high surf to the shore; pushing before him an empty barrel or keg, to which a rope had been affixed. By this means the cutter's commanding officer, Enseigne de vaisseau Blaise Gaudran, and four of his seamen were saved. It now appeared that the cutter was the Anémone, of four guns and 60 men, from Malta in six days, and Toulon since the 17th of July ; having on board Adjutant-general Camin, and Captain Valette, aide-de-camp to General Buonaparte, also a courier with despatches, and a small detachment of soldiers.

The general, perceiving no possibility of escape from the British boats, had ordered M. Gaudran to run the cutter on shore ; but the latter represented the danger to his vessel and those on board, from the high surf, and particularly to all who landed, from the numerous hordes of wild Arabs that infested the coast. The general said he would cut his way through them to Alexandria, which was not more than two or three leagues off. No sooner, however, did the French land, than they perceived the Bedouins, who, till this time, had concealed themselves behind the numerous sand-hills near the spot. Terror and dismay now seized on the general and the unfortunate victims of his rash resolve ; nor could the British behold their distress without commiseration, although. the French had not only, by refusing to surrender, brought it on themselves, but had actually fired on the British boats long after all hopes of escape were at an end.

A melancholy spectacle soon forced itself upon the British in the boats. The French officers and men were unresistingly stripped, and many of them murdered in cold blood, without any apparent cause. An Arab, on horseback, unslung his carbine, and presenting it at the general, who, with the aide-de-camp, was on his knees entreating for mercy, drew the trigger, but the piece did not go off. The Arab immediately renewed the priming, and, again presenting his carbine at the general, shot the aide-de-camp who was kneeling a short distance in the general's rear : the murderer, then, with a pistol, fired at the latter, who instantly fell. The courier endeavoured to escape, but was pursued and killed. The Arab, who got possession of his despatches, instantly rode away with them, but, as was afterwards understood, restored them to the French for a sum of money. On the appearance of a troop of French horse from Alexandria, the Arabs retired to the desert with their surviving prisoners.

In the early part of October Captain Hallowell was detached to Rhodes, to look after an expected reinforcement of Turkish ships. On the 14th the Swiftsure re-anchored off Alexandria. During her absence the Portuguese squadron, already named, under the Marquess de Niza, had joined Captain Hood, but, except the Lion 64, Captain Dixon, which remained, had since sailed to co-operate with Captain Ball in the Blockade of Malta.

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