Bonaparte sailed in the Orient, a fine boat of 120 guns.
As she left the harbour, being very heavily laden, she drew too much water and touched the bottom, causing a short time of confusion among the fleet. The boatswain's mate, Boyer, of the Guillaume Tell, in which my father was sailing, shook his head gloomily.
"What is the matter, Boyer?" my father asked.
"Some disaster will happen to the fleet, General."
"Why should it?"
"Because the admiral's flag-ship touched ground. Don't you know it is an infallible omen?"
My father shrugged his shoulders.
Two months afterwards the fleet was destroyed at Aboukir.
The details of the crossing are well known: they took Malta as they passed—Malta the impregnable!