Being but a short thousand miles from Gibraltar, the circles of military command exercised by these two places intersect.

The present day has seen the stretch from Malta to the Isthmus of Suez, formerly without a station, guarded by the cession to her of Cyprus.

Egypt, despite the jealousy of France, has passed under English control.

The importance of that position to India, understood by Napoleon and Nelson, led the latter at once to send an officer overland to Bombay with the news of the battle of the Nile and the downfall of Bonaparte's hopes.

Even now, the jealousy with which England views the advance of Russia in Central Asia is the result of those days in which her sea power and resources triumphed over the weakness of D'Ache and the genius of Suffren, and wrenched the peninsula of India from the ambition of the French.
"For the first time since the Middle Ages," says M.Martin, speaking of the Seven Years' War, "England had conquered France single-handed almost without allies, France having powerful auxiliaries.