THE WAR OF GREEK INDEPENDENCE 1821 TO 1833 BY W.ALISON PHILLIPS 1897

252 THE WAR OF GKEEK INDEPENDENCE
sail on an enterprise which could only have been justified
by brilliant success. At the beginning of June he
put to sea with a squadron of twenty-two war vessels
and six fire-ships, without letting it be known what was
his destination. Not till he had passed the island of
Crete did he inform his captains that it was his intention
to sail for Alexandria and attempt to destroy the
fleet which Mehemet Ali was now fitting out in order
to enable Ibraham to crush the last remnants of the
Greek sea-power.
On the 17th of June Cochrane appeared
off Alexandria. The Egyptians were utterly
taken by surprise, and the guard-ship at the mouth of
the port was destroyed before it could make its escape.
Had the Greeks at once sailed boldly into the harbour,
it is possible that they might have succeeded
in destroying the Egyptian fleet, which was but half
equipped and quite unprepared for an engagement.
Failure, however, would have meant utter destruction;
and Cochrane did not venture to risk his ships
through the narrow entrance to the port. He contented
himself with hovering about outside; while
Mehemet in person, furious at the insult to his capital,
pressed on the armament of his ships, and,
as soon as
they were ready, stood out to sea to punish the presumption
of the Greeks. These, however, did not
care to risk an engagement with Mehemet's superior