He sailed in the John Adams, in June, 1804.  The President, Congress, Essex, and Constellation were in company.  On the 5th of September the fleet anchored at Malta.  In a few weeks the plan of the expedition was settled, and the necessary arrangements made, with the consent and under the supervision of Barron.  Eaton then went on board the United States brig Argus, Captain Isaac Hull, detached specially on this service by the Commodore, and sailed for Alexandria, to hunt up Hamet and to replace him upon a throne.

On the 8th of December, Eaton and his little party, Lieutenant Blake, Midshipmen Mann and Danielson, of the navy, and Lieutenant O’Bannon of the marines, arrived in Cairo.  Here they learned that Hamet had taken service with the rebel Mamlouk Beys and was in command of an Arab force in Upper Egypt.  A letter from Preble to Sir Alexander Ball insured the Americans the hearty good wishes of the English.  They were lodged in the English house, and passed for United States naval officers on a pleasure-trip.  In this character they were presented to the Viceroy by Dr. Mendrici, his physician, who had known Eaton intimately in Tunis, and was much interested in this enterprise.  The recommendation of the Doctor obtained a private audience for Eaton.  He laid his plans frankly before his Highness, who listened favorably, assured him of his approval, and ordered couriers to be sent to Hamet, bearing a letter of amnesty and permission to depart from Egypt.

The messengers returned with an answer.  The Ex-Pacha was unwilling to trust himself within the grasp of the Viceroy; he preferred a meeting at a place near Lake Fayoum, (Maeris,) on the borders of the Desert, about one hundred and ninety miles from the coast.  Regardless of the danger of travelling in this region of robbery and civil war, Eaton set off at once, accompanied by Blake, Mann, and a small escort.  After a ride of seventy miles, they fell in with a detachment of Turkish cavalry, who arrested them for English spies.  This accident they owed to the zeal of the French Consul, M. Drouette, who, having heard that they were on good terms with the English, thought it the duty of a French official to throw obstacles in their way.  Luckily the Turkish commandant proved to be a reasonable man.  He listened to their story and sent off a courier to bring Hamet to them.  The Pacha soon arrived.  He expressed an entire willingness to be reinstated upon his throne by the Americans, and to do what he could for himself with his followers and friendly Arab tribes in the province of Derne.  In case of success, he offered brilliant advantages to the United States.  A convention was drawn up in this sense, signed by him as legitimate Pacha of Tripoli, and by Eaton, as agent for the United States.