coast 70 miles west of Alexandria.

Learning off Cape Passaro on the 22d of the enemy's departure from
Malta, Nelson made direct for Alexandria under fair wind and press
of sail. He reached the port two days ahead of Bonaparte, and finding
it empty, at once set out to retrace his course, his impetuous
energy betraying him into what was undoubtedly a hasty move. The
two fleets had been but 60 miles apart on the night of the 25th.
Had they met, though Bonaparte had done his utmost by organization
and drill to prepare for such an emergency, a French disaster would
have been almost inevitable, and Napoleon, in the amusingly partisan
words of Nelson's biographer Southey, "would have escaped those
later crimes that have incarnadined his soul." Nelson had planned
in case of such an encounter to detach three of his ships to attack
the transports.

The trying month that now intervened, spent by the British fleet
in a vain search along the northern coast of the Mediterranean,
a brief stop at Syracuse for water and supplies, and return, was
not wholly wasted, for during this time the commander in chief
was in frequent consultation with his captains, securing their
hearty support, and familiarizing them with his plans for action
in whatever circumstances a meeting might occur. An interesting
reference to this practice of Nelson's appears in a later
characterization of him written by the French Admiral Decres to
Napoleon. "His boastfulness," so the comment runs, "is only equalled
by his ineptitude, but he has the saving quality of making no pretense
to any other virtues than boldness and good nature, so that he is
accessible to the counsels of those under him." As to who dominated
these conferences and who profited by them we may form our own
opinion. It was by such means that Nelson fostered a spirit of
full cooperation and mutual confidence between himself and his
subordinates which justified his affectionate phrase, "a band of
brothers."

The result was seen at the Nile. If rapid action lost the chance
of battle a month before, it did much to insure victory when the
opportunity came, and it was made possible by each captain's full
grasp of what was to be done. "Time is everything," to quote a
familiar phrase of Nelson; "five minutes may spell the difference
between victory and defeat." It was two in the afternoon when the
British, after looking into Alexandria, first sighted the French
fleet at anchor in Aboukir Bay, and it