f the bales contained common
country cloths, and it was evident that such goods of this sort as had
fallen into the hands of the pirates had been sold at once, as there was
a ready market for them at the towns and villages of the islands and the
mainland. Many of the carpets were of great size. Some of the very large
ones Mr. Blagrove valued at fully L500, and there were scores worth from
L50 to L100. Some of the silks and embroideries he pronounced to be
almost priceless.

"They must," he said, "have been specially woven and worked for the
ladies of the Sultan's harem."

When, after a month's stay, Edgar prepared to rejoin with his friend
Wilkinson, not more than one-third of the contents of the warehouse had
been sold, but these had fetched over L40,000, and his father had no
doubt that he should obtain a proportionate sum for the remainder. The
Italian sailors who had aided to bring the _Suzanne_ home had been sent
off a week after her arrival by a vessel bound for Naples, and the brig
herself had, as soon as the cargo was all cleared out, fetched L1800 by
auction, being almost a new vessel.

"I have no doubt," Mr. Blagrove said, "that ere long a British army will
be sent out, and the French compelled to leave Egypt. If I thought that
the war was likely to go on for some time as at present, I should say
that you had better leave the service. As it is, you would not be doing
much good if you stayed here, and so may as well hold on."

It was the first day of March, 1800, when the vessel with supplies for
the troops, in which Wilkinson and Edgar had taken their passage, joined
the fleet off Alexandria, and until the beginning of December they took
part in the somewhat tedious work of blockading the Egyptian coast. In
spite of their efforts the fleet were not always successful, for from
time to time one or other of the ships was forced to sail to Cyprus to
obtain fresh supplies, although quite a fleet of small vessels was
employed in bringing water, fresh meat, and vegetables for the use of
the fleet, as the health of the seamen would have suffered much from
living for so long a period upon salt meat.

In November news was received that the army under Sir Ralph Abercrombie,
which had for so long been engaged in watching Cadiz, was to sail upon
an expedition for the reconquest of Egypt. It was stated that the
expedition would, in the first place, sail for Syria, there to join the
army that the Sultan assured the Engl