boats: however, they drove every thing before them, and, in the course of three quarters of an hour, the enemy was completely beaten, with the loss of half his artillery. After a halt of two or three hours, in order to disembark ammunition, and part of gen. Coote's brigade, which had not been landed, the army advanced about four miles, where we remained till the 12th; the landing of provisions and stores being much im-, peded by the boisterous weather. On the 12th we again marched about five miles, constantly skirmishing with the advanced guard of the enemy, who had received a reinforcement of two half brigades of infantry and one regiment of cavalry from Cairo. We halted for the night about three miles from the enemy's position, which seemed and proved very advantageous. Next morning the army moved to attack the right of it, marching by lines from the left; the reserve covering the movement, and moving parallel with the first fire. As the columns advanced into the plain, the enemy attacked the heads of both with all his cavalry, supported by a considerable body of infantry, and 10 or 12 pieces of cannon. This attack was repulsed by the advanced guard, the 90th and 92d, both of which behaved most nobly. The first line then formed two lines to the front of march, the flanks of which were protected by the reserve, and continued to advance in that manner, whilst the second line, continuing still in column (except the first brigade of it), turned the enemy's' right, and forced him to quit his position. The army followed in the order above stated; and sir Ralph had given orders for renewing the attack on the heights close to the town, to which the enemy retreated: but as, on examining them with at

tention, it was thought that they were under the guns of the forts, which could not probably be kept if carried, the army took up in the evening the ground which the enemy had quitted.. The force the enemy opposed to us appeared about 5,000 infantry, 600 cavalry, and a large proportion of artillery; the ground being particularly favourable to the two last. The movements, although under a constant cannonade, were regular and accurate. The general, in this last action, had his horse shot under him. The position we oc cupy is good; it cuts off the communication between Alexandria and the Nile, excepting through the desert. Our supplies are conveyed, by means of the lake, with case and security.

Admiralty-office, 6. [This Gazette announces the capture of the following French privateers; by the Immortalité, captain Hotham, La Laure, of 14 guns and 78 men; by the Fortuné, lord A. Beauclerk (in company with the Trent frigate and Dolphin cutter), Le Renard, pierced for 10 guns; by the Jason, lieut. Losack, La Dorade, of 14 brass six-pounders and 53 men.]

Downing-strect, 9. The following dispatch was this day received at the office of the right hon. lord Hobart, one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state, from general sir Ralph Abercromby, K.B. commander in chief of his majesty's troops serving in the Mediterranean.

Camp before Alexandria, March 16.
SIR,

Although it was not originally my intention to have commenced the operations of the British army in Egypt on the side of Alexandria, yet circumstances arose which induced me to change my opinion. We were much longer delayed on the coast of Asia Minor than we had

at

at first any reason to apprehend; and we were ultimately obliged to sail from Marmarice in a very imperfect state of preparation. I am fully sensible of the exertions of his majesty's ambassador at the Ottoman Porte, as well as of the quartermaster-general, and the other officers who were sent forward to provide for the necessities of the army. Our delays originated from other causes. For a considerable time previous to our sailing, the weather was extremely boisterous, and the wind contrary. The moment that it became practicable to sail with so large a fleet, lord Keith put to sea; we left Marmarice on the 22d of February, and came in sight of Alexandria on the 1st of March. On the 2d, the fleet anchored in Aboukir bay. Until the 7th the sea ran high, and no disembarkation could be effected; on that day every arrangement was completed; and on the Sth, the troops forming the first division, consisting of the reserve under the command of major-gen. Moore, the brigade of guards under the hon. major-general Ludlow, and part of the first brigade under the command of major-general Coote, got into the boats early in the morning; they had, in general, from five to six miles to row, and did not arrive at the point of landing till 10 o'clock. The front of disembarkation was narrow, and a hill which commanded the whole seemed almost inaccessible. The enemy were fully aware of our intention, were in force, and had every advantage on their side. The troops, however, notwithstand ing their being exposed to a very severe cannonade, and under the fire of grape-shot, made good their landing, ascended the hill with an intrepidity scarcely to be paralleled, and forced the enemy to retire, leaving behind him seven pieces of

artillery and a number of horses. The troops that ascended the hill were the 23d regiment, and the four flank companies of the 40th, under the command of colonel Spencer, whose coolness and good conduct major-general Moore has mentioned to me in the highest terms of approbation, It is impossible to pass over the good order in which the 28th and 42d regiments landed, under the command of brigadier-gen. Oakes, who was attached to the reserve under major-general Moore; and the troops in general lost not a moment in remedying any little disorder which became unavoidable in a landing under such circumstances. The disembarkation of the army continued on that and the following day. The troops which landed on the 8th advanced three miles the same day; and on the 12th the whole army moved forward, and came within sight of the enemy, who was formed on an advantageous ridge, with his right to the canal of Alexandria, and his left towards the sea. It was determined to attack them on the morning of the 13th, and, in consequence, the army marched in two lines by the left, with an intention to turn their right flank. The troops had not been long in motion before the enemy descended from the heights on which they were formed, and attacked the leading brigades of both lines, which were commanded by major-gen. Cradock and major-gen. the earl of Cavan, The 90th regiment formed the advanced guard of the front line, and the 92d that of the second; bath battalions suffered considerably, and behaved- in such a manner as to merit the praise both of courage and discipline. Major-general Cradock immediately formed his brigade to meet the attack made by the enemy; and the troops changed their posi

tion with a quickness and precision which did them the greatest honour. The remainder of the army followed so good an example, and were immediately in a situation not only to face, but to repel, the enemy. The reserve, under the command of major-general Moore, which was on the right, on the change of the position of the army, moved on in column, and covered the right flank. The army continued to advance, pushing the enemy with the great est vigour, and ultimately forcing them to put themselves under the protection of the fortified heights which form the principal defence of Alexandria. It was intended to have attacked them in this their last position; for which purpose the reserve, under the command of majorgeneral Moore, which had remained in column during the whole of the day, was brought forward; and the second line, under the command of major-general Hutchinson, marched to the left, across a part of the lake Mariotis, with a view to attack the enemy on both flanks; but on reconnoitring their position, and not being prepared to occupy it after it should be carried, prudence required that the troops who had behaved so bravely, and who were still willing to attempt any thing, however arduous, should not be exposed to a certain loss, when the extent of the advantage could not be ascertained. They were therefore withdrawn, and now occupy a position with their right to the sea, and their left to the canal of Alexandria and the Jake Mareotis, about a league from the town of Alexandria. I have the greatest satisfaction in saying, that the conduct of the British and foreign troops under my command is deserving of the highest praise; their courage and their discipline have been equally conspicuous.

To all the general officers I am indebted for their zeal and intelligence. From the hon. brigadier general Hope, adjutant general, and lieutenant-colonel Anstruther, quarter-master general, I have received every testimony of zeal, and the most able assistance in the operations of the army; and to the other officers of the general staff I feel obligations. On the 8th, the arrangements made by lord Keith were such as to enable us to land at once a body of 6,000 men. The hon. captain Cochrane, and those other captains and officers of the royal navy who were entrusted with the disembarkation, not only of the troops, but of the artillery, ammunition, provisions, and stores of all kinds, have exerted themselves in such a manner as to claim the warmest acknowledgements of the whole army. Sir Sidney Smith, and the other captains and officers of the navy under his command who landed with the army, have been indefatigable in their exertions in forwarding the service on which they are employed. The enemy have left a small garrison in Aboukir castle: it has been necessary to bring up a few pieces of heavy artillery, and there is reason to believe that it will speedily surrender. Majors Mac Karras and Fletcher, of the royal engineers, who went down in the Penelope frigate to survey the coast of Egypt, a short time before we sailed from Marmarice, were unfortunately surprised in a small boat in Aboukir bay; the former was killed, and the latter taken prisoner. Our communication with the fleet is at present kept up by means of the lake of Aboukir. We have been fortunate enough to find water sufficient for the supply of the army, and we begin to derive some supplies from the country. I have the honour to

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