on both sides.  On our return to Rosetta, we climbed on the roofs of the houses; whence, at ten o’clock, we perceived a strong light, which indicated a fire.  A few minutes afterwards, we heard a terrible explosion, which was followed by a profound silence.  As we had seen a firing kept up, from the left to the right, on the object in flames, we drew a conclusion that it was one of the enemy’s ships, which had been set fire to by our people; and we imputed the silence which ensued, to the retreat of the English:  who, as our ships were moored, were exclusively in possession of the range of the bay; and who, consequently, could persevere in or discontinue the combat, at pleasure.  At eleven o’clock, a slow fire was kept up; and, at midnight, the action again became general.  It continued till two in the morning.  At day-break, I was at the advanced posts; and, ten minutes after, the fleets were once more engaged.  At nine o’clock, another ship blew up.  At ten, four ships, the only ones which were not disabled, and which I could distinguish to be French, crouded their sails, and quitted the field of battle; in the possession of which they appeared to be, as they were neither attacked nor followed.  Such was the phantom produced by the enthusiasm of hope!

     “I took my station at the tower of Abumandur; whence I counted
     twenty-five vessels, half of which were shattered wrecks; and the
     others incapable of manoeuvring to afford them assistance.

“For three days, we remained in this state of cruel uncertainty.  By the help of my spying-glass, I had made a drawing of this disastrous scene; that I might be enabled the better to ascertain, whether the morrow would be productive of any change.

“In this way we cherished illusion, and spurned at all evidence; till, at length, the passage across the bar being cut off; and the communication with Alexandria intercepted, we found that our situation was altered; and that, separated from the mother-country, we were become the inhabitants of a distant colony, where we should be obliged to depend on our own resources for subsistence, till the peace.  We learned, that it was L’Orient which blew up at ten o’clock at night, and L’Hercule the following morning; and that the captains of the ships of the line, Le Guillaume Tell and Genereux—­and of the frigates, La Diane and La Justice—­perceiving that the rest of the fleet had fallen into the enemy’s hands, had taken advantage of a moment of lassitude and inaction on the part of the English, to effect their escape.  We learned, lastly, that the 1st of August had broken the unity of our forces; and that the destruction of our fleet, by which the lustre of our glory was tarnished, had restored to the enemy the empire of the Mediterranean:  an empire which had been wrested from them by the matchless exploits of our armies, and which could only have been secured to us by the existence of our ships of war.