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Chapter 1148: Smoke Over Gibraltar

Izzet opened the two petitions with a look of surprise, his brow furrowing instantly. He turned to Selim III and said, "Your Majesty, they are requesting that Muhammad Ali be appointed as the Governor of Egypt."

Indeed, this was the condition Joseph had set for releasing Ibrahim and maintaining the status of the other Mamluk nobles.

Given Muhammad Ali's current standing, without the support of the local Egyptian powers, the position of Governor would never have fallen to him so easily.

In history, he had started as a mid-level officer in Egypt, using his wits to win over various factions. It had taken him nearly five years to gradually seize control of the Egyptian government.

Joseph, however, had no intention of waiting five years. He had to give the man a push.

Selim III was also taken aback that a minor Albanian officer could command such prestige in Egypt.

More than two weeks later, the officials he had sent to Egypt to investigate returned. They reported that, at present, only Muhammad Ali possessed the authority to simultaneously suppress the Mamluk military and manage the Arab populace at the grassroots level.

Ultimately, Selim III had no choice but to accept the reality of allowing this Albanian to govern Egypt.

On June 22, 1797.

In the Ottoman bureaucratic system, this was the official responsible for provincial finances, taxation, and land—essentially the head of civil administration.

Acting on Izzet's advice, Selim III did not directly appoint Ali as Governor. This way, if the man made even a slight mistake, the Sultan could immediately drop a new Governor into the position from above.

Of course, with Muhammad Ali now holding both military and administrative power, he was the Governor in all but name.

As soon as this acting governor took office, he immediately raised the tariffs on British textiles. Although it was only a three percent increase, it was the limit of his current capability.

This was part of the agreement he had previously reached with the French. Over the coming year, he would gradually increase the tariffs on British goods to over thirty percent.

As for Egyptian exports like cotton and sugar, they would be sold to the Eastern Mediterranean Trading Company at highly favorable prices.

Furthermore, he declared the French scientific and survey teams within Egypt to be most distinguished guests. He decreed that no one was to interfere with their work and specifically dispatched several hundred soldiers to serve as their escort.

...

To the west of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Dozens of British battleships loomed like great beasts upon the sea, staring hungrily toward the horizon to deter the joint Franco-Spanish fleet stationed near the Gulf of Almeria.

Behind these massive warships, dozens of transport vessels of various sizes hurried past. Their hulls sat low in the water, clearly laden with heavy cargo.

Another thirty steam warships, belching thick black smoke, sailed close by to protect these supply ships.

While it was unlikely that French steamships would risk an attack in the narrow strait, these supplies were too vital for the British to permit any negligence.

In the briefing room of the Victory, an officer was reporting the latest status of the Gibraltar fortress to Brigadier General Pix, the commander-in-chief of the British Mediterranean Fleet.

"The French artillery fire is ferocious. Nearly half of the towns outside the fortress have been destroyed, and over four thousand residents have been forced to seek refuge inside the walls..."

Pix frowned, cutting him off. "Half the town, you say? It has only been half a month since they began the full siege. How could they have caused so much destruction?"

The officer quickly clarified, "General, it seems to be the result of the French hot-air balloons used for artillery spotting. According to reports from the townspeople, a quarter of the shells have landed accurately on buildings that were previously untouched."

"Damn it! Those death traps that could drop a man at any moment are actually useful?"

The messenger didn't dare respond. He looked back at his documents and continued, "Currently, the food and water in the fortress can last for three months, but the ammunition will only suffice for about a month of combat."

"Of course, that assumes we do not have to provide food and water for the civilians..."

"The Franco-Spanish forces outside the fortress number fifteen thousand. We estimate they have around forty heavy cannons of twenty-four pounds or more..."

"There are also four floating batteries at sea..."

Once the messenger finished his report, Pix dismissed him and immediately turned to Colonel Curtis. "Is the Marine contingent ready?"

"Ready to land at a moment's notice, General."

Pix nodded, gesturing for several generals to gather around as he reiterated the plan for the resupply operation.

Indeed, the Franco-Spanish coalition had changed their tactics from twenty years ago. They no longer relied on massive floating batteries to bombard the fortress. Instead, they concentrated the vast majority of their strength on land, using the fortresses of Santa Barbara and San Felipe as bases. They intended to wear down Gibraltar's defenses through precision artillery strikes.

Even the supply ships coming ashore were now threatened by land-based fire.

This was a situation they had never faced before.

Consequently, the British Navy had to coordinate with the forces inside the fortress during resupply runs to launch suppressive attacks against the coalition artillery, thereby minimizing losses to the transport ships.

All of this was because the French now possessed hot-air balloons that could provide a literal eye in the sky.

Not only could they see the British transports approaching the shore, but they could also guide the army's heavy guns. Although the hit rate was bound to be low—since hitting a target as small as a transport ship at such range required high-angle howitzers—the effect was still devastating.

Even if the shells only landed on the beach, they could easily crush the soldiers tasked with hauling the supplies.

Moreover, with shells constantly plunging into the surrounding waters and sending up plumes of spray fifteen meters high, anyone would find their nerves frayed.

And if the French gunners managed to land a lucky hit just once, they would be richly rewarded.

Half a month ago, during a minor resupply run, a four-hundred-ton transport ship had its starboard side pierced by a shell. They were forced to dump all its cargo into the sea to lighten the vessel and prevent it from sinking.

Just as Pix began to catch the faint rumble of cannons from the coast, a steam frigate caught up with the Victory.

An officer entered the briefing room and handed Pix a secret dispatch.

The General opened the cylinder with a look of confusion. As he unfurled the document, his expression grew grim.

It was an order from the Admiralty, instructing him to finish the Gibraltar resupply and immediately head for Egypt. According to reliable intelligence, French forces had landed at the Port of Alexandria nine days ago.

Pix understood the critical importance of Egypt better than most.

It was not just a vital source of raw materials and a market; it was the frontline for French control over North Africa and their expansion into the Middle East.

Even more serious was the fact that it served as the land transit route between the Red Sea and Egypt. The British East India Company frequently offloaded lighter goods at the Gulf of Suez, transported them overland to the Mediterranean, and then reloaded them onto ships bound for Europe.

If France controlled Egypt and managed to dig a canal connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, it would be a death blow to a nation like Britain that survived on maritime trade.