Tidings from Alexandria were dated until 5 July and referred to the fire at Cairo and the loss of a ship at Alexandria which was to be launched every moment.(4) The Egyptian pasha Mehemet Ali was quite upset and believed that the fire and the loss were caused by malevolence. In the ash of the wreck was the body of a Maltese found and first Mehemet Ali ordered to kill of each 10 labourers working on the arsenal one man. Later he was satisfied with the execution with the execution of the officer and 13 solders which were guarding the arsenal. The Egyptian squadron of 16 ships including 8 ships of the line and 3 frigates was busy with unloading the guns of the lowest gun decks and then to depart for the Turkish fleet. The French packet boat which brought these tidings with her met 4 hours after her departure from Alexandria a heavily damaged Egyptian frigate which was send out to watch the movements of the Turkish fleet. The newspaper doesn’t give a reason for her worse condition.
According to tidings coming from the Dardanelles dated until 4 July was the Turkish squadron commanded by the Capudan pasha and which left Constantinople 28 June still at sea. It consisted of 20 warships including 15 ships of the line or frigates. A French brig of war which was lying off Tenedos to observe the Turkish was ordered by the French representative Roussin to go to Smyrna to inform the French squadron commanded by rear admiral Gallois. Gallois was to go immediately with his ships to the moth of the Dardanelles and probably to follow the Turkish fleet towards Tripoli and Tunis. The squadron consisted of the ship of the lines Jupiter, Santi-Petri and Trident and some smaller vessels. The ship of the line Jena with on board admiral Lalande and which was anchored off Tunis had to join this squadron.
The British squadron commanded by admiral Stopford was 14 July still not arrived at Malta except for the packet boat Confiance commanded by his son. The squadron, which left Toulon 8 July waited off Minorca for a ship, loaded with victuals coming from Barcelona.
Sources
J. Vichot. Répertoire des navires de guerre francais. Paris, 1967.
www.shipscribe.com/marvap/classes/html
Notes
1. Le Montebello, laid down 1810, launched 1812, training ship for gunners and helmsmen 1860, last mentioned 1889. See for my note on this weblog published 18 October 2009 “The French ship of the line Montebello (1810) visited in 1838 while being prepared at the navy yard of Toulon”.
2. La Thétis, laid down at Toulon 1814, launched 1819, made a journey around the world with Bigainville 1824-1826, training ship for boys 1851-1861, renamed le Lanninon 1865, last mentioned 1866. A 44-gun 3rd class frigate of the Venus-class, sister ships Duchesse de Berry, Constance, Astree and Armide. Dimensions 152’7” (waterline)-154’0” (deck x 39’1” (middle)-40’0” (exterior) x 16’4” and a draught 17’8” (mean)-19’1” (maximum) with a displacement of 1.392 tons. Her crew numbered 327 men. According to www.shipsscribe.com laid down October 183, launched 3 May 1819, commissioned 8 march 1822 and stricken 12 December 1853. She was renamed le Lanninon before 1865 and finally broken up in 1866.
3. L’Armide, laid down at Lorient 1812, launched 1821, renamed l’Entrepôt 1866 and last mentioned 1888. A 44-gun 3rd class frigate of the Venus-class, sister ships Duchesse de Berry, Constance, Astree and Thetis. Dimensions 152’7” (waterline)-154’0” (deck x 39’1” (middle)-40’0” (exterior) x 16’4” and a draught 17’8” (mean)-19’1” (maximum) with a displacement of 1.392 tons. Her crew numbered 327 men. According to www.shipsscribe.com laid down June 1812, launched 1 May 1821, commissioned 5 March 1823 and stricken 22 December 1864 after becoming a storage hulk and renamed finally broken up in 1888.
4. The Nederlandsche Staatscourant dated 21 July reported that there had been a fire at a large scale at Cairo 21-24 June and 500-600 houses burnt with plundering inhabitants. Nothing was said about the loss of a ship. See however on this weblog notes dealing with the Egyptian navy in which indeed the loss of a ship was mentioned.
