order of sailing.  At four o’clock, we saw, over the fort of Aboukir, two ships, apparently waiting to join the squadron:  without doubt, they had been sent to look into the port of Alexandria.  We likewise saw a brig, with the twelve ships; so that they were, now, fourteen sail of the line, and a brig.  L’Alert then began to put the admiral’s orders into execution, viz. to stand toward the enemy till nearly within gun-shot, and then to manoeuvre, and endeavour to draw them towards the outer shoal lying off the island.  But the English admiral, without doubt, had experienced pilots on board; as he did not pay any attention to the brig’s track, but allowed her to go away, hauling well round all the dangers.  At this time, a small boat, dispatched from Alexandria to Rosetta, voluntarily bore down to the English brig, which took possession of her, notwithstanding the repeated efforts of L’Alert to prevent it, by firing a great many shot at the boat.  At five o’clock, the enemy came to the wind in succession.  This manoeuvre convinced us, that they intended attacking us that evening.  The admiral got the top-gallant yards across; but, soon after, made the signal, that he intended engaging the enemy at anchor.  After this signal, each ship ought to have sent a stream-cable to the ship astern of her, and to have made a hawser fast to the cable about twenty fathoms in the water, and passed the opposite side to that intended as a spring; this was not generally executed.  Orders were then given, to let go another bower anchor; and the broadsides of the ships were brought to bear upon the enemy, having the ships heads south-east from the Island of Bequier, forming a line about thirteen hundred fathoms north-west and south-east, distant from each other eighty fathoms, and with an anchor out south south-east At a quarter past five, one of the enemy’s ships that was steering to get to windward of the headmost of the line, ran on the reef east north-east of the island.  She had immediate assistance from the brig, and got afloat in the morning.  The battery on the island opened a fire on the enemy, and their shells fell ahead of the second ship in the line.  At half past five, the headmost ships of our line being within gun-shot of the English, the admiral made the signal to engage; which was not obeyed, till the enemy was within pistol-shot, and just doubling us.  The action then became very warm.  Le Conquerant began to fire, then Le Guerrier, Le Spartiate, L’Aquilon, Le Peuple Souverain, and Le Franklin.  At six o’clock, La Serieuse frigate and L’Hercule bomb, cut their cables, and got under weigh, to avoid the enemy’s fire.  They got on shore; La Serieuse caught fire, and had part of her masts burnt; L’Artemise was obliged to get under weigh, and likewise got on shore.  The two frigates sent their ships companies aboard the different line of battle ships.  The sloops of war, two bombs, and several transports that were with the fleet, were more successful; as they got under weigh, and reached