The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1837-12-05
From The metropolitan.
NELSONlAN "REMINISCENCES.
LANDING OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN Eeypr.

LANDING OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN EGYPT
On the 9th of March 1901. at nine in the morn.
ing, all the boats of the British fleet under Vice
Admiral Lord Keith were assembled in n triple
me extending about mile and half at n league
distance from their intended place of debnrko
ton being that part Of the sandy shore of A trco
called Egypt, and in the Bay of Aboukier, or
shonis hearto the place celebrated for giving birth
10 C'eopatra The centre line, composed of fats
ana launches, were crowded TO excess with the
h lower OF me British army these lowed by
Eng ht65v;Gtf III Ib Co line Of jolly boats
bed They were drawn re, rear to assist tie cfsn
cision, the captains of divisions i'll front, while the
Honorable A. Cochrane, who commanded, was
considerable in advance, with St. Georges flag
displayed; his barge led the whole Of the triple
! lines. Opposite, and Immediately i'll front lay
the French army, on sand hills, whose ridges
We're strongly fortified with heavy pieces OF ord
nance, while here and there between the hills
peeped out the flying artillery, and the cavalry
showed in numbers between masses OF infantry,
! that looked sufficiently numerous to have deVour-
ed our small but heroic band. On their left, lay
AboIkier (now Nelson's) island strongly fortified
with moriars. The scene was beautiful and i'm
posing, the line of battle Slips lay in the distant
perspective, with the bombs, sloopS and troop
ships on shore; the sun shone with great splen
dor, and it's fierce rays shot down on our troops
with intense heat The light breeze that gently
rippled the placed waters, Just sufficient to
galy wait the various flags and colors that deco
rated and distinguished our different divisions,
while the heavy crescent of the Turks lay dor
lnant to its staff.
The signal is thrown out to advance lCiSirey,
but to keep strictly in line till under fire, ami then
use every exertion to land the troops. Fountain
OF mercy and love! that this splendid and bright
scene OF natures sublimty should he ma:red and
totally defnccd by man! What answer should
he given TO the question of the Eternal, "Man,
why sheddest thou thy brothers blood ?" Alas
alas the wholesale slaughter of that day All
that military skill could effect in making the in
tended place of our debarkaton invulnerable, had
been done Ivy the French Governor of Alexan-
dria: and for eigh; days had we, by our presence
, in this bay, given him due notice of our inien-
Z, ton. To his commander IN chief, General Menou,
, he wrote "that nothing with life could be thrown
on his shores but cats" in fact he had rendered
, the beach irnpregnable; and so it to all but
t the steady vaor of British bands Imagine, fair
reader! Ut any OF the oveliest part Of Gods crea-
5 ton honor me so far,) imagine ten thousand OF
Englund's hardy sons, full of life and vgor rush
ing INTO an unequal contest that in the space OF
1 one hour wouid decimate them. Hank the first
shell from Nelson's island the roar, the whistle
Y the explosion among the boats, answered Ivy the
heart-stirrng cheers of the British lines. The
heavy artillery from the ridge of sand hills in front
= open their iron Threats OH the devoted boa!s.-
q "Give way fore and aft" is rthe respondent cry
Il to the shrieks of the wounded, the heavy groans
b OF the dying, and the gurgiing sounds of the
= drowning. Gaps are seen in our line, and the
Il hll'C SpitlleT Struggling IN inc water, encuin-
y hcred by his accoutrements his ammunition,
= his three days provision and water, give him
t no chance of floating till the light boats grasp
l. him. Now their flying artillery. with their
Il long train of horses gailop to the beach, and
4 open their brazen mouths OH our still advancing
. boats. That venerable and veteran son OF war,
o Sir Ralph Abercromhc, commander in chief,
= IN the Nents barge, moving in the rear, now de-
= sired the lieutenant ofthe boat TO pass through
the gaps in our line, and place him in front Of the
md c.D soil Tho
"ny personal safety is nothing compared with
l. the disgrace of the boats turning back. Example
is needful in this tremendous fire, which exceedg
! all ever saw. Oh, God! they wavcr--onwarl,
y brave Brtons! onwarl!' This apparent waver-
D ing was occaSoned ivy shell sinking Il fiat boat
+ with sixty soldiers lin her, and by the rush of
i smaller ones to pick up the sinking sodery. The
t lieutenant in command of the barge respectfully
t said, he had the orders of Sir Richard Bickcrton
= not to expose the general in chief unnecessarily
4 to the fire. or land him till the second division
1 were on shore. The British lines closing, to
c cover their heavy losses rapidly approached the
i, landing place.
$ The French infantry in heavy masses now
!lned the beach. and the ronr OF musketry was
lnccsSant and tremendous. Sir Ralph in great
agitation, again ordered the officer to put his
boat in front of the triple line, and was ans vered
, by that officer respectfully declaring that she
wonld obey the orders Of his admiral alone"
The old general made abortive attempt to
example, human nature could not face such II
hre; and indeed tho plougheh and
, strangely agitatcd by the innuinerablc balls that
splaShed among the boats, sometimes hiding them
altogether by tho spray they created This was
most painful SCENE even for spectator; our
friends moved down like corn before the reaper
But now change comes over it. heart stir
rng cheer is given on tho prows touching the
beach: the soldiers heartily tired of being shot
Mt like rocks, spring from the boats with gren;
alacrly; that effective instrument, the bayonet,
is actively lat work OH both sides. Our brave
soldiers in lnnding jumped on the French mus
kets. for the beach FIRMLY disputed, but the
home thrsts of the nervous British nrrn and
their dauness hearts, drove back the French
men, who. in regaining their position, o Jencd for
their cavalry to charge our line, then formed. and
for the first time that day loaded their muskets
1t was an anxious moment for us, who were
spectators, to the fleet Arabian horses moving