The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-08-09

Tho Cattle u the Nile-1ngland
and France In the Land q the
Pharaohs EIGHTY -four Yeoro
Ago-Uortal Enemies Then.
Friends and Allies Now.
From the st. Louis Republican.
The British and French are allies
now, and are about to make common
cause In the invasion Of Egypt; but
there are few pers0ns still Lying who
can remember when they were mOr.
tai ft,es In the land Of the Pharaohs
and the historic mouth Of the Nile,
now strangely coming into pr0nli-
nence again, was the scene Of . sea
fight the most glorious to the British
aud the most disastrous to the
French that ever took place. Then.
- now, Egypt was the highway to
India, and Napoleon had led an
army to the pyramids to cut or the
British from their oriental empire.
Nelson, then recognized ~ the first
which he doubly vindicatel by two
engagements Of uneVualled brillian-
cy, was sent after him with . power.
fiil lleet. Aboukir lay, 10 frequently
mentioned in the prevent Egyptian
complications, lying short distance
east Of Alexandria, was the meeting
ground between the two hostile
fleets, the one under command Of the
great Nelson, the other under
Brueys, who, though inferior to his
antagonist In sepn,an~hip. was his
full equal In spirit and bravery. The
Frcnch position seemed to I've safe
from attack except in front, Tut Nell
sou exhibited his capacity for man.
cuvering by bringing his ships into
the harkIr aud laying them, one by
one, alongside and atilwart their am
tagonists in such way ~ u give
them the advantage IN close fight.
ing. The action l'egan about sunset
and ragged through the darkness till
three o'clock next morning. At the
beginning the fire from . French
ship was 70 terrible that every man
stationed ut the first six gums In the
fOreliart Ut the deck uf Nelson's
v.ssel, the Vanguard. was killed or
wounded; these guus were three
times cleared. Nelson himself was
thought Ia be n,Ortally wounded. a
shot struck him on the forehead cut
ting the skin 70 NJ to cause Il TO fall
in y bln,siy flap over the only eye he
had. He WIS In total darkness and
80 convinced Of his approaching
death that he gave tn the chaplain =
message for Lady Nelson. and made
other arrangements Of final cllaraas-
ter. But Nelson was not to die ut
!Aboukir; lie was to live to fight and
win the scarcely less glorious battle
Of Trafalgar, and win there the
tomb in Westminster abbey which he
ar&leutiy coveted. When the slight
nature of his wound WAS discovered
and his head hound up he LETT the
cockpit unnOticel In the confusion.
and, umaxsistcsl, made his way to tn.
deck to the astOnishlnent OF all on
hoard and resumed the command.
The French admiral showed even
greater fortitute. lie received three
Painful wounds but refused to leave
the deck Of his flag ship, the Orient,
TIL the fourth shot cut him nearly In
two ;.and even then objected u being
carried below, aud insisted ON being
left to die on deck. The Orient took
fire in the action, aud N her crew
had their l,ah.ls ts,O full tn oppose the
flames, they s&sOn envcl0lksi the up
yer la,rt aud lighted up the battle
Gene. At IL o'rl,rk the fire reached
the magazine, which blew up with
shock that made every vessel In the
lay quake u its lx,ttO,ll. The emit
i,antnmts ceased firing. in the prvs-
el,c.' IF the awful sight and sound,
aud dead silence reigneal for few
moments OIcT t:.s. scene. A portion
Of tie. vessels battery survived the
expulsion, AMI wlIei, the lattle was
resumed i; was found that that lM,r-
ton Of her gallant crew left ON the
lower deck were still firing their few
uminjursi guns. The Spanish 10y
Cnsal,ianrs. in,nlortaliztsl in Mrs.
Hel,,am's admirable poem. with his
father. was Ou the i'll fatctl vessel, and
the two were seen floating on u shat.
tered mast after the catastrophe. The
cattle continued all night. and result
ei in u victory w con. l'letc that Nell
ron call: d il u ''cOl,,liiest." OF the
seventeen French ships engaged,
nine were captured, three were burnt
and one was sunk. The British lO,,s
was Nj In killed and wounded: that
Of tire French wMs ;i.::sW killed and
:. I'm, wounded aud taken l,riyOners.
1t wis cigl,ty-f0ur year. ago the hat
tic was fought, and to-day the com.
batants Of August I, l7:.', meet again
ut the n,outl, Ut the Nile ~ friends
and allies.