ospitals, &c. All useful communication
is at an end, between Alexandria and Cairo. You may be assured, I
shall remain here as long as possible. Bonaparte had never yet to
contend with an English officer, and I shall endeavour to make him
respect us. This is all I have to communicate. I am confident,
every precaution will be taken to prevent, in future, any vessels
going to Suez, which may be able to carry troops to India. If my
letter is not so correct as might be expected, I trust for your
excuse; when I tell you, that my brain is so shook with the wound
in my head, that I am sensible I am not always so clear as could
be wished: But, while a ray of reason remains, my heart and my hand
shall ever be exerted for the benefit of our king and country. I
have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,

"Horatio Nelson.

"The officer, Lieutenant Duval, who carries this dispatch
voluntarily to you, will--I trust--be immediately sent to England,
with such recommendations as his conduct will deserve."

The importance of thus sending this information to India, which few
other naval commanders would have thought necessary, proved prodigiously
great. Expensive preparations were at that moment making, by the East
India Company, for a most powerful armament to oppose any force which
the French might be enabled to send against their possessions, in
conjunction with Tippoo Saib: and this timely intelligence, by instantly
quieting every apprehension of that sort, suddenly arrested the progress
of all extraordinary warlike operations, and consequently saved a vast
sum of money to the company; which, without the wonderful circumspection
of this great man, must necessarily have been expended.

The dispatches to England, however, were unable to be forwarded, for
several days. In the mean time, on the morning of the 11th, the
Swiftsure brought into the fleet a captured French corvette of eighteen
guns, and seventy men, called La Fortune. On the 12th, Sir James
Saumarez, captain of the Orion, was directed to take the Bellerophon,
Minotaur, Defence, Audacious, Theseus, and Majestic, under his command;
and proceed with the prizes, Le Souverain Peuple, Conquerant, Spartiate,
Aquilon, Franklin, and Tonnant, for Gibraltar: where, if he found no
orders, he was to join the commander in chief off Cadiz, or go to
Lisbon. Sir James sailed, accordingly, o