ss of the situation of affairs here; yet, as
I know Mr. Baldwin has, some months, left Alexandria; it is
possible you may not be regularly informed. I shall therefore
relate to you, briefly, that a French army of forty thousand men,
in three hundred transports, with thirteen sail of the line, eleven
frigates, bomb vessels, gun-boats, &c. arrived at Alexandria on the
1st of July. On the 7th they left it, for Cairo; where they arrived
on the 22d. During their march, they had some actions with the
Mamelukes, which the French call grand victories. As I have
Bonaparte's dispatches before me, which I took yesterday, I speak
positively. He says--"I am now going to send off, to take Suez and
Damietta." He does not speak very favourable of either the country
or people; but there is so much bombast in his letters, that it is
difficult to get near the truth. He does not mention India, in
these dispatches. He is what he calls organizing the country: but,
you may be assured, is master only of what his army covers. From
all the enquiries which I have been able to make, I cannot learn
that any French vessels are at Suez, to carry any part of the army
to India. Bombay, I know, if they can get there, is their first
object. But, I trust, Almighty God will, in Egypt, overthrow these
pests of the human race. It has been in my power to prevent twelve
thousand men from leaving Genoa; and, also, to take eleven sail of
the line, and two frigates: in short, only two sail of the line,
and two frigates, have escaped us. This glorious battle was fought
at the mouth of the Nile, at anchor. It begun at sun-set, August
1st, and was not finished at three the next morning. It has been
severe, but God blessed our endeavours with a great victory. I am
now at anchor between Alexandria and Rosetta, to prevent their
communication by water; and nothing, under a regiment, can pass by
land. But, I should have informed you that the French have four
thousand men posted at Rosetta, to keep open the mouth of the Nile.
Alexandria, both town and shipping, are so distressed for
provisions, which they can only get from the Nile, by water, that I
cannot guess the good success which may attend my holding our
present position; for Bonaparte writes his distress for stores,
artillery, things for their h