me, Admiral Nelson had written the following letter to
Francis J. Jackson, Esq. his Britannic majesty's minister to the Ottoman
Porte, dated on board the Vanguard, off the Isle of Rhodes, 27th August
1798.

"Sir,

"I have the honour to acquaint you, that I attacked the French
fleet off the Mouth of the Nile, on the 1st inst. the result of
which you will see by the inclosed paper; and that, on the 14th,
the French took possession of the Turkish admiral's ship at
Alexandria, hauled down her colours, and hoisted French colours,
and seized on all the Turkish property on shore. The French are in
possession of Alexandria, Aboukir, Rosetta, and Damietta, on the
coast, and of Grand Cairo: but all communication is cut off between
their army and their transports at Alexandria, by sea, by an
English squadron of three ships of the line and four frigates,
which I have left cruising there; and, by land, by the Bedouins. So
that, if the Grand Signior will but send a few ships of the line,
and some bombs, he may destroy all their transports in Alexandria;
and an army of ten thousand men may retake Alexandria immediately,
as the French have only four thousand men in it, and the whole
French army are very sickly.

"I have been informed, that the French have put to death two
hundred Turks at Alexandria, for rejoicing at our victory; and that
General Bonaparte only wants a communication opened by sea, to
march into Syria, that the transports with stores, &c. for the army
may go along shore with him.

"I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,

"Horatio Nelson."

The inclosed papers, mentioned in this and the preceding letter, were
lists of the forces of the English and French fleets at the battle off
the Nile shewing which were taken, burnt, &c. and copies of this last
letter were sent to the Earl of St. Vincent and Earl Spencer.

On the 8th of September, at sea, he addressed a letter to the Marquis
De Niza, commander of the Portuguese squadron; regretting that they had
not joined him prior to the 1st of August, when not a single French ship
could have escaped: but, as he observes, that being without remedy, it
is necessary to look forward to the next important service for the
common cause; which, in his opinion, is that of preventing the French
from getting any supplies of stores, by water, from