ot been engaged. They, with two frigates, cut their cables in the
forenoon, and stood out to sea, we having no ships in a fit state to
follow them. There were thirteen French line-of-battle ships when the
action began; we took nine, two were burned, and two escaped; and of the
four frigates one was sunk and another burned; while the enemy lost
three thousand one hundred and five men in killed and wounded. Captain
Westcott was the only captain killed, but we lost in all nearly nine
hundred other officers and men. As soon as the battle was over, an
order was issued that all on board every ship should return thanks to
Almighty God, who had given us the victory. Many a hearty thanksgiving
was offered up that day. It was a solemn ceremony; not a word was
spoken fore and aft till the chaplain began the prayers. A dead silence
reigned throughout the fleet. The Egyptians and Arabs on shore could
not make it out, I've heard say; and even the French officers, prisoners
on board, infidels as they were, listened with respect, and could not
help believing that there must be a God who had given us the victory.
Hard work we had to get our ships and prizes fit for sea again after the
battering they had got; as it was, we had to burn four of our prizes, as
it would have taken too long to refit them; and then at last away we
sailed with the larger part of the fleet for Naples.

"The battle I've been telling you about was called the battle of the
Nile. It was, I've heard say, one of the most glorious and important
ever fought on the sea."

III.

"After lying at Naples for a long time, Lord Keith came out and took the
chief command, and we sailed with a squadron for Malta. On our way we
fell in with a French fleet, the biggest ship of which was the
`Genereux,' one of the line-of-battle ships which had escaped from the
Nile. We captured her and a frigate, and not long afterwards the
`Guillaume Tell,' the other line-of-battle ship, after in vain
attempting to escape from Valetta harbour, surrendered to us; and thus
every ship of the fleet which had escorted Bonaparte to Egypt was
captured, except, I fancy, one frigate.

"At last we went into Leghorn Roads, and after some time Lord Nelson and
Sir William and Lady Hamilton, and other people who had been on board,
landed, and travelled through Germany towards England. I have heard say
that he was more than once very nearly caught by the French during the
journey through Italy.