The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27
TWAS IN ABoUKIR BAY.
Sir George Eniors Story or the Battle g
the Nile.

ing the past year has caused n good deal OF talk
about her past glories, and led to an agitation
to have Trafalgar day mado a public holiday.
This has been followed by discussions and dis
putes over the relative merits OF British COM
niauderS and tho publication OF some interest
ing historical material In the newspapers. The
London Times recently printed the following
spirited account of the battle of the Nile. writ
ten by Admiral the Hon. Sir George Elliot, who
was signal mldshipman on tho Goliath during
the fight and died in 1868:
I'VE proceeded with Nelson in search OF the
French fleet and army that had gone to Egypt,
and ON the LIST OF August. 1908, being the lead
ing ship OF our feet, in which no order of sailing
was kept, but each ship got on as fast as she
could by way of gaining time, !, as signal mid
shipman, was sweeping round the horizon ahead
with my glass from the royal yard, when | dis
covered tho French fleet at anchor in Aboukir
Bay. Tho Jealous was so close to us that. had l
hailed the deck, they must have heard me. l
therefore slid down by the backstay and re-
ported what l had seen. We instantly
made the signal. but the undertoeEle OF
the upper flag Mt tho main came Off. break
inG the stop, and the lower flag came down.
The compass signal was, however. clear at the
peak. but before we could recover our flag the
Jealous made the signal for the enemy's fleet,
whether from seeing our compass signals or not
/ never heard. but we thus lost the little credit
OF first signalling the enemy. which. as signal
mtdshipman. rather affected me. Capt. Foley
guessed that the signal would be made to form
the line as most convenient-that ia, to get into
a line as the ships happened, to be at the mo-
OF a ship. but Capt. Hood OF the Jealous
was, very much senior to Foley. and was a
OF honor. Foley. therefore, gave orders to
have our ~staysails and s%tuddinG sails ready
saw SO Fu the up f 40 se spd ogF tR Ptai iisr@ s s ' farosail as
they, left, the deck. so that by the time they
reached the royal yard to show over 1t our sail;
took the lead. Hood was annoyed. but could
not help 1t. They blood and Foley, were lne
show. Shortly after W. were in line Hardy ar
forward Sir Thomas, in his brig boarded a
act as pilots for the bay. We were run
ming free u and ,Eoi9g about seven miles
loaded with the Egyptians. missed the Van
guard flagship, which brought to-. but ran a
long WAY N doing SO. This caused a delay of
Foley, therefore. stood on. and Hood followed
him. but the third ship in the line, the Auda-
ships between her and the Vanguard to do the
same; A gar, was thus made between the
feet OF about seven miles, for we never short
enel sail till we were coming TO an anchorage.
The battle. therefore,. began by only two
ships against the whole of the enemy's van. a
fine exam pie OF determination. moro spoken of
it may not have been known; but 1t, turned out,
as | shall hereafter show, to be a lucky thing for
us. as vel! as a most important event for the
success OF the day. When We were nearly within
Capt: Foley. i heard him say 70 the master that
ship of the enemy's liue the G uerrIereJ. Iimme-
dia,ely looked for the buoy on her anchor and
saw it apparently at the usual distance
which / reported They both looked at
between the ship and her anchor the danger
was the ship being. close up to the edge OF the
shoaU. and it was decided to do It. The master
than had orders tn 20 for ward and hFnn tina
anchor the moment It was q ships breadth in-
side the French ship. so that we shopld not
should not be surprised to find the Frenchman
we passed her bow / saw he was right. Her
lower deck guns were not run out. and there
upper deck ports, which I reported with no
small pleasure. We first fired q broad.
s5ds at a9'0 the the distance. Ssw; net The z ,aGs 'o Gid
the same. and in less than q quarter OF an hour
this ship was a perfect wreck: without q mast.
no after bits to check tho cable by (Which came
IN at the stern post it kept slowly sursing-t. C..
5SitSss' our sails 5 had dDSn .il% loose: 3 the ihis' gear
being shot away; We had not time to furl them,
asa a II IIt lHs past 9as 70 the ,sV ss sisaGAa ship E; Of e the P FrsnGEE
line. so as TO engage her and the third ship. We
were just in this position when the leading ships
OF the body of our fleet came in.
In all great battles there are. OF course,
o ousn at tRs S Sfi,T Was fa Snq ! oG to- ths EnSl, sSer Gy
unfavorahle TO the French. ! will enumerate
those | recollect. The chance of Goliath leading
instead of Jealous. which was "A very near thing,
turned out OF great consequence. Captains in
those days found their own charts. and had no
but by experience, Can't. Foley had a French
atlas, which proved quite correct. and we passed
a safe distance. Can't. Hood Of the Jealous had
an English chart, which proved very incOr-
have both run on shore on the spit. Then
toley's running on with only one ship to
support him when the feet bro9rhtcto
tunate. The French Captains were all on board
their Adrniral's ship and did not expect us to
boats to return from the shore. where they were
procuring water. Tho senior officer OF the van
division. seeing us stand on under all sal !, got
anxious and sent his own boat to hasten of the
boats Of his division, without waiting 10 I'll with
water. She had not got back when we were get
ting very close, and as his own launch was pass
ing the flagship, half ladcn with water. he got
fresh sea breeze and did not reach kis ship till
we had passed her; ! saw him waving his hat
and evidently calling a. t" his :hip When stiil
leaning against his ensign stan listening. At
last this officer ran forward. TO the poop and
coming. and of went their whole broadside. but
just too late to hit us. and passed harnlessly be-
Il second bruadside Jealous was past his range.
We therefore both got up TO our places without
exact positions we wished. neither ship return
Ing a single shot, Had this oficer been on
board. as ne would nave beer had we brOuRht-tO
with the fleet, we should have had n broadsido
fire from the van division -four or FIVE ships for
nearly twenty minutes. and should have been,
in all probability. so much disabled as to have
rendered 1t almost impossible to reach and take
! up the exact positions in which we did them so
much injury, The rost Of the van division were
waiting as a matter or etiquette for their chief
10 begin, SO tnat we were not. believe. struck
by one shot TIL we were at anchor.
before the fleet began TO come in the two
hea III ships of the French line wero de-
stroyed, and we occupied the rest OF the wan
division, so that the most of those ships got also
in without injury. Otherwise our success must
have been far short of what II was
UUEELB iRRO u.s..