A short time after these transactions occurred, there came into the harbor one day, from along the shore west of the city, a small sloop, bringing the intelligence that a squadron of transports had arrived upon the coast to the westward of Alexandria, and had anchored there, being unable to come up to the city on account of an easterly wind which prevailed at that season of the year.  This squadron was one which had been sent across the Mediterranean with arms, ammunition, and military stores for Caesar, in answer to requisitions which he had made immediately after he had landed.  The transports being thus windbound on the coast, and having nearly exhausted their supplies of water, were in distress; and they accordingly sent forward the sloop, which was probably propelled by oars, to make known their situation to Caesar, and to ask for succor.  Caesar immediately went, himself, on board of one of his galleys, and ordering the remainder of his little fleet to follow him, he set sail out of the harbor, and then turned to the westward, with a view of proceeding along the coast to the place where the transports were lying.

All this was done secretly.  The land is so low in the vicinity of Alexandria that boats or galleys are out of sight from it at a very short distance from the shore.  In fact, travelers say that, in coming upon the coast, the illusion produced by the spherical form of the surface of the water and the low and level character of the coast is such that one seems actually to descend from the sea to the land.  Caesar might therefore have easily kept his expedition a secret, had it not been that, in order to be provided with a supply of water for the transports immediately on reaching them, he stopped at a solitary part of the coast, at some distance from Alexandria, and sent a party a little way into the interior in search for water.  This party were discovered by the country people, and were intercepted by a troop of horse and made prisoners.  From these prisoners the Egyptians learned that Caesar himself was on the coast with a small squadron of galleys.  The tidings spread in all directions.  The people flocked together from every quarter.  They hastily collected all the boats and vessels which could be obtained at the villages in that region and from the various branches of the Nile.  In the mean time, Caesar had gone on to the anchorage ground of the squadron, and had taken the transports in tow to bring them to the city; for the galleys, being propelled by oars, were in a measure independent of the wind.  On his return, he found quite a formidable naval armament assembled to dispute the passage.

A severe conflict ensued, but Caesar was victorious.  The navy which the Egyptians had so suddenly got together was as suddenly destroyed.  Some of the vessels were burned, others sunk, and others captured; and Caesar returned in triumph to the port with his transports and stores.  He was welcomed with the acclamations of his soldiers, and, still more warmly, by the joy and gratitude of Cleopatra, who had been waiting during his absence in great anxiety and suspense to know the result of the expedition, aware as she was that her hero was exposing himself in it to the most imminent personal danger.