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It will hardly be believed that such ignorance and inattention to their wounded companions could be met with among the most barbarous nations; but fuch is Turkish humanity!

The next day, refolving to remedy the evil of the former, the Captain put fifteen British, and (with the confent of Captain Meffer) five Ruffian seamen into each gun-boat.' The Turks had nothing therefore to do but to use their oars; unwilling, however, to get within the reach of the enemy's shot, they made fuch bad use of them that it was found necessary to take them in tow with our row-boats. The Turkish commander of the frigate, in his barge, alfo took a share in this duty, but no fooner did he hear the first shot, than he cast off the tow-lines, and retreated with all expedition towards the ifland, where he laid perdúe till the action was over.

This day one Turk was killed and two wounded: as the boats were frequently within the range of grape-shot, it is rather surprising they did not fuftain more damage. Towards the close of the day the fire of the enemy began to flacken, and, at length, was completely filenced; but as night approached, and we began to retire, they again commenced a heavy fire on us with more effect, as our unwieldy gun-boats were flow in their motions, and when they put about to return

The Ruffian feamen are neat in their persons and remarkably patient of fatigue and hardship. They were entirely obedient to command and fearless of danger. They did not appear to receive so much attention to their wants and comfort from their officers, as they deserved. I have known a boat's crew remain alongside the Swiftfure from dawn of day to fun-fet without any food, except what the humanity of our failors afforded them from their own ftore. When the circumftance was known to our commander, they were always supplied from his table.

to their anchorage were exposed to the fire of the enemy, without a power of returning it. Such veffels fhould always be supplied with a long gun out aftern. The launch of the Swiftfure, commanded by the Honourable Lieutenant Eylmer, had a heavy carronade, which was placed on a groove reaching from the stem to the ftern, fo that it could be made use of either advancing or retreating; the other boats also had different pieces of ordnance according to their fize, and were commanded by officers of the Swiftfure. A dgerm, that had fallen into our hands, was prepared as a mortar-boat, and a small mortar, or howitzer, mounted in her, from which fhells were thrown with tolerable precision, and the tower and minaret of Aboukir were ftruck feveral times. The day following the gun-boats again got under way, but owing to a heavy swell and frequent fqualls of wind, they drove fo far to leeward that it was late at night before they could be brought to the anchorage off the island, which, in compliment to our Admiral, we denominated Nelfon's ifland. The next day proved more favourable to our operations, and the whole fleet of gun-boats and row-boats proceeded towards the mouth of the Lake Maadie, and from thence our line extended along the fhore to the foot of fand-hills, on the fummit of which was the French camp; near the bottom of the hill was a grove of palm or date-trees, and fome high bushes, which proved highly useful to the enemy. The Ruffian failors had been withdrawn from the gun-boats, but the launch, and fome of their smaller boats,

manned and armed, attended, as alfo the Toridè gun-veffel, carrying four heavy guns, commanded by Mr. Autride, midshipman of the Zealous. The enemy had formed a low battery on the neck of land leading to the entrance of the lake, and placed fome field-pieces on the fand-hills above; the bufhes, and every little fand-hill, were lined with infantry. Our small mortar-veffel threw fhells into the camp, which, to our furprife, twice broke into a flame, and the enemy were seen in apparent confufion endeavouring to extinguish it. Captain Hallowell perceiving a large gun-boat of the enemy close to the shore, rowed in with his barge to attack it; the French retreated from it: as it was faft aground, and exposed to a heavy fire of musketry, he was obliged to defist from his attempt to bring it off: a marine was fhot close afide him.”

Some of the Turkish gun-boats were now brought so near the battery as to use their muskets, and the business was beginning to grow very serious, when, from the daftardly conduct of the Turks in one of the boats, which threw fome of the rest into confusion, the action was obliged to be discontinued. Captain Hallowell had directed Lieutenant Witts of the marines,

The annexed plate represents the barge making towards the French gun-boat, which is evacuated. The head of a Turkish gun-boat is seen on the left, our people on board of it are firing musketry on the French battery. On the neck of land, beyond which is the Lake Maadie, or as fome call it, the Lake of Aboukir, a poor camel is seen tied to a palm-tree, unconscious of the danger of his fituation: an accidental shot from one of the boats ftruck him on the hump and killed him. Above is the French camp on fire, below which are the heads of the foldiers peeping above the fand-heaps, from whence they annoyed us with their musketry, being themselves fecurely fheltered. Near this place General Abercromby landed his troops on the memorable 8th of February 1801.

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