It will be remembered that at the close of 1796 scarcely a British man-of-war was to be seen in the Mediterranean. To estimate the work that St. Vincent and Nelson had since accomplished, it is only necessary to say that by the summer of 1799 the British Navy was everywhere, blockading Genoa and Malta, patrolling the Egyptian and Syrian coasts, and in possession of Minorca, while Nelson was stationed at Palermo. The French armies in Italy were cut off from reinforcements by our ships before Genoa. Bonaparte’s soldiers in Egypt were equally helpless, though he himself managed to get home in spite of the danger of capture. Attempts were of course made by the French to change this position. Rear-Admiral Perrée had served on the immense fleet which Bonaparte took to Egypt in 1798, and there was appointed to the command of the light flotilla intended to patrol the Nile. Most of his seniors were shortly afterwards killed or captured by Nelson’s fleet in Aboukir Bay, and he then took charge of the remaining frigates which had safely anchored at Alexandria, and which were compelled to remain there, as Captain Troubridge had established a blockade of the coast. When Bonaparte marched for Syria, early in 1799, Perrée was ordered to bring battering cannon to Haifa for the attack on Acre. It was some time before he got the opportunity to slip out of Alexandria, and he then found Jaffa the only place available for landing the guns. Accomplishing this, he vainly endeavoured to co-operate in the siege of Acre, but was driven off by the _Tigre_ and _Theseus_ under Sir Sydney Smith. The blockade made it impossible for Perrée to re-enter Alexandria. The five vessels therefore sailed for Toulon, and on June 18 we have in the log of the _Peterel_ the account of the capture of this unlucky squadron, within a few hours of their French haven. _June 17._--“Admiral (Lord Keith) and fleet in company. The _Emerald_ made signal for five sail in sight. The Admiral signalled for general chace. Answered his signal to us to keep between the Admiral and the chacing ships in N.E., to repeat signals. At 8 P.M. _Emerald_ N.E., six or seven miles, Admiral west, four miles. _June 18._--“One o’clock P.M. Saw four sail bearing N.W. At six, five sail of strangers in sight. At seven, perceived the _Centaur_ open a fire on the chace, which was returned. Saw two of them strike and shorten sail. Half-past seven, the _Emerald_ got up with, and took possession of, another. At eight o’clock the _Centaur_ brought to a fourth. The _Success_ and the _Triton_ in chace of the fifth. _June 19._--“At daylight, ten of the fleet and five prizes in company. Boats of the fleet employed on the 19th getting the prisoners out of the prizes. These ships proved to be a squadron which had escaped out of Alexandria on the 19th of March, and, after cruising a considerable time off Joppa, were returning to Toulon. Their names are as follows: