGAL. — 18. PROJECTED INVASION OF ENGLAND BY THE FRENCH.— 19. NAVAL WAR.— 20. TWO ACTIONS OFF ALGESIRAS.— 21. CONTESTS BETWEEN LIGHT SQUADRON8 AND SINGLE SHIPS.— 22. BOAT ACTION8.— 23. COLONIAL WAR. — 24. PRELIMINARIES OF THE PEACE OF AMIENS.

1. War in Italy.

As already related, the contending armies of France and Austria were only parted from each other by the Adige on the 1st of January. At break of day of the new year, therefore, General Delmas laid a bridge at Bussolengo, and, under the fire of sixty guns, crossed his cavalry without impediment. Dupont immediately invested Verona, while Moncey directed his march up the river on Trent and Roveredo. Rochambeau at the same time advanced from Salo to Riva, at the head of the lake, to unite himself with the corps of Macdonald, which, after having been foiled at Mount Tonal, descended the valley of the Oglio. Marshal Bellegarde, now in considerable peril, fell back on the position at Caldiero, and took measures to unite the whole of his army behind the Brenta. Schilt, with a column, made a show of some resistance against Moncey at Rivoli and Corona, but nevertheless reached Trent; but Wukassovitch, abandoning all further opposition to Mac­donald, marched to Bassano. Laudon, who had retired before Mac­donald, was now pressed by Moncey at Calliano, and had recourse to the old stratagem of escape from a difficulty, which so often succeeds, notwithstanding the staleness of the trick. In order to get away from his rather perilous position, he sent word to the French Generals that he had information of a concluded armistice, and, being believed, he marched unmolested by Lerico to the Brenta. The main body of the Austrian army, under the Count of Hohenzollern, came to blows with Suchet and Dupont at Montebello on the 7th, but fell back before them on Vicenza. Brune now followed up the retiring columns of Bellegarde with his whole force by way of the mountains, until he arrived on the banks of the Brenta on the 10th, and on the 12th he learned the junction of all the separate divisions of Bellegarde’s army, which nevertheless continued its retreat before the French, and on the 13th reached Treviso. Here the Republicans were preparing to follow, when the Count of Hohenzollern arrived at the outposts with a flag of truce and proper credentials to propose a suspension of arms; but this proposition did not now stay the advance of the French army, for Sebastiani took possession of Treviso, and the Austrians continued their retreat behind the Po, without minding it General Marmont, however, was commissioned to negotiate with Hohenzollern, and signed on the 16th an armistice, which, while it surrendered to the Republicans Peschiera, Verona, Legnago, Ancona, and Ferrara, conceded a suspension of arms. Nevertheless the First Consul afterwards disapproved altogether of the Italian armistice; for Murat, with 8500 men, was at this time within a few days’ march of the army, and he thought the force strong enough to obtain possession of Mantua, and to force the Imperialists to withdraw behind the Isonzo. However, he did not denounce it, for the negotiators at Luneville had already concluded their labours, and had signed the peace known as the Peace of Luneville on the 9th of February.

2. Armistice between French and Neapolitans at Foligno

The Neapolitan army of 16,000 men under Count de Damas was still moving up to Tuscany to unite with Sommariva in the cause of Austria, and had reached Sienna, where Miollis, with a French detachment of 3500 men, was left completely in the lurch when Brune marched away to the Brenta; but although he knew that he had only to call upon Murat to lend him assistance, Miollis resolved to settle the matter himself, and, notwithstanding such a disparity of numbers, proceeded to encounter the Neapolitans on the 14th of January. Their advance was suddenly and unexpectedly attacked by him at San Donato, and they fled back to the camp at Sienna, into which the French followed them, crushed the columns that came out in support, and drove them back on Rome. Sommariva no sooner heard of this disaster than he fell back on Ancona. The armistice of Treviso had put a conclusive stop to any further aid in the contest between the French and Neapolitans from the side of Austria; and the Queen of Sicily, not feeling quite comfortable under the prospect of affairs, had already actually gone herself to Russia to implore the countenance and assistance of the Czar. This eccentric monarch, pleased at being sought after by a sovereign in distress, desired his ambassador at Paris to intercede for the Sicilian Court. The First Consul, anxious to please the Emperor Paul, promised to attend to his wishes, and Murat was directed to repair to the South of Italy, where, on the 20th of January, he took possession of Ancona by virtue of the armistice, and then proceeded to Tuscany, where he met M. Lovascheff, an officer of the Sicilian Court, and a treaty was entered into between those functionaries, securing the throne to Ferdinand and Caroline on condition of closing their ports against the British. A military armistice was afterwards agreed upon on the 9th of February at Foligno, between the Count de Damas and General Murat

3. General Abercrombie disembarks his Army in Aboukir Bay.

The British expedition which had landed in Mannorice Bay in the last days of the old year, waited there till the end of February for the Turkish armament which was expected to join them, as well as for the British expedition which was looked for in the Gulf of Suez from India; but as there appeared but faint hopes of the arrival of either of these reinforcements, the fleet put to sea on the 1st of March, and came in sight of the minarets of Alexandria the same evening. The state of the weather, however, prevented any immediate disembarkation. Just as Lord Keith commanding the fleet arrived off the port, the French frigate “Regenerée,” which with her consort the “Africaine ” had been despatched from the coast of France with troops and military stores, slipped into the western port; and, strange as it may appear, in presence of a British force consisting of seven vessels of the line, five frigates, and a dozen armed corvettes, the French brig corvette “Lodi” also got in on the 2nd, and the French frigates “Egyptienne” and “Justice” on the 3rd. The returns of the French army in Egypt at this time show 21,000 fighting men, scattered throughout Egypt under the command of General Abdallah-Jacques Menou. General Friant, the French Governor of Alexandria, instantly sent off to Cairo to apprise his superior officer of the arrival off the harbour of the British armament, while he himself repaired, with 1600 infantry, two squadrons of cavalry, and ten guns, to watch the movements of the enemy in Aboukir Bay. A succession of strong northerly gales, attended by a heavy sea, set in on the 2nd of March, and continued till the 7th, so that it was the morning of the 8th before any disembarkation could be attempted. At 9 in the morning of the day signal was made for the boats of the fleet, into each of which fifty men might be placed, to make ready to advance towards the shore. At a given signal the scene in the bay became one of intense animation; the whole of the boats sprang forward at the same instant in two lines, under the command of Captain Cochrane of the “Ajax” flanked on the right by the armed cutter “Cruelle,” Lieutenant D. McGhie, having with him two gun-boats; and on the left by the armed cutter “Entreprenante.” Launches containing field artillery and seamen were to cooperate in the descent of the troops, and bomb-vessels and sloops of war stood with their broadsides ready. All the boats were placed under the command of Captain Sir Sidney Smith. General Ludlow with the brigade of Guards; the Royals, 54th, and 92nd under General Coote; and the reserve, consisting of the 23rd, 28th, 40fh, 42nd, and 58th, under Generals Moore and Oakes, were embarked in the boats. Friant had placed his force of 2000 men in a concave semicircle on the sandhills, and had arranged his guns upon a lofty bluff that commanded the whole extent of the shore. No sooner did the first line of boats come within range, than a heavy fire of grape and musketry was opened upon them. The left of the French line rested on the castle of Aboukir, which maintained a hot fire of round shot and shell. The quantity of shot and shell, grape and musketry, which poured upon the disembarkation, seemed so to plough the surface of the sea as though nothing on it could live. Several of the boats were sunk, and much disorder ensued; but the ardour of the two services was not to be damped. The 23rd regiment jumped on shore, and, sending forward a swarm of skirmishers, advanced immediately, while the 40th soon came up into line with them, and without firing a shot rushed up the heights with fixed bayonets. The French grenadiers stoutly defended their post, but it was carried with great gallantry, notwithstanding all their exertions. Sir Sidney Smith with his sailors soon dragged up some guns from the shore, which established full possession of this position. The boats, as soon as they discharged one living freight, returned without delay for another, so that, before the evening of the 9th, the whole army, with a full proportion of guns, stores, and provisions, were securely landed. A detachment of the Guards and Royals, under Ludlow, had a momentary check from a charge of French cavalry, but, forming square, bravely resisted until reinforcements came up. The disembarkation was all completed in three divisions. Friant gave orders to retire, which his troops did with firmness, but not without the loss of 300 men and eight pieces of cannon; they now took up a strong position between the Lake Madieh and the sea, covering Alexandria. The loss of the British in both services was about 130 killed, and 600 wounded and missing. The loss of the French is believed to have been much larger, and in this first contest with the British, they were unable to stand before them or to save their guns, which gave great enthusiasm to the invaders. On the 4th the French General Menou heard at Cairo of the approach of the British; but Abdallah Jacques treated the arrival of an enemy of 17,500 strong as an affair to be trifled with, and accordingly did not quit the city, but contented himself with sending the division of Lanusse to march on Rahmaneeh. These last, hearing the firing on the 9th, pushed on, and thus General Friant received a most opportune reinforcement of about 4000 infantry, 500 cavalry, and 21 guns, which raised his entire force to upwards of 6000 men. On the Uth Menou heard of the disembarkation, and at length becoming alive to his danger, hastened to join his army at Alexandria in person.

4. Affair at Nicopolis.

On the narrow sandy peninsula on which the British army now marched, the first anxiety was to obtain water for the troops: but they were informed that wherever date trees grew water might be found; and at Mandora Toori, to which place the troops advanced on the 12th, there was found a wood of date trees, and some water. On the 13th at daybreak the British army advanced in three columns to attack the enemy, who were formed upon very commanding ground perpendicularly to the sea, on which they rested their left flank, while their right extended to the canal of Alexandria and on the road to Aboukir. Lanusse commanded the left and Friant the right; and Bron, with the cavalry, was in reserve behind the heights. Lanusse, only perceiving one of the British columns advancing, descended the hill to attack it, and coming suddenly on the 90th Regiment, his cavalry charged it; but, although this was their first encounter, the British received the horse on their bayonets with the coolness and intrepidity of veterans. They had scarcely compelled the cavalry to retreat, with their chief, Latour Maubourg, desperately wounded, when the General perceived the second column. He nevertheless gallantly attacked again, until he perceived the whole British force advancing upon him. Friant, who was not on good terms with Lanusse, was supposed to have ill supported him; but, whatever was the cause, the French were compelled to quit their position, and retreat across the plain into their lines before Alexandria, the gun-boats, which the sailors had got into the lake, galling them severely on the right flank as they retired. Abercrombie thought to improve his success by carrying the strong position of Nicopolis, under the walls of the city, by a coup-de-main, and ordered the army forward; but, on reconnoitring the strength of the works, he deemed it unadvisable to make the attempt. Unfortunately he did not consider that while he was reconnoitring, the centre of his army was left exposed to a most terrible and destructive range from the enemy’s guns, under which the men for several hours remained patiently, suffering an exterminating fire from about thirty guns, so that the British lost 1300 men killed and wounded, and Sir Ralph Abercrombie had a horse shot under him; but Lord Cavan’s and General Doyle’s brigade succeeded in making a charge, and taking four of these guns and a great quantity of ammunition, and at 4 the General-in-Chief ordered the army to take possession of the ground occupied by the French in the morning.

On the 17th, the castle of Aboukir surrendered to the British, and thus the fall communication of the army with the fleet was now secured. Abercrombie accordingly took advantage of this leisure to add some fortifications to his position. It was by nature strong, but two batteries were erected on the left, towards the Lake Maedieh, and works were thrown up on the right, which rested on some high ground occupied by the large and magnificent ruins of an old palace called Nicopolis, built in the time of the Romans, and immediately overlooking the sea. On this flank, and within 150 yards of the shore, were stationed four armed vessels under Captain Maitland. Both armies faced one another on a very narrow promontory not more than 300 yards wide, running between the sea and the lake. The French were on a high and almost perpendicular ridge, nearly parallel to that held by the British; but in advance of their right they occupied a bridge across the canal of Alexandria. In the centre of their line stood Fort Cretin, and on the left of their rear Fort Caffarelli, while Pompey’s Pillar could be seen on the rear of their right, and Cleopatra’s Needle on that of the left, and beyond the extremity of a long neck of land might be also seen the ancient Pharos, the whole forming a most remarkable landscape in a historical as well as military point of view; for here were objects, known to many generations of warriors, which had been once deemed wonders of the world, and which from their great antiquity could not fail to affect the most ordinary beholders.

5. Battle of Alexandria.

The topography of the ground on which the battle of Alexandria was about to be fought was rendered remarkable by the ancient bed of Lake Mareotis, which was separated from the Lake of Aboukir by an embankment forming the canal of Alexandria leading from that city to the Nile opposite Rahmaneeh. As the Lake of Aboukir was connected with the sea, it was very easy to flood Mareotis; but at this time it was nearly dry, or at all events was passable for cavalry, and in many parts for artillery. The British had prudently established a post upon the canal of Alexandria between the two lakes, and had there thrown up épaulements for the protection of the defenders. On the 20th a column of infantry and artillery was perceived to be passing over the dry bed of this lake into Alexandria; and Sir Sidney Smith received information, on which he thought he could rely, that it was accompanied by the General-in-Chief Menou, and that it was his intention to attack the British position the following morning.

On the memorable 21st of March, the British army was as usual under arms at 3 in the morning. Soon a musket shot was heard on the extreme left, which was followed by the report of cannon and of continuous musketry. Attention was immediately drawn to that quarter, and General Moore, who was general officer of the night, ordered Brigadier Stuart to put himself in march in the direction from which it proceeded; but he soon stopped them, in consequence of a very heavy fire, both of musketry and cannon, which now proceeded from the French right. The fact was, that the French dromedary corps, passing across Mareotis, had fallen upon the British post on the canal so rapidly that they entered the épaulement with the sentries, and, finding a 12-pounder there, turned it against the line of Craddock’s brigade; but there happened to be a second redoubt a little farther to the left, which immediately opened its fire upon the dromedary corps, and they accordingly quickly retreated, merely carrying away the guard from the work that they had captured.

Menon’s plan of attack that had now commenced was to draw the attention of the British to their left, while their right was to be outflanked by Lanusse; and General Rampon, supported by Regnier, wad to force their centre. The cavalry of General Ronge was drawn up in a second line behind the centre, to be ready to act as circumstances might require. The national impatience of Lanusse carried him forward so early in the morning, that the false attack utterly failed; and he found himself in the thick of the fight with the 58th and 28th, attacking with the brigade Silly the redoubt which had been formed on the Roman ruins. The 58th, under Colonel Houston, received Silly with such a well-directed fire that the Republicans turned to another redoubt more to their left, where the 28th resisted them with a heavy fire; but the main body of the two columns in the meantime penetrated behind the redoubt and into the ruins, and took possession of a gun there. The armed vessels from the side of the sea opened a tremendous fire on the brigade Valentin, moving along the shore, and shook the order of its advance, which induced Lanusse to ride down himself to urge them forward, when one of the round shot from the sloops shattered his thigh and laid him low. This event altogether discouraged his troops, and they fell back. At this instant the English 23rd arrived at the ruins, followed by the 42nd; and the contest then raged so heavily, that the 28th and 58th presented the extraordinary spectacle of troops fighting at the same time to the front, flanks, and rear, when the opportune arrival of the two fresh British regiments so cut off the French regiment that had advanced into the ruins from their support, that after a severe loss it was obliged to lay down its arms.

While this was passing, Rampon’s division had reached the centre, and now attempted to turn the left of the brigade of Guards, but was received with so terrible a fire, that the General had two horses killed under him, the Adjutant-General Sornet was killed, and General Destaing, as well as the chef-de-bataillon Hausser, was struck down by their well-directed volleys. Brigadier Epplu, moving on the right, was also severely wounded, and his grenadiers driven back with loss. Regnier, seeing the failure of Rampon and Lanusse’s attack, now came up to their support with all the force he could collect, intending to make a new attempt in the interval between the centre and left. Sending, therefore, Friant on one he marched himself upon the other. But Abercrombie had already strengthened this point by sending Hutchinson with the reserve to reinforce it; and while Regnier was in the act of advancing, an incident occurred that decided the conflict.

The General-in-Chief Menou had contented himself with observing from a distance the exertions of his lieutenants, but now he descended from the eminence he occupied into the plain, when he happened to pass the cavalry division of Rongé, who was in reserve, and whom he ordered forward to repair the shortcomings of his infantry. In vain the brave General remonstrated, that with the arm he commanded alone, without the concurrence of infantry or artillery, he could effect nothing; the order was renewed imperatively, and must be obeyed. The gallant officer returned to his comrades. “Mes amis,” said he, “on nous envois à la gloire et ‘a la mort—marchons.” Regnier met the cavalry on their march, but he could afford them no aid, for not only was his attack overpowered, but he had heard that Silly had been wounded severely, and Baudot mortally. The first line of dragoons, commanded by Broussard, now pushed on, floundering over the tents and holes of the encampment of the 28th; but nevertheless, charging onward, they overwhelmed the 42nd, passing into their camp behind, where here the horses got further entangled among the cords of the tents and among the trous de loup which had been dug there, and the 40th coming up upon the cavalry broke it in disorder. Colonel Spencer, who commanded, was restrained from firing with full effect, lest he should injure the men of the 42nd, who were mixed up in the rout This gallant corps, scattered and broken, was nevertheless not defeated; individually the men resisted, and the conduct of each man was that of a hero. It was in the midst of this mêlée that the Commander-in-Chief received his death-wound. Ever anxious to be forward in danger, Abercrombie had despatched all his staff, and was for the moment alone. He had dismounted in the struggle, when an officer rushed at him; but the natural heroism of foe veteran invigorated his arm, and, seizing the sword uplifted against him, he wrested it from his assailant, whom a private of the 42nd immediately bayoneted. Sir Sidney Smith was the first officer who came up to Sir Ralph’s assistance, and by some accident he had broken his sword, and foe valiant old General, seeing this, immediately presented him with the sword he had so gallantly acquired. “I will have it placed,” said the brave seaman, “upon my monument”. Sir Ralph, however, had received a wound in his thigh, though he did not know how he got it; and he complained also of a severe contusion on his breast, which he supposed he must have received in the struggle for the sword. No entreaties, nevertheless, could prevail on him to quit foe field.

At this juncture the Minorca regiment arrived to support the 42nd, when the second line of French cavalry, with General Rongé at their head, made a desperate charge on these regiments. The 'British, with wonderful sang froid, opened their ranks and let them pass through the encampment, then, reforming, they poured upon them such a volley as brought men and horses to the ground, and amongst others their brave leader Rongé. The divisions of Regnier and Friant were at this time spectators of a contest to which they could give no assistance, for they were all this time exposed to the fire of the British line, and losing a great number of men. At length, at 10 o’clock, Menon, after much indecision, ordered a retreat, and the French fell back into their old entrenchments. Sir Ralph contrived to walk to a redoubt on the right of the Guards, from which he could see the termination of the contest, and there heard that the ammunition of the troops on the right was now completely exhausted; so completely, indeed, that the regiments of the reserve were obliged to rest on their arms without firing. There was only one cartouche for the guns left in the battery, so that on an attempt of the French to advance anew against this flank, the soldiers of the 28th had actually pelted them with stones. The left of the British line had never been seriously engaged, and it may excite some surprise, that when the French commenced their retrograde movement, they were not followed up; the cannon, however, opened on this side did some execution upon the retreating column, and the gun-boats and armed vessels plied them so well with shell, that many explosions were heard and seen in different parts of the field during the day, occasioned by the well-plied shot of the naval force.

The British loss in this battle was 1464 killed, wounded, and missing, including Abercrombie, Moore, Sidney Smith, Hope, Lawson, and Oakes. The total loss of the French was put at 4000, including Generals Lanusse, Rougé, and Baudot killed; and Destaing, Silly, Epplu, and many other officers of rank wounded. The field was covered with the French dead, whom the Turks and Arabs with the British army were very desirous to strip and plunder, and were only restrained with difficulty. About 200 Bedouin horsemen came into the British lines before the firing had entirely ceased, by passing the dry bed of the Mareotis, and unmistakably expressed their joy at the defeat of the French.

6. Death and Military Character of General Sir Ralph Abercrombie.

Sir Ralph Abercrombie had remained walking about the battery until he saw the enemy in full retreat, when he attempted to mount on horseback, but his wound had become so stiff and painful that he could not mount. He had so completely concealed his sufferings, that officers who had come to him during the action had quitted him without knowing he was wounded, although some few had observed the blood trickling down his clothes. At last his spirit, when exertion was no longer necessary, yielded to nature, and he reluctantly suffered himself to be placed upon a litter. As he was borne along, he was cheered by the sympathy and blessings of the army as he passed through their camp and was carried to a boat, from which he was removed to the “Foudroyant,” Lord Keith’s flag-ship. It is unnecessary to say that here he was received with all possible affection, and that every care and attention which his state required was duly paid him. Nevertheless, the wound he had received brought on fever, and mortification followed upon it. The ball, which had entered the thigh, had lodged in the bone, and could not be extracted, and on the evening of the 28th he expired, universally mourned and greatly beloved by the troops, of whose bravery and heroic conduct he continued to speak to the last, amidst sufferings that sorely taxed his patience and fortitude. The command of the army then devolved on Major-General Hutchinson.

Ralph Abercrombie was born in 1733 of a good Scottish family, and entered the service as cornet in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, in 1756. He became a Major-General in 1787, but did not see service either in the Seven Years’ or American wars. In 1793 he distinguished himself at the battle of Famars, and also at the siege of Valenciennes, and in the campaign of 1794 his conduct was highly spoken of by the Duke of York. He succeeded to the command of the British army through North Holland, after the departure of his Royal Highness, and carried it through one of the most trying retreats that an army ever experienced. The most painful scenes occurred in its course which the humane and judicious conduct of Abercrombie much contributed to alleviate, and he brought the troops safely back to England in the spring of 1795. He was employed in the East Indies, under Lord Cornwallis, in 1795-1797, when he became Lieutenant-General, and Knight of the Bath. In 1798 he went out as Commander-in-Chief to the West Indies, where he obtained possession by his arms of the islands of Grenada, St Lucie, St. Vincent’s, and Trinidad, and of the South-American continental possessions of Demerara and Essequibo. He subsequently went to Ireland, where he laboured to suppress a rebellion fostered by the French government, while he maintained the discipline of his troops and protected the people from the inconvenience of military government, with an anxious solicitude worthy of a wise general and enlightened and beneficent statesman: but the fury of parties and the activity of traitors rendered it advisable to unite the civil and military government in the same hand, and accordingly he relinquished his command to Lord Cornwallis.

In 1799 he went out with the expedition to the Helder, where he disembarked the army, notwithstanding much opposition, and established it on the Dutch shore, before the arrival of the Duke of York to assume the command. In the subsequent action of 2nd October he had two horses killed under him. His gallantry and distinguished conduct in this unfortunate expedition, were such, that in the following year he was designated to the command of the army assembled at Minorca, which after several destinations was finally directed to the coast of Egypt, and disembarked there with great success on the shores of Aboukir Bay.

He endeared himself to his friends by the habitual practice of every relative and social duty, by his amiable manners, the tenderness of his affection, and by the simplicity and integrity of his life. He always regarded war as a trying and solemn duty for a soldier, and felt the awful responsibility always attaching to supreme command. “These victories make me melancholy,” was his remark on the occasion of one of his successes; for he regarded victory as only desirable for promoting the interests and securing the repose of society, and not as a tinsel ornament.

He was very highly esteemed as a leader of talent and activity, and no one could have been more deeply regretted than he now was by every rank of the two services. The eulogium of his successor, conveyed in the pathetic and elegant sentiments of a friend and comrade, is a most worthy monument of his fame: “Were it permitted for a soldier to regret any one who falls in the service of his country, I might be excused for lamenting him more than any other person; but it is some consolation to those who tenderly loved him, that as his life was honourable, so his end was glorious. His memory will be recorded in the annals of war, will be sacred to every British soldier, and embalmed in the recollection of a grateful posterity.”

He died after forty-five years’ military service, in the sixty­eighth year of his age, and was buried at the castle of St. Elmo, at Valetta in the island of Malta. A noble monument by Westmacott adorns the metropolitan church of St. Paul’s, which the Sovereign and Parliament ordered to be erected to his memory; and a pension and a peerage commemorate his name to his descendants, who still bear the title of Baron Abercrombie of Aboukir and Tullibody.

7. The Turkish Army lands in Egypt.—The Allies march on Cairo.

The first instalment of the promised Turkish contingent arrived in Egypt on the 3rd of April, consisting of 6000 men under the command of the Capudan Pasha. It is an anxious duty to succeed unexpectedly to a responsible command, but the case of General Hutchinson was peculiarly trying. The victory which had been gained was of considerable importance, and was sure to inspire great hopes in England, but it had by no means decided the fate of Egypt. The campaign had been commenced under most favourable auspices, but he had still an army greater than his own to combat, strong places to take, supplies to organise, communications to secure, and the knowledge that after October the fleet could no longer afford him the advantages which might at the beginning be expected from them, and of this therefore he determined at once to avail himself. On the receipt of the Turkish reinforcement, General Hutchinson thought himself justified in quitting the camp before Alexandria, and carrying on the war up the Nile. Colonel Spencer with 1000 men was accordingly despatched to act with the Turks against Rosetta, of which he took possession on the 8th without opposition, and forthwith sat down to besiege Fort Julien, which commanded the entrance of the Rosetta branch of the river, and which surrendered to Lord Dalhousie on the 19th. On the 24th, Hutchinson proceeded to take command of the army upon the Nile, having received information that the Turkish force, under the Grand-Vizier in person, had arrived at Damietta, and was preparing to march forward on Cairo. Major-General Coote was left with a small force to keep a check on the position of Alexandria, and in order to strengthen him as much as possible, the site of Lake Mareotis was forthwith accurately surveyed, when the level was found to be ten feet lower than the bed of the Bay of Aboukir. There were, however, some serious objections to the proposition that was now made, to cut the canal of Alexandria, and let the waters of the sea into Lake Mareotis, for there was no certainty where such an inundation could be checked, or how it might affect the British position. At length, however, Hutchinson consented to the measure, and on the 13th of April the embankment that sustained the coast of Alexandria was cut through in four places, when the sea rushed in with such effect that the inundation extended to the westward as far as the eye could reach. The average depth was found to be from five to eight feet, and accordingly, under the advice of Sir Sidney Smith, a flotilla of gun­boats was got upon the inundation, which thus cut off the French for the future from the means of reaching Alexandria from the interior, except by one very circuitous and harassing communication. The consequences soon began to tell upon the French General-in-Chief. He rested in inaction at Alexandria with 6000 men, vainly hoping that the French fleet under Admiral Gantheaume would arrive to his relief; but the British Admiral, Lord Keith, took the most vigilant precautions that this should not happen.

A division of 4000 men under General Lagrange had been left at Rahmaneeh, who were now completely isolated, and General Hutchinson resolved to advance against them. The French General could only expect to receive assistance from Cairo, but this hope also failed him, because Belliard heard that 25,000 Turks were advancing against him from the side of El Arisch. Lagrange accordingly hastened to effect his retreat from Rahmaneeh, abandoning all his flotilla on the Nile, with foe supplies and stores they contained. A few days later the British seized upon the river seventy djermes charged with provisions and stores, together with the military chest containing 100,000 francs, which was on its way to Alexandria. General Menou was thus not only cut off from his army, but deprived of all his supplies, and had therefore before him the fearful prospect of being starved with all his force in the great town of Alexandria. On the 9th the army marched towards Rahmaneeh. It is at this place that the canal of Alexandria originates, proceeding by Damanhoor upon Alexandria. When the Nile is high the canal supplies all the cisterns of the city, but at other seasons it is dry. A detachment of 250 infantry, 125 dragoons, 85 dromedaries, 600 camels, and one gun, under the command of Brigadier Cauntier, left Alexandria on the 14th of May on rather a wildgoose chase, to unite himself with General Lagrange, who was supposed to be at Rahmaneeh. On the 17th information of their whereabouts was conveyed to Hutchinson, who immediately sent Brigadier Doyle with portions of the 12th and 26th Light Dragoons, his own brigade of infantry, and two field-pieces, to reconnoitre and attack them. On nearing them they sent forth a swarm of skirmishers, but before attacking them with his cavalry Major Robert Wilson proposed to be allowed to offer them a capitulation. The proposal so surprised Colonel Cauntier, that he at first indignantly declined it; but Wilson had not gone back many paces, before a French aide-de-camp came up with him, by order of the General, to inquire the terms that were to be offered him; this led to a renewal of negotiations, which ended in an assurance that officers and men, with their private baggage, should be sent to France without being considered prisoners of war, and General Hutchinson, arriving in person, ratified this treaty, and accordingly 560 men grounded their arms without the firing of a single shot. As soon as General Menou heard of Cauntier’s capitulation, he issued a most violent proclamation to this army in Alexandria, calling it “une capitulation en rase campagne la plus honteuse qui est jamais été signée.” The general conduct of Menou had roused the indignation of the whole French army, and the soldiers at his headquarters talked openly of deposing him from, and raising General Regnier to, the command, to save them from dishonour and destruction. On this report reaching the ears of Menou, he ordered Destaing to arrest Generals Regnier and Damas, with the Adjutant-General Boyer and the Inspector Daure, on the night of the 13-14th of May, and he commanded them to be conveyed on board the brig “Lodi,’’ which, with Regnier and Boyer on board, escaped the pursuit of the British cruisers, and reached Nice safely on the 28th of June.

Previously to quitting Rosetta, General Hutchinson received a communication from the Arab chief, Morad Bey, who had so nobly, but so unsuccessfully, defended his country from the first encroachments of the French. He threw himself unreservedly on “the British faith,” for, said he, “the French have deprived me of my sovereignty, my honour, and my revenue; nor have the Turks any right to my confidence. Ah! it is melancholy to reflect that the arrow that has stuck in the eagle’s wing has been tipped with the eagle’s feather,”—a beautiful Orientalism, that has been immortalised in our own language by Lord Byron:—

“Thinks while the arrow quivered in her heart.

She nursed the pinion that impelled the dart.”

Poor Morad Bey, however, while descending the Nile to join the British army, was seized with the plague, and died three days afterwards. The Beys and Mamelukes deeply regretted his loss, and when they buried him near Tahta, they paid the compliment to the valour that he had displayed in defending his country by breaking his most valued sabre into his grave, as an expression that none after him was worthy to wear his arms.

8. War in Scandinavia.—The Armed Neutrality of the North

The state of relations between Great Britain and the Northern Powers, probably influenced by French intrigues, had become already very uncomfortable in the autumn of the previous year. The Czar Paul, whose vacillating and eccentric character had already, in the short period of his rule, astonished and disturbed both his own subjects and foreign powers, had taken great offence at the British interference with Swedish and Danish ships in their peaceful cruises during the period of an armed neutrality. The first overt act of the Czar’s displeasure had been, in the middle of August, last year, to sequester all British property in his dominions. On the 22nd of September, however, the sequestration was taken off; but on the 5th of November the news of the capture of Malta by the British, without any reference to his rights, who had declared himself Grand-Master of the Order of St John, excited so violent an access of rage in the Imperial breast, that a fresh embargo was laid on all the British shipping in the ports of Russia, amounting at the time to 200 sail. The vessels were seized, and the crews sent prisoners into the interior. This was followed, on the 16th and 18th of December, by treaties between Russia, Prussia, Denmark, and Sweden, to maintain, by the union of their maritime forces, the principles that ought to govern neutral nations in war. These principles are not to be disputed in theory, but are found to be invariably untenable in practice, because in war the will of the strongest will ever prevail. The menacing attitude thus assumed by the Northern Powers roused the British Government to the necessity of immediate action against the coalition. On the 14th of January reprisals were ordered, and an embargo was laid on the commerce of the Baltic; and on the 12th of March a squadron was despatched from Tarmouth Roads under the command of Admiral Sir Hyde Parker, with Lord Nelson as second. As the confederated powers had an immense nominal force, great exertions were made to send off a considerable naval expedition, and eighteen sail of the line were collected, and as many frigates, sloops, bombs, &c., as made the whole amount to fifty-three sail. The 49th regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Brock, two companies of riflemen, and a detachment of artillery, the whole under the command of Colonel Stewart, were embarked on board the fleet.

9. The British Fleet passes the Sound.

On arriving off the entrance into the Sound, a flag of truce was sent to the Danish Governor of Elsineur to inquire if he meant to oppose the passage of the fleet through the Sound, which received the following reply:—“As a soldier I cannot intermeddle with politics; but I am not at liberty to suffer a fleet whose intention is not yet known to approach the guns of the Castle of Kronenburg, which I have the honour to command.” The Admiral pronounced this answer equivalent to a declaration of war. The fleet therefore passed on, Lord Nelson’s division in the van, the Commander-in-Chief in the centre, and Admiral Graves in the rear, when the batteries opened, but the distance was so great that not a shot struck the ships. The bomb-vessels, however, returned some shells with better effect, and killed and wounded some men in the castle. But at Elsineur the strait narrows to three miles across, and on the Admiral observing that the Swedish castle of Helsingborg did not make any show of opposition, he ordered the ships by signal to incline to the Swedish shore, and about noon the fleet was securely anchored between the island of Huen and Copenhagen.

The object of the expedition was to attack the allied Powers separately, before they could unite their forces; and at this season the ice was still firm in the Baltic, so that Denmark was thoroughly isolated from the cooperation of Russia and Sweden; but, on a reconnaissance of the enemy’s defences, they were found to be of the most formidable description. The passage leading to the capital is intersected by a great shoal, called the Mittelgrund, on one side of which is the Grand-pass and on the other the King’s-deep. To defend the latter, which is the real approach to the harbour, the Danes had concentrated every means of offence. The islands of Amak and Saltholm flanking the eastern channel, were armed with very strong batteries, while a fleet of ten ships of the line was anchored before the harbour, the approaches to which were rendered more difficult by the removal or misplacement of all the buoys. To defend the King’s-deep stands the Three-Crown battery, armed with seventy heavy guns. Ten pontoons or floating batteries were also armed, and two other forts bristled with guns. Many ships were sunk in the channel, so that any attempt to force an entrance seemed hopeless.

Under these circumstances, therefore, Sir Hyde Parker called a council of war, at which, as usual, much was urged to forego, or, at least, delay the attack. During this discussion, the energy of Lord Nelson’s character was remarkable. As he walked the room, he said: “A Danish minister should think twice before he put his name to a war with England, or he would probably see his master’s fleet in flames and his capital in ruins.” “The Dane should see our flag waving every moment he lifted up his head.” Someone started difficulties as to having to engage the three powers united or in succession. “The more numerous the better; I wish they were twice as many as they are: the easier the victory, depend upon it.” Something was said of the tactics of the Northern fleets. “Close with a Frenchman, but always outmanoeuvre a Russian; attack the head of their line, and they would become as confused as possible.” Lord Nelson at length offered to go himself into the port, with ten sail of the line and all the small craft, and the Admiral, to his credit, accepted the offer. The same night, Nelson, accompanied by officers on whose judgment he could rely, especially Captain Riou, proceeded in his boat to ascertain and re-buoy the channel lying between the island of Salt Holm and the Mittelgrund. His first idea was to attack from the northward, but a subsequent reconnaissance and a favourable change of wind determined the Vice-Admiral to commence his operations from the southward. When discussing this matter, he remarked sharply, “I don’t care a d--- which passage we go, so that we fight them.”

10. Lord Nelson advances to the Attack of Copenhagen.

On the morning of the 1st April his squadron weighed, and proceeded to an anchorage within two leagues of the town. It consisted of the “Elephant,” 74, Captain T. Foley, bearing Lord Nelson’s flag; the “Defiance,” 74, Captain Relalick, with the flag of Rear-Admiral Graves; the “Edgar,” 74, Captain Geo. Murray; the “Monarch,” 74, Captain Mosse; the “Bellona,” 74, Captain Sir T. Thompson; the “Ganges,” 74, Captain Freemantle; the “Russell,” 74, Captain Cumming; the “Agamemnon,” 64, Captain Fancourt; the “Ardent,” 64, Captain Bertie; the “Polyphemus,” 64, Captain Lawford; the “Glatton,” 54, Captain Bligh; the “Isis,” 50, Captain Walker: the frigates “Amazon,” 38, Captain Riou; the “Desirée,” 36, Captain Inman; the “Blanche,” 36, Captain Graham Hammond; the “Alcmene,” 32, Captain Sutton; the “Jamaica,” 24, Captain Rose: the sloops of war “Arrow,” Captain Bolton; “Dart,” Captain Devonshire; “Cruizer,” Captain Brisbane; and “Harpy,” Captain Birchall. There were also seven bomb-vessels and two fire-ships, besides gun-boats. The Vice-Admiral sailed away with thirty-six sail of square-rigged vessels, leaving Admiral Parker with eight sail of the line at the anchorage

The squadron, preceded by the “Amazon,” entered the upper channel, but night overtook them within two miles of the city, before they had neared the southernmost ship of the Danish line, and Nelson ordered the ships to anchor, since daylight was as indispensable to his purpose as a fair wind. But he was not the man to sleep at such a moment He ordered Captains Rion and Foley to his after-cabin, and in concert with them drew up the order of battle and instructions for the captain of each ship, all which require to be referred to in proof of the arduous nature of the enterprise in which he was about to engage. It was not till after repeated exhortations that he could be persuaded to lie down to take some rest, while half a dozen clerks in the fore-cabin were transcribing the instructions; but, instead of sleeping, he was continually calling out to them from his cot to hasten their work, and still continued to dictate. About midnight Captain Hardy returned to report the depth of water, for Nelson had sent officers to examine the practicability of the channel, and one of them had even approached near enough to the enemy’s fleet to sound round the headmost ship, using a pole, lest the noise of the lead should cause discovery. The practicability of the channel thus ascertained was the most gratifying intelligence to Nelson, who now longed for the day. Nor were the Danes unprepared or unready for the coming fight. One spirit had seemed to animate all Denmark, which was to repel the invaders by every possible means. Commodore Olfert Fischer, who had his broad pennant on board the “Dannebrog,” 62, commanded the shipping; but the Prince-Royal gave the encouragement of his presence, and the benefit of his courage and example, to both services, commanding the troops of the line and the Urben militia in person, and passing day and night in inspecting the means of defence, in taking precautions against fire and calamity, and in exciting and encouraging the men under his command. Nor was there any want of both skilful and brave bombardiers to work the Danish guns, both afloat and on shore.

The morning of the 2nd opened with a favourable breeze, and all the pilots were called early to the flag-ship to receive their orders, that they might know the stations assigned to each ship. The line-of-battle ships were to anchor by the stem abreast of the different vessels composing the enemy’s line. Three of the frigates, with two sloops of war, under the immediate directions of Captain Riou of the “Amazon,” together with two fire-ships, were to co­operate in the attack of the Danish ships stationed at the harbour’s mouth; the bomb-vessels were to place themselves so as to shell over the British line; and the “Jamaica” frigate, with the remainder brigs and gun-vessels, was to take position so as to rake the southern extremity of the enemy’s line. The 49th regiment, and 500 seamen under Captain Freemantle, the whole under the command of Colonel Stewart, were to storm the Trekoner batteries as soon as the ships had silenced their fire.

The pilots, in their hesitation and indecision how to carry the ships into the King’s Deep, might have provoked a more patient man than Lord Nelson, but could not divert him from his purpose. At length Mr. Brierley, the master of the “Bellona,” declared himself prepared to lead the fleet; the “Edgar” was, however, the earliest to obey the signal to weigh, and proceeded first to the channel. The “Polyphemus,” “Isis,” and “Bellona” followed, but, keeping too close on the starboard shoal, grounded, as did the “Russell” after her, and the “Agamemnon” could not weather the great shoal and anchored. The “Elephant,” with Lord Nelson’s flag, followed after the “Russell.” The action began at five minutes past 10, when the “Edgar” poured in her broadside with great effect upon the Danish ship “Provestein.” Nelson, in the “Elephant,” took up his station opposite the Danish Commodore in the “Dannebrog,” but it was near 11 o’clock before the action became general, and, owing to the absence of the three vessels who were out of the line as above stated, the ships engaged had more of the enemy’s fire to endure than had been allotted to them, and more than they could well bear. Sir Hyde Parker witnessed the effect of this state of things with concern, and sent up the “Defence,” 74, Lord Harry Paulet; “Ramillies,” 74, Captain Taylor Dixon; and “Valour,” 74, Captain Collingwood, as a reinforcement to the Vice-Admiral; but at the end of three hours the contest had taken no decisive turn on either side, and the Commander-in-Chief was persuaded by the captain of the fleet to run up the signal for discontinuing the engagement. Then occurred the remarkable scene so well described by Southey. The signal lieutenant on board the “Elephant” called out that No. 39 signal I had been thrown out by the Admiral’s flag-ship. Nelson appeared to take no notice of it. The signal officer asked him if he should repeat it. “No,” he replied, “acknowledge it”. Presently he called to know if the signal for close action was still flying from his own mast-head. On being answered in the affirmative, he said, “Mind you keep it so.” He now paced the deck, moving the stump of his lost arm in a manner that always indicated great emotion. “Do you know” he said to one of the officers he met, “what is shown on board the Commander-in Chief? No. 39.” Upon being asked what that signal meant, he added, “Why, to leave off action.” Then shrugging up his shoulders he repeated the words, “Leave off action—now! D…. me if I do.” Then turning to his captain he said, “You know, Foley, I have only one eye—I have a right to be blind sometimes.” On which, putting the glass to his blind eye, he exclaimed, “I really do not see the signal,” and presently, “D…. the signal! keep mine flying for closer action: that’s the way I answer such signals,—nail mine to the mast.” Admiral Graves, in like manner, would not suffer No. 39 to be hoisted anywhere in sight, and kept No. 16, for close action, flying at the main-top gallant mast-head of his flag­ship. The detachment of frigates had by this time proceeded down the channel, led by the gallant Riou, who, perceiving the gap in the line from the absence of the grounded ships, and fearing the effect of this blank in Nelson’s original plan for the attack of the Trekoner, thought by this means to fulfil the duty of the missing ships, and boldly but insufficiently encountered the fire of these formidable batteries. His little squadron was almost annihilated by their fire, and when Captain Riou was in the act of obeying the signal that Nelson made for his return, and was turning his ship’s stern to those batteries, her gallant captain received a cannon-shot as she rounded, that cut him in two—a severe loss which the nation has acknowledged by giving his memory a distinguished place among her heroes in St. Paul’s Cathedral.

About 2 o’clock the fire of the Danes slackened along the whole line of their ships; but the great Trekoner, which had had nothing heavier than frigates and sloops to contend with, maintained a very hot fire, and prevented the crews of the British ships from taking possession of their opponents who had been literally knocked to pieces and had struck their flags; but the crews continually received fresh reinforcements of men from the shore, and were thus too well manned to be stormed. The “Dannebrog,” after having lost two captains and three fourths of her crew, caught fire, and blew up with an awful explosion. Under these circumstances Lord Nelson exhibited that wonderful combination of heroism and address which so often distinguishes remarkable leaders. He now sat down and wrote the following letter to the Prince-Royal “Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson has been commanded to spare Denmark, when she no longer resists. The line of defence which covered her shores has struck to the British flag; but, if the firing is continued on the part of Denmark, he must set on fire all the prizes that he has taken, without having the power of saving the men who have so nobly defended them. The brave Danes are the brothers, and should never be the enemies, of the English.” A wafer was brought to him with which to seal the letter, but he ordered a candle to be brought, and sealed the letter with a larger seal than he ordinarily used, saying, “This is not a time to appear hurried and informal.” The letter was sent with a flag of truce, and it is said that at the moment of receiving it the Prince of Denmark had just heard of the circumstances which had so summarily shortened the life of the Czar Paul at St Petersburg on the 24th. Such an event was well calculated to make it the policy of Denmark to terminate the contest. At all events the Prince sent back his Adjutant-General with a flag of truce to Lord Nelson’s flag-ship, at sight of which the “Trekoner” ceased her fire, and the action, which had continued five hours, was brought to a close.

11. An Armistice is concluded between Nelson and the Crown-Prince.

The message from the Crown-Prince brought by Colonel Lindholm was to inquire the particular object of Lord Nelson’s letter. Lord Nelson wrote in reply, and sent off the answer immediately. “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, with humble duty to his Royal Highness the Prince, will consider this the greatest victory he has ever gained, if it may be the cause of a happy reconciliation and union between his own most gracious Sovereign and His Majesty the King of Denmark.” Colonel Lindholm in the meanwhile remained on board, and Lord Nelson said to him: “The French fight bravely, but they could not have stood for a single hour the fight which the Danes have sustained for five. I have been in 105 engagements in the course of my life, but that of today has been the most terrible of all.” Some persons have doubted whether the proposal of a truce, which Nelson ascribed to humanity, was not in honest truth a military stratagem. If it were, though the motive may lose somewhat of man’s applause, it is no slight quality in a commander to seize the moment when a victory may be clenched by extricating from imminent danger his own sailors, who had so nobly stood by him in the fearful conflict.

This glorious result was within an ace of being a sad disaster. The British ships, including his own, were much crippled in their sails and rigging, and fast drifting upon the great sandbank. The negotiation thus begun was referred to Sir Hyde Parker, to whose flag-ship Colonel Lindholm was sent, and Nelson seized the opportunity that this delay occasioned to order his ships to weigh and slip away in succession. The “Elephant,” “Defiance,” and “Monarch” grounded about a mile from the Trekoner, and there remained fixed for many hours. All, however, eventually got off in the night of the 2nd and morning of the 3rd. By Lord Nelson’s “parley,” as the Danes term it, he had certainly gained time to succour those of his own ships that were in trouble, and to take quiet possession of the enemy’s hulks that had either been surrendered or forsaken. The British captured or destroyed thirteen out of the eighteen sail, and all the floating batteries that formed the Danish line to the southward of the Trekoner. The frigates, except the “Holstein”, which was pat in sailing condition and carried away, were so worthless that they were set on fire or sunk. The loss of the British in this severe contest was 1200 killed and wounded; and that of the Danes about 1800. It was scarcely light on the morning of the 3rd, when Lord Nelson embarked in his gig to pass round his fleet. The fatigue of a long row in a northern sea, after the most severe exertions of mind and body he had undergone the previous day, did not induce this extraordinary man to indulge in rest, or to forget those who had borne with him­self the burden and heat of the day, and in whose fate he was interested. It was the 9th before the terms of an armistice were agreed upon, when Denmark engaged to suspend all proceedings under the treaty of armed neutrality, and to allow the British fleet to victual and water. While the negotiations were in progress, one of the Danish commissioners hinted at a renewal of hostilities. Lord Nelson understood French sufficiently to catch the expression, “Renew hostilities”, he exclaimed with warmth, “Tell him we are ready this moment—ready to bombard the city this very night”; The unfortunate commissioner apologised most humbly.

On the 12th Admiral Parker, having accomplished what he desired in these respects, sailed from the roads of Copenhagen up the Baltic. Receiving information that a Swedish squadron, reported at nine sail of the line, was at sea, Sir Hyde proceeded to intercept its courses but the Swedish Admiral, conceiving himself no match for the British, sought refuge at Carlscrona, where a negotiation was entered into between Admirals Parker and Cronstadt, to refer it to the Swedish King to treat for an accommodation with Great Britain. Lord Nelson had not quitted Copenhagen with Sir Hyde, but had heard that the Swedish fleet had been seen by the look-out frigates. He instantly jumped into a six-oared cutter, without waiting even for a boat-cloak, and set off to join the Admiral at a distance of twenty-four miles, in the very teeth of the wind and current. His anxiety lest the British fleet should not catch the Swedish squadron was intense. Someone offered him a boat-cloak, fearing he might be cold. “No,” he replied, “I am not cold; my anxiety for my country will keep me warm. Do you think the fleet has sailed?” “No, my Lord, I should suppose not.” “ If they have we will follow them to Carlscrona in this boat.” The distance was nearly fifty leagues.

Information of the death of Paul now reached the Admiral, at the same time with dispatches containing overtures of a pacific nature, by command of the new Czar Alexander, who had succeeded to the Imperial sceptre. Sir Hyde Parker received orders on the 8th to repair to England, and therefore quitted the fleet, leaving the command of it to Nelson, who proceeded at once to Revel, which he had been eager to have done ever since the battle of Copenhagen. He anchored there on the 14th of May, but found that the Russian fleet had by sawing through the ice, escaped to Cronstadt, and that the young emperor was in that fortress. Lord Nelson instantly sent off a dispatch to solicit an audience of His Imperial Majesty, but the young sovereign was in no mood to enter into any conver­sation with such a fire-eater as the British Admiral, and replied by refusing all intercourse, and expressing surprise at the appearance of the British Admiral in the Russian waters.

Lord Nelson was raised to the rank of Viscount for his most distinguished services, and his brave associates received the recompense of the thanks of Parliament for the well-timed success of the Copenhagen battle. No other mark of royal approbation was extended to the officers engaged than the investment of Rear-Admiral Graves with the red riband, and the promotion of some captains and lieutenants.

12. War in Egypt—Affair at El Hanka between French and Turks.

The Grand-Vizier continued to advance with his army on Salahieh and Belbeis, the French garrisons at these places abandoning them at his approach, to withdraw into Cairo. Here, on the 12th of May, General Belliard found himself at the head of 8000 men, exclusive of a few Greeks and Copts, and he determined with this force to go back again to Belbeis, and give battle to the Turkish army. The Grand-Vizier, informed of his approach, sent the Tahir Pacha, with 2000 horse and a few guns, to observe the French General’s movements. Both armies met at El Hanka on the 15th, where, after a slight action, which however lasted near eight hours, General Belliard thought proper to “retreat”. This was regarded by the Turks as a victory, and assuredly was of some moral consequence; it was at all events success, and victory is probably never so valuable or so animating as after a series of unquestioned defeats.

On the 23rd of May, General Hutchinson went forward to Bennerhasset in his barge by the canal of Menouf. It was one of the hottest days ever known even in Africa, the sirocco blowing, the thermometer 120° in the shade; everything metallic, such as arms, buttons, knives, becoming burning hot. Had such heat continued for forty-eight hours, the effects would have been dreadful, but as night drew on the wind cooled. On the 24th the British General was received by his Highness with immense magnificence, after which he rode through the Turkish camp, and reviewed the army. On the 29th Hutchinson returned to the British camp at Algam, where on the 30th, he was visited by Osman Bey Tambourgi, the successor of Morad, accompanied by seven Beys and about 1200 Mamelukes, who declared themselves ready to unite their forces and march against the French. This junction, though numerically and physically unimportant, was an object of great moral effect, as showing that the feeling of the inhabitants was with the British and against the French, and it had considerable influence in securing the country to the former. The long-expected division of the Indian army might now be daily looked for, but nevertheless General Hutchinson thought it desirable to strengthen the troops with him by another detachment from Alexandria, and ordered up Brigadier Oakes with two British regiments and some dragoons, who marched up the Nile on the 4th of June. On the 9th, the whole force of British, Turks, and Mamelukes were united near the village of Burtos, and on the 10th, Colonel Lloyd, with the first instalment of the Indian army, arrived from Suez.

It being absolutely necessary to insure an easy communication between the armies now occupying the two sides of the river, a bridge of boats was thrown across the Nile a little below the village of Damanhoor, and on the 20th Cairo was invested on both sides the stream, and active preparations were made for the intended siege. No sooner was the British camp fixed than heavy guns were heard on the left of Cairo, which proved to be a feu-de-joie of the French from all the batteries in the citadel and entrenched camp successively fired. The opinion was universal that the object of the enemy was to inspire terror by this display of strength. On the 21st the Mamelukes attacked the French cavalry outposts, and took possession of a village within 300 yards of Gizeh. The greatest exertions were made to drag up the heavy cannon and ammunition, the depot of which was formed at Talbia. Cairo, which had before the occupation of the French consisted only of a citadel and some mean forts, had, under their administration, in addition to other more important works, been surrounded by a wall ten or twelve feet high, sufficient to protect them against the incursions of the native cavalry; and this was extended so as to include, not only the city of Cairo, but Boulacq, Old Cairo, and the suburb of Gizeh, on the opposite side of the Nile, the works measuring some 25,000 yards in circumference. Of course it was very like the French to have a porte-des-victoires, and to occupy every “point of vantage” with some work of grandiose name more or less respectable. But General Belliard had only 30,000 men with which to oppose an enemy without, and to restrain a very discontented population within, the French lines. He was deficient in supplies, forage, and ammunition; and while, therefore, it was vain to attempt to defend the capital, he saw little hope if he were even to adopt any such extreme resolution as to make attempt to escape, on the one side into Upper Egypt or on the other to Damietta. Moreover, he was in utter ignorance as to whether Admiral Gantheaume, who had been so long expected with a French fleet, had arrived off the coast; for General Menou appeared to have forgotten altogether that there was any French corps but his own in Egypt, and had sent him no instructions. There was, therefore, no course open to General Belliard hut to seek an honourable convention, by which to avert the otherwise inevitable destruction of his entire army.

13. General Belliard enters into a Convention for the Evacuation of Cairo.

At break of day of the 22nd, therefore, a flag of truce presented itself at the advanced posts of Gizeh, demanding a conference. General Hope was accordingly named to meet Colonel Touissard, which led to the nomination of a commission to enter into negotiations. General Hope represented the British, Osmar Bey the Grand-Vizier, Isaac Bey the Capudan Pacha, and General Dorzelot and Colonel Tarayre the French. They met on the 23rd at a spot pompously styled le camp des conferences. Late the same evening the conference broke up, when an armistice of forty-eight hours was proclaimed to the armies. The commission, nevertheless, continued their discussions until, on the 28th, a convention was agreed upon and signed, and hostages were exchanged on all sides, and the same evening Cairo was given up, and the gate of Gizeh and the fort of Soulkoofsky, on the other side of the river, occupied by the combined forces. The capitulation of Cairo crowned the daring march into the interior which General Hutchinson’s judgment had planned, and which, in effect, secured the conquest of Egypt. Yet opinions have been much divided as to the conditions which allowed a long and dangerous suspension of offensive operations. By this convention seventeen days were allowed the French for the evacuation of the capital and its dependencies. But while the armies were thus resting, in the night of the 4th of July 100 men of the French corps of dromedaries, with an aide-de-camp of General Menon’s, suddenly and unexpectedly entered the gate of Gizeh. He only brought the reply of the General-in-Chief to the representations made him by General Belliard of the condition to which he was reduced, and of the necessity he was under to negotiate with the enemy. The hardihood of the young officer in command in thus making his way across the desert in spite of Turks and Arabs may be justly commended; but if he had been shot by the British picket at the gate (as he ought to have been) no one could have pitied the victim of an act both imprudent and discourteous.

The French garrison withdrew on the 9th of July to the island of Rodha, and on the 15th commenced their march to Rosetta, the Turkish army preceding the column, and the British bringing up the rear. The sick and baggage floated down the Nile in some 300 djesms which accompanied the armies, and rendered the departure from Cairo a scene at once picturesque and brilliant, from the variety of nations, the pomp of many colours, and many relative circumstances. A djesm carried in funeral state General Kleber’s body, covered with a black flag inscribed with his name; and a guard of honour on board had charge of an 18-pounder, which was fired night and morning to direct the march and halt of the French troops, thus expressing their veneration for their former leader by a sort of posthumous obedience to his orders. The combined column reached Rahmaneeh on the 25th, and on the 28th the French embarked at Rosetta, and sailed for France on the 31st, to the number of 13,754 persons, military and civil, besides women and children.

On the 16th an officer had apprised General Hutchinson of the arrival of General Baird and his Indian division at Kinneh on the Nile: this force consisted of about 7500 men of all arms, as well Indian sepoys as the 10th, 6th, 30th, 86th, and 88th British, with; the 8th Light Dragoons. These descended the river, and arrived at Gizeh on the 7th of August, and at Rosetta on the 31st.

14. General Hutchinson besieges Alexandria.

The convention of Gizeh had stipulated that it should be common to the French troops at Alexandria as well as at Cairo, if General Menou notified his acceptance of it within ten days. An officer of the British staff was accordingly sent in to the General at Alexandria with the treaty; but Menou was furious, and, declaring that he could never consent to ratify it, published forthwith an order of the day to his garrison, declaring his intention to defend himself even to death, and offering to all who did not concur with him in this resolution free liberty to join the embarking division at Rosetta. During the interval that had elapsed since the battle of Alexandria, the French engineers had actively occupied themselves with strengthening the line of works on the Nicopolis side of the city, and on the 23rd of June they had likewise cut the canal of Alexandria, to let the water upon all the low swampy ground that lay between the positions that had been occupied by the contending armies in the battle, thus materially contracting the extent to be defended. The force in the French lines was estimated at 4500 men. Nor had the British General Coote been idle, for he also in the interval had been joined by successive reinforcements from England, which had raised his numbers to nearly 9000 men. This force was in remarkably high order, for the difference of climate between Alexandria and Cairo had been very sensibly felt by all the military; even the Commander-in-Chief, on his return from the latter place, was obliged to go on board the Admiral’s ship to obtain the benefit of sea air to his exhausted powers. The French corps of Belliard having sailed away, General Hutchinson now concentrated his forces for the attack on Alexandria. On the 9th of August Doyle’s brigade marched into camp, and was followed on the 11th by that of Hope, and on the 13th by that of Moore. On the 15th Hutchinson, who had recovered his health, joined, and took the command of the force before Alexandria, now amounting to 16,000 effective men. He resolved to make his approaches against the city from the opposite or western isthmus, and for this purpose he embarked on the 16th Coote’s, Cavan’s, Ludlow’s, and Finch’s brigades, amounting to 4000 or 5000 men, in boats upon the inundation, and sent them under Coote, who landed them safely on the 17th. The only occupied outpost of the enemy on this side of the city was the Fort Marabout, situated upon a promontory jutting out into the Mediterranean. The 54th, under Lieutenant-Colonel Darby, were immediately sent to watch it, and a combined military and naval attack was determined upon, the naval force being commanded by Captain Cochrane of the “Ajax.” On the 18th batteries were erected against the fort. These opened on the 21st and soon silenced the enemy’s guns, and knocked down the tower and signal-house, so that the commandant M. Etienne, when summoned, finding it vain to hold out any longer, capitulated. General Coote immediately advanced against General Eppler, who had been sent by Menou with 1200 men to oppose the British landing. The French had taken up a position on a high ridge of sand­hills behind the canal that had originally joined the sea to Mareotis on this side. The right and left were defended by batteries. Captain Sir Sidney Smith, in order to cover Coote’s attack, made a spirited demonstration of sloops-of-war and armed boats upon Alexandria from the sea-side, and the General-in-Chief prepared a diversion against the place by the troops on the eastern front The French on their side were not inactive, but sank several merchant ships to prevent the advance of the British into the port, and moved to the eastward two 64-gun ships with frigates and corvettes, from Cape Figuieros, close up to the town at the extremity of the new harbour with the same object.

Captain Cochrane with seven sloops of war entered the old harbour overnight, and at six o’clock on the morning of the 22nd all the troops advanced by signal, and the numerous gun-boats on the inundation got under way at the same moment General Coote was resolved not to allow the enemy a moment to extend the fortifications on the isthmus, and accordingly boldly moved across the plain in three columns, to the attack of General Eppler, under a heavy fire from all the enemy’s guns. Major-General Ludlow commanded the left wing close to the sea, and Lord Cavan led the two regiments of Guards through the sand-hills, while Major-General Finch with his column moved between the two columns as a reserve. The French made no serious resistance, but abandoned their heavy artillery, and the tents and baggage of their camp, and retired before the British to the position between Fort Leturg and Fort des Bains.

General Hutchinson, having been informed of General Menou’s intention to fall upon General Coote, directed Colonel Spencer’s brigade to join him, and he determined to attack himself the eastern position, by way of feint to divert the enemy’s attention. Accordingly, at 4 in the morning of the 23rd, the British picquets drove in the French out-posts, while the Turks on the right advanced and took possession of the Sugarloaf hill, as it was called. In the meanwhile Coote raised two batteries on the western neck of land against Fort des Bains, and on the 25th and following day four batteries were opened against the entrenched camp of the French, and about twenty heavy guns and several mortars began to play upon the city from the attacks both on the eastern and western neck.

15. General Menou surrenders Alexandria.—The French finally quit Egypt

In the evening of the 26th a flag of truce from General Menou demanded a cessation of arms for three days, with a view to discuss the terms of a capitulation, which was granted; but on the 29th, instead of the expected terms of capitulation, a prolongation of the truce for thirty-six hours was asked for. General Hutchinson, extremely indignant, wrote back that he should recommence hostilities at midnight if the French General did not in the meantime give up the place, and orders to this effect were issued; but at 9 o’clock an aide-de-camp returned with the proposed terms, several articles of which were so ridiculous and absurd as to be peremptorily refused. On the 2nd a treaty was signed and ratified by General Hutchinson and Admiral Lord Keith, and the place taken possession of by the British. General Baird, with the Indian contingent, arrived at the General-in-Chiefs tent in time to witness the conclusion of the campaign, and to see the British and Turkish flags hoisted together on the walls of Alexandria. There were found 312 cannon, chiefly brass, mounted on the walls, and in the magazines were about 200,000 lbs. of powder in barrels, and 14,000 gun cartridges. In. the harbour were captured one 64-gun ship, and the frigates “Egyptienne,” “Regenerée,” and “Justice,” the last-named prize completing the annihilation of the fleet of Admiral Brueys, which had been defeated at the battle of the Nile. The general loss of the British in the Egyptian campaign has been put down at 1200 killed and wounded, and the loss of the French has been stated at 3000 or 4000 killed alone. General Menou surrendered, with 10,974 men, excluding women and children, and civilians; and the first division of them embarked for France at Aboukir on the 14th of September. General Hutchinson had, in his six months’ campaign, received the submission of nearly 26,000 French soldiers in arms, and had completely cleared Egypt of French power and influence. Honours were therefore very generally extended by the Crown to all the superior officers, both naval and military, who had formed the Egyptian expedition. Admiral Lord Keith was made a peer of Great Britain, and General Hutchinson, with a peerage, received also the Order of the Bath, and a pension of £2000 a year, as did likewise General Coote. The thanks of Parliament were voted to both services, and every regiment engaged was directed to carry on their colours the honorary distinction of a Sphinx, with the word Egypt inscribed. Gold medals were likewise given to the officers, to be attached to an orange ribbon, and to perpetuate the services rendered to the Ottoman Empire by the recovery of Egypt to its dominion, the Grand-Signior established an order of knighthood, which he named the Order of the Crescent, in the first class of which he included all the superior British Admirals and Generals, &c., and in the second those of inferior but equal rank in the two services.

16. The British successfully defend Porto Ferrajo against the French

The armistice with the Neapolitan troops at Foligno was speedily followed by a treaty with the King of the Two Sicilies, which was signed at Florence on the 28th of March, by which the island of Elba was ceded to the French Republic. This possession, however, was not theirs to give, but was still garrisoned by the British, who held the citadel of Porto Ferrajo. But Porto Longone was garrisoned by the Neapolitans, and was delivered up to General Thurreau on the 2nd of May, who, having thus a French force on the island, began immediately to advance against Porto Ferrajo with a demi-brigade under Colonel Mariotti. The British garrison was composed of one British battalion and 800 Tuscans, under Carlo de Fisson; and two British frigates, the “Phoenix ” and the “Mermaid” under the orders of Captain Lawrence Halsted, were in the port The flitting squadron of Admiral Gantheaume, which was moving in all parts of the Mediterranean, induced these vessels, from time to time, to consult their own safety and it was during one of these intervals of absence that Porto Ferrajo was blockaded by the French frigate “Badine,” 28, and subsequently by a French squadron, composed of “ Carrère,” 38, Captain Morel-Beaulieu; “Bravoure” 36, Captain Dordelin; and “Succès,” 32, Captain Bretel. These vessels could not, however, maintain their position so continuously but that supplies reached the garrison, so that, after a month’s attempted blockade, Thurreau resolved to undertake the siege of the fort; but the First Consul, irritated at the delay, superseded the French General, and, towards the end of July, sent General Watrin, with 5000 men and all the requirements of a siege, to proceed against the fort en règle. On the 1st of August, the British Admiral Warren arrived off the island with his squadron, one of which, the “Pomone,” 40, came across the “Carrère” on the 3rd, and after ten minutes’ conflict captured her with 300 barrels of powder on board; but a convoy of small vessels, laden with ordnance stores and provisions, which were under her protection, escaped into Porto Longone. The French troops were soon, in their turn, reduced to want both provisions and ammunition, and endeavours were therefore made to open negotiations for the surrender of the fort to the new King of Etruria, under the terms of the treaty of Luneville; but Colonel Airey, the British governor, replied that he knew nothing of such a treaty, and could only cede the place to force of arms. General Watrin accordingly sent orders to Captain Bretel to put to sea on the 2nd of September with the “Succès” and “Bravoure,” but the British frigates “Minerve,” 38, Captain George Cockburn, and “Pomone,” 40, Captain Leveson Gower, sighted them towards Leghorn, and drove both frigates ashore. The latter became a total wreck, but the “Succès” was got  off and restored to the British navy. Having thus disposed of these French frigates, which had occasioned the garrison at Porto Ferrajo much annoyance, Colonel Airey applied to Admiral Sir John Warren for the assistance of a detachment of marines and seamen to attack the French batteries. On the 14th, a little before day­light, 449 marines and 240 seamen, commanded by Captain George Long, together with a party of Tuscan peasants, amounting in the whole to about 1000 men, were landed in two divisions, under Captain Chambers White, of the “Renown.” The attack was successful, and several French batteries were destroyed, and fifty-five prisoners brought away, but Captain Long was killed, together with thirty-two men, and sixty wounded; and as the force was altogether insufficient to complete the whole business, they were withdrawn. The French accounts describe this affair very differently, and speak of 2500 men having been engaged in it, and of a considerable force of gun-boats and three frigates, which were all taken or destroyed; they are mistaken in this. However, the fact is indisputable that the French General could make no impression on Porto Ferrajo, of which Lieutenant-Colonel Airey continued to maintain possession until the conclusion of the war, when it was given up to the King of Etruria under the conditions of the peace of Amiens.

17. The French and Spanish invade Portugal.

Restless for some new enterprise to occupy the French arms, the First Consul turned his eyes towards Portugal, and he determined to close the ports of Lisbon and Oporto against British commerce. For this purpose he called on the King of Spain, as an ally of the Republic, to aid him, who formally declared war against his neighbour in February. The Portuguese had utterly neglected the means of defence of their country during a long peace; nevertheless, the Prince of Brazil responded to the Spanish declaration of war by a spirited address to the people, and declared himself General-in-Chief of the Portuguese army. A levée en masse was decreed, the pay of the soldiers augmented, the plate of the monasteries converted into coin, and a small division of British troops, under General Pulteney, was applied for and landed at Lisbon. The Spanish had collected a nominal force of 40,000 men, and the French now added an army, under General St. Cyr, to attack Portugal.

The Spanish hastened their preparations, so as to commence the war before the arrival of the French. The Prince of the Peace, at the head of 30,000 men, entered, without any resistance, the town of Avranches, between Elwas and Portalegre, and having left a force to invest the former fortified town and Campo Mayor, he marched forward on Estremoz. The fortresses of Olivenza and Juramenha surrendered to him on the 20th of May, and on the 5th of June the Spaniards arrived before Abrantes. On this the Prince Regent sent M. de Souza to demand an armistice, and on the 6th of June a treaty was signed under the condition of closing the ports against the English, and surrendering Olivenza to the Spaniards. But the haste with which this whole proceeding was arranged between Spain and Portugal, before the French had scarcely reached the Ebro, displeased the First Consul, and he formally denounced the treaty, and declared it to be only binding on Spain, and that the war between Portugal and the French Republic continued. The French army therefore continued its march to Almeida, of which it took possession, and then pushed onward to Lisbon. The Court of Lisbon exerted itself to oppose this invasion, and the Count of Gortz, at the head of a Portuguese army of 25,000 men and a few British troops, took up a position at Abrantes. In the meanwhile, however, circumstances had brought about an approach towards a general peace, and the Prince-Regent was thus enabled to stay the further advance of the French by a treaty which was signed at Madrid on the 29th of September.

18. Projected Invasion of England by the French.

The successes of the British in the Mediterranean and in the Baltic, which alone contrasted with the successes of the Republican troops elsewhere, rendered the First Consul disposed to listen to every scheme that was offered to him for carrying out the war against England. The conquest of England by the Normans has always been found a popular salve to the self-love of the French under other historical disappointments, and therefore the whole nation now responded to the proposal to carry hostilities across the channel against “les fiers insulaires.” Great preparations were made for the projected descent upon England. The port of Boulogne was fixed upon for the central rendezvous of the grand flotilla, and a decree of the 12th of July appointed Contre-Amiral Touche-Treville to organise nine divisions of gun-vessels of light draught for the object in view, and the utmost ostentation was manifested in drilling and preparing the crews to embark and disembark, exercise the guns, &c. These preparations, exaggerated as they were by the French accounts, spread no slight degree of alarm on the opposite shore, and the greatest exertions were made on the British side to receive and frustrate the enemy. Batteries were placed and aimed on the most eligible positions. The militia was brought to the perfection of regular troops, and corps of fencibles were raised, to add to the numbers of assembled troops; but among the most reassuring measures taken to calm the public mind was the appointment of Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson to the chief command of the maritime defences.

On the 30th of July the Vice-Admiral hoisted his flag on board the frigate “Medusa,” 32, Captain J. Gore, at anchor in the Downs, and the French sent Admiral Latouche to assume the command of their flotilla. By orders from the English Admiralty, then presided over by the great Lord St. Vincent, Nelson lifted his anchor and stood across to Boulogne on the 3rd of August, with some thirty vessels, great and small. On the 4th, at daybreak, Nelson arranged his little armament himself, which at 9 o’clock opened fire. The bomb-vessels threw their shells amidst the French flotilla, and succeeded in sinking three flats and a brig, and driving several others on shore; but the effect of this bombardment did not answer his expectation; he could not drive the flotilla from its anchorage, and although he experienced no more loss than three wounded, he determined to withdraw his armament back to the Downs.

On the 15th Nelson again despatched the armed boats of his squadron, formed into four divisions, under the respective commands of Captains Somerville, Parker, Cotgrave, and Jones, and accompanied by a division of mortar-boats, under Captain Conn, to attempt to bring off the French flotilla, which had been much strengthened since the last attack. At midnight the boats put off from the “Medusa” in the most perfect order, but soon got separated, owing to the darkness of the weather. At a little before dawn of day Captain Somerville, with his division, attacked and carried a brig lying dose to the pier-head of Boulogne, and after a sharp contest carried her, but could not bring her off; and such a fire of grape and musketry was now opened upon the boats, that they were too glad to push out of the bay, having lost eighteen killed and fifty-five wounded. The second division, led by Captain Parker, ran alongside of a large brig carrying the broad pendant of a commodore; the attack was most impetuous, but a strong netting baffled every attempt to board, and the fire that instantaneously arose around them drove back the assailants into their boats, so that they were soon obliged to retire with twenty-one killed, including Captain Parker, and forty-two wounded. The third division displayed die same gallantry and experienced the same opposition, and they were alike compelled to retire without effecting their object, with the loss of five killed and twenty-nine wounded; and the fourth division was carried away by the rapidity of the tide, and was accordingly obliged to put back to the squadron. The action only ceased with the day, when the Vice-Admiral called back the boats. This was the last affair with the invasion flotilla; but the failure of Nelson’s endeavours to destroy it was celebrated by the French as a great victory, though they had nothing to show for it.

19. Naval War.

No sooner did the First Consul discover that the real destination of Abercrombie’s expedition was Egypt, than he felt the importance of sending some efficient relief to his unfortunate companions in arms, whom he had quitted so unceremoniously when the lure of ambition carried him in such hot haste from the Delta. His efforts to send supplies and reinforcements to the Egyptian army had been hitherto confined to such frigates and smaller vessels as might be able to run from Toulon or some other Mediterranean port; but, although some of these reached their destination, many were stopped or captured by the activity of the British cruisers. Bonaparte, therefore, contemplated the forwarding of an expedition upon a grander scale. His favourite, Admiral Gantheaume, who had so happily sought him in Africa, and brought him, under great risks and dangers, safe to France, was placed at the head of it, and he hoisted his flag on board “L’Indivisible,” 80 Captain A. L. Gourdon. The élite of the Brest fleet was placed under his command, consisting of “L’Indomptable,” 80, Commodore Monconger; “Le Formidable,” 80, Captain Allary; “Le Desaix,” 74, Commodore Pallidre; “Le Constitution,” 74, Captain G. A. Faure; “Le Jean Bart,” 74, Captain F. J. Meyune; “Le Dix-Août,” 74, Captain Besquet; the “Creole,” 40, Captain Gourrège; “Le Bravoure,” 86, Captain Dordelin; and 6000 troops were placed on board these ships, under the command of General Sahuguet.

On the 7th of January, after having employed a dozen little deceptions to deceive their vigilant enemy, the expedition got under weigh, and stood through the passage du Raz; but here, contrary to his expectation, he was discovered and chased by a division of the British Channel fleet, under Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Harvey, which obliged the French Admiral to return, and come to anchor at the mouth of the Vilaine. Here it was determined to wait until the weather should drive the enemy off the coast, and this did not occur till the 23rd, when a northerly gale constrained the blockading force to leave the offing, and on the same night the squadron of Admiral Gantheaume weighed and put to sea. The wind was however so violent that several of the ships lost their top­masts, and the flag-ship, “Indivisible,” and the frigate “Creole” got separated from the rest of the squadron. The remaining seven ships, now under the command of Commodore Moncouser, followed as best they could, and were sighted on the 27th, off Cape Finisterre, by the “Concorde,” 36, Captain R. Barton. The “Bravoure” immediately ran up and engaged the British frigate. After half an hour’s combat, the French frigate’s fire ceased, and Captain Barton thought she had surrendered; but in a short time she made sail and stood away before the wind, and the “Concorde” was in no condition to follow her. On the 30th, off Cape Spartel, the separated squadron rejoined their Admiral, at this appointed place of rendezvous, who on the preceding evening had captured, after a long chase, the British fire-ship “Incendiary,” Captain Dalling Dunn. On the 9th of February the French fleet passed the Straits under a press of sail: the squadron of Admiral Warren happened to be absent, and the only seagoing ship at Gibraltar at the time being the British frigate “Success,” Captain Shuldham Peard, who immediately weighed and steered after the French, intending, if he could, to pass them on the passage and apprise Lord Keith of their appearance in the Mediterranean. At daylight on the 13th the frigate found a French line-of-battle ship alongside of her, and before three o’clock one or two more came up likewise and opened fire, when, finding escape impossible, she hauled down her flag. From the information obtained by Gantheaume from the officers of the captured frigate, as to the whereabouts of the British squadron, the French Admiral steered for the Gulf of Lyons, and on the 19th re-anchored in the road of Toulon.

As soon as the British Admiralty discovered that Gantheaume had escaped out of Brest, they detached Rear-Admiral Sir Robert Calder with seven sail of the line and two frigates in pursuit; but, imagining the West Indies to be the object of the French squadron’s destination, they sailed out of the track of the French Admiral altogether. Sir John Warren did not receive information of Admiral Gantheaume’s escape till he had passed through the Straits; but immediately he heard of it he followed in his track to Minorca, and anchored in Port Mahon on the 20th. No sooner did the First Consul learn that Gantheaume had arrived at Toulon, than he sent his aide-de-camp to order the French Admiral to sail away immediately for Egypt, and accordingly he sailed on the 19th March. On the 25th at daybreak his squadron was sighted by Warren off the island of Toro; chase was immediately given, and before evening some of his ships had gained upon the French, but at daybreak every enemy’s ship had disappeared, for M. Gantheaume had stood back to the northward, and had re-entered Toulon.

Bonaparte again ordered Gantheaume to make a third attempt to reach Egypt, and he set sail on the 27th of April with this object, and put into Leghorn, where he left three of his line-of-battle ships, and with the remainder, namely, four three-deckers, stood away for the Straits of Messina. He expected to be joined here by three Neapolitan frigates, but, not meeting them, he proceeded off Brindisi, where he fell in with and chased, but could not capture, the British frigate “Pique,” Captain Young. On the 7th of June he was not above seventy leagues to the westward of Alexandria, and detached the corvette “Heliopoli” to reconnoitre; who, although she fell in with two British 74’s, succeeded in entering the port. Gantheaume, not receiving back his corvette, concluded that she had been captured, and searched to the westward for a spot to disembark the troops. He at length selected Bengasi, in the regency of Tunis, when he immediately prepared to land General Suhuquet with his troops, whose instructions were to march them across the desert with sufficient water and biscuit to attain Alexandria by land in five or six days’ march; but any opposition from the inhabitants had not been calculated upon, and this proved to be so spirited and effectual, that the attempt to proceed was found impracticable, and the sight of some ships in the offing determined the Admiral to re-embark the soldiers and return to Toulon; but the British frigate “ Vestal”, 28, captured some of the store-ships that could not get away with sufficient alacrity.

On the 24th, as they continued their course along the Barbary coast, about daybreak, the “Swiftsure,” 74, Captain Benjamin Hallowell, came across their path, who immediately concluded that the squadron must be that of Gantheaume, and made all sail to escape. The French ships were ordered by signal to pursue, and about 2 in the day three of them came up with the British ship, and Captain Hallowell resolved to engage them, in the hope to disable one or two of them, and thus effect his escape to leeward; but the French ships maintained the action for an hour and a half, when other ships came up and joined in the fight, then the “Swiftsure ” had no other alternative but to strike her colours. Admiral Gantheaume manned his prize, and with some difficulty placed her in a condition to accompany his squadron; but on the 22nd of July he safely reached Toulon without any obstruction.

20. The Two Actions off Algesiras.

The three ships that Admiral Gantheaume left at Leghorn “Indomptable,” 80, “Formidable,” 80, and “Desaix,” 74, were placed along with the ex-Venetian frigate “Muisoa,” under the orders of Rear-Admiral Durand-Linois, and directed to proceed to Cadiz, and there effect a junction with six Spanish sail-of-the-line, which the French Consul had obtained from the Spanish King, with the intention of manning them with French crews. Linois, delayed by various causes, was not able to double Cabo di Gata till towards the end of June, but on the 1st of July was seen to pass Gibraltar, from the eastward, with his three sail-of-the-line and one frigate, working against a strong wind. On the 3rd of July he was more than two-thirds through the Straits, when he pounced upon the British sloop-of-war “Speedy,” 14, Captain Lord Cochrane, which was the only British vessel of war in port, whom he captured, as well as a post-office packet; but, learning from his prizes that Cadiz was at this time blockaded by a superior force, he bore up with his squadron and prizes for Algesiras. The British Admiralty had information of what was going on at Cadiz, and of the risk which impended over Lisbon from the operations going on both by land and sea against Portugal, and Rear-Admiral Sir James Saumarez was forthwith despatched with a squadron, who reported his arrival there on the 26th of June.

The blockading squadron now consisted of “Caesar,” 80, Captain J. Brenton, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Sir Jas. Saumarez; “Venerable,” 74, Captain Samuel Hood; “Pompée,” 74, Captain C. Sterling; “Audacious,” 74, Captain Shuldham Peard; “Spencer,” 74, Captain Darby; and “Hannibal,” 74, Captain Ferris; the “Superb,” 74, Captain Goodwin Keats; with the frigate “Thames," and brig “Pasley.” A dispatch boat from Gibraltar brought Saumarez word on the 5th that Linois was anchored off Algesiras. Leaving there a ship to apprise any of the squadrons about of the doings of the ships in harbour at Cadiz, the Rear-Admiral proceeded to the Straits, either to attack the enemy, or drive him back from effecting a junction with the Spanish fleet The flag-ship leading, the five 74’s rounded Cabrita Point at 7 in the morning of the 6th, and came in sight of the French squadron, but the “Superb,” with the frigate and brig, got becalmed outside. The French ships were moored before the town of Algesiras, flanked to the south by the Isla-Verda, on which was a battery of seven 24 pounders, and to the north there was another battery of five long 18 pounders, called San Jago. These two batteries admirably protected the roadstead, but there were also lying in it fourteen heavy Spanish gunboats. The little wind blowing rendered it impossible to bring up the ships in the order intended, or to get close to the French ships, who had immediately, on seeing the approach of the British, warped their vessels closer in shore. A furious cannonade was, however, soon opened between the British ships and their antagonists, as well as with the batteries on shore, who plied them with hot shot and shell. The “Hannibal” was directed to go to the northward and rake the French Admiral, but in the endeavour to get between the “Formidable” and the shore, when in the act of tacking, she took the ground. She, however, opened fire with as many guns as she could bring to bear upon the “Formidable,” and directed the remainder upon the town, battery, and gunboats, but she could not succeed in getting herself afloat. The “Caesar” and the “Audacious” were at the same time constantly engaged with the “Indomptable” and the “Desaix” and “Meuron.” However, M. Linois threw out a signal for his ships “de couper les cables pour s’echouer,” and the “Desaix” and “Indomptable” grounded on two shoals in front of the town. The breeze that from time to time sprung up was so exceedingly short-lived, that the calm prevented the British ships from either bringing their fire to bear effectually, or to get themselves free from the heavy fire of the batteries, or to land and storm them, for which signals had been made from the flag-ship, but which was impracticable, from the assistance required by the “Hannibal.” The Admiral, finding every effort fruitless to close with the enemy, and abandoning all hope of saving the 74, ordered the action to be discontinued, and sailed away across the bay to Gibraltar, leaving the dismasted and shattered “Hannibal” as a trophy in the hands of the enemy. The loss sustained in this action was, on the side of the British, 121 killed and 250 wounded, including Captain Ferris, of the “Hannibal”; and on that of the French and Spaniards, according to their own accounts, to 320 killed, including Captains Moncouser and Lalande, and 500 wounded.

The first step taken by Admiral Linois, after getting his grounded ships afloat again, was to send to Cadiz to obtain speedy assistance from the Spanish Admiral Massaredo and the French Admiral Dumanoir to come with the Cadiz squadron, and to require them speedily to his aid, for he said, “On vient de me renouveller l’avis que l’ennemi se dispose à nous incendier au mouillage.” On the 9th in consequence, the Franco-Spanish squadron put to sea from Cadiz, and, hauling round Cabrita Point, came to an anchor in Gibraltar Bay. The utmost exertions had been making by the British to get their damaged ships ready again for sea and for action. Saumarez had been of course deeply mortified at the result of the action of the 6th, but he had felt that no honour had been lost, and he rested on sanguine hopes that an opportunity might present itself in which he should be able to retrieve his disappointment The sight of this reinforcement to the enemy, showing symptoms as it did of their quitting their anchorage and sailing, increased the energies of the British seamen, who raised an universal cry, “All hands all night and all day until the ship is ready.”

On Sunday the 12th, at dawn of day, the enemy was observed to loose sails. The day was clear, and the crews of the ships were all occupied with the services of the day, but as soon as they had finished all hands became busy, and the scene at Gibraltar was most exciting. The whole population of the Rock came out to witness the squadron get under way at half-past 2, when the Admiral’s flag was rehoisted on the “Caesar.” The naval band struck up—“Come cheer up, my lads, ’tis to glory we steer,” to which the military bands responded, “Britons, strike home.” The “Caesar” now made signal for the squadron to weigh and prepare for battle. The British fleet comprised the “Caesar,” 80, “Venerable,” 74, “Superb,” 74, “Spencer,” 74, and “Audacious,” 74, of the line, besides frigates and smaller craft The united Franco-Spanish fleets consisted of “Formidable,” 80, “Indomptable,” 80, “St Antoine,” 74, “Desaix,” 74, the “Real Carlos,” 112, the “Hermanegildo,” 112, the “San Fernando,” 96, the “Argonauto,” 80, and the “San Augustin,” 74. The two Admirals hoisted their respective flags, according to the Spanish custom, in frigates, and Vice-Admiral Moreno commanded the allied fleet At sunset they had just got round with difficulty the Point del Carnero, when the British squadron bore away in chase. Saumarez directed the “Superb” to make sail ahead, and in an instant all sail was set upon her, and in less than three hours, at 11 at night, Captain Keatg came within 300 yards of the “Real Carlos,” and opened his larboard broadside upon her. At the third discharge, the Rear-Admiral , ship was observed to be on fire. The “Superb” then again made sail, and about midnight came up with and brought to action the “ St Antoine,” French 74, and after a contest of 30 minutes she ceased firing, and hailed that she surrendered. Just at the time of her surrender the “Real Carlos” blew up, but had previously fallen on board her consort, the “San Hermanegildo,” and set her in a blaze, who in about a quarter of an hour afterwards exploded likewise.

During the latter part of the night it came to blow hard, but at 5 in the morning the “Venerable” came up with the French flag-ship “Formidable,” and after an hour’s contest the British ship lost her foremast, and being driven by the strength of the current, struck upon the rocky shoals off St Peder, when the French ship continued her course to the northward under all the sail she I could spread, and succeeded in entering the port of Cadiz at 2 o’clock. The British in the meanwhile devoted all their energies to saving the “Venerable,” and about the same moment that one combatant effected her escape, the other was hove into deep water.

The loss of the two Spanish four-deckers, with nearly 2000 men on board, caused a general consternation in Spain. In France the capture of the “Hannibal,” and the escape of the French squadron gained promotion to the young Captain Trouse of the “Formidable,” who had saved the flag-ship; and in England Admiral Sir James Saumarez was made a Knight of the Bath, and with his officers and crews received the thanks of Parliament. The “St Antoine” was the only trophy of the second action, and became added to the navy of her captors. As soon as William IV ascended the British throne, the sailor King, fulfilling the wishes of the profession, made Saumarez a peer.

21. Contests between eight Squadrons and single Ships.

“It may be observed that small, swift-sailing, armed vessels, properly commanded and appointed, are the only description of cruisers which can operate with effect against the hordes of tiny, but well-manned, and to a merchant-vessel formidable, privateers that usually swarm in time of war, and more particularly in the West Indian Archipelago.”

The “Active,” 8, Acting-Lieutenant Fitton, had captured and destroyed many of these marauders, and, having returned to Port Royal, required refitting, and was placed under a thorough repair; but her enterprising commander was allowed to transfer himself and crew to one of hie own prizes, in order to employ the time requisite for this object to some advantage. Early in January, accordingly, Lieutenant Fitton embarked on board of “N. S. de los Dolores,” a felucca of 50 tons, with one long 12-pounder on board. A succession of stormy weather induced her commander to steer for and take possession of a small brig on the Spanish main. Here, being a man of resources, Lieutenant Fitton occupied his time in altering and improving the rig of his vessel; but on the 23rd he was again at sea, and as the lugger was rounding Cape Rosario, he discovered a schooner, to which he immediately gave chase. It was the Spanish guardacosta “Santa Maria,” with six long 6-pounders and ten swivels, with sixty men, commanded by Don Josef Corci, from Cartagena. After half an hour’s mutual firing, the Spaniard sheered off, but the lieutenant, with his one gun, stuck dose to her, and plied her well with shot, until at length she grounded; but Fitton, who was aware that if her crew escaped into the bushes he could do nothing against them, ran the “Dolores” also on shore, and, leaping overboard, he swam with his sword in his mouth, followed by the greater part of his crew, similarly armed, boarded the Spanish schooner, and after a stout resistance carried her. The commander of the “Santa Maria” had both his hands carried away by a shot, and died, and about fourteen of his crew were killed or wounded; but as it was impossible to float the ship, she was burned. Indeed, the “Dolores” could only be got off the shore by throwing her 12-pounder overboard; but Fitton got back to Jamaica with all his crew, and of course acquired considerable reputation. On the 20th, near Sardinia, the British frigate “Mercury,” 28, Captain T. Rogers, fell in with and captured, after a nine hours’ chase, the French ship-corvette “Sanspareil,” 20, Lieutenant Gabriel Renaud, with a full cargo of military supplies of every kind for the French army.

On the 26th, near Cape Finisterre, the British frigate “Oiseau,” 36, Captain Linzee, fell in with and chased the French frigate “Dedaigneuse,” 36. The “Oiseau” continued the pursuit till noon on the 27th, when she was joined by the “Sirius,” 36, Captain Richard King, and “Amethyst,” 36, Captain John Cook. All these frigates joined in the chase, and, after a running fight of 45 minutes, the Frenchman hauled down his colours. On the 29th, off Barbadoes, the “Bordelais,” 24, Captain T. Manby, discovered and chased two men-of-war brigs and a schooner. At sunset the vessels got within fire; but as soon as the “Bordelais ” brought one of them to action her consorts abandoned her and made off. The fight continued for 80 minutes, when possession was taken of the “Curieux,” 18, Captain Radelet, who was mortally wounded in the action; and the captured ship was so pierced with shot that in about half an hour she foundered close alongside of the “Bordelais.” On the 18th of February, the British brig-sloop “Penguin,” 18, Captain R. Mansel, discovered three warlike-looking ships apparently in chase of her. The brig cleared for action, and in about a couple of hours the three ships formed in line, and, having hoisted French colours, bore down for the brig with the intention of running her down. Two or three well-directed broadsides poured in by the “Penguin” on the foremost ship induced her to haul down the French flag, and the other ships bore away and steered different courses; but just as the British ship was about to renew the engagement, her foretopmast fell, and temporarily disabled the fore-yard, so that one of foe corvettes, seeing foe unmanageable state of her opponent, again bore down, and a spirited action ensued, which continued for an hour, when foe enemy sheered off and hauled to foe wind. The “Penguin” tried to bear in pursuit, but, from her crippled state, found it impracticable. On foe 19fo, near Gibraltar, foe British frigate “Phoebe,” 36, Captain R. Barlow, saw, late in the afternoon, foe French frigate “Africaine,” 40, Commander Saulnier, under foe African shore. Before closing, foe Frenchman opened his broadsides, but with little or no effect; so that as soon as the “Phoebe” could get quite near, she poured in a well-directed, and, as it proved, a most destructive broadside. The engagement now continued within pistol-shot for two hours, when the “Africaine,” being nearly unrigged, having five feet of water in foe hold, and her decks encumbered with her dead, struck her colours. The “Phoebe” had only one killed and about a dozen wounded. The “Africaine,” who, besides her regular crew, had troops on board, had her captain, one brigadier-general, two captains of her forces, and 185 killed and one general of division (Desfourneaux), and two other generals, and 143 wounded, the greater part of them mortally. The “Africaine” was added to the British navy, under the name of the “Amelia,” and long continued to be an active cruiser. On the 19 of April, the British frigate “Sibylle,” 38, Captain C. Adam, observing signals flying upon one of the Seychelles Islands, hoisted French colours and ran into Mahé roads, when she discovered the French frigate “Chiffonne,” 36, Captain P. Guicysse, with her foremast out, accompanied by several small craft, and lying under the protection of a battery. The “Sibylle” anchored as near as she could, and opened fire, when, in half an hour, the “ Chiffonne ” struck her flag, cut her cable, and drifted upon a reef. The “Sibylle” then veered to bring her broadside on the battery, which still continued to fire, while an officer and party went to take possession of the frigate and to land upon the beach, when the battery also struck its colours. The frigate was added to the British navy under her French name.

The British brig-sloop “Speedy,” Captain Lord Cochrane, while cruising in the Mediterranean, had so harassed the Spanish coasting trade, that their government despatched armed vessels in pursuit of her from several ports. Early in April the xebec “Gamo,” 32, one of these armed vessels, decoyed the “Speedy” within hail, and then discovered her heavy battery. To escape was out of the question, as the “Gamo” could outsail the “Speedy” two to one, which induced Lord Cochrane to have recourse to a ruse. He ran up the Danish colours to the gaff-end of the vessel, and exhibited a man on the gang­way dressed in Danish uniform, who, in the short speech that ensued, conversed in what passed for Danish. The “Gamo” sent her boat alongside, who was kindly informed that the brig had lately cleared from one of the Barbary ports, and that if she came on board the Spanish ship of war would be subject to a long quarantine. The two vessels accordingly parted company, one rejoicing that she had escaped the plague, and the other, capture: nevertheless the crew of the “Speedy” were disappointed at not engaging their foe, however superior. On the 6th of May, therefore, when off Barcelona, the “Speedy” again descried the “Gamo,” and now commenced a fight with her. Her fire was promptly returned by her opponent, who attempted to board but could not After three quarters of an hour’s engagement, Lord Cochrane found the Spanish broadsides telling upon his crew, and at once ran alongside the “Gamo,” when, headed by their gallant commander, the crew swarmed from every side upon the deck of their opponents, and after about ten minutes, the Spanish colours were struck; and the “Gamo,” who in abler hands had force enough to have subdued and crushed such a vessel as the “Speedy,” became a prize, and was carried off in triumph to the harbour of Port Mahon. On the 9th of June we find Lord Cochrane off Oropesa, a small seaport of Old Castille, where he had discovered a Spanish convoy at anchor. On this occasion he was accompanied by the brig-sloop “Kangaroo,” 18, Captain G. Perking. The two brigs determined to attack this force, which consisted of a xebec of 20 guns and three gun-boats, lying under the protection of a large square tower, mounting 12 guns. The “Speedy” and “Kangaroo,” nothing daunted, dashed into the port and came to anchor within half gun-shot of the enemy, who in about 3 hours had all their craft sunk by the fire of the two brigs. In the course of about the same period more, the tower likewise was completely silenced. The boats of the two brigs succeeded in bringing away three of the brigs belonging to the convoy, laden with wine, rice, and bread; but all the remainder had been scuttled or driven on the beach to save them.

On the 27th, the British frigate “Immortalité,” 36, Captain Henry Hotham, fell in with an enemy’s cruiser of a very extraordinary appearance, namely, a ship with five masts. Chase was instantly made, and while it continued the “Arethusa,” 38, Captain Wolley, joined. The strange sail was captured, and proved to be a French privateer on her first cruise. On the 2nd of September, the British ship-sloop “Victor,” 18, Captain G. R. Collier, discovered and chased, off the Seychelles Islands, a strange man-of-war brig, which was found to be the “Flêche,” 18, Lieutenant J. B. Bonnaire; the chase continued until daylight on the 5th, when it was lost sight of Captain Collier, however, rightly judging her position, came up with her at the mouth of the harbour of Mahé at daylight on the 6th, with a signal of defiance, a red flag, at her fore-topgallant mast-head. The “Victor” accordingly weighed and made sail towards her, but the unfavourable state of the wind compelling her to use warps, she became exposed to a raking fire, but at length brought her broadside to bear and commenced firing. This continued until 2 in the morning of the 7th, when the “Flêche” was discovered to be sinking. The “Victor” sent an officer with a party to board her, who took possession and struck her French colours, but she got into deep water and sank.

On the 28th of October, off Cabo di Gata, the brig “Parley,” 16, Lieutenant W. Wooldridge, fell in with and was chased by the privateer polacre “Virgen-del-Rosario,” 10. After an action of about an hour, the “Parley” found her opponent’s guns too heavy for her, and, as the readiest mode of reducing the inequality, ran athwart the hawser of the “Rosario,” and lashed her bowsprit to her own capstan. The British crew were in an instant on the Spaniard’s decks, and carried her. The judgment, promptitude, and valour displayed by Lieutenant Wooldridge in this affair gained him much honour.

22. Boat Actions.

It remains to describe the boat actions of the year. On the 3rd of January, the British frigate “Melpomene,” 38, Captain Sir Charles Hamilton, being at the time off the bar of Senegal, concurred with Lieutenant-Colonel Frazer, the commandant of the neighbouring island of Goree, to carry by surprise a French 18-gun brig-corvette, and an armed schooner at anchor within it, together with the battery that held the settlement Accordingly, five boats from the “Melpomene,” and five from a transport, in company with Lieu­tenant Christie, and thirty-five men from the Royal African corps, all under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Dick, having passed the heavy surf on the bat in safety, arrived within a few yards of the corvette, when she opened fire which killed a lieutenant and seven men, and sank two of the boats. Notwithstanding, Lieutenant Dick with the remaining boats pulled alongside of, boarded, and carried in twenty minutes the brig, which was called the “Senegal,” but the armed schooner ran for protection under the battery. Dick turned the guns of the corvette upon the battery, but could not silence it; so that he cut her cable and made sail with her down the river. In ignorance of the navigation, however, the brig grounded in a quicksand, in which she sank, and with great difficulty the lieutenant got back to the ship, having lost in this gallant attempt 11 killed and 18 wounded.

On the 6th, the British frigate “Mercury,” 28, Captain T. Rogers, cruising in the Gulf of Lyons, fell in with a convoy of twenty sail under an escort of some French gun-boats. The boats were immediately got out to attack the convoy, on the approach of which the gun-boats made off, and fifteen ships, laden with brandy, sugar, corn, and other merchandise, were brought off with little resistance and no loss. On the 15th, the ship “Daphne,” 20, Captain R. Matson, with the ship-sloops of war “Cyane,” 18, Captain H. Matson, and “Hornet,” 18, Captain J. Nash, and the tender “Garland,” were at anchor in the harbour of the Saintes, and observed a convoy of French coasters in charge of an armed schooner standing across towards Guadeloupe. The “Garland,” with two boats from each of the three ships, was despatched under the command of Lieutenant Kenneth Mackenzie, to attempt their capture or destruction but all escaped but one, which was boarded and brought off under a heavy but harmless cannonade.

On the 17th, the same lieutenant, with the “Garland” and her boats, volunteered to attempt cutting out the French schooner “Eclair” from under the batteries of the Trois Rivières, when he ran her on board, and carried her in the face of the batteries.

On the 22nd of March, while the British frigates “Andromache,” 32, Captain Israel Pellew, and “Cleopatra,” 32, Captain R. Laurie, were cruising off the island of Cuba, a convoy of twenty- five Spanish vessels, known to be richly laden, were seen at anchor in the Bay of Levita. They were protected by some armed galleys, but nevertheless the captains of the frigates thought it practicable to attempt their capture or destruction. Soon after midnight, the boats, under the command of Captain Laurie, arrived within gun­shot of the galleys, and were received with a heavy and destructive fire. They, nevertheless, pushed on, but could only bring off one of the galleys. On the 3rd of April, the British frigate “Trent,” 36, Captain Sir Edward Hamilton, lying at anchor among the rocks off the Isles of Brehat, discovered a ship with the French colours flying, making sail from the anchorage under the protection of an armed lugger. The boats were immediately despatched to stop them, under the command of Lieutenant G. Chamberlayne. On this many boats came out for their protection from the shore, and a sharp conflict ensued. Five batteries defended the anchorage, but notwithstanding, the armed lugger was driven on the rocks, and the ship boarded, which was found to be an English merchant-vessel.

 On the 25th of May, while cruising in the Adriatic, the British frigate “Mercury,” 28, Captain T. Rogers, received intelligence that the late British bomb-vessel “Bull Dog,’’ which, when under the command of Captain Barrington Dacres, three months previous had entered the port of Aneona in ignorance that it was in possession of the French, and had been taken, was now lying in the mole ready for sea, laden with supplies for the French army in Egypt. Captain Rogers therefore determined to attempt to cut her out. Accordingly, near midnight, the frigate anchored off the mole, and her boats, under the command of Lieutenant W. Mather, surprised and carried the “Bull Dog,” and began to tow away their prize; but an alarm was raised, and the British became exposed to a heavy fire from the batteries. In about an hour, however, Lieutenant Mather got her out of reach of their fire; but the wind failing, she was carried by the current dose to the shore, from which a crowd of boats, and some of them gun-boats, came out to retake her. The “Mercury” weighed and steered to assist the defence, but was so retarded by the cannon, that Lieutenant Mather reluctantly abandoned the prize, which was towed back to her anchorage. The “Bull Dog” afterwards succeeded in putting to sea, but was captured on her passage to Egypt by the “Champion,” 24, Captain Lord William Stuart. Lieutenant Mather was more fortunate a little later, on the 23rd of June. The brig­sloop “Corso,” 18, Captain William Ricketts, had chased a pirate tartan called the “Tigre,” 8, among the rocks of Tremiti. The “Mercury” coming up soon after, Captain Rogers despatched the boats of the frigate and brig, under the orders of Lieutenant Mather, with the assistance of the marines under Lieutenant Wilson. Mather with the seamen gallantly boarded the “Tigre,” while Wilson with his marines landed, and drove off the pirate crew, who had posted themselves on a hill with a 4-pounder to defend their vessel. The marines succeeded in this object with the loss of one man, and found and captured a quantity of plunder, which the “Tigre” had taken from vessels of different nations.

On the 20th of July, the British frigates “Doris,” Captain Charles Brisbane, and “Beaulieu,” Captain Stephen Poyntz, being stationed at the point of St. Mathieu to watch the motions of the French and Spanish fleets in Brest Harbour, discovered the ship-corvette “Chevrette,” 20, at anchor under some batteries in Camaret Bay. Volunteers were immediately called for to cut her out, and the boats manned by them under Lieutenant Losack; but the boats not pulling alike, got separated, and some returned, while the others lay on their oars till daylight on the 21st. The surprise, therefore, was defeated, and the “Chevrette” ran up the bay for better safety, and took on board a body of soldiers, while the batteries prepared themselves for defence; but the “Chevrette,” in defiance, hoisted a large French ensign over the British one. This fired the British seamen, and inspired them with an increased determination to punish this arrogance. Accordingly, the same night, the boats of the two frigates, joined with those of the “Uraine,” Captain Gage, and the barge and pinnace of the “ Robust,” 74, to the number of fifteen, the whole commanded, as | before, by Lieutenant Losack, proceeded a second time on the daring attempt, now much increased in danger, of cutting out the “Chevrette.” A boat from the shore, being thought to be a look-out belonging to the corvette, was chased by Lieutenant Losack, and in his absence Lieutenant Keith Maxwell took the command, and at 1 in the morning of the 22nd, came up with the “Chevrette.” In the face of musketry and grape, the boats palled up to her, and boarded both her starboard and larboard bows. This was resisted most obstinately, and the French in turn boarded the boats, but were captured. The arrangements made beforehand by Lieutenant Maxwell answered so completely that in less than three minutes after boarding the cable was cut, and the corvette began drifting out of the bay. In her way out the “Chevrette” became exposed to a heavy fire of round and grape from the batteries, but a light breeze soon carried her out of gun-shot, and the prize was secured under the British ensign only. The boats lost 11 killed and 57 wounded, and the corvette 92 killed and 62 wounded. Both Lieutenant Losack and Maxwell got promotion and great credit for this very daring feat, which was long held up as an example for imitation in the British Navy.

On the 10th of August, while the British frigate “Unicorn,” 32, Captain C. Wemys, with the brig­sloop “Alabaste,” 16, were cruising in Quiberon Bay, the boats under the command of Mr. Francis Smith, a midshipman, boarded and carried the French lugger “Evéché,” without a single casualty.

On the night of the 20th, the British frigates “Fisgard,” “Diamond,” and “Boadicea,” cruising off Corunna under Captain Byam Martin, he sent the boats, under Lieutenant Philip Pipon, to attack the Spanish vessels in that port. They found there the “Neptuno,” a new ship pierced for 20 guns, a gun-boat mounting a long 24-pounder, and a merchant-ship, all moored within the strong batteries that protect the port. Notwithstanding a heavy fire from the batteries, and from the garrison on the ramparts, they brought all three vessels off without sustaining the slightest loss.

On the 13th of September, the British ship-sloop “Lark,” 18, Lieutenant Johnstone, off the island of Cuba, chased the Spanish privateer “Esperanza” within the Portillo serfs. The boats were immediately sent, under Lieutenant J. Parby, to attempt to cut her out. They were received with a smart fire, which severely wounded many men ; but in spite of this, they boarded and carried the schooner, though they lost in killed and wounded nearly the half of the entire party engaged.

23. Colonial War.

The rupture between Great Britain and the Baltic powers was immediately followed by the seizure by the former of the colonies of Denmark and Sweden. On the 20th of March, the Swedish island of St Bartholomew, wholly unprepared for any defence, surrendered at the first summons, to a force consisting of three regiments of foot and a detachment of artillery under Lieutenant-General Trigge, and a squadron under Rear-Admiral Duckworth. On the 23rd, having been joined by a reinforcement from England, the commanders returned to attempt the reduction of the neighbouring island of St. Martin, which was in the joint occupation of the French and Dutch, and therefore very likely to disturb the British in their possessions.

The fleet stood into Little Cole Bay on the morning of the 24th. The troops, consisting of the 1st Royals, 3rd Buffs, 11th and 64th, and 3rd and 8th West Indian Regiments, were formed into two brigades under Generals Fuller and Maitland, and disembarked at day­break, and while the former speedily gained the heights on which stands Fort Amsterdam, the latter advanced to the town of Marigot to reduce Fort Chesterfield. With the former brigade were the two West India regiments, composed of negroes, who had never before faced a foe, but who behaved most coolly. After a short contest, and before the close of the day, a negotiation for the surrender of the colony was concluded. One privateer and several vessels here fell into the hands of the victors. The general and admiral next proceeded to the islands of St. Thomas, St John, and Santa Cruz, all of which submitted without attempting any resistance. The last conquest was that of St. Eustatia and Sabona, the 21st of April, and no attempt was made in these colonies to oppose the British. The West Indies were almost entirely in the hands of England at this crisis, but they had been obtained at a careless and lavish expenditure of blood and treasure. Instead of making war against the colonies of their enemies, as a great state should have done, at the very outset, when all resistance would have been overborne, and a ready obedience ensured, the British began with petty expeditions, which cost thousands of men and millions of money. Boldness, promptitude, and energy, could have obtained their early possession, but it required a dictum from no less an authority than the Duke of Wellington to put a little war out of fashion.

As soon as information had been received that, by the Treaty of Badajoz, Portugal had excluded British commerce from her ports, a detachment of troops, under Colonel Clinton, was sent to take possession of the island of Madeira, who landed without resistance, and occupied the two forts that commanded the anchorage. The British Government also directed the East India Company to place garrisons in all the colonies or factories of Portugal in the East Indies. Here, on the 21st of June, the Dutch island of Ternate, one of the most important of the Moluccas, surrendered by capitulation, after an obstinate resistance of fifty-two days, to the military and naval forces of the Honourable Company, under the command of Colonel Burr and Capt. Hayes, of their navy.

24. Preliminaries of a Peace are signed.

Early in this year Mr. Pitt, who had administered the government of Great Britain for seventeen years, resigned his office, and the sovereign formed a new government, under the auspices of Addington, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in which administration Lord Hawkesbury had the seals of Foreign Secretary. So early as the 216t of March, the new British Cabinet had signified to M. Otto, who still remained in London to superintend arrangements for an exchange of prisoners, that they were disposed to renew the negotiations for a peace, and it was agreed that without any suspension of arms, the basis should be previously adjusted. The negotiations for this object were prolonged for several months; but on Saturday, the 2nd of October, a London Gazette Extraordinary gave the following intelligence: “Preliminaries of peace were signed last night by the Right Honourable Lord Hawkesbury, one of His Majesty’s principal Secretaries of State, and M. Otto on the part of the French Government.” An universal joy seized the people of both Great Britain and France on this announcement, and when the ratification by the First Consul was brought back by Colonel Lauriston, the populace took the horses from his carriage, and drew it through the streets with loud acclamations. Nor was the public joy manifested in a less emphatic manner in Paris. Both nations sighed for a renewal of commercial relations, and were glad to be released from the accumulated privations which so long a war had brought upon them.

In the beginning of November, the Marquis Cornwallis arrived in Paris, as Ambassador Plenipotentiary, to negotiate the definitive peace, and, after a short stay, repaired to Amiens, where he met Joseph Bonaparte, brother of the First Consul, appointed to meet him on the part of France. The negotiations underwent much unexpected delay. At length, on the 25th of March, 1802, the Peace of Amiens was signed, its conditions varying in no material circumstances from the preliminaries signed in London nine months, before. The termination of hostilities between Great Britain and France drew after it an accommodation with other powers, and peace was proclaimed in every quarter of the world. The preliminaries of a peace between France and the United States of America, which had been signed at Monfontaine in September last, were now ratified by a definitive treaty. The Germanic Diet, with its accustomed languor in everything, set on foot treaties of peace with France, and Bavaria actually signed one the end of August, but it was the beginning of October before a deputation of eight members was even named by the Diet to treat, and it was not till the August following that they effected their object. On the 8th of October, a treaty of peace was concluded between France and Russia, and on December the 17 th a definitive treaty was signed between the Republic and the Dey of Algiers, and last, not least, a concordatum was entered into between the Pope and the First Consul, the substance of which was not made public in France till the following year.

Biographical Memoir of the Austrian Field-Marshal- Lieutenant De Kray.

The Baron Kray de Krayova was of a noble Hungarian family, and born in 1735. He entered the Imperial army early, and made his first campaigns against the Turks, during which he attained the rank of Colonel. In 1792, he was given the command of a cavalry division in the campaign of the Netherlands. Here, in the following year, he experienced a reverse on the 13th September, near Menin, in which affair Prince Ferdinand of Orange was severely wounded; but on the 22nd October following De Kray took his revenge upon the adversary that had worsted him, by a night surprise at Marchiennes. This success established his military character, and he was in subsequent years employed in high commands in the armies of Coburg, Clairfayt, and the Archduke Charles, and in 1796 was named Field-Marshal-Lieutenant, for his able conduct in covering the retreat of the army from Bamberg and Wurzbourg. In 1799 he went to Italy, and took the temporary command of the army during the absence of Melas. Here he was very successful against the French army while under the command of Scherer; but upon the arrival of the commander-in-chief, and of the Generalissimo Suwarrow with the Russian army, he was superseded and given the command of the flanking corps d’armée, which received directions to undertake the siege of Mantua. He effected the capture of this strong and important fortress after two months, partly blockade and partly open trenches, and then marched away to take part in the victory of Novi, on the 15th August; after which, he continued in independent command against the French corps d’armée under Gouvoin St Cyr. In 1800 he received the responsible honour of opposing General Moreau, in which, although he evinced very great ability and circumspection, he was overmatched by that distinguished leader, who drew him out of the formidable camp at Ulm, and finally dispersed his forces on the Salzach, when he delivered up the command to the Archduke John, to witness the entire wreck of the army at Hohenlinden in December 1800.

De Kray was never afterwards employed, and died in 1804, leaving behind him the reputation of being one of the ablest of the generals who commanded the Austrian armies during the accumulating disasters of that period.