sixty-eight pounders, and
upwards of twenty feet long. On the sea wall of the town were nine
batteries; two at the southern extremity; then the Fish-market battery
in three tiers, bearing three hundred yards west of the molehead; three
between the Fish-market and the gate leading to the mole; one over this
gate; and two on the wall beyond it. Along the shore, within twelve
hundred yards south of the town, were three batteries, and a very heavy
fort. Another large fort, and six batteries, commanded the bay to the
N.W. Many guns in other parts of the fortifications of the town, and in
forts and batteries on the hills around it, were in situations which
enabled them to fire upon ships. Altogether, the approaches by sea were
defended by scarcely less than five hundred guns.

The Admiralty were greatly surprised when Lord Exmouth proposed to
attack these works with five sail of the line. Many naval officers who
were consulted by the Board considered them unassailable. Nelson, in a
conversation with Captain Brisbane, had named twenty-five line-of-battle
ships as the force which would be required to attack them. The opinion
was not founded upon his own observation, and he was evidently misled by
the errors in the received plans; for that number of ships could not
have been placed before the town; but it marks his sense of the great
danger in attacking powerful batteries with ships, and of the tremendous
strength of Algiers. Lord Exmouth was offered any force he required, but
he adhered to his first demand; for he had satisfied himself that five
ships could destroy the fortifications on the Mole as effectually as a
greater number, and with far more safety to themselves. After he had
fully explained his plans, and marked the position which every ship was
to occupy, the Admiralty allowed him to act upon his own judgment;
though they found it not easy to believe that the force was equal to the
service; nor were persons wanting to remark that he had at length
involved himself in a difficulty, from which he would not escape with
credit. His own confidence never wavered. "All will go well," he wrote,
"as far at least as it depends on me." As he was going down Channel, he
said to his brother, who accompanied him as far as Falmouth, "If they
open their fire when the ships are coming up, and cripple them in the
masts, the difficulty and loss will be greater; but if they allow us to
take our stations, I am sure of them; for I know that no