arrangements had been made, and were making, by the fleet under Rear-admiral Nelson.

At about 2 h. 15 m. p.m. the Alexander and Swiftsure, having been recalled by signal, stood under all sail, towards the body of their fleet then distant about four leagues, urging its course to the eastward. It was while they were standing out from the land to effect their junction, that the former, as already mentioned, were descried by the French over Aboukir point. At 3 p.m. the signal was made to prepare for battle ; and at 4 p.m., when the body of the French fleet bore south-east by south distant nine or ten miles, the British ships were ordered to prepare to anchor by the stern. Each ship, accordingly, made fast a stream-cable to her mizenmast, and, passing it out of one of her gunroom ports, carried it along her side just below the first-deck ports, to several of which it was slung by a slight rope-yarn lashing, and then bent it to an anchor at her bow : so that, when the anchor was let go, the ship ran over her main cable, or that out of the hawse-hole, and brought up by the cable from her stern. This was to avoid the risk of being raked while swinging head to wind, as well as to enable the ship, by slackening one cable and hauling upon the other, to spring her broadside in any direction she pleased

Shortly after the signal to prepare to anchor, another was made, to signify that the admiral meant to attack the enemy's van and centre. As far as can be gathered from the vague accounts on the subject, Sir Horatio intended, with his fourteen 74s thirteen 74s and one 50, to pass the French line on its outer side, down to the seventh ship, the Orient ; so that every French ship of the seven might have a British ship on her bow and quarter. With respect to the 50-gun ship, admitting that Captain Thompson could succeed in persuading the admiral to overlook her comparatively weak powers in such a conflict, it is probable that the Leander would have been ordered to assist two of the 74s in overpowering the three-decker.

As the British ships approached the bay, the two French brigs, already named, stood out to reconnoitre ; and one of them, the Alerte, on arriving nearly within gun-shot of the leading ships, bore away directly across the rocky shoal off Aboukir island, in the hope that one or more of the 74s would have chased her and got on shore. But the ruse did not take, and the British van continued to steer a safe course. At 5 h. 30 m., the fleet being nearly abreast of the extremity of the shoal, the signal was made to form in line of battle ahead and astern the admiral, as most convenient from the then accidental position of the ships ; and Rear-admiral Nelson, about this time, hailed the Zealous, to know if Captain Hood thought the ships were far enough to the eastward to bear up. Captain Hood replied, that the Zealous was then in 11 fathoms, and that he

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