xxx CONTENTS
PAG
crossed the Alps—Sir Balph urged to go to Genoa—In Leghorn Roads hears of the convention between Napoleon and the Aus-trians after Marengo-—Queen of Naples presses Sir Ralph to defend her kingdom—He refuses—Nelson at Naples with Lady Hamilton "cutting a pitiful figure"—Failure of force under Maitland at Belleisle—Troops sent to reinforce Sir Ralph—Siege of Malta going on at this time—Hope sent to communicate with General Melas—Further reinforcements and orders from England arrive— Expedition sails for Gibraltar and there meets Sir James Pulteney with 14,000 men who have landed previously for attack on Ferrol but re - embarked after fiasco — Expedition after many delays arrives off Cadiz—Lord Keith will not guarantee the re-embarkation of troops if landed—Plague is raging at Cadiz—A confused attempt at landing is made on 6th October 1800, no adequate arrangements having been made for boats or for the Army being delivered on shore in any regular order—The landing is stopped— On the yth a fresh attempt is stopped by the weather—The expedition is given up—Fresh orders are received from England at Gibraltar—Sir James Pulteney with six battalions is separated off —The remainder under Sir Ralph are to turn the French out of Egypt............359-3*
OHAPTEE XVI
GETTING READY FOR THE INVASION OF EGYPT, 1800
Rendezvous without disembarkation at Minorca—Moore's first sight of Malta, now captured, and his impressions of it—Sir Ralph sends Moore his first" plan of campaign" and " memoranda on Egypt"— The ships rendezvous in Marmaras Bay—The troops land and are carefully trained and equipped—Moore is sent to the Turkish Army to negotiate and report—His instructions—He finds the Vizier's Army "a wild, ungovernable mob," with no adequate provision for food—The plague is always in their camp; the Vizier a weak-* minded old man—Moore reports that Sir Ralph must depend on the British Army alone and not modify his plans for the sake of Turkish help—Sir Ralph therefore decides to land in Aboukir Bay with a view to immediate movement on Alexandria—The Army is practised in embarking and disembarking in the precise order in which it will land in Aboukir—Horses for 400 cavalry, horses for the field-artillery, mules for transport, fascines, palisades, and other materials are obtained from various quarters at Marmaras—This has taken two months, and the French meantime have obtained stores from France much needed by them, received some reinforcements and been promised more, and have heard of Napoleon's victorious campaign against Austria and probable war between Britain and Russia—They know of the threatened attack—All this is due to the Army not having been properly equipped before it