himself at fault, and his judgment may be allowed, although in his own
case. "If I could have had any cruisers, as was my plan, off Cape Bon,
in Africa, and between Corsica and Toulon, Mr. Buonaparte could not
probably have got to France." This he said to Earl Spencer. Elsewhere
he wrote: "I have regretted sincerely the escape of Buonaparte; but
those ships which were destined by me for the two places where he
would certainly have been intercepted, were, from the Admiralty
thinking, doubtless, that the Russians would do something at sea,
obliged to be at Malta, and other services which I thought the Russian
Admiral would have assisted me in--therefore, no blame lies at my
door." He took some comfort in contrasting the stealthy return of the
French general, with the great armada that accompanied his departure.
"No Crusader ever returned with more humility--contrast his going in
L'Orient, &c. &c."

A report that Bonaparte had passed Corsica reached Nelson on October
24th. The same day came despatches from Sir Sidney Smith, narrating a
disastrous defeat sustained by the Turks on the shores of Aboukir Bay.
Smith's period of command in the Levant had been chiefly, and
brilliantly, distinguished by the successful defence of Acre against
Bonaparte. The latter, threatened by simultaneous attacks by the Turks
from Syria and from the sea, had determined to anticipate such a
combination by going himself against the enemy on the land side,
before the weather conditions made it possible to disembark any
formidable body of men on the shores of Egypt. Starting with this
purpose in February, he had proceeded with slight resistance until the
18th of March, when his army appeared before Acre. Smith was then
lying in the roads with two ships-of-the-line. The siege which ensued
lasted for sixty-two days, so great was Bonaparte's pertinacity, and
anxiety to possess the place; and in its course Smith displayed, not