After Napoleon Bonaparte had effected his landing in Egypt, the French
fleet was permitted to remain at Alexandria for some time, and thus
afforded Nelson the opportunity he had sought for so long.
For many previous days he had been almost unable, from anxiety, to take
sleep or food, but now he ordered dinner to be served, while
preparations were being made for battle, and when his officers rose to
leave the table, he said to them:--
"Before this time to-morrow, I shall have gained a peerage or
Westminster Abbey."
The French had found it impossible to enter the neglected and ruined
port of Alexandria. Admiral Brueys had, by command of Napoleon, offered
a reward of 10,000 livres to any native pilot who would safely convey
the squadron in, but not one was found who would venture to take charge
of a single vessel that drew more than twenty feet. The gallant admiral
was compelled, therefore, to anchor in Aboukir Bay, and chose the
strongest position that was possible in the circumstances. He ranged
his ships in a compact line of battle, in such a manner that the leading
vessel lay close to a shoal, while the remainder of the fleet formed a
curve along the line of deep water so that it was thought to be
impossible to turn it by any means in a South Westerly direction, and
some of the French, who were best able to judge, said that they held a
position so strong that they could bid defiance to a force more than
double their own. The presumption was not unreasonable, for the French
had the advantage of the English in ships, guns, and men, but they had
omitted to take into their calculations the fact that the English fleet
was commanded by one whose promptitude in action, readiness and
eccentricity of resource, and utter disregard of consequences when what
he deemed the path to victory lay before him, might have been equalled;
but certainly could not have been surpassed, by Bonaparte himself.
The French force consisted of thirteen ships of the line and four
frigates, carrying in all 1196 guns and 11,230 men. The English had
thirteen ships of the line and a fifty-gun ship, carrying in all 1012
guns and 8068 men. All the English line-of-battle ships were
seventy-fours. Three of the French ships carried eighty-eight guns, and
one, _L'Orient_, was a monster three-decker with 120 guns.
In order to give the reader a better idea of the forces engaged on both
sides, we give the following list of ships. It is right, however, to
add that one of those belonging to the English (the _Culloden_) ran
aground on a shoal when about to go into action, and took no part in the
fight.