On the 18th he chaced and captured the looked for flotilla off Cape Carmel, afterwards landed the ammunition it contained, and mounted the heavy cannon upon the ramparts of the Syrian bulwark and capital. Its works were much strengthened under the able eye of Colonel Philippeaux, and never were a few critical hours better applied than those which preceded the investment of St. Acre. The greater part of the Marines of the Tygre, Theseus, and Alliance were disembarked, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel (now Sir John) Douglas, who was vested by Sir Sidney with the Brevet Commission of Colonel, in order that the Turkish Forces, and the Seamen, who were also landed, might be under his orders. From the 17th to the 23d of March the boats of the Tygre and Theseus were constantly employed in union with some gun vessels, in harassing the enemy's posts, checking his approaches, and cutting off his coasting supplies, upon which services Lieutenant Burton and the Marines under his command were distinguished for persevering gallantry. Upon the 20th the French opened their trenches against the front of the salient angle, on the East side of the town, and within 900 yards. Between that and the 1st of April, they kept up a cannonade, when it appearing to the enemy that a breach had been made in the tower, against which their fire had been levelled, and conceiving also that the counterscarp had suffered from a mine they had sprung, the republicans advanced to storm it. In both, however, they were deceived; and though the Turks were at first panic struck, yet stimulated by the heroic examples of the Seamen and Marines, they returned to their post, and continued to pour down a shower of stones and grenades upon the assailants, until they retired with a heavy loss. The squadron having been driven from its anchorage in the Bay, encouraged the French to push on their approaches to the counterscarp, a part of which they destroyed, and also made a lodgment in the North East angle of the wall, whence they began to undermine the tower. To avert its effects a sortie was deemed, advisable on the 7th of April, in which the British Seamen and Marines were to dash into the mine, while the Turks were to attempt the republican trenches to the right and left. Colonel Douglas led this attack, in three columns, at the head of each of which were the Marines, just before the break of day, and it would, most probably, have been a surprize, if the undisciplined clamour of their Mahometan Allies, had not proclaimed their approach to the enemy.