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182 The first certain intelligence of the enemy’s armament was received from the British Consul at Messina, who informed Sir Horatio Nelson that the French had possessed themselves of Malta and Goza; and that their fleet was lying at anchor off the last-named island. A fresh breeze at N.W. and a rapid current, soon carried the British squadron clear of the celebrated straits of Messina; and the Rear-Admiral determined to attack the enemy at anchor. At day-break on the 22d, however, the Mutine obtained information from a Genoese brig, that the French had quitted Malta on the 18th, with the same wind that was then blowing, from which circumstance it was apparent that their destination was Egypt; and immediately the British commander bore up, and steered S.E., under all sail. He arrived off Alexandria on the 28th, and the enemy were not there, neither was there any account of them; but the Governor was endeavouring to put the city in a state of defence, having received advice from Leghorn that Egypt was the object of the expedition. Sir Horatio Nelson then shaped his course to the northward, for Karamania, and steered from thence along the southern side of Candia, carrying a press of sail, both night and day, with a contrary wind.

Baffled in his pursuit, the Rear-Admiral returned to Sicily, and after victualling and watering his squadron at Syracuse, sailed again in quest of the enemy, on the 25th July. All the accounts received while at that port, agreed in representing, that the French fleet had not been seen, either in the Archipelago, or the Adriatic; and that it had not gone down the Mediterranean; hence, no other conclusion remained, than that it still lay to the eastward, and that Egypt, after all, had been its destination. To be certain it was so, Nelson bent his course for the Morea. The squadron made the Gulf of Coron on the 28th. Captain Troubridge entered the port, and returned with intelligence that the French had been seen about four weeks before, steering to the S.E. from Candia. Sir Horatio then determined immediately to return to Alexandria; and, at length, on the 1st Aug., soon after noon, a fleet was descried at anchor in the Bay of Aboukir, near the mouth of the Nile, consisting of one ship of 120 guns, three 80 gun-ships, nine 74’s, and four frigates, flanked by four mortar-brigs annoyed by a frigate, Sir James yawed as much as enabled him to sink this opponent by a tremendous fire; when he hauled round towards the French line, and took his station on the larboard bow of le Franklin and the quarter of le Peuple Souverain. In this celebrated conflict the Orion had 13 men killed and 29 wounded, including among the