Chase was immediately given; and, before evening, some of the British ships had gained upon the enemy; but the slow sailing of the Gibraltar and Athénien induced the rear-admiral to order the remainder of the squadron to shorten sail, and at dark, or soon afterwards, every French ship disappeared. Nor was the enemy again seen; as, while Sir John was hastening to the southward and eastward, M. Ganteaume had stood back to the northward, and shortly afterwards reanchored in Toulon.

Buonaparte sent orders to M. Ganteaume to make a third attempt to reach Egypt. Accordingly, on the 27th of April, the persevering French admiral again set sail with his seven line-of-battle ships and two frigates, besides one corvette and two store-ships. Finding, when at Leghorn, into which port he had put by the way, to co-operate in the siege of Porto-Ferrajo, that the Formidable, Indomptable, and Desaix, as well as the frigate Créole, were too short-manned to proceed on the voyage, Rear-admiral Ganteaume ordered them back to Toulon; and, with four two-deckers, one frigate, one corvette, and four storeships, stood away for the Straits of Messina. These he passed on the 25th of May; and on the 5th of June, while on his way to the coast of Egypt from off Brindisi, where he had expected to be joined by three Neapolitian frigates, M. Ganteaume fell in with and chased, but could not overtake, the British 18-pounder 36-gun frigate Pique, Captain James Young.

On the 7th, being only about 70 leagues to the westward of Alexandria, the French admiral detached the corvette Héliopolis to reconnoitre the Egyptian coast, and ascertain the exact situation of the hostile fleet. On the 9th, at daylight, the Héliopolis arrived close off Alexandria; and, after a distant chase by the Kent and Hector 74s and Cruelle cutter, succeeded in entering the port. The fact is that, in consequence of the information brought to Lord Keith by the Pique on the evening of the 7th, the British squadron, on the morning of the 8th, made sail to the westward, in search of the hourly expected French squadron. So that, when the Héliopolis arrived in sight of Alexandria, the chief part of the blockading force was abreast of the Arab's tower, or about four leagues to the westward.

The non-return of the Héliopolis leaving scarcely a doubt that she had been captured by the British fleet, Rear-admiral Ganteaume, conformably to his instructions, searched to the westward of Alexandria for a convenient spot to disembark the troops, and found it, as he conceived, at a small town situated about 180 leagues to the eastward of Tripoli, and a dependance upon that regency; with which, as well as with the regency of Tunis, Buonaparte had just concluded a treaty. Having come to an anchor off Bengazi, the squadron began making preparations to land the troops; but, so spirited and effectual was the opposition of the inhabitants, that the attempt was found impracticable. Just at this moment the squadron of Lord Keith,

^ back to top ^