Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-06-03

nero, but how many bows are acaaaiute
with his true history Mrs. Hsmaus'
J soui-stirring but rather romantic poer
hardly gives the real facts OF the story
nor are his antecedents mentioned.
} Giacante Casabianca Was a native O
Corsica, on which island he was born il
the year lIS5. His father was dissiu
Ruished French politician and naya
commander, aad the friend of Napo
leon, who was also Corsican. He va
captain at this time of the Orient, on
OF the largest vessels in the French ma
w, magnificent ship of war, carryint
one hundred and twenty guns and fiyl
hundred seamen.
VI young Casabianca's mother littlI
IL known save that she was a young ane
beautiful Corsican lady and dey1tedI'
attached to her son. Giacante was hel
only child, handsome, manly bov Will
his mothers beauty in his flashing eye
and dusky hair. She died while be wa,
yet very young, and. when the green SOD
was placed above her grave, the boy left
the pleasant valley under the sniline
skies OF Corsica to go with his father
and tread the hard deck of vessel oi
war.
Mere child as he was. Casabianca soou
grew to love his fathers dangerous call
| ing, and became "A favofite with all on
board. he was made midshipmau,
and, at the early age of ten years, par
| ticipated with his father IL the battle of
the Nile The story of this great naval
conflict has been told hundred times,
yet the present simple relation may not
prove uninteresting.
1t Was in the summer of 1898. Napo-
RI had Iaa at hx
head of the armies of France. States
man as we'll az warrior and legislator, he
saw with prophetic eyes that France
must have some colonial possession to
balaace the great power OK England III
| the East. Egypt, with its ancient re-
nown, its fertile valley capable of sas-
tanning one quarter of the human race,
| its harbors and commercial affiliations,
presented itself to his view. The Re-
public acted upon his Suggestions, a
large force was raised, Bonaparte was
placed in command, and fleet consist
ing of thirteen ships of the line, four
frigates and q vast retinue of transports
in all not less than one hundred YES
sels-sailed over the Mediterranean sea
toward the land of the ancient Pharaohs.
The Orient led the van with the admi-
rails flag at her masthead.
The voyage was made in safety, and
| on the first day of July tho fleet arrived
off the harbor of the Egyptian Alexan-
dria. Bonaparte was in hot haste to
land, for powerful English feet under
Horatio Nelson was III close pursuit. In
| twelve hours he had landed his entire
| force of twenty-one thousand men, and
| the next day saw him the master of the
| capital of the Ptolemies. From Alex
andria up the Nile valley he marched,
victory and glory attending him. He
led his soldiers through the battles of
Cairo and the Pyramids, and the tri-
| color flag waved in triumph where the
crescent had long been paramount. The
great warrior was in his element. His
perceptions were quickened and his iron
nerves strengthened under those cloud
| less skies which had looked down in
their unrivaled splendor on the majesty
of Rameses and the Ptolemies. The
ancient chivalry of France, who fol-
lowed the oriflamme under Bayard and
Du Guesclin, were not more eager than
her modern warriors under the direc-
ton of the young Corsican. Con
sider," said he at one time, pointing
To the pyramids, that from the summit
sf yonder monuments forty centuries
survey your conduct. Act like heroes"
Inspired by this matohless idea, the
gallant Frenchmen rushed on like an
avalanche, and the power of the Name
lukes was broken forever.
| But Napoleon had one enemy that
never faltered in her hatred toward
him, and whose vigilance and persist
ence baiked hin more than once, and
finally wrought bis overthrow. Eng
| e.l
the enemy ever of republican rule and
the old antagonist of France, feared
every movement of her rival for colo,
nial possessions. A great fleet under
Admiral Sir Horatio Nelson, her ables:
nav Il commander, had been cruising in
the Mediterranean for weeks in the
hope of intercepting the French expe-
dltion. and, finding now that 1t had es-
capped him, sailed for the mouth of the
Nile, where he expected TO meet the en-
emy and was not disappointed.
Admiral Brueys, scion of that great
Norman family which in another age
had produced the hero King of Scots
commanded the French armament. He
had long been expecting the arrival oi
the English and was in readiness to meet
them. Superior in force to Nelson III
ships, guns and men, he had no fear o'
an encounter and was confident OF vic
tory. He had moored his ships in Ab0u.
kir Bay, and had formed them IN sc
streng and compact line that he be
lieyed they could bid defiance TO forcC
more than doable his own. But the
French are not great naval people
their triumphs have been won on land
rather than upon the sea. Besides, the,
were TO meet an opponent now who, fol
genius and indefatigable energy, newell
had n superior in maritime warfare
Admiral Nelson stands head and shoul
! ders above all other SEA commanders
our own Paul Jones, Perry and Farragut
not excepted.
II was four o'clock. August lat, lT9s
when the English fleet advanced to SCI
i within range of the enemy. Nelson.
plan of attack was simple but efficient
il was to put ship against ship as far N
| bis line would extend, then tire ava,
without intermission. In a short tims
the battle began. The play of cannon
CREW terrific. Huge clouds of smoke
rolled over the combatants. neatly shut
| ting the engaged fleets from view. Still
they fought ON, and before seven o'cIocl
half a dozen or the French ships wer,
silenced and the main work of the bat
tie done. Al that hour, IN that latitude
the night came ON, and darkness settles
over the scene. unbroken save by the tir'
tha, flashed incessantly from the gun
: of the two fleets.
. All this while the Orient had bsei
! foremost in the fight, aud her deck
! were covered with the dead and dying
/ Admiral Rrueys now saw that victor,
was hopeless. buh Ike the gaiian
! Frenchinan that he was. resolved neve
! 10 surrender. lie had alresdy receives
|. three woands, but would not leave M
, A fourth cut him almost in halves, an'
he fell uppn the deck. where he desires
! 10 be left TO die. Captain Casabianei
now took command, and his young son
brave aud gallant as man OF matun
years, fought by his side.
Still ragged the battle. The air gre'
, thick with smoke and carnage. An
! chored fast in their position, the Eng
lish fleet poured in the shot aud shell
, determined to win victory at last No
was the issue doubtful. The French b
1 this time had suffered severely. But u
battle was not ended nor the victory wo'
SO long as the Orient still sailed. Es
erythins that could be done by bray
1 xxn. ffa<khl