20 WITH KITCHEHEE IH THE SOHDAH
confidently in taking their part in the bombardment, and
silently their ships one by one left the port. The Italian and American vessels remained for a time, and as the British
ships followed in stately order, their crews manned the rig-
ging and vociferously cheered our sailors, who replied as
heartily. All, save the British men-of-war, took up their
stations well out at sea, in a direction where they would be
out of the fire of the Egyptian batteries. It was not until
nine o’clock in the evening that the two last British ships,
the Invincible and Monarchy steamed out of port. At half-
past four in the morning the ships got under weigh again, and moved to the positions marked out for them. Fort Mex and the batteries on the sand-hills were faced by the PenelopCy
the Monarchy and the Invincible; the Alexandray the Superb, and the Sultan faced the harbour forts, Ada, Pharos, and
Eas-el-Teen; the Temeraire and Inflexible prepared to aid
the Invincible in her attack on Fort Mex, or to support the
three battle-ships engaged off the port, as might be required, and the five gun-boats moved away towards Fort Marabout, which lay some distance to the west of the town.
At seven o’clock the Alexandra began the engagement by
firing a single gun, then the whole fleet opened fire, the Egyp-
tian artillerymen replying with great steadiness and^ resolu-
tion. There was scarcely a breath of wind, and the ships were in a few instants shrouded in their own smoke, and were
frequently obliged to cease firing until this drifted slowly away, to enable them to aim their guns. The rattle of the machine-guns added to the din. Midshipmen were sent aloft, and these signalled down to the deck the result of each shot,
so that the gunners were enabled to direct their fire even when they could not see ten yards beyond the muzzle of the
guns. In a short time the forts and batteries showed how
terrible was the effect of the great shells. The embrasures were torn and widened ; there were great gaps in the masonry
of the buildings, and the hail of missiles from the machine- guns swept every spot near the Egyptian guns; and yet