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Article VICTORY OF ADMIRAL NELSON. ← Page 2 of 6 →
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Victory Of Admiral Nelson.
order to . approach them , it was necessary to sail round an island , and a reef which projected from it to the distance of seven miles , from the point of which the fort of Aboukeir stands . The wind was perfectly fair :, both for this , and for approaching the fleet ; . but unfortunately , in rounding the reefs , the Culloden , the leading ship , commanded by the gallant Trowbridge , run aground , and could not be got offduring the action . After this accident Admiral Nelson
found himself with ten ships only ( three having fallen several leagues astern *) to fight thirteen of the enemy , and several of those of superior force to any of his squadron . The island also , fortified with two mortars and some heavy cannon , was to be passed within gun-shot . These circumstances , however , did but add fresh vigour to . British courage . Admiral Nelson
determined on an immediate attack , and made a signal to engage the van and centre of the enemy . About half of his ships got between them and the shore , by . sailing round the head of their line ; the rest attacked on the outside .. All dropped their anchors , so as to place themselves opposite and close to their opponents ; and it is said that one of the shi inpassingbeatthe carved work off the
ps , , , , enemy ' s stern . By this disposition some of their ships were doubled on , and all that were engaged on the land side were taken unprepared the Zealous fired three broadsides before a gun was returned from that side .
The enemy began firing as soon as the British . squadron came within gun-shot , but that was not returned until the latter closed upon the French fleet . The Zealous dismasted the Guerrier , headmost ship of the enemy's line , in three , broadsides , and she was compleatly beaten in five minutes . Six of the headmost ships remaining still at anchor , were taken possession of the first nightand L'Orient blew up . Next morning
, at day-light , the action recommenced , and other ships were taken or destroyed ; nor did the battle end till the forenoon of the third day of August , when the enemy ' s rear was compelled either to surrender to British valour , or avoid the fate ' that , threatened them , by having recourse to flight . Two ships of the line and two frigates , from being less disabled in their masts and . riing than our shipsescaped ; all
gg , those which were captured exhibited their hulks alone : their masts were shot away . The Timoleon shewed the fate of . L'Orient ; and those of her crew , who swam to the shore , were said to be massacred by the Arabs . ¦ The advantages held out to Admiral Nelson by the French Admiral were great indeed ; so that we may hope . that , the Almighty
, hath confounded the councils of the enemy , both in the expedition itself , and in the manner of conducting it to its destruction . If the French Admiral could not have made such a disposition of his fleet at anchor as to command the Bay of Aboukeir , he should have got
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Victory Of Admiral Nelson.
order to . approach them , it was necessary to sail round an island , and a reef which projected from it to the distance of seven miles , from the point of which the fort of Aboukeir stands . The wind was perfectly fair :, both for this , and for approaching the fleet ; . but unfortunately , in rounding the reefs , the Culloden , the leading ship , commanded by the gallant Trowbridge , run aground , and could not be got offduring the action . After this accident Admiral Nelson
found himself with ten ships only ( three having fallen several leagues astern *) to fight thirteen of the enemy , and several of those of superior force to any of his squadron . The island also , fortified with two mortars and some heavy cannon , was to be passed within gun-shot . These circumstances , however , did but add fresh vigour to . British courage . Admiral Nelson
determined on an immediate attack , and made a signal to engage the van and centre of the enemy . About half of his ships got between them and the shore , by . sailing round the head of their line ; the rest attacked on the outside .. All dropped their anchors , so as to place themselves opposite and close to their opponents ; and it is said that one of the shi inpassingbeatthe carved work off the
ps , , , , enemy ' s stern . By this disposition some of their ships were doubled on , and all that were engaged on the land side were taken unprepared the Zealous fired three broadsides before a gun was returned from that side .
The enemy began firing as soon as the British . squadron came within gun-shot , but that was not returned until the latter closed upon the French fleet . The Zealous dismasted the Guerrier , headmost ship of the enemy's line , in three , broadsides , and she was compleatly beaten in five minutes . Six of the headmost ships remaining still at anchor , were taken possession of the first nightand L'Orient blew up . Next morning
, at day-light , the action recommenced , and other ships were taken or destroyed ; nor did the battle end till the forenoon of the third day of August , when the enemy ' s rear was compelled either to surrender to British valour , or avoid the fate ' that , threatened them , by having recourse to flight . Two ships of the line and two frigates , from being less disabled in their masts and . riing than our shipsescaped ; all
gg , those which were captured exhibited their hulks alone : their masts were shot away . The Timoleon shewed the fate of . L'Orient ; and those of her crew , who swam to the shore , were said to be massacred by the Arabs . ¦ The advantages held out to Admiral Nelson by the French Admiral were great indeed ; so that we may hope . that , the Almighty
, hath confounded the councils of the enemy , both in the expedition itself , and in the manner of conducting it to its destruction . If the French Admiral could not have made such a disposition of his fleet at anchor as to command the Bay of Aboukeir , he should have got