acha, at the head of a strong y, who intercepted the revenue <f the Porte from that quarter. So that, on the whole, Greece, at the present moment, belonged to any power that would deliver the Greeks from the yoke imposed on them by the Turks.

"So sensible, the patriarch continued, were the Russians of the mbecility of the Turkish govern int, and of what might be effect. ed by the Greeks if duly supported, that a prince of the Imperial family had been baptized by the name of Constantius, as the legitimate heir of the throne of Constantinople; and received a Grecian education. He spoke no other language than Greck; he had few besides Grecian Chiefs about his person; and evidently aspired to the Grecian em

re. But he declared, in concursion, that the Greeks, being More attached to a free government than aristocracy, would pre fer the protection of France to that of any other country whatever and, above all, if Buonaparte should be its principal organ!" This letter, written in Greek, was signed Trephanopoli.

Without charging the patriarch with aught of the Græcia mendax, Or of voluntary exaggeration, it may be observed, that his statement is Hot exactly accurate, and that he as probably given ear, as is very atural, to every report that favour

ed his wishes. Yet it is, on the whole, in conformity with the most authentic accounts of the disposita ons of the Greeks and the internal state of the Ottoman empire.

The letter of Trephanopoli, to gether with an account of certain mischances, which rendered a father supply of money necessary for farther correspondence with the Greeks, was carried, by Dimo, to Buonaparte, who said, "I will read this report with all the interest that I have taken in those you have already sent me: I will take care of all that you mention." As Dimo retired, the general said, "in four days I shall want to see you." But, from this moment, Dimo saw him no more. On the fourth day, Buonaparte set out for Toulon: so that Dimo concluded that it was in the interval of those four days that the expedition to Egypt was resolved

on.

Besides this secret correspond. ence, Buonaparte, when in Italy, endeavoured to encourage and excite revolt among the Greeks, by open declarations. The islands, lately acquired by the French re public, in the Ionian Sea, were divided into three departments, Corcyra, Ithaca, and the Egean sea. By the orders of Buonaparte, a manifesto was published by the administration of the central department of those islands, which was, that of Corcyra, proclaiming to

the

the whole Greek nation the reduction of Malta, inviting the Greeks to listen to the general cry of liberty, resounding from shore to shore; and holding our to them the greatest hopes, from the victories and conquests of the French in the Mediterranean. By the orders of Buonaparte, too, emissaries of sedition were sent abroad, into every quarter, by all the French consuls in the Archipelago.

The French squadron, under the orders of admiral de Brueys (who had left Toulon, with a numerous fleet of transports, having on board the flower of that army which had with rapidity over-run Italy, and then under the orders of their celebrated general, Buonaparte), excited considerable apprehension, with some anxiety, respecting their destination.

That the British ministry had formed a tolerably correct coniec ture thereof, but were not positive ly certain, may be ascertained by the traverse which the British squadron made in quest of them.

The command of this squadron was vested in rear-admiral sir Horatio Nelson, by private recommendation, from the first lord of the admiralty to the commanderin chief, off Cadiz.

The rear-admiral had been previously detached into the Mediterranean, with his flag on board the Vanguard: accompanied by the Orion, Alexander, and some smaller ships and vessels: these, except the Orion and Alexander, were separated from him by a gale of wind, in which the Vanguard's foremast was carried away. He repaired to Cagliari, in Sardinia, and refitted with a jury-mast in the best possible manner.

During that period, the earl St. Vincent who was off Cadiz, blockading that port, had victualled, and otherwise prepared, ten ships of the line, to be detached into the Medis terranean; so soon as a reinforce ment from the channel-fleet, under the command of rear-admiral siṛ Roger Curtis, should join, and thereby enable him to spare such a detachment, and still maintain the blocka le.

The expected squadron was no sooner announced to be in sight of the look-out ships in the N.W.quar ter, than the noble adiniral made signal for the others to weigh and proceed under the orders of the senior captain, Trowbridge, of the Culloden, to whom he had previously given his instructions. The whole of that flect, and the e ships, were habitually alert in their movements. They were soon all under sail, and, steering for the Mediter ranean, were actually out of sight in their course before the squadron from the channel, under sir Roger Curtis, had anchored

The passage of this select squa dron was somewhat tedious, before they effected a junction with the rear-admiral Nelson, who was by that time refitted, and again cruizing; but had not been rejoined by any of the frigates who had before separated.

battle; which in some instances in the present war, had been done. The duty which the rear-admiral now had to perform was of the most important nature to his coun. try, and many of the other states of the world. The enemy had sailed with a great armament, and their purpose remained yet unknown to any, hut those of their private council, and the commander of the expedition. Whatever it was, certain we may be, that the orders of the British admiral were, to frustrate their attempts. To effect these, he must have viewed with high satisfaction the squadron which was placed under his command: on whom he might with confidence rely on all being done that human exertion could accomplish with such a force.

The captains were men of unquestionable zeal and professional talents, assisted by officers who highly merited their respective stations; and these were supported by crews who had been long practised in the habits of all that appertains to naval war.

The greater part of the ships had borne a share in some of the distinguished actions which had previously taken place during the war; and the others were partly filled with officers and men who had been engaged in much real service.

With this squadron, the admiral proceeded toward Naples, in quest of the enemy, and detached captain Trowbridge in the Mutine-brig for intelligence: none being obtained there, he bent his course toward Sicily, where he was informed the enemy's fleet had been seen off Malta. Thither he pressed all sail, and on arrival was informed, they

had departed from thence a few days before, and steered to the south-eastward. Concluding they were bound to Egypt, he steered direct thither; but, on arrival off Alexandria, had the mortification to find that not a ship had made its appearance there. That disappointment was severe to the hopes of the whole squadron, who were anxious for a meeting, fearless of the consequences, and confident of the result terminating favourably, whatever their strength might be. Conjecture was much strained to guess whither the enemy had gone: no time was lost in continuing the search. The British squadron was led to Rhodes, where the enemy had not appeared, nor been heard of: from thence the squadron plied westwards, by Candia, to Sicily, and entering the bay of Syracuse, by great exertions completed their water and wood in a few days, and, taking on board a considerable stock of live cattle, proceeded again to the eastward, in quest of the enemy.

When off the south coast of the Morea, captain Trowbridge, who was detached to Coron for intelli gence, learned from the Turkish governor that the enemy had been heard of being off Candia a month before, and had gone towards Alexandria. Thither the British admiral pressed all sail which the Culloden could keep company with, her rate of sailing being somewhat lessened by the incumbrance of a small vessel laden with wine, in tow, which had been lately taken: independent of this, the rate of sailing of the whole squadron was nearly equal; a circumstance of great importance when any evolu. tion was required to be performed.

It was the first of August before the Pharos of Alexandria was got sight of by the squadron, who were then steering direct for it towards the S.S. E. and as they approached discovered a wood of masts in the harbour. The advanced ships (the Alexander and Leander about two leagues a-head) made signal for haying discovered ships of war to eastward. The admiral, who, with the Bulk of the squadron, was in close Order of sailing, being thus directed to a view of the long sought-forsight, immediately altered his course accordingly, and made signal to recal those on the lock-out. TheCulloden was then about two leagues to the eastward of the admiral, and after some time and signals exchanged, obtained leave to cast off the vessel towed from off Coron. The Alexander and Leander, who had run in nearer Alexandria, were thereby obliged to hawl more to the wind than between N. N. W. and N. W. in order to round the point off Aboukir: which threw them considerably later than the main body; who sailing with a free wind reached about, or soon after five o'clock, the point; which having rounded and get the bay fairly open, the admiral hawled up ou the larboard tack, under an easy sail, probably for the purpose of viewing the situation of the enemy, or more likely for giving time for those of his own squadron to close; the Culloden being still about two leagues distant in the N. W. quarter. While the Alexander and Leander were still farther distant in the W. S. W. the squadron of the enemy, which shewed 13 sail of the line of battle, were but a few miles off, bearing from S. W. to south, and anchored in a line ex tending nearly N. W. and S. E.

with their admiral's flag on board a three deck ship in the centre, and four frigates, with several gun-vessels, dispersed inside towards the van and rear.

The squadron did not remain long with their heads from the enemy. The admiral speedily determined on what plan of attack was to be adopted. He gave orders, by signal, to prepare to anchor by the stern, and wore with the whole squadron together by signal. That manoeuvre at once changed the situation of the squadron, by giving the lead to those, who were, while their heads were to the offing, dropping a-stern to join their situation in the rear, in the order of sailing or, as some have alleged, loitered a-stern from an unwillingness to be drawn off even a few hundred yards from the enemy. If such were the sentiments of any, they were now indulged by the admiral bearing up toward the van of the enemy, and making the signal to form the line of battle a-head, or most convenient: that is, for each ship to fall in as their situ ation at the time best suited, without regard to the established order of battle.

On that occasion, there were such displays of emulation by each ship to gain an advanced post in the attack, as must have tended to inspire each other with an invincible confidence. But so alert were the whole, that no one ship could gain the point of getting a-head of another, who had the advantage of laying their heads towards the enemy. The admiral, as they were drawing into a form of battle, made the sig nal to attack the enemy's van and centre; and soon after, added the signal for a close engagement, which was kept flying.

The