ho were in high spirits at the blow struck at the French at
Acre, agreed with his action. Sir Sidney Smith, as soon as he received
Lord Keith's despatch, sent a mounted messenger to Cairo to inform
General Kleber that the terms of the convention were rejected. The
despatch reached the French just as they were preparing to evacuate
Cairo. Unfortunately, the Grand Vizier, who, with his army, was but a
short distance away from the town, did not receive a similar intimation,
and approaching the city with his troops, but without guns, was
attacked by the French, and suffered a disastrous defeat.

The Turks had not forgiven Sir Sidney Smith for this misfortune, but the
latter had not supposed for a moment that the Turks themselves would
have neglected to apprise the Grand Vizier of the news, and only thought
of warning the French. The Grand Vizier now demanded that Sir Sidney
Smith should not take part in any operations in which he and the Turkish
army were concerned, or retain the command of the naval flotilla that he
had created, and with which he had performed such excellent service in
opening the Nile for the ascent of the gun-boats and the native craft
laden with stores for the supply of the troops that were to advance
against Cairo. General Hutchinson, very weakly and unworthily, and to
the indignation and regret both of the army and fleet, at once gave way,
and Admiral Keith, instead of supporting his subordinate, who had gained
such renown and credit, and had shown such brilliant talent, acquiesced,
and appointed Captain Stevenson of the _Europa_ to succeed Sir Sidney in
command of the flotilla that was to ascend the Nile to Cairo.

This surrender of one of our most distinguished officers to the
prejudices of a Turkish commander was, in all respects, a disgraceful
one, but from Sir Sidney Smith's first appointment Admiral Keith had
exhibited a great jealousy of his obtaining a command that rendered him
to some extent independent, and had lost no opportunity of showing his
feeling. Indeed, there can be little doubt that the discourteous manner
in which he repudiated, without any authority from the English
government, the convention that would have saved all the effusion of
blood and cost of the British expedition was the result of his jealousy
of the fame acquired by Sir Sidney Smith. The latter, greatly hurt at
the unjust and humiliating manner in which he had been treated, at once
returned to the _Tigre_, where the d