Ganteaume's expeditions of 1801 Alexandria on 29 June and immediately invaded, rapidly advancing inland and defeating the Mamluk rulers of Egypt at the Battle of the Pyramids on 21 July. While the army had pushed inland, the fleet, under Vice-Admiral François-Paul Brueys D'Aigalliers, had anchored in Aboukir Bay near Alexandria, and was found there in the afternoon of 1 August by Nelson's fleet. Despite the growing darkness, Nelson attacked at once and in the three-day Battle of the Nile destroyed or captured eleven ships of the line and two frigates. Just two ships of the line and two frigates escaped and among the more
HMS Lady Nelson (1798) driving her back to the north; on 21 June heavy seas resulted in the loss of the "Lady Nelson"s boat. The safety of Twofold Bay was not reached until 24 June by which time all "Lady Nelson"s supply of bread had been consumed and only three casks of water remained. A raft was constructed from her spars in order to get ashore to replenish their supply of fresh water and the "Lady Nelson"s carpenter was sent to cut timber with which to build a punt to replace the lost boat. "Lady Nelson" left Twofold Bay on 1 July to continue