Identifier: navalbattlesanci00ship (find matches)
Title: Naval battles, ancient and modern
Year: 1883 (1880s)
Authors: Shippen, Edward, 1826-1911
Subjects: Naval battles
Publisher: Philadelphia (etc.) J.C. McCurdy & co.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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plenipotentiary to the Sublime Porte. In consequence of an express received from Achmed Djezzar, Governor of Syria, with, the information that Bonaparte had invaded that country, and had carried Jaffa by storm, and that the French were also preparing an expedition by sea, Sir Sidney sent off the Theseus, Captain Miller, to Acre, as well as a small vessel to reconnoitre the Syrian coast and rejoin the Theseus at Caiffa. Acre was the next town and fortified place on the coast, north of Jaffa, and was in a bay of the same name, the southern port of which was the headland celebrated from very ancient times as Mount Carmel. The bay is very much exposed to winds from every quarter but the east and south, and at all times is a rough and uncertain anchorage. Just within the southern cape of Carmel, where the Mount drops away and the country becomes flat. Is the town of Haiffa or Kaiffa, and beyond that, at the turn of the bay, before one comes to Acre, is the mouth of the river Kishon. This mouth, except when the
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Siege of Acre, 1799
SIR SIDNEY SMITH AND HIS SEAMEN AT ACRE. 335
river is in flood, is obstructed by sand bars, and is generally to be forded with care. On the 13th of March the Theseus, a 74, arrived at Acre, and on the 15th the Tigre, Alliance and Marianne also anchored in that port; and Sir Sidney Smith, finding that the Turks were disposed to defend the place, used every exertion to put the walls in a state to resist an attack. On the 17th the Theseus was sent to the south-ward, and Sir Sidney, with the boats of the Tigre, proceeded to the anchorage of Caiffa, under Mount Carmel. That evening, after dark, the advanced guard of the French was discovered, mounted on asses and dromedaries, and passing along the coast road, close to the seaside, and a launch, with a 12-lb carronade, was sent to the mouth of the river, to defend the ford. At daybreak the next morning this launch opened a most unexpected fire on the French column, and compelled it to change its route, so that when they took the Nazareth road they be

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