1798
Departureofthesquadron—ArrivalatMalta—Dolomieu—GeneralBarguayd'Hilliers—Attackonthewesternpartoftheisland— Caffarelli'sremark—DeliveranceoftheTurkishprisoners—Nelson'spursuitoftheFrenchfleet—Conversationsonboard—HowBonapartepassedhis, time—QuestionstotheCaptains—Propositionsdiscussed —Morningmusic—Proclamation—AdmiralBrueys—TheEnglishfleetavoidedDangerouslanding—Bonaparteandhisfortune—Alexandriataken—Kléberwounded—Bonaparte'sentranceintoAlexandria.
, which, owingtoherheavylading, drewtoomuchwater, touchedtheground; butshewasgotoffwithoutmuchdifficulty.
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, however, , hadcausetorepenthismission, , , and, inconsequence, 'Hilliers' , scarcelyayearbefore, 'Hilliersjoineduswithhisdivision,—, , —thatwasall; 'coupdemain' thatGeneralCaffarelli, afterexaminingitsfortifications, saidtotheGeneral-in-Chief, inmypresence, "Uponmyword, General, itisluck: thereissomeoneinthetowntoopenthegatesforus."
BycomparingtheobservationofGeneralCaffarelliwithwhathasbeenpreviouslystatedrespectingtheprojectoftheexpeditiontoEgyptandMalta, anideamaybeformedofthevalueofBonaparte':
"ThecaptureofMaltawasnotowingtoprivateintrigues, !"
Itisnotthelesstrue, however, thatIwrote, byhisdictation, , "Maltacertainlypossessedvastphysicalmeansofresistance; , ; buttheyweresold; thecaptureofMaltawasassuredbeforeweleftToulon."
TheGeneral-in-ChiefproceededtothatpartoftheportwheretheTurksmadeprisonersbytheknightswerekept.