he most vulnerable, or the most eligible for attack, he
divided his force into three sub-squadrons, viz.

VANGUARD ORION CULLODEN
MINOTAUR GOLIAH THESEUS
LEANDER MAJESTIC ALEXANDER
AUDACIOUS BELLEROPHON. SWIFTSURE.
DEFENCE
ZEALOUS.

Two of these sub-squadrons were to attack the ships of war; while the
third was to pursue the transports, and to sink and destroy as many as
it could. The destination of the French armament was involved in doubt
and uncertainty; but it forcibly struck the admiral that, as it was
commanded by the man whom the French had dignified with the title of the
Conqueror of Italy, and as he had with him a very large body of troops,
an expedition had been planned which the land force might execute
without the aid of their fleet, should the transports be permitted to
make their escape, and reach in safety their place of rendezvous: it
therefore became a material consideration with the admiral, so to
arrange his force, as at once to engage the whole attention of their
ships of war, and at the same time materially to annoy and injure their
convoy. It will be fully admitted, from the subsequent information which
has been received on the subject, that the ideas of the admiral on this
occasion were perfectly just, and that the plan which he had arranged
was the most likely to frustrate the designs of the enemy. It is almost
unnecessary to explain his projected mode of attack at anchor, as that
was minutely and precisely executed in the action about to be described.
These plans, however, were formed two months before an opportunity
presented itself of executing any of them; and the advantage now was,
that they were familiar to the understanding of every captain in the
fleet.

"It has been already mentioned, that the Pharos of Alexandria was
seen at noon on the 1st of August. The Alexander and Swiftsure had
been detached ahead on the preceding evening, to reconnoitre the
port of Alexandria, while the main body of the squadron kept in the
offing. The enemy's fleet was first discovered by the Zealous,
Captain Hood, who immediately communicated, by signal, the number
of ships, sixteen, lying at anchor in a line of battle, in a bay on
the larboard bow, which was afterwards found to be Aboukir Bay. The
admiral hauled his wind that instant; a movement which was
immediately observ