The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-08-07
BATTLE OF THE NILE
Where "The Boy Stood on the Burn
ina Deck"

ed the ordeal of standing up before a
circle of relatives and friends-out-
wardly enthusiastic and admiring, in
wardly often greatly bored-to repeat
those well known if somewhat mac
curate lines that tell how The boy
stood on the burning deck" Whittier
nine times out of 10, the infant reel
ter, or for that matter, any of the
members of the applauding family cir
Gle could have given the date and
place of the occurrence may be doubt
full. The 40 lines of Mrs. Hemans
gave them all the history they craved
and when the parrot-like performance
closed with faithful heart" a senti-
mental maiden aunt would sigh. lib
eral uncle bestowed largesse to the
extent of a half crown, and that was
all.
1t was in 1898 that young Casabian-
ca, the ten year old son of the com
modore of the Frencn flagship Orient,
stood amid the awful devastation of
the battle of the Nile. Bonaparte had
himself sailed in the Inflated Orient
from Toulon in the Previous May,
taking with him good stock of bur
gundy and also that famous camp IL
brary" of cabinet editions, including
40 volumes of English novels, in which
The Bible and the Koran were classed
under the head of politics" More
important still for those who love the
picturesque details of history and
great men he was accompanied by his
private secretary, Louis Antoine Eau
yelet de Bourrienne, from whose al
ways entertaining If not invariably ac-
curate pen we have a capital account
of the voyage to Egypt
Much of the time was passed by Ma
poleon lying in his berth while Bour
rienne read to him and in promoting
discussions on various questions
among the scientific and other disting-
uised men who accompanied the eXpe-
ditin. The flagship carried a popula-
ton of more than 1000 souls and the
cry of man overheard" was not infre-
quent On these occasions Bonaparte
displayed a side of his character to
which full justice is not always done.
Bourriesne describes his agitation till
rescue was effected as extreme. On
one occasion a false alarm was rails
ed during the darkness of the night,
and the supposed man" proved to be
the quarter of a bullock which had
dropped from the rigging, but Napol-
con rewarded the rescuers even more
LIBERAL than usual. pointing out that
their eXertiOn had been for what they
believed a human life.
The fleet arrived off the coast of
Africa on July l and here Bourienne
and his Memoirs" leave the squadron
to accompany the army and his chief
on land. Brueys, the French admiral,
had during the voyage expressed fore
bodings as to the result of an encoun-
ter with the Britisnsfeet Nelson who
sailed from Syracuse on July 20, was
but well knew the price he
might be called upon TO pay. Wnen
Cant. Berry said, "If we succeed what
will the world say" Nelson replied;
There is no if in this case. That we
shall succeed is certain. Who may
live to tell the story is very differ
snt question" For himself he made
.hat famous anticipation. "A peer
age or Westminster Abbey"
The battle began at $50 o'clock,
lalf an hour before nightfall Nelson
IN board the Vanguard. few his col |
,rs in six places lest they should be
shot away In a few minutes after the |
ship had gone into action the crews |
)f the first six guns were swept away |
Dy the terrible fire of the British fleet |
md twice again during the fight were |
iresh crews called for. The shot |
which struck Nelson on the head tore |
rom his forehead a piece of skin, |
F.fI 10
rendered nim for the time being total |
" blind. Carried to the cockpit he |
insisted on taking his proper turn
lmong the wounded for the surgeon S |
attention. Soon after o'clock at |
light, while he was still below, a cry |
rose that the Orient was on fire. I'm
lided and unnoticed in the confusion, |
Nelson made his way up and present
V from the quarterback his voice was |
leard shouting orders That the boats |
should be lowered to go TO the assis- |
ance of the Orient's crew.
The doomed French flagship hau |
,ut Just been painted, and quantities
If oil and Inflammation material lit
cred her deck, Brueys, the admiral,
vas dead, but Louis Casablanca and
,'clock the ship blew up" There came |
/ burst of thunder sound" and al
aough the commodore was not at the |
inc lying unconscious of his son.
Is the poetess has it, for both were |
;een clnging to floating mast after
he explosion, neither father nor son |
vas among the 20 members of the
rev who were saved by the English
,oats
From the mainmast and ironwork OF
he Orient. Capt Hallowell of the
;wiftsure had coffin made when
memento mort" he presented to the
Idmiral that he might at the close OF
lis career of glory be buried in one OF
lis own trophies. Nelson received
his offering in the spirit of the giyer
md even kept it set up on end in his
abin till the remonstrance of his IA
orite servant brought about its ban
Globe.
FLAHERTY SUPREME KNIGHT