Admiral Brueys was moored in the road of Abukir.  This road is a very regular semicircle, and his thirteen ships formed a line parallel to the shore, and so disposed that he believed no British ship could pass between him and the shore, if an attack were made.

Nelson, after visiting the Archipelago, and returning to the Adriatic, Naples, and Sicily, had at length obtained the certain knowledge of the landing of the French at Alexandria.  He immediately steered in that direction in order to seek and put to flight their squadron.  He sent a frigate to look out for it, and to reconnoitre its position.  The English frigate, having made her observations, rejoined Nelson, who, being informed of all the particulars, immediately stood in for Abukir, and arrived there August 1, 1798, at about six o’clock in the evening.  Admiral Brueys was at dinner.  He immediately ordered the signal for battle to be given; but so unprepared was the squadron to receive the enemy, that the hammocks were not stowed away on board any of the ships, and part of the crews were on shore.  The admiral despatched officers to send the seamen on board, and to demand part of those who were in the transports.  He had no conception that Nelson would dare to attack him the same evening, and conceived that he should have time to receive the reinforcements for which he had applied.

Nelson resolved to attack immediately, and to push in between the French ships and the shore at all hazards.  “Before this time to-morrow” said he, “I shall have gained a peerage or Westminster Abbey.”

The number of vessels was equal on both sides, namely, thirteen ships of war.  The engagement lasted upwards of fifteen hours.  All the crews performed prodigies of valour.  The brave Captain Du Petit-Thouars had two of his limbs shot off.  He ordered snuff to be brought him, and remained on his quarter-deck, and, like Brueys, waited till a cannon-ball despatched him.  The entire French squadron, excepting the two ships and two frigates carried off by Villeneuve, was destroyed.  Nelson had suffered so severely that he could not pursue the fugitives.  Such was the famous battle of Abukir, the most disastrous that the French had ever sustained, and involved the most far-reaching consequences.  The fleet which had carried the French to Egypt, which might have served to succour or to recruit them, which was to second their movements on the coast of Syria,—­had there been any to execute,—­which was to overawe the Porte, to force it to put up with false reasoning, and to oblige it to wink at the invasion of Egypt, which finally, in case of reverses, was to convey the French back to their country,—­that fleet was destroyed.  The French ships were burned.  The news of this disaster spread rapidly in Egypt, and for a moment filled the army with despair.  Bonaparte received the tidings with imperturbable composure.  “Well,” he said, “we must die in this country, or get out of it as great as the ancients.”  He wrote to Kleber:  “This will oblige us to do greater things than we intended.  We must hold ourselves in readiness.”  The great soul of Kleber was worthy of this language:  “Yes,” replied Kleber, “we must do great things.  I am preparing my faculties.”  The courage of these men supported the army, and restored its confidence.