1798 - Battle of the Nile


 
Contents

Next Page

Previous Page

10 Pages >>

10 Pages <<
Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1798 British and French Fleets 186

The Franklin had the ports for, and subsequently mounted, four more guns on her quarterdeck. Without these even, is it not clear that a French 80-gun ship is superior in force to a British 98 ? This only shows, how necessary it is not to be led away by nominal distinctions.

The name of the Franklin was changed by her new masters to Canopus, that being the ancient name of Eboukhor, or Aboukir, a small town of Lower Egypt, near to the bay in which the battle had been fought. This fine ship still graces the lists of the British navy, not only in her proper self, but in nine noble counterparts, ships that will never be out of vogue while a navy is worth preserving.

We will now give a brief account of the principal honours that were awarded to the conquerors in the battle of the, Nile, both by their own country, and by such foreign nations as derived, or considered that they derived, a benefit from the victory. Owing to the capture of the Leander, it was not until the arrival of Captain Capel, on the morning of the 2d of October that the British admiralty became acquainted with the result of the action of the 1st of August. Until that same 2d of October, the whole country rang with complaints against Nelson for his "tardiness;" but, the moment the news was promulgated, the English nation thought they could not do enough to make amends for the wrongs they had inflicted on so bright a gem of their favourite service.

On the 6th of October Sir Horatio was created a peer of Great Britain, by the title of Baron Nelson of the Nile, and of Burnham Thorpe in the county of Norfolk ; and, on the 20th of November, when the Parliament met, the king thus expressed himself on the subject of the battle: "The unexampled series of our naval triumphs has received fresh splendour from the memorable and decisive action, in which a detachment of my fleet, under the command of Rear-admiral Lord Nelson, attacked, and almost totally destroyed, a superior force of the enemy, strengthened by every advantage of situation, By this great and brilliant victory, an enterprise, of which the injustice, perfidy, and extravagance had fixed the attention of the world, and which was peculiarly directed against some of the most valuable interests of the British empire, has, in the first instance, been turned to the confusion of its authors : and the blow, thus given to the power and influence of France, has afforded an opening, which, if improved by suitable exertions on the part of other powers, may lead to the general deliverance of Europe."

^ back to top ^