and Turks. On the 7th, Bonaparte made his last vigorous effort. The British gun-boats, being within grape-shot-distance of the attacking columns, did great execution amongst the ranks of the advancing French, who, supported by an increased fire from their own batteries gained ground until their flag floated on the outer angle of a tower. This was a most critical point in the contest; but the experienced British leader knew the kind of metal he had to rely upon, and instantly led on his ships' crews, who flung themselves upon the ascending foes, overthrew the foremost down the slope, and checked the progress of the remainder. Here, for a time, the dead bodies and ruins formed a breastwork for both sides to fight across; the muzzles of their muskets touched one another, and the pike heads were locked together with the opposing bayonets.

On a mount called Richard Cœur de Lion, surrounded by his generals and a brilliant staff, Napoleon beheld the undaunted courage of the descendants of that hero whose prowess had stamped a deathless name on the ground on which he stood. With vehement gesticulations he ordered forwards fresh reinforcements to replace the dead and dying. A little before sunset a large, massive column of French was seen advancing silently, with a solemn step, to the lost breach, over which the British and Turkish flags again waved triumphant. Sir Sidney and the energetic old pasha, Ghezzar, having

had many of their best men killed or wounded, determined this time to alter their plan of defence, by suffering the bravest and most advanced of the French columns to mount the breach unmolested, and descend from the ramparts into the seraglio gardens below. There six thousand picked men, interspersed with British marines and seamen, and armed with pike, bayonet, sabre, and dagger, formed six deep,-a long avenue for their foes to pass through.

The French stormers seeing the ramparts deserted, and thinking the defenders had been seized with a panic, hurried on with loud shouts. The dense masses pressed those before them through the long defile of raised weapons, that flashed in the grasp of thousands of uplifted hands, dealing death at every blow on foes closely wedged in, and without the power of using their muskets. The soldiers were mowed down, and fell like corn before the reapers, and hardly one returned to report their misfortune. General Lannes, the commanding officer, was wounded on the breach and carried. off, but General Rambaud got into the defile and fell with all that descended into the fatal gardens. The conflict had now lasted twenty-five hours, and the grenadiers refused to mount the breach again, horrified at the idea of clambering over the headless trunks of their companions, which, tossed down by the Turks, in derision, from their late place of slaughter, choked

up by hundreds the passage. The victors, elated by their success, now made a desperate sortie and again defeated and put to flight the French. Bonaparte, in utter despair, raised the siege and made a precipitate retreat, leaving behind all his battering cannon in the hands of the brave confederates.

This repulse at Acre is a proof of what British soldiers and sailors are capable of performing when properly commanded, and animated with confidence in their leaders.

CHAPTER V.

Excellent Recipe for a National Debt-Charge of French Cavalry against Lieutenant Richardson and Sailors-Sir Ralph Abercromby Defeats the French at the Zype-The Duke of York supersedes that Victorious General-Defeat and Disgrace sustained by the British Army-Richardson enlivens a Sulky Dutchman-Fish Ejecting Romanism-Expedition to Egypt-How an Invading Force can Land in the face of Batteries, Shells, and Soldiers-Lieutenant Richardson commands Sir Ralph Abercromby's Division of Boats-Sailor giving Gold Change for Copper-Stubborn Dromedaries.

A.D. 1799 TO 1801.

We now turn from Asia to Europe, and observe British valor and well-disciplined troops exposed to defeat, in order to gratify the presumption of a royal duke. Troops had been assembled upon a much larger scale than that which had failed in the second year of the war. The North Sea fleet was still under the command of Lord Duncan, who had, for a long time, blocked up the Texel, without being able to tempt the enemy to risk a second action. The first part of the army embarked at Deal on the 13th of August, and a treaty had been entered into between the British government and Russia, wherein the latter stipulated to furnish

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seventeen thousand men, six ships of the line, and transports to carry a portion of the troops. peror was to receive for the hire of his soldiers eightyeight thousand pounds, half of which was to be paid when they were ready to embark at Revel and the remainder in three months afterwards. A subsidy of forty-four thousand pounds a month was also to be discharged for them; and further, for the use of the ships, the country was mulcted in fifty-nine thousand pounds as a three months' subsidy for expenses of equipments, from the day on which the vessels should depart from Cronstadt. After the expiration of these three months, John Bull was to pay at the rate of nineteen thousand seven hundred pounds sterling a month, and all this was independent of subsistence. The emperor having made such a capital market of his ships and troops, was not anxious to see them back again in a hurry, and sent a general who, he knew, would take good care of them as well as of himself.

The first division that left England was composed of seventeen thousand British, in high spirits, as Sir Ralph Abercromby was their leader, and it was generally supposed that he would act as commander-in-chief. A squadron of one hundred and fifty sail, under the protection of Duncan's fleet, conveyed them; and on the 21st of August, 1799, they anchored near the shore in the Texel. Shortly afterwards a flag of truce was sent