lexandria.

Sir Sydney Smith was then cruising in the Levant with two British ships
of the line, the _Tigre_ and the _Theseus_; and, being informed by the
Pacha of the approaching storm, hastened to support him in the defence
of Acre. Napoleon's vessels, conveying guns and stores from Egypt, fell
into his hands, and he appeared off the town two days before the French
army came in view of it. He had on board his ship Colonel Philippeaux, a
French royalist of great talents (formerly Buonaparte's school-fellow at
Brienne);[28] and the Pacha willingly permitted the English commodore
and this skilful ally, to regulate for him, as far as was possible, the
plan of his defence.

The loss of his own heavy artillery and the presence of two English
ships, were inauspicious omens; yet Buonaparte doubted not that the
Turkish garrison would shrink before his onset, and he instantly
commenced the siege. He opened his trenches on the 18th of March. "On
that little town," said he to one of his generals, as they were standing
together on an eminence, which still bears the name of Richard
Coeur-de-lion--"on yonder little town depends the fate of the East.
Behold the key of Constantinople, or of India."--"The moment Acre
falls," said he about the same time to De Bourienne, "all the Druses
will join me; the Syrians, weary of Djezzar's oppressions, will crowd to
my standard. I shall march upon Constantinople with an army to which the
Turk can offer no effectual resistance--and it seems not unlikely that I
may return to France by the route of Adrianople and Vienna--destroying
the house of Austria on my way!"

From the 18th to the 28th of March, the French laboured hard in their
trenches, being exposed to the fire of extensive batteries, arranged by
Philippeaux so as to command their approach, and formed chiefly of
Buonaparte's own artillery, captured on the voyage from Alexandria. The
Turks also were constantly sallying out, and their Pacha personally set
the example of the most heroic resolution. Nevertheless, on the 28th, a
breach was at last effected, and the French mounted with such fiery zeal
that the garrison gave way, until Djezzar appeared on the battlements,
and flinging his own pistols at the heads of the flying men, urged and
compelled them to renew the defence. In the end the French retreated
with great loss, and--the Turks, headed by the English seamen, pursuing
them to their lines--a great mine, designed to blow up the chief t