the evening of the 7th, when the weather became more moderate.

The General's well-known strength of mind was now to be put to a severe test. He had to force a landing in an unknown country, in the face of an enemy more than double his numbers, and nearly three times as numerous as they were previously believed to be,-an enemy, moreover, in full possession of the country, occupying all its fortified positions, having a numerous and well-appointed cavalry enured to the climate, and a powerful artillery,-an enemy who knew every point where a landing could, with any prospect of success, be attempted, and who had taken advantage of the unavoidable delay, already mentioned, to erect batteries, and bring guns and ammunition, to the point where they expected the attempt would be made. In short, the General had to encounter embarrassments, and bear up under difficulties, which would have paralyzed the mind of a man less firm, and less confident of the devotion and bravery of his troops. These disadvantages, however, served only to strengthen his resolution. He knew that his army was determined to conquer or to perish with him; and aware of the high hopes which the country had placed in both, he resolved to proceed in the face of obstacles which some would have deemed insurmountable.

While the enemy were preparing for an effective resistance, in full view of those who were so soon to attack them, no circumstance occurred to amuse the minds, or divert the attention of the British during the continuance of the gales. However, on the evening of the 7th, the wind moderated, and the General, accompanied by Sir Sidney Smith, with three armed launches, went close in shore. Lieutenant Brown of the Foudroyant landed from one of the launches, drove in a picquet which lay on the beach, boarded a guardboat, and returned to the fleet, carrying with them as prisoners an officer, an ass and his driver. The capture of the two latter formed an incident which afforded great amusement to the whole fleet; and trifling and ludicrous as it may

appear, it was not without its beneficial effects. As this was the first adventure the troops had witnessed after so many months of confinement in transports, (the regiments from England and Gibraltar having been on board from the month of May and June of the preceding year,) they drew from it an omen of a successful debarkation.

The weather continuing moderate, at two o'clock in the morning of the 8th of March the troops destined to effect a landing got into the boats. This division consisted of the 40th flank companies, and Welsh fusileers on the right, the 28th, 42d, and 58th, in the centre, the brigade of Guards, Corsican Rangers, and a part of the 1st brigade, consisting of the Royals and 54th on the left; the whole amounting to 5230 men. This force did not land in the first instance, as there were not boats sufficient for that purpose, and one company of the Highlanders also did not land till the boats returned for a second load. Detachments of other regiments were subjected to a similar delay. The whole were to rendezvous, and form in rear of the Mondovi, Captain John Stewart, anchored out of reach of shot from the shore. So well conceived and executed was this arrangement, that each boat was placed in such a manner, that, when the landing was effected, every brigade, every regiment, and every company, found itself, with undivided numbers, in its proper station. In this manner, every man saw that, although he had changed his element from the sea to the shore, he was surrounded by his comrades and friends: this ensured confidence, and confidence made success more certain. Such a combination as this could not be formed without time; it was, therefore, eight o'clock before the whole arrangement was complete, and the troops ready to move forward at the signal. All was now eager expectation. At nine o'clock the signal was given, and the boats sprung forward, under the orders of the Honourable Captain Alexander Cochrane, the seamen straining every nerve, but, at the same time, acting with such regularity, that no boat got a head of the others. Nothing interrupted the silence of the scene, or di

verted the impatience and suspense of the invading force, except the dashing of the oars in the water, till the enemy, judging that the line had got within their range, opened a heavy fire from their batteries in front, and from the castle of Aboukir in flank. Till that moment they did not believe that they attempt was serious, or that any troops could be so fool-hardy as to hazard an attack on such lines and defences as they maintained. As the boats approached the shore, a fire of musquetry from 2500 men was added to showers of grape and shells. The four regiments on the right, the 40th, 23d, 28th, and 42d, soon got under the elevated positions of the batteries, so as to be sheltered from their fire. The enemy could not sufficiently depress their guns, and, maintaining their elevated station, instead of descending to the beach to receive the invaders on the point of the bayonet, they allowed them to disembark, and form in line. As an irregular fire would not only have proved ineffective against the enemy, but created confusion in the ranks, the men were ordered not to load, but to rush up the face of the hill, and charge the enemy on the summit.

The ascent was steep, and so deeply covered with loose sand, that the soldiers, every step they advanced, sunk back half a pace.* Delay was thus added to danger, and the men reached, with exhausted strength, the point where the greatest effort was required. As hesitation in such circumstances would have proved ruinous, they instantly rushed up the ascent, and reaching the top before their antagonists could again load, drove them from their position, at the

• The beach was a smooth hard sand, with sufficient space to form a good line. When the soldiers got the word to advance, they sprung up the ascent, and about half-way came in sight of the enemy, who were prepared with their pieces levelled. Their fire being so close, was of course very effective: eleven men of my company fell by this volley, when the soldiers doubled their exertions, and reached the top of the precipice before those drawn up there had loaded; but instead of making use of the bayonet, against men exhausted and breathless, the enemy turned their backs and fled in the utmost confusion.

point of the bayonet. A squadron of cavalry, which advanced to attack the Highlanders after they had driven back the infantry immediately opposed to them, was instantly repulsed with the loss of their commander. The party of the enemy who had deserted their guns, having partially formed in rear of a second line of small sand hills, kept up a scattered fire for some time; but on the advance of the troops, they again fled in confusion. The ground on the left being nearly on a level with the water, the Guards and first brigade were attacked immediately on their landing; the Guards by the cavalry, who, when driven back, rallied again in the rear of the sand-hills; and the 54th by a body of infantry, who advanced with fixed bayonets. Both attempts were repulsed.

Thus the intrepid commander, with his gallant troops, had forced a footing in Egypt, compelling an enemy to fly in confusion who, a few minutes before, had expected to annihilate their invaders, or to drive them back into the sea. There are few instances in our national history which more fully prove the power of firm resolution, and strict discipline, than this. It has been said that a bold invading army will always succeed. The nature of our national warfare has been such, that in no case have the British troops had to resist an enemy attempting to land by force; and, therefore, experience has not yet proved what success would, in such circumstances, attend their resistance to a resolute enemy.

The loss of the British was 4 officers, 4 serjeants, and 94 rank and file, killed; 26 officers, 34 serjeants, 5 drummers, and 450 rank and file, wounded. Of these the Highlanders had 31 killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel James Stewart, Captain Charles Macquarrie, Lieutenants Alexander Campbell, John Dick, Frederick Campbell, Stewart Campbell, Charles Campbell, Ensign Wilson, 7 serjeants, 4 drummers, and 140 rank and file, wounded. The loss of the French did not exceed one-half of that of the British, and, considering the relative situations of both, the difference might have

been even more in their favour. The principal loss of the British was incurred while in the boats, and when mounting the hill. In both cases, they were exposed to the fire of the enemy without being able to make any defence. When they had gained a position where their courage and firmness were available, the loss sustained was trifling. Four-fifths of the loss of the Highlanders were incurred before they reached the top of the hill. *

The General was early on shore. It is said that the admiral, Lord Keith, knowing his ardour, had given a hint to the officer who commanded his boat to keep in reserve, but his anxiety to be at the head of his troops was not to be restrained. He ordered the officer to push to the shore, and, counteracting the well-meant delay which was intended to preserve a life so precious to the future success of the expedition, he leaped from the boat with the ardour of youth. It may be conceived that the joy and exultation of all present were at their height, when, after the retreat of the enemy, he stood on a little sand-hill receiving the congratulations of the officers, accompanied with mutual expressions of admiration and gratitude; they for the ability and firmness which had conducted them to a situation which gave them

• The great waste of ammunition and the comparative little execution of musquetry, unless directed by a steady hand, was exemplified on this occasion. With the sea as smooth as glass, and nothing to interrupt the aim of those who fired; and a line of musquetry so numerous, that the soldiers compared the fall of the bullets on the water to boys throwing handfuls of pebbles into a mill-pond; and although the spray raised by the cannon-shot and shells, when they struck the water, wet the soldiers in the boats, very few were hurt of the whole landing force; of the 42d one man only was killed, and Colonel James Stewart and a few soldiers wounded. The noise and foam raised by the shells and large and small shot, compared with the little effect thereby produced, afford evidence of the saving of lives by the invention of gunpowder; while the fire, noise, and force with which the bullets flew, gave a greater sense of danger, than in reality had any existence. That 850 men (one company of the Highlanders did not land in the first boats,) should force a passage through such a shower of balls and bombshells, and only one man killed and five wounded, is certainly a striking fact.