The squadron commanded by rear admiral Gallois anchored 29 August in the mouth of the channel fore Goleta. She consisted of the ships of the line Jupiter, Santi Petri and Trident commanded by the captains Guernel, Guérin des Essarts and Mauduit-Duplessis. The rear admiral hoisted his flag on board of the Jupiter. The arrival of more French warships at Goleta was expected. One steamboat brought the orders to rear admiral Lalande to sail as soon as possible to Tunis to join Gallois. It was almost certain that the Turkish fleet consisted of 12 or 14 ships including 6 ships of the line or frigates. The government packet la Chimère lieutenant Jeannin left Tunis 29 August and brought with her tidings dealing with the situation there. A newspaper of Toulon published some tidings from Tunis which came home with the same packet. According to this newspaper anchored the ships of the line Santi-Petri and Trident near the fortress of Goleta. The Jupiter with on board the rear admiral stayed for some days at sea, probably to have the honour of the first gunshot. The Turkish squadron still didn’t appear. Steamboats are searching for Lalande with orders to come. The steamboat le Tartare arrived with a considerable cargo of coal off Tunis destined for the steamboats coming back with Lalande. Another newspaper of Toulon reported that 26 August off the Tunisian coast 1 frigate, 1 corvette and a goelette of the Egyptian navy appeared with orders to collect taxes. They left in the night of 28-28 August, perhaps driven away by the French navy. And before the departure of the Chimère arrived a British ship of the line off Tunis which is all most certain to be joined by other British warships. According to another news item were the Egyptian warships parts of the Turkish fleet commanded by the Kapudan pasha. The Bey of Tunis prevented before the arrival of the French squadron that these warships were unloaded with the threat using violence.
