hoping that the Egyptians would at the last moment give in.
Many of the merchantmen had already cleared out. Others were getting up
sail. Smoke was rising from the funnels of all the men of war.

An express boat had brought, from France, orders that the French fleet
were to take no part in the proceedings, but were to proceed at once to
Port Said. This order excited the bitterest feeling of anger and
humiliation among the French officers and sailors, who had relied
confidently in taking their part in the bombardment; and silently their
ships, one by one, left the port. The Italian and American vessels
remained for a time; and as the British ships followed, in stately
order, their crews manned the rigging and vociferously cheered our
sailors, who replied as heartily.

All, save the British men of war, took up their stations well out at
sea, in a direction where they would be out of the fire of the Egyptian
batteries. It was not until nine o'clock in the evening that the two
last British ships, the Invincible and Monarch, steamed out of port. At
half-past four in the morning the ships got under weigh again, and
moved to the positions marked out for them.

Fort Mex, and the batteries on the sand hills were faced by the
Penelope, the Monarch, and the Invincible; the Alexandra, the Superb,
and the Sultan faced the harbour forts, Ada, Pharos, and Ras-el-Teen;
the Temeraire and Inflexible prepared to aid the Invincible in her
attack on Fort Mex, or to support the three battleships engaged off the
port, as might be required; and the five gunboats moved away towards
Fort Marabout, which lay some distance to the west of the town.

At seven o'clock, the Alexandra began the engagement by firing a single
gun. Then the whole fleet opened fire, the Egyptian artillerymen
replying with great steadiness and resolution. There was scarcely a
breath of wind, and the ships were, in a few instants, shrouded in
their own smoke; and were frequently obliged to cease firing until this
drifted slowly away, to enable them to aim their guns. The rattle of
the machine guns added to the din. Midshipmen were sent aloft, and
these signalled down to the deck the result of each shot, so that the
gunners were enabled to direct their fire, even when they could not see
ten yards beyond the muzzle of the guns.

In a short time, the forts and batteries showed how terrible was the
effect of the great shells. The embrasures were torn and widened, there
were