The French effected a landing at Sidy-el-Ferruch, a small promontory, about five leagues to the west of Algiers, and half a league to the east of the river Massaflran, where it discharges itself into the bay.  On the 14th of June they all landed without opposition.

After a continued series of engagements and skirmishes the army got within cannon shot of Algiers, where they broke ground and began entrenching, and the French works being completed, the heavy breaching cannon were all mounted; and at day-break on the 4th of July, General Lahitte, having assured himself by personal inspection that all was ready, ordered the signal rocket to be thrown, and at the same moment the whole French batteries opened their fire within point blank distance, and with a report which shook the whole of Algiers, and brought the garrison, who were little expecting so speedy an attack, running to their posts.  The artillery was admirably served, and from one battery which enfiladed the fort, the balls were seen to sweep away at once an entire row of Algerine cannoneers from their guns.  The Turks displayed the most undaunted courage; they answered shot for shot, supplied with fresh men the places of such as were slain, stopped up with woolsacks the breaches made by the balls, replaced the cannon which the French fire had dismounted, and never relaxed their exertions for a moment.  But the nature of their works was ill-calculated to withstand the scientific accuracy with which the besiegers made their attack.  Every ball now told—­the tower in the centre was completely riddled by shots and shells; the bursting of these latter had disabled great numbers of the garrison.  By seven o’clock the besieged had begun to retire from the most damaged part of their works; by half-past eight the whole outer line of defence was abandoned, and by nine the fire of the fort was extinct.  The Turkish general, finding opposition hopeless, had sent to the Dey for commands; and in reply was ordered to retreat with his whole remaining force to the Cassaubah, and leave three negroes to blow up the fort.  The tranquillity with which they performed this fatal task deserves record.  The French, finding the enemy’s fire to fail, directed all theirs towards effecting a practicable breach.  The fort seemed to be abandoned;—­two red flags floated still on its outside line of defence, and a third on the angle towards the city.  Three negroes were seen calmly walking on the ramparts, and from time to time looking over, as if to examine what progress the breach was making.  One of them, struck by a cannon-ball, fell, and the others, as if to revenge his death, ran to a cannon, pointed it, and fired three shots.  At the third, the gun turned over, and they were unable to replace it.  They tried another, and as they were in the act of raising it, a shot swept the legs from under one of them.  The remaining negro gazed for a moment on his comrade, drew him a little back, left him, and once more examined the breach.  He then snatched