HMS Emerald (1795) dispatched a squadron of five ships, including "Emerald" and commanded by Nelson in the 74-gun , to locate a large invasion fleet that had left Toulon. After receiving intelligence on 22 May, Nelson correctly predicted the French fleet's destination and set course for Alexandria where the British captured or destroyed all but two of the French ships at the Battle of the Nile, which occurred between 1–3 August 1798. "Emerald" missed the battle; having previously become separated from the rest of the squadron in a storm on 21 May, she arrived at Aboukir Bay on 12 August. When Nelson left
Action of 18 August 1798 the battle, Captain Thomas Thompson of "Leander" abandoned the stranded "Culloden" and joined the second wave of attack against the French centre, focusing fire on the bow of the 120-gun French first rate "Orient". Within an hour, "Orient" caught fire under the combined attack of three ships and later exploded, effectively concluding the engagement in Nelson's favour. During the next two days, the lightly damaged "Leander" was employed in forcing the surrender of several grounded French vessels, and by the afternoon of 3 August Nelson was in complete control of Aboukir Bay. Only four French ships, two ships of the