CHAPTERV.

On the forenoon of the2dMarch, we cast anchor in Aboukir Bay, the place where the battle of the Nile was fought. Here we lay until the8th, before the weather would permit us to land; a period of great anxiety, for every hour was giving the enemy time to collect his forces, and prepare the means of defence. This made the prospect increasingly awful. Our regiment was intended to have been one of those which should land first; but the fever having increased so much, that about one half of our number were at this time sick, we were unfit to perform a regiment's part, and another of equal strength was put in our place. The bay was shallow, and the ships which contained the troops being in general of a large size, had to anchor at a considerable distance from the shore. On the7th, a number of smaller vessels which had been loaded with provisions, but whose cargoes were now nearly expended, were moved to about three miles from the shore; and several regiments were put on board of them, that support might be quickly given to those who landed first. All of our regiment fit for duty were ordered into one of these vessels in the evening. The weather was now favourable, and every thing indicated that the landing would be attempted next morning. I slept little or none during the night; but frequently employed myself in short prayers to God to be merciful to me, and to spare me and protect me from danger.â€”I was surprised this night with a want of my ordinary sight, and heard numbers of my comrades say that they did not see so well as usual, and yet they had no pain in their eyes.

About two o'clock in the morning the signal was made for the first division of the troops to get into the boats, and at three o'clock they were ordered to row for their rendezvous in the rear of one of the light war-vessels that was anchored about a gun-shot from the shore. This was a very fatiguing service to the seamen; because the fleet was so widely anchored, and many of the large ships so far from the shore, that it was nine o'clock before they were all collected and arranged. The enemy could see all our movements; and the unavoidable delays that took place, gave them a fair opportunity to provide for their defence, for they now knew the only point at which we could land. I contemplated the scene with an anxious aching heart. The number of troops in the boats was about 5500, and the whole army about 15,000, of which there were about 1000 sick at the time of landing, and of these about 400 belonged to our own regiment.â€”There were two bomb ketches and three sloops of war, anchored with their broadsides to the shore; on the right flank of the boats there were a cutter, two Turkish gun-boats, and two armed launches; and on the left flank, a cutter, a schooner, one gun-boat, and two launches. These light vessels were to go as near the shore as the water would admit, to annoy the enemy and protect the boats.

At nine o'clock the signal was made for the boats to advance; and the whole line advanced at the same instant, giving three loud cheers. "The French, to the number of two thousand, were posted on the top of sand-hills, forming the concave arc of a circle on the front of about a mile, in the centre of which elevated itself, a nearly perpendicular height of sixty yards, apparently inaccessible."[7]The left of this rising ground was a continuation of sand-hills close to the shore, gradually diminishing in their height until they ended in a long flat tongue forming the entrance of Lake Maadie. The ground to the right of the centre height on the shore was flat, but there were clusters of thick bushes, (such as form the date or palm tree), which were favourable for concealing the enemy; and on the extremity of the right stood the castle of Aboukir, in which were several 10 inch mortars, and a large Martello tower, having two brass 32 pounders on its top, and which, from its position and height, commanded nearly the whole shore. As soon as the boats set off for the beach, the two bomb ketches, and the three sloops of war, began to throw their shot and shells upon the shore; and the light vessels, stationed to protect the flanks of the boats, moved along with them and began to fire. The bulk of the enemy's field artillery was in the flat ground, to the right of the height before mentioned, the rest was among the smaller sand-hills on the left of it. As soon as the boats were within the reach of their shot, they opened their fire on them; and it appeared to be their design, to make their shot cross the boats in the centre. The heavy guns on the top of the tower in Aboukir castle, and the mortars, commenced, at the same time, their fire on the right flank of the boats. The scene now became dreadful; the war vessels pouring whole broadsides; the bomb ketches throwing shells, which, exploding in the air, formed numerous little clouds; and the gun-boats and cutters on the flanks of the boats, exerting themselves to the utmost. As none of these, however, could approach the shore, so near as to be within the reach of grape-shot, or even to have a certain aim, their exertions were of little benefit to the boats; which pursued their progress towards the shore, whilst the enemy's artillery, (12 pieces, exclusive of the large guns in Aboukir castle), continued to play upon them with unremitting activity. All eyes were directed towards the boats; every flash of the enemy's artillery was noticed; and every eye on the stretch, to discern where the shot might strike the water, to observe if it lighted among the boats, and if any of them were damaged or sunk; and we too often had occasion to picture to our minds, when we saw the shot strike in the middle of them, and produce disorder, how many it might have killed, or wounded, or drowned; for my own part, although I felt thankful that I was not myself in the boats, yet my feelings for those that were, were nearly, if not altogether, as painful, as if I had been in them; and I believe that this was the case with the most of the spectators. But while we were thus feeling for them, we became increasingly astonished to behold how the boats pressed forwards towards the shore, although the wind, of which there was a smart breeze, was against them; how well they preserved their order under the terrible fire of the enemy's artillery; and how quickly any disorder produced by the shot that fell amongst them was remedied. The painful feelings of anxious apprehension and suspense experienced by those in the boats, must have been greatly heightened by the circumstance, that most of the shells and shot fired by our war vessels were necessarily fired over their heads, they being between the vessels and the enemy: so that an ill-directed shot from their own ships, was as dangerous to them as one from the shore; and when buzzing through the air over them, must have been apprehended as one from the enemy, about to strike destruction amongst them.

As the boats approached the shore, the enemy moved their artillery that was on their right, and drew it nearer to their centre. It appeared to be a part of their object, to keep the extreme right of the boats betwixt their artillery and the war vessels, and thus prevent the war vessels from having a clear opening to direct their fire: and indeed all our fire, from all descriptions of vessels, did not seem to interrupt for a moment that of the enemy, or to silence a single gun all the time the troops were rowing to the beach. When they approached near to it, the enemy having drawn their artillery from the right, planted it on the top of the centre height, which now appeared to look directly down upon the boats: and now came the most trying moment. From this elevated position they poured down such a continued fire of shot, shell, and grape, as made us, who were looking on, apprehend that few would reach the shore. Some disorder too appearing among the boats increased our fears; but at this instant we heard them begin to cheer, and saw them press forward with redoubled vigour. We soon observed the right flank of the boats reach the shore under the centre height,[8]and the men form immediately on the beach; while the enemy from the top of the height poured down grape shot, as well as the fire of musketry from a line of infantry which was ranged along it. In a few seconds the40thflank companies, and the23dregiment, were in line; and, without firing a shot, ascended the height in the face of the enemy. This movement was clearly seen by the whole fleet, and attracted all eyes.â€”The spectators began to tremble, lest the enemy should drive them down again; but we were astonished to see with what rapidity and order they mounted the steep face of the height. They were soon close to the enemy, and charged them with loud cheers, when the enemy fled, and in an instant both parties were out of sight. The42dregiment, which had landed and formed, was now seen ascending the left of the height, and charging the enemy opposed to them, who also fled and disappeared. We now turned our attention more to the left, where part of the troops were forming on the beach; but the left of the boats had not yet reached the shore. The enemy, who had been posted among the smaller sand-hills, as soon as the boats came near the shore, rushed down into the water, fired into them, and endeavoured to prevent their landing. A party of cavalry also charged those who were in the act of landing, which produced a temporary confusion; but they were soon wholly repulsed. All the troops were landed, and the beach, and the heights that lined it, cleared of the enemy, I believe, in less than a quarter of an hour, and nothing to be seen by the spectators, but the empty boats, hoisting their sails, and proceeding with all possible speed to receive the second division. Some of them soon reached the ship I was in, and with all haste we got into them and rowed for the shore. On the way I saw some boats swamped, which had been struck with large shot; but the men who were in them had been picked up by the small boats, which followed those that had troops in them, for this express purpose. The number of boats, that were seriously damaged, was small, compared with what might have been expected; but they were in general less or more perforated with grape shot and musketry. The boat in which I was had an oar broken, and was otherwise damaged; but none of the men were killed or seriously wounded in her.

We soon reached the shore, at a place where it was deeper than common: and with a leap I landed dry shod. The first thing I saw, as I passed along the beach, was some Frenchmen lying dead within the edge of the water. The beach was strewed with dead and wounded men, with horses, and artillery taken from the enemy: but the action was over. We formed in a hollow on the left of the centre height, where the42dhad repulsed a charge of cavalry; some of the42d, and also of the cavalry, with their horses, were stretched dead upon the sand:â€”we were soon ready, and advanced through the first range of sand-hills, and found the first division formed with their artillery, which had landed along with them, and was drawn by seamen. This circumstance had materially contributed to the success of the landing; for the enemy were astonished to find that our artillery was landed as soon as the troops, and began to fire upon them as soon as the musketry of the infantry. Eight pieces of cannon were taken from the enemy; but the army lost in this affair, one hundred and two killed, five hundred and fifteen wounded, and thirty-five missing; the loss of the navy was twenty-two killed, seventy-two wounded, and three missing, making a total of seven hundred and forty-nine, the greater part of which were killed or wounded in the boats, previous to landing.

During the course of the day the troops were all landed; we did not however advance far that day, but took up a position at no great distance from the shore. Our first concern was to learn whether water could be got in this sandy desert; and we were glad to find that it could be obtained in the hollows, by digging a little way in the sand. When night came on we stationed our guards, and lay upon the sand, covering ourselves with our blankets. This night I was surprised to find that I could see nothing, and I continued to be in this state every night, until the night of the20d: in the day time I saw as well as ever I did, and had no pain in my eyes.

On the morning of the9thour regiment, along with a party of Corsican riflemen, advanced along the peninsula about three miles from where we landed, to a place where it was contracted into less than half a mile in breadth. Here was a redoubt and a flag-staff, for communicating signals betwixt Aboukir castle and Alexandria: but the enemy had left it, and thrown a large gun, intended to be mounted on it, into the ditch. In the course of the day, the42dregiment and others, came and occupied this position, and we returned to our former one, where we remained until the morning of the12th, waiting for the landing of some horses, ammunition, and provisions, from the fleet. We made booths of the branches of the date (or palm tree), to shelter ourselves from the dew, which fell very copiously, and we had sometimes heavy showers of rain and hail, which made it pretty cold. The thermometer was frequently below 50.

On the morning of the12th, having filled our canteens with water, and furnished ourselves with three days provisions, the whole army advanced. Having proceeded a little beyond the narrow neck of the peninsula, the enemy's cavalry began to skirmish; our march was slow and often interrupted; the surface of the ground being very uneven, the sand very deep, and the day very warm, parties were frequently sent to assist the seamen with the guns, and even those guns which had horses to draw them, were unable to get forward, for the horses had never been used to the draught, and were often unmanageable.â€”Before evening we came within sight of the enemy's army posted on a height. Their strength was about 6000 men, of which 600 were cavalry, with 20 to 30 pieces of cannon. As it was too late to engage them that night, we halted, and began to dig for water; for we had made use of all that we had, and were now very thirsty. The place where we began to dig, was a deep soil of black earth, and below it a clayish mixture. About four or five feet from the surface, water began to appear in small quantities; each company dug a well; but before the one to which I belonged had found water, the regiment was ordered upon picquet. There was no help for it. We were posted along the front of the army, only those who were blind were not put on sentry, but left in groupes, a little in the rear. There were nearly twenty of a company in this condition. We felt very unhappy; for we had to remain in the spot where we were, until, when it was necessary to shift our position, some one who had sight came to conduct us to another place: we then took hold of one another, and were led in a string; and, had a party of the enemy made a dash at the place where we were, we were unable either to have resisted or fled.

On the morning of the13thwe were ordered to advance in front of the army, to form, along with the90thregiment, the advanced guard. We had no time to procure water, but got a little rum, and began our march, leaving our knapsacks with a guard. We had not advanced far, before our light company, which was in front, came upon the enemy's picquets, and a skirmishing began, which increased as we advanced. The light company was reinforced several times, the enemy's picquets getting stronger as they retreated, being joined by those who were in their rear. The ground through which we marched was interspersed with thick bushes; but we approached a rising ground, on which the main body of the enemy's army was drawn up in order of battle. The ascent to this height was entirely bare, and also the ground to the left of it, which projected to Lake Maadie.â€”Our regiment kept to the side of the lake; the90thwas on our right; and the army followed us in two lines. Our parties in front pressed eagerly upon the enemy's picquets, which caused the regiment to march pretty quickly, in order to be near them for their support; and this led us to get a considerable way in advance of the army, which could not follow with the same speed.â€”There was one nine pounder field-piece, and one four and a half inch howitzer, along with us; but very little ammunition with them. Armed launches too had kept pace with the left of the army upon the lake; but it was now so shallow that they could not follow us farther.â€”As soon as the90thregiment had cleared the broken ground, and began to ascend the height on which the enemy's army was posted, a heavy column of cavalry was observed coming forward to charge them. The front section of the90thhalted, and the regiment formed line with all expedition. The front section of the enemy's cavalry wheeled, as soon as it came opposite the right of the90th, and began to form line. The two parties formed opposite and very near each other, but the cavalry line was formed first. The rear sections of the90thhad not time to reach the extent of the line, and closed upon the rear of the left, making it six or eight deep, but they had a clear view of the horsemen who were on higher ground. The cavalry advanced upon them with their swords raised; the90thstood firm, until the cavalry were so near the right of their line, that they were going to strike at them with their swords; they then began to fire, and it ran from right to left like a rattling peal of thunder. It was one of the most terrible discharges of musketry I ever saw; and, from the nearness of the enemy, it was dreadfully destructive. The cavalry instantly retreated, and many horses ran away with empty saddles. During the time of this transaction, which was over in a few seconds, our regiment made a momentary pause. On the retreat of the cavalry we again advanced. The enemy then began to open their artillery upon us from the heights. We still pressed on; but as they saw all our movements, and perceived that we were considerably advanced before the army, they formed the resolution to attack us with all their force; and accordingly marched to their right down the height, and, when on the plain, formed line, and came forward. When we perceived their movement, we halted, formed five companies in line; posted the other five in the rear of scattered bushes on the left towards the lake, and awaited their approach. We cannonaded them with our two pieces, but our ammunition being soon expended, the guns were drawn into the rear.

During the time that we were advancing, I had frequently and earnestly prayed to God, to spare and protect me. Our present situation was one of imminent danger; part of the enemy's artillery were playing upon us from the rising ground towards the right; and in front, the enemy, with the rest of his artillery, was advancing in great force, in a line formed like the blade of a scythe, the curved point to our left on the shore of the lake, and that part of it appeared to be composed of cavalry.[9]It seemed to be the enemy's intention to come round our left, and get into our rear with that part of their line, while the rest of it attacked us in front, and out-flanked us on the right, by which they would have completely surrounded us, and either destroyed or carried us prisoners, before the main body of the army could arrive to assist us. This was their only object. They were too weak to attack the army on level ground with any hope of success; but they were more than competent to take or destroy our party, which did not amount to 500 men. I was near the left of the line, and beheld the advance of the enemy with an anxious mind; but as we were standing in a fixed position, I had some leisure for reflection; and as death was once more staring me in the face, I began to inquire "what hope have I for eternity, if I am cut off at this time?" I confessed my sins in the words of the51stPsalm; and besought God to pardon them, and give me a new heart; I then thought, "If we are mostly cut down at this time, and have to appear before God, will he make no difference between me and those around me, many of whom, in place of calling upon him, profane his name?" I then endeavoured to lay hold on the mercies promised to the penitent and contrite in heart. I thought I was sorry for my sins, and confessed them without guile, and on this account I endeavoured to hope for mercy, thus resting partly on the difference that I conceived to be between my own character and that of others, and partly on my contrition and repentance before God. But my mind was still dissatisfied; I still feared the worst; I knew not the merits of a Saviour's righteousness; my hope was not built upon him but on myself, and could not be satisfactory. I therefore cried to God to spare me once more, and promised that my future life should be devoted to his service. The Lord was pleased to hear my cry, and to protect me during the awful scene that was just about to commence. The enemy's line had advanced within about 300 yards, and brought two-field pieces in front of the company I was in, and fired them at us. One of the balls came skimming along the surface of the ground. I caught a view of it at some distance, and thought it was coming directly to me. It grazed a small hillock of rubbish a few yards in our front, and laid down the second file on my right. It struck the left leg of the front rank man in the centre, passing through it, and leaving a part of the skin on each side. It grazed the calf of the rear rank man's left leg, tearing it, and carrying part of it away. The small stones which it drove from the rubbish-hillock hurt our faces, and a quantity of them entered into the lacerated limbs of the wounded like hail. The one whose leg was broken died some time after he had undergone amputation; the other also died some months after in Rosetta. I thought that the hillock of rubbish had perhaps altered the direction of the ball, else it might have struck me; and while I felt for my comrades, I thanked God that I had escaped.

We were now anxious for orders to commence firing, as the enemy were still marching forwards; the ground in front was somewhat undulated, rising a little, for about 200 yards in our front, and then gently falling. Our commanding officer allowed them to advance, as far as to the highest part in our front; and whenever we saw their feet distinctly, gave orders to fire. This was eagerly done; and the moment we began firing, the enemy's line, in place of rushing forward, and destroying us in an instant, made a halt from right to left, and opened their fire upon us. As we were most afraid of the two pieces of artillery in front playing upon us with grape-shot, those around me directed their fire chiefly at them, which I believe caused them to be removed to one of the flanks. We then levelled at those directly in our front; but the smoke soon covered them so much, that a particular object was not visible. We then took aim at where we judged their line was; but we were not so much afraid of those directly in our front, as of a body which appeared to be cavalry, and which threatened to come round our left into our rear.â€”In order to keep them back; those near me directed nearly the one half of their fire against them; for we feared that those who were posted in the rear of the bushes to our left, would not be able to prevent them from advancing, the bushes being widely scattered, so that they might have been easily passed. These men, however, did their duty most admirably. The enemy opened a fire of grape-shot, from several pieces of artillery, to dislodge them; but they bravely maintained their post. Our ranks were now getting thinner; our commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Erskine, was severely wounded with grape shot in several parts of the body.[10]The officer commanding the company I was in, was also wounded, and many more.â€”After we had fired about 12 rounds, whilst I was in the act of loading, I was struck by a musket ball in the left side, near the pit of the stomach, close to the ribs, and was whirled round on my heels by the force of the stroke. I was stunned and felt great pain; and, concluding that I was wounded, I stept into the rear and grasped the place with my hand. I found the skin was entire; and on shaking myself, the ball dropped at my feet. I then resumed my place in the ranks, and continued to fire until I had expended 22 rounds; when to our great joy, a party of marines, doing duty on shore, arrived on our right, and Dillon's regiment on our left. At the first fire of these troops, the enemy retreated with great precipitation. We pursued them to some distance; and Dillon's regiment coming up with a party of them, charged, and took two pieces of cannon.â€”The enemy was so closely pressed that he divided his forces, and part of them retreated to the left, through a shallow place of the Lake Maadie, the other part retired direct upon Alexandria. Had we had a proper proportion of cavalry, we might have captured all the enemy's artillery, and even have taken Alexandria itself; for we could have reached it before that part of the enemy's force which retreated to the left, as we were nearer it than they.

The army formed in line on the heights which the enemy had occupied in the morning: they cannonaded us, and kept up a fire of sharp-shooters, by which we lost a number of men. A division of the army was detached to the left, to a height near to that of Alexandria; the reserve advanced on the right, and another division in the centre. Our regiment was part of the division sent to the left. The day was warm, and we suffered much from want of water. I have seen a Spanish dollar offered for a draught, and in many instances refused. The gunpowder which unavoidably got into our mouths by biting the ends of our cartridges while loading, tended greatly to augment our thirst.

The enemy had now concentrated his forces on the heights of Alexandria. When he saw our division advancing to the left, he sent a party with two guns to cannonade us, and as we advanced nearer, he opened upon us a heavy fire of shot and shell. Our order of march was in divisions of companies; and, as we drew near the height, a cannon bail struck the ground, close to the right of the division of the company I was in. The ground happened to be soft mould; the ball lodged itself in the mould, and we were covered with the dust and small fragments of stones which it raised. It was a great mercy that the ground was not hard in that spot, as it was in the greatest part of the adjacent ground; for the ball would in that case have rebounded, and in all probability have laid down the front rank of the division. I felt thankful for deliverance, and continued to pray in my heart to God to spare and protect me.â€”We formed in close columns upon the height. The bed of a canal, over which was a bridge, lay in the bottom of the hollow that was betwixt us and the enemy's position: the bridge was defended by a party of cavalry and infantry, with two guns. The44thregiment, being sent in front, charged the enemy with the bayonet, and captured the bridge; and the party which defended it retired into their own lines. During this operation the columns advanced, and began to descend into the hollow. Our regiment was in the front, the enemy played upon us with his artillery, to which we were now dreadfully exposed; but, after we had descended some way down the height, we were ordered to retire; and, as we retreated undercover of the height, we were partly screened from his fire. After we had remained in this position some time, our regiment was allowed to retire to the rear of the right of the centre division of the army. This division had been formed in line on the plain, and being wholly unprotected from the enemy's shot, had suffered very severely. They were still in this state; but they had now laid down their arms, and either sat or lay on the ground, by which means they were not so much exposed. We took up our position, and several men from each company were allowed to go in quest of water. I was one of them; and, as no one knew where to find it, we took different routes. After travelling some distance to the rear, I got information where water was to be had; and having made all haste to the spot, I found it, and instantly began to drink; but I thought I should never be satisfied. Never was any thing so precious to me in all my life as this water. After having drank a considerable quantity, I began to fill the canteens (of which I had ten) which I had brought to fetch it to those who remained; but many a drink I took before I had filled them. I then began to feel a little hungry, having eaten nothing from the preceding morning, lest it should increase my thirst. I sat down and took a piece of biscuit and a bit of pork, and began to eat; but still every mouthful required a little of the water; and I wished to be fully satisfied, before leaving the place, that I might not be under the necessity of drinking any of what I was carrying away. The water was white and muddy, but not thick; it was in a part of what had been the bed of a canal, or had been hollowed out by torrents coming from the heights in the winter season, across the mouth of which a bank had been thrown, which prevented the water from running into the lake, to which it was near. Having satisfied my thirst, I returned with a load of water to my comrades, to whom it was as acceptable as it had been to myself. We remained until near sun-set in the same position; and as the whole army was within reach of the enemy's shot, he continued less or more to cannonade us. When our regiment got on their feet and began to move, they fired at us from two of their heaviest guns. One of the balls rebounded from the ground, nearly killed our Major, and passed through the ranks: those opposite to it saw it, and were so fortunate as to make an opening, through which it passed without touching any one.

By sun-set the army took up its position on the heights from which the enemy had been driven on the morning, with our right to the sea, and our left to the canal that separated Lake Maadie from the bed of Lake Marcotis.â€”As soon as our position was adjusted, and we had liberty to pile our arms, the cry was for more water; and as I had been sent for it before, and knew where it was to be found, I was sent along with others. It was dusk before we reached the spot, which now presented a confused but interesting scene. The cavalry and artillery horses, which had been all day without water, were now there, and had gone into it with their feet, where they were greedily drinking. This had stirred up the mud, and made the water a perfect puddle; near the edge it was as thick as paste. We had therefore to wade in among the horses to where it was deeper; so that here were men and horses, standing promiscuously, knee deep in the water, trying as it were which could drink fastest. By the time I got my canteens filled, it was pretty dark; and, owing to the confusion, as I could not see, I had great difficulty in finding the regiment.

I now lay down on the ground to take some rest. I reflected seriously on the events of the past day, and thanked God for having heard my prayers, and for having spared and protected me. I remembered the promises I had made, and my conscience accused me of having broken them almost as soon as made. Even during the time of the action, when many were falling around me, and my danger was greatest, I had made use of improper expressions: expressions which I was not guilty of using at other times, and which, on such an occasion, above all others, I ought to have avoided. This threw me into dejection of spirits, and into a train of very serious reflections for several days; reflections which were deepened by my being led to see more minutely the danger I had escaped. Having occasion to shift my clothes, I observed that the ball which had struck me on the side, had passed through my coat and cut my waistcoat between the second and third button from the bottom; it had then grazed my side, and had been obstructed in its passage outwards by a small volume of poems, containing Pope's Essay on Man, Blair's Grave, and Gray's Elegy, which I had in my side pocket. The corner of the binding next to my side was shattered, and the greater part of the leaves much bruised. I now discerned, that it had been the force with which the ball struck the book that had wheeled me round. I was impressed with the conviction, that if I had been standing square to my front, the ball would have lodged in my left side; and that even in the oblique position in which I stood, had it been one inch nearer the right, it would have lodged in the body and proved mortal. There were few of my comrades that had not their clothes cut in several places; and many had received contusions that would have proved mortal wounds, if the French had properly loaded their pieces. It was said that they did not use the ramrod in loading, which enabled them to fire with greater rapidity; but the charge being loose in their pieces, the shot did not fly so true to its direction, and was in many cases weak; making only a contusion, in place of perforating the body. This partly accounts for such a long continued and tremendously superior fire, not being so destructive as might have been apprehended. The regiment lost 125 killed and wounded; but our wonder was how so many had escaped.

The loss sustained by the army, was 156 killed, 1082 wounded; and of seamen and marines there were 29 killed and 55 wounded, making a total of 1322. Four pieces of cannon and some ammunition were taken from the enemy.

A great part of the grape-shot and cannon balls, that were fired by the French, were made of a composition of brass. They had taken the copper-sheeting and bells of a number of the ships in the harbour, and the unserviceable brass guns in their possession, and had melted them into balls, to prevent their ammunition from being exhausted; because the blockade of Egypt by our ships of war, prevented them from receiving regular supplies from France. But the grape-shot of this description that lodged in the bodies of the wounded, had the tendency of making the wounds foul.

I continued to ponder over what had taken place; and my mind became increasingly uneasy. Conviction of sin, and a sense of ingratitude to God for his mercies, drove me almost to despair. I had my Bible with me, but made no use of it: our duty and fatigues left almost no leisure to do so, even had I been so inclined; and the dangerous nature of our present situation agitated the mind, and prevented the composure needful for the investigation of truth. One who previously knew the spiritual import of the Scriptures, might have made some profitable use of a Bible; but our circumstances were quite unfavourable for one like me. I was left to ruminate upon what occurred to my memory. I recollected what Manoah's wife said to her husband, when he was afraid that he should die because he had seen God. "If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt-offering and a meat-offering at our hands;" (Judgesxiii.23.) and was led to conclude, that I ought not to give myself over to despair, seeing God had yet spared my life. I had also a general recollection of the following passage of Young's Night Thoughts:

â€”â€” Time destroyedIs Suicide, where more than blood is spilt.Time flies, death urges, knells call, heav'n invites,Hell threatens; all exerts: in effort, all;More than creation labours!â€”Labours more?And is there in creation, what, amidstThis tumult universal, wing'd despatch,And ardent energy, supinely yawns?â€”Mansleeps; andManalone; andManwhose fate,Fate irreversible, entire, extreme,Endless, hair-hung, breeze-shaken, o'er the gulfA moment trembles; drops! andManfor whomAll else is in alarm!Man, the sole causeOf this surrounding storm! and yet he sleeps,As the storm rock'd to rest,â€”ThrowYearsaway?ThrowEmpires, and be blameless. Moments seize,â€”Heaven's on their wing: a moment we may wishWhen worlds want wealth to buy. BidDaystand still,Bid him drive back his car, and re-importThe period past; regive the given hour:Lorenzo,morethan miracles we want:Lorenzoâ€”O for yesterdays to come!Such is the language of the manawake;His ardour such, for whatoppressesthee:And is his ardour vain, Lorenzo?â€”No;Thatmorethan miracle the gods indulge;To-dayisyesterdayreturn'd; return'dFull-power'd to cancel, expiate, raise, adorn,And reinstate us on the Rock of peace.Let it not share its predecessor's fate;Nor, like its elder sisters, die a fool.Shall it evaporate in fume? fly offFuliginous, and stain us deeper still?Shall we be poorer for the plenty pour'd?More wretched for the clemencies of heav'n?Night Second.

â€”â€” Time destroyed

Is Suicide, where more than blood is spilt.

Time flies, death urges, knells call, heav'n invites,

Hell threatens; all exerts: in effort, all;

More than creation labours!â€”Labours more?

And is there in creation, what, amidst

This tumult universal, wing'd despatch,

And ardent energy, supinely yawns?â€”

Mansleeps; andManalone; andManwhose fate,

Fate irreversible, entire, extreme,

Endless, hair-hung, breeze-shaken, o'er the gulf

A moment trembles; drops! andManfor whom

All else is in alarm!Man, the sole cause

Of this surrounding storm! and yet he sleeps,

As the storm rock'd to rest,â€”ThrowYearsaway?

ThrowEmpires, and be blameless. Moments seize,â€”

Heaven's on their wing: a moment we may wish

When worlds want wealth to buy. BidDaystand still,

Bid him drive back his car, and re-import

The period past; regive the given hour:

Lorenzo,morethan miracles we want:

Lorenzoâ€”O for yesterdays to come!

Such is the language of the manawake;His ardour such, for whatoppressesthee:And is his ardour vain, Lorenzo?â€”No;Thatmorethan miracle the gods indulge;To-dayisyesterdayreturn'd; return'dFull-power'd to cancel, expiate, raise, adorn,And reinstate us on the Rock of peace.Let it not share its predecessor's fate;Nor, like its elder sisters, die a fool.Shall it evaporate in fume? fly offFuliginous, and stain us deeper still?Shall we be poorer for the plenty pour'd?More wretched for the clemencies of heav'n?

Such is the language of the manawake;

His ardour such, for whatoppressesthee:

And is his ardour vain, Lorenzo?â€”No;

Thatmorethan miracle the gods indulge;

To-dayisyesterdayreturn'd; return'd

Full-power'd to cancel, expiate, raise, adorn,

And reinstate us on the Rock of peace.

Let it not share its predecessor's fate;

Nor, like its elder sisters, die a fool.

Shall it evaporate in fume? fly off

Fuliginous, and stain us deeper still?

Shall we be poorer for the plenty pour'd?

More wretched for the clemencies of heav'n?

Night Second.

While I had a general recollection of this passage on my mind, there were a number of its particular expressions very frequently in my memory. When I thought on the past dangers I had come through, and looked at our present hazardous situation, the words

â€”â€”"hair-hung, breeze-shaken, o'er the gulfA moment trembles,"â€”â€”

â€”â€”"hair-hung, breeze-shaken, o'er the gulf

A moment trembles,"â€”â€”

strongly impressed my mind with a sense of the critical nature of human life in general, and of such a situation as I was now in, in particular; and the words,

â€”â€”"and yet he sleeps,As the storm rock'd to rest"â€”â€”

â€”â€”"and yet he sleeps,

As the storm rock'd to rest"â€”â€”

with the folly of being careless and unconcerned, in such a situation; and when I thought on the misimprovement of past time, the words,

â€”â€”"O for yesterdays to come!"

spoke the feelings of my heart:â€”but the words,

"Today is yesterday return'd; return'dFull-power'd to cancel, expiate, raise, adorn,And reinstate us on the Rock of peace,"

"Today is yesterday return'd; return'd

Full-power'd to cancel, expiate, raise, adorn,

And reinstate us on the Rock of peace,"

were often in my mind, and contributed, with the words of Manoah's wife, to give me a partial ease; they led me to form a new resolution, of setting out once more in attempting to lead a godly life, and keep the divine commandments. Having formed this resolution, I set about the performance of it with all due care, and my mind enjoyed a temporary peace. I was frequent in prayer, as I hoped that by this means I should prevent my mind from wandering. I had taken my present resolution so strongly, that I thought if I did not keep it this time, I could never hope to keep any resolution afterwards.

We now got our tents on shore, and were busily employed in landing the heavy artillery, and in raising breast-works and redoubts. The fatigues of the army were very great; and as nearly the one half were now affected with the night blindness, they were ordered to take their turn of night duties. A blind and a seeing man were put to work together, to carry two-handed baskets filled with earth to raise the breast-works, the seeing one leading the blind; and as the sentries on the out-posts were double, a blind and a seeing man were also put together: the blind man was company to the other; for, although he could not see, he could hear; and more depended upon that than upon seeing for the best sight could not see an object at night at any distance. When upon sentry at night, I discovered that when I looked a good while to the ground, I could discern uponitthe shadows of persons that were approaching me; but if I lifted up my head I could not see the persons themselves, though they came close to my face. I continued, when out at night, to look constantly to the ground, and my sight gradually got better, and was quite recovered by the night of the20d.

During the march of the army from Aboukir, I had seen great quantities of ruins; and while employed in working among them, and in building breast-works and redoubts with the stones of ancient palaces, and the earth that formed the banks of their far-famed canals, I could not but reflect on the ancient glory of Egypt, of which there were so many evidences, even in the barren peninsula of Aboukir. I saw in these ruins the fulfilments of Jehovah's threatenings, and an evidence of the truth of the Scriptures;â€”and from the description given of "populous No," (Nahum.iii.8, 9, 10. Ezekielxxx.14, 15, 16, which I had frequently read during the passage up the Mediterranean,) I conceived that somewhere in this vicinity, such a city must have stood. These reflections gave an unusual degree of interest to our operations. We were now upon Scripture ground: we had come from a distant island of the sea, to the land of the proud Pharaohs, to carry on our military operations where Nebuchadnezzar, and Alexander the Great, had carried on theirs. The event was singular and striking: and our situation novel and interesting. Our camp stretched from the sea to the lake; and on the lake were numerous boats, bringing provisions, ammunition, and military stores from the fleet; while parties of seamen and soldiers were carrying or dragging through the deep sand, the various articles from the landing place, distant about two miles from the position of the army. And within four miles of our front, were the heights of Alexandria, upon which the enemy's troops were posted, with the various forts which they had constructed for their defence. On the right of their position stood the beautiful and majestic column, known by the name of "Pompey's Pillar;" and towards their left stood the stately obelisk called "Cleopatra's Needle."[11]The old walls of Alexandria were behind them, over which the masts of near 200 sail of ships were visible, which had conveyed the army of Bonaparte from France, and had been blockaded by the English since that time. And in the more distant view to the sea, was the Isle of Pharos, at the entrance of the harbour, on which once stood a light-house, mentioned by Rollin in his Ancient History as one of the seven wonders of the world, but which was now strongly fortified by the French, for the protection of the harbour, before which a squadron of our fleet was kept constantly cruising.

The Arabs began to bring us sheep and young onions for sale. The men of the tent I was in, bought a sheep for a Spanish dollar, from an Arab, whose only covering was a plaid thrown round his naked body, resembling those worn by Highland shepherds. But our greatest difficulty was to find wood to cook it with. The bark of the date tree was the only part of it that would burn: its withered leaves, with the roots of a creeping kind of brier, which we pulled out of the sandy soil, and with difficulty got to burn, were the only fuel we could find. For a few days we had far to travel for water; but every regiment dug wells in the flat ground, on the left of the position, where a sufficient supply, although somewhat brackish, was obtained.

My mind continued pretty easy for three or four days; but I found that I was not fulfilling the task that I had undertaken; that I was failing in the performance of duty, and was not keeping God and eternity in view, in the manner I had resolved to do. This began to make me again uneasy; and, as my hopes rested on my own performances, when I found that these performances were not what I had promised and resolved they should be, these hopes were shaken. I had not, indeed, been guilty of any open and notorious sins; but I had not done that which I had resolved to do, and on the doing of which I had hoped for the forgiveness of past sins, the favour of God, and eternal life; and this threw me back where I was before.

The regiment received orders on the20d, to march early next morning to Aboukir, to do the hospital duty, because we were too weak to do the duty of a regiment in the line. We were accordingly under arms and marched off an hour before daylight, and left our tents standing for a regiment that was to come from the second line to occupy our place. But we had not proceeded above a mile and a half, when we heard a discharge of several muskets on the left; which caused us to halt and look to the place where the firing had been. In a few seconds we saw a number more muskets fired, (for the darkness made the flash of even the pan of every musket distinctly visible,) and after that a field-piece, and then a general discharge of about 300 muskets; when it ceased. We knew that there was a guard of about 300 men, and a field-piece, with a working party of as many more, on the spot; and as the firing had ceased, we thought it might be a false attack to disturb the working party and alarm the army.â€”After standing a little, and all continuing quiet, we began with hesitation to proceed on our journey: but we had not moved many steps, when we heard the discharge of a musket on the right of the army: this produced a voluntary halt; and in a few seconds we heard the discharge of two or three more. We were then ordered to return, and had not proceeded far, before a number more discharges were heard in the same direction. This quickened our march, and we made all expedition towards the tent of the commander-in-chief, which was in the rear of the right of the army. Before we got there the firing on the right was beginning to be pretty thick. We were now ordered to resume the position we had left. It was yet dark; but the firing of musketry began to be heavy, and the artillery commenced playing, with the help of lighted lanterns to let them see to load. By the time we got to our position, the action was close and warm on the right, and the firing of musketry and artillery very heavy, which the darkness of the morning made peculiarly awful. There was now no doubt of a powerful and determined attack from the enemy. When we arrived at our position in the line, the day had begun faintly to dawn. The regiment which was to have taken our place, had not done it; a column of the enemy having ascended the brow of the hill in our front, were making towards the opening in the line where we should have been. The regiment on the right was extending its left, and the one on the left its right, and had filled up the one half of the space when we arrived. On our arrival a part of us filled up the opening, and began to fire on the enemy's column, which then retreated under the brow of the hill, out of our sight and below the range of shot. They left, however, a number of sharp-shooters on the edge of the hill, who kept up a straggling fire upon our line. The regiments on the right and left now closed their files, and we got all into line, and in good order; when the enemy's column, having adjusted itself under the brow of the hill, showed itself anew, and came forward to the attack. We again opened our fire upon them, which they returned; but after the second or third round, they again retreated as before, leaving a still greater number of sharp-shooters, who ranged themselves along the edge of the descent of the hill, which in part concealed them from us, but allowed them to have a fair view of our line, upon which they kept up a destructive fire. We returned a straggling fire upon them from the line, having no sharp-shooters in front to engage them.

When on the way back to the army, previously to entering upon this action, the state of my mind was rather different from what it had been before. I prayed earnestly for protection: but having so often failed in the promises I had made, I was afraid to make any more. I began to be diffident of myself. I did not plead with God on the promise of future amendment, but prayed for mercy. I used indeed the name of Christ; but had no right understanding, either of the true nature of the atonement for the guilt of sin, by his blood, or of his righteousness to justify the ungodly. My confidence was not placed in them for acceptance with God; but should death be the issue, I cast myself, with trembling hesitation, on his general mercy, and that with more resignation than formerly. I confessed my past failures, and prayed that if God was not pleased to preserve me unhurt, but if I was to be wounded, it might be in a merciful way; and that, if death was to be the issue, my sins might be pardoned. This was my prayer on entering the action, and as we had intervals of firing, I repeated it. But great as my fear of death was, I never thought of attempting to avoid it, by flinching from my duty as a soldier in such times of danger. I looked upon such conduct as sinful, and dared not seek present safety by an increase of guilt. I was also convinced, that cowardice was attended with the greatest danger, and that our greatest safety lay in every one doing his duty with steady courage. I had fired about twelve rounds, when the sun was beginning to appear in the horizon, and was in the act of ramming another cartridge, when a shot from one of the sharp-shooters, struck upon the inner ancle bone of my left foot; it turned round the back of the leg, passing between the sinew of the heel and the leg bone, and lodged just under the skin, a little above the bone of the outer ancle. It was there that I felt the pain. I was stunned with the stroke; but from the part in which I felt the pain, I did not think it was a ball, but that a large shot or shell, having struck some of the stones that were lying in the rear, a splinter from them had hit me in the back of the leg: I loaded my piece, and then, on lifting up my leg to see what was the matter, saw a musket-shot hole in the half-gaiter, and some appearance of blood. I shouldered my piece, but the sharp-shooters directly in front of me had disappeared. I stood a few seconds unresolved what to do; but feeling the pain increase, and seeing the blood beginning to appear more on the gaiter, and the officer commanding the company having come to the rear, and observing that I was wounded, he called to me to fall out, and I was induced to leave the ranks, but felt very reluctant to quit my comrades before the battle was decided: not that I loved to stay in a place of danger; but I did not like to leave them in the time of it; and had there been firing at the time, I should have continued to fire while I was able. As matters stood, however, I conceived it to be my duty, seeing I was disabled from keeping my place in the ranks, to make the best of my way, as long as I was able, to a place where I might be out of the reach of shot, and get my wound dressed, that it might not receive injury by delay. I got as quickly as I could to the rear, keeping my arms, accoutrements, and knapsack which I had on when wounded. The battle at this time was raging upon the right with terrible fury; and the brigade of guards immediately on the right of ours, were closely engaged. The roar of the artillery was dreadful. Daylight had now made both parties visible to each other; but the smoke of the firing obscured the distant view; so that, although the scene of contest was but a short way off from me, I could neither see our own line nor that of the enemy, all being covered with a thick cloud, through which nothing was visible, but the dark red glare of the flashes of the artillery. As I began to descend the height in the rear of the army, I was in imminent danger. The position of the brigade of guards, (which was on the right of ours,) and of the right of our own brigade, receded considerably from the spot on which our regiment stood, owing to the direction of the rising ground on which we were posted. In consequence of this, and of the positions of the enemy's columns and artillery, a large proportion of his shot, that had been fired at too high an elevation, fell in the rear of our regiment's tents. As I did not at the time observe this circumstance, I took the direct road from our own rear, to the landing place on Lake Maadie, distant about two miles. I was led by this route to cross the range of the falling shot. The musket and grape shot was coming down in showers, and further on, the large shot was striking and rebounding off the ground in rapid succession. I used all possible exertion to get through this danger; and, by the goodness of God, received no further hurt; while others, who, like myself, were wounded and retiring to the rear, did not escape. The exertion I had made, with the blood I was losing, which marked my steps in the sand, began to exhaust me; but I had the happiness of having my canteen full of water at the commencement of my retreat, which refreshed me. My arms, at length, however, becoming too heavy for me, I left my firelock in an erect posture, by running the bayonet into the ground, after taking the powder out of the pan, to prevent accidents to those that might find it.

When I had got near to the landing place, I found several surgeons, on the outside of an hospital tent that had been lately pitched for the sick, busily engaged in dressing some of the wounded that had arrived before me. I sat down to wait my turn to be dressed, which was not long, for the number before me was not great. When I took the gaiter off my leg, I pulled a piece of it out of the wound, and as the ball appeared prominent under the skin, it was easily extracted, and another piece of the gaiter was taken out, which was wrapped round it. The ball was flattened, and a part of it turned over by the resistance of the ancle bone; yet the bone was not broken. After I was dressed, I lay down at the side of a bush, until I might learn what was to be done with the wounded. By this time the firing of musketry had ceased on the field of battle; a cannonade alone was heard; and we were all anxiety respecting the success of the day, for if the army was compelled to retreat, the situation of the wounded would be distressing and dangerous. Great numbers of wounded were now arriving to be dressed, who brought different reports, some of them saying, they did not think that the army would be able to keep its ground. This made us look with anxiety to the heights, to observe if any retrograde motion was made; but the cannonade ceased; and we were informed that the enemy had been completely repulsed, and had retreated back to Alexandria. The action terminated about ten o'clock,A. M.

This action, though short, was severe and bloody, and was sustained on our part chiefly by the right wing of the army, the left having been only partially engaged. The object of the enemy was to dislodge the troops on the right, from the rising ground on which they were posted, and then to drive the army into Lake Maadie. He expected to possess himself of the rising ground before day-break; and being perfectly acquainted with the place, and with the way in which we were posted, he was at no loss to make his attack in the dark: but as it was our practice to stand under arms from three o'clock in the morning till an hour after day-break, we were not taken by surprise. The enemy's force consisted of nine thousand seven hundred men, of which fifteen hundred were cavalry; with forty-six pieces of cannon. Our army, by its losses in the former actions, by parties absent at Aboukir on duty, and by sickness, had been reduced to somewhat less than ten thousand, including four hundred cavalry; with thirty-six pieces of cannon. When the enemy retreated, he left seventeen hundred men dead and wounded on the field, of whom a thousand and forty were buried the first two days: he lost also four hundred horses. How many wounded retired, or had been removed, could not be known; but military judges calculate the whole at about four thousand men, which was more than a third of their whole number. We had two hundred and forty-three killed, one thousand one hundred and ninety-three wounded, and thirty-two missing, and four seamen killed, and twenty wounded, making a total of 1493.â€”Our worthy commander-in-chief, Sir Ralph Abercrombie, died on the28th, of a wound he received in the thigh, and was deeply regretted by the whole army. General Moore also was again wounded, but recovered in a short time and returned to his duty. The loss of our regiment was forty men.

Having lain at the bush until about two o'clock, I then observed a number of the wounded going on board of boats to be taken to the fleet. I got up and went to the landing place, and having got on board one of them, arrived at the fleet in the evening; where I was put on board a two-decked ship, appropriated for the reception of the wounded, and got into a berth with two more of the same regiment. Upwards of two hundred wounded men were collected on board of this ship; and the wounds of many of them being severe, numbers died during the first ten days. If any one wishes to know what were the topics of conversation among so many men in such circumstances, it pains me to state, that our conversation was about any thing but that one thing which most concerned us, and which ought to have engrossed our whole attention. About that world to which so many of us were daily departing, and about that God before whom so many were so soon to make their appearance, there was not a word to be heard, except it was in taking his name in vain. The groans of the dying were to be heard in various quarters of the ship, but no one either asking or telling how a sinner could be saved. Nor was I better than others. I did not improve my mercies. I had been wounded in a comparatively merciful manner, but I forgot the God to whom I had made my supplication, and neglected my Bible. I conversed with one of my comrades, who was a Scottish Episcopalian, upon church government, and he took some pains to inform me of the claims of Episcopacy, of which I was ignorant. But what did such topics avail to dying men, whose conversation ought to have been about the salvation of their souls? He was badly wounded in the thigh, and did not live many weeks. The part of my wound where the ball entered healed in about sixteen days; but the part where it was extracted became inflamed, and the foot and ancle swelled considerably. I was suspicious that the dirty water with which it was sometimes washed was the occasion of the inflammation. An erroneous opinion was entertained, that salt water would smart the wounds: and as fresh water was not in plenty on board the ship, only a small quantity of it was allowed for washing them. A great number were washed with one basin-full, and, as many of the wounds were foul, this was calculated to infect those that were clean. Had salt water been used, a basin of clean water might have been taken to every one. I was washed with salt water when in the hospital at Aboukir, and felt no difference between it and fresh. By the end of three weeks my wound began to mortify. I was then put into a boat to be taken to the hospital at Aboukir, along with a number more whose cases were considered bad. Two were so weak that they were unable to sit, and were laid upon gratings in the bottom of the boat: one of them died before we reached the shore, and the other died upon the beach. These cases made little impression upon my mind; death was becoming familiar to me, and I looked at it with a careless indifference. When the boat reached the shore I was carried to the Hutts hospital; which was a building upon a height, erected by the French to serve as barracks to their troops stationed at Aboukir.

It was formed of the trunks of date trees split down the middle; the ends were sunk into the ground; the flat side of one tree was turned outwards, and the flat side of the next inwards, and so alternately, the round edges being made to overlap each other, and the crevices filled with plaster lime. It was roofed in the same manner. A great many bats had formed their nests in the holes, where the roof rested upon the upright posts.â€”Here I was well taken care of; so that by the mercy of God, the inflammation subsided, and in sixteen days the putrid flesh was wholly cleaned away, leaving a pretty large orifice. A part of the tendon of the heel seemed to have been eaten away by the inflammation, but the damage did not appear to be very serious, and it began to heal rapidly.

While in this place, a small scorpion had got into my haversack, and as I put my hand into it to get some bread it stung me in the point of my thumb. This sensation resembled that which is produced by the sting of a bee, but the pain was more violent, and lasted for twenty-four hours before it subsided, but was attended by no other bad consequence.

The regiment to which I belonged, being at this time encamped at Aboukir, made an offer to accommodate their own wounded men, as the general hospital was crowded. This offer was accepted, and those that were in a condition to be moved were sent to the regimental hospital. I remained a day or two there; but, being healthy, and my wound likely to heal soon, I was removed to the convalescent tents, which, on account of some cases of fever in the regimental hospital, were at some distance. There I was left to dress my wound myself, which continued to mend, but not so rapidly as before. That dreadful calamity, the plague, made its first appearance at the Hutts hospital about the time that I left it; and, a few days afterwards, a corporal went with a party and buried a surgeon and two women in one hole, and seven others in another, that had already fallen victims to it.

The strength that the enemy brought to the field on the21stMarch, showed that they were far more numerous in Egypt than we had been led to believe. The greatest number that had been calculated to be there was 15,000; but they had 27,000. As soon as the action of the21stwas over, the army made trenches along the whole position, and completed and increased the batteries and redoubts with all possible haste. The left was the weakest part of the position. The bed of Lake Mareotis was in front of it, but it was nearly dry, and passable in many parts both for horse and foot. Lake Maadie[12]was in the rear of the left, being only separated from the bed of Lake Mareotis by the banks of the canal[13]of Alexandria; and its waters were considerably above the level of Lake Mareotis and the surrounding country. On the13thApril a large opening was made in the banks of the canal; the water rushed into Lake Mareotis with a fall of six feet, and it continued to rush in for a month, when it nearly found its level; but there continued always a fall of about a foot, owing to the sand absorbing the water. By this measure a large extent of country was inundated; the front of the position was contracted, and the left protected from assault; and Lord Hutchison, who had succeeded Sir Ralph Abercrombie, was enabled to proceed with a part of the army to Rosetta, which had been previously taken by a detachment, assisted by 4,000 Turks; General Coote being left with the remainder to blockade Alexandria. The force assembling at Rosetta was destined to march against Grand Cairo. The Grand Vizier was advancing with an army from Syria to co-operate in the same object. Our regiment was ordered to join the troops at Rosetta. Most of the men belonging to it, who had been left on board ship sick of the fever, at the time we landed, had by this time recovered, so that it was now pretty strong. I continued in the convalescent tents about a fortnight. To enable me, when necessary, to go abroad, I procured a rough piece of wood, upon which I got the head of a tent mallet fastened, to serve for a crutch. By the help of this, and a stick in the other hand, I made a shift to go out of the tent; but, not being very expert at the use of the crutch, as I was going out one day, the tent cords catched the lower end of it, and I fell down, with the wounded leg undermost. This was to me a serious accident; for my wound immediately began to get worse, and in a few days it was greatly inflamed, and discharging black matter. I was then removed to the hospital tents, to be near the surgeon. Orders came for the regimental hospital to be moved to Rosetta, and such cases as were not fit to be moved were sent to the general hospital, which was now an extensive establishment; for the sick and wounded that were on board the fleet were sent on shore, and lodged in large sheds. Into one of these I was taken, along with another, who had been in the same convalescent tent with me. He had been slightly wounded: a musket ball having grazed the front of his leg; he was able to walk about with little inconvenience, and was desired by the surgeon not to confine himself close to the tent, but to take the air, and some little exercise. We were not, however, aware of the extreme danger of having the skin broken in Egypt, let the hurt be ever so slight. His wound had got much worse; it was not to appearance so serious as mine, yet, after he was a few days in the general hospital, it was found necessary to amputate his leg, an operation which he did not survive long; for the stump mortified, and he died after lingering about five weeks. His case alarmed me not a little; and as my wound continued for some time to get worse, the inflammation spreading, the lower part of the leg swelling greatly, and the pain being excessive, I was the more apprehensive, and prayed earnestly for mercy. God was pleased to hear my cry, and to spare me once more. The inflammation by and by subsided; the pain became moderate, my appetite, which was lost, returned; and the wound began to clean and heal.

The weather was now very warm. The shed in which I was, was so constructed, as to combine the advantages of shade and air. The roof was formed of boards, (brought I suppose from Marmorice,) and was supported upon posts, made of the trunks of date trees, which were sunk into the ground at certain distances; boards were nailed to these posts, and about an inch left open betwixt each board, to the height of about four feet, and then there was an opening of about two feet to the edge of the roof. This shed was of great length, and was crossed by one or two similar ones. In them all there were three rows of beds, two rows with the ends of the beds to the sides of the shed, and one row set length-ways in the centre. Although these structures were so open in the sides we were sufficiently warm during the night. We were, however, much troubled with fleas, of which the sandy floor was full, so that it was impossible to get rid of them. Indeed the whole of the desert was full of these vermin. There were also some crickets of a very large size, which interrupted our sleep by the strong and constant sound of their music; not unmelodious in itself, had it not been unseasonable. The flies too gave us a vast deal of annoyance through the day. It was with difficulty that we could keep them out of our eyes; and they were most pernicious to those who had large putrid sores; for, as it was impossible to keep them out of the wound while it was dressing, this occasioned not only present trouble, but the breeding of maggots, which increased the torture of many who were sinking to the grave. Even those who were well, of all classes, found it needful to carry a small bunch of rushes tied upon a handle, to be used like a fan, to drive them away.

On the23dof May, the hot wind came on. The air was darkened with mist, which was so thick that it rendered breathing difficult. We were glad to cover ourselves over the head with our blankets: for although the heat was intense, and the blankets disagreeably warm and heavy, yet we found our breathing more tolerable under them than when uncovered. The orderly men, who had to go out of the shed for water, and on other necessary business, complained of the heat of the wind, saying that it blew the sand in their faces as hot as fire.[14]Towards evening the wind blew from the sea; the air became clear; and the night was about its usual coolness. But the consequences of this wind were dreadful to the hospital. The plague now raged with redoubled fury, and made fearful havoc among the nurses and orderly men, and those who had slight wounds. The three nurses who attended the division of the shed I was in, were infected one after the other, and were sent to the post hospital; where, as I afterwards heard, they died. One set of nurses and orderly men followed another in rapid succession for some weeks. It was observed, that none of those who had large sores were infected by it; but such sores after this period were more mortal, for mortifications now became rapid in their progress, and baffled the power of medicine to arrest them. Amputations were multiplied, but were mostly unavailing; and even sores comparatively slight, mortified and proved fatal. Some of the cases struck me forcibly.â€”A sailor who had a slight wound in one of his legs, and who could move about, and be serviceable to those that were bed-fast, went one night to the shore, which was not far off, to get some drink; his leg immediately got worse; in a few days the entire calf of it was one putrid ulcer, with numbers of maggots; poultices, spirits of wine, and other strong liquors, and tinctures were profusely used, but in vainâ€”he died in about a week. Another, whose wound was cured, and who was ordered to join his regiment, absented himself on the night previous to the day appointed for his departure, and that of some others. In a day or two after the party was gone, he appeared in his place with a sore leg. It was believed that he had purposely scratched his shin with a stone; but whatever way he had taken to make it sore, the surgeon, who had not noticed his conduct, saw that it required dressing, which was done without any particular inquiry; and as none that knew his conduct liked spontaneously to inform upon him, he was not called in question. It was manifest, however, that cowardice was the cause of his injuring his leg, that he might remain in the hospital until danger was over. But the very means he took to avoid danger, to which he might never have, been exposed, proved his destruction. In three or four days his leg became so much inflamed, that amputation was rendered necessary. This was performed above the knee, but the inflammation had reached the thigh. As he lay nearly opposite to me, I saw the face of the stump when it was dressed. The skin never united; at the second or third dressing the flesh of the thigh was detached from the bone; so much so, that there was a large cavity underneath the bone, which made it visible almost to the joint. He died before next day, being about ten or twelve days from the time, he appeared with his leg sore. At my left hand lay a young man, a sailor belonging to the Northumberland 74, with a large ulcer in the under side of his right arm, a little below the arm pit. I formed an attachment to this young man; took a note of his own and his mother's name, and place of residence, and of the time when his wages became due; and promised, if I got safe to England, to inform them of these particulars, and of the time and circumstances of his death, for he was sensible that death was near. But there is one thing that gives me no small pain, when I reflect upon it, to this day; that, although I saw he was dying, I was not able, with all the religion I thought I had, to point my dying comrade to the Saviour. Not having found a Saviour to my own soul, whatever I might say about religion or religious subjects, a Saviour, properly so called, was no part of my system. I who never beheld Jesus, as the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world, could not point him out, in that soul-reviving character, to others; neither did there appear to be in this house of death, any one that could point his dying comrades to a Saviour, nor any among the dying throng, that were asking after a Saviour. Whatever emotions might be passing through the minds of any, the question as to what became of the soul after death, the hope of heaven, or the fear of hell, the way to attain the one and escape the other, never became a subject of conversation; and yet if ever circumstances, (short of those of criminals condemned to die, without any hope of mercy, upon a particular day,) could have forced such conversation upon a company of sinful mortals, it must have been the circumstances we were in. But every one seemed to indulge the hope of life, until the cold hand of death was already on his heart, and left him little time to think of that world to which he was going, and less ability to communicate his thoughts to others, or to ask, or to receive information. And this was the case, not in this hospital only, but in all the hospitals I was in, both before and afterwards. I did indeed say a few words to my dying comrade, about praying for mercy to his soul, and made use of the name of Jesus in a formal way; and he continued for several days before his death, to pray very earnestly to God for mercy, and made use of that name: but whether he understood the character of Jesus as a Saviour, and was led to place his dependence upon his merits, is more than I can tell. It may be, that the Spirit of Christ, in his sovereign grace, gave him a saving knowledge of that name that was used at first in ignorance, and led him to trust in him for salvation; but if this was the case, it was known only to himself; he was unable to make it known to others; and, although he had been able to tell me if I asked, I was unable to discern it; for he that has not been enlightened by the Spirit of Christ himself, and brought out of darkness into marvellous light, is ill qualified to discern when that change takes place upon others.[15]

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