Lord St Vincent, while he continued to watch the Spaniards on the western coast of Europe, detached Ad miral Nelson with 13 ships of the line and a 50 gun ship in quest of the French, who, after twice crossing the Mediterranean, learnt that they had been seen on the coast of Egypt. Hither he steered his course, and com ing in sight of the Pharos of Alexandria, beheld the fleet of Admiral Breuys, consisting of 13 line of battle ships in the bay of Aboukir, with the headmost ship as close as possible to a shoal to the north west, and the rest of the fleet describing a curve along the line of deep water, flanked by numerous gun boats, and a battery of shells and mortars on an island in their van. On the 1st of August, Nelson having reconnoitered the enemy, deter mined on a dangerous, yet decisive manoeuvre, to which he could only be prompted by that high and heroic ar dour which borders on temerity. Having made himself acquainted, by repeated trials, of the depth of water near the shore, the signal was made (and boldly executed,) to turn the head of the French line, by which means the whole of the enemy's van was attacked on both sides before any of the French ships, rendered useless by be ing at anchor, could move to their assistance. The action commenced a little before sunset, and victory de clared in favour of England. The contest, however, was long and tremendous. At midnight, Admiral Breuys' ship, L'Orient, which fought with an energy worthy of her size, (she bore 120 guns,) blew up with an explo sion that was heard ten leagues from the scene of ac tion. The cannonading ceased on both sides for about ten minutes, with a pause expressive of that awe which the dreadful spectacle had inspired. After midnight the firing was at intervals suspended, from the excessive fa tigue of the combatants. At morning the victory was complete. Of a fleet of 13 sail of the line, the Admiral's ship of 120 guns and a 74 were burnt ; two 80, and seven 74's were captured ; two ships of the line and two fri gates escaped by flight, but were soon after taken ; so that the whole armament was either captured or de stroyed.
The debarkation of Bonaparte, with his staff and his vanguard, had been effected exactly a month before the battle of the Nile. After issuing a pompous proclama tion, declaring, that he came to deliver Egypt from the yoke of the Mainelukes, the French commander took Alexandria by storm. Rosetta soon alter surrendered, after which he proceeded to Grand Cairo. The Mame lukes twice gave him battle, and by the impetuous charges of their cavalry, put the fortitude and disci pline of his troops to the hardest trial ; but the hollow square of the French infantry was found impenetrable to the fury of their antagonists; and a victory which he gained some miles from the Pyramids, decided the fate of Lower Egypt. Mourad and Ibrahim Bey, the chief leaders of the Mamelukes, fled, the former to Upper Egypt, the latter to Syria. In the summer, an arma ment under Capt. Popham, with a body of troops com manded by Col. Cootc, bombarded Ostend, and landing near the town, (lid considerable damage to the basons, gates, and sluices of the Bruges canal. But after this petty service had been achieved, the troops were pre vented from reimbarking by the fury of the wind and surf, and surrendered, after a short contest, to a supe rior force of the enemy.
An expedition to Minorca proved more successful. General Stuart, with only 800 men, debarked from Ad miral Duckworth's squadron, and having forced, in ra pid succession, the most important posts of the island, with the aid of the frigates, and the co-operation of the seamen and marines, obliged the governor to capitulate for the surrender of the whole island.
About the same time, the British government finding / that St Domingo could not be retained without immense sacrifices, determined to abandon it. General Mait land, therefore, entered into a compromise with Tous saint Lou verture, (formerly a slave, but now commander in chief of the colony,) by which the British consented to leave the island, on condition of the lives and pro perties being granted to such white inhabitants as chose to remain. The victory of the Nile produced a sensa tion over all Europe, which was felt at Rastadt, where negotiations had been vainly conducted for a general system of continental indemnities, after the armed truce of Campo Formio. The attacks which were made by France upon Switzerland, Rome, and Egypt, afforded a just ground of quarrel to Austria, Naples, and the Ottoman Porte; while the accession of Paul, Emperor of Russia, who had lately succeeded his mother Cathe II., gave new hopes to the confederates. Hurried on by an imprudent confidence, the king of Naples first took the field, and advanced against the French at Rome, who retired at his approach ; but in the course of a few weeks, his whole army (commanded by the imperial general Mack,) was totally routed and dispersed, his capital taken by storm, and he himself obliged to fly for refuge to Sicily, abandoning his continental dominions.
Before the close of the year, a provincial treaty was signed at St Petersburgh, by which the emperor of Russia was to afford a succour of land forces, amount ing to 45,000 infantry and cavalry ; in consideration of which, his Britannic majesty engaged to furnish the emperor a subsidy of 75,000/. sterling per month, from the day on which the Russian troops should have passed the frontier; another subsidy of 37,000/. per month for extra charges ; and a further sum of 225,000/. in three months, to expedite the march of the troops to be em ployed.
The confidence with which the minister spoke of our new alliance, when the subject of the Russian subsidy came before parliament, was met by animadversions of a very different nature from the opposite side of the house. However dazzling the rising coalition might appear, it was observed, we had seen a former one of still more imposing promises broken to pieces by the enemy. The very name of subsidy implied selfishness in the powers who were to join us. If the interests of Europe were involved, it became its powers to fight for their own security, and not to become the hirelings of Britain. The supplies voted for 1799, amounted to thirty-nine millions. Ten millions of this sum Mr Pitt proposed to raise by a tax upon income, in lieu of the assessed taxes, which had failed in productiveness. Every per son whose income exceeded 601. a year, was to be sub ject to this tax. Incomes from 601. to 1001., were to be taxed in a trifling proportion. Those above 1001. were subjected to considerably more. From those of 2001. and upwards, a tenth part was to he levied. If the statement of income given in by any individual should be suspected by the commissioners of this tax to be false, they might examine upon oath. An appeal might lie from the lower to the higher commissioners, but with the latter the decision should be final. The land forces voted for this year, were somewhat larger than for the former year. For the navy, 120,000 men were required.