J'étais allé, E.B. 1 74, Obs

1. 13. Brueys. The orders he had received from Bonaparte were either, (1) to take shelter in Alexandria, or (2) to occupy a strong position at Aboukir, or (3) if neither of these were possible, to retreat to Corfu. His supplies were not sufficient for the third alternative, and at the same time he was averse to taking away from his countrymen their one chance of retreat if things went wrong in Egypt. He determined to remain at Aboukir, where his fleet was destroyed by Nelson in the

battle of the Nile (called in French the battle of Aboukir), and he himself was killed in the action.

1. 17. la passe d'Alexandrie, the entrance to the harbour. Of course the buoys which marked out the navigable channel were removed in war-time. Brueys did find the channel, but his ships could not get in.

1. 21. passeurs dean, 'mere ferrymen,' whose business was to take the land-forces backwards and forwards, not to fight.

1. 23. qu'il en eût peur, E.B. 247, 'that he should have been afraid of them.' We should say 'if he had '