English: The Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798; chart of Aboukir Bay and of the action, with key
A detailed, annotated and scaled chart or plan of Aboukir Bay with the main action of the Battle of the Nile on the left, including the explosion of 'L'Orient', and the later disposition of the two fleets on the morning of 2 August shown on the right. Other ship positions in the aftermath are shown round the bay with a detailed key to ships guns (and crew numbers for the British) at the bottom. Pocock presumably drew this up to help his own understanding of the battle, and it may relate to the plan included in Clarke and MacArthur's life of Nelson (1809), which includes such battle plans for all Nelson's main fleet actions. Also there is evidence of his sources in a simpler and related engraved chart of the start of the action, published facing p. 521 of the 'Naval Chronicle' for 1799. This is entitled 'Chart of Aboukir Bay' and described 'As illustrating the Narrative of Lord Nelson's Action, which is inserted in our first number [with a related Pocock print, see PAD4019]. It was sketched by Mr Pocock, from the drawing of a French officer in Admiral de Bruey's fleet: an officer of Lord Nelson's placed the ships of his Majesty's squadron to the best of his judgement, from the points of view the drawing was taken. It is intended to accompany a separate account which Mr Pocock has prepared, as explanatory of his two designs of the Action off the Nile...'. This appears to be a reference to the two paintings of the action that Pocock showed in the Royal Academy exhibition of 1799, which are referred to on p. 518, and from which prints may have been made by then. Although this remains to be confirmed (e.g. PAI6398, published May 1799).