7. At the end of an hour flames were observed on the poop of the Orient. The nearest English ships brought their guns and musketry to bear upon the blazing poop, and made the task of extinguishing the fire quite hopeless. The flames spread rapidly, upward along the masts and the tarred rigging, downward to the lower decks, where her undaunted crew, still ignorant of their approaching doom, worked at the guns. Nelson, who had been struck on the forehead by a flying piece of iron, and for the time almost blinded, demanded to be led on deck, where he gave orders for the boats to be lowered to help in saving the unhappy crew. He then remained watching the progress of the fire. In less than an hour the flames reached the powder-magazine, when a terrific explosion shattered the great vessel into fragments, and hurled the brave seamen into the air. Ten minutes of death-like stillness passed before a gun dared to break the awful pause. In the meantime our sailors were busily rescuing the unfortunate French sailors that had been blown out of their ship.
8. At dawn it was found that the six ships of the French van had hauled down their flag. The Orient having blown up, there were six survivors. Of these three were ashore and helpless; but the other three, being in the rear, had received little injury, and now got under way to make off. On setting sail one of them ran aground. The crew escaped to the beach, and she was then set on fire by the captain, her colours flying as she burned. The two other ships escaped, for only one British ship was in condition to give chase.
9. The crews were so worn out with their night's work that "as soon as the men," writes Captain Miller of the Theseus, "had hove our sheet anchor up they dropped under the capstan bars, and were asleep in a moment in every sort of posture." Nelson took the earliest opportunity of returning thanks to God for this great victory:
"Vanguard, 2nd August, 1798.
"Almighty God having blessed His Majesty's arms with victory, the Admiral intends returning Public Thanksgiving for the same at two o'clock this day; and he recommends every ship doing the same as soon as convenient.
"HORATIO NELSON."
10. The results of Nelson's victory were highly important. In giving England the command of the Mediterranean, it utterly spoiled Bonaparte's design. He came to conquer Egypt, because he regarded that country as the gate to India and as a kind of jumping-off place from which to attack our Eastern possessions. But the loss of the French fleet left him and his army stranded in Egypt without the means of drawing supplies from France. Bonaparte did not at once give up all hope of reaching India. He crossed the desert into Syria, but was brought to a standstill before the walls of Acre. And on trying to take the place by storm, his troops were hurled back by the Turkish garrison, with the aid of a small British squadron under Sir Sidney Smith. Bonaparte was wont to say, in later days, that but for Sidney Smith, he might have died Emperor of the East.
11. To the victory of the Nile we also owe our possession of Malta; for the destruction of the French Mediterranean fleet left our ships free to blockade, without serious hindrance, the harbour of Valetta, and to starve out the French garrison by whom it was held. Thus fell into our hands one of the strongest links of the chain that binds India to England, and what is regarded—from its strong fortress, excellent harbour, and central situation—-the best naval station in the Mediterranean.
(8) NELSON'S CROWNING VICTORY.
1. Napoleon hastened back from Egypt to France at the first opportunity, and being raised to supreme power took measures for building a strong fleet. This he viewed as the first step towards the invasion of England. He next collected an immense flotilla of flat-bottomed boats at Boulougne, to transport an invading army across the Channel. His troops were eagerly awaiting the signal to embark, like hounds straining at the leash with the hare in sight.