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 NAPOLEON IN EXILE; 
 
 OR, 
 
 a Wafct from &t* 
 
 THE 
 
 OPINIONS AND REFLECTIONS OP 
 
 NAPOLEON 
 
 ON THE 
 MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF HIS LIFE AND GOVERNMENT, 
 
 IN HIS OWN WORDS. 
 
 BY BARRY E. O'MEARA, ESQ. 
 
 HIS LATE SURGEON. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES, 
 VOL. I. 
 
 SIXTH EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JONES AND CO., 
 
 3, ACTON PLACE, KINGSLAND ROAD. 
 
 1827.
 
 o 
 
 2013933
 
 ' f;f JAS'.i' / 
 
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 THE Cameo, an engraving from which is given in the 
 frontispiece, was executed before the battle of Marengo, 
 previous to the time when Napoleon became corpulent. 
 Madame Mtre* when she presented it to me, informed me 
 that it was then considered to be an excellent likeness ; 
 and indeed its resemblance to what he was when I saw him, 
 was striking, making allowance for his features having lost 
 much of the sharpness shewn in the Cameo. 
 
 . The engraving from the Cameo has been pronounced by 
 M. Revelli, of Duncan-place, Leicester-square, Professorc 
 emerito of the university of Turin, to be a most striking 
 likeness of Napoleon at the period mentioned. It may be 
 necessary to observe, that no other painter was favoured 
 with such opportunities of forming a correct judgment on 
 the subject as M. Revelli ; as, independent of having fre- 
 quently seen him at an early age, he resided for several 
 months with Napoleon at Elba, as his painter, and exe- 
 cuted a beautiful portrait of him, which is now in his pos- 
 session. 
 
 The following is a translation of the fac-simile of Napo- 
 leon's hand-writing under the Cameo " If he sees my good 
 Louise, I beg of her to permit him to kiss her hand." 
 
 The engraving from the Medal to be placed after UK 
 Prefaces in Vol. I. 
 
 The whole length portrait of Napoleon to face the 
 title of the second volume. 
 
 * Napoleon's Mother. 
 
 Explanation 
 VOL. i. a
 
 VI 
 
 Explanation of the figures in the representation of the 
 House in front of the Appendix, Volume II. 
 
 Fig. 
 
 1. Billiard-Room. 
 
 2. Drawing-room. 
 
 3. Napoleon's Writing-room, af- 
 tejwards converted into a 
 Bed-Room. 
 
 4. His first Bed-Room. 
 .5. Marchand's-Room. 
 
 6. Inferior Servant's Hall. 
 
 7. Kitchen. 
 
 Fig. 
 
 8. Count Las Cases' first Room. 
 The Garret above for hit; 
 son. 
 
 9. Orderly Officer's Room. 
 
 10. General Gourgaud's. 
 
 11. Mr. O'Meara's. 
 
 12. New Rooms built for Count 
 
 and Countess Montholon and 
 family. 
 
 The Commissioners were allowed to come as far as the 
 gate represented in the plate.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 PLACED by peculiar circumstances arising 
 from my profession, near the person of the 
 most extraordinary man perhaps of any age, 
 in the most critical juncture of his life, I de- 
 termined to profit by the opportunities af- 
 forded me, as far as I could consistently with 
 honour. The following volumes are the result. 
 The reader will see in the very outset of the 
 work, how it was that I became attached as a 
 medical officer to the household of Napoleon. 
 That it was in consequence of his own appli- 
 cation, by the advice of my superiors, and with 
 the full concurrence of the lords of the ad- 
 miralty. I never sought the situation ; it was 
 in some degree assigned me ; and most as^ 
 suredly I should have shrunk from the accept- 
 ance of it, hadlcontemplatedthepossibilityof 
 being even remotely called on to compromise 
 the principles either of an officer or a gentle- 
 man. Before, however I had been long 
 scorched upon the rock of St. Helena, I was 
 taught to appreciate the embarrassments of
 
 Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 my situation. I saw soon that I must either 
 become accessory to vexations for which there 
 was no necessity, or incur suspicions of no 
 very comfortable nature. Fortunately for my 
 honour, my happiness, and indeed for every 
 thing except my interests, I did not hesitate* 
 Humanity required of me a consideration for 
 my patient. The uniform I wore imperiously 
 commanded that I should not soil it by indig- 
 nities to a captive, and my country's character 
 pledged me to hold sacred the misfortunes 
 of the fallen. This I did. It is my pride to 
 avow it : a pride inferior only to that which 
 I feel in finding those men my enemies who 
 consider it a crime. 
 
 The few alleviations which I had it in my 
 power to offer, Napoleon repaid by the con- 
 descension with which he honoured me; and 
 my necessary professional intercourse was soon 
 increased into an intimacy, if I may speak of 
 intimacy with such a personage. In fact, in 
 the seclusion of Longwood, he soon almost 
 entirely laid aside the emperor ; with those 
 about him, he conversed familiarly on his 
 past life, and sketched the characters, and 
 detailed the anecdotes which are here pre- 
 sented faithfullv to the reader. The unre-
 
 PREFACE. IX 
 
 served manner in which he spoke of every 
 thing can only he conceived by those who 
 heard him ; and though where his own con- 
 duct was questioned he had a natural human 
 leaning towards himself, still truth appeared 
 to be his principal if not his only object. 
 In the delineation of character he was pecu- 
 liarly felicitous. His mind seemed to con- 
 centrate its beams on the object he wished 
 to elucidate, and its prominent features be- 
 came instantly discernible. The intimate ac- 
 quaintance which he necessarily possessed 
 with all the great characters who figured 
 in Europe for the last thirty years gave to 
 his opinions and observations more than or- 
 dinary interest ; indeed from no other source 
 could such authentic information be ac- 
 quired. Notwithstanding the interval which 
 elapsed since many of the occurrences al- 
 ludecl to took place, and the distracting oc- 
 cupations which must have employed his 
 mind, it was wonderful to see how freshly he 
 remembered every transaction which became 
 the subject of inquiry. If there was any 
 thing more extraordinary than this, it was the 
 apathy with which he perused the libels which 
 were written on him he seemed inspired
 
 X PREFACE. 
 
 with a conviction of posthumous fame, beyond 
 the reach of contemporary depreciation. But 
 perhaps a knowledge of the man may be bet- 
 ter acquired from seeing him as he really was 
 during the first three years of his residence at 
 St. Helena, than from any speculative deduc- 
 tion as he appeared, spoke, acted, and seemed 
 to feel, the reader shall have him. It may 
 perhaps be only right to add, that some of 
 the observations or arguments on particular 
 subjects were committed to paper from Na- 
 poleon's own dictation. 
 
 Before, however, we go further, I feel that 
 the public have a right to demand how far 
 they can depend on the authenticity of these 
 volumes. To the friends who know me I 
 hope no verification is necessary to my de- 
 tractors even mathematical proof would be 
 unavailing to those who are prejudiced nei- 
 ther on one side nor the other, the following 
 corroborations are submitted. 
 
 In the first place, then, I refer to the fac 
 simile of Napoleon's hand-writing prefixed to 
 the frontispiece, and given to me by himself 
 as a proof of the confidence with which he 
 treated me the original of this any person 
 who chooses to apply to me shall see. I refer
 
 PREFACE. XI 
 
 also to the whole Longwood household, more 
 particularly to the executors, Counts Bertrand 
 and Montholon, and to Count Las Cases, as to 
 the facilities I had, and the familiarity with 
 which I was honoured. This, I hope, will 
 be sufficient on the score of opportunity. 
 
 The next point is as to the accuracy of the 
 transcript. Upon this subject my plan was 
 as follows. I spoke as little and listened as 
 attentively as I could, seldom interposing, ex- 
 cept for the purpose of leading to those facts 
 on which I wished for information. To my 
 memory, though naturally retentive, I did not 
 entirely trust ; immediately on retiring from 
 Napoleon's presence, I hurried to my chamber 
 and carefully committed to paper the topics of 
 conversation, with, so far as I could, the 
 exact words used. Where I had the least 
 doubt as to my accuracy, I marked it in my 
 journal, and by a subsequent . recurrence to 
 the topic, when future opportunities offered, 
 I satisfied myself; this, although I have avoid- 
 ed them as much as possible, may account 
 for some occasional repetitions, but 1 have 
 thought it better to appear sometimes tedious, 
 than ever to run the risk of a mistatement. 
 My long residence at Longwood rendered
 
 Xll PREFACE. 
 
 those opportunities frequent, and the facility 
 of communication which Napoleon allowed, 
 made the introduction of almost any subject 
 easy. Thus did I form my original journal ; 
 as it increased in interest, it became of course 
 to me an object of increased solicitude ; and 
 as nothing which could possibly occur at St. 
 Helena would have surprised me, I deter- 
 mined to place its contents at least beyond 
 the power of that spoliation which afterwards 
 was perpetrated on some of my other pro- 
 perty. Having purchased in the island, a 
 machine for that purpose, I transmitted at 
 intervals the portions copied, to a friend on 
 board one of his majesty's ships in the roads, 
 who forwarded them as opportunities oc- 
 curred, to Mr. Holmes of Lyon's Inn, Na- 
 poleon's respectable agent in London. The 
 entire of this copy Mr. Holmes duly received 
 some time previous to my return to England, 
 as appears below by his own authentication,* 
 and part of the silver paper manuscript as he 
 received it, I have deposited with my pub* 
 
 * 3, Lyon's Inn, June 2Zd, 1822. 
 
 I certify that I received all the papers alluded to by Mr. 
 O'Meara in the Preface, a considerable time before his ar- 
 rival in England, WILLIAM HOLMES.
 
 PREFACE. Xlll 
 
 iishers for the satisfaction of the sceptical. 
 Thus, for the authenticity of the following 
 conversations the reader has the guarantees, 
 first, of the undoubted opportunities afforded 
 me, 2ndly, of their having been taken on the 
 spot, Srdly, of their having been transmitted 
 at the moment, and 4thly, of the original do- 
 cument itself, authenticated by the person to 
 whom it had been consigned and now sub- 
 mitted to general inspection. Independent of 
 these, I think I may refer with confidence to 
 those third persons, whose interviews with 
 Napoleon are occasionally introduced ; and 
 some of the official members of his majesty's 
 government cannot with truth deny, that 
 many of the political conversations were by 
 me communicated at no great interval after 
 their occurrence. Such communications I 
 considered it my duty to make wherever I 
 thought their import might benefit the coun- 
 try. What use ministers may have made of 
 them I know not, but certainly the preventive 
 system with respect to smugglers was adopted 
 soon after the transmission of Napoleon's con- 
 versation on the subject. Perhaps, however, 
 after all, the best proof of the authenticity of 
 these volumes will be found in their own con- 
 tentsindependent of the internal evidence 
 
 b
 
 XVI PREFACE. 
 
 Such were the attempts, certainly not un- 
 accountable, to cancel all recollection of Na- 
 poleon, at least in his captivity those who 
 issued these orders forgot that the power did 
 not accompany the mil to subject the publi- 
 cations of Englishmen to an imprimatur. De- 
 spising the denunciation as I did, and from 
 my heart do, I have, however, thought it only 
 my duty not to publish these conversations 
 till after Napoleon's death ; nor have I done 
 so even now, without the knowledge of his 
 executors. All danger from them is past : the 
 tongue which uttered them is silent for ever* 
 and history has a right to them. 
 
 If 1 was disposed to comment on these let- 
 ters, I should say that they proceed altogether 
 upon a wrong assumption, namely, that an 
 official footing at Longwood gave to any one 
 the power of obtaining the information which 
 I collected. Nothing can be more absurd. 
 If I had acted a different part from what I 
 did if, in place of reconciling the allegiance 
 of a subject with the compassion of a Chris- 
 tian, and preserving the rights of my country, 
 while I took care not to compromise the feel- 
 ings of my nature I tried to make my cilice 
 the avenue to fortune if I sunk the man in
 
 PREFACE. XV11 
 
 the menial if I became an official slave in- 
 stead of an honest servantif I courted power, 
 by straining my loyalty to suit the purposes 
 of mean vexation and unmanly vengeance 
 if I lifted up my hoof against the dead lion, 
 or displayed my pigmy prowess by a dastard 
 warfare upon the helpless infirmities of a fallen 
 enemy ; I should not only have had no op- 
 portunities of access, but I should have been 
 proscribed Napoleon's, and man's society. 
 But I acted altogether upon different princi- 
 ples ; after having devoted the best fifteen 
 years of my life to combating his soldiers in 
 the field, and on the wave, I forgot when he 
 was my country's prisoner, that he had ever 
 been my country's foe. I thought the con- 
 quest of clemency, superior even to that of 
 valour, and that a proud country should make 
 her enemies confess, not only that she con- 
 quered, but that she deserved to conquer. 
 In such a place as St. Helena, there could 
 have been no danger from the worst man's 
 deviating into feelings of humanity ; fenced 
 round, as it is, with the most frightful preci- 
 pices, with only one practicable place of egress, 
 and that one not only bristling with cannon, 
 and crowded with guards, but effectually barri-
 
 XV111 PREFACE. 
 
 cadoedbyour squadron, escape could scarcely 
 have been effected by a miracle. The simple 
 precaution which Napoleon himself suggested, 
 of never suffering any ship to sail, until his 
 actual safety should be ascertained, might 
 have obviated the necessity of almost any 
 other. Having said thus much upon the mo- 
 tives by which my conduct has been ac- 
 tuated, I have only to add, that although I 
 shall contemptuously pass by any anonymous 
 insinuations, I am*, ready to meet any charge 
 before any tribunal whatsoever, where the 
 truth can be investigated. Let me only have 
 an opportunity of proof and a responsible 
 accuser. In the face of the world, I chal- 
 lenge investigation. With respect to the 
 mandate issued by the Admiralty against pub- 
 licaton, it is suited to the meridian rather of 
 Algiers, than of England the very at tempt in 
 a free country, need only be mentioned to be 
 reprobated ; it must have proved as abortive 
 as it was despotic, for even were any English- 
 man base enough to obey it, the Frenchman 
 need not ; so that it was at best but a bungling 
 refinement on the revolutionary device said 
 to have been proposed, of burning the books 
 in Paris, to annihilate learning, as if no other
 
 PREFACE. X*1X 
 
 copies existed in the world. With this re- 
 mark, however, I shall dismiss the subject, as 
 it is difficult to say, whether the credit of the 
 measure is due to the present literary board, 
 or to those lay philosophers, whose future 
 censorship has been since cruelly dispensed 
 with by the House of Commons. 
 
 With respect to the views of men and 
 things taken by Napoleon in his remarks, I 
 beg to guard myself against any adoption of 
 them a"s my own. I am merely the narrator. 
 I give them as the substance of his interesting 
 and unreserved conversations, neither vouch- 
 ing for the critical exactness of his dates, nor 
 the justness of his opinions, nor indeed for 
 any thing but the accuracy of my report. I 
 only engage to the reader to lay before him 
 Napoleon's sentiments as that extraordinary 
 man uttered them. 
 
 " Warm from the heart, and faithful to its fires." 
 
 In making this remark, however, I am 
 bound to add, that I neither avoid nor evade 
 inquiry ; in any investigation in which the 
 truth can be told I am perfectly willing to 
 take my share, ready to abide the event, whe- 
 ther it bring reward or responsibility.
 
 XX PREFACE. 
 
 Jttgusl 21s/, 1822. 
 
 P. S. It has just been communicated to me, that I am 
 in error in having stated (vol. i. p. 127), that it was Sir ('. 
 Cockburn 1 s brother that was seized in Hamburgh by order 
 of Napoleon ; the person, according to the information of 
 the gentleman who write to me, was Sir George Rumbolil. 
 Although I can scarcely believe that I was mistaken, yet I 
 think it my duty to mention this friendly correction. 
 
 October 24tth, 1822. 
 
 On the subject of the foregoing postscript, the following 
 Letter appeared in The Morning Herald of the 23rd Sep- 
 tember, 1822 : 
 
 To the Editor of the Morning Herald. 
 
 SIR. Dr. O'Meara is correct in his statement of Mr. 
 Cockburn, the consul at Hamburgh being seized and made 
 a prisoner in the manner related. The writer of this was 
 a co-detenu with him at Verdun. He owed his liberation 
 to a most singular circumstance. His wife was a French 
 lady, and had been a school-fellow with Madame Beauhar- 
 nois. Mr. C. was advised to send her to Paris, to obtain an 
 interview with Madame Beauharnois, and solicit her hus- 
 band's release. She went to Paris : Madame B. recognized 
 her, and shewed her great kindness and attention, promised 
 to exert all her interest with the emperor on the first fa- 
 vourable opportunity ; but added, that she could not pro- 
 mise all the success she wished, as at that moment the em- 
 peror had, to use her own words, " grand ranctirte centre les 
 Anglois?' In about a month after Mr. Cockburn received 
 a passport for England, and his name ordered to be struck 
 off the list of the detenus at the d<5pot. 
 
 (Signed) A CI-DEVANT DETENU AT VERDUN. 
 Sept. 15.
 
 PREFACE 
 
 TO THE 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 THE rapidity with which a Second Edition of 
 this Work has been called for, is an unequivo- 
 cal proof of the favourable opinion of the Pub- 
 lic. Its reception has been highly flattering 
 to my feelings, and is the best answer that can 
 be given to the calumnies by which it has 
 been assailed by some of the hirelings of the 
 corrupt journals of the present day. 
 
 This edition has been carefully revised, 
 a few verbal inaccuracies corrected, and a 
 new Engraving added of a drawing from the 
 statue presented to me by Napoleon on my 
 leaving St. Helena. 
 
 It is with feelings of deep regret that I find 
 it necessary to allude to a transaction, the re- 
 membrance of which will always be considered 
 by me as one of the most unfortunate events 
 
 VOL. i. c
 
 XX11 PREFACE. 
 
 of my life, inasmuch as, to an upright mind, 
 it will ever be a source of sorrow to have 
 given, however unintentionally, unmerited 
 pain to those from whom it had never received 
 any injury : nor can this sentiment find any 
 parallel in my breast, unless it be in the regret, 
 which will never cease to accompany the re- 
 collection of this affair, that, by a fatal error, 
 the offender, for whom the chastisement was in- 
 tended, escaped the actual punishment due to 
 his crime. The Public will however feel, that 
 the person to whom I allude, must be con*. 
 sidered as having virtually received what 
 was due to his brutal attack upon my cha- 
 racter ; an attack which he failed to support 
 in the only manner that could prove him 
 to be in some degree worthy of the character 
 of a gentleman. His slanders have a prolific 
 birth, but as to himself, he seems to be im- 
 palpable. As far as respects myself, therefore, 
 I hope the public will perceive that I have 
 not been inattentive to my honour, the pro- 
 tection of which has ever been the sentiment 
 nearest to my heart ; and under which im- 
 pression, all resentment against those who 
 attempted to degrade me ceases, and is sup-
 
 THE SECOND EDITION. XX111 
 
 planted by pity for the situation in which such 
 persons must stand before the bar of public 
 opinion. 
 
 To the strictest critical scrutiny, or review 
 of these volumes, I can feel no reluctance to 
 their being subjected ; if they cannot bear gen- 
 tlemanly investigation, they are undeserving 
 to remain before the public ; and I should 
 consider myself as unworthy of any attention 
 from my countrymen were I to flinch from 
 their inquiries, or to take offence at their 
 scepticism r if they found, after a fair exami- 
 nation, whereon to rest their doubts. But to 
 the personal attack which I have sustained 
 from The Times Newspaper, I was not dis- 
 posed to submit with passive obedience ; an at- 
 tack, which was as distant from the duty of an 
 impartial Reviewer, holding the balance even 
 between the public and the writer, as it was 
 from the courtesy, in all matters of contro- 
 versy, which one gentleman owes to another. 
 
 A friend has transmitted to me the follow- 
 ing communication : Napoleon was removed 
 from the Bellerophon on board of the Nor- 
 thumberland on the 7th of August ; and the 
 words used by Captain Maitland to Count 
 Las Cases, were as follows : " That with the
 
 XXIV PREFACE TO 
 
 orders which he (Captain Maitland), was 
 acting upon, he conceived that he might 
 receive him on board the Bellerophon, and 
 carry him to England ; but that in doing so, 
 he was acting upon his own responsibility, 
 and that he must consider himself entirely at 
 the disposal of the Prince Regent, as Cap- 
 tain M. could not enter into any promise as to 
 the reception Napoleon was to meet with." 
 
 The following document, omitted in the 
 first edition, is of too important a nature not 
 to be annexed to the present. It completely 
 refutes the assertions of the ministerialists, 
 touching the alleged refusal of England to 
 recognize the imperial dynasty. 
 
 Protocole des Conferences de Chatillon sur Seine. 
 
 Fevrier 4. 
 
 S. E. M. le Due de Vicence, ministre des rela- 
 tions exterieures, et plenipotentiaire de France, 
 d'une part, et les ple"nipotentiaires des cours al- 
 lies, savoir : M. le Comte de Stadion, &c. pour 
 1'Autriche ; S. E. M. le Comte de Razoumowski, 
 &c. pour la Russie ; LL. EE. Lord Aberdeen, &c., 
 Lord Cathcart, &c., et Sir Charles Stewart, &c. 
 pour la Grande Bretagne ; et S. E. M. le Baron de
 
 THE SECOND EDITION. XXV 
 
 Humboldt, &c. pour la Prusse, d'autre part. S'e- 
 tant acquittes reciproquement des visites d'usage 
 dans la journee du 4 Fevrier, sont convenus en 
 meme temps de se re'unir en seance le lendemam? 
 5 du mois de Fevrier. 
 
 Stance du 17 Fevrier, suite du Protocole. 
 
 Le ple'nipotentiaire Autrichien lit en- 
 suite le propos du traitd preliminaire suivant. 
 
 Projet d"un traitd preliminaire entre les hautes 
 puissances allies et la France. 
 
 Au nom de la tres sainte et indivisible Trinite*. 
 
 LL. MM. II. d'Autriche et de Russie, S. M. 
 le Roi du Royaume uni de la Grande Bretagne et 
 de 1'Irlande, et S. M. le Roi de Prusse, agissant au 
 nom de tous leurs allies d'une part, et S. M. I'Em- 
 pereur des Frangais de 1'autre ; d6sirant cimenter 
 le repos et le bien-tre futur de 1'Europe par une 
 paix solide et durable, sur terre et sur mer, et ayant 
 nomm6 pour atteindre a ce but salutaire, leurs 
 plenipotentiaires actuellement r6unis a Chatillon 
 sur Seine ; pour discuter les conditions de cette 
 paix, les plenipotentiaires sont convenus des arti- 
 cles suivants.
 
 XXVI 
 
 PREFACE TO 
 
 Articles 1". 
 
 II y aura paix et amiti entre LL. MM. II. d'Au- 
 triche et de Russie, S, M. le Roi du Royaume uni 
 de la Grande Bretagne et de Hrlande, et S. M. le 
 Roi de Prusse, agissant en meme temps au nom de 
 tous leurs allies, et S. M. VEmpereur des Francais, 
 leurs he'ritiers et successeurs a perpetuite". 
 
 Les hautes parties contractantes s'engagent &c. 
 &c. 
 
 (Signd) 
 
 CAULAINCOURT 
 Due DE VICENCE. 
 
 ABERDEEN, 
 
 CATHCART, 
 
 LK COMTE DE RAZOUMOWSKI, 
 
 HUMBOLDT, 
 
 LE COMTE DE STADION, 
 
 CHARLES STEWART, 
 
 Lieut. Gen. 
 
 (TRANSLATION.) 
 Protocol of the Conferences of Chatillon sur Seine. 
 
 February 4th. 
 
 His excellency the Duke of Vicenza, minister 
 of foreign affairs and plenipotentiary of France, 
 on the one part, and the plenipotentiaries of the
 
 THE SECOND EDITION. XXV11 
 
 allied courts on the other, to wit : Austria, M. le 
 Comte de Stadion Russia, S. E. M le Comte de 
 Razoumowski Great Britain, their excellencies 
 Lord Aberdeen, Lord Cathcart, and Sir Charles 
 Stewart and S. E. M. le Baron de Humboldt, 
 on the part of Prussia, having reciprocally received 
 the accustomed visits on the 4th of February, at 
 the same time agreed to assemble in the sitting of 
 the next day, the 5th of February. 
 
 Sitting of the 17 th Feb. suite of the Protocol. 
 
 The Austrian Plenipotentiary then read the pre- 
 liminary arrangements for the following treaty. 
 
 Project of a preliminary treaty between the high 
 allied powers and France. 
 
 In the name of the holy and indivisible Trinity. 
 
 Their imperial majesties of Austria and Russia, 
 his majesty the King of the united kingdom of Great 
 Britain and Ireland, and his majesty the King of 
 Prussia, acting in the name of all their allies, on 
 the one part, and his majesty the Emperor of the 
 French on the other ; wishing to cement the re- 
 pose and the future welfare of Europe by a solid 
 and durable peace, by land and sea, and to attain 
 this salutary end, having named their plenipoten- 
 tiaries at present assembled at Chatillon sur 
 Seine, to discuss the conditions of the peace, the 
 plenipotentiaries have agreed on the following 
 articles :
 
 
 xxviii PREFACE, c. 
 
 Article 1st. 
 
 There shall be peace and friendship between 
 their imperial majesties of Austria and Russia, his 
 majesty the King of the united kingdom of Great 
 Britain and Ireland, and his majesty the King of 
 Prussia, acting at the same time in the name of all 
 their allies, and his majesty the Emperor of the 
 French, their heirs and successors, for ever. 
 
 The high contracting parties engage to, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed, 8$c. 8$c.) 
 
 CAULAINCOURT, 
 Due DE VICENCE, 
 
 ABERDEEN, 
 CATHCART, 
 LE COMTE DE RAZOUMOWSKI, 
 
 HuMBOLDT, 
 
 LE COMTE DE STADION, 
 CHARLES STEWART, 
 
 Lieut. Gen. 

 
 
 

 
 
 . >
 
 3NVERSATIONS, OPINIONS, AND REFACTIONS 
 
 ON THE MOST . tfU' ^ 
 
 RTANT EVENTS OF HIS LIFE ^NI/KEIGN, 
 
 IN HIS OWN WORUS : 
 
 ST. HELENA. 
 
 IN consequence of the resolution which had been 
 adopted by the British government to send the 
 termer sovereign of France to a distant settle- 
 lent, and communicated to him by Major-Gene- 
 Sir Henry Bunbury, under secretary of state, 
 on board of the Bellerophon, 74, Captain Mait- 
 land, at Plymouth, a few days before, Napoleon 
 accompanied by such of his suite as were permit- 
 by our government, was removed on the 7th of 
 August, 1815, from the Bellerophon to the North- 
 umberland, 74, Captain Ross. The vessel bore the 
 flag of Rear-admiral Sir George Cockburn G C B 
 who was entrusted with the charge of conveying 
 Napoleon to St. Helena, and of regulating all meat 
 sons necessary to the security of his personal deten- 
 tion after his arrival at the place of his confinement. 
 ' tat of the suite t hat had followed his fo 
 
 board of the Bellerophon and Myrmidon, his ma- 
 jesty s government permitted four of his officers 
 * surgeon, and twelve of his household, to share 
 
 The undermentioned persons were 
 
 nsequently selected, and accompanied him on 
 board of the Northumberland :-Count S Bcrtrand, 
 
 B 2
 
 4 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLENA. 
 
 Montholon, and Las Cases, Baron Gourgaud, 
 Countess Bertrand and her three children, Coun- 
 tess Montholon and child, Marchand, premier 
 valet de chambre, Cipriani, maitre d'h6tel, Pieron, 
 St. Denis, Novarre, Le Page, two Archambauds, 
 Santini, Rousseau, Gentilini, Josephine, Bernard, 
 and his wife, domestics to Count Bertrand. A 
 fine youth of about fourteen, son to Count Las 
 Cases, was also permitted to accompany his father. 
 Previous to their removal from the Bellerophon, 
 the swords and other arms of the prisoners were 
 demanded from them, and their luggage was sub- 
 sequently examined, in order that possession 
 might be taken of their property, whether in bills, 
 money, or jewels. After paying those of his suite 
 who were not permitted to accompany him, only 
 four thousand Napoleons in gold were found, 
 which were taken possession of by persons autho- 
 rized by his majesty's government. 
 
 When the determination of the British minis- 
 ters to send Napoleon to St. Helena was commu- 
 nicated to his suite, M. Maingaud, the surgeon 
 who had accompanied him from Rochefort, re- 
 fused to follow him to the tropics. M. Maingaud 
 was a young man unknown to Napoleon, and had 
 been fortuitously chosen to attend him until M. 
 Fourreau de Beauregard, who had been his sur- 
 geon in Elba, could join him ; and I was informed 
 that even had he been willing to proceed to St. 
 Helena, his services would not have been ac- 
 cepted. On the day that Napoleon first came on
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 5 
 
 board the Bellerophon, after he had gone round 
 the ship, he addressed me on the poop, and asked 
 if I were the chirurgien major 9 I replied in the 
 affirmative, in the Italian language. He then 
 asked in the same language, what country I was 
 a native of? I replied, of Ireland. "Where did 
 you study your profession ?' " In Dublin and 
 London." " Which of the two is the best school 
 of physic! I replied that I thought Dublin the 
 best school of anatomy, and London of surgery. 
 " Oh," said he, smiling, " you say Dublin is the 
 best school of anatomy because you are an Irish- 
 man." I answered that I begged pardon, that I 
 had said so because it was true ; as in Dublin the 
 subjects for dissection were to be procured at a 
 fourth of the price paid for them in London, and 
 the professors were equally good. He smiled at 
 this reply, and asked what actions I had been in, 
 and in what parts of the globe I had served ? I 
 mentioned several, and amongst others, Egypt. 
 At the word Egypt, he commenced a series of 
 questions, which I answered to the best of my 
 ability. I mentioned to him that the corps of 
 officers to which I then belonged messed in a 
 house that had formerly served as a stable for 
 his horses. He laughed at this, and ever after- 
 wards noticed me when walking on deck, and oc- 
 casionally called me to interpret or explain. On 
 the passage from Rochefort to Torbay, Colonel 
 Planat, one of his orderly officers, was taken very 
 ill, and attended by me, as M. Maingaud was in-
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 capable, through sea-sickness, of offering any as- 
 sistance. During the period of his illness, Napo- 
 leon frequently asked about him, and conversed 
 with me on the nature of his malady and the mode 
 of cure. After our arrival at Plymouth, General 
 Gourgaud also was very unwell, and did me the 
 honour to have recourse to me for advice. All 
 those circumstances had the effect of bringing me 
 more in contact with Napoleon than any other 
 officer in the ship, with the exception of Captain 
 Maitland ; and the day before the Bellerophon 
 left Torbay, the Duke of Rovigo, with whom I 
 was frequently in the habit of conversing, asked 
 me if I were willing to accompany Napoleon to 
 St. Helena as surgeon, adding, that if I were, I 
 should receive a communication to that effect from 
 Count Bertrand, the grand mar^chal. I replied 
 that I had no objection, provided the British go- 
 vernment and my captain were willing to permit 
 me, and also under certain stipulations. I com- 
 municated this immediately to Captain Maitland, 
 who was good enough to favour me with his advice 
 and opinion ; which were, that I ought to accept of 
 the offer, provided the sanction of Admiral Lord 
 Keith and of the English government could be 
 obtained, adding, that he would mention the mat- 
 ter to his lordship. On our arrival at Torbay, 
 Count Bertrand made the proposal to Captain 
 Maitland and to myself, which was immediately 
 commrq^fcated to Lord Keith. His lordship sent 
 for me HRioard of the Tonnant, and after some
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 7 
 
 preliminary conversation, in which I explained 
 the nature of the stipulations I was desirous of 
 making, did me the honour to recommend me in 
 strong terms to accept of the situation, adding, 
 that he could not order me to do so, as it was 
 foreign to the naval service, and a business alto- 
 gether extraordinary ; but that he advised me to 
 accept of it, and expressed his conviction that go- 
 vernment would feel obliged to me, as they were 
 very anxious that Napoleon should be accompanied 
 by a surgeon of his own choice. His lordship ad- 
 ded, that it was an employment which I could hold 
 perfectly consistent with my honour, and with the 
 duty I owed to my country and my sovereign. 
 
 Feeling highly gratified that the step which I 
 had in contemplation had met with the approba- 
 tion of characters so distinguished in the service, 
 as Admiral Lord Keith, and Captain Maitland,* 
 
 * It is no small gratification to me to be able to produce such 
 a testimonial as the following- from a captain with whom I 
 served in three different ships. 
 
 November 5th, 1814. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 The attention and meritorious conduct of Mr. Barry O'Mea- 
 ra, while surgeon with me in the Goliath, calls upon me as an 
 act of justice to him and of benefit to the service, to state, that 
 during- the fifteen years I have commanded some one of his 
 majesty's ships, I have never had the pleasure of sailing- with 
 an officer in his situation who so fully answered my expecta- 
 tions. Not being- a judg-e of his professional abilities, though 
 I have every reason to believe them of the first class, and 
 know that to be the opinion of some of the oldest and most 
 respectable surg-eons in the navy. I shall only state, that du-
 
 8 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I accepted of the situation, and proceeded on 
 board of the Northumberland, stipulating, how- 
 ever, by letter to his lordship, that I should be 
 always considered as a British officer, and upon 
 the list of naval surgeons on full pay, paid by the 
 British government, and that I should be at liberty 
 to quit so peculiar a service, should I find it not to 
 be consonant to my wishes. 
 
 During the voyage, which lasted about ten 
 weeks, Napoleon did not suffer much from sea- 
 sickness after the first week. He rarely made his 
 appearance on deck until after dinner. He break- 
 fasted in his own cabin d la fourchette at ten or 
 eleven o'clock, and spent a considerable portion of 
 the day in writing and reading. Before he sat 
 down to dinner he generally played a game at 
 chess, and remained at that meal, in compliment 
 to the admiral, about an hour : at which time cof- 
 
 ring a period of very bad weather, which occasioned the Go- 
 liath to be extremely sickly, his attention and tenderness to 
 the men was such as to call forth my warmest approbation, 
 and the grateful affection of both officers and men. Were it 
 probable that I should soon obtain another appointment, I 
 know of no man in the service I should wish to have as sur- 
 geon so much as Mr. O'Meara, As, however, in the present 
 state of the war, that is not likely, I trust you will do me the 
 favour of giving him an appointment, as an encouragement to 
 young men of his description, and believe me. 
 
 Dear Sir, &c. &c. &c 
 
 FREDERICK L. MAITLAND. 
 To Dr. Harness, 8?c. 8fc. 8fc. 
 Transport Board. 
 
 * Appendix, No. I.
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 9 
 
 fee was brought to him, and he left the company 
 to take a walk upon deck, accompanied by Counts 
 Bertrand or Las Cases, while the admiral and the 
 rest continued at table for an hour or two longer. 
 While walking the quarter-deck, he frequently 
 spoke to such of the officers as cquld understand 
 and converse with him ; and often asked Mr. 
 Warden, (the surgeon of the Northumberland), 
 questions touching the prevailing complaints, and 
 mode of treatment of the sick. He occasionally 
 played a game at whist, but generally retired to 
 his cabin at nine or ten o'clock. Such was the 
 uniform course of his life during the voyage. 
 
 The Northumberland hove to off Funchal, and 
 the Havannah frigate was sent in to procure re- 
 freshments. During the time we were off the an- 
 chorage a violent scirocco levante prevailed, which 
 did great mischief to the grapes. We were inform- 
 ed that some of the ignorant and superstitious in- 
 habitants attributed it to the presence of Napoleon. 
 Fourteen or fifteen hundred volumes of books 
 were ordered from England for Napoleon's use, by 
 Count Bertrand. 
 
 We arrived at St. Helena on the 15th of Octo- 
 ber. Nothing can be more desolate or repulsive 
 than the appearance of the exterior of the island. 
 When we had anchored, it was expected that Na- 
 poleon would have been invited to stop at Planta- 
 tion House, the country-seat of the governor, until 
 a house could have been got ready for him ; as 
 heretofore passengers of distinction had invariably 
 
 VOL. i. c
 
 10 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 been asked to pass the time they remained on the 
 island there. Some forcible reason possibly existed, 
 as this courtesy was not extended to him. 
 
 On the evening of the 1 7th, about seven o'clock, 
 Napoleon landed at James Town, accompanied by 
 the admiral, Count and Countess Bertrand, Las 
 Cases, Count and Countess Montholon, &c., and 
 proceeded to a house belonging to a gentleman 
 named Porteous, which had been taken for that 
 purpose by the admiral, and was one of the best 
 in the town. It was not, however, free from in- 
 convenience, as Napoleon could not make his ap- 
 pearance at the windows, or even descend from his 
 bedchamber, without being exposed to the rude 
 and ardent gaze of those who wished to gratify 
 their curiosity with a sight of the imperial captive. 
 There was no house in the town at all calculated 
 for privacy, except the governor's, to which there 
 belonged a court, and in front there was a walk 
 upon the ramparts facing the sea, and overlooking 
 the Marino, which proximity to the ocean probably 
 was the cause of its not having been selected for him. 
 
 The inhabitants of the island were in veiy anx- 
 ious expectation during the greatest part of the day 
 Jo obtain a sight of the exiled ruler when he should 
 make his entree to the place of his confinement. 
 Numbers of persons of every description crowded 
 the Marino, the street, and the houses by which he 
 was to pass, in the eager hope of catching a glimpse 
 of him. The expectations of most of them were 
 however disappointed, as he did not land till after
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 11 
 
 sun-set, at which time, the majority of the island- 
 ers, tired of waiting, and supposing that his land- 
 ing was deferred until the following morning, had 
 retired to their homes. It was also at this time 
 nearly impossible to recognise his person. 
 
 Counts Bertrand and Montholon with their 
 ladies, Count Las Cases and son, General Gour- 
 gaud, and myself, were also accommodated in Mr. 
 Porteous's house. 
 
 At a very early hour on the morning of the 18th, 
 Napoleon, accompanied by the admiral and Las 
 Cases, proceeded up to Longwood, a country-seat 
 of the lieut. governor's, which he was informed was 
 the place deemed most proper for his future resi- 
 dence. He was mounted on a spirited little black 
 horse, which was lent for the occasion by the go- 
 vernor, Colonel Wilks. On his way up he observed 
 a neat little spot called the Briars, situated about 
 two hundred yards from the road, belonging to a 
 gentleman named Balcombe, who, he was informed, 
 was to be his purveyor, and appeared pleased with 
 its romantic situation. 
 
 Longwood is situated on a plain, formed on the 
 summit of a mountain about eighteen hundred feet 
 above the level of the sea ; and including Dead- 
 wood, comprises fourteen or fifteen hundred acres 
 of land, a great part of which is planted with an 
 indigenous'tree called gumwood. Its appearance 
 is sombre and unpromising. Napoleon, however, 
 said that he should be more contented to fix his 
 residence there, than to remain in the town as a
 
 12 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 
 
 mark for the prying curiosity of importunate spec- 
 tators. Unfortunately the house only consisted of 
 five rooms on a ground-floor, which had been built 
 one after the other, according to the wants of the 
 family, and without any regard to either order or 
 convenience, and were totally inadequate for the 
 accommodation of himself and his suite. Several 
 additions were consequently necessary, which it 
 was evident could not be accomplished for some 
 weeks, even under the superintendence of so active 
 an officer as Sir George Cockburn. Upon his re- 
 turn from Longwood, Napoleon proceeded to the 
 Briars, and intimated to Sir George that he should 
 prefer remaining there, until the necessary addi- 
 tions were made to Longwood, to returning to 
 town, provided the proprietors consent could be 
 obtained. This request was immediately granted. 
 The Briars is the name of an estate romantically 
 situated about a mile and a half from James Town, 
 comprising a few acres of highly cultivated land, 
 excellent fruit and kitchen gardens, plentifully 
 supplied with water, adorned with many delightful 
 shady walks, and long celebrated for the genuine 
 old English hospitality of the proprietor, Mr. Bal- 
 combe. About twenty yards from the dwelling 
 house stood a little pavilion, consisting of one 
 good room on the ground-floor, and two garrets, 
 which Napoleon, not willing to cause any inconve- 
 nience to the family of his host, selected for his 
 abode. In the lower room his camp-bed was put 
 up, and in this room he ate, slept, read, and die-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 13 
 
 tated a portion of his eventful life. Las Cases 
 and his son were accommodated in one of the 
 garrets above, and Napoleon's premier valet de 
 chambre, and others of his household, slept in the 
 other, and upon the floor in the little hall oppo- 
 site the entrance of the lower room. At first his 
 dinner was sent ready cooked from the town ; but 
 afterwards, Mr. Balcombe found means to get a 
 kitchen fitted up for his use. The accommoda- 
 tions were so insufficient, that Napoleon frequently 
 walked out after he had finished his dinner, in or_ 
 der to allow his domestics an opportunity of eating 
 theirs in the room which he had just quitted. 
 
 Mr Balcombe's family consisted of his wife, two 
 daughters, one about twelve and the other fifteen 
 years of age, and two boys of five or six. The 
 young ladies spoke French fluently, and Napoleon 
 frequently dropt in to play a rubber of whist or 
 hold a little conversazione. On one occasion he 
 indulged them by participating in a game of blind - 
 man's buff, very much to the amusement of the 
 young ladies. Nothing was left undone by this 
 worthy family that could contribute to lessen the 
 inconveniences of his situation. A Captain of ar- 
 tillery resided at the Briars as orderly officer ; and 
 at first a Serjeant and some soldiers were also sta- 
 tioned there as an additional security ; but upon 
 a remonstrance being made to Sir George Cock- 
 burn, the latter convinced of their inutility, or- 
 dered them to be removed. Counts Bertrand and 
 Montholon, with their respective ladies and chil-
 
 14 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tlren, General Gourgaud, and myself, lived toge- 
 ther, at Mr. Porteous's, where a suitable table in 
 the French style was provided by Mr. Balcombe. 
 When any of them were desirous of paying a. visit 
 to the Briars or of going out of the town else- 
 where, no further restriction was imposed upon 
 them than causing them to be accompanied by 
 myself or by some other British officer, or followed 
 by a soldier. In this manner, they were permitted 
 to visit any part of the island they pleased, except 
 the forts and batteries. They were visited by 
 Colonel and Mrs. Wilks, Lieutenant-colonel and 
 Mrs. Skelton, the members of council, and by 
 most of the respectable inhabitants, and the offi- 
 cers, botli military and naval, belonging to the 
 garrison and squadron, and by their wives and 
 families. Little evening parties were occasional ly 
 given by the French to their visitors, and matters 
 were managed in such a manner that there was 
 not much appearance of constraint. Sometimes the 
 Countesses Bertrand and Montholon, accompa- 
 nied by one or two casual island visitors, passed 
 an hour or two in viewing and occasionally pur- 
 chasing some of the productions of the East and 
 of Europe, exhibited in the shops of the trades- 
 men ; which, though far from offering the variety 
 or the magnificence of those of the Rue Vivienne, 
 tended nevertheless to distraire them a little from 
 the tedious monotony of a St. Helena residence. 
 
 Sir George Cockburn gave several well attended 
 balls, to all of which they were invited ; and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 15 
 
 where, with the exception of Napoleon, they fre- 
 quently went. Attention was paid to their feel 
 ings ; and, upon the whole, matters, if not entirely 
 satisfactoiy to them upon some points, were at 
 least placed upon such a footing- as to render their 
 existence tolerable, had not the island in itself pre- 
 sented so many local wants and miseries. It 
 would, perhaps, have been much better and more 
 consistent with propriety, had Napoleon been ac- 
 commodated at Plantation House, until the repairs 
 and additions making to Longwood were finished, 
 instead of being so indifferently provided for in 
 point of lodging at the Briars. I must, however, 
 do the admiral the justice to say, that upon this 
 point I have reason to believe he was not at liber- 
 ty to carry his own wishes into effect. In the 
 mean time, no exertions were spared by Sir George 
 Cockburn to enlarge and improve the old build- 
 ing, so as to render it capable of containing so 
 great an increase of inmates. For this purpose, 
 all the workmen, not only of the squadron, but in 
 the island, were put in requisition ; and Long- 
 wood, for nearly two months presented as busy a 
 scene as has ever been witnessed during the war, 
 in any of his majesty's dock-yards, whilst a fleet 
 was fitting out under the personal directions of 
 some of our first naval commanders. The admi- 
 ral, indefatigable in his exertions, was frequently 
 seen to arrive at Longwood shortly after sun-rise, 
 stimulating by his presence the St. Helena work- 
 men, who, in general lazy and indolent, beheld
 
 16 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 with astonishment the despatch and activity of a 
 man-of-war succeed to the characteristic idleness 
 which, until then, they had been accustomed both 
 to witness and to practise. 
 
 Eveiy day, bodies of two or three hundred sea- 
 men were employed in carrying up from James 
 Town, timber and other materials for building-, 
 together with furniture, which, though the best 
 was purchased at an enormous expense wherever 
 it could be procured, was paltry -and old fashioned. 
 So deficient was the island in the means of trans- 
 port, that almost every thing, even the very stones 
 for building, were carried up the steep side-path 
 on the heads and shoulders of the seamen, occa- 
 sionally assisted by fatigue-parties of the fifty- 
 third regiment. By means of incessant labour, 
 Longwood House was enlarged so as to admit, on 
 ike 9th of December, Napoleon and part of his 
 household, Count and Countess Montholon and 
 children, Count and young Las Cases. 
 
 Napoleon himself had a small narrow bed-room 
 on the ground-floor, a writing-room of the same 
 dimensions, and a sort of small ante-chamber, in 
 which a bath was put up. The writing-room 
 opened into a dark and low apartment, which was 
 converted into a dining room. The opposite wing 
 consisted of a bed-room larger than that of Napo- 
 leon's, which, with an ante-chamber and closet, 
 formed the accommodation for Count and Countess 
 Montholon and son. From the dining-room a 
 door led to a drawing-room, about eighteen feet
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 17 
 
 by fifteen. In prolongation of this, one longer, 
 much higher, and more airy, was built of wood 
 by Sir George Cockburn, with three windows, on 
 each side, and a viranda leading to the garden. 
 This, although it laboured under the inconve- 
 nience of becoming intolerably hot towards the 
 evening, whenever the sun shone forth in tropical 
 splendour, by the rays penetrating the wood of 
 which it was composed, was the only good room 
 in the building. Las Cases had a room next the 
 kitchen,* which had formerly been occupied by 
 some of Colonel Skelton's servants, through the 
 ceiling of which an opening was cut so as to ad- 
 mit a veiy narrow stair, leading to a sort of cock- 
 loft above, where his son reposed. The garrets 
 over the old building were floored, and converted 
 into apartments for Marchand, Cipriani, St. Denis, 
 Josephine, &c. From the sloping structure of the 
 roof, it was impossible to stand upright in those 
 garrets, unless in the centre, and the sun, pene- 
 trating through the slating, rendered them occa- 
 sionally insupportably hot. Additional rooms were 
 constructing for them and for General Gourgaud, 
 the orderly officer, and myself, who, in the mean 
 time, were accommodated with tents. Lieutenant 
 
 * Some time afterwards an apartment was built for the count 
 and his son at the back of the house, which was subsequently 
 divided into a bed and sitting- room, with one for their servant. 
 They were so small that there was not room for a chair between 
 the bedsteads of the father and son ; and so low, that the 
 ceiling could be touched by a person standing on the floor. 
 VOL. I. D
 
 18 A VOICE FftOM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Blood, and Mr. Cooper, carpenter of the Northum- 
 berland, with several artificers from the ship, also 
 resided upon the premises ; the two former under 
 an old studding sail, which had been converted 
 into a tent. A very liberal table, (considering St. 
 Helena,) was found by order of Sir George Cock- 
 burn, for the orderly officers and myself. 
 
 Count and Countess Bertrand and family were 
 lodged in a little house at Hut's Gate, about a mile 
 from Longwood, which, though uncomfortable, 
 was nevertheless hired at their own request, and 
 was the only one, which could be procured at a 
 moderate rate in the neighbourhood, as it was 
 found impossible to accommodate them at Long- 
 wood, until a new house, the foundation of which 
 was immediately laid down by Sir George Cock- 
 burn, could be finished. 
 
 During the time that Napoleon resided at the 
 Briars, I kept no regular journal, and consequent- 
 ly can give only a brief outline of what took 
 place. His time was occupied principally in dic- 
 tating to Las Cases and his son, or to Counts Ber- 
 trand, Montholon, and Gourgaud, some of whom 
 daily waited upon him. He occasionally received 
 visitors, (who came to pay their respects to him,) 
 on the lawn before the house ; and, in a few in- 
 stances, some who had received that permission, 
 were presented to him, when at Mr. Balcombe's in 
 the evening. During the whole time he was there, 
 he never left the grounds but once, when he strolled 
 down to the little residence of Major Hodson of 
 the St. Helena regiment, where he conversed with
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 19 
 
 the Major and Mrs. Hoclson for half an hour, 
 taking great notice of their children, who were 
 extremely handsome. He frequently, however, 
 walked for hours in the shady paths and shrub- 
 beries of the Briars, where care was taken to pre- 
 vent his being intruded upon. During one of 
 these walks, he stopped and pointed out to me the 
 frightful precipices which environed us, and said, 
 " Behold your country's generosity, this is their 
 liberality to the unfortunate man, who, blindly re- 
 lying on what he so falsely imagined to be their 
 national character, in an evil hour unsuspectingly 
 confided himself to them. I once thought that 
 you were free : I now see that your ministers laugh 
 at your laws, which are, like those of other nations, 
 formed only to oppress the defenceless, and screen 
 the powerful, whenever your government has any 
 object in view." 
 
 At another time ne discovered through the inter- 
 pretation of Las Cases, that an old Malay, who 
 was hired by Mr. Balcombe as gardener, had been 
 entrapped from his native place on board of an 
 English ship several years before, brought to St. 
 Helena, smuggled on shore, illegally sold for a 
 slave, let out to whoever would hire him, and his 
 earnings chiefly appropriated to his master. This 
 he communicated to the admiral, who immediately 
 set on foot an enquiry ; the probable result would 
 have been the emancipation of poor Toby, had the 
 admiral remained in command.* 
 
 * When Napoleon discovered, some time after the depar- 
 ture of Sir Georg-e Cockburn, that the poor man had not
 
 20 A VCICK FROM ST HELENA. 
 
 Arrangements were made with the purveyor to 
 supply certain quantities of provisions, wines, &c. 
 The scale of allowances was liberal, and such as 
 was deemed sufficient for the service of the house 
 by Cipriani, the maitre d'hote*!. It is true, that 
 sometimes the provisions were deficient in quan- 
 tity or bad in quality, but this was often caused, 
 either by the absolute want of resources on the 
 island, or by accident, and was generally reme- 
 died wherever such remedy could be applied, by 
 Sir George Cockburn. 
 
 A space of about twelve miles in circumference 
 was allotted to Napoleon, within which he might 
 ride or walk, without being accompanied by a 
 British officer. Within this space was placed the 
 camp of the 53d, at Deadwood, about a mile from 
 Longwood House, and another at Hut's Gate, op- 
 posite Bertrand's, close to whose door there was an 
 officers guard. An arrangement was made with 
 Bertrand, by means of which persons furnished 
 with a pass from him, had permission to enter 
 Longwood grounds. This was not productive of 
 inconvenience, as no person could, in the first in- 
 stance, go to Bertrand's, without permission from 
 the admiral, the governor, or Sir George Bingham, 
 and consequently no improper persons were per- 
 mitted to have access to him. The French also 
 
 been emancipated, he directed Mr. Balcombe to purchase him 
 from his master, set him at liberty, and charge the amount 
 to Count Bertrand's private account. Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 however thought proper to prohibit this, and the man was 
 still in a state of slavery when I left St. Helena.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 21 
 
 were allowed to send sealed letters to the inhabi- 
 tants and others residing upon the island, a regu- 
 lation not likely to prove injurious, as it was evi- 
 dent, that if they wished to transmit letters to 
 Europe, this could only be attempted after previous 
 arrangements having been made ; and it was highly 
 improbable that they would send, through the 
 medium of an English servant, or dragoon, letters, 
 the contents of which would compromise either 
 themselves or their friends, when the more simple 
 and natural mode of delivering them personally to 
 the individuals for whom they were intended, was 
 entirely in their power, and with whom they were 
 at liberty to visit and converse at pleasure.* 
 
 A subaltern's guard was posted at the entrance 
 of Longwood, about six hundred paces from the 
 house, and a cordon of sentinels and picquets, 
 were placed round the limits. At nine o'clock the 
 sentinels were drawn in and stationed in commu- 
 nication with each other ; surrounding the house 
 in such positions, that no person could come in or 
 go out without being seen and scrutinized by them. 
 At the entrance of the house double sentinels were 
 placed, and patroles were continually passing back- 
 ward and forward. After nine Napoleon was not 
 at liberty to leave the house, unless in company 
 with a field-officer ; and no person whatever was 
 allowed to pass without the counter-sign. This 
 
 * A strong- proof of this is, that during- the nine months 
 Sir George Cockburn had this system put in force, not a sin- 
 gle letter was ever sent to Europe, unless throug-h the 
 regular government channels.
 
 '22 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 sState of affairs continued until day-light in the morn- 
 ing-. Every landing-place in the island, and, indeed, 
 every place which presented the semblance of one, 
 was furnished with a picquet, and sentinels were 
 even placed upon eveiy goat-path leading to the 
 sea, though, in truth, the obstacles presented by 
 nature in almost all the paths in that direction, 
 would, of themselves, have proved insurmountable 
 to so unwieldy a person as Napoleon. 
 
 From the various signal-posts on the island 
 ships are frequently discovered at t wenty-four 
 leagues distance, and always long before they can 
 approach the shore. Two ships of war conti- 
 nually cruised, one to windward and the other 
 to leeward, to whom signals were made as soon as 
 a vessel was discovered from the posts on shore. 
 Every ship, except a British man of war, was ac- 
 companied down to the road by one of the cruizers, 
 who remained with her until she was either per- 
 mitted to anchor or was sent away. No foreign 
 vessels were allowed to anchor unless under cir- 
 cumstances of great distress, in which case, no 
 person from them was permitted to land, and an 
 officer and party from one of the ships of war was 
 sent on board to take charge of them as long as 
 they remained, as well as in order to prevent any 
 improper communication. Every fishing-boat be- 
 longing to the inland was numbered, and anchored 
 every evening at sun-set, under the superinten- 
 dence of a lieutenant in the navy. No boats, ex- 
 cepting guard-boats from the ships of war, which 
 pulled about the island all night, were allowed to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 23 
 
 be down after sun set. The orderly officer was 
 also instructed to ascertain the actual presence of 
 Napoleon, twice, in the twenty-four hours, which 
 was done with as much delicacy as possible. In 
 fact, every human precaution to prevent escape, 
 short of actually incarcerating or enchaining- him, 
 was adopted by Sir George Cockburn. 
 
 The officers of the 53d, and several of the most 
 respectable inhabitants, the officers of the St. He- 
 lena corps and their wives were introduced to Na- 
 poleon, at whose table some were weekly invited to 
 dine, and amongst them Mr. Doveton, Miss Dove- 
 ton, Colonel and Mrs. Skelton, Captain and Mrs. 
 Younghusband, Mr. Balcombe and family, &c. 
 Officers and other respectable passengers from 
 India and China, came in numbers to Longwood to 
 request a presentation to the fallen chief; in which 
 expectation, they were rarely disappointed, unless 
 indisposition on his part, or the shortness of their 
 stay on the island prevented it. Many ladies and 
 gentlemen who came up at an inconvenient time, 
 have remained in my room long after the fore-top- 
 sail of the ship, which was to waft them to England, 
 was loosed, in the hope of Napoleon's presenting 
 himself at the windows of his apartments. I have 
 frequently been unable to withstand the solicita- 
 tions of more than one anxious fair expectant to 
 place some of the servants of the house in a situa- 
 tion, where they might be enabled to apprize them 
 of his approach to the windows or door of the draw- 
 ing-room, whereby they might be afforded an oppor- 
 tunity of stealing a glance at the renowned captive.
 
 24 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Some short time after his arrival at Longwood, 
 I communicated to him the news of Murat's death. 
 He heard it with .calmness, and immediately de- 
 manded, if he had perished on the field of battle ? 
 At first, I hesitated to tell him that his brother-in- 
 law had been executed like a criminal. On his 
 repeating" the question, I informed him of the 
 manner in which Murat had been put to death, 
 which he listened to without any change of coun- 
 tenance. I also communicated the intelligence of 
 the death of Ney. " He was a brave man, nobody 
 more so ; but he was a madman," said he. " He 
 has died without having the esteem of mankind. 
 He betrayed me at Fontainbleau : the proclama- 
 tion against the Bourbons which he said in his de- 
 fence I caused to be given to him, was written by 
 himself, and I never knew any thing about that 
 document until it was read to the troops. It is 
 true, that I sent him orders to obey me. What 
 could he do? His troops abandoned him. Not 
 only the troops, but the people wished to join me." 
 
 I had lent him Miss Williams's " Present State of 
 France" to read. Two or three days afterwards he 
 said to me, while dressing, "That is a vile production 
 of that lady of yours. It is a heap of falsehoods. 
 This," opening his shirt, and shewing his flannel 
 waistcoat, " is the only coat of mail I ever wore. 
 My hat lined with steel too ! There is the hat I 
 wore," pointing to the one he always carried. "Oh, 
 she has doubtless been well paid for all the malice 
 and the falsehoods she has poured forth. 
 
 Napoleon's hours of rising were uncertain, much
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 25 
 
 depending upon the quantum of rest he had en- 
 joyed during the night. He was in general a bad 
 sleeper, and frequently got up at three or four 
 o'clock, in which case he read or wrote until six 
 or seven, at which time, when the weather was 
 fine, he sometimes went out to ride, attended by 
 some of bis generals, or laid down again to repose 
 for a couple of hours. When he retired to bed, he 
 could not sleep unless the most perfect state of 
 darkness was obtained, by the closing of every 
 cranny through which a ray of light might pass, 
 although I have sometimes seen him fall asleep on 
 the sofa, and remain so for a few minutes in broad 
 daylight. When ill, Marchand occasionally read 
 to him until he fell asleep. At times he rose at 
 seven, and wrote or dictated until breakfast time, 
 or, if the morning was very fine, he went out to 
 ride. When he breakfasted in his own room, it was 
 generally served on a little round table, at between 
 nine and ten ; when along with the rest of his suite, 
 at eleven : in either case a la fourchette. After 
 breakfast, he generally dictated to some of his suite 
 for a few hours, and at two or three o'clock re- 
 ceived such visitors, as, by previous appointment, 
 had been directed to present themselves. Between 
 four and five, when the weather permitted, he rode 
 out on horseback, or in the carriage for an hour 
 or two, accompanied by all his suite ; then return- 
 ed, and dictated or read until eight, or occasionally 
 VOL. i. K
 
 26 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 played a game at chess, at which time dinner was 
 announced, which rarely exceeded twenty minutes 
 or half an hour in duration. He ate heartily and 
 fast, and did not appear to be partial to high sea- 
 soned, or rich food. One of his most favourite 
 dishes was a roasted leg of mutton, of which I have 
 seen him sometimes pare the outside brown part 
 off; he was also partial to mutton chops. He 
 rarely drank as much as a pint of claret at his din- 
 ner, which was generally much diluted with water. 
 After dinner when the servants had withdrawn, 
 and when there were no visitors, he sometimes 
 played at chess or at whist, but more frequently 
 sent for a volume of Corneille, or of some other 
 esteemed author, and. read aloud for an hour, or 
 conversed with the ladies and the rest of his suite. 
 He usually retired to his bed-room at ten or eleven, 
 and to rest, immediately afterwards. When he 
 breakfasted or dined in his own apartment, in the 
 inner rooms, (dans rintfrieur), he sometimes sent 
 for one of his suite to converse with him during 
 the repast. He never ate more than two meals a 
 day, nor, since I knew him, had he ever taken 
 more than a very small cup of coffee after each re- 
 past, and at no other time. I have also been in- 
 formed by those who have been in his service for 
 fifteen years, that he had never exceeded that 
 quantity since they first knew him. 
 
 On the 14th of April, the Phaeton frigate, Cap- 
 tain Stanfell, arrived from England, having on
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 27 
 
 board Lieut.-General Sir Hudson Lowe, Lady 
 Lowe, Sir Thomas Reade, Deputy Adjt. General, 
 Major Gorrequer, aid-de-camp to Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, Lieut.-colonel Lyster, inspector of militia, 
 MajorT^mmet of the engineers, Mr. Baxter, deputy 
 inspector of hospitals, Lieutenants Wort-ham and 
 Jackson of the engineers and staff corps, and 
 other officers. The following day, Sir Hudson 
 Lowe landed and was installed as governor, with 
 the customary forms. A message was then sent 
 to Longwood that the new governor would visit 
 Napoleon at nine o'clock on the following morn- 
 ing. Accordingly, a little before that time, Sir 
 Hudson Lowe arrived, in the midst of a pelting 
 storm of rain and wind, accompanied by Sir 
 George Cockburn, and followed by his numerous 
 staff. As the hour fixed upon was rather unsea- 
 sonable, and one, at which Napoleon had never 
 received any person, intimation was given to the 
 governor on his arrival, that Napoleon was indis- 
 posed, and could not receive any visitors that 
 morning. This appeared to disconcert Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, who, after pacing up and down be- 
 fore the windows of the drawing-room for a few 
 minutes, demanded at what time on the follow- 
 ing day he 'could be introduced : two o'clock 
 was fixed upon for the interview, at which time 
 he arrived, accompanied as before by the admiral, 
 and followed by his staff. They were at first
 
 28 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ushered into the dining-room behind which was 
 the saloon, where they were to be received. A 
 proposal was made by Sir George Cockburn 
 to Sir Hudson Lowe, that the latter should be 
 introduced by him, as being, in his opinion, the 
 most official and proper manner of resigning to 
 him the charge of the prisoner ; for which pur- 
 pose, Sir George suggested, that they should en- 
 ter the room together. This was acceded to by 
 Sir Hudson Lowe. At the door of the drawing 
 room stood Novarre, one of the French valets, 
 whose business it was to announce the , names 
 of the persons introduced. After waiting a few 
 minutes, the door was opened and the governor 
 called for. As soon as the word Governor, was 
 pronounced, Sir Hudson Lowe started up, and 
 stepped forward so hastily, that he entered the 
 room before Sir George Cockburn was well ap- 
 prised of it. The door was then closed, and 
 when the adrniial presented himself, the valet, 
 not having heard his name called, told him that 
 he could not enter. Sir Hudson Lowe remained 
 about a quarter of an hour with Napoleon, during 
 which time, the conversation was chiefly carried 
 on in Italian, and subsequently the officers of his 
 staff were introduced. The admiral did not again 
 apply for admittance. 
 
 On the 18th I brought up some newspapers to 
 Napoleon, who, after asking me some questions
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 29 
 
 concerning the meeting of parliament, inquired 
 who had lent the newspapers ? I replied, that the 
 admiral had lent them to me. Napoleon said, " I 
 believe that he was rather ill-treated the day he 
 came up with the new governor, what does he say 
 about it ?" I replied, " the admiral conceived it as 
 an insult offered to him, and certainly felt greatly 
 offended at it. Some explanation has, however, 
 been given by General Montholon upon the sub- 
 ject." Napoleon said, " I shall never see him 
 with pleasure, but he did not announce him- 
 self as being desirous of seeing me." I replied, 
 " he wished to introduce officially to you the 
 new governor, and thought, that, as he was to act 
 in that capacity, it was not necessary to be pre- 
 viously announced." Napoleon answered, " He 
 should have sent me word that he wanted to see 
 me by Bertrand ; but," continued he, " he wished 
 to embroil me with the new governor, and for that 
 purpose persuaded him to come up here at nine 
 o'clock in the morning, though he well knew that 
 I never had received any persons, nor ever would, 
 at that hour. It is a pity that a man who really 
 has talents, for I believe him to be a very good 
 officer in his own service, should have behaved in 
 the manner he has done to me. It shews the 
 greatest want of generosity to insult the unfor- 
 tunate ; because insulting those who are in your 
 power, and consequently cannot make any op-
 
 #() .\ VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 position, is a certain sign of an ignoble mind." 
 I said, that I was perfectly convinced the whole 
 was a mistake, that the admiral never had the 
 smallest intention of insulting or embroiling him 
 with the governor. He resumed, " I, in my mis- 
 fortunes, sought an asylum, and instead of that, 
 1 have found contempt, ill-treatment, and in- 
 sult. Shortly after I came on board of his ship, 
 as I did not wish to sit at table for two or three 
 hours, guzzling down wine to make myself drunk, 
 I got up from table, and walked out upon deck. 
 While I was going out, he said, in a contemp- 
 tuous manner, * I believe the general has never 
 read Lord Chesterfield ;' meaning, that I was 
 deficient in politeness, and did not know how 
 to conduct myself at table." I endeavoured to 
 explain to him that the English, and above all, 
 naval officers, were not in the habit of going 
 through many forms, and that it was wholly un- 
 intentional on the part of the admiral. " If," said 
 he, " Sir George wanted to see Lord St. Vincent, 
 or Lord Keith, would he not have sent before- 
 hand, and asked, at what hour it might be con- 
 venient to see him ; and should not I be treated 
 with at least as much respect as either of them ? 
 Putting out of the question that I have been a 
 Crowned head, I think," said he, laughing, " that 
 the actions which I have performed, are at least 
 as well known as any thing they have done;" I
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 31 
 
 endeavoured again to excuse the admiral, upon 
 which he recalled to my mind, what he had just 
 related about Lord Chesterfield, and asked me 
 " what could that mean r" 
 
 General Montholon came in at this moment 
 with a translation of a paper sent by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, which the domestics, who were willing to 
 remain, were required to sign ; it was accompanied 
 by a translation of the following letter ; * 
 
 Downing Street, 10th January, 1S1G. 
 I have at present to let you know, that it is the 
 pleasure of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, 
 that on your arrival at St. Helena, you should 
 communicate to all the persons forming the suite 
 of Napoleon Bonaparte, including the domestics, 
 that they are at liberty to quit the island imme- 
 diately to return to Europe ; adding, that none 
 will be permitted to remain at St. Helena, unless 
 those who shall give a written declaration, which 
 shall be deposited in your hands, that it is their 
 desire to remain in the island, and to participate 
 in the restrictions which it is necessary to impose 
 upon Napoleon Bonaparte personally. 
 
 (Signed} BATHURST. 
 
 Those amongst them who shall determine tp 
 return to Euiope, must be sent by the first fa-" 
 
 * The translation is given in Appendix No. 2. The reader will 
 not consider me accountable for the accuracy of the French sent from 
 Plantation House to Longwood.
 
 32 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 vourable occasion to the Cape of good Hope ; the 
 governor of that colony will be charged to pro- 
 vide those persons with the means of passage to 
 Europe. 
 
 (Signed) B ATH u R ST. 
 
 The tenor of the accompanying declaration, 
 which the domestics were thus required to sign, 
 was not approved of by Napoleon, who, moreover, 
 pronounced it to be too literally translated to be 
 easily comprehended by a Frenchman. He ac- 
 cordingly desired Count Montholon to retire into 
 the next room, where the following was substi- 
 tuted : " Nous soussigne"s, voulant continuer a 
 rester au service de S. M. 1'Empereur Napoldon, 
 consentons, quelqu' affreux que soit le sejour de 
 Ste. Hdlene, a y rester, nous soumettant aux re- 
 strictions, quoiqu'injustes et arbitrages, qu'on a 
 imposees a S. M. et aux personnes de son service."* 
 " There," said he. " let those who please sign 
 that ; but do not attempt to influence them, either 
 one way or the other." 
 
 The demand made to the domestics to sign the 
 
 * Translation. We the undersigned, desiring to remain in the 
 service of the Emperor Napoleon, consent, however friglitfiil the abode 
 in St. Helena may be, to remain there, submitting ourselves to the 
 restrictions, however unjust and arbitrary, which are imposed upon his 
 majesty, and the persons in his service. 
 
 (Here followed the signatures.)
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 33 
 
 paper sent by Sir H. Lowe, had produced a wish 
 for further explanation amongst them ; and some 
 who applied to Sir Thomas Reade for that pur- 
 pose, received answers of a nature to inculcate a 
 belief that those who signed it, would be com- 
 pelled to remain in the island during the life-time 
 of Bonaparte. This, however, did not prevent 
 any of them from signing the paper which was 
 presented to them. 
 
 19th. The weather has been extremely bad for 
 some days, which has contributed, with other cir- 
 cumstances, to make Napoleon a little dissatisfied. 
 " In this accursed island (isola maladetta)? said he, 
 " there is neither sun nor moon to be seen for the 
 greatest part of the year. Constant rain and fog, 
 It is worse than Capri. Have you ever been at 
 Capri ?" continued he. I replied in the affirmative. 
 " There," said he, " you can have every thing you 
 want from the continent in a few hours." He after- 
 wards made a few remarks upon some absurd false- 
 hoods which had been published in the ministerial 
 papers respecting him ; and asked if it were " possi- 
 ble that the English could be so foolishly credulous 
 as to believe all the stuff we published about him." 
 
 21st. Captain Hamilton of the Havannah fri- 
 gate had an audience with Napoleon in the garden. 
 Napoleon told him, that when he (Napoleon) had 
 arrived on the island, he had been asked what he 
 desired to have ? He therefore begged of him to 
 
 VOL. i. F 
 
 r
 
 34 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 say that he desired his liberty, or, the executioner 
 (le bourreau). That the English ministers had un- 
 worthily violated the most sacred rights of hospi- 
 tality towards him by declaring him a prisoner, 
 which savages would not have done in the situation 
 in which he stood. 
 
 Colonel and Miss Wilks were to proceed to 
 England in the Havannah. Before their departure, 
 they came up to Longwood, and had a long inter- 
 view with Napoleon. He was highly pleased with 
 Miss Wilks, (a highly accomplished and elegant 
 young lady,) and gallantly told her that " she ex- 
 ceeded the description which had been given- of 
 her to him." 
 
 24//t. The weather still gloomy. Napoleon at 
 first was out of spirits, but gradually became 
 enlivened. Conversed much about the admiral, 
 whom he professed to esteem as a man of talent in 
 his profession. " He is not," said he, " a man of 
 a bad heart ; on the contrary, I believe him to be 
 capable of a generous action; but he is rough, 
 overbearing, vain, choleric, and capricious ; never 
 consulting any body ; jealous of his authority ; 
 caring little of the manner in which he exercises, 
 it, and sometimes violent without dignity." 
 
 He then made some observations about the bul- 
 locks which had been brought from the Cape of 
 Good Hope by the government, and amongst 
 which a great mortality had taken place. " The
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 35 
 
 admiral, said he, " ought to have contracted for 
 them, instead of making them government pro- 
 perty. It is well known that whatever belongs to 
 a government is never taken any care of, and is 
 plundered by every body. If he had contracted 
 with some person, I will venture to say very few 
 would have died, instead of a third, as has been 
 the case." He then asked me many questions 
 about the relative price of articles in England and 
 St. Helena, and concluded by inquiring if I took 
 any fees for attending sick people on the island. 
 I replied in the negative, which seemed to surprise 
 him. " Corvisart," said he, " notwithstanding his 
 being my first physician, possessed of great wealth, 
 and in the habit of receiving many rich presents 
 from me, constantly took a Napoleon for each 
 visit he paid to the sick. In your country par- 
 ticularly every man has his trade : the member 
 of parliament takes money for his vote, the mi- 
 nisters for their places, the lawyers for their opi- 
 nion." 
 
 26#A. Napoleon asked several questions relative 
 to the ships which had been sent to approach the 
 island. Was anxious to know if Lady Bingham, 
 who had been expected for some time, had ar- 
 rived. Observed how anxious Sir George Bing- 
 ham must be about her. Asked me if the ship 
 was furnished with a chronometer by government ; 
 to which I replied in the negative. He observed
 
 36 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that the vessel might very probably miss the 
 island, through the want of one. " How shame- 
 ful it is," said he, " for your government to put 
 three or four hundred men on board of a ship 
 destined for this place without a chronometer, 
 thereby running the risk of ship and cargo, of the 
 value perhaps of half a million, together with the 
 lives of so many poor devils, (poveri diavoli) for the 
 sake of saving three or four hundred francs for a 
 watch. I," continued he, ordered that every ship 
 employed in the French service should be supplied 
 with one. It is a weakness in your government 
 not to be accounted for." He then asked me if it 
 were true that a court of inquiry was then hold ing 
 upon some officer for having made too free with 
 the bottle. " Is it a crime added he, " for the 
 English to get drunk, and will a court-martial be 
 the consequence ? for, if that were the case, you 
 would have nothing but courts-martial every day. 
 
 was a little merry on board every day after 
 
 dinner." I observed that there was a wide differ- 
 ence between being merry and getting drunk. 
 He laughed and repeated what he had said rela- 
 tive to courts-martial. " Is it true," said he then, 
 " that they are sending out a house and furniture 
 for me, as there are so many lies in your news- 
 papers, that I have my doubts, especially as I 
 have heard nothing about it officially ? I told him 
 that Sir Hudson Lowe had assured me of the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 37 
 
 fact, and that Sir Thomas Reade professed to have 
 seen both the house and the furniture. 
 
 Many changes relative to the treatment of the 
 French have taken place since Sir Hudson ar- 
 rived. Mr. Brooke, the colonial secretary, Major 
 Gorrequer, Sir Hudson's aid-de-camp, and other 
 official persons went round to the different shop- 
 keepers in the town, ordering them, in the name 
 of the governor, not to give credit to any of the 
 French, or to sell them any article, unless for 
 ready money, under pain of not only losing the 
 amount of the sum so credited, but of suffering 
 such other punishment as the governor might think 
 proper to award. They were further directed to 
 hold no communication whatsoever with them, 
 without special permission from the governor, 
 under pain of being turned off the island. 
 
 Many of the officers of the 53d, who were in the 
 habit of calling to see Madame Bertrand at Hut's 
 Gate, received hints that their visits were not 
 pleasing to the authorities lately arrived ; and the 
 officer of the Hut's Gate guard was ordered to 
 report the names of all persons entering Ber- 
 t rand's house. Sentinels were placed in different 
 directions to prevent the approach of visitors, se- 
 veral of whom, including some ladies, were turned 
 back. A sensation of unwillingness, or rather 
 fear, to approach the exiles, very different from 
 the feeling which existed a few days ago, appeared
 
 38 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to be pretty general amongst the inhabitants,, and 
 even amongst the military and naval officers. The 
 go vein or was very minute in his inquiries to those 
 persons who had formerly conversed with Napo- 
 leon, or any of his suite. Several of the officers 
 of the 53d went to Hut's Gate to take leave of 
 Countess Bert-rand, (to use their own words,) as 
 they declared the impossibility there was for men 
 of honour to comply with the new regulations. It 
 was expected and required that all persons who 
 visited at Hut's Gate, or at Longwood, should 
 make a report to the governor or to Sir Thomas 
 Reade of the conversations they had held with the 
 French. Several additional sentinels were placed 
 around Longwood House and grounds. 
 
 May 3rd. The weather has been extremely wet 
 and foggy, with high wind for several days, during 
 which time Napoleon did not stir out of doors, 
 Messengers and letters continually arrived from 
 Plantation House. The governor was apparently 
 veiy anxious to see Napoleon, and seemingly dis- 
 trustful, although the residents of Longwood were 
 assured of his actual presence by the sound of 
 his voice. He had some communications with 
 Count Bert rand relative to the necessity which he 
 said there was, that some of his officers should 
 see Napoleon daily. He also came to Longwood 
 frequently himself, and, finally, after some diffi- 
 culty, succeeded in obtaining an interview with
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 39 
 
 Napoleon in his bed-chamber, which lasted about 
 a quarter of an hour. Some days before, he sent 
 for me, asked a variety of questions concerning 
 the captive, walked round the house several times, 
 and before the windows, measuring- and laying- 
 down the plan of a new ditch, which he said he 
 would have dug-, in order to prevent the cattle 
 from trespassing. On his arrival at the angle, 
 formed by the union of two of the old ditches, he 
 observed a tree, the branches of which consider- 
 ably overhung it. This appeared to excite consi- 
 derable alarm in his excellency's breast, as he de- 
 sired me to send instantly for Mr. Porteous, the 
 superintendent of the company's gardens. Some 
 minutes having elapsed after I had despatched a 
 messenger for that gentleman, the governor, who 
 had his eyes continually fixed upon the tree, de- 
 sired me, in a hasty manner, to go and fetch Mr. 
 Porteous instantly myself. On my return with 
 him, I found Sir Hudson Lowe walking up and 
 down, contemplating the object which appeared 
 to be such a source of alarm. In a hurried man- 
 ner, he ordered Mr. Porteous to send some men 
 instantly to have the tree grubbed up, and before 
 leaving the ground, directed me in an undertone 
 to " see that it was done." 
 
 On the 4th, Sir Hudson Lowe went to see 
 Count Bertrand, with whom he had an hour's 
 conversation, which did not appear to be of a
 
 40 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 nature very pleasing to him, as, on retiring, he 
 mounted his horse, muttering something, and 
 evidently out of humour. Shortly afterwards, I 
 learned the purport of his visit. He commenced 
 by saying, that the French made a great many 
 complaints without any reason ; that, considering 
 their situations, they were very well treated, and 
 ought to be thankful, instead of making any com- 
 plaints. It appeared to him, however, that in- 
 stead of being so, they abused the liberal treat- 
 ment which was practised towards them. That 
 he was determined to assure himself of General 
 Bonaparte's actual presence daily, by the obser- 
 vation of an officer appointed by him, and that 
 this officer should visit him, at fixed hours, for 
 such purpose. During the whole of it, he spoke 
 in a very authoritative and indeed contemptuous 
 manner, frequently referring to the great powers 
 with which he was invested. 
 
 5th. Napoleon sent Marchand for me at about 
 nine o'clock. Was introduced by the back-door 
 into his bed-room, a description of which I shall 
 endeavour to give as minutely and as correctly 
 as possible. It was about fourteen feet by twelve, 
 and ten or eleven feet in height. The walls were 
 lined with brown nankeen, bordered and edged 
 with common green bordering paper, and desti- 
 tute of surbace. Two small windows, without 
 pullies, looking towards the camp of the 53d re-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 41 
 
 giment, one of which was thrown up and fastened 
 by a piece of notched wood. Window-curtains 
 of white long cloth, a small fire-place, a shabby 
 grate, and fire-irons to match, with a paltry man- 
 tel-piece of wood, painted white, upon which 
 stood a small marble bust of his son. Above the 
 mantel-piece hung the portrait of Marie Louise, 
 and four or five of young Napoleon, one of which 
 was embroidered by the hands of the mother. A 
 little more to the right hung also a miniature 
 picture of the Empress Josephine, and to the left 
 was suspended the alarm chamber-watch of Fre- 
 deric the Great, obtained by Napoleon at Pots- 
 dam ; wjiile on the right, the consular watch, en- 
 graved with the cypher B, hung by a chain o the 
 plaited hair of Marie Louise, from a pin stuck in 
 the nankeen lining. The floor was covered with a 
 second-hand carpet, which had once decorated the 
 dining-room of a lieutenant of the St. Helena artil- 
 lery. In the right-hand corner was placed the 
 little plain iron camp-bedstead, with green silk 
 curtains, upon which its master had reposed on the 
 fields of Marengo and Austerlitz. Between the 
 windows there was a paltry second-hand chest 
 of drawers : and an old book-case with green 
 blinds, stood on the left of the door leading to 
 the next apartment. Four or five cane-bottomed 
 chairs painted green were standing here and there 
 about the room. Before the back-door, there was 
 VOL. r. G
 
 42 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 a screen covered with nankeen, and between that 
 and the fire-place, an old-fashioned sofa covered 
 with white long cloth, upon which reclined Napo- 
 leon, clothed in his white morning gown, white 
 loose trowsers and stockings all in one. A che- 
 quered red madras upon his head, and his shirt 
 collar open without a cravat. His air was melan- 
 choly and troubled. Before him stood a little round 
 table, with some books, at the foot of which lay, 
 in confusion upon the carpet, a heap of those which 
 he had already perused, and at the foot of the sofa, 
 facing him, was suspended a portrait of the Em- 
 press Marie Louise, with her son in her arms. In 
 front of the fire-place stood Las Cases with his 
 arms folded over his breast, and some papers in 
 one of his hands. Of all the former magnificence 
 of the once mighty emperor of France, nothing 
 was present except a superb wash-hand stand, con- 
 taining a silver basin, and water-jug of the same 
 metal, in the left hand corner. 
 
 Napoleon, after a few questions of ho impor- 
 tance, asked me in both French and Italian in the 
 presence of Count Las Cases, the following ques- 
 tions : " You know that it was in consequence 
 of my application that you were appointed to at- 
 tend upon me. Now I want to know from you 
 precisely and truly, as a man of honour, in what 
 situation you conceive yourself to be, whether as 
 my surgeon, as M. Maingaud was, or the surgeon
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 43 
 
 of a prison-ship and prisoners ? Whether you have 
 orders to report every trifling occurrence, or ill- 
 ness, or what I say to you, to the governor ? 
 Answer me candidly ; What situation do you con- 
 ceive yourself to be in ?" I replied, " As your sur- 
 geon, and to attend upon you and your suite. I have 
 received no other orders than to make an imme- 
 diate report in case of your being taken seriously 
 ill, in order to have promptly the advice and as- 
 sistance of other physicians." " First obtaining 
 my consent to call in others," demanded he, " is 
 it not so ?" I answered, that I would certainly 
 obtain his previous consent. He then said, "if 
 you were appointed as surgeon to a piison, and 
 to report my conversations to the governor, whom 
 I take to be, the head of the spies, (un capo di spio- 
 ni] I would never see you again. Do not," conti- 
 nued he, (on my replying that I was placed about 
 him as a surgeon, and by no means as a spy,) " sup- 
 pose that I take you for a spy ; on the contrary, I 
 have never had the least occasion to find fault with 
 you, and I have a friendship for you and an esteem 
 for your character, a greater proof of which I could 
 not give you than asking you candidly your own 
 opinion of your situation ; as you being an English- 
 man, and paid by the English government, might 
 perhaps be obliged to do what I have asked." I 
 replied as before, and that in my professional ca- 
 pacity I did not consider myself to belong to any
 
 44 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 particular country. " If I am taken seriously ill," 
 said he, "then acquaint me with your opinion, and 
 ask my consent to call in others. This governor, 
 during the few days that I was melancholy, and 
 had a mental affliction in consequence of the treat- 
 ment I receive, which prevented me from going 
 out, in order that I might not weaiy (enmiyer) 
 others with my afflictions, wanted to send his physi- 
 cian to me under the pretext of enquiring after my 
 health. I desired Bertram! to tell hirn that I had 
 not sufficient confidence in his physician to take 
 any thing from his hands. That if I were really 
 ill, I would send for you, in whom I have confi- 
 dence, but that a physician was of no use in such 
 cases, and that I only wanted to be left alone. I 
 understand that he proposed an officer should enter 
 my chamber to see me, if I did not stir out. Any 
 person," continued he, with much emotion, " who 
 endeavours to force his way into my apartment, 
 shall be a corpse the moment he enters it. If he 
 ever eats bread or meat again, I am not Napoleon. 
 This I am determined on ; I know that I shall be 
 killed afterwards, as what can one do against a 
 camp ? I have faced death too many times to fear 
 it. Besides, I am convinced that this governor has 
 
 been sent out by Lord I told him a few 
 
 days ago, that if he wanted to put an end to me, 
 he would have a very good opportunity by Sending 
 somebody to force his way into my chamber. That
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 45 
 
 I would immediately make a corpse of the first 
 that entered, and then I should be of course des- 
 patched, and he might write home to his govern 
 ment that ' Bonaparte' was killed in a brawl. I 
 also told him to leave me alone, and not to torment 
 me with his hateful presence. I have seen Prussians, 
 Tartars, Cossacs, Calmucks, &c. but never before in 
 my life have I beheld so ill favoured, and so for- 
 bidding a countenance. He carries the im- 
 pressed upon his face. (II porte le empreint 
 
 sur son visage"} 
 
 I endeavoured to convince him that the English 
 ministry would never be capable of what he sup- 
 posed, and that such was not the character of the 
 nation. " I had reason to complain of the admiral," 
 said he : " but, though he treated me roughly, he 
 never behaved in such a manner as this Prussian. 
 A few days ago, he in a manner insisted upon see- 
 ing me, when I was undressed in my chamber, and 
 a prey to melancholy. The admiral never asked 
 to see me a second time, when it was intimated to 
 him that I was unwell or undressed ; as he well 
 knew, that although I did not go out, I was still 
 to be found." 
 
 After this, he mentioned his apprehensions of 
 being afflicted with an attack of gout. I recom- 
 mended him to take much more exercise. " What 
 can I do," replied he, a in this execrable isle, 
 where you cannot ride a mile without being wet 

 
 46 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 through: an island that even the English them- 
 selves complain of, though used to humidity ?" 
 He concluded by making some severe remarks 
 upon the governor's conduct, in having sent his 
 aid-de-camp and secretary round the shops, for- 
 bidding the shopkeepers to give the French cre- 
 dit, under pain of severe punishment. 
 
 6th. Had some conversation with Napoleon 
 upon the same subject as yesterday, which com- 
 menced by my submitting to him, that according 
 to the strict letter of the conversation of yesterday, 
 it would be impossible for me to reply to any ques- 
 tion addressed to me relative to him or to his af- 
 fairs, whether made by the governor or any one 
 else, which he must be aware, was, in my situation, 
 impossible. Moreover, that I had been, from the 
 time of my arrival, and was then, frequently em- 
 ployed as a medium of communication to the au- 
 thorities of the island, which I hoped I had executed 
 to his satisfaction. He replied, "Are you to be my 
 surgeon, or surgeon of a galley ((Tune galere) ; and 
 are you expected to report what you observe or 
 hear ?" I answered, " I am your surgeon, and 
 not a spy, and one in whom I hope you may place 
 confidence; I am not surgeon of a galley, (dune 
 galere) nor do I consider it imperative on me to 
 report any thing which is not contrary to my alle- 
 giance as a British officer, &c." I also endeavoured 
 to explain, that I would regulate my conduct with
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 47 
 
 respect to his conversations by the rules which 
 existed to that effect amongst gentlemen, (galantuo- 
 mmi) and as I would do, were I attached in a similar 
 capacity to an English nobleman ; but that total si- 
 lence was out of my power, if he wished me to pre- 
 serve any communication with the governor or with 
 any other English persons on the island. He replied, 
 that all he wanted of me was to act as a gentleman, 
 (galantuomo) and " as you would do were you sur- 
 geon to Lord St. Vincent. I do not mean to bind you 
 to silence, or to prevent you from repeating any idle 
 chat (bavardage) you may hear me say; but I want 
 to prevent you from allowing yourself to be cajoled 
 and made a spy of, unintentionally on your part, 
 by this governor. After that to your God, your 
 duty is to be paid to your own country and sove- 
 reign, and your next, to your patients." 
 
 " During the short interview that this governor 
 had with me in my bed-chamber," continued he, 
 " one of the first things which he proposed was 
 to send you away, and to take his own surgeon in 
 your place. This he repeated twice ; and so ear- 
 nest was he to gain his object, that although I 
 gave him a most decided refusal, when he was 
 going out he turned about and again proposed it. 
 I never saw such a horrid countenance. He sat 
 on a chair opposite to my sofa, and on the little 
 table between us there was a cup of coffee. His 
 physiognomy made such an unfavourable impres-
 
 48 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 siori upon me, that I thought his looks had poi- 
 soned it, and I ordered Marchand to throw it out 
 of the window ; I could not have swallowed it for 
 the world." 
 
 Count Las Cases, who entered Napoleon's room 
 a few minutes after the departure of the governor, 
 told me, that the emperor had said to him, 
 " Mon Dieu! cest une Jigure Lien slnistre, fose a 
 peine le dire, mats cest a ne pas prendre une tusse 
 de caf,sil etait ddmeurd un instant sen I aupres."* 
 
 \^th. A proclamation was issued yesterday by 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, prohibiting " any person from 
 receiving or being the bearer of any letters or com- 
 munications from General Bonaparte, the officers of 
 his suite, his followers or servants, of any descrip- 
 tion, or to deliver any to them, under pain of being 
 arrested immediately and dealt with accordingly." 
 
 14th. Saw Napoleon in his dressing-room ; 
 he complained of being affected with catarrhal 
 symptoms, the cause of which I attributed to his 
 having walked out in the wet with very thin shoes, 
 and recommended him to wear galoches, which he 
 ordered Marchand to provide. " I have promised," 
 added he, " to see a number of people to-day; 
 and, though I am indisposed, I shall do so." Just 
 at this moment some of the visitors came close to 
 the window of his dressing-room, which was open, 
 
 * My God ! what a rascally countenance, I regret to say so, but it 
 would prevent me from taking a cup of coffee,' if he had been near it 
 but for an instant.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 49 
 
 tried to put aside the curtain arid peep in. Na- 
 poleon shut the window, asked some questions 
 about Lady Moira, and observed, " The governor 
 sent an invitation to Bertrand for General Bona- 
 parte to come to Plantation House to meet Lady 
 Moira. I told Bertrand to return no answer to it. 
 If he really wanted me to see her, he would have 
 put Plantation House in the limits ; but to send 
 such an invitation knowing that I must go in 
 charge of a guard if I wished to avail myself of 
 it, was an insult. Had he sent word that Lady 
 Moira was sick, fatigued, or pregnant, I would 
 have gone to see her ; although I think, that under 
 all the circumstances, she might have come to see 
 me, or Madame Bertrand, or Montholon, as she was 
 free and unshackled. The first sovereigns in the 
 world have not been ashamed to pay me a visit." 
 
 " It appears," added he, <e that this governor 
 was with Blucher, and is the writer of some offi- 
 cicil letters to your government, descriptive of part 
 of the operations of 1814. I pointed them out to 
 him the last time I saw him, and asked him, Is it 
 you, Sir \Est-ce vous Monsieur) ? He replied, 
 * Yes.' I told him that they were full of lies, and 
 of nonsense (pleines defaussetds et de sottises). He 
 shrugged up his shoulders, appeared confused, and 
 replied, I anticipated seeing that (J'ai cru voir cela). 
 If," continued he, " those letters were the only ac- 
 counts he sent, he betrayed his country." 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 50 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Count Bertrand came in, and announced that 
 several persons had arrived to see hirn, besides 
 those who had received appointments for the day. 
 Amongst other names, that of Arbuthnot was 
 mentioned. Napoleon asked me who he was. I 
 answered, that I believed him to be brother to the 
 person who had been ambassador at Constanti- 
 nople. " Ah, yes, yes," said Napoleon with a sly 
 smile. " when Sebastian! was there. You may say 
 that I shall receive them." 
 
 " Have you conversed much with the governor's 
 physician ?" said Napoleon. I replied in the affir- 
 mative, adding, that lie was the chief of the medi- 
 cal staff, but not attached to the governor as his 
 body physician. " What sort of a man is he does 
 he look like an honest man, or a man of talent ?" I 
 replied, that his appearance was very much in his 
 favour, and that he was considered to be a man of 
 talent and of science. 
 
 16M. Sir Hudson Lowe had an interview of 
 about half an hour with Napoleon, which did not 
 appear to be satisfactory. Saw Napoleon walking 
 in the garden, in a very thoughtful manner a few 
 minutes subsequent to the governor's departure, 
 and gave to him the Dictionary of the Weather- 
 cocks (Dictionnaire des &irouettes),and a few news- 
 papers. After he had asked me from whom I had 
 procured them, he said, " Here has been this jack- 
 anapes to torment me (viso di boja u tormentarmi}.
 
 A VOICE FROM 6T. HELENA. 51 
 
 Tell him that I never want to see him, and that I 
 wish he may not come again to annoy me with his 
 hateful presence. Let him never again come near 
 me, unless it is with orders to despatch me ; he will 
 then find my breast ready for the blow ; but until 
 then, let me be free of his odious countenance ; I 
 cannot accustom myself to it." 
 
 17M. Napoleon in very good spirits. De- 
 manded what the news was. I informed him that 
 the ladies he had received a few days before were 
 highly delighted with his manners, especially as 
 from what they had read and heard, they had been 
 prepossessed with opinions of a very different na- 
 ture. " Ah," said he, laughing, " I suppose that 
 they imagined I was some ferocious horned ani- 
 mal." 
 
 Some conversation occurred touching what Sir 
 Robert Wilson had written respecting him about 
 Jaffa, Captain Wright &c. I observed, that as 
 those assertions had never been fully contradicted, 
 they were believed by numbers of English. " Bah," 
 replied Napoleon, " those calumnies will fall of 
 themselves, especially now that there are so many 
 English in France, who will soon find out that 
 they are all falsehoods. Were Wilson himself not 
 convinced .of the untruth of the statements which 
 he had once believed, do you think that he would 
 have assisted Lavalette to escape out of prison ?" 
 
 19th. Napoleon in very good humour. Told
 
 32 A VOICB FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 him that the late governor of Java, Mr. Raffles, 
 and his staff, had arrived on their way to England, 
 and were very desirous of having the honour of 
 paying their respects to him. "What kind of a 
 man is the governerr" I replied, Mr. Lrnistoti 
 informed me, that he is a very worthy man (tin br<i- 
 vlsslmo uomo) ; and possessed of great learning and 
 talents. "Well then," said he, "I shall see them 
 in two or three hours when I am dressed." 
 
 "This governor," said he, "is a fool (e un embe- 
 eillc). He asked Bertrand the other day, if he 
 (Bertram!) ever had asked any of the passengers 
 bound to England, whether they intended to go to 
 France, as, if he had done so, he must not continue 
 such a practice. Bertrand replied, that he certain- 
 ly had, and moreover had begged of some to tell 
 his relations that they were in good health, 'But,* 
 gays this imbecile, 'you must not do so.' *Why/ 
 says Bertrand, ' has not your government permit- 
 ted me to write as many letters as I like, and can 
 any government deny me the liberty of speaking ? 
 Bertrand," continued he " ought to have replied, 
 that galley-slaves and prisoners under sentence 
 of death were permitted to inquire after their 
 relations.** He then observed how unnecessary 
 and vexatious it was to require thafr an officer 
 should accompany him, should he be desirous 
 of visiting the interior of the island. " It is all 
 right," continued he, " to keep me away from the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 53 
 
 town and the sea-side. I would never desire to 
 approach either the one or the other. All that is 
 necessary for my security, is to guard well the 
 sea-borders of this rock. Let him place his 
 picquets round the island close by the sea and 
 in communication with each other, which he 
 might easily do, with the number of men he has, 
 and it would be impossible for me to escape. 
 Cannot he moreover put a few horsemen in mo- 
 tion when he knows I am going out ? Cannot he 
 place them on the hills, or where he likes, with- 
 out letting me know any thing about it, / will 
 never appear to see them. Cannot he do this, 
 without obliging me to tell Poppleton that I want 
 to ride out not that I have any objection to Pop- 
 pleton I love a good soldier of any nation ; but 
 I will not do any thing which may lead people to 
 imagine that I am a prisoner I have been forced 
 here contrary to the law of nations and I will 
 never recognise their right in detaining me. My 
 asking an officer to accompany me would be a 
 tacit acknowledgement of it. I have no intention 
 to attempt an escape, although I have not given 
 my word of honour not to try. Neither will I ever 
 give it, as that would be acknowledging myself a 
 prisoner ^hich I will never do. Cannot they im- 
 pose additional restrictions when ships arrive ; 
 and above all, not allow any ship to sail until my 
 actual presence ,4s ascertained, without inflicting
 
 54 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 such useless, and because useless, vexatious re- 
 strictions. It is necessary for my health that I 
 should ride seven or eight leagues daily, but I 
 will not do so with an officer, or a guard over me. 
 It has always been my maxim, that a man shews 
 more real courage" in supporting and resisting 
 the calamities and misfortunes which befal him, 
 than by making away with himself. That is the 
 action of a losing gamester, or a ruined spend- 
 thrift, and is a want of courage, instead of a proof 
 of it. Your government will be mistaken, if they 
 imagine, that, by seeking every means to annoy 
 me, such as sending me here depriving me of all 
 communication with my nearest and dearest rela- 
 tives, so that I am ignorant if one of my blood 
 exists, isolating me from the world, imposing 
 useless and vexatious restrictions which ace daily, 
 getting worse, sending the dregs of society (les 
 ftces des hommes) as keepers, they will weary out 
 my patience, and induce me to commit suicide. 
 They are mistaken. Even if I ever had entertain- 
 ed a thought of the kind, the idea of the gratifi- 
 cation it would afford to them, would prevent me 
 from completing it." 
 
 " That palace" said he, laughing, " which they 
 say they have sent out for me, is so rnffch money 
 thrown into the sea. I would rather that they had 
 sent me four hundred volumes of books, than all 
 their furniture and houses. In the first place it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 55 
 
 will require some years to build it, and before 
 that time I shall be no more. All must be done 
 by the labour of those poor soldiers and sailors. 
 I do not wish it, I do not wish to incur the hatred 
 of those poor fellows, who are already sufficiently 
 miserable by having 1 been sent to this detestable 
 place, and harrassed in the manner they are. 
 They will load me with execrations, supposing 
 me to be the author of all their hardships, and 
 perhaps may wish to put an end to me." I ob- 
 served, that no English soldier would become 
 an assassin. He interrupted me, by saying, " I 
 have no reason to complain of the English sol- 
 diers or sailors ; on the contrary, they treat me 
 with every respect, and even appear to feel for 
 me." 
 
 , He then spoke of some English officers. 
 " Moore," said he, " was a brave soldier, an ex- 
 cellent officer, and a man of talent. He made a 
 few mistakes, which were probably inseparable 
 from the difficulties with which he was surround- 
 ed, and caused perhaps by his information having 
 misled him," This eulogium he repeated more 
 than once ; and observed, that he Jiad commanded 
 the reserve in Egypt, where he had behaved 
 very well^ and displayed talent. I remarked, 
 that Moore was always in front of the battle, and 
 was generally unfortunate enough to be wounded. 
 " Ah !" said he, u It is necessary sometimes. He
 
 56 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 died gloriously he died like a soldier. Menou 
 was a man of courage, but no soldier. You ought 
 not to have taken Egypt. If Kleber had lived, 
 you would never have conquered it. An army 
 without artillery or cavalry. The Turks signified 
 nothing. Kleber was an irreparable loss to France 
 and to me. He was a man of the brightest talents 
 and the greatest bravery. I have composed the 
 history of my own campaigns in Egypt, and of 
 yours, while I was at the Briars. But I want the 
 Moniteurs for the dates." 
 
 The conversation then turned upon French 
 naval officers. " Villeneuve," said he, " when 
 taken prisoner and brought to England, was so 
 much grieved at his defeat, that he studied ana- 
 tomy that he might destroy himself. For this 
 purpose he bought some anatomical plates of 
 the heart, and compared them .with his own 
 body, in order to ascertain the exact situation of 
 that organ. On his arrival in France, I ordered 
 that he should remain at Rennes, and not pro- 
 ceed to Paris. Villeneuve afraid of being tried 
 by a court martial for disobedience of orders and 
 consequently losing the fleet, for I had ordered 
 him not to sail, or to engage the English, deter- 
 mined to destroy himself, and accordingly took 
 his plates of the heart, and compared them with 
 his breast. Exactly in the oefltre e-f the plate, 
 he made a mark with a large pin, then fixed
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 57 
 
 the pin as near as he could judge in the same spot 
 in his own breast, shoved it in to the head, pe- 
 netrated his heart, and expired. When the room 
 was opened, he was found dead ; the pin in his 
 breast, and a mark in the plate corresponding- with 
 the wound in his breast. He need not have done 
 it," continued he, " as he was a brave man, though 
 possessed of no talent." 
 
 " BarreY' said he, " whom you took in the Rivoli, 
 was a very brave and good officer. When I went 
 to Egypt I gave directions, after I had disembarked 
 and had taken Alexandria in a few hours, to sound 
 for a passage for the fleet. A Venetian sixty-four 
 (and a fifty-gun ship I think he said) got in, which I 
 suppose you have seen there, but it was reported 
 that the large ships of the line could not. I ordered 
 Barre to sound. He reported to me that there was 
 a sufficiency of water in one part of the channel. 
 Brueys, on the contrary, said there was not enough 
 of water for the eighty-gun ships. Barr insisted 
 that there was. In the mean time I had advanced 
 into the country after the Mamelukes. All com- 
 munication with the army from the town by mes- 
 sengers, was cut off by the Bedouins, who took, 
 or killed them all. My orders did not arrive, or 
 I would have obliged Brueys to enter; for you 
 must know that I had the command of the fleet 
 as well as of the army. In the mean time, Nelson 
 came and destroyed Brueys and his fleet. By 
 
 VOL. i. i
 
 58 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 what I have learned from you, I see that Barre* was 
 right, as you saw the Tig-re and Canopus enter." 
 
 After this, he made some observations upon the 
 island. " Such," said he, " is the deplorable state 
 of this rock, that the absence of actual want or 
 starvation is considered as a great blessing. Point- 
 kowski went down to Robinson's, the other day, 
 where they said to him, ' Oh, how happy you must, 
 be to have/re*/* meat every day to dinner. Oh, if 
 we could enjoy that, how happy should we be." 
 Is this a place," continued he, " fit for any person 
 who has been accusjtomed to live amongst human 
 beings ?" 
 
 28th. Napoleon asked me if I had not had a 
 very large party to dinner yesterday. I replied, 
 " a few." " How many of you were drunk ?" I said, 
 " none." " Bah, bah ; what, none ? Why they 
 could not have done any honour to your enter- 
 tainment. Was not Captain Ross a little gay ? 
 I replied, " Captain Ross is always gay." He 
 laughed at this, and said, " Ross is a very fine fel- 
 low (un bravissimo itomo), and the ship's company 
 are very happy in having such a captain. I saw," 
 said he, " that poor clergyman, Jones.* They 
 have used that poor man most cruelly in depriving 
 him of his employment. For the sakfj of his fa- 
 mily, if not for himself, they ought not to have 
 
 * Mr. Jones had been a tutor to Mr. Balcombe's children during 
 Napoleon's residence at the Briars.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 59 
 
 superseded him. He is a good man, is he not?" 
 I replied, that he was a man of good heart, but 
 that he was accused of being too fond of meddling 
 with what did not concern him. 
 
 I told him, that news had arrived that the Queen 
 of Portugal was dead, and also, that a French fri- 
 gate had arrived at Rio Janeiro to demand one of 
 the king's daughters in marriage for the Due de 
 Berri. " The queen," said he, " has been mad for 
 a long time, and the daughters are all ugly." 
 
 29M. A ship arrived from England ; went to 
 town ; saw the governor, and on my return went 
 to Napoleon, who was playing at nine pins with 
 his generals in his garden. I told him (by desire 
 of the governor) that a bill concerning him had 
 been brought into parliament, to enable ministers 
 to detain him in St. Helena, and to provide the ne- 
 cessary sums of money for his maintenance. He 
 asked if it had met with opposition ? I replied, 
 " scarcely any." " Brougham or Burdett," said 
 he, " did they make any ?" I replied, " I have not 
 seen the papers, but I believe that Mr. Brougham 
 said something." Gave him some French news- 
 papers, which the admiral had given me before he 
 had read them himself. "Who gave you those 
 papers ?" " The admiral." What, for me ?" 
 (with some surprise). " He told me to give them 
 to Bertrand, but in reality they were intended for 
 you." After some conversation, he desired me to
 
 60 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 endeavour to procure the Morning Chronicle, the 
 Globe, or any of the opposition or neutral pa- 
 pers. 
 
 June 1th. Breakfasted with Napoleon in the 
 garden. Had a long medical argument with him, 
 in which he maintained, that his practice in case 
 of malady, viz. to eat nothing, drink plenty of 
 barley-water and no wine, and ride for seven or 
 eight leagues to promote perspiration, was much 
 better than mine. 
 
 Some conversation took place about the mode 
 of solemnizing marriage, in which I said, that in 
 England, when a protestant and catholic were 
 married, it was necessary that the ceremony 
 should be performed, first by a protestant cler- 
 gyman, and afterwards by a Roman Catholic 
 priest. " That is wrong," said he " marriage 
 ought to be a civil contract ; and on the parties 
 going before a magistrate in the presence of wit- 
 nesses, and entering into an engagement, they 
 should be considered as man and wife. This is 
 what I caused to be done in France. If they 
 wished it, they might go to the church after- 
 wards and get a priest to repeat the ceremony; 
 but this ought not to be considered as indispens- 
 able. It was always my maxim that those reli- 
 gious ceremonies should never be above the laws, 
 take the lead or upper hand (prendre lessor). I also 
 ordained, that marriages contracted by French sub-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 61 
 
 jects in foreign countries when performed accord- 
 ing to the laws of those countries, should be valid 
 on the return of the parties to France." 
 
 \5th. Napoleon at breakfast in his bath, a little 
 sliding table was put over the bath, upon which the 
 dishes were placed. I told him that Warden had 
 found a book belonging to him, which was sup- 
 posed to have been lost on board of the Northum- 
 berland. "Ah! Warden, that worthy fellow (ce 
 brave homjne), how is he ? Why does he not come 
 and see me I shall be glad to see him ? How is 
 the chief of the medical staff (medecin en chef?" I 
 said that he would feel highly honoured by being 
 presented to him, if he would consent to see him 
 as a private person, and not as a physician. " As 
 you say that he is a worthy man (un galantuomo), I 
 shall see him ; you may introduce him to me in the 
 garden any day you like. Have you seen Miledi 
 Lowe ; I have been told that she is a graceful and 
 a fine woman." I replied, that I had heard so, and 
 also that she was very lively. " It is a pity," said 
 he, " that she cannot bestow a portion of her wit 
 and grace upon her husband : as, for a public cha- 
 racter, I never saw a man so deficient in both." He 
 asked me a number of questions about London, of 
 which I had lent him a history, which had been 
 made a present to me by Captain Ross. He ap- 
 peared to be well acquainted with the contents of 
 the book, though he had not had it in his posses-
 
 62 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 sion many days ; described the plates, and tried to 
 repeat several of the cries, said that if he had boon 
 king of England he would have made a grand 
 street on each side of the Thames, and another 
 from St. Paul's to the river. The conversation af- 
 terwards turned upon the manner of living in 
 France and England. "Which eats the most," 
 said he, " the Frenchman or the Englishman ?" I 
 said, " I think the Frenchman." " I don't believe 
 it," said Napoleon. I replied, that the French, 
 though they nominally make but two meals a day, 
 really have four. " Only two," said he. I replied, 
 " they take something at nine in the morning, at 
 eleven, at four, and at seven or eight in the even- 
 ing." " I," said he, " never eat^ more than twice 
 daily. You English always eat four or five times 
 a day. Your cookery is more healthy than ours. 
 Your soup is, however, very bad : nothing but 
 bread, pepper, and water. You drink an enormous 
 quantity of wine." I said, not so much as is sup- 
 posed by the French. " Why," replied he, " Point- 
 kowski, who dines sometimes in camp with the 
 officers of the 53rd, says that they drink by the 
 hour ; that after the cloth is removed, they pay so 
 much an hour and drink as much as they like, 
 which sometimes lasts until four o'clock in the 
 morning." I said, "So far from the truth, is it, 
 that some of the officers do not drink wine more 
 than twice a week, and that on davs in which
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 63 
 
 strangers are permitted to be invited. There is a 
 third of a bottle put on for each member who drinks 
 wine, and when that is exhausted, another third is 
 put on, and so on. Members only pay in propor- 
 tion to what they drink." He appeared surprised 
 with this explanation, and observed how easily 
 a stranger, having only an imperfect knowledge 
 of the language, was led to give a wrong inter- 
 pretation to the customs and actions of other na- 
 tions. 
 
 \lth. Told Napoleon that the Newcastle fri- 
 gate was in sight, with the new admiral. He de- 
 sired me to fetch my glass, and point her out to 
 him. Found him on my return on his way to the 
 stables. Pointed out the vessel beating up to 
 windward. Shortly afterwards, Warden came up, 
 and Napoleon invited me to breakfast with him, 
 and to bring Warden and Lieutenant Blood witli 
 me. At breakfast, some conversation took place 
 about the Abbe de Pradt, &c. ; and about some of 
 the absurd falsehoods detailed in the Quarterly 
 Review, respecting his conduct while at the Briars, 
 were repeated to him. " That will amuse the pub- 
 lic, (Cela arnusera le public,}" replied Napoleon. 
 Warden observed that all Europe was very anxious 
 to know his opinion of Lord Wellington as a gene- 
 ral. To this he made no reply, and the question 
 was not repeated. 
 
 Three commissioners arrived in the Newcastle :
 
 64 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Count Balmaine for Russia ; Baron Sturmer for 
 Austria, accompanied by the Baroness, his wife; 
 Marquis Montchenu for France ; with Captain 
 Gor, his aid-de-camp. An Austrian botanist also 
 accompanied Baron Sturmer. 
 
 18th. Told Napoleon that I had been to town, 
 and that the commissioners for Russia, France, 
 and Austria had arrived. "Have you seen any 
 of them ?" " Yes, I saw the French commis- 
 sioner." " What sort of a man is he ?" "He is 
 an old emigrant, named the Marquis of Mont- 
 chenu, extremely fond of talking; but his looks 
 are not against him. While I was standing in a 
 group of officers on the terrace opposite the ad- 
 miral's house, he came out, and addressing him- 
 self to me, said in French, ' if you or any of you 
 speak French, for the love of God make it known 
 to me, for I do not speak a word of English. I 
 have arrived here to finish my days amongst those 
 rocks (pointing to Ladder Hill), and I cannot 
 speak a word of the language.'" Napoleon laugh- 
 ed very heartily at this, and repeated, "chatter- 
 box, fool, (bavard, imbecille,)" several times. 
 "What folly it is," said he, "to send those commis- 
 sioners out here. Without charge or responsi- 
 bility, they will have nothing to do but to 
 walk about the streets and creep up the 
 rocks. The Prussian government has display- 
 ed more judgment and saved its money." I
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELKNA. (>5 
 
 told him that Drouot had been acquitted, which 
 pleased him much. Of Drouots talents and vir- 
 tues he spoke in the highest terms, and observed, 
 that by the laws of France he could not be pu- 
 nished for his conduct. 
 
 20th. Rear-admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm 
 Captain Meynel (the flag-captain), and some other 
 naval officers, were presented to Napoleon. 
 
 2lst. Saw Napoleon walking in the garden, 
 and went down towards him with a book tlmt I 
 had procured for him. After he had made some 
 inquiries about the health of Mrs. Pierie, a re- 
 spectable old lady whom I visited, he said that 
 he had seen the new admiral. " Ah, there is a 
 man with a countenance really pleasing, open, in- 
 telligent, frank, and sincere, There is the face of 
 an Englishman. His countenance bespeaks his 
 heart, and I am sure he is a good man : I never 
 yet beheld a man of whom I so immediately formed 
 a good opinion as of that fine soldier-like old man. 
 He carries his head erect, and speaks out openly 
 and boldly what he thinks, without being afraid 
 to look you in the face at the time. His phy- 
 siognomy would make every person desirous of a 
 further acquaintance, and render the most suspi- 
 cious confident in him." 
 
 Some conversation now passed relative to the 
 protest which had been made by Lord Holland 
 
 VOL. i. K
 
 66 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 against the bill for his detention.* Napoleon ex- 
 pressed that opinion of Lord Holland, to which 
 his talents and virtues so fully entitle him. He 
 was highly pleased to find that the Duke of Sussex 
 had joined his lordship in the protest, and ob- 
 served, that when passions were calmed the con- 
 duct of those two peers would be handed down 
 to posterity with as much honour, as that of the 
 proposers of the measure would be loaded with 
 ignominy. He asked several questions concern- 
 ing the reduction of the English army, and ob- 
 served, that it was absurd in the English govern- 
 ment to endeavour to establish the nation as a 
 great military power, without having a population 
 
 * PROTEST 
 
 To the second Reading of Bunaparte's Detention Bill. 
 
 BECAUSE, without reference to the character or previous conduct 
 of the person who is the object of the present bill, I disapprove of 
 the measure it sanctions and continues. 
 
 To consign to distant exile and imprisonment a foreign and captive 
 chief, who, after the abdication of his authority, relying- on British 
 generosity, had surrendered himself to us in preference to his other 
 enemies, is unworthy of the magnanimity of a great country ; and 
 the treaties by which, after his captivity, we have bound ourselves to 
 detain him in custody, at the will of sovereigns, to whom he had 
 never surrendered himself, appear to me repugnant to the principles 
 of equity, and utterly uncalled for, by expedience or necessity. 
 
 (Signed) VASSALL HOLLAND. 
 
 And on the third reading, His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex 
 entered his protest for the same reasons.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 67 
 
 sufficiently numerous to afford the requisite num- 
 ber of soldiers to enable them to vie with the great, 
 or even the second-rate continental powers, while 
 they neglected and seemed to undervalue the navy, 
 which was the real force and bulwark of England. 
 " They will yet," said he, " discover their error." 
 
 23rd. Several cases of books which had been 
 ordered by Bertrand at Madeira, and were brought 
 out in the Newcastle by Sir Pulteney Malcolm, 
 were sent up to him the day before. Found him 
 in his bed-chamber, surrounded with heaps of 
 books : his countenance was smiling, and he was 
 in perfect good humour. He had been occupied 
 in reading nearly all the night. " Ah," said he, 
 pointing to some books that he had thrown on the 
 floor, according to his custom, after having read 
 them, "what a pleasure I have enjoyed. What a 
 difference. I can read forty pages of French in 
 the time that it would require me to comprehend 
 two of English." I found afterwards that his anx- 
 iety to see them was so great, that he had labour- 
 ed hard himself, with a hammer and chisel, in 
 opening the cases which contained them. 
 
 24th. Saw Napoleon in the garden. Told him 
 that Sir Thomas Reade had sent up seven cases 
 of books to me for him, and that the governor had 
 sent me two guns on the percussion principle for 
 his use, and had desired me to explain the manner 
 in which they were constructed. " It is useless,"
 
 68 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLENA. 
 
 replied he, to send me guns, when I am confined 
 to a place where there is no game." I told him 
 that Mr. Baxter had come up to have the honour 
 of being introduced to him. He desired me to 
 call him. On being presented, he said, smiling, 
 " Well, Mr. Physician (signor medico), how many 
 patients have you killed in your time ?" Afterwards 
 he conversed with him for nearly an hour, on va- 
 rious subjects. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe told me that " he was so far 
 from wishing to prevent any letters or complaints 
 being sent to Europe, that he had offered to Bo- 
 naparte to forward any letters or statements he 
 wished to England, and not only would he do so, 
 but he would have them printed in the newspa- 
 pers, in French and English." 
 
 28th. A proclamation issued by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, declaring that any person holding any 
 correspondence or communication with Napoleon 
 Bonaparte, his followers or attendants, receiving 
 from or delivering to him or them letters or com- 
 munications, without express authorization from 
 the governor, under his hand, was guilty of an 
 infraction of the acts of parliament for his safe 
 custody, and would be prosecuted with all the 
 rigour of the law. Also, that any person or per- 
 sons who received any letters or communications 
 from him, his followers, or attendants, and did 
 not immediatclv deliver or make known the same
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 69 
 
 to the governor, or, who should furnish the said 
 Napoleon Bonaparte, his followers or attendants, 
 with money, or any other means whatever, whereby 
 his escape might be furthered, would be consider- 
 ed to be aiding and assisting in the same, and would 
 be proceeded against accordingly. 
 
 July \st. A letter sent by Sir Hudson Lowe 
 to Count Bertrand, prohibiting all sort of commu- 
 nications, either written or verbal, with the inha- 
 bitants, except such as shall have been previously 
 made known to him (the governor) through the 
 orderly officer. 
 
 Since the arrival of the books, the emperor has 
 been daily occupied for several hours in reading 
 and collecting dates and other materials for the 
 history of his life, which is written up to his land- 
 ing in France from Egypt. The state of the wea- 
 ther also, the almost constant rain or fog, with the 
 strong wind continually blowing over the bleak 
 and exposed situation of Longwood, has contri- 
 buted much to keep him within doors, and disgust 
 him with his present residence. He expressed 
 a wish to be removed to the leeward side of the 
 island, which is warmer, and protected from the 
 eternal sharp south-east wind. 
 
 4th. Sir Pulteney and Lady Malcolm had an 
 interview of nearly two hours with Napoleon, who 
 was much pleased with both, During the con- 
 versation he entered deeply into a description of
 
 70 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the battle of Waterloo, naval tactics, &c. The of- 
 ficers of the Newcastle were also presented to him. 
 The meat, which has generally been of a bad 
 quality, is to-day so detestable, that Captain Pop- 
 pleton felt himself obliged to send it back, and 
 write a complaint to the governor. 
 
 6th. Madame Bertrand informed Captain Pop- 
 pleton and myself, that she had written a letter to 
 Montchenu, in which she requested of him to call 
 and see her at Hut's Gate, as she had heard that 
 he had seen her mother, who was in an indifferent 
 state of health, and was very desirous to inquire 
 about her. That Las Cases would also come and 
 meet him on his arrival at her house, as he was in- 
 formed that Montchenu had seen his wife a short 
 time before his departure from Paris. 
 
 8th. The servants from Longwood, bringing 
 the provisions to Bertrand's stopped by the sen- 
 tinels, and not allowed to enter the court. The 
 viands were, at last, handed over the wall, in pre- 
 sence of a sentinel, who said, he could not permit 
 any conversation to take place. A similar scene 
 took place, when my servant brought some medi- 
 cines for Bertrand's servant, Bernard, who was 
 dangerously ill. Round one of the bottles there 
 was a label in my hand-writing, containing direc- 
 tions how to take the medicine. This was written 
 in French, and the sentinel not being able to un- 
 derstand it, thought it his duty not to suffer it to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 71 
 
 enter, and it was accordingly torn off. A sentinel 
 was relieved the day before and sent to camp to 
 be tried by a court-martial, for having allowed a 
 black to go into Bertrand's court to get a drink of 
 water, which probably has given rise to this in- 
 creased rigour on the part of the soldiers. 
 
 9th. A letter of expostulation sent this morn- 
 ing to Sir Hudson Lowe. Some conversation at 
 Longwood relative to a machine for making ice, 
 said by some of the officers of the Newcastle to 
 have been sent by Lady Holland for Napoleon's 
 use, but which has not yet made its appearance. 
 
 Wth. A great deficiency has existed for seve- 
 ral days in the quantity of wine, fowls, and other 
 necessary articles. Wrote to Sir Thomas Reade 
 about it. Captain Poppleton also went to town 
 himself to lay the matter before Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 
 \\th. While at Hut's Gate, a Serjeant came in 
 with a message from Sir Hudson Lowe, desiring 
 me to follow him. His excellency inquired of 
 me in what part of the island General Bonaparte 
 would wish to have his new house built ? I re- 
 plied, " He would like the Briars." Sir Hudson 
 said, that would never do, that it was too near 
 the town, and in fact out of the question. He 
 then asked me if I thought he would prefer any 
 part of the island to Longwood ? I said, " most 
 certainly he would prefer a habitation on the 
 other side of the island." His excellency then
 
 72 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 desired me to find out from himself what part of 
 the island he would prefer. He also said, that 
 Napoleon had refused to see the commissioners, 
 and desired me to ascertain whether he was still 
 of that opinion. His excellency asked me whe- 
 ther I knew what they wanted with the Marquis 
 Montciienu. I replied, that Madame Bertrand 
 wished to inquire after her mothers health, and 
 that Las Cases was to have met him at Hut's 
 Gate ; and that I was informed he was very anx- 
 ious to enquire about his wife, as he had been told 
 that Montchenu had seen her shortly before his 
 departure from Paris. Sir Hudson observed that 
 lie would report Las Cases to the British govern- 
 ment, for having- contemptuously refused to receive 
 or accept some articles sent for the supply of the 
 generals and others with Bonaparte, while at the 
 same time he wrote a letter to Lady Clavering, 
 desiring that some articles of a similar nature to 
 those so offered might be purchased and sent out 
 to him. He then again assured rne of his readi- 
 ness, not only to transmit their complaints to his 
 majesty's government, but that he would also 
 cause them to be published; and told me that he 
 much wished me to let him know General Bona- 
 parte's wants and wishes, in order that he might 
 communicate them to his government, which 
 would thus know how to anticipate and provide 
 for any demands. Desired me also to tell Ma-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 73 
 
 dame Bertram! that he was very sorry any restric- 
 tions which he had imposed were disagreeable to 
 her or hurtful to her feelings, though it appeared 
 to hirn that she had been made a tool of, which he 
 advised her not to try again. After this, he went 
 to Longwood, where he had a long conversation 
 with General Montholon, chiefly about altering, 
 enlarging, and improving Longwood House. 
 
 12th. Napoleon rather melancholy. I in- 
 formed him that the governor had been at Long- 
 wood yesterday, in order to see if he could afford 
 greater comfort arid accommodation to him, either 
 by building some additional rooms to the house 
 already existing at Longwood, or erecting a new 
 house in some other part of the island ; and that 
 the governor had charged me to inquire from him 
 which he would prefer. He replied, " At this 
 house, or in this wretched place, I wish for nothing 
 from him (A questa casa, o in questo luogo tristo 
 non voglio niente di /#/)." I hate this Longwood. 
 The sight of it makes me melancholy. Let him 
 put me in some place where there is shade, verdure, 
 and water. Here it either blows a furious wind, 
 loaded with rain and fog, which afflicts my soul, 
 or, which oppresses me (che mi taglia Fanima)-, or, 
 if that is wanting, the sun broils my brain (il sole 
 mi brucia il cervello), through the want of shade, 
 when I go out. Let him put me on the Plantation 
 House side of the island, if he really wishes to do 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 74 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 any thing for me. But what is the use of his 
 coming up here proposing things, and doing no- 
 thing. There is Bertrand's house not the least ad- 
 vanced since his arrival. The admiral at least sent 
 his carpenter here, who made the work go on." I 
 replied, that the governor had desired me to say, 
 that he did not like to undertake any thing with- 
 out first knowing that it would meet with his ap- 
 proval ; but, that if he (Napoleon) would fix, or 
 propose a plan for the house, he would order every 
 workman on the island, with a proportionate num- 
 ber of engineer officers, &c. to proceed to Long- 
 wood, and set about it. That the governor feared, 
 that making additions to the present building 
 would annoy him by the noise of the workmen. 
 He replied, " Certainly it would. I do not \visli 
 him to do any thing to this house, or on this dis- 
 mal place. Let him build a house on the other 
 side of the island, where there is shade, verdure, 
 and water, and where I may be sheltered from this 
 furious wind (vento agro). If it is determined to 
 build a new house for my use, I would wish to 
 have it erected on the Estate of Colonel Smith, 
 which Bertrand has been to look at, or at Rose- 
 mary Hall. But his proposals are all a delusion. 
 Nothing advances since he came. Look there," 
 pointing to the window. " I was obliged to or- 
 der a pair of sheets to be put up as curtains, as 
 the others were so dirty I could not approach 
 them, and none could be obtained to replace them.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 75 
 
 
 
 He is a sad fellow, and worse than the island 
 (^E un trlsf uomo y e pegglo dell' isola). Remark 
 his conduct to that poor lady (quella povera damd), 
 Madame Bertrand. He has deprived her of the 
 little liberty she had, and has prevented people 
 from coming to visit and to chat (bavarder) for an 
 hour with her, which was some little solace to a 
 lady who had always been accustomed to see com- 
 pany." I observed that the governor had said, it 
 was in consequence of Madame Bertrand's having 
 sent a note to the Marquis Montchenu, without 
 having first caused it to pass through the governor s 
 hands. " Trash," replied he ; " By the regulations 
 in existence when he arrived, it was permitted to 
 send notes to residents, and no communication of 
 an alteration having taken place was made to 
 them. Besides, could not she and her husband 
 have gone to town to see Montchenu ? Weak men 
 are always timorous and suspicious. This man is 
 fit to be, the head of a police-gang (un capo di sbir- 
 ri), but not a governor." 
 
 I3th. Went to town and communicated Na- 
 poleon's reply to Sir Hudson Lowe, who did not 
 seem to like it ; and said that he could not so 
 easily be watched. I observed that I thought, 
 easier, as he would then be in the midst of his 
 (Sir Hudson's) staff ; and moreover, as the spots 
 in question were nearly surrounded with high and 
 unequal rocks, it would be extremely easy to 
 place picquets in such a manner as to preclude
 
 76 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the possibility of escape, and at the same time, be 
 unseen by the captive. His excellency at first 
 assented to this ; but a moment afterwards ob- 
 served, that he should not know where to place 
 the Austrian commissioner, who had taken Rose- 
 mary Hall. I ventured to suggest to him, that, 
 however desirable an object the accommodation 
 of the Baron Sturmer might be, still it was one of 
 much minor importance to that of the principal 
 person detained (detenu). Sir Hudson Lowe, after 
 a moment's silence, asked me if I had communicated 
 his message to Madame Bertrand, to which I re- 
 plied in the affirmative. He observed, that he had 
 not sufficiently explained his motives in imposing 
 some additional restrictions, as the fact was, that 
 Sir George Cockburn, prior to his departure, had 
 pointed out to him the great inconveniency of the 
 existing order of things, and the necessity there was 
 of preventing such free access to Bertrand's House. 
 That he had strongly recommended the adoption of 
 the restrictions which he (Sir Hudson) had since- 
 thought it his duty to impose, which the admiral 
 declared it was his own intention to have order- 
 ed, had he not been in daily expectation of the 
 new governor's arrival. That the liberal access 
 to Bertrand had been originally permitted in con- 
 sequence of a supposition, that the new house for 
 his use at Longwood would soon be finished ; 
 after which he would be placed on a similar foot- 
 ing with the other attendants of General Bona-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 77 
 
 parte. This he desired me to communicate to the 
 countess ; and said that he would consider about 
 building the new house upon the spot which I had 
 pointed out ; adding, that " Colonel Smith's and 
 Rosemary Hall must go together." 
 
 \5th. Napoleon out very early in the carriage. 
 
 I6th. Napoleon, who had gone down to the 
 stables at an early hour, and ordered the horses to 
 be put to, himself, overtook me in the park, and 
 made me get into the carriage. Complained of his 
 teeth. Breakfasted with him. During the meal, the 
 subject of the commissioners was introduced. He 
 asked, if Madame Sturmer had ever seen him at 
 Paris. I replied, that she had, and was very 
 desirous to see him again. " And who prevents 
 her ?" said he. I replied, that herself and her 
 husband, as well as the rest of the commissioners, 
 believe that you will not receive them. " Who 
 told them so?" said he, "I am willing to receive 
 them, whenever they please to ask through Ber- 
 trand. I shall receive them as private characters. 
 I never refuse to see any person, when asked in a 
 proper way, and especially, I should be always 
 glad to see a lady." 
 
 " It appears," said he, " that your ministers 
 have sent out a great many articles of dress for 
 us, and other things, which it was supposed might 
 be wanted. Now, if this governor was possessed 
 of the feelings of a gentleman, he would have sent 
 a list of them to Bertrand, stating that the Eng-
 
 78 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lish government had sent a supply of certain arti- 
 cles which it was thought we might want, and 
 that if we stood in need of them, we might order 
 such as we pleased. But, instead of acting in a 
 manner pointed out by the rules of politeness, this 
 gaoler (geoller) converts into an insult, what, pro- 
 bably your government intended as a civility, by 
 selecting what things he himself pleases, and send- 
 ing them up in a contemptuous manner, without 
 consulting us ; as if he were sending alms to a set 
 of beggars, or clothing to convicts. Truly he has 
 the heart of an executioner (Veramente ha il cuort' 
 di boja), for nobody but an executioner (bojci) would 
 unnecessarily increase the miseries of people situated 
 like us, already too unhappy. His hands soil every 
 thing that passes through them. See how he tor- 
 ments that poor lady, Madame Bertrand, by depri- 
 ving her of the little society she was accustomed to, 
 and which is necessary to her existence. It is not 
 punishing her husband, who, if he has a book is 
 contented. I am astonished that he allows you or 
 Poppleton to remain near me. He would willingly 
 watch me himself always, were it in his power. Have 
 you any galley-slaves in England ?" I replied, No ; 
 but that we had some convicts who were condemned 
 to work at Portsmouth and elsewhere. " Then,'' 
 said he, " he ought to have been made keeper of 
 them. It would be exactly the office suited to him." 
 Sir Hudson Lowe came up to Longwood, and 
 had an interview with him for a short time.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 79 
 
 17 th. Napoleon called me into the garden to 
 him. Informed me that he had told the governor 
 that he had unnecessarily increased their restric- 
 tions ; that he had, without any reason, punished 
 Madame Bertrand ; that he had insulted them by 
 his manner of sending up the articles sent for their 
 use ; that he had insulted Las Cases, by telling 
 him that he had read his letters, and by informing 
 him, that if he wanted a pair of shoes or stock- 
 ings, he must first send to him. " I told him," 
 added he, " that if Bertrand or Las Cases wanted 
 to form a plot with the commissioners, (which he 
 appeared to be afraid of,) that he had nothing 
 more to do, than to go to the town and make an 
 appointment with any of them to come up inside 
 of the alarm-house, and meet him. I told him 
 that it was a disgrace to him who was vested 
 with authority, to insult a man like Bertrand, who 
 was esteemed by all Europe." 
 
 He then spoke about the new house, said, 
 that if he expected to remain long in St. Helena, 
 he should wish to have it erected at the Planta- 
 tion House side ; " but," continued he, " I am of 
 opinion that as soon as the affairs of France are 
 settled, and things quiet, the English government 
 will allow me to return to Europe, and finish 
 my days in England. I do not believe that they 
 are foolish enough to be at the expense of eight 
 millions annually, to keep me here, when I am no 
 longer to be feared ; I therefore am not very anx-
 
 80 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ions about the house." He then spoke about es- 
 cape, and said, that even if he were inclined to try 
 it, there were ninety-eight chances out of a hundred 
 against his succeeding ; " notwithstanding which," 
 continued he, " this gaoler imposes as many re- 
 strictions, as if I had nothing more to do than 
 to step into a boat and be off. It is true, that 
 while one lives there is always a chance, although 
 chained, enclosed in a cell, and every human pre- 
 caution taken, there is still a chance of escape, 
 and the only effectual way to prevent it is to put 
 me to death. It is only the dead, who never come 
 back (// riy a que les morts qui ne reviennent pas), 
 Then all uneasiness on the part of the European 
 powers, and Lord Castlereagh, will cease : no more 
 expense, no more squadrons to watch me, or poor 
 soldiers fatigued to death with picquets and guards, 
 or harassed carrying loads up those rocks." 
 
 18th. Sir Hudson came to Longwood, and 
 arranged some matters with General Montholon 
 relative to the house. Every thing connected with 
 the alterations in the building put under the direc- 
 tion of Lieutenant-colonel Wynyard, assisted by 
 Lieutenant Jackson of the staff corps. A billiard- 
 table brought up to Longwood. 
 
 ]9th. The drawing-room of Longwood House 
 discovered to be on fire at about five o'clock in the 
 morning. It was extinguished in about half an 
 hour, by great exertions on the part of Captain
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 81 
 
 Poppleton, and the guard, aided by the household. 
 It had reached within a few inches of the upper 
 flooring, which was formed of a double boarding. 
 Had this caught fire, it would have been nearly 
 impossible to have saved the building, as there is 
 no water at Longwood. 
 
 20th. Some curtains for the emperor's bed, sent 
 up to me by Sir Thomas Reade. . 
 
 22nd. Dined in camp on occasion of the anni- 
 versary of the battle of Salamanca. Present, his 
 excellency and staff, heads of departments, &c. 
 
 24th. The admiral sent up a lieutenant and 
 party of seamen to pitch a tent, formed of a lower 
 studding-sail, as no shade was afforded by the 
 trees at Longwood. Colonel Maunsell, of the 53rd, 
 asked me to exert myself in order to procure, 
 through Count Bertrand, for Dr. Ward (who had 
 been eighteen years in India) an interview with 
 Napoleon. Count Bertrand accordingly made the 
 application to the emperor, who replied, that " Dr. 
 Ward must apply in person to Count Bertrand." 
 
 25th. Told Napoleon that the Griffon had ar- 
 rived from England the night before, and had 
 brought the news of the condemnation of General 
 Bertrand to death, though absent. He appeared 
 for a moment lost in astonishment, and much con- 
 cerned ; but recollecting himself, observed, that 
 by the laws of France, a man accused of a capital 
 offence might be tried, and condemned to death, 
 
 VOL. i. M
 
 82 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 by outlawry (par contumacc), but that they could 
 not act upon such a sentence ; that the individual 
 must be tried again, and be actually present ; that 
 if Bertram! were now in France, he would be ac- 
 quitted, as Drouot had been. He expressed, how- 
 ever, much sorrow at it, on account of the effect 
 which it might probably produce upon Madame 
 Bertrand. " In revolutions," continued he, (t every 
 thing is forgotten. The benefits you confer to day, 
 are forgotten to-morrow. The side once changed, 
 gratitude, friendship, parentage, every tie vanishes, 
 and all sought for is self-interest." 
 
 26M. Saw Napoleon at his toilette. While 
 dressing, he is attended by Marchand, St. Denis, 
 and Novarre. One of the latter holds a looking- 
 glass before him, and the other the necessary im- 
 plements for shaving, while Marchand is in waiting 
 to hand his clothes, Cologne water (can dc Co- 
 logne), &e. When he has gone over one side of 
 his face with the razor he asks St. Denis or No- 
 varre, " Is it done ?" and after receiving an answer, 
 commences on the other. After he has finished, 
 the glass is held before him to the light, and he 
 examines whether he has removed every portion of 
 his beard. If he perceives or feels that any re- 
 mains, he sometimes lays hold of one of them by 
 the ear, or gives him a gentle slap on the cheek, 
 in a good-humoured manner, crying, "Ah, rogue 
 (coquin), why did you tell me it was done This,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 83 
 
 probably has given rise to the report of his having 
 been in the habit of beating and otherwise ill- 
 treating his domestics. He then washes with wa- 
 ter, in which some Cologne water (eau de Cologne] 
 has been mingled, a little of which he also sprin- 
 kles over his person, very carefully picks and cleans 
 his teeth, frequently has himself rubbed with a 
 flesh-brush, changes his linen and flannel waistcoat, 
 and dresses in white kerseymere (or brown nan- 
 keen) breeches, white waistcoat, silk stockings, 
 shoes and gold buckles, and a green single-breast- 
 ed coat with white buttons, black stock, with none 
 of the white-shirt collar appearing above it, and a 
 three-cornered small-cocked hat, with a little tri- 
 coloured cockade. When dressed, he always wears 
 the cordon and grand cross of the legion of honour. 
 When he has put on his coat, a little sprucely 
 (bonbonniere) , his snuff-box, and handkerchief 
 scented with Cologne water (eau de Cologne), are 
 handed to him by Marchand, and he leaves the 
 chamber. 
 
 Napoleon complained of a slight pain in his 
 right side. I advised him to get it well rubbed 
 with Cologne water (eau de Cologne) and flannel, 
 and also suggested a dose of physic. At this last 
 he laughed, and gave me a friendly slap on the 
 cheek. He asked the causes of the liver complaint, 
 now very prevalent in the island. I enumerated 
 several, and amongst others, drunkenness and hot
 
 84 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 climates. " If," said he, " drunkenness be a cause, 
 I ought never to have it." 
 
 27th. Colonel Keating, late governor of the 
 isle of Bourbon had an interview with Napoleon, 
 which lasted for nearly an hour. 
 
 28th. Informed by Cipriani, that in the begin- 
 ning of 1815, he had been sent from Elba to Leg- 
 horn, to purchase 100,000 francs worth of furni- 
 ture for Napoleon's palace. During his stay, he 
 became very intimate with a person named * * *, 
 who had a * * * at Vienna, from whom a private 
 intimation was sent to him, that it was the deter- 
 mination of the congress of Vienna to send the 
 emperor to St. Helena, and even had sent him a 
 paper containing the substance of the agreement, 
 a copy of which he gave to Cipriani, who departed 
 instantly for Elba, to communicate the information 
 he had received to the emperor. This, with the 
 confirmation which he afterwards received from 
 M * * * A * * and M * * * at Vienna contributed 
 to determine Napoleon to attempt the recovery of 
 his throne. 
 
 Accompanied Napoleon in his evening-drive. 
 Informed him that Sir Thomas Reade had begged 
 me to acquaint him that the Russian commis-r 
 sioner had taken no part in the official note ad- 
 dressed to the governor, and containing a request 
 to see him (Napoleon). He observed, that if they 
 wished to see him, they had taken very bad mea-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 85 
 
 sures, as all the powers of Europe should not in- 
 duce him to receive them as official characters. 
 They might break open the door, or level the house 
 down and find him. He then observed, that a 
 book* relative to his last reign in France had been 
 lately sent out by the author, (an Englishman,) to 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, with a request that it should 
 be delivered to him. On the back was inscribed, in 
 letters of Gold, to the Emperor Napoleon, or, to 
 the Great Napoleon. " Now," continued he, " this 
 galley-slave (galeriano) would not allow the book 
 to be sent to me, because it had the ' Emperor Na- 
 poleon' written upon it ; because he thought that 
 it would give rne some pleasure to see that all men 
 were not like him, and that I was esteemed by some 
 of his nation. I could not have believed that a 
 man could be so base and so vile (Non credevo che 
 un uomo poteva essere basso e vile a tal segno ) ." 
 
 Since the arrival of Sir Hudson Lowe, there has 
 been a great alteration in the number of news- 
 papers sent to Longwood. Instead of receiving, 
 as heretofore, a regular series of some papers, as 
 well as many detached ones, only a few irregular 
 numbers of the times have arrived, and occasion- 
 ally a Courier. This has caused great anxiety at 
 Longwood to those who have relations in France, 
 and given much displeasure to Napoleon, to whom 
 
 * " The last reign of the Emperor Napoleon" by Mr. Hob- 
 house.
 
 86 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Sir George Cockburn frequently sent up papers, 
 before perusing- them himself. 
 
 August 2nd. Made a complaint to the purveyor* 
 thatTfio vegetables, except potatoes, had been sent 
 up for three days ; and requested, that if they wore 
 not permitted to furnish any more, my letter might 
 be transmitted to Major Gorrequer. 
 
 '3rd. Received an answer from Mr. Fowler, 
 clerk to the purveyors, informing me that they had 
 been ordered to send no more vegetables, which, 
 they had been informed by Major G., were in fu- 
 ture to be furnished from the honorable company's 
 garden. 
 
 Colonel Maunsell presented this day by Sir 
 George Bingham. Napoleon conversed for a short 
 time with the latter. 
 
 5th. Sir Hudson Lowe came to Longwood, 
 and calling me aside in a mysterious manner, 
 asked if I thought that " General Bonaparte" 
 would take it well if he invited him to come to a 
 ball at Plantation house, on the Prince Regent's 
 birth-day ? I replied, that under all circumstances, 
 I thought it most probable that he would look 
 upon it as an insult, especially if made to " General 
 Bonaparte." His excellency remarked, that he 
 would avoid that, by asking him in person. I 
 said, that I would recommend him to consult 
 Count Bert rand on the subject, which* he said he 
 would do. He then referred to a prior corner-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 87 
 
 sation and informed me that he was of opinion 
 my salary ought to be augmented to 500/. per 
 annum, and that he would certainly write to Lord 
 Bathurst and recommend it. After this, he spoke 
 about Mr. Hobhouse's book, observed, that he 
 could not send it to Longwood as it had not been 
 forwarded through the channel of the secretary of 
 state ; moreover that Lord Castlereagh was ex- 
 tremely ill spoken of, and that he had no idea of 
 allowing General Bonaparte to read a book in which 
 a British minister was treated in such a manner, or 
 even to know that a work containing such reflec- 
 tions could be published in England. I ventured 
 to observe to his excellency, that Napoleon was 
 very desirous to see the book, and that he could 
 not confer a much greater favour than to send it 
 up. Sir Hudson replied, that Mr. Hobhouse, in the 
 letter which accompanied it, had permitted him to 
 place it in his own library, if he did not think him- 
 self authorized to send it to its original destination. 
 
 6th. Napoleon again entered on the subject of 
 the book, the detention of which by the governor he 
 declared to be illegal ; and that even if he were a 
 prisoner under sentence of death, the governor's 
 conduct would not be justifiable in detaining a 
 printed and published book, in which there was 
 no secret correspondence or treason, because there 
 were some fooleries (betises) in it. By " fooleries 
 (betises)" he meant the inscription addressed to him. 
 
 A lieutenant, two midshipmen, and a party of
 
 88 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 seamen employed in repairing the tent, which had 
 suffered materially in the late bad weather. Na 
 poleon went up and conversed for a short time 
 with the midshipmen, one of whom by a strange 
 coincidence, happened to be the son of Mr. Drake, 
 notorious for his conduct at Munich. 
 
 1 Oth. Sir Hudson Lowe came up, while Napo- 
 leon was at breakfast in the tent, in order to see 
 him, but did not succeed. 
 
 12/A. Grand field-day at camp, in honour of 
 the Prince Regent. Explained to him that in all 
 our colonies his royal highness's birth-day was ce- 
 lebrated. " Ay, ay, ( Gia, giaj" said he, " natural- 
 ly (naturalmente)r Asked me if I were asked 
 to dine with the governor ? I replied, no ; but 
 that I was asked to the ball in the evening. 
 
 \\th. Napoleon went out to ride this morning 
 for the first time for eight weeks. Informed me 
 that he had so severe a headach, that he had de- 
 termined to try the effect of a little exercise. "But," 
 continued he, " the limits are so circumscribed 
 that I cannot ride for more than an hour ; and in 
 order to do me any good, I should ride very hard 
 for three or four. Here has been," continued he, 
 " that Sicilian thief-catcher (sblrro Siclllano) . I 
 would have remained in the tent an hour longer if 
 I had not been informed of his arrival. My mind 
 recoils to see him (Mi ripugna rani ma il vederloj. 
 He is perpetually unquiet, and appears always in 
 a passion with somebody, or uneasy as if some-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 89 
 
 thing tormented his conscience, and that he was 
 anxious to run away from himself." 
 
 "A man to be well fitted for the situation of 
 governor of St. Helena," he observed, " ought to 
 be a person of great politeness, and at the same 
 time of great firmness one who could gloss over 
 a refusal, and lessen the miseries of the persons de- 
 tained (detenus), instead of eternally putting them 
 in mind that they were considered as prisoners. 
 Instead of such a man, they had sent out un uomo 
 non conoscluto, che non a mai comandato, che non 
 ha nessun or dine t ne slstema, che nan sa farsi ubbi- 
 dlre, che non ha ne maniera ne creanza e che pare 
 che abbia sempre vlssuto con del ladri."* 
 
 15th. Anniversary of Napoleon's birth-day. 
 Breakfasted in the tent with the ladies and all his 
 suite including Piontkowski, and the children. 
 There was, however, no change of uniform or addi- 
 tional decorations. In the evening, the second 
 class of domestics, including the English, had a 
 grand supper, and a dance afterwards. To the as- 
 tonishment of the French, not an Englishman got 
 drunk. 
 
 IGth. Sir Hudson Lowe came up, and had a 
 long conversation with Gen. Montholon and my- 
 self, principally about the necessity of reducing the 
 
 * A man not known, who has never had command, who has neither 
 regularity nor system, who cannot make himself obeyed, who has no- 
 breeding nor civility and who seems to have always associated with 
 thieves. 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 90 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 expenses of the establishment, which, he observed, 
 was not conducted with a due regard to economy. 
 Amongst other examples of what he considered 
 wasteful expenditure, he stated to General Mon- 
 tholon, that he had observed on looking over the 
 accounts of Plantation House and. Longwood, 
 that there was a much greater quantity of basket- 
 salt consumed at the latter than at the former ; he 
 desired, therefore, that in future, common salt (sel- 
 gris) should be used as much as possible in the 
 kitchen and at the table of the servants. 
 
 One of Leslie's pneumatic machines for making 
 ice sent up to Longwood this day. As soon as it 
 was put up, I went and informed Napoleon, and 
 told him that the admiral was at Longwood. He 
 asked several questions about the process, and it 
 was evident that he was perfectly acquainted with 
 the principles upon which air-pumps are formed. 
 He expressed great admiration of the science ot 
 chemistry, spoke of the great improvements which 
 had of late years been made in it, and observed, 
 that he had always promoted and encouraged it 
 to the best of his power. I then left him, and pro- 
 ceeded to the room where the machine was, in 
 order to commence the experiment in the presence 
 of the admiral. In a few minutes Napoleon, ac- 
 companied by Count Montholon, came in and ac- 
 costed the admiral in a very pleasant manner, 
 seemingly gratified to see him. A cup full of 
 water was then frozen in his presence in about
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 91 
 
 fifteen minutes, and he waited for upwards of half 
 an hour to see if the same quantity of lemonade 
 would freeze, which did not succeed. Milk was 
 then tried, but it would not answer. Napoleon 
 took into his hand the piece of ice produced from 
 the water, and observed to me, what a gratifica- 
 tion that would have been in Egypt. The first 
 ice ever seen in St. Helena, was made by this ma- 
 chine, and was viewed with no small degree of 
 surprise by the yam stocks,* some of whom could 
 with difficulty be persuaded that the solid lump 
 in their hands was really composed of water, and 
 were not fully convinced until they had witnessed 
 its liquefaction. 
 
 1 1th. Went to Hut's Gate to visit Bertrand's 
 servant Bernard, who was very ill. The serjeant 
 of the guard ordered the sentry to be confined for 
 letting me in. Went out to inquire, and was in- 
 formed by the serjeant that he had orders to pre- 
 vent every one from going in, except the general 
 staff. Sir Hudson Lowe had, it appeared, given 
 some directions yesterday himself, on going out of 
 Bertrand's, to whom he showed a letter from Lord 
 Bathurst, stating that the expences of the esta- 
 blishment must be reduced to 8,000/. per annum 
 for every thing. The men who brought the pro- 
 visions were not allowed to enter but were ob- 
 liged to hand them over the wall. The servants 
 from Longwood were also refused admittance. 
 
 * A cant name for the natives of the island.
 
 92 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Mr. Brookes, the colonial secretary, was also de- 
 nied entrance. A letter sent by Sir Hudson Lowe 
 to Count Montholon, making a demand of 12,000/. 
 a year for the maintenance of Napoleon and suite.* 
 18M. The governor and admiral, accompanied 
 by Sir Thomas Reade and Major Gorrequer, ar 
 rived at Longwood, while Napoleon was walking 
 in the garden with Counts Bertrand, Montholon, 
 Las Cases, and son. His excellency sent to ask 
 an interview, which was granted. It took place 
 in the garden. The three principal personages, 
 Napoleon, Sir Hudson, and Sir Pulteney, were a 
 little in front of the others. Captain Poppleton 
 and myself stood at some distance from them, 
 but sufficiently near to observe their gestures. 
 We remarked, that the conversation was princi- 
 pally on the part of Napoleon, who appeared at 
 times considerably animated, frequently stopping 
 and again hurried in his walk, and accompanying 
 his words with a good deal of action. Sir Hud- 
 son's manner also appeared hurried and greatly 
 agitated. The admiral was the only one who 
 seemed to discourse with calmness. In about half 
 Un hour we saw Sir Hudson Lowe abruptly turn 
 about, and withdraw without saluting Napoleon. 
 The admiral took off his hat, made his bow, and 
 departed. Sir Hudson Lowe came up to where 
 Poppleton and myself were standing, paced up 
 
 * See Appendix, No. III.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA 93 
 
 and down in an agitated manner, while his horses 
 were coming, and said to me, " General Bonaparte 
 has been very abusive to me. I parted with him 
 rather abruptly, and told him, You are uncivil, 
 Sir (f^ous etes malhonndte, Monsieur) ." He then 
 mounted his horse, and galloped away. The ad- 
 miral appeared troubled and pensive. It was evi- 
 dent that the interview had been very unpleasant. 
 
 I9th. Saw Napoleon in his dressing-room. 
 He was in very good humour asked how Gour- 
 gaud was, and on being informed that I had given 
 him some medicine he laughed and said, " He 
 would have done better to have dieted himself for 
 some days ; let him drink plenty of water, and 
 eat nothing. Medicines," he said, " were only fit 
 for old people." 
 
 He then said, " that governor came here yes- 
 terday to annoy me. He saw me walking in the 
 garden, and in consequence I could not refuse to 
 see him. He wanted to enter into some details 
 with me about reducing the expenses of the esta- 
 blishment. He had the audacity to tell me that 
 things were as he found them, and that he came 
 up to justify himself : that he had come up two 
 or three times before to do so, but that I was in a 
 bath. I replied, ( No, Sir, I was not in a bath, 
 but I ordered one on purpose not to see you. In 
 endeavouring to justify yourself you make matters 
 worse.' He said that I did not know him ; that if
 
 94 A. VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I knew him, I should change my opinion. ' Know 
 you, Sir,' I answered, ' How could I know you t 
 People make themselves known by their actions ; 
 by commanding in battles. You have never com- 
 manded in battle. You have never commanded 
 any but vagabond Corsican deserters, Piedmon- 
 tese and Neapolitan brigands. I know the name 
 of every English general who has distinguished 
 himself, but I never heard of you except as a 
 scrivano* to Blucher, or as a commandant of bri- 
 gands. You have never commanded or been 
 accustomed to men of honour.' He said, that he 
 had not sought for the employment. J told him 
 that such employments were not asked for ; that 
 they were given by governments to people who 
 had dishonoured themselves. He said that he 
 only did his duty, and that I ought not to blame 
 him, as he only acted according to his orders. I 
 replied, ' So does the hangman. He acts accord- 
 ing to his orders. But when he puts a rope round 
 my neck to finish me, is that a reason that I 
 should like that hangman, because he acts ac- 
 cording to his orders ? Besides, I do not believe 
 that any government could be so mean as to give 
 such orders as you cause to be executed.' I told 
 Jiim, that if he^pleased, he need not send up any 
 thing to eat. That I would go over and dine at the 
 | able of the brave officers of the 53rd ; that I was 
 
 * Clerk.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 95 
 
 sure there was not one of them who would not 
 be happy to give a plate at the table to an old sol- 
 dier. That there was not a soldier in the regi- 
 ment who had not more heart than he had. That 
 in the iniquitous bill of parliament, they had de- 
 creed that I was to be treated as a prisoner, but 
 that he treated me worse than a condemned cri- 
 minal, or a galley-slave, as they were permitted 
 to receive newspapers and printed books, which 
 he deprived me of. I said, 'you have power over 
 my body, but none .over my soul. That soul is as 
 proud, fierce, and determined at the present mo- 
 ment, as when it commanded Europe.' I told him 
 that he was a Sicilian thief-catcher (sblrro Sicilia- 
 no), and not an Englishman ; and desired him not 
 to let me see him again until he came with orders 
 to despatch me, when he would find all the doors 
 thrown open to admit him." 
 
 " It is not my custom," continued he, " to abuse 
 any person, but that man's effrontery produced 
 bad blood in me, and I could not help expressing 
 my sentiments. When he had the impudence to 
 tell me before the admiral that he had changed 
 nothing ; that all was the same as when he had 
 arriv/ed, I replied, call the captain of ordinance (or- 
 donnance) here, and ask him. I will leave it to his 
 decision.' This struck him dumb, he was mute." 
 
 " He told me, that he had found his situation 
 so difficult that he had resigned. I replied, that
 
 96 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 a worse man than himself could not be sent out, 
 though the employment was not one which a man 
 of spirit (galantuomo) would wish to accept. If 
 you have an opportunity," added he, " or if any 
 one asks you, you are at liberty to repeat what I 
 have told you." 
 
 Gave him Sarrazin's " Account of the Campaign 
 in Spain." " Sarrazin," said he, " was a traitor, 
 and a man without honour, truth, or probity. 
 When I returned from Elba to Paris, he wrote 
 an offer of his services to me, in which he pro- 
 posed, if I would forgive and employ him, to be- 
 tray to me all the secrets and plans of the English. 
 It was my intention to have had him tried as a 
 traitor, as he deserved, instead of accepting his 
 offer, but I was so much hurried that it escaped 
 my memory." 
 
 21. tf. A ship arrived from England. Went to 
 town, where I saw Captain Stanfell, to whom I 
 mentioned in the course of conversation, that a 
 very unpleasant conversation had taken place be- 
 tween the governor and Napoleon, and that Sir 
 Hudson Lowe had told the latter that he had given 
 in his resignation. On my return, called at Hut's 
 Gate, along with Captain Maunsell of the 53rd, 
 and Captain Poppleton. Madame Bertrand asked 
 if there were any letters. Captain Maunsell said 
 that he had seen some for them at the post office. 
 On my arrival at Longwood, Napoleon asked me
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 97 
 
 the same question, to which I replied, that Captain 
 Maunsell had informed Madame Bertrand there 
 were some at the post-office. It was not my in- 
 tention to have mentioned them until I had ascer- 
 tained whether they would be sent to Longwood, 
 as I did not wish to embroil him further with the 
 governor ; but as I was assured that he would 
 hear it from Hut's Gate, I could not conceal my 
 knowledge of the fact. 
 
 22>id. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me to Plan- 
 tation House. Found him walking in the path to 
 the left of the house. He said that he had some 
 communication to make to government, wished to 
 know the state of General Bonaparte's health, and 
 whether I had any thing to say. " I understand," 
 continued he, " that Bonaparte told you I had 
 said that I had given in my resignation as gover- 
 nor of this island, is it true?" I replied, "he told 
 me that you had said so to him." Sir Hudson 
 added, " I never said any such thing, nor ever 
 had an idea of it. He has either invented it, or 
 perhaps mistaken my expressions. I merely said, 
 that if the government did not approve of my con- 
 duct, I would resign. I wish you therefore to ex- 
 plain to him that I never either said so, or had any 
 intention of doing it." He then asked me if I 
 had heard the subject of their conversation. I 
 replied, " some part of it." He wished to know 
 
 VOL. i. o
 
 98 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 what it was. I replied, " that I supposed he re- 
 membered it, and that I did not wish to repeat 
 what must be disagreeable to him." He observed 
 that I had mentioned it elsewhere, and that he had 
 a right to hear it from my own lips. Although I 
 had permission to communicate it, I was not pleas- 
 ed to be obliged to repeat to a man's face opinions 
 such as those which had been expressed of him ; 
 but under the circumstances of the case, I did 
 not think proper to refuse ; I therefore repeated 
 some parts. Sir Hudson said, that though he had 
 not commanded an army against him, yet that he 
 had probably done him more mischief, by the ad- 
 vice and information which he had given, prior to 
 and during the conferences at Chatillon, some of 
 which had not been published, as the conferences 
 were going on at the time than if he had com- 
 manded against him. That what he had pointed 
 out, had been acted upon afterwards, and was the 
 cause of his downfal from the throne. " I should 
 like," added he, " to let him know this, in order 
 to give him some cause for his hatred. I shall pro- 
 bably publish an account of the matter." 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe then walked about for a 
 short time, biting his nails, and asked me if Ma- 
 dame Bertrand had repeated to strangers any of 
 the conversation which had passed between Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte and himself? I replied that I
 
 A VOICE FROM ST, HELENA. 99 
 
 was not aware that Madame Bertrand was yet ac- 
 quainted with it. " She had better not," said he, 
 " lest it may render her and her husband's situa- 
 tion much more unpleasant than at present," He 
 then repeated some of Napoleon's expressions in a 
 very angry manner, and said, " did General Bona- 
 parte tell you, sir, that I told him his language was 
 impolite and indecent, and that I would not 
 listen any longer to it ?" I said, " no," " Then 
 it shewed," observed the governor, " great little- 
 ness on the part of General Bonaparte not to tell 
 you the whole. He had better reflect on his si- 
 tuation, for it is in my power to render him much 
 more uncomfortable than he is. If he continues 
 his abuse, I shall make him feel his situation. 
 He is a prisoner of war, and I have a right to 
 treat him according to his conduct. I'll build 
 him up." He walked about for a few minutes re- 
 peating again some of the observations, which he 
 characterised as ungentleman-like, &c. until he 
 had worked himself into a passion, and said, " tell 
 General Bonaparte that he had better take care 
 what he does, as, if he continues his present 
 conduct, I shall be obliged to take measures to 
 increase the restrictions already in force." After 
 observing that he had been the cause of the loss of 
 the lives of millions of men, and might be again, 
 if he got loose, he concluded by saying, " I consi-
 
 100 A VOICE ;FROM ST. HELKNA. 
 
 der AH Pacha to be a much more respectable scoun- 
 drel than Bonaparte"* 
 
 23rd. Told Napoleon, in the course of conver- 
 sation, that the governor had said that he had 
 mistaken his expressions, as he had never said, or 
 intended to say, that he had given in his resig- 
 nation ; that he had certainly expressed, that if the 
 government did not approve of his conduct, he 
 would resign, &c. " That is very extraordinary," 
 said Napoleon, " as he told me himself that he 
 had resigned, at least I understood him so. Tanto 
 peggio." I then observed, that in consequence of 
 what had occurred at the last interview, it was 
 probable that he would not seek another. " Tanto 
 meg Ho" said the emperor, "as then I shall be freed 
 from the embarrassment del suo brutto viso, &c." 
 
 26th. Napoleon asked me " if I had seen the 
 letter written by Count Montholon to Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, containing a list of their grievances." I 
 replied that I had. "Do you think," said he, 
 " that this governor will send it to England }" I 
 assured him that there was not a doubt of it. 
 That moreover, the governor told me, that he had 
 offered to him not only to send their letters home, 
 but even to get them published in the news- 
 papers. " It is a falsehood," replied the emperor. 
 
 * Mr. Baxter came up and joined us about the moment that this 
 expression was used.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 101 
 
 " He said, that he would send letters to Europe, 
 and have them published, with this proviso how- 
 ever, that he approved of their contents. Besides, 
 if even he wished to do so, his government would 
 not permit it. Suppose for example, that I sent 
 him an address to the French nation ? I do 
 not think," continued he, " that they will allow 
 a letter, which covers them with so much dis- 
 grace, to be published. The people of England 
 want to know why I call myself emperor, after 
 having abdicated I have explained it in that let- 
 ter. It was my intention to have lived in Eng- 
 land as a private person incognito, but as they 
 have sent me here, and want to make it appear 
 that I was never chief magistrate or emperor of 
 France, I still retain the title ; * * * told me, that 
 he heard Lords Liverpool and Castlereagh say, 
 that one of the principal reasons why they sent me 
 here, was a dread of my caballing with the oppo- 
 sition. It is likely enough that they were afraid of 
 my telling the truth of them, and of my explaining 
 some things which they would not like, as they 
 knew, that if I remained in England, they must 
 permit people of rank to see me." 
 
 He afterwards complained of the unnecessary 
 severity exercised in depriving him of a series of 
 newspapers, and restricting him to some uncon- 
 nected numbers of the Bourbon paper, "The Times." 
 
 Within a few days, some more picquets have
 
 102 A VOICE FROiM ST. HELENA. 
 
 been established, and several additional sentinels 
 placed, some in sight of Napoleon, if he chose to 
 walk after sun-set. Ditches of eight or ten feet 
 deep, nearly completed round the garden. 
 
 27th. Napoleon asked me if the French com- 
 missioner and Madame Sturmer had not had a 
 quarrel ? I replied, that Montchenu had said that 
 Madame Sturmer did not know how to come 
 into a drawing-room. He laughed at this, and 
 said, te I will venture to say, that the old booby 
 says so because she is not sprung from some of 
 those imbeciles, the old noblesse. Because her 
 father is a plebeian. These old emigrants hate, 
 and are jealous of all who are not hereditary asses 
 like themselves." I asked him if the king of 
 Prussia was a man of talent, " Who," said he, 
 " the king of Prussia ?" He burst into a fit of 
 laughter. " He a man of talent ! The greatest 
 blockhead on earth. Un ignorantaccio che non 
 ha nd talentOj ne informazione. A Don Quixote in 
 appearance. I know him well. He cannot hold 
 
 a conversation for five minutes. Not so his wife. 
 
 ". 
 
 She was a very clever, fine woman, but very un- 
 fortunate. Era bella, graziosa, e plena cTintelli- 
 genza" He then conversed for a considerable 
 time about the Bourbons. " They want," said 
 he, " to introduce the old system of nobility into 
 the army. Instead of allowing the sons of pea- 
 sants and labourers to be eligible to be made ge-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 103 
 
 nerals, as they were in my time ; they want to 
 confine it entirely to the old nobility, to emigres 
 like that old blockhead Montchenu. When you 
 have seen Montchenu, you have seen all the old 
 nobility of France before the revolution. Such 
 were all the race, and such they have returned, 
 ignorant, vain, and arrogant as they left it. Us 
 riont rien appris, Us riont rien oublitf. They were 
 the cause of the revolution, and of so much 
 bloodshed ; and now, after twenty-five years of 
 exile and disgrace, they return loaded with the 
 same vices and crimes for which they were expa- 
 triated, to produce another revolution. I know the 
 French. Believe me, that after six or ten years, 
 the whole race will be massacred and thrown 
 into the Seine. They are a curse to the nation. 
 It is of such as them that the Bourbons want to 
 make generals. I made most of mine, de la boue. 
 Wherever I found talent and courage, I rewarded 
 it. My principle was, la carriere ouverte aux 
 talens, without asking whether there were any 
 quarters of nobility to shew. It is true, that I 
 sometimes promoted a few of the old nobility, 
 from a principle of policy and justice, but I never 
 reposed great confidence in them. The mass of 
 the people," continued he, "now see the revival 
 of the feodal times : they see that soon it will be 
 impossible for their progeny to rise in the army. 
 Every true Frenchman reflects with anguish, that
 
 104 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 a family for so many years odious to France, has 
 been forced upon them over a bridge of foreign 
 bayonets. What I am going to recount will give 
 you some idea of the imbecility of the family. 
 When the Count d'Artois came to Lyons, although 
 he threw himself on his knees before the troops, in 
 order to induce them to advance against me, he 
 never put on the cordon of the legion of honour, 
 although he knew that the sight of it would be 
 most likely to excite the minds of the soldiers 
 in his favour, as it was the order so many of 
 them bore on their breasts, and required nothing 
 but bravery to obtain it. But no, he decked him- 
 self out with the order of the Holy Ghost, to be 
 eligible for which, you must prove one hundred 
 and fifty years of nobility, an order formed pur- 
 posely to exclude merit, and one which excited in- 
 dignation in the breasts of the old soldiers. ' We 
 will not,' said they, ' fight for orders like that, 
 nor for emigre's like those,' he had ten or eleven 
 of these imbecilles as aid-de-camps. Instead of 
 shewing to those troops some of those generals who 
 had so often led them to glory, he brought with 
 him a set of miserable^, who served no other pur- 
 pose than to recall to the minds of the veterans 
 their former sufferings under the noblesse and the 
 priests." 
 
 "To give you an instance of the general feeling in 
 France towards the Bourbons, I will relate to you
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 106 
 
 an anecdote. On my return from Italy, while my 
 carriage was ascending the steep hill of Tarare, I 
 got out and walked up without any attendants, 
 as was often my custom. My wife and my suite 
 were at a little distance behind me. I saw an old 
 woman, lame, and hobbling about with the help of 
 a crutch endeavouring to ascend the mountain. I 
 had a great coat on, and was not recognised. I 
 went up to her and said, Well, ma bonne, where 
 are you going with a haste which so little belongs 
 to your years ? What is the matter? ' Mafoi,' re- 
 plied the old dame, f they tell me the emperor is 
 here, and I want to see him before I die.' Bah, 
 bah, said I, what do you want to see him for ? 
 What have you gained by him ? He is a tyrant as 
 well as the others. You have only changed one 
 tyrant for another, Louis for Napoleon. * Mais, 
 monsieur, that may be ; but, after all he is the 
 king of the people, and the Bourbons were the 
 kings of the nobles. We have chosen him, and if 
 we are to have a tyrant, let him be one chosen by 
 ourselves.' There," said he, you have the sen- 
 timents of the French nation expressed by an old 
 woman." 
 
 I asked his opinion about Soult, and mentioned 
 that I had heard some persons place him in the 
 rank next to himself as a general. He replied, 
 " he is an excellent minister at war, or major-ge- 
 neral of an army : one who knows much better the 
 
 VOL. i. p
 
 106 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 arrangement of an army than to command in 
 chief." 
 
 Some officers of the 53rd told Madame Ber- 
 trand that Sir Thomas Reade had said, that Bo- 
 naparte did not like the sight of them, or of any 
 other red coat, as it put him in mind of Water- 
 loo. Madame Bertrand assured them, that it was 
 directly contrary to every thing that he had ever 
 expressed in her hearing. The same was men- 
 tioned to me yesterday by Lieutenants Fitzgerald 
 and Mackay. 
 
 28th. Informed that the famous letter was 
 shewn to several officers of the army and the navy, 
 and probably some copies sent to England. 
 
 A letter given by Count Montholon this even- 
 ing, to Captain Poppleton, for the governor, ex- 
 pressing a wish, that, if the governor did not think 
 proper to put matters with respect to passes on 
 the same footing as they were in Sir George Cork- 
 burn's time, which had been approved of by his 
 government, he should no longer grant passes to 
 any person. 
 
 30 th. Napoleon rose at three, a. m. Conti- 
 nued writing until six ; when he retired to rest 
 again. At five o'clock Count Bertrand came to 
 Captain Poppleton, and told him that the emperor 
 desired to see him. Poppleton, being in his morn- 
 ing walking-dress, wished to retire and change, 
 but was desired to come sans cfrdmonie. He was
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 accordingly ushered into the billiard-room, in his 
 dishabille. Napoleon was standing- with his hat 
 under his arm. " Well, M. le Capitaine" said he, 
 " I believe you are the senior captain of the 53rd r" 
 " I am." " I have an esteem for the officers and 
 men of the 53rd. They are brave men, and do 
 their duty. I have been informed that it is said 
 in camp, that I do not wish to see the officers. 
 Will you be so good as to tell them, that whoever 
 asserted this, told a falsehood. I never said or 
 thought so, I shall be always happy to see them. 
 I have been told also, that they have been prohi- 
 bited by the governor from visiting me." Captain 
 Poppleton replied, that he believed the informa- 
 tion which he had received was groundless, and 
 that the officers of the 53rd were acquainted with 
 the good opinion which he had previously ex- 
 pressed of them, which was highly flattering to 
 their feelings. That they had the greatest respect 
 for him. Napoleon smiled, and replied, "Je ne 
 suis pas vieille femme. I love a brave soldier who 
 has undergone, le bapteme dufeu, whatever nation 
 he may belong to." 
 
 3lst. Sir George Bingham and Major Fehrzen 
 of the 53rd, had a long conversation with Napo- 
 leon. 
 
 September 1st. Sir Hudson Lowe came to 
 Longwood. Two or three days ago, the " letter" 
 had been shewn and read by Count Las Cases,
 
 108 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to Captain Grey of the artillery, and some other 
 officers. Sir Hudson was very desirous to know 
 whether any of them had taken a copy of it. I 
 informed him, that any person at Longwood who 
 liked, might get one. His excellency appeared 
 greatly alarmed at this, and observed, that it was 
 an infraction of the act of parliament in any per- 
 son, not belonging to Longwood, to receive it. 
 He then asked if I had communicated to General 
 Bonaparte, what he had directed me to say on 
 the 22nd instant. I replied that I had, that Na- 
 poleon had said, " That he might act as he 
 pleased, that the only thing left undone now, was 
 to put sentinels to the doors and windows to pre- 
 vent him from going out ; that as long as he had a 
 book, he cared but little about it." The governor 
 remarked, that he had sent his letter of complaints 
 to the British government, and that it rested with 
 the ministers how to act. That he had put them 
 in full possession of every thing, which he desired 
 me to tell him. He added, that it was true he 
 could not be much worse than he was. 
 
 4th. Told Napoleon that the governor had 
 directed me to say that Count Montholons letter 
 had been sent to his majesty's government, and 
 that it rested with the ministers how to act. That 
 he had put them in full possession of every thing. 
 " Perhaps," replied he, " it will be published in 
 the English newspapers before his copy arrives."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 109 
 
 . Major Gorrequer came up to Longwood 
 to arrange matters with General Montholon, re- 
 lative to the proposed reduction of the expendi- 
 ture, at which he begged me to be present. The 
 purport of his communication was, that when 
 the British government had fixed 8,000/. as the 
 maximum of the whole of the expense attendant 
 upon General Bonaparte's establishment, they had 
 contemplated that a great reduction would take 
 piace in the number of persons composing it, by 
 some of the general officers and others returning to 
 Europe. But as that had not taken place, the go- 
 vernor had on his own responsibility directed that 
 an additional sum of 4,000/. should be added, mak- 
 ing in the whole 12,000/. for all and every expense ; 
 that General Montholon must therefore be inform- 
 ed, that on no account could the expenditure be 
 allowed to exceed 1,000/. per month. Should Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte be averse to the reductions ne- 
 cessary to bring the disbursements within that 
 sum, the surplus must be paid by himself, by 
 bills drawn upon some banker in Europe, or by 
 such of his friends as were willing to pay them. 
 Count Montholon replied, that the emperor was 
 ready to pay all the expenses of the establish- 
 ment, if they would allow him the means of doing 
 so ; and that if they permitted a mercantile or 
 banking-house in St. Helena, London, or Paris, 
 chosen by the British government itself, to serve
 
 110 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 as intermediators, through whom they could send 
 sealed letters and receive answers, he would en- 
 gage to pay all the expenses. That on the one 
 side, his honour should be pledged that the letters 
 should relate solely to pecuniary matters ; and on 
 the other that the correspondence should be held 
 sacred. Major Gorrequer replied, that this could 
 not be complied with ; that no sealed letters would 
 be suffered to leave Longwood. 
 
 Major Gorrequer shortly afterwards told Count 
 Montholon, that the intended reductions would 
 take place on the 15th of the present month, and 
 begged of him to arrange matters with Mr. Bal- 
 combe, the purveyor, about the disposition of the 
 1,000/. monthly, unless he chose to give drafts 
 for the surplus. Count Montholon replied, that he 
 would not meddle with it; that the governor might 
 act as he pleased ; that at the present moment 
 there was not any superfluity of provisions sup- 
 plied ; that as soon as the reductions took place, 
 he, for his part would give up all charge, and 
 would not meddle further in the matter. That the 
 conduct of the English ministry was infamous, 
 in declaring to Europe that the emperor should 
 not be suffered to want for any thing, and refusing 
 the offers of the allied powers to defray a part of 
 the expenses, and now reducing him and his 
 suite nearly to rations. Major Gorrequer denied 
 that the allied powers had ever made such an
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLKNA. Ill 
 
 offer. Montholon replied that he had read it in 
 some of the papers. Major Gorrequer then ob- 
 served, that a great reduction could be made in 
 the wine, viz. that it could be reduced to ten bot- 
 tles of claret daily, and one of madeira ; that at 
 Plantation House, the consumption was regulated 
 on the average of one bottle to each person. Mon- 
 tholon replied, that the French drank much less 
 than the English ; and that he had already done 
 at the emperor's table what he never had done in 
 his own private house in France, viz. corked up 
 the remnants of the bottles of wine, in order to 
 produce them on the table the next day ; that morer- 
 over, at night there was not a morsel of meat re- 
 maining in the pantry. Gorrequer observed, that 
 12,000/. a year was a very handsome allowance. 
 " About as much as 4,000 /. in England," replied 
 Montholon. The business was then deferred until 
 Saturday. Before leaving Longwood, Major Gor- 
 requer himself allowed to me that the establishment 
 could not be carried on for 12,000/. annually; 
 but that he thought a reduction of about 2,000/. 
 yearly might be made. I observed that it might, 
 provided a store of- every thing necessary was 
 established at Longwood, together with a stock- 
 yard, under the direction of a proper person. 
 
 7th. Major Gorrequer came up, and had a 
 long conversation with Count Montholon, in my 
 presence. The latter told him that orders had been
 
 112 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 given to discharge seven servants, which, with the 
 consequent saving of provisions, and a reduction 
 of wine, would diminish the expenses of the esta- 
 blishment to about 15,194/. annually ; but that 
 sum was the minimum of minimum^, and that no 
 further reductions could possibly take place. Ma- 
 jor Gorrequer observed, that it was nearly what 
 he had calculated himself. However, he still per- 
 sisted in declaring that on the 15th, not more than 
 1,000/. per month would be allowed. Count Mon- 
 tholon then, after renewing the offer made on the 
 last conversation, said, that as the emperor was not 
 permitted by the British government to have ac- 
 cess to his property, he had no other means left 
 than to dispose of his property, and that accord- 
 ingly a portion of his plate would be sent to the 
 town for sale, in order to obtain the sum required 
 monthly, in addition to that allowed by Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, to provide them with the necessaries of 
 life. Major Gorrequer said, that he would ac- 
 quaint the governor with it. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, accompanied by General 
 Meade, (who had arrived a day or two before) 
 came up and rode round Longwood. He appeared 
 to point out to the general the limits, and other 
 matters connected with the prisoners. 
 
 At night Napoleon sent for me, and complained 
 of severe headach. He' was sitting in his bed- 
 room, with only a wood lire burning, the flames
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 113 
 
 of which, alternately blazing and sinking, gave at 
 moments a most singular and melancholy expres- 
 sion to his. eoivntenance, as he sat opposite to it 
 with his hands crossed upon his Jknees, probably 
 reflecting upon his forlorn condition. After a 
 moment's pause, " Dottore" said he; " potete dar 
 ifualcasa a, far dor mi re un uomo che non pud ? 
 This is beyond your art. I have been trying in 
 vain to procure a little rest. I cannot," con- 
 tinued he, " well comprehend the conduct of 
 your ministers. They go to the expense of CO, 
 or 70,000/. in sending out furniture, wood, and 
 building materials for my use, and at the same 
 time send orders to put me nearly on rations, and 
 oblige me to discharge my servants, and make 
 reductions incompatible with the decency and 
 comfort of the house. Then we have aid-de- 
 camps, making stipulations about a bottle of wine 
 and two or three pounds of meat, with as much 
 gravity and consequence as if they were treating 
 about the distribution of kingdoms, I see contra- 
 dictions that I cannot reconcile : on the one hand, 
 enormous and useless expenditure ; on the other, 
 unparalleled meanness and littleness. Why do not 
 they allow me to provide myself with every thing, 
 instead of disgracing the character of the nation ? 
 They will not furnish my followers with what they 
 have been accustomed to, nor will they allow me 
 to provide for them by sending sealed letters 
 VOL. i. Q
 
 114 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 through a mercantile house even of their own se- 
 lection. For no man in France would answer a 
 letter of mine, when he knew that it would be 
 read by the English ministers, and that he would 
 consequently be denounced to the Bourbons, and 
 his property and person exposed to certain de- 
 struction. Moreover, your own ministers have not 
 given a specimen of good faith in seizing upon the 
 trifling sum of money that I had in the Bellero- 
 phon ; which gives reason to suppose that they 
 would do the same again, if they knew where any 
 of my property was placed. It must be," conti- 
 nued he, " to gull the English nation. John Bull, 
 seeing all this furniture sent out, and so much pa- 
 rade and shew in the preparations made in England, 
 concludes that I am well treated here. If they 
 knew the truth and the dishonour which it reflects 
 upon them they would not suffer it." He then 
 asked who was " that strange general officer ?" I 
 replied, General Meade, who with Mrs. Meade, 
 had arrived a few days back. That I had been 
 under his command in Egypt, where he had been 
 severely wounded. " What, with Abercrombie ?" 
 " No," I replied, " during the unfortunate attack 
 upon Rosetta." " What sort of a man is he r I 
 replied, that he bore a very excellent character. 
 " That governor," said he, " was seen stopping 
 him frequently, and pointing in different direc- 
 tions. I suppose that he has been filling his head
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 with bugie about me, and has told him that I hate 
 the sight of every Englishman, as some of his 
 canaille have said to the officers of the 53rd. I shall 
 order a letter to be written to tell him that I will 
 see him." 
 
 8th. A letter written by Count Montholon to 
 General Meade, containing an invitation to come 
 to Longwood, and stating that the emperor would 
 be glad to see him. This was given to Captain 
 Poppleton, who was also requested to inform 
 Mrs. Meade that Napoleon could scarcely re- 
 quest a lady to visit him ; but that, if she came, 
 he should be happy to see her likewise. Captain 
 Poppleton delivered this letter open to Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe. His excellency handed the note to 
 General Meade. On the road down to James 
 Town, General Meade reined back his horse, and 
 spoke to Captain Poppleton nearly as follows : 
 that he should have been very happy to have 
 availed himself of the invitation, but that he un- 
 derstood restrictions existed, and that he must 
 apply to the governor for permission, and in the 
 next place the vessel was under weigh, and he 
 could not well detain her. This he begged of 
 him to convey to Longwood. A written apology 
 was afterwards sent by him to the count, expres- 
 sing his thanks for the honour done to him, and 
 excusing himself on the ground of the vessel's 
 being under weigh.
 
 116 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 9///. Napoleoir complained of head-ach, colic, 
 & c< I wished him to take a dose of physic, which 
 he declined, saying, that he would cure himself 
 by diet and chicken water. He said, that General 
 Meade had written an apology to 'Count Montho- 
 lon, expressing his inability to accept of the invita- 
 tion ; " but I am convinced," continued he, " that 
 in reality he was prevented by the governor. Tell 
 him the first time you see him that I said he pre- 
 vented General Meade from corning to see me." 
 
 General Gourgaud and Montholon complained 
 of the wine, which they suspected contained lead, 
 as it gave them the colic, and desired me to get 
 some tests in order to analyze it. 
 
 Young Las Cases and Pointkowski went to 
 town this day, and had a conversation with the 
 Russian and French commissioners. On their 
 return, Pointkowski said, that on their arrival 
 Sir Thomas Reade had sent orders to the lieute- 
 nant who accompanied them, not to allow them to 
 separate ; and that he must follow them every- 
 where, and listen to their conversation. While 
 they were speaking to the Rose-bud, (a very pret- 
 ty young lady, so denominated from the fresh- 
 ness and fineness of her complexion), one of Sir 
 Thomas Reade's orderlies brought out their 
 horses by his command, with directions to inform 
 them that their servant was drunk, and that 
 if they did not leave the town, directly, he, (Sir
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 117 
 
 Thomas), would confine him as he was a soldier, 
 and punish him for being drunk. That young Las 
 Cases, who was cooler, had desired him to demand 
 an order in writing to that effect ; but that in his 
 passion he could not help saying that he would 
 horsewhip any person who attempted to lead the 
 horses away. 
 
 10th. Napoleon after some conversation touch- 
 ing the state of his health, said, that " while 
 young Las Cases was speaking to the Russian 
 commissioner, yesterday, the governor was walk- 
 ing up and down before the house where they 
 were, watching them. 1 could not have believed 
 it possible before, that a lieutenant-general and a 
 governor, could have demeaned himself by acting 
 as a gendarme. Tell him so the next time you see 
 him." 
 
 Napoleon then made some observations upon 
 the bad quality of the wine furnished to Longwood, 
 and remarked, that when he was a sous lieutenant 
 of artillery, he had a better table, and drank better 
 wine than at present. 
 
 I saw Sir Hudson Lowe afterwards, who asked 
 me if General Bonaparte had made any observa- 
 tions relative to General Meade's not having ac- 
 cepted the offer made to him ? I replied that he 
 had said he was convinced that he, (Sir Hudson), 
 had prevented him from accepting of it, and had 
 desired me tell him that such was his opinion. 
 No sooner had I pronounced this, than his excel-
 
 118 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lency's countenance changed, and he exclaimed 
 
 in a violent tone of voice, " He is a d d lying 
 
 rascal, a d d black-hearted villain. I wished 
 
 General Meade to accept it, and told him to do 
 so." He then walked about for a few minutes in 
 an agitated manner, repeating, " that none but a 
 black-hearted villain would have entertained such 
 an idea ;" then mounted his horse, and rode away. 
 He had not proceeded more than about a hundred 
 paces, when he wheeled round, rode back to where 
 I was standing, and said in a very angry manner, 
 " Tell General Bonaparte that the assertion that I 
 prevented General Meade from going to see him, e 
 una bugia itifame, e che e un buglardone chi t ha 
 detto* Tell him my exact words." 
 
 Sir Thomas Reade informed me that Point- 
 kowski's account of the transaction in town was 
 false ; that the only orders he had given to Lieute- 
 nant Sweeny, were not to lose sight of them. That 
 seeing their servant was so drunk, that he could 
 not sit on horseback, he had sent his own orderly 
 to assist in bringing the horses out, merely as an 
 act of civility. 
 
 12M. Napoleon still unwell ; complained of 
 slight colic. Recommended him strongly to take 
 a dose of Epsom salts. In a good humoured inan- 
 
 * The words were delivered in Italian, and signify in English, " is 
 an infamous lie, and tke person tcho said it, is a great liar." It is al- 
 most unnecesairy for me to say, that I did not deliver this message 
 in the manner I was directed to convey it.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 119 
 
 ner he gave me a slap in the face, and said if he 
 was not better to-morrow, he would take his own 
 medicine, crystals of tartar. During the conversa- 
 tion I informed him that the governor had assured 
 me that he had not only not prevented General 
 Meade from seeing him, but that he had recom- 
 mended him to accept of the invitation. " I do 
 not believe him," said Napoleon, " or if he did, 
 it was done in such a manner as to let the other 
 know that he would rather wish he did not avail 
 himself of it." 
 
 I related afterwards to him the explanation 
 given to me by Sir Thomas Reade, of Point- 
 kowski's affair. "What I complain of," said he, 
 " is the disingenuous manner in which they act, in 
 order to prevent any of the French from going to 
 the town. Why do they not say at once manfully, 
 ' You cannot go to town,' and then nobody will 
 ask, instead of converting officers into spies and 
 gendarmes, by making them follow the French 
 everywhere, and listen to their conversation. But 
 their design is to throw so many impediments in 
 the way, and render it so disagreeable to us as to 
 amount to a prohibition, without giving any direct 
 orders, to enable this governor to say that we have 
 the liberty of the town, but that we do not choose 
 to avail ourselves of it." 
 
 I saw Sir Hudson Lowe in town, to whom I 
 explained what I had said to Napoleon about
 
 120 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Pointkowski, his reply, also the complaint made 
 by Generals Gourgaud and Montholon of the 
 wine, and his request that I might procure some 
 tests to analyze it. A few bottles of claret have 
 been borrowed from Capt. Poppleton for Napo- 
 leon's own use. 
 
 13/A. Napoleon much better. Had a conver- 
 sation with Mr. Balcombe relative to the concerns 
 of the establishment. 
 
 A large quantity of plate weighed for the pur- 
 pose of being broken up for sale. Information 
 given of this by Captain Poppleton to Sir Hudson 
 Lowe. Complaints made by Count Montholon 
 and Cipriani of the state of the copper saucepans 
 at Longwood. Found them, on examination, to 
 be in want of immediate tinning. Communicated 
 the above to Major Gorrequer, with a request that 
 a tradesman might be sent forthwith to repair them, 
 A letter came from Mr. Balcombe to Count Mon- 
 tholon, containing the scale of provisions,* &c. 
 which had been fixed for their daily use, accord- 
 ing to the reduction ordered by the governor. 
 Montholon refused to sign any more receipts. 
 
 In the evening, Cipriani went to Capt. Maunsell, 
 and requested of him to obtain for him a dozen 
 or two of the same claret which for two or three 
 days they had borrowed from Captain Poppleton 
 for the emperor, and which had been got from the 
 
 * See Appendix, No. IV.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 121 
 
 53rd's mess, as that sent up from James Town had 
 given him the colic, adding- that they would either 
 pay for it, or return an equal quantity. This re- 
 quest was interpreted by me to Capt. Maunsell, 
 who said that he would endeavour to procure it. 
 
 Received an answer from Major Gorrequer, 
 acquainting me that he had ordered a new batterie 
 de cuisine to be sent to Longwood, &c. &c. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe and staff in camp ; he was 
 very angry at the request which had been made to 
 Captain Maunsell to procure the wine. It appeared 
 that Capt. Maunsell had mentioned it to his bro- 
 ther, and to the wine-committee of the regiment, 
 who proposed to send a case of claret to Napo- 
 leon. This was told to Sir George Bingham, and 
 reported by him to the governor, who sent for me, 
 and said, that I had no business to act as inter- 
 preter on such an occasion. Major Gorrequer 
 observed, that the wine had been sent out for the 
 use of General Bonaparte, and that he ought to 
 be obliged to drink it, or get nothing else. 
 
 \&th. Wrote to Major Gorrequer, in answer 
 to some points of his last letter, and gave him an 
 explanation about the wine affair of yesterday ; in 
 which I stated that General Gourgaud had affirmed 
 that there was lead in the wine, and had begged of 
 me to procure some tests for the purpose of ascer- 
 taining the fact ; adding, that I had acquainted Sir 
 Hudson Lowe with this request the last time I had 
 
 VOL. i. R
 
 122 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 seen him in town. 1 hinted also that it was very na- 
 tural for Napoleon to believe General Gourgaud's 
 assertion (who was considered to be a good che- 
 mist), until it was proved not to be correct. This 
 letter I requested him to lay before the governor. 
 
 17th. Gave a minute explanation to Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe in person of the wine transaction be- 
 tween Captain Maunsell, Cipriani, and myself, 
 with which his excellency was pleased to say he 
 was perfectly satisfied. 
 
 This day, Major Gorrequer, in the course of con- 
 versation with me relative to the provisioning of 
 Longwood, said, that Sir Hudson Lowe had ob- 
 served, that any soldiers who would attend at 
 Longwood as servants to General Bonaparte, 
 were unworthy of rations. Sir Thomas Reade 
 begged of me to try and get him some of Napo- 
 leon's plate whole, which he observed, would sell 
 better in that state than if it were broken up. 
 
 \Sth. Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood. Sir 
 Thomas Reade told me that Bertrand had injured 
 himself very much in his conversation with the 
 governor, as the latter had found it to be his duty 
 to write a strong letter on the subject to Lord 
 Bathurst. 
 
 19th. A large portion of Napoleon's plate 
 broken up, the imperial arms and the eagles cut 
 out and put by. Count Montholon applied to 
 Captain Poppleton for an officer to accompany
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 123 
 
 him to James Town, for the purpose of disposing 
 of the plate, with which the latter acquainted the 
 governor forthwith by an orderly. Received back 
 an order to acquaint Count Montholon, " that the 
 money produced by the sale of the silver should 
 not be paid to him, but be deposited in the hands 
 of Mr. Balcombe the purveyor, for the use of 
 General Bonaparte." 
 
 21 st. Sir Pulteney Malcolm came up to Long- 
 wood, in order to take leave of Napoleon, prior 
 to his departure for the Cape of Good Hope, 
 which was expected to take place in a few days. 
 Had a long interview, and was received very gra- 
 ciously by Napoleon, the conversation was chiefly 
 relative to the Scheldt, Antwerp, battles in Ger- 
 many, the Poles, &c. 
 
 Wrote last night to Sir Thomas Reade, by re- 
 quest of Madame Bertrand, to know whether per- 
 mission would be granted that a phaeton, which 
 had been purchased with Napoleon's own money, 
 and afterwards given by him to Madame Bertrand, 
 might be sent to the Cape for sale by Sir Pulteney 
 Malcolm's ship. Concluded by requesting him 
 to let me know, before he applied to the governor, 
 if there was any impropriety in the request, as in 
 that case it should not be made. 
 
 23rd. Received an answer from Sir Thomas 
 Reade, announcing that the governor had given 
 his consent for the sale of the phaeton, with a pro-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 viso, that the money derived from it should not 
 be paid to themselves, but deposited in Mr. Bill- 
 combe's hands. Three of Bertrand's servants very 
 seriously ill. 
 
 Heard a curious anecdote of Gen. Vandamme. 
 When made prisoner by the Russians, he was 
 brought before the emperor Alexander, who re- 
 proached him in bitter terms with being a robber, 
 a plunderer, and a murderer ; adding, that no fa- 
 vour could be granted to such an execrable cha- 
 racter. This was followed by an order that he 
 should be sent to Siberia, whilst the other pri- 
 soners were sent to a much less northern destina- 
 tion. Vandamme replied with great sang froid, 
 " It may be, sire, that I am a robber and a plun- 
 derer ; but at least I have not to reproach myself 
 with having soiled my hands with the blood of a 
 father!!" 
 
 Met Sir Hudson Lowe on his way to Long- 
 wood, who observed, that General Bonaparte had 
 done himself a great deal of mischief by the letters 
 which he caused Count Montholon to write, and 
 that he wished him to know it. That by con- 
 ducting himself properly for some years, the mi- 
 nisters might believe him to be sincere, and allow 
 him to return to England. He added, that lie 
 (Sir Hudson) had written such letters to England 
 about Count Las Cases, as would effectually pre- 
 vent his ever being permitted to return to France.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 125 
 
 On his arrival at Longwood, the fowls which had 
 been sent up for the day's consumption were shewn 
 to his excellency by Captain P. He was pleased 
 to admit that they were very bad. 
 
 27th. The commissioners came up to Long- 
 wood gate, and wanted to enter, but were refused 
 admission by the officer of the guard, as their 
 passes did not specify Longwood, but merely 
 " wherever a British officer might pass." 
 
 28th. Napoleon occupied in reading Denon's 
 large work on Egypt, from which he was making 
 some extracts with his own hand. 
 
 October 1st. Repeated to Napoleon what Sir 
 Hudson Lowe had desired me on the 23rd. He 
 replied, " I expect nothing from the present mi- 
 nistry but ill treatment. The more they want to 
 lessen me, the more I will exalt myself. It was 
 my intention to have assumed the name of Colonel 
 Meuron, who was killed by my side at Arcola, 
 covering me with his body, and to have lived as 
 a private person in England, in some part of the 
 country where I might have lived retired, without 
 ever desiring to mix in the grand world. I would 
 never have gone to London, nor have dined out. 
 Probably I should have seen very few persons. 
 Perhaps I might have formed a friendship with 
 some savans. I would have rode out every day, and 
 then returned to my books." I observed, that as 
 long as he kept up the title of majesty, the English
 
 ]'2G A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ministers would have a pretext for keeping him 
 in St. Helena. He replied, "they force me to it. 
 I wanted to assume an incognito on my arrival 
 here, which was proposed to the admiral, but 
 they will not permit it. They insist on calling 
 me General Bonaparte. I have no reason to be 
 ashamed of that title, but I will not take it from 
 them. If the republic had not a legal existeiu \ 
 it had no more right to constitute me general, than 
 first magistrate. If the admiral had remained," 
 continued he, " perhaps matters might have been 
 arranged. He had some heart, and to do him 
 justice was incapable of a mean action. Do 
 you think," added he, " that he will do us an in- 
 jury on his arrival in England ?" I replied, " I do 
 not think that he will render you any service, par- 
 ticularly in consequence of the manner in which 
 he was treated when he last came up to see you, 
 but he will not tell any falsehoods : he will strictly 
 adhere to the truth, and give his opinion about 
 you, which is not very favourable." " Why so," 
 replied he, " we were very well together on board 
 ship. What can he say of me ? that I want to 
 escape, and mount the throne of France again ?" 
 I replied, that it was very probable he would 
 both think and say so. " Bah," replied Napo- 
 leon. " If I were in England now, and a depu- 
 tation from France were to come and offer me the 
 throne, I would not accept of it, unless I knew such
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 127 
 
 to be the unanimous wish of the nation. Other- 
 wise I should be obliged to turn bourreau, and cut 
 off the heads of thousands to keep myself upon 
 it oceans of blood must flow to keep me there. 
 I have made noise enough in the world already, 
 perhaps too much, and am now getting old, and 
 want retirement. These," continued he, " were 
 the motives which induced me to abdicate the 
 last time." I observed to him, that when he was 
 einperor, he had caused Sir George Cockburn's 
 brother to be arrested, when envoy at Hamburg, 
 and conveyed to France, where he was detained 
 for some years. He appeared surprised at this, 
 and endeavoured to recollect it. After a pause, 
 he asked me, if I was sure that the person so ar- 
 rested was Sir George Cockburn's brother. I re- 
 plied, that I was perfectly so, as the admiral had 
 told me the circumstance himself. " It is likely 
 enough," replied he, " but I do not recollect the 
 name. I suppose, however, that it must have 
 been at the time when I caused all the English I 
 could find on the continent to be detained, be- 
 cause your government had seized upon all the 
 French ships, sailors, and passengers they could 
 lay their hands upon in harbour, or at sea, before 
 the declaration of war. I, in my turn, seized upon 
 all the English that I could find at land, in order 
 to shew them that if they were all-powerful at 
 sea, and could do what they liked there, I was
 
 128 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 equally so by land, and had as good a right to 
 seize people on my element as they had upon 
 theirs. Now" said he, " I can comprehend the 
 reason why your ministers selected him. I am 
 surprised, however, that he never told me any 
 thing about it. A man of delicacy would not have 
 accepted the task of conducting me here under 
 similar circumstances. You will see," continued 
 he, " that in a short time the English will cease to 
 hate me. So many of them have been, and are in 
 France, where they will hear the truth, that they 
 will produce a revolution of opinion in England 
 I will leave it to them to justify me, and I have 
 no doubts about the result." 
 
 Learned that the commissioners had obtained 
 permission from Sir Hudson Lowe to come as far 
 as the inner gate of Longwood. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, accompanied by Sir Thos. 
 Reade, Major Gorrequer, Wynyard, and Prichard, 
 and followed by three dragoons and a servant, 
 rode into Longwood, alighted in front of the bil- 
 liard-room, and demanded to " see General Bo- 
 naparte." A reply was given by General Mon- 
 tholon, that he was indisposed. This did not 
 satisfy his excellency, who sent again in rather an 
 authoritative manner, to say, that he had some- 
 thing to communicate, which he wanted to deliver 
 in person to General Bonaparte, and to no other 
 person would he give it. An answer was sent,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 129 
 
 that notice would be given to him When he could 
 be received, that Napoleon was then suffering 
 with a bad tooth. At four, p. m. Napoleon sent 
 for me, and desired me to look at one of the dentes 
 sapientice, which was carious and loose. He then 
 asked me if I knew what the governor wanted, or 
 why he wished to see him ? I replied, that per- 
 haps, he had some communication from Lord 
 Bathurst, which he did not like to deliver to any 
 other person. " It will be better for us not to 
 meet," said Napoleon. "It is probably some 
 betise of Lord Bathurst, which he will make worse 
 by his ungracious manner of communicating it. I 
 am sure it is nothing that is good, or he would not 
 be so anxious to deliver it himself, Lord * * * * is 
 a bad man, his communications are bad, and he is 
 worse than all. Nothing good can arise from an 
 interview." 
 
 " The last time I saw him he laid his hand 
 upon his sabre two or three times in a violent 
 manner, therefore go to him or to Sir T. Reade to- 
 morrow, and tell him that if he has any thing to 
 communicate, he had better send it to Bertrand, 
 or Bertrand will go to his house: assure him that 
 he may rely upon Bertrand's making a faithful re- 
 port. Or let him send Colonel Reade to toe to 
 explain what he has to say ; I will receive and 
 hear him, because he will be only the bearer of 
 orders and not the giver of them ; therefore if he 
 
 VOL. i. s
 
 130 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 comes upon a bad mission, I shall not be angry, 
 as he will only obey the orders of a superior." I 
 endeavoured to induce him to meet the governor, 
 in order, if possible, to make up the differences be- 
 tween them ; but he replied, " to meet him would 
 be the worst mode of attempting it, as he was con- 
 fident it was some betise of Lord Bathurst's which 
 he would make worse, and convert into an insult 
 by his brutal mode of delivering it. You know," 
 added he, " I never got into a passion with the 
 admiral, because even when he had something 
 bad to communicate, he did it with some feeling ; 
 but this man treats us as if we were so many de- 
 serters," 
 
 Knowing that Sir Thomas Reade was quite 
 incapable of explaining to him in either French or 
 Italian the purport of any communication ex- 
 ceeding a few words, I asked him, " In case Sir 
 Thomas Reade should not find himself capable of 
 explaining perfectly every particular, and should 
 commit what he had to say to paper, if he would 
 read it, or allow it to be read to him ?" he replied 
 " certainly, let him do this, or send it to Bertrand. 
 As to me, perhaps I shall not see him for six months. 
 Let him break open the doors or level the house, I 
 am not subject to the English laws, because they do 
 not protect me. I am sure," continued he, " that he 
 has nothing pleasant to communicate, or he would 
 not be so anxious to do it personally. Nothing 

 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 131 
 
 but insults or bad news ever came from Lord 
 Bathurst. I wish they would give orders to have 
 me despatched. I do not like to commit suicide ; 
 it is a thing that I have always disapproved of. I 
 have made a vow to drain the cup to the last 
 draught ; but I should be most rejoiced if they 
 would send directions to put me to death." 
 
 2nd. Saw Napoleon in the morning. A 
 tooth-ach, he said, had prevented him from 
 sleeping a great part of the night : his cheek was 
 swelled. After having examined the tooth, 1 re- 
 commended the extraction of it. He desired me 
 to go to the governor and deliver a message, the 
 purport of which was, that in consequence of in- 
 disposition, pain, and want of sleep, he found him- 
 self unfit to listen calmly to communications, or 
 to enter into discussions ; therefore that he wished 
 the governor would communicate to Count Ber- 
 trand whatever he had to say. That Count Ber- 
 trand would faithfully report it to him. If he 
 would not communicate it to Count Bertrand, or to 
 any other resident at Longwood, Napoleon would 
 have no objection to receive it from Colonel 
 Reade. The remainder of the message was simi- 
 lar to what he had said on the same subject yes- 
 terday. " If," added he, " that man were to bring 
 me word that a frigate had arrived for the pur- 
 pose of taking me to England, I should conceive 
 it to be bad news, because he was the bearer of it.
 
 132 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 With such a temper of mind, you must sec how 
 improper it would be that an interview should 
 take place. He came up here yesterday, sur- 
 rounded with his staff, as if he were going- in state 
 to assist at an execution, instead of asking pri- 
 vately to see me. Three times has he gone away 
 in a passion, therefore it will be better that no more 
 interviews should take place between us, as no 
 good can arise from it ; and, as he represents his 
 nation here, I do not like to insult or make severe 
 remarks to him, similar to those I was obliged to 
 express before. 
 
 Went to Sir Hudson Lowe, to whom I made 
 known the message with which I had been charged, 
 suppressing the offensive parts, but communicating 
 all that was necessary to elucidate its meaning. His 
 excellency desired me to give it to him in writing, 
 and then told me, that the secretary of state had sent 
 directions to him to inquire very minutely concern- 
 ing a letter which had appeared in one of the Ports- 
 mouth papers concerning Bonaparte, and which 
 had given great offence to his majesty's ministers ; 
 particularly as it had been reported to them by 
 Captain Hamilton of the Havannah frigate, that 
 I was either the author, or had brought it on 
 board. His excellency then asked me who I had 
 written to, adding, " there is no harm in the letter. 
 It is very correct in general, but the ministers do 
 not like that any thing should be published about
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 133 
 
 him. Every thing must come through them ;" also 
 that Captain Hamilton had reported that it was an 
 anonymous letter, and expressly intended for pub- 
 lication. I replied to Sir Hudson Lowe, that I 
 had never written an anonymous letter in my life, 
 and that several letters had been published in the 
 newspapers, of which I had been supposed the 
 author, until another individual had acknowledged 
 them to have been written by him. Sir Hudson 
 Lowe desired me to write a letter of explanation 
 to him on the subject ; after which, he dictated to 
 Sir Thomas Reade what he wished me to express 
 in answer to General Bonaparte, of which I took 
 the following copy ; which the governor read be- 
 fore I left the house. 
 
 "The principal object of the governor's visit to 
 Longwood to see General Bonaparte, was from a 
 sense of attention towards him, in order to ac- 
 quaint him, first, with instructions received con- 
 cerning his officers, which could only be decided 
 by him, before informing them. The governor 
 would wish the communication with General Bo- 
 naparte should be made by himself, in the pre- 
 sence of Sir Thomas Reade, or some of his own 
 staff, and one of the French generals. He never 
 intended to say any thing which would affront or 
 insult General Bonaparte ; on the contrary, he 
 wished to conciliate and modify the strict letter 
 of his instructions, with every attention and re-
 
 134 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 spect to him, and cannot conceive the cause of so 
 much resentment manifested by General Bona- 
 parte towards him. If he would not consent to 
 an interview with the governor in the presence 
 of other persons, the governor would send Sir 
 Thomas Reade, (if he consented to it,) to commu- 
 nicate the general purport of what he had to say, 
 leaving some points for future discussion. If 
 Count Bertrand was sent to the governor, some 
 expression of concern would be required from 
 him for the language made use of by him to the 
 governor, on the last interview which the governor 
 undertook, by desire of General Bonaparte him- 
 self ; and the governor conceives the same expres- 
 sion of concern necessary from Count Bertrand, 
 on the part of General Bonaparte himself, for his 
 intemperate language in the last interview with 
 the governor ; and then the latter will express his 
 concern for any words made use of by him in re- 
 ply, which may have been deemed unpleasant, as 
 there was no intention on his part, of saying any 
 thing offensive, his words being merely repelling 
 an attack made upon him, and this he would not 
 do to a person in any other situation than that of 
 General Bonaparte. But if the latter is determined 
 to dispute with the governor for endeavouring to 
 execute his orders, he sees little hope of a proper 
 understanding between them." 
 
 On my return to Longwood, I minutely ex-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 135 
 
 plained the above to Napoleon, both alone, and in 
 the presence of Count Bertrand. Napoleon smiled 
 contemptuously at the idea of his apologizing to 
 Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 
 3rd. Saw Napoleon in the morning. After I 
 had inquired into the state of his health, he enter- 
 ed upon the business of yesterday. " As this go- 
 vernor," says he, " declares that he will not com- 
 municate the whole to Reade, but intends to re- 
 serve some future points for discussion, I shall 
 not see him, for I only agree to see Reade, in 
 order to avoid the sight of the other ; and by re- 
 serving the points he speaks of, he might come up 
 again to-morrow or next day, and demand another 
 interview. If he wants to communicate let him 
 send his adjutant -general to Bertrand, or to Mon- 
 tholon, or to Las Cases, or Gourgaud, or to you ; 
 or send for one of them, and explain it himself; or 
 let him communicate the whole to Reade or to Sir 
 George Bingham, or somebody else ; and then I 
 will see the person so chosen. If he still insists 
 on seeing me, I will write myself in answer, ' The 
 Emperor Napoleon will not see you, because the 
 last three times you were with him you insulted 
 him, and he does not wish more communication 
 with you.' I well know that if we have another 
 interview there will be disputes and abuse : a sus- 
 picious gesture might produce I know not what. 
 He, for his own sake, ought not to desire one,
 
 136 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 after the language which I applied to him the last 
 time. I told' him, before the admiral, when he 
 said that he only did his duty, that so did the 
 hangman, but that one was not obliged to see 
 that hangman until the moment of execution. 
 Ci sono state tre scene. Scene vergognose ! I do 
 not wish to renew them. I know that my blood 
 will be heated. I will tell him that no power on 
 earth obliges a prisoner to see and debate with 
 his executioner ; for his conduct has made him 
 such to me. He pretends that he acts according 
 to his instructions ; a government two thousand 
 leagues distant can do no more than point out 
 the general manner in which things must be con- 
 ducted, and must leave a great discretionary 
 power, which he distorts and turns in the worst 
 possible manner, in order to torment me. A proof 
 that he is worse than his government is, that they 
 have sent out several things to make me comfort- 
 able ; but he does nothing but torment, insult, 
 and render my existence as miserable as possible. 
 To complete the business, he writes letters full of 
 smoothness and sweetness, professing every re- 
 gard, which he afterwards sends home to make 
 the world believe that he is our best friend. I 
 want to avoid another sccna with him. I never, 
 in the height of my power, made use of such lan- 
 guage to any man, as I was compelled to apply 
 to him. It would have been unpardonable at the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 137 
 
 Thuilleries. I would sooner have a tooth drawn, 
 than have an interview with him. He has a bad 
 mission, and fulfils it badly. I do not think that 
 he is aware how much we hate and despise him ; 
 I should like him to know it. He suspects every 
 body, even his own staff are not free from it. You 
 see that he will not confide to Reade. Why does 
 he not go to Montholon or Las Cases, if he does 
 not like Bertrand?" I replied, that Sir Hudson 
 Lowe had said he could not repose confidence in 
 the fidelity of either of them, in reporting the pur- 
 port of his conversation. " Oh," said he, " he is 
 offended with Montholon about that letter, written 
 in August last, and with Las Cases, because he 
 not only writes the truth to a lady in London, but 
 tells it every where here." I replied, " the gover- 
 nor has accused Count Las Cases of having 
 written many falsehoods respecting what has 
 passed here." " Las Cases," replied he, " would 
 not be blockhead enough to write lies, when he 
 was obliged to send the letters containing them 
 through his hands. He only writes the truth, 
 which that geolier does not wish to be known. I 
 am sure that he wants to tell me that some of my 
 generals are to be removed, and wishes to throw 
 the odium of sending them away upon rue, by 
 leaving the choice to me. They would send you 
 away too, if they were not afraid you would do 
 some mischief in England, by telling what you 
 VOL. i. T
 
 138 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 have seen. Their design, I believe, is to send 
 every body away who might be inclined to make 
 my life less disagreeable. Truly they have chosen 
 a pretty representative for Bathurst. I would 
 sooner have an interview with the corporal of the 
 guard, than with that galeriano. How different 
 it was with the admiral ! We used to converse to- 
 gether sociably, on different subjects, like friends. 
 But this man is only fit to oppress and insult those 
 whom misfortune has placed in his power." 
 
 After this, he conversed upon various subjects. 
 He made some observations upon the marriage of 
 the Princess Charlotte with Prince Leopold and 
 spoke in terms of praise of the latter, whom he 
 had seen at Paris during his reign. 
 
 According to Ju desire, I wrote an account of 
 what he had said to Sir Hudson Lowe ; avoiding, 
 however, to repeat the strongest of his expressions. 
 
 4th. Sir Thomas Reade came up to my room 
 at Longwood, with a written paper from the go- 
 vernor, containing the new instructions which 
 the latter had received from England. I went to 
 Napoleon and announced him. He asked me, " if 
 he was in full possession of every thing?" I re- 
 plied, that he had told me so. He desired me to 
 introduce him. When I went back, Sir Thomas 
 Reade told me that his mission was not a veiy 
 pleasant one, and that he hoped " Bonaparte 
 would not be offended with him," and asked me
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 139 
 
 how he should explain it to him. I told him how 
 to express himself to this effect in Italian. We 
 then went into the garden where Napoleon was : I 
 introduced him, and left them together. In a few 
 minutes, Napoleon called Count Las Cases, and 
 told him to translate aloud in French, the con- 
 tents of the paper, according as Reade repeated it. 
 When Reade came to my room on his return, he 
 said that Napoleon had been very civil to him, 
 and that so far from being offended, he had asked 
 him the news and laughed, and only observed (as 
 the knight repeated in his Italian,) " Piu mi si 
 perseguiterd, meglio andra e mostrera al mondo che 
 rabbia de perseciizioni. Fra poco tempo mi si le- 
 veranno tutti gli altri, e qualche mattina rnam- 
 mazzeranno." Sir Thomas then allowed me to 
 read the paper, the contents of which were as fol- 
 lows : " That the French who wished to remain 
 with General Bonaparte must sign the simple 
 form, which would be given to them of their wil- 
 lingness to submit to whatever restrictions might 
 be imposed upon General Bonaparte, without 
 making any remarks of their own upon it. Those 
 who refused, would be sent off directly to the 
 Cape of Good Hope. The establishment to be 
 reduced in number four persons ; those who re- 
 mained, were to consider themselves to be amen- 
 able to the laws, in the same manner as if they were 
 British subjects, especially to those which had been
 
 140 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 framed for the safe custody of General Bonaparte, 
 and declaring the aiding and assisting of him to 
 escape, felony. Any of them, abusing, reflecting 
 upon, or behaving ill to the governor, or the govern- 
 ment they were under, would be forthwith sent to 
 the Cape, where no facilities would be afforded for 
 their conveyance to Europe." It explained, also, 
 that it was not to be understood, that the obliga- 
 tion was to be eternal on those who signed. There 
 was also a demand for 1,400/. paid for books, which 
 had been sent out. The whole was couched in 
 language of a highly peremptoiy nature. Sir Tho- 
 mas then told me that Count Bertrand was to go 
 the following day to Plantation House, and that 
 I might hint to him, that if he behaved himself 
 well, perhaps none but domestics would be sent 
 away, but that all depended upon his " good 
 behaviour" 
 
 5th. While walking down the park in the 
 morning, thinking of the occurrences of yesterday, 
 I heard a voice calling me. Turning about, I was 
 surprised to see the emperor, beckoning to, and 
 calling me. After he asked how I was, he said, 
 " Ebbetie, bugiardo sempre questo governatore ! 
 There was nothing in the intelligence, which he 
 said he could only communicate to myself, which 
 might not have been made known through Ber- 
 trand, or any one else. But he thought that 
 he had an opportunity of insulting and grieving
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 141 
 
 me, which he eagerly embraced. He came up 
 here with his staff, just as if he were going to an- 
 nounce a wedding, with exultation and joy painted 
 on his countenance, at the idea of having it in his 
 power to afflict me. He thought to plant a stilo 
 in my heart, and could not deny himself the plea- 
 sure jof witnessing and enjoying it personally. 
 Never has he given a greater proof of a bad mind, 
 than thus wishing to stab to the heart, one whom 
 misfortunes had placed in his power." He then 
 repeated some parts of the communication of yes- 
 terday, and observed that it ought to be sent to 
 them in writing, as it was impossible for a French- 
 man to understand a communication in English, 
 by having heard it read only a few minutes. I took 
 the liberty of strongly recommending that matters 
 should be accommodated as much as possible ; as 
 I said I had reason to believe that the governor 
 was inclined to grant that domestics should be 
 sent away, instead of any of the generals ; but that 
 if irritated, he might act otherwise. He replied, 
 " Voi ragionate come un uomo libero, but we are 
 not free; we are in the power of a boja, non ce 
 rimedio. They will send away the rest by de- 
 grees, and it is. as well for them to go now, as in a 
 little time. What advantage shall I gain by having 
 them here until the arrival of the next ship from 
 England, or until that animale finds out some 
 pretext to send them away. I would rather they
 
 142 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 were all gone than to have four or five persons 
 trembling about me, having the dread of being 
 forced on board ship constantly hang-ing over their 
 heads. For, by that comtnunication of yesterday, 
 they are placed entirely at his discretion. Let 
 him send every body away, plant sentinels at the 
 doors and windows, and send up nothing but 
 bread and water, I regard it not. My mind is 
 free. I am just as independent as when I com- 
 manded an army of six hundred thousand men ; 
 as I told him the other day. This heart is as free 
 as when I gave laws to Europe. He wants them 
 to sign restrictions without knowing what they 
 are. No honest man would sign an obligation, 
 without first knowing what it was. But he wants 
 them to sign to whatever he likes to impose here- 
 after, and then, with lies always at command, he 
 will assert that he has changed nothing. He is 
 angry with Las Cases because he wrote to his 
 friends that he was badly lodged and badly 
 treated. Was there ever heard of such tyranny ? 
 He treats people in the most barbarous manner ; 
 heaps insults and injuries upon them, and then 
 wants to deprive them of the liberty of complaint. 
 I do not," continued he, " think that Lord Liver- 
 pool, or even Lord Castlereagh, would allow me 
 to be treated in the way I am. I believe that this 
 governor only writes to Lord Bathurst, to whom 
 he tells what he likes."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 143 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe signified to me yesterday, 
 that he had done every thing in his power to prove 
 (after my communication to him) that there was 
 nothing vindictive in his conduct towards General 
 Bonaparte ; but that not having been met, he was 
 better pleased to leave matters to their natural 
 course, and to the judgment of the authority to 
 which they had been submitted ; and that I might 
 most distinctly contradict to General Bonaparte, 
 that he had laid his hand upon his sword ; that 
 witnesses could prove it ; that none but a confirm- 
 ed villain could think of doing so against an un- 
 armed man. That with respect to the instructions 
 he had received, and his manner of making them 
 known ; never having regarded General Bona- 
 parte's opinion in any point, whether as to matter 
 or manner, as an oracle by which to regulate his 
 judgment, he was not disposed to think less favor- 
 ably of the instructions, or of his mode of exe- 
 cuting them ; on the contrary, that Bonaparte was, 
 he feared insensible to any delicacy of proceed- 
 ing ; so that with him, one must either be a blind 
 admirer of his frailties, or a yielding instrument to 
 work with, a mere slave in thought to him. Other- 
 wise, he who has business which opposes his views, 
 must make up his mind to every species of ob- 
 loquy. He added, that he had sent Sir Thomas 
 Reade with his communication ; and concluded 
 by intimating, that before General Bonaparte pro-
 
 144 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 posed any other style of appellation, he should 
 himself drop the title of emperor, and if he wished 
 to assume a feigned name, why did he not propose 
 one ? 
 
 Count Bertrand went to Plantation House, 
 where he learnt that Piontkowski and three of 
 the domestics were to be sent away. 
 
 9th. Sir Hudson Lowe came up to Longwood, 
 accompanied by Colonel Wynyard. They went 
 into Captain Poppleton's room, where they ap- 
 peared to be very busily occupied for two hours. 
 During this time the governor frequently came 
 out, and walked up and down before the door, 
 with one of his arms elevated, and the end of a 
 finger in the angle of his mouth, as was his general 
 custom when in thought. When they had finished, 
 a sealed packet was given to Captain Poppleton, 
 to be delivered to Count Bertrand ; after which 
 his excellency came to me, and after some conver- 
 sation, asked if I thought that any copies of Mon- 
 tholon's letter to him had been distributed ? I re- 
 plied, that it was very probable ; as there was no 
 secret made of its contents ; and that the French, 
 as he well knew publicly avowed their intention 
 and desire to circulate copies of it. He asked 
 me if I thought that the commissioners had got 
 a copy. I replied, " very likely." He appeared 
 very uneasy at this at first ; but afterwards said, 
 that he had shewn the letter to them himself.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 145 
 
 He then asked me if I had got a copy. I replied, 
 I had. This alarmed his excellency much ; who 
 demanded to see it, and said that it would be fe- 
 lony to send it to England. After some discussion 
 upon the subject, during which I observed, that, 
 considering my situation, and my being employed 
 as I was between Longwood and Plantation 
 House, I could not be ignorant of the principal 
 part of what was passing. His excellency said, 
 true ; and that it was my duty to tell him every 
 thing that occurred between General Bonaparte 
 and myself. I replied, that if there was any plot 
 for his escape, or correspondence tending to it, or 
 any thing suspicious, I should conceive it my duty 
 to give him notice of it ; also if any thing of poli- 
 tical importance was uttered by Napoleon, or 
 anecdote, clearing up any part of his history, or 
 which might prove serviceable to him, I would 
 make him acquainted with it ; but that I could 
 not think of telling him every thing, especially 
 any thing abusive or injurious, that passed be- 
 tween us, or whatever might tend to generate bad 
 blood, or increase the difference already unhap- 
 pily existing between them, unless ordered so to 
 do. Sir Hudson at first agreed that it would not 
 be proper to tell him any abuse of himself ; but 
 immediately afterwards said, that it was essential 
 for me to repeat it ; that one of the means which 
 General Bonaparte had of escaping, was vilifying 
 VOL. i. u
 
 146 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 him ; that abusing and le ssening the character of 
 the ministry, was an underhand and a vile way of 
 endeavouring to escape from the island ; and there- 
 fore, that it was incumbent on me to communicate 
 every thing of the kind instantly. That as to 
 himself, he did not care about his abuse, and 
 would never be actuated by vindictive feelings 
 towards him ; but that he wished to know every 
 thing : that nothing ought to be made known or 
 communicated in England, except through him ; 
 and that he himself only communicated with Lord 
 Bathurst. Not perfectly agreeing with his excel- 
 lency's sophistry, especially when I reflected upon 
 the conversation which I had had with him under 
 the trees at Plantation House two days after his 
 last interview with Napoleon ; I replied, that it 
 did not appear that all the members of his ma- 
 jesty's government were of a similar opinion, as I 
 had received letters from official persons, with a 
 request to communicate circumstances relative to 
 Bonaparte, and returning thanks for my former 
 letters, which had been shewn to some of the ca- 
 binet ministers. The governor was excessively 
 uneasy at this, and observed that those persons 
 had nothing to do with Bonaparte ; that the se- 
 cretary of state, with whom he corresponded, 
 was the only one who ought to know any thing 
 about the matter ; that he did not even communi- 
 cate what passed to the Duke of York. That
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 147 
 
 none of the ministers excepting Lord Bathurst, 
 ought to know what passed ; and that all commu- 
 nication, even to his lordship ought to go through 
 him, and him only. His excellency then observed, 
 that my correspondence ought to be subject to the 
 same restrictions as those on the attendants of Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte. I replied, that if he was not sa- 
 tisfied with the manner in which matters stood, I 
 was ready to resign the situation I held, and go 
 on board ship, as soon as he liked, as I was deter- 
 mined not to give up any of my rights as a British 
 officer. Sir Hudson said, that there was no ne- 
 cessity for this ; that it would be very easy to ar- 
 range matters ; and concluded by observing that it 
 was a business which required consideration, and 
 that he would renew the subject on another day. 
 
 10^. Had some conversation with Napoleon 
 in his dressing-room, during which I endeavoured 
 to convince him that Sir Hudson Lowe might in 
 reality have intended to offer civilities at times 
 when his conduct was supposed to be insulting ; 
 that his gestures sometimes indicated intentions 
 far from his thoughts ; and particularly explained 
 to him that Sir Hudson Lowe's having laid his 
 hand upon his sword, proceeded entirely from an 
 involuntary habit which he had of seizing his 
 sabre, and raising it between his side and his arm, 
 (which I endeavoured to shew him by gestures) ; 
 that he had himself expressed to me that none but
 
 148 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 a confirmed villain would attempt to draw upon 
 an unarmed man. " Per i ragazzi dottore" re- 
 plied Napoleon, "ae won c bojti, ulrneno ne ha 
 Fart a. Has he shewn you the new restrictions 
 he has sent to us ?" I replied, that he had not 
 said a word about them. " Ah? answered the 
 emperor, " son certo che abbia qualche cosa sinhtni 
 in vista" 
 
 This evening Count Bertrand came to my room 
 in order that I should assist him in translating 
 some part of the new restrictions,* which were, he 
 said of a nature so outrageous to the emperor, 
 that he was induced to flatter himself with the 
 idea that he had not understood them. They 
 were those parts where Napoleon was prohibited 
 from going off the high road ; from going on the 
 path leading to Miss Mason's ; from entering into 
 any house, and from conversing with any person 
 whom he might meet in his rides or walks. Pre- 
 pared as I was by the governor's manner, and by 
 what I had observed this day, to expect something 
 very severe, I confess that at the first sight of these 
 restrictions, I remained thunderstruck, and even 
 after reading them over three or four times, could 
 scarcely persuade myself that I had properly un- 
 derstood them. While I was employed in assist- 
 ing Count Bertrand in the translation, Colonel 
 Wynyard knocked, and came into my room. When 
 
 * See Appendix No. V.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 149 
 
 the count had gone, I told the colonel what he 
 wanted, and asked him if I was right in the con- 
 struction which I had given, which I explained to 
 him. Colonel Wynyard replied, that I was per- 
 fectly correct. 
 
 11 th. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me to town. 
 Breakfasted in company with him at Sir Thomas 
 Reade's ; after which he told me that he had 
 something particular to say, but that the place 
 was not a proper one, and another time would do. 
 Shewed to him and to Sir Thomas, the transla- 
 tion which I had made of those points in the re- 
 striction, of which Count Bertrand had been 
 doubtful. Sir Hudson observed, that I had trans- 
 lated one part rather too strongly, viz. " will be 
 required to be strictly adhered to," but that I had 
 given a perfectly correct explanation of the sense. 
 That the French were not to go down into the 
 valley, or separate from the high road, as space 
 was given them to exercise only to preserve their 
 health. That they were not to speak to any per- 
 son, or enter any house ; and that there needed no 
 further explanation, as every restriction upon Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte equally applied to his followers. 
 He concluded by observing, that I had better 
 take an opportunity of telling Bonaparte that I 
 had heard the governor say that the orders origi 
 nated with the British government, and that he
 
 150 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 was merely the person who carried them into exe- 
 cution, and not the framer. 
 
 12th. Napoleon, after asking many questions 
 concerning a trial which took place yesterday, at 
 which 1 had appeared as an evidence, spoke about 
 the new restrictions, and observed that Bertram! 
 could not be brought to think that he had rightly 
 comprehended them, and asked me my opinion, 
 which I explained to him as briefly and delicately 
 as I could. When I had finished, " Che rabbia 
 di persecuzioni" exclaimed Napoleon." I observed, 
 that I had heard the governor say yesterday, that 
 the orders had originated with the British govern- 
 ment, and that he was merely the person who 
 carried them into execution, and not the framer. 
 Napoleon looked at me in a most incredulous 
 manner, smiled, and gave me in a good-natured 
 manner a slap in the face. 
 
 A quantity of plate sent to town to-day, and 
 sold in the presence of Sir Thomas Reade to 
 Mr. Balcombe, who was ordered by Reade to 
 pay a certain sum an ounce for it, and the money 
 which it produced, viz. about two hundred and 
 forty pounds, was to lie in Balcombe's hands, and 
 to be drawn for in small sums, as their necessities 
 required. 
 
 Two letters arrived from Sir Hudson Lowe for 
 Bertrand. I did not see their contents, but was
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 151 
 
 informed that one related to the new restrictions, 
 and contained assertions that but little alteration 
 had taken place in them, and that very little 
 change in the limits had been ordered. The 
 other a reprimand to Count Las Cases for hav- 
 ing- presumed to give Mr. Balcombe, (the pur- 
 veyor), an order on the count's banker in Lon- 
 don, without having first asked the governor's per- 
 mission, and also containing a demand for the price 
 of the books sent out by government for General 
 Bonaparte's use. Notwithstanding this, it ap- 
 peared that Las Cases had acquainted the gover- 
 nor with his intentions, and obtained his consent, 
 which his excellency had forgotten, and detained 
 Las Cases' order when presented to him by Mr. 
 Balcombe. 
 
 13th. Napoleon in his bath. Complained of 
 headach, and general uneasiness ; and was a 
 little feverish. He railed against the island, and 
 observed, that he could not walk out when the 
 sun was to be seen, for half an hour, without get- 
 ting a headach, in consequence of the want of 
 shade. " Feramente" said he, " it requires great 
 resolution and strength of mind to support such 
 an existence as mine in this horrible abode. Every 
 day fresh colpi di stilo al cuore da questo boja, die 
 ha piacere a far di male. It appears to be his 
 only amusement. Daily he imagines modes of 
 annoying, insulting, and making me undergo fresh
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 privations. He wants to shorten my life by daily 
 irritations. By his last restrictions, I am not per- 
 mitted to speak to any one I may meet. To peo- 
 ple under sentence of death, this is not denied, 
 A man may be ironed, confined in a cell, and 
 kept on bread and water, but the liberty of speak- 
 ing is not denied to him. It is a piece of tyranny 
 unheard of, except in the instance of the man with 
 the iron mask. In the tribunals of the inquisi- 
 tion a man is heard in his own defence ; but I 
 have been condemned unheard, and without trial, 
 in violation of all laws divine and human ; de- 
 tained as a prisoner of war in a time of peace ; 
 separated from my wife and child, violently trans- 
 ported here, where arbitrary and hitherto unknown 
 restrictions are imposed upon me ; extending- even 
 to the privation of speech. I am sure," con- 
 tinued he, " that none of the ministers except 
 Lord Biithurst would give their consent to this 
 last act of tyranny. His great desire of secrecy 
 shews that he is afraid of his conduct being made 
 known, even to the ministers themselves. Instead 
 of all this mystery and espionage, they would do 
 better to treat me in such a manner as not to be 
 afraid of any disclosures being made. You re- 
 collect what I said to you when this governor told 
 me in presence of the admiral, that he would send 
 any complaints we had to make to England, and 
 get them published in the journals. You see
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 15,3 
 
 now, that he is in fear and trembling lest Mon- 
 tholon's letter should find its way to England, or 
 be known to the inhabitants here. They profess 
 ia England to furnish all my wants, and in fact 
 they send out many things : this man then comes 
 out, reduces every thing, obliges me to sell my 
 plate in order to purchase those necessaries of life 
 which he either denies altogether, or supplies in 
 quantities so small as to be insufficient ; imposes 
 daily new and arbitrary restrictions ; insults me 
 and my followers ; concludes by attempting to 
 deny me the faculty of speech, and then has the 
 impudence to write, that he has changed nothing. 
 He says, that if strangers come to visit me, they 
 cannot speak to any of my suite, and wishes that 
 they should be presented by him. If my son 
 came to the island, and it were required that he 
 should be presented by him, I would not see him. 
 You .know," continued he, " that it was more a 
 trouble than a pleasure for me to receive many of 
 the strangers who arrived ; some of whom merely 
 came to gaze at me, as they would at a curious 
 beast ; but still it was consoling to have the right 
 to see them, if I pleased." 
 
 Examined his gums, which were spongy, pale, 
 and bled on the slightest touch. Recommended 
 him to use a larger quantity than ordinary of ve- 
 getable and acescent food, and acid gargle, and 
 exercise. 
 
 VOL. i. x
 
 154 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 14th. The paper sent by the governor to 
 Long-wood, containing an acknowledgment from 
 the French of their willingness to submit to such 
 restrictions as had, or might be imposed upon 
 Napoleon Bonaparte, was signed by all, and sent 
 to Sir Hudson Lowe. The only alteration made 
 by them, was the substituting of " /' Empereur 
 Napoleon" for " Napoleon JBonaparte" 
 
 I5th. The papers sent back by the governor, 
 to Count Bertrand, with a demand that Napoleon 
 Bonaparte should be inserted in the place of 
 r Empereur Napoleon. 
 
 Saw Napoleon, who told me that he had ad- 
 vised them not to sign it, but rather to quit the 
 island, and go to the Cape. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe came up to Longwood. I 
 informed him, that I believed the French would 
 not sign the declaration worded in the manner he 
 wished. " I suppose," replied his excellency, 
 " that they are very glad of it, as it will give them 
 a pretext to leave General Bonaparte, which I 
 shall order them to do." He then sent for Count 
 Bertrand, Count Las Cases, and the remainder of 
 the officers (except Piontkowski), with whom he 
 had a long conversation. At eleven o'clock at 
 night, a letter was sent by Sir Hudson Lowe to 
 Count Bertrand, in which he informed him, that in 
 consequence of the refusal of the French officers 
 to sign the declaration with the words, Napoleon
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 155 
 
 Bonaparte, they and the domestics must all de- 
 part for the Cape of Good Hope, instantly, in a 
 ship which was ready for their reception ; with 
 the exception of a cook, maitre d'h6tel, and one 
 or two of the valets ; that in consideration of the 
 advanced state of Countess Bertrand's pregnancy, 
 her husband would be permitted to remain until 
 she was able to bear the voyage. 
 
 The prospect of separation from the emperor 
 caused great grief and consternation among the 
 inmates of Longwood, who, without the know- 
 ledge of Napoleon, waited upon Captain Popple- 
 ton after midnight, and signed the obnoxious 
 paper, (with the exception of Santini, who re- 
 fused to sign any in which he was not styled 
 I'Empereur}, which was transmitted to the go- 
 vernor. 
 
 16th. Napoleon sent Novarre for me at half 
 past six in the morning. On my arrival he looked 
 very earnestly at me, and said, laughing, " You 
 look as if you had been drunk last night." I re- 
 plied, no ; but that I had dined at the camp, and 
 sat up very late. " Quant e bottiglie tre ?" he add- 
 ed, holding up three of his fingers. He then com- 
 municated the following to me, viz. that Count 
 Bertrand had had a conversation with the gover- 
 nor yesterday, which partly related to him. That 
 he had sent for me, in order that I might explain 
 to the governor his real sentiments on the subject ;
 
 156 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and " here," continued he, taking up a piece of 
 paper, in which were contained words, in his own 
 hand-writing 1 , of a meaning similar to the paper 
 Avhich he subsequently gave to me, is " what I 
 have written, and which I intend to send to him." 
 He then read it out aloud, asking me every now 
 and then if I comprehended him, and said, " You 
 will take a copy of this to the governor, and in- 
 form him that such are my intentions. If he asks 
 you why it is not signed by me, you will say, that 
 it was unnecessary, because I have read it out and 
 explained it to you from my own hand-writing." 
 After observing that the name of Napoleon was 
 troppo ben conosciuto, and might bring back recol- 
 lections which it were better should be dropped, 
 he desired me to propose his being called Colonel 
 Meuron, who had been killed at his side at Arcola, 
 or Baron Duroc ; that as colonel was a title denot- 
 ing military, rank, it might perhaps give umbrage, 
 and therefore probably it would be better to adopt 
 that of Buron Duroc, which was the lowest feodal 
 title. " If the governor," continued he, " con- 
 sents, let him signify to Bertram! that lie acqui- 
 esces in one of them, and such shall be adopted. 
 It will prevent many difficulties and smoothen 
 the way. Your eyes," continued he, "look very 
 much like those of a man who had been commit- 
 ting a debauch last night." I explained to him 
 that it was the effect of the wind and dust. He
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 157 
 
 then rang the bell, called St. Denis, took the 
 paper which he had copied from him, made me 
 read it aloud, underlined some passages with his 
 own hand, gave it to me, and gently pushing me 
 out of the room in a smiling manner, told me to 
 go to the governor, and tell him that such were 
 his intentions. 
 
 The paper was as follows :* 
 
 " II me revient que dans la conversation qui a 
 eu lieu entre le General Lowe et plusieurs de ces 
 Messieurs, i'l s'est dit des choses sur ma position 
 qui ne sont pas conformes a mes pense'es. 
 
 " J'ai abdiqu6 dans les mains des repre"sentans 
 de la nation et au profit de mon fils, je me suis 
 porte avec confiance en Angleterre pour y vivre la, 
 ou en Ame"rique, dans la plus profonde retraite, 
 et sous le nom d'un colonel tu6 a mes cote's, resolu 
 de rester Stranger a toute affaire politlque de quelque 
 nature quelle puisse etre. * 
 
 " Arriv6 ;i bord du Northumberland, on me dit 
 que j'6tois prisonnier de guerre, qu'on me trans- 
 portait au del& de la ligne et que je m'appellais 
 le General Bonaparte. Je dus porter ostensible- 
 ment mon titre d'empereur en opposition au titre 
 de Ge'ne'ral Bonaparte qu'on voulait m'imposer. 
 
 " II y a sept ou huit rnois le Comte de Montho- 
 lon proposa de pourvoir a des petites difficult^ 
 
 * The translation will be found in the Appendix, No. VI.
 
 158 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 qui naissent a chaque instant en adoptant un norn 
 ordinaire. L'amiral croit devoir en e"crire a Lon- 
 dres, cela en reste la. 
 
 " On me donne aujourd'hui un nom qui a cet 
 a vantage qu'il ne prejuge pas le pass, mais qui 
 n'est pas dans la forme de la socite\ Je mils ton- 
 jours dispos^ a prendre un nom qui entre dans f usage, 
 ordinaire, et r6itere, que quand on jugera ;\ propos 
 de faire cesser ce cruel sejour, je suis dans la vo- 
 lonte" de rester Stranger d la politique quelque chose 
 qui se passe dans le monde. Voila ma pense, toute 
 autre chose qui auroit e"te" dite sur cette matiere 
 ne le se seroit pas." 
 
 I proceeded immediately to Plantation House, 
 where I delivered the paper to the governor, and 
 made known to him the conversation which I had 
 had. His excellency appeared much surprised, 
 and said, that it was a very important communi- 
 cation, and one which required consideration. 
 After I had made a deposition, the governor wrote 
 on a sheet of paper the following words : " The 
 governor will lose no time in forwarding to the 
 British government the paper presented to him 
 this day by Doctor O'Meara. He thinks, how- 
 ever, that it would be more satisfactory if it was 
 signed by the person in whose name it was pre- 
 sented. The governor does not, however, intend 
 to cast by this the slightest doubts upon the au- 
 thenticity or validity of the paper, either as to the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 159 
 
 words or spirit, but merely that it would be better 
 to send it in a form to which no objection could be 
 offered. The governor will consider attentively 
 whether the tenor of his instructions will permit 
 him to adopt either of the names proposed. He 
 would naturally, however, be desirous to defer the 
 use of them in any public communication, until 
 he obtains the sanction of his government for that 
 purpose. The governor will be ready at any time 
 to confer with General Bertrand on the subject. 
 This communication he desired me to shew to 
 Napoleon, and added, " indeed it is no great 
 matter if you leave it with him." He then asked 
 me if I thought Napoleon would sign it. I re- 
 plied, perhaps he might, particularly if he (Sir 
 Hudson) would authorize him to use either of the 
 names in question. This, however, he said, he 
 could not yet decide upon. After this, his excel- 
 lency told me that I must have no communication 
 whatever with any official persons in England 
 about Bonaparte ; therefore he insisted that I 
 would not mention a word to them of the proposal 
 which I had just made ; that he ha,d written to 
 Lord Bathurst about me, and that there was no 
 doubt I should do well; that my situation was 
 one of great confidence, and that none of the mi- 
 nisters, except the one he communicated with, 
 ought to know any thing about what passed at 
 St. Helena. After which he desired me to go back
 
 160 A VOICE rnoM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and endeavour to get Napoleon to sign the paper. 
 
 Oh my return, I explained to Napoleon the go- 
 vernors reply and wishes. He observed, he had 
 not intended that the paper should be left with 
 the governor, but merely read and shewn to him, 
 und then returned, as had taken place once before. 
 That he wished to communicate his sentiments to 
 him, in order to know if he were inclined to meet 
 him half way. That after communications with 
 Bertrand, a proper letter would be written, and 
 that would be the time to sign, fie concluded 
 by directing me to get back the paper. 
 
 Went accordingly to Plantation House, and ac- 
 quainted Sir Hudson Lowe that I was directed to 
 bring back the paper, which he returned to me, 
 after some expression of surprise on the part of 
 the governor, and a hint, that such a demand had 
 been caused by shuffling or want of sincerity on 
 the part of Bonaparte, or bad advice from some of 
 his generals. He then asked my opinion whether 
 K Count Montholon imagined himself secure of 
 remaining in the island because he had signed the 
 declaration ?" He desired me to say that apply- 
 ing to the British government, was not asking per- 
 mission for General Bonaparte to change his name, 
 but merely a demand whether they would recog- 
 nise such a change. Returned the paper to Na- 
 poleon, and explained the governor's sentiments. 
 He observed, that if Sir Hudson Lowe would
 
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 161 
 
 make known to Bertrand, or even to me, that lie 
 authorized the change of name, and would address 
 him accordingly, he (Napoleon) would write a 
 letter, declaring- that he would adopt one of the 
 names which had been proposed, which he would 
 sign and send to the governor. " La rnetd de dis- 
 gust't che ho provato qui"* said he, " has arisen from 
 that title." I observed, that many were surprised 
 at his having retained the title after abdication. 
 He replied, " I abdicated the throne of France, 
 but not the title of emperor. I do not call myself 
 Napoleon, emperor of France, but the emperor 
 Napoleon. Sovereigns generally retain their titles. 
 Thus Charles of Spain retains the title of king 
 and majesty, after having abdicated in favour of 
 his son. If I were in England, I would not call 
 myself emperor. But they want to make it ap- 
 pear that the French nation had not a right to 
 make me its sovereign. If they had not a right to 
 make me emperor, they were equally incapable of 
 making me general. A man, when he is at the 
 head of a few, during the disturbances of a coun- 
 try, is called a chief of rebels ; but when he suc- 
 ceeds, effects great actions, and exalts his country 
 and himself, from being styled chief of rebels, he is 
 called general, sovereign, &c. It is only success 
 which makes him such. Had he been unfortunate, 
 he would be still chief of rebels, and perhaps pe- 
 
 * " One half of the vexations that I have experienced here." 
 
 VOL. i. Y
 
 162 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 rish on a scaffold. Your nation," continued he, 
 " called Washington a leader of rebels for a long 
 time, and refused to acknowledge either him or 
 the constitution of his country ; but his successes 
 obliged them to change, and acknowledge both. 
 It is success which makes the great man. It 
 would appear truly ridiculous in me," added he, 
 " were it not that your ministers force me to it, 
 to call myself emperor, situated as I am here, and 
 would remind one of those poor wretches in Beth- 
 lem,in London, who fancy themselves kings amidst 
 their chains and straw." 
 
 He then spoke in terms of great praise of Counts 
 JBertrand, Montholon, Las Cases, and the rest of 
 his suite, for the heroic devotion which they had 
 manifested, and the proofs of attachment to his 
 person which they had given, by remaining with 
 him contrary to his desire. " They had," continued 
 he, " an excellent pretext to go, first, by refusing 
 to sign Napoleon Bonaparte, and next, because I 
 ordered them not to sign. But, no ; they would 
 have signed tiranno Bonaparte, or any other op- 
 probrious name, in order to remain with me in 
 misery here, rather than return to Europe, where 
 they might live in splendour. The more your go- 
 vernment tries to degrade me, so much more re- 
 spect will they pay to me. They pride themselves 
 in paying me more respect now than when I was 
 in the height of my glory." 
 
 " Pare" said he then, " che questo governatore
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 163 
 
 e stato sempre spione. He is fit to be commissary 
 of police in a small town." I asked him, which 
 he thought had been the best minister of police, 
 Savary or Fouche, adding, that both of them had 
 a bad reputation in England. " Savary," said 
 he, " is not a bad man ; on the contrary, Savary is 
 a man of a good heart, and a brave soldier. You 
 have seen him weep. He loves me with the affec- 
 tion of a son. The English, who have been in 
 France, will soon undeceive your nation. Fouche 
 is a miscreant of all colours, a priest, a terrorist, 
 and one who took an active part in many bloody 
 scenes in the revolution. He is a man who can 
 worm all your secrets out of you with an. air of 
 calmness and. of unconcern. He is very rich," 
 added he, " but his riches were badly acquired. 
 There was a tax upon gambling-houses in Paris, 
 but, as it was an infamous way of gaining money, 
 I did not like to profit by it, and therefore ordered, 
 that the amount of the tax should be appropriated 
 to an hospital for the poor. It amounted to some 
 millions, but Fouche, who had the collecting of 
 the impost, put many of them into his own poc- 
 kets, and it was impossible for me to discover the 
 real yearly sum total." 
 
 I observed to him, that it had excited consider- 
 able surprise, that during the height of his glory, 
 he had never given a dukedom in France to any 
 person, although he had created many dukes and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 princes elsewhere. He replied, " because it would 
 have produced great discontent amongst the peo- 
 ple. If, for example, I had made one of my 
 marshals Duke of Bourgogne, instead of giving 
 him a title derived from one of my victories, it 
 would have excited great alarm in Bourgogne. as 
 they would have conceived that some feodal rights 
 and territory were attached to the title, which the 
 duke would claim ; and the nation hated the old 
 nobility so much, that the creation of any rank 
 resembling them would have given universal dis- 
 content, which I, powerful as I was, dared not 
 venture upon. I instituted the new nobility to 
 dcraser the old, and to satisfy the people, as the 
 greatest part of those I created had sprung from 
 themselves, and every private soldier had a right 
 to look tip to the title of duke. I believe that I 
 acted wrong in doing even this, as it lessened that 
 system of equality which pleased the people so 
 much ; but, if I had created dukes with a French 
 title, it would have been considered as a revival 
 of the old feodal privileges, with which the nation 
 had been cursed so long." 
 
 His gums were in nearly the same state as be- 
 fore ; complained of his general health, and add- 
 ed, that he felt convinced that, under all the cir- 
 cumstances, he could not last long. 1 advised, as 
 remedies, exercise and the diet I had formerly re- 
 commended. He observed, that he had put in 
 practice the diet, and the other remedies, but as to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 taking exercise (which was the most essential) the 
 restrictions presented an insurmountable obstacle. 
 He asked many anatomical questions, particularly 
 about the heart, and observed, Credo che il mio 
 cuore non batte mai, non Vho sentlto mai battere* 
 He then desired me to feel his heart. I tried for 
 some time, but could not perceive any pulsation, 
 which I attributed to obesity. I had before ob- 
 served that in him the circulation was very slow, 
 rarely exceeding fifty eight or sixty in a minute, 
 and most frequently fifty-four. 
 
 l&th. Captain Piontkowski, Rousseau, San- 
 tini, and Archambaud, cadet, were the persons 
 named by Sir Hudson Lowe to be removed from 
 Longwood. Count Montholon desired me to in- 
 form the governor, that the emperor did not wish 
 to separate the brothers Archambaud, which more- 
 over would totally disorganize the carriage, and 
 must consequently deprive him of the little means 
 he had of taking exercise, as the governor was 
 aware, that in such a place as St. Helena, where 
 the roads were so dangerous, it was very necessary 
 to have careful drivers. He added, that if the 
 choice of those who were to go were left to Na- 
 poleon, he would fix upon Rousseau, Santini, and 
 Bernard, who was a useless subject, and much 
 given to intoxication, or Gentilini, as .he thought 
 
 * " I think that my heart does not beat ; I have never felt it 
 pulsate."
 
 166 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that it would be great cruelty to separate two 
 brothers. 
 
 Communicated this to Sir Hudson Lowe, who 
 replied, that the choice was not left to General 
 Bonaparte ; that the servants were to be taken 
 from Longwood, and not from Count Bert rand ; 
 and moreover, that the orders were to send away 
 Frenchmen, and not natives of other countries. 
 That Bernard was a Flamand, and Gentilini an 
 Italian, and therefore did not come within the 
 strict application of his orders ; that if Santini had 
 not refused to sign the paper, he would not have 
 accepted him as one, as he was a Corsican, and 
 not a Frenchman. He had no objection however, 
 that all the Frenchmen in General Bonaparte's 
 service should draw lots. These circumstances 
 he desired I might impress upon General Bona- 
 parte's mind. He added, that, as by his instruc- 
 tions the choice was left to him, he would give 
 written directions to Captain Poppleton to send 
 away Piontkowski, and both of the Archambauds, 
 if Rousseau remained, or one of them, if Rous- 
 seau were to go. He then directed me to ask if 
 he were to expect any further communication re- 
 specting the change of name, as the vessel contain- 
 ing his despatches on the subject would sail for 
 England in the evening.* 
 
 * The only reply which His Majesty's ministers condescended 
 to make to this proposal was contained in a scurrilous article in
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 167 
 
 On my return to Longwood, communicated 
 this to Napoleon : who replied, " Has the gover- 
 nor it in his power to authorize the change ; in the 
 note he sent, the contrary appears. I answered, 
 that I knew nothing more than what I had already 
 communicated. " Then," said he, " before any 
 further steps are taken, let him reply positively 
 whether he is authorized or not, Si o /?o." In- 
 formed him of his excellency's opinion and deci- 
 sion relative to the domestics who were to leave 
 St. Helena. " Santini not a Frenchman ?" said he, 
 " Doctor, you cannot be imbecile enough not to 
 see that this is a pretext to convey an insult to 
 me. All Corsicans are Frenchmen. By taking 
 away my drivers, he wants to prevent me from 
 taking a little carriage-exercise." 
 
 19th. Piontkowski, Santini, Rousseau, and Ar- 
 chambaud the younger, sent by order of Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe to town in order to embark. Santini had 
 a pension of fifty pounds, Archambaud and Rous- 
 seau twenty-five each, annually settled upon them ; 
 Piontkowski had also a pension and a letter of 
 recommendation. On embarkation, their persons 
 
 the Quarterly Review, No. XXXII. which Sir Hudson Lowe took 
 care should be sent to Longwood as soon as a copy had reached the 
 island. I think that I am justified in attributing the article alluded 
 to, to some ministerial person, as the transaction was known only to 
 officers in their employment, and to the establishment at Longwood, 
 and it is evident that the persons composing the latter, could not 
 have been the authors of it.
 
 168 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and baggage were searched by Captain Maunsell, 
 and the prevost Serjeant. They sailed in the 
 evening for the Cape. Piontkowski was stripped 
 to the skin by Captain Maunsell. 
 
 Communicated to Sir Hudson Lowe Napoleon's 
 last expressions concerning the change of name, 
 who replied, " I believe that it is in my power to 
 approve of it." I then recommended him to see 
 Count Bertrand upon the subject, and his excel- 
 lency proceeded to Hut's Gate accordingly. 
 
 20th. Count and Countess Bertrand and family 
 moved from Hut's Gate to Longwood. 
 
 21 st. Dined at Plantation House in company 
 with the Russian and Austrian commissioners, 
 the botanist, and Captain Gor. They generally ex- 
 pressed great dissatisfaction at not having yet seen 
 Napoleon. Count Balmaine in particular ob- 
 served that they (the commissioners) appeared to 
 be objects of suspicion ; that had he been aware 
 of the manner in which they should have been 
 treated, he would not have come out. That the 
 Emperor Alexander had great interest in prevent- 
 ing the escape of Napoleon, but that he wished 
 him to be well treated, and with that respect due 
 to him : for which reason he (Count Balmaine) had 
 only asked to see him as a private person and not 
 officially as commissioner. That they should be 
 objects of ridicule in Europe, as soon as it was 
 known they had been so many months in St. He- 
 lena, without ever once seeing the individual, to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 169 
 
 ascertain whose presence was the sole object of 
 their mission. That the governor always replied 
 to their questions that Bonaparte had refused to 
 receive any person whatsoever. The botanist held 
 language of a similar tendency, and remarked, that 
 Longwood was " le dernier sejour du monde"* and 
 in his opinion the worst part of the island. 
 
 22/?rf. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me, and ob- 
 served that the commissioners seemed to have paid 
 me much attention ; that he should think nothing 
 of their speaking as long as they had done to me, 
 to any other person, but that it had an appearance 
 as if they wished something to be conveyed to 
 General Bonaparte, and advised me to be very 
 cautious in my conversations with them. He also 
 informed me that Count Bertrand had confirmed 
 to him every communication that I had made re- 
 lative to the change of name. 
 
 23rd. Napoleon indisposed : one of his cheeks 
 considerably tumefied. Recommended fomenta- 
 tion and steaming the part affected, which he put 
 in practice. Recommended also the extraction 
 of a carious tooth, and renewed the advice I had 
 given on many previous occasions, particularly 
 relative to exercise, as soon as the reduction of 
 the swelling permitted it ; also a continuance of 
 diet chiefly vegetable, with fruits. 
 
 " There is either a furious wind," replied he, 
 
 * " The \vorst abode in the world." 
 VOL. I. Z
 
 170 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 " with fog, which gives me a swelled face when I 
 go out, or when that is wanting, there is a sun 
 which scorches my brains (ce un sole che mi brucla 
 il cervello) for want of shade. They continue me 
 purposely in the worst part of the island. When 
 I was at the Briars, I had at least the advantage 
 of a shady walk and a mild climate ; mais id on 
 arrivera au, but quon se propose plus vite" conti- 
 nued he. " Have you seen lo sbirro Siciliano 9 n 
 I replied that Sir Hudson Lowe had informed me 
 that he had written to England an account of his 
 proposal to assume an incognito name. " Non 
 dice altro che bugie? said Napoleon. " It is his 
 system. Lying," added he, " is not a national 
 vice of the English, but this ***** has all the 
 vices of the little petty states of Italy." 
 
 Desired me to endeavour to get him un fautcuil 
 de malade, which I communicated to the governor, 
 who returned for answer that he would order one 
 to be made, as no such article was to be found 
 upon the island. 
 
 26th. Napoleon out in the carriage for the 
 first time for a considerable period. Observed to 
 me afterwards that he had followed my prescrip- 
 tion. His face much better. The denies sapient'ice of 
 the upper jaw were loose and carious. Inquired 
 if there was any news ? I replied that we were 
 in daily expectation of hearing the result of Lord 
 Exmouth's expedition, and asked his opinion re-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 171 
 
 lative to the probability of success. He replied 
 that he thought it would succeed, especially if the 
 fleet took and destroyed as many of their vessels 
 as they could, then anchored opposite the town, 
 and did not allow a single ship or vessel, not even 
 a fishing-boat, to enter or go out. " Continue that 
 for a short time," added he, " and the dey will sub- 
 mit, or else the canaille will revolt and murder 
 him, and afterwards agree to any terms you like. 
 But no treaty will be kept by them. It is a disgrace 
 to the powers of Europe to allow so many nests of 
 robbers to exist. Even the Neapolitans could put 
 a stop to it, instead of allowing themselves to be 
 robbed. They have upwards of fifty thousand 
 seamen in the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily, 
 and with their navy, they might easily prevent 
 a single Barbary ship from stirring out." I ob- 
 served that the Neapolitans were so great cowards 
 at sea, that the Algerines had the utmost contempt 
 for them. " They are cowards by land as well 
 as by sea," replied the emperor, " but that miglit 
 be remedied by proper officers and discipline. 
 At Amiens, I proposed to your government to 
 unite with me, either to entirely destroy those nests 
 of pirates, or at least to destroy their ships and 
 fortresses, and make them cultivate their country 
 and abandon piracy. But your ministers would 
 not consent to it, owing to a mean jealousy of 
 the Americans, with whom the barbarians were
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 at war. I wanted to annihilate them, though it 
 did not concern me much, as they generally re- 
 spected my flag, and carried on a large trade with 
 Marseilles." I asked him if he thought it would 
 be advisable for Lord Exmouth to disembark his 
 marines and seamen, and attack the town of Al- 
 giers. " Oh que non" replied he, " if he has but 
 a small force, he will get half his men killed by 
 the canaglie in the houses and batteries ; and it is 
 not worth sending a large one, unless you are de- 
 termined to destroy their power altogether." 
 
 After this, the conversation turned upon the na- 
 tional debt and the great weight of taxes in Eng- 
 land. Napoleon professed himself doubtful that 
 the English could now continue to manufacture 
 goods so as to be able to sell them at the same 
 price as those made in France, in consequence of 
 v the actual necessaries of life being so much dearer 
 in England than in France. He professed his 
 disbelief that the nation could support the im- 
 mense weight of taxes, the dearness of provisions, 
 and the extravagance of a bad administration. 
 " When I was in France," continued he, " with 
 four times the extent of territory, and four times 
 the population I never could have raised one half 
 of your taxes. How the English popolazzo bear 
 it, I cannot conceive. The French would not 
 have suffered one fourth of them. Notwithstanding 
 your great successes," continued he, " which are
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 173 
 
 indeed almost incredible, and to which accident, 
 and perhaps destiny, have much contributed, 1 do 
 not think that you are yet out of the scrape : 
 though you have the world at command, I do not 
 believe that you will ever be able to get over your 
 debt. Your great commerce has kept you up ; 
 but that will fail when you shall no longer be able 
 to undersell the manufacturers of other nations, 
 who are rapidly improving. A few years will shew 
 if I am right. The worst thing England has ever 
 done," continued he, " was that of endeavouring 
 to make herself a great military nation. In at- 
 tempting that, England must always be the slave 
 of Russia, Austria, or Prussia, or at least subser- 
 vient to ,some of them ; because you have not a 
 population sufficiently numerous to combat on the 
 continent with France, or with any of the powers 
 I have named, and must consequently hire men 
 from some of them ; whereas, at sea, you are so 
 superior ; your sailors are so much better, that 
 you can always command the others, with safety 
 to yourselves and with little comparative expense. 
 Your soldiers have not the requisite qualities for 
 a military nation. They are not equal in address, 
 activity, or intelligence to the French. When 
 they get from under the fear of the lash, they obey 
 nobody. In a retreat they cannot be managed : 
 and if they meet with wine, they are so many 
 devils (tanti dlavoll), and adieu to subordination.
 
 174 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I saw the retreat of Moore, and I never witnessed 
 any thing- like it. It was impossible to collect or 
 to make them do anything. Nearly all were drunk. 
 Your officers depend for promotion upon interest 
 or money. Your soldiers are brave, nobody can 
 deny it ; but it was bad policy to encourage the 
 military mania, instead of sticking to your marine, 
 which is the real force of your country, and one 
 which, while you preserve it, will always render 
 you powerful. In order to have good soldiers, a 
 nation must always be at ivar" 
 
 " If you had lost the battle of Waterloo," con- 
 tinued he, " what a state would England have 
 been in ? The flower of your youth would have 
 been destroyed; for not a man, not even Lord 
 Wellington, would have escaped," I observed here 
 that Lord Wellington had determined never to 
 leave the field alive. Napoleon replied, " he could 
 not retreat. He would have been destroyed with 
 his army, if instead of the Prussians, Grouchy had 
 come up." I asked him if he had not believed 
 for some time that the Prussians who had shewn 
 themselves were a part of Grouchy's corps. He 
 replied, " certainly ; and I can now scarcely com- 
 prehend why it was a Prussian division and not 
 that of Grouchy." I then took the liberty of asking, 
 whether, if neither Grouchy nor the Prussians had 
 arrived, it would not have been a drawn battle. 
 Napoleon answered, " the English army would
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 have been destroyed. They were defeated at 
 mid-day. But accident, or more likely destiny, 
 decided that Lord Wellington should gain it. I 
 could scarcely believe that he would have given 
 rne battle ; because if he had retreated to Ant- 
 werp, as he ought to have done, I must have been 
 overwhelmed by the armies of three or four hun- 
 dred thousand men that were coming against me. 
 By giving me battle there was a chance for me. It 
 was the greatest folly to disunite the English and 
 Prussian armies. They ought to have been united ; 
 and I cannot conceive the reason of their separa- 
 tion. It was folly in Wellington to give me battle 
 in a place, where, if defeated, all must have been 
 lost, for he could not retreat. There was a wood 
 in his rear, and but one road to gain it. He would 
 have been destroyed. Moreover, he allowed him- 
 self to be suprised by me. This was a great fault. 
 He ought to have been encamped from the begin- 
 ning of June, as he must have known that I in- 
 tended to attack him. He might have lost every 
 thing. But he has been fortunate ; his destiny 
 has prevailed ; and every thing he did will meet 
 with applause. My intentions were, to attack 
 and to destroy the English. This I knew would 
 produce an immediate change of ministry. The 
 indignation against them for having caused the 
 loss of forty thousand of the flower of the Eng- 
 lish army, would have excited such a popular
 
 176 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 commotion, that they would have been turned 
 out. The people would have said, 'What is it 
 to us who is on the throne of France, Louis or 
 Napoleon ; are we to sacrifice all our blood in 
 endeavours to place on the throne a detested 
 family ? No, we have suffered enough. It is no 
 affair of ours, let them settle it amongst them- 
 selves.' They would have made peace. The 
 Saxons, Bavarians, Belgians, Wirtemburghcrs, 
 would have joined me. The coalition was no- 
 thing without England. The Russians would 
 have made peace, and I should have been quietly 
 seated on the throne. Peace would have been 
 perrnament, as what could France do after the 
 treaty of Paris ? What was to be feared from her ?" 
 
 " These," continued he, " were my reasons for 
 attacking the English. I had beaten the Prus- 
 sians. Before twelve o'clock I had succeeded. 
 I may say, every thing was mine, but accident 
 and destiny decided it otherwise. Doubtless the 
 English fought most bravely, nobody can deny it. 
 But they must have been destroyed. 
 
 " Pitt and his politics," continued he, " nearly 
 ruined England by keeping up a continental war 
 with France." I remarked, that it was asserted by 
 many able politicians in England, that if we had 
 not carried on that war, we should have been 
 ruined, and ultimately have become a province of 
 France. " It is not true," said Napoleon, " Eng-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 177 
 
 land being at war with France, gave the latter a 
 pretence and an opportunity of extending her con- 
 quest under me to the length she did, until I be- 
 came emperor of nearly all the world, which could 
 not have happened, if there had been no war. The 
 conversation then turned upon the occupation 
 of Malta. " Two days," said he, " before Lord 
 Whitworth left Paris, an offer was made to the 
 minister and to others about me of thirty millions 
 of francs, and to acknowledge me as king of 
 France, provided I would give up Malta to you." 
 He added, however, that the war would have 
 broken out, had Malta been out of the ques- 
 sion. Some conversation then took place relative 
 to English seamen. Napoleon observed, that the 
 English seamen were as much superior to the 
 French, as the latter were to the Spaniards. I 
 ventured to say that I thought the French would 
 never make good seamen, on account of their im- 
 patience and 'volatility of temper. That espe- 
 cially they would never submit without complain- 
 ing, as we had done at Toulon, to blockade ports 
 for years together, suffering from the combined 
 effects of bad weather, and of privations of every 
 kind. " I do not agree with you there, Signor 
 dottore" said he, " but I do not think that they 
 will ever make as good seamen as yours. The 
 sea is yours, your seamen are as much su- 
 perior to ours as the Dutch were once to yours. 
 VOL. i. 2 A
 
 178 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I think, however, that the Americans are better 
 seaman than yours, because they are less numer- 
 ous." I observed that the Americans had a con- 
 siderable number of English seamen in their ser- 
 vice, who passed for Americans, which was re- 
 markable, as, independent of other circumstances, 
 the American discipline on board of men-of-war 
 was much more severe than ours. And, that if 
 the Americans had a large navy, they would find 
 it impossible to have so many able seamen in each 
 ship as they had at present. When I observed 
 that the American discipline was more severe than 
 ours, he smiled and said, " sarebbe difficile a cre- 
 dere." 
 
 Five, p. in. Napoleon sent for me. Found him 
 sitting in a chair opposite to the fire. He had 
 gone out to walk, and was seized with rigors, 
 headach, severe cough. Examined his tonsils, 
 which were swelled. Cheek inflamed. Had se- 
 verest rigors while I was present. " Je tremble" 
 said he to Count Las Cases, who was present, 
 " comme si jeusse peur." Pulse much quickened. 
 Recommended warm fomentations to his cheek, 
 a liniment to his throat, warm diluents, a garga- 
 rism, pediluvium, and total abstinence ; all of 
 which he approved of, except the liniment. He 
 asked a great many questions about fever. 
 
 Saw him again at nine in bed. He had strictly 
 complied with my directions ; I was desirous that
 
 A VOICB FROM ST. HELENA. 179 
 
 he should take a diaphoretic, but he preferred 
 trusting to his warm diluents. He imputed his 
 complaint to the ventaccin* eternally blowing over 
 the bleak and exposed site of Long wood. " I 
 ought," said he, "to be at the Briars, or at the 
 other side of the island, instead of being on this 
 horrid spot. While I was there last year at this 
 season, I was very well." He asked what I 
 thought was the easiest mode of dying., and observ- 
 ed that death by cold was the easiest of all others, 
 because "*/ muore dormendo" (one dies sleeping). 
 
 Sent a letter to Sir Hudson Lowe, acquainting 
 him with Napoleon's illness. 
 
 27#/i. A free perspiration took place in the 
 night, and Napoleon was considerably better. Re- 
 commended a continuance of the means he had 
 adopted, and not to expose himself to the wind. 
 He made nearly the same observations as he had 
 done yesterday relative to the exposed and un- 
 healthy situation of Longwood, adding, that it 
 was so bleak a spot that scarcely any vegetable 
 would grow upon it. 
 
 Had some conversation with him relative to the 
 Empress Josephine, of whom he spoke in terms 
 the most affectionate. His first acquaintance with 
 that amiable being commenced after the disarming 
 of the sections in Paris, subsequently to the 13th 
 
 * Ventaccio is a provincial word which means a nasty or acrid 
 wind.
 
 180 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of Vendemiaire, 1 795. "A boy of twelve or thirteen 
 years old presented himself to me," continued he, 
 " and entreated that his father's sword, (who had 
 been a general of the republic,) should be re- 
 turned. 1 was so touched by this affectionate re- 
 quest, that I ordered it to be given to him. This 
 boy was Eugene Beauharnois. On seeing the 
 sword, he burst into tears. I felt so much af- 
 fected by his conduct that I noticed and praised 
 him much. A few days afterwards, his mother 
 came to return me a visit of thanks. I was much 
 struck with her appearance, and still more with her 
 esprit. This first impression was daily strength- 
 ened, and marriage was not long in following." 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe. Informed him of Na- 
 poleon's state of health and that he had attri- 
 buted his complaints to the violence of the wind, 
 and the bleak and exposed situation of Long- 
 wood ; also that he had expressed a desire to be 
 removed either to the Briars, or to the other side 
 of the island. His excellency replied, " The fact 
 is, that General Bonaparte wants to get Planta- 
 tion House ; but the East India company will not 
 consent to have so fine a plantation given to a set 
 of Frenchmen, to destroy the trees and ruin the 
 gardens." 
 
 Eight, p. in. Napoleon not so well ; right jaw 
 much tumefied, with difficulty of swallowing, 
 caused by the inflammation of the tonsils, &c. He
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 181 
 
 would not consent to use any thing except diluents 
 and fomentations. Recommended a purgative to 
 be taken in the morning, and also some other 
 active remedies, which he declined doing, observ- 
 ing that he had never taken any medicine since 
 his childhood ; that he knew his own constitution, 
 and was convinced that even a very small dose 
 would produce violent effects : that moreover, 
 perhaps its effects would be contrary to the ef- 
 forts of nature. That he would trust to diet, 
 diluents, &c. 
 
 29th. Napoleon rather better. Told him that 
 if he were attacked by any of the diseases of the 
 climate, he would, in all probability, be a dead 
 man in a few days, as the means which he was 
 willing to put in execution, were totally inadequate 
 to subdue a formidable complaint, although they 
 might be sufficient to relieve the trifling one under 
 which he had laboured. Notwithstanding all the 
 reasoning and the representations which I made 
 to him, he appeared to think that it was better 
 to do nothing than to take medicines, which 
 he was of opinion were dangerous, or at least 
 doubtful, as they might disturb the operations of 
 nature. 
 
 30th. Napoleon consented to make use of a 
 gargle of infusion of roses and sulphuric acid. 
 There were many vesicles on the inside of his 
 cheek and gums. He inveighed against the clima
 
 182 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 barbaro (the barbarous climate) of Longwood, and 
 again mentioned the Briars.* 
 
 Informed Sir Hudson Lowe of the state of his 
 health, and of his desire to be removed to the 
 Briars. His excellency replied, that if General 
 Bonaparte wanted to make himself comfortable, 
 and to get reconciled to the island, he ought to 
 draw for some of those large sums of money which 
 he possessed, and lay it out in purchasing a house 
 and grounds. I said, that Napoleon had told me 
 he did not know where his money was placed. 
 Sir Hudson replied, " I suppose he told you that, 
 in order that you might repeat it to me." 
 
 November 1st. Napoleon better. Some tume- 
 faction of the legs, and enlargement of the glands 
 of the thigh. Recommended him to take some 
 sulphate of magnesia, or Glauber's salts. Another 
 portion of plate broken up, in order to be sent to 
 town for sale. 
 
 2nd. Nearly the same. Recommended to him 
 in the strongest terms, to take exercise as soon as 
 the state of his cheeks, and of the weather, would 
 admit of its being put in practice ; and gave it as 
 my firm and decided opinion, that unless he put 
 this advice in practice, he would be infallibly at- 
 tacked by some very serious complaint. 
 
 During the conversation, I took the liberty of 
 asking the emperor his reasons for having encou- 
 
 * The Briars is nearly two miles distant from the sea-shore.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 183 
 
 raged the Jews so much. He replied, " I wanted 
 to make them leave off usury, and become like 
 other men. There were a great many Jews in the 
 countries I reigned over ; by removing their disabi- 
 lities, and by putting them upon an equality with 
 Catholics, Protestants, and others, I hoped to 
 make them become good citizens, and conduct 
 themselves like the rest of the community. I be- 
 lieve that I should have succeeded in the end. My 
 reasoning with them was, that as their rabbins ex- 
 plained to them that they ought not to practise 
 usury against their own tribes, but were allowed 
 to practise it with Christians and others, that, 
 therefore, as I had restored them to all their privi- 
 leges, and made them equal to my other subjects, 
 they must consider me, like Solomon or Herod, 
 to be the head of their nation, and my subjects as 
 brethren of a tribe similar to theirs. That, conse- 
 quently, they were not permitted to deal usuri- 
 ously with them or me, but to treat us as if we 
 were of the tribe of Judah. That enjoying similar 
 privileges to my other subjects, they were, in like 
 manner, to pay taxes, and submit to the laws of 
 conscription, and to other laws. By this I gained 
 many soldiers. Besides, I should have drawn great 
 wealth to France, as the Jews are very numerous, 
 and would have flocked to a country where they 
 enjoyed such superior privileges. Moreover, T 
 wanted to establish an universal liberty of con- 
 science. My system was to have no predominant
 
 184 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 religion, but to allow perfect liberty of con- 
 science and of thought, to make all men equal, 
 whether Protestants, Catholics, Mahometans, 
 Deists, or others ; so that their religion should 
 have no influence in getting them employments 
 under government. In fact, that it should neither 
 be the means of serving, nor $ of injuring them ; and 
 that no objections should be made to a man's get- 
 ting a situation on the score of religion, provided 
 he were fit for it in other respects. I made every- 
 thing independent of religion. All the tribunals 
 were so. Marriages were independent of the 
 priests ; even the burying grounds were not left 
 at their disposal, as they could not refuse inter- 
 ment to the body of any person of whatsoever 
 religion. My intention was to render every thing 
 belonging to the state and the constitution, purely 
 civil, without reference to any religion. I wished 
 to deprive the priests of all influence and power 
 in civil affairs, and to oblige them to confine 
 themselves to their own spiritual matters, and 
 meddle with nothing else." I asked if uncles 
 and nieces had not a right to marry in France. 
 He replied, " Yes, but they must obtain a special 
 permission." I asked if the permission were to 
 be granted by the pope. " By the pope ?" said 
 he, "No;" catching me by the ear and smiling, 
 " I tell you that neither the pope, nor any of his 
 priests, had power to grant any thing. By the 
 sovereign."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 185 
 
 I asked some questions relative to the free- 
 masons, and his opinions concerning them. " A 
 set of imbeciles who meet, a faire bonne die re, 
 and perform some ridiculous fooleries. However," 
 said he, " they, do some good actions. They as- 
 sisted in the revolution, and latterly to diminish 
 the power of the pope and the influence of the 
 clergy. When the sentiments of a people are 
 against the government, every society has a ten- 
 dency to do mischief to it." I then asked if the 
 freemasons on the continent had any connexion 
 with the illuminati. He replied, " No, that is a 
 society altogether different, and in Germany is 
 of a very dangerous nature." I asked if he had 
 not encouraged the freemasons ? He said, " Ra- 
 ther so, for they fought against the pope." I then 
 asked if he ever would have permitted the re-esta- 
 blishment of the Jesuits in France ? " Never," 
 said he, " it is the most dangerous of societies, 
 and has done more mischief than all the others. 
 Their doctrine is, that their general is the so- 
 vereign of sovereigns, and master of the world ; 
 that all orders from him, however contrary to the 
 laws, or however wicked, must be obeyed. Every 
 act, however atrocious, committed by them pursu- 
 ant to orders from their general at Rome, becomes 
 in their eyes meritorious. No, no, I would never 
 have allowed a society to exist in my dominions, 
 under the orders of a foreign general at Rome. 
 
 VOL. i. 2 B
 
 186 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Ill fact. I would not allow any frati* There were 
 priests sufficient for those who wanted them, 
 without having monasteries filled with canaglie, 
 who did nothing but gormandize, pray, and com- 
 mit crimes." I observed, that it was to be feared 
 the priests and the Jesuists would soon have great 
 influence in France. Napoleon replied, " very 
 likely. The Bourbons are fanatics, and would 
 willingly bring back both the Jesuists and the in- 
 quisition. In reigns before mine, the Protestants 
 were as badly treated as the Jews ; they could 
 not purchase land I put them upon a level with 
 the Catholics. They will now be trampled upon 
 by the Bourbons, to whom they and every thing 
 else liberal will always be objects of suspicion. 
 The Emperor Alexander may allow them to enter 
 his empire, because it is his policy to draw into 
 his barbarous country, men of information, what- 
 soever their sect may be, and moreover, they are 
 not to be much feared in Russia, because the re- 
 ligion is different. 
 
 The following is his description of Carnot. A 
 man laborious and sincere, but liable to the in- 
 fluence of intrigues, and easily deceived. He di- 
 rected the operations of war, without having me- 
 rited the eulogiums which were pronounced upon 
 him, as he had neither the experience, nor the 
 
 * Friars,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 187 
 
 habitude of war. When minister of war, he 
 shewed but little talent, and had many quarrels 
 with the minister of finance and the treasury ; in 
 all of which he was wrong'. He left the ministry, 
 convinced that he could not fulfil his station for 
 want of money. He afterwards voted against the 
 establishment of the empire, but as his conduct 
 was always upright, he never gave any umbrage 
 to the government. During 1 the prosperity of the 
 empire, he never asked for any thing; but after 
 the misfortunes of Russia, he demanded employ- 
 ment, and got the command of Antwerp, where he 
 acquitted himself very well. After Napoleon's 
 return from Elba, he was minister of the interior ; 
 and the emperor had every reason to be satisfied 
 with his conduct. He was faithful, a man of 
 truth and probity, and laborious in his exertions. 
 On the abdication, he was named one of the pro- 
 visional government, but he was joue by the in- 
 triguers by whom he was surrounded. He passed 
 for an original amongst his companions when 
 he was young. He hated the nobles, and on 
 that account had several quarrels with Robes- 
 pierre, who latterly protected many of them. He 
 was member of the committee of public safety 
 along with Robespierre, Couthon, St. Just, and 
 the other butchers, and was the only one who was 
 not denounced. He afterwards demanded to be 
 included in the denunciation, and to be tried for
 
 188 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 his conduct, as well as the others, which was re- 
 fused ; but his having made the demand to share 
 the fate of the rest, gained him great credit. 
 
 " Barras," he said, " was a violent man, and 
 possessed of little knowledge or resolution ; fickle, 
 and far from meriting the reputation which he 
 enjoyed, although from the violence of his man- 
 ner and loudness of tone in the beginning of his 
 speeches, one would have thought otherwise." 
 
 5th. Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood. In- 
 formed him, that although Napoleon was much 
 better, it was my opinion, that if he persisted in 
 the system of confining himself to his room, and in 
 not taking exercise, he would soon be attacked 
 by some serious complaint, and that in all proba- 
 bility his existence in St. Helena would not be 
 protracted for more than a year or two. Sir Hud- 
 son asked with some degree of asperity, " Why 
 did he not take exercise ?" I briefly recapitu- 
 lated to him some of his own restrictions : amongst 
 others, that of placing sentinels at the gates of 
 the garden in which he had formerly walked at 
 six o'clock in the afternoon, with orders to let 
 nobody out ; which being the cool of the evening, 
 was the most desirable time to walk. Sir Hudson 
 said they were not placed at six o'clock, but only 
 at sun-set. I observed to his excellency, that the 
 sun set immediately after six, and that in the 
 tropics, the twilight was of a very short duration.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 189 
 
 The governor then sent for Capt. Poppleton, and 
 made some enquiries concerning the posting of the 
 sentinels and their orders. Captain Poppleton 
 informed him, that the orders which were issued 
 to the sentinels being verbal, were continually 
 liable to be misunderstood. After some conver- 
 sation with Capt. P., Sir Hudson Lowe observed, 
 he thought it very extraordinary that General Bo- 
 naparte would not ride out with a British officer. 
 I remarked, that he would in all probability, if 
 matters were well managed. For example, if 
 when he mounted his horse, an officer was sent 
 after him at a short distance to watch his motions, 
 I could answer to his excellency that Napoleon, 
 although he should well know what the officer's 
 business was, would never appear to be aware of 
 it, and that he would be just as secure as if an 
 officer rode by his side. I went so far as to say, 
 that Napoleon had himself intimated to me, that 
 he would not see any person following him, pro- 
 vided it were not officially made known that he 
 was a guard over him. Sir Hudson replied that 
 he would consider of it, and desired me to write 
 him a statement of my opinion of the health of 
 General Bonaparte ; cautioning me, that in writing 
 it, I must bear in mind, that the life of one man 
 was not to be put into competition with the mis- 
 chief which he might cause, were he to get loose ; 
 and that I must recollect, General Bonaparte had
 
 190 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 been already a curse to the world, and had caused 
 the loss of many thousands of lives. That my si- 
 tuation was very peculiar, and one of great politi- 
 cal importance. 
 
 . A quantity of plate, which had been broken up, 
 taken to town by Cipriani, and deposited with 
 Balcombe, Cole, and Co. in the presence of Sir 
 Thomas Reade, to whom the key of the chest con- 
 taining it was delivered. 
 
 1th. Napoleon much better, and nearly free 
 from complaint. 
 
 8th. Napoleon asked me many anatomical and 
 physiological questions, and observed, that he 
 had studied anatomy himself for a few days, but 
 had been sickened by the sight of some bodies 
 that were opened, and abandoned any further pro- 
 gress in that science. After some developement 
 of his ideas touching the soul, I made a few re- 
 marks upon the Poles who had served in his 
 army, who I observed were greatly attached to 
 his person. " Ah !" replied the emperor, " they 
 were much attached to me. The present viceroy 
 of Poland was with me in my campaigns in 
 Egypt. I made him a general. Most of my "old 
 Polish guard are now through policy employed 
 by Alexander. They are a brave nation, and 
 make good soldiers. In the cold which prevails 
 in the northern countries the Pole is better than 
 the Frenchman." I asked him, if in less rigorous
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 191 
 
 climates the Poles were as good soldiers as the 
 French. " Oh, no, no. In other places the 
 Frenchman is much superior. The commandant 
 of Dantzic informed me, that during the severity 
 of the winter, when the thermometer sunk eighteen 
 degrees, it was impossible to make the French 
 soldiers keep their posts as sentinels, while the 
 Poles suffered nothing. Poniatowsky," continued 
 he, " was a noble character, full of honour and 
 bravery. It was my intention to have made him 
 king of Poland, had I succeeded in Russia." I 
 asked to what he principally attributed his failure 
 in that expedition. " To the cold, the premature 
 cold, and the burning of Moscow," replied Napo- 
 leon. " I was a few days too late I had made 
 a calculation of the weather for fifty years before, 
 and the extreme cold had never commenced until 
 about the 20th of December, twenty days later 
 than it began this time. While I was at Moscow, 
 the cold was at three of the thermometer, and 
 was such as the French could with pleasure bear ; 
 but on the march, the thermometer sunk eighteen 
 degrees, and consequently nearly all the horses 
 perished. In one night I lost thirty thousand. 
 The artillery, of which I had five hundred pieces, 
 was in a great measure obliged to be abandoned ; 
 neither ammunition nor provisions could be car- 
 ried. We could not, through the want of horses, 
 make a reconnaissance, or send out an advance of
 
 192 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 men on horseback to discover the way. The sol- 
 diers lost their spirits and their senses, and fell 
 into confusion. The most trifling circumstance 
 alarmed them. Four or five men were sufficient 
 to terrify a whole battalion. Instead of keeping 
 together, they wandered about in search of fire. 
 Parties, when sent out on duty in advance, aban- 
 doned their posts, and went to seek the means of 
 warming themselves in the houses. They se- 
 parated in all directions, became helpless, and fell 
 an easy prey to the enemy. Others lay down, 
 fell asleep, a little blood came from their nostrils, 
 and, sleeping, they died. In this manner thou- 
 sands perished. The Poles saved some of their 
 horses and artillery, but the French, and the sol- 
 diers of the other nations, were no longer the 
 same men. In particular, the cavalry suffered. 
 Out of forty thousand, I do not think that three 
 thousand were saved. Had it not been for that 
 fire at Moscow, I should have succeeded. I would 
 have wintered there. There were in that city about 
 forty thousand citizens who were in a, manner 
 slaves. For you must know that the Russian nobi- 
 lity keep their vassals in a sort of slavery. I would 
 have proclaimed liberty to all the slaves in Russia, 
 and abolished vassalage and nobility. This would 
 have procured me the union of an immense and 
 a powerful party. I would either have made a 
 peace at Moscow, or else I would have inarched
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA; 193 
 
 the next year to Petersburgh. Alexander was 
 assured of it, and sent his diamonds, valuables, 
 and ships to England. Had it not been for that 
 fire, I should have succeeded in every thing. Two 
 days before, I beat them in a great action at 
 Moskwa ; I attacked the Russian army of two hun- 
 dred and fifty thousand strong, entrenched up to 
 their necks, with ninety thousand, and totally de- 
 feated them. Seventy thousand Russians lay upon 
 the field. They had the impudence to say that 
 they had gained the battle, although I marched 
 into Moscow two days after. I was in the midst 
 of a fine city, provisioned for a year, for in Russia 
 they always lay in provisions for several months 
 before the frost sets in. Stores of all kinds were 
 in plenty. The houses of the inhabitants were 
 well provided, and many had even left their ser- 
 vants to attend upon us. In most of them there 
 was a note left by the proprietor, begging of the 
 French officers who took possession to be careful 
 of their furniture and other effects ; that they had 
 left every article necessary for our wants, and 
 hoped to return in a few days, when the emperor 
 Alexander had accommodated matters, at which 
 time they would be happy to see us. Many ladies 
 remained behind. They knew that I had been in 
 Berlin and Vienna with my armies, and that no 
 injury had been done to the inhabitants ; and 
 VOL. i. 2 c
 
 194 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 moreover, they expected a speedy peace. We 
 were in hopes of enjoying ourselves in winter quar- 
 ters, with every prospect of success in the spring. 
 Two days after our arrival, a fire was discovered, 
 which at first was not supposed to be alarming, 
 but to have been caused by the soldiers kindling 
 their fires too near to the houses, which were chiefly 
 of wood. I was angry at this, and issued very 
 strict orders on the subject to the commandants 
 Of regiments and others. The next day it had 
 increased, but still not so as to give serious alarm. 
 However, afraid that it might gain upon us, I went 
 out on horseback, and gave every direction to 
 extinguish it. The next morning a violent wind 
 arose, and the fire spread with the greatest rapi- 
 dity. Some hundred miscreants, hired for that 
 purpose, dispersed themselves in different parts 
 of the town, and with matches which they con- 
 cealed under their cloaks, set fire to as many 
 houses to windward as they could, which was 
 easily done, in consequence of the combustible 
 materials of which they were built. This, toge- 
 ther with the violence of the wind, rendered every 
 effort to extinguish the fire ineffectual. I myself 
 narrowly escaped with life. In order to shew an 
 example, I ventured into the midst of the flames, 
 and had my hair and eye-brows singed, and my 
 clothes burnt off my back ; but it was in vain, as
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 they had destroyed most of the pumps, of which 
 there were above a thousand ; out of all these, I 
 believe that, we could only find one that was ser- 
 viceable. Besides, the wretches that had been 
 hired by Rostopchin, ran about in every quarter, 
 disseminating fire with their matches; in which 
 they were but too much assisted by the wind. 
 This terrible conflagration ruined every thing. I 
 was prepared for all but this. It was unforeseen, 
 for w r ho would have thought that a nation would 
 have set its capital on fire ? The inhabitants 
 themselves, however, did all they could to ex- 
 tinguish it, and several of them perished in their 
 endeavours. They also brought before us num- 
 bers of the incendiaries with their matches, as 
 amidst such a popolazzo we never could have dis- 
 covered them ourselves. I caused about two hun- 
 dred of these wretches to be shot. Had it not 
 been for this fatal fire, I possessed every thing my 
 army wanted ; excellent winter quarters ; stores 
 of all kinds were in plenty ; and the next year 
 would have decided it. Alexander would have 
 made peace, or I would have been in Petersburg!!." 
 I asked if he thought that he could entirely sub- 
 due Russia. " No," replied Napoleon ; " but I 
 would have caused Russia to make such a peace 
 as suited the interests of France. I was five days 
 too late in quitting Moscow. Several of the ge- 
 nerals," continued he, " were burnt out of their
 
 196 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 beds. I myself remained in the Kremlin * until 
 surrounded by flames. The fire advanced, seized 
 the Chinese and India warehouses, and several 
 stores of oil and spirits, which burst forth in 
 flames and overwhelmed every thing. I then re- 
 tired to a country-house of the Emperor Alex- 
 ander, distant about a league from Moscow, and 
 you may figure to yourself the intensity of the 
 fire, when I tell you, that you could scarcely bear 
 your hands upon the walls or the windows on the 
 side next to Moscow, in consequence of their 
 heated state. It was the spectacle of a sea and 
 billows of fire, a sky and clouds of flame ; moun- 
 tains of red rolling flames, like immense waves of 
 the sea, alternately bursting forth and elevating 
 themselves to skies of fire, and then sinking into 
 the ocean of flame below. Oh, it was the most 
 grand, the most sublime, and the most terrific sight 
 the world ever beheld ! ! Allans, Docteur" -f- 
 9tk. Had some conversation with the emperor 
 
 * General Gourgaud informed me, that during the conflagration, 
 great numbers of crows (which are in myriads at Moscow) perched 
 in flocks upon the towers of the Kremlin, from whence they fre- 
 quently descended and hovered round the French soldiers, flapping 
 their wings and screaming, as if menacing them with the destruction 
 that followed. He added, that the troops were dispirited by this, 
 which they conceived to be a bad omen. 
 
 t This was Napoleon's general expression when he wished me to 
 retire.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 197 
 
 concerning religion. I observed, that in England 
 there were different opinions about his faith ; that 
 some had latterly supposed him to be a Roman Ca- 
 tholic. " Ebbene" replied he, " Credo tutto quel 
 che crede la chiesa" (I believe all that the church 
 believes.) " I used," continued he, " to make the 
 bishop of Nantes dispute with the Pope frequently 
 in my presence. He wanted to re-establish the 
 monks. My bishop used to tell him that the em- 
 peror had no objection to persons being monks 
 in their hearts, but that he objected to allowing 
 any society of them to exist publicly. The Pope 
 wanted me to confess, which I always evaded by 
 saying, ' Holy father (santo padre), I am too much 
 occupied at present. When I get older.' I took 
 a pleasure in conversing with the Pope, who was a 
 good old man, ma testardo, (though obstinate)." 
 
 " There are so many different religions," conti- 
 nued he, " or modifications of them, that it is dif- 
 ficult to know which to choose. If one religion 
 had existed from the beginning of the world, I 
 should think that to be the true one. As it is, I 
 am of opinion that every person ought to continue 
 in the religion in which he was brought up ; in that 
 of his fathers. What are you ?" " A protestant," I 
 replied. "Was your father so?" I said, "Yes." 
 " Then continue in that belief." 
 
 " In France," continued he, " I received Catho- 
 lics and Protestants alike at my levee. I paid
 
 198 A V01CJE FKO.M bT. HELENA. 
 
 their ministers alike. I gave the Protestants a 
 fine church at Paris, which had formerly belong- 
 ed to the Jesuists. In order to prevent any reli- 
 gious quarrels in places where there were both 
 Catholic and Protestant churches, I prohibited 
 them from tolling the bells to summon the people 
 to worship in their respective churches, unless the 
 ministers of the one and the other made a specific 
 request for permission to do so, and stating that it 
 was at the desire and request of the members of 
 each religion. Permission was then given for a 
 year, and if at the expiration of that year the de- 
 mand was not renewed by both parties again, it 
 was not continued. By these means, I prevented 
 the squabbles which had previously existed, as the 
 Catholic priests found that they could not have 
 their own bells tolled, unless the Protestants had 
 a similar privilege." 
 
 " There is a link between animals and the Deity. 
 Man," added he, " is merely a more perfect ani- 
 mal than the rest. He reasons better. But how 
 do we know that animals have not a language of 
 their own? My opinion is, that it is presumption 
 in us to say no, because we do not understand 
 them. A horse has memory, knowledge, and love. 
 He knows his master from the servants, though 
 the latter are more constantly with him. I had a 
 horse myself, who knew me from any other per- 
 son, and manifested by capering and proudly
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 199 
 
 marching with his head erect, when I was on his 
 back, his knowledge that he bore a person supe- 
 rior to the others by whom he was surrounded. 
 Neither would he allow any other person to mount 
 him, except one groom, who constantly took care 
 of him, and when ridden by him, his motions were 
 far different, and such as seemed to say that he 
 was conscious he bore an inferior. When I lost 
 my way, I was accustomed to throw the reins 
 down his neck, and he always discovered it in 
 places where I, with all my observation and boast- 
 ed superior knowledge, could not. Who can deny 
 the sagacity of dogs ? There is a link between all 
 animals. Plants are so many animals who eat 
 and drink, and there are gradations up to man, 
 who is only the most perfect of them all. The 
 same spirit animates them all in a greater or a 
 lesser degree." 
 
 " That governor," added he, " has closed up the 
 path which led to the company's gardens, where I 
 used to walk sometimes, as it is the only spot 
 sheltered from the vento agro, which I suppose he 
 thought was too great an indulgence, ' Son certo 
 che ha qualche cattivo oggetto in vista' But I do 
 not give myself any uneasiness about it, for when a 
 man's time is come he must go." I took the liberty 
 of asking if he was a predestinariari. " Stctirb, 19 
 replied Napoleon, " as much so as the Turks ate. 
 I have been always so. When destiny wills, it
 
 200 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 
 
 must be obeyed. (Quando lo vuole il destino, bi- 
 xogna iibbidire.)" 
 
 Asked him some questions about Blucher, 
 " Blucher," said he, " is a very brave soldier, un 
 bon sabreur. He is like a bull who shuts his eyes, 
 and, seeing- no danger, rushes on. He committed 
 a thousand faults, and had it not been for circum- 
 stances I could repeatedly have made him and the 
 greatest part of his army prisoners. He is stub- 
 born and indefatigable, afraid of nothing, and very 
 much attached to his country ; but as a general, 
 he is without talent. I recollect that when I was 
 in Prussia, he dined at my table after he had sur- 
 rendered, and he was then considered to be an 
 ordinaiy character." 
 
 Speaking about the English soldiers, he ob- 
 served, " the English soldier is brave, nobody 
 more so, and the officers generally men of honour, 
 but I do not think them yet capable of executing 
 grand manoeuvres. I think that if I were at the 
 head of them, I could make them do any thing. 
 However, I know them not enough yet to speak 
 decidedly. I had a conversation with Bingham 
 about it ; and although he is of a different opinion, 
 I would alter your system. Instead of the lash, I 
 would lead them by the stimulus of honour. I 
 would instil a degree of emulation into their minds. 
 I would promote every deserving soldier, as I did 
 in France. After an action I assembled the offi-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 201 
 
 cers and soldiers, and asked, who have acquitted 
 themselves best ? Quels sont les braves ? and pro- 
 moted such of them as were capable of reading 
 and writing-. Those who were not, I ordered to 
 study five hours a day until they had learned a 
 sufficiency, and then promoted them. What might 
 not be expected from the English army, if every 
 soldier hoped to be made a general if he be- 
 haved well ? Bingham says, however, that the 
 greatest part of your soldiers are brutes, and must 
 be driven by the stick. But surely," continued 
 he, " the English soldiers must be possessed of 
 sentiments sufficient to put them at least upon a 
 level with the soldiers of other nations, where 
 the degrading system of the lash is not used. 
 Whatever debases man cannot be serviceable. 
 Bingham says, that none but the dregs of the 
 canaille voluntarily enter as soldiers. This dis- 
 graceful punishment is the cause of it. I would 
 remove it, and make even the situation of a private 
 soldier be considered as conferring honour upon 
 the individual who bore it. I would act as I 
 did in France. I would encourage young men of 
 education, the sons of merchants, gentlemen, and 
 others, to enter as private soldiers, and promote 
 them according to their merits. I would substi- 
 tute confinement, bread and water, the contempt 
 of his comrades (le mfyrls de ses camarades), and 
 such other punishments for the lash. Quando il 
 soldato e avvilito e disonorato colle fruste, poco 
 VOL. i. 2 D
 
 202 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 gli preme la gloria o Vonore della sua patria*. 
 What honour can a man possibly have who is 
 flogged before his comrades. He loses all feel- 
 ing, and would as soon fight against as for his 
 country, if he were better paid by the opposite 
 party. When the Austrians had possession of 
 Italy, they in vain attempted to make soldiers of 
 the Italians. They either deserted as fast as they 
 raised them, or else, when compelled to advance 
 against an enemy, they ran away on the first fire. 
 It was impossible to keep together a single regi- 
 ment. When I got Italy, and began to raise sol- 
 diers, the Austrians laughed at me, and said that 
 it was in vain, that they had been trying for a long 
 time, and that it was not in the nature of the Ita- 
 lians to fight or to make good soldiers. Notwith- 
 standing this, I raised many thousands of Italians, 
 who fought with a bravery equal to the French, 
 and did not desert me even in my adversity 
 What was the cause ? I abolished flogging and 
 the stick, which the Austrians had adopted. I 
 promoted those amongst the soldiers who had 
 talents, and made many of them generals. I sub- 
 stituted honour and emulation for terror and the 
 lash." 
 
 I asked his opinion relative to the comparative 
 merit of the Russians, Prussians, and Germans. 
 Napoleon replied, " Soldiers change, sometimes 
 
 * " When a soldier has been debased and dishonoured by stripe*, 
 he cares but little for the glory, or the honour of his country."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 203 
 
 brave, sometimes laches. I have seen the Russians 
 at Eylau perform prodigies of valour : they were 
 so many heroes. At Moscow, entrenched up to 
 their necks, they allowed me to beat two hundred 
 and fifty thousand men with ninety thousand. At 
 Jena, and at other battles in that campaign, the 
 Prussians fled like sheep ; since that time they 
 have fought bravely. My opinion is, that now, 
 the Prussian soldier is superior to the Austrian. 
 The French cuirassiers were the best cavalry in 
 the world pour enf oncer Vinfanterie. Individually, 
 there is no horseman superior, or perhaps equal 
 to the Mamaluke ; but they cannot act in a 
 body. As partisans, the Cossacs excel, and the 
 Poles as lancers." This he said in reply to a 
 question made by me of his opinion relative to the 
 cavalry. 
 
 I asked who he thought was the best general 
 amongst the Austrians. " Prince Charles," he 
 replied, " although he has committed a thousand 
 faults. As to Schwartzenberg, he is not fit to com- 
 mand six thousand men." 
 
 Napoleon then spoke about the siege of Tou- 
 lon, and observed, that he had made General 
 O'Hara prisoner, " I may say," said he, " with 
 my own hand. I had constructed a masked bat- 
 tery of eight twenty-four pounders, and four mor- 
 tars, in order to open upon fort Malbosquet (I think 
 it was), which was in possession of the English.
 
 204 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 It was finished in the evening, and it was my in- 
 tention to have opened upon them in the morning 1 . 
 While I was giving directions at another part of 
 the army, some of the deputies from the conven- 
 tion came down. In those days they sometimes 
 took upon them to direct the operations of the 
 armies, and those imbeciles ordered the battery to 
 commence, which was obeyed. As soon as I saw 
 this premature fire, I immediately conceived that 
 the English general would attack the battery and 
 most probably carry it, as matters had not been 
 yet arranged to support it. In fact O'Hara, seeing 
 that the fire from that battery would dislodge his 
 troops from Malbosquet, from which last I would 
 have taken the fort which commanded the har- 
 bour, determined upon attacking it. Accordingly, 
 early in the morning he put himself at the head of 
 his troops, sallied out, and actually carried the 
 battery and the lines which I had formed (Napoleon 
 here drew a plan upon a piece of paper of the situa- 
 tion of the batteries) to the left, and those to the 
 right were taken by the Neapolitans. While he was 
 busy in spiking the guns, I advanced with three 
 or four hundred grenadiers, unperceived, through 
 a boy au covered with olive-trees, which communi- 
 cated with the battery, and commenced a terrible 
 fire upon his troops. The English, astonished, at 
 first supposed that the Neapolitans, who had the 
 lines on the right, had mistaken them for French,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 205 
 
 and said, it is those canaglie of Neapolitans who 
 are firing upon us (for even at that time your 
 troops despised the Neapolitans). O'Hara ran 
 out of the battery and advanced towards us. Ift 
 advancing, he was wounded in the arm by the fire 
 of a Serjeant, and I, who stood at the mouth of the 
 boyau, seized him by the coat, and threw him 
 back amongst my own men, thinking that he was 
 a colonel, as he had two epaulettes on. While 
 they were taking him to the rear, he cried out that 
 he was the commander in chief of the English. 
 He thought that they were going to massacre him, 
 as there existed a horrible order at that time from 
 the convention to give no quarter to the English. 
 I ran up and prevented the soldiers from ill-treating 
 him. He spoke very bad French ; and as I saw 
 that he imagined they intended to butcher him, I 
 did every thing in my power to console him, and 
 gave directions that his wound should be imme- 
 diately dressed, and every attention paid to him. 
 He afterwards begged of me to give him a state- 
 ment of how he had been taken, in order that he 
 might shew it to his government in his justifica- 
 tion." 
 
 " Those blockheads of deputies," continued he, 
 " wanted to attack and storm the town first ; but 
 I explained to them that it was very strong, and 
 that we should lose many men ; that the best way 
 would be to make ourselves masters of the forts
 
 200 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 which commanded the harbour, and then the Eng- 
 lish would either be taken, or be obliged to burn 
 the greatest part of the fleet, and escape. My ad- 
 vice was taken ; and the English perceiving what 
 would be the result, set fire to the ships and aban- 
 doned the town. If a libeccio* had come on, they 
 would have been all taken. It was Sydney Smith 
 who set them on fire, and they would have been 
 all burnt, if the Spaniards had behaved well. It 
 was the finest feu d* artifice possible." 
 
 " Those Neapolitans," continued he, " are the 
 most vile canaglie in the world. Murat ruined 
 me by advancing against the Austrians with them. 
 When old Ferdinand heard of it, he laughed and 
 said in his jargon, that they would serve Murat 
 as they had done him before, when Championet 
 dispersed a hundred thousand of them like so 
 many sheep with ten thousand Frenchmen. I 
 had forbidden Murat to act ; for, after I returned 
 from Elba, there was an understanding between 
 the Emperor of Austria and me, that if I gave 
 him up Italy, he would not join the coalition 
 against me. This I had promised, and would 
 have fulfilled it ; but that imbecille, in spite of the 
 direction I had given him to remain quiet, ad- 
 vanced with his rabble into Italy, where he was 
 blown away like a puff. The Emperor of Aus- 
 tria seeing this, concluded directly that it was by 
 
 * A south-wind.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 207 
 
 my orders, and that I deceived him ; and being 
 conscious that he had betrayed me himself before, 
 supposed that I did not intend to keep faith with 
 him, and determined to endeavour to crush me 
 with all his forces. Twice Murat betrayed and 
 ruined me. Before, when he forsook me, he joined 
 the allies with sixty thousand men, and obliged me 
 to leave thirty thousand in Italy, when I wanted 
 them so much elsewhere. At that time, his army 
 was well officered by French. Had it not been 
 for this rash step of Murat's, the Russians would 
 have retreated, as their intentions were not to have 
 advanced, if Austria did not join the coalition ; 
 so that you would have been left to yourselves, 
 and have gladly made a peace." 
 
 He observed that he had always been willing to 
 conclude a peace with England. " Let your mi- 
 nisters say what they like," said he, " I was always 
 ready to make a peace. At the time that Fox 
 died, there was every prospect of effecting one, 
 if Lord Lauderdale had been sincere at first, it 
 would also have been concluded. Before the 
 campaign in Prussia, I caused it to be signified to 
 him that he had better persuade his countrymen to 
 make peace, as I would be master of Prussia in 
 two months ; for this reason, that although Russia 
 and Prussia united might be able to oppose me, 
 yet that Prussia alone could not. That the Rus- 
 sians were three months' march distant ; and that
 
 208 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 as I had intelligence that their plan of campaign 
 was to defend Berlin, instead of retiring, in order 
 to obtain the support of the Russians, I would 
 destroy their army, and take Berlin before the Rus- 
 sians came up, who alone I would easily defeat af- 
 terwards. I therefore advised him to take advan- 
 tage of my offer of peace, before Prussia, who was 
 your best friend on the continent, was destroyed. 
 After this communication, I believe that Lord 
 Lauderdale was sincere, and that he wrote to 
 your ministers recommending peace ; but they 
 would not agree to it, thinking that the king of 
 Prussia was at the head of a hundred thousand 
 men ; that I might be defeated, and that a defeat 
 would be my ruin. This was possible. A battle 
 sometimes decides every thing ; and sometimes 
 the most trifling circumstance decides the fate of 
 a battle. The event, however, proved that I was 
 right ; after Jena, Prussia was mine. After Tilsit 
 and at Erftirth," continued he, "a letter contain- 
 ing proposals of peace to England,, and signed by 
 the Emperor Alexander and myself, was sent to 
 your ministers, but they would not accept of 
 them. 
 
 He spoke of Sir Sydney Smith. " Sydney 
 Smith," said he, " is a brave officer. He displayed 
 considerable ability in the treaty for the evacua- 
 tion of Egypt by the French. He took advantage 
 of the discontent which he found to prevail
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 209 
 
 amongst the French troops, at being so long away 
 from France, and other circumstances. He also 
 manifested great honour in sending immediately 
 to Kleber the refusal of Lord Keith to ratify the 
 treaty, which saved the French army ; if he had 
 kept it a secret for seven or eight days longer, 
 Cairo would have been given up to the Turks, 
 and the French army necessarily obliged to sur- 
 render to the English. He also shewed great hu- 
 manity and honour in all his proceedings towards 
 the French who fell into his hands. He landed 
 at Havre, for some sottise of a bet he had made, 
 according to some, to go to the theatre ; others 
 said it was for espionage ; however that may be, 
 he was arrested and confined in the Temple as a 
 spy ; and at one time it was intended to try and 
 execute him. Shortly after I returned from Italy, 
 he wrote to me from his prison, to request that 
 I would intercede for him ; but under the circum- 
 stances in which he was taken, I could do no- 
 thing for him. He is active, intelligent, intriguing, 
 and indefatigable ; but I believe that he is mezzo 
 pazzo" 
 
 I asked .if Sir Sydney had not displayed great 
 talent and bravery at Acre ? Napoleon replied, 
 " Yes, the chief cause of the failure there was, 
 that he took all my battering train, which was on 
 board of several small vessels. Had it not been 
 for that, I would have taken Acre in spite of him. 
 
 VOL. i. 2 E
 
 210 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 He behaved very bravely, and was well seconded 
 by Philippeaux, a Frenchman of talent, who had 
 studied with me as an engineer. There was a 
 Major Douglas also who behaved very gallantly. 
 The acquisition of five or six hundred seamen as 
 cannoniers, was a great advantage to the Turks, 
 whose spirits thev revived, and whom they shewed 
 how to defend the fortress. But he committed a 
 great fault in making sorties, which cost the lives 
 of two or three hundred brave fellows, without 
 the possibility of success. For it was impossible 
 he could succeed against the number of the French 
 who were before Acre. I would lay a wager that 
 he lost half of his crew in them. He dispersed 
 proclamations amongst my troops, which certainly 
 shook some of them, and I in consequence pub- 
 lished an order, stating that he was mad) and for- 
 bidding all communication with him. Some days 
 after, he sent, by means of a flag of truce, a lieu- 
 tenant or a midshipman with a letter containing 
 a challenge to me to meet him at some place he 
 pointed out, in order to fight a duel. I laughed 
 at this, and sent him back an intimation that when 
 he brought Marlbprough to fight me, I would 
 meet him. Notwithstanding this, I like the cha- 
 racter of the man." 
 
 In answer to a remark of mine, that the inva- 
 sion of Spain had been a measure very destructive 
 to him, he replied, " If the government I esta-
 
 A VOICE FROiM ST. HELENA. 211 
 
 blished had remained, it would have been the best 
 thing that ever happened for Spain. I would 
 have regenerated the Spaniards ; I would have 
 made them a great nation. Instead of a feeble, 
 imbecile, and superstitious race of Bourbons, I 
 would have given them a new dynasty, that would 
 have no claim on the nation, except by the good 
 it would have rendered unto it. For an heredi- 
 tary race of asses, they would have had a mon- 
 arch, with ability to revive the nation, sunk under 
 the yoke of superstition and ignorance. Perhaps 
 it is better for France that I did not succeed, 
 as Spain would have been a formidable rival. I 
 would have destroyed superstition and priestcraft, 
 and abolished the inquisition and the monasteries 
 of those lazy bestie di frati. I would at least 
 have rendered the priests harmless. The guerillas, 
 who fought so bravely against me, now lament 
 their success. When I was last in Paris, I had 
 letters from Mina, and many other leaders of the 
 guerillas, craving assistance to expel their friar 
 from the throne." 
 
 Napoleon afterwards made some observations 
 relative to the governor, whose suspicious and 
 mysterious conduct he contrasted with the open 
 and undisguised manner in which Sir George 
 Cockburn conducted himself. " Though the ad- 
 miral was severe and rough," said he, " yet he 
 was incapable of a mean action. He had no atro-
 
 212 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 cities in contemplation, and therefore made no 
 mystery or secrecy of his conduct. Never have 
 I suspected him of any sinister design. Although 
 I might not like him, yet I could not despise him- 
 I despise the other. As a gaoler, the admiral 
 was kind and humane, and we ought to be grate- 
 ful to him ; as our host, we have reason to be 
 dissatisfied, and to complain of him. This gaoler 
 deprives life of every inducement to me. Were 
 it not that it would be an act of cowardice, and 
 that it would please your ministers, I would get 
 rid of it. Tengo la vita per la gloria. There is 
 more courage in supporting an existence like mine, 
 than in abandoning it. This governor lias a double 
 correspondence with your ministers, similar to 
 that which all your ambassadors maintain ; one 
 written so as to deceive the world, should they 
 ever be called upon to publish it, and the other, 
 giving a true account, for themselves alone." I 
 observed, that I believed all ambassadors and 
 other official persons in all countries, wrote two 
 accounts, one for the public, and the other con- 
 taining matters which it might not not be right to 
 divulge. " True, signor medico" replied Napo- 
 leon, taking me by the ear in a good-humoured 
 manner, " but there is not so Machiavelian a mi- 
 nistry in the world as your own. Cela tient a votrc 
 nysteme. That, and the liberty of your press, 
 obliges your ministers to render some account to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 213 
 
 the nation, and therefore they want to be able to 
 deceive the public in many instances ; but as it is 
 also necessary for them to know the truth them- 
 selves, they have a double correspondence ; one 
 official and false, calculated to gull the nation, 
 when published, or called for by the parliament ; 
 the other, private and true, to be kept locked up 
 in their own possession, and not deposited in the 
 archives. In this way, they manage to make every 
 thing appear as they wish to John Bull. Now this 
 system of falsehood is not necessary in a country 
 where there is no obligation to publish, or to ren- 
 der an account ; if the sovereign does not like to 
 make known any transaction officially, he keeps 
 it to himself, and gives no explanation ; therefore 
 there is no need of causing varnished accounts to 
 be written, in order to deceive the people. For 
 these reasons, there are more falsifications in your 
 official documents, than in those of any other na- 
 tion." 
 
 10th. Wrote a statement to Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 purporting it to be my opinion, that a further 
 continuance of confinement and want of exercise 
 would be productive of some serious complaint to 
 Napoleon, which in all probability would prove 
 fatal to him. 
 
 12//i. Conversed with Napoleon, who was in 
 his bath, for a considerable time. On asking his 
 opinion of Talleyrand, " Talleyrand," said he, " le
 
 214 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 plus vil des agioteurs, basflatteur. CTest un homrne 
 corrompu, who lias betrayed all parties and per- 
 sons. Wary and circumspect ; always a traitor, 
 but always in conspiracy with fortune, Talley- 
 rand treats his enemies as if they were one day to 
 become his friends ; and his friends, as if they 
 were to become his enemies. He is a man of ta- 
 lent, but venal in every thing. Nothing could 
 be done with him but by means of bribery. The 
 kings of Wirtemberg and Bavaria made so many 
 complaints of his rapacity and extortion, that I 
 took his portfewille from him : besides, I found 
 that he had divulged to some intrigants, a most 
 important secret which I had confided to him 
 alone. He hates the Bourbons in his heart. When 
 I returned from Elba, Talleyrand wrote to me 
 from Vienna, offering his services, and to betray 
 the Bourbons, provided I would pardon and re- 
 store him to favour. He argued upon a part of 
 my proclamation, in which I said there were cir- 
 cumstances which it was impossible to resist, 
 which he quoted. But I considered that there 
 were a few I was obliged to except, and refused, 
 as it would have excited indignation if I had not 
 punished somebody." 
 
 I asked if it were true that Talleyrand had ad- 
 vised him to dethrone the King of Spain, and 
 mentioned that the Duke of Rovigo had told mo 
 that Talleyrand had said in his presence, " Your
 
 , I 
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 215 
 
 majesty will never be secure upon your throne, 
 while a Bourbon is seated upon one." He replied, 
 " True, he advised me to do every thing which 
 would injure the Bourbons, whom he detests." 
 
 Napoleon shewed me the, marks of two wounds ; 
 one a very deep cicatrice above the left knee, 
 which he said he had received in his first cam- 
 paign of Italy, and was of so serious a nature, 
 that the surgeons were in doubt whether it might 
 not be ultimately necessary to amputate. He ob- 
 served, that when he was wounded, it was always 
 kept a secret, in order not to discourage the sol- 
 diers. The other was on the toe, and had been 
 received at Eckmiihl. " At the siege of Acre," 
 continued he, " a shell thrown by Sydney Smith 
 fell at my feet. Two soldiers who were close by, 
 seized, and closely embraced me, one in front and 
 the other on one side, and made a rampart of their 
 bodies for me, against the effect of the shell, which 
 exploded, and overwhelmed us with sand. We 
 sunk into the hole formed by its bursting ; one of 
 them was wounded. I made them both officers. 
 One has since lost a leg at Moscow, and com- 
 manded at Vincennes when I left Paris. When 
 he was summoned by the Russians, he replied, 
 that as soon as they sent him back the leg he 
 had lost at Moscow, he would surrender the for- 
 tress. Many times in my life," continued he, 
 " have I been saved by soldiers and officers throw-
 
 216 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ing themselves before me when I was in the most 
 imminent danger. At Arcola, when I was advanc- 
 ing, Colonel Meuron, my aid-de-camp, threw him- 
 self before me, covered me with his body, and re- 
 ceived the wound which was destined for me. He 
 fell at my feet, and his blood spouted up in my 
 face. He gave his life to preserve mine. Never 
 yet, I believe, has there been such devotion shewn 
 by soldiers as mine have manifested for me. In 
 all rny misfortunes, never has the soldier, even 
 when expiring, been wanting to me never has 
 man been served more faithfully by his troops. 
 With the last drop of blood gushing out of their 
 veins, they exclaimed, Vive VEmpereurT ' 
 
 I asked, if he had gained the battle of Waterloo, 
 whether he would have agreed to the treaty of 
 Paris. Napoleon replied, " I would certainly have 
 ratified it. I would not have made such a peace 
 myself. Sooner than agree to much better terms 
 I abdicated before ; but finding it already made, 
 I would have kept it, because France had need of 
 repose." 
 
 13^. Sir Hudson Lowe sent orders to Count 
 Las Cases to dismiss his present servant, and to 
 replace him by a soldier whom he sent for that pur- 
 pose. The count, replied, that Sir Hudson Lowe 
 had the power to take fiway his servant, but that 
 he could not compel him (Las Cases) to receive 
 another. That it would certainly be an inconve-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 217 
 
 nience to lose his servant in the present state 6f 
 ill health of his son ; but that if he were taken 
 away, he would not accept one of Sir Hudson 
 Lowe's choosing 1 . Captain Poppleton wrote to 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, stating the count's disinclina- 
 tion ; and I informed him, that the man he had 
 sent to replace the count's servant, had formerly 
 been employed at Longwood, and turned away 
 for drunkenness. Sir Hudson then desired me to 
 tell Poppleton, that the former servant might re- 
 main until he could find one that would answer, 
 adding, that he would look out himself for a pro- 
 per subject, which he also desired me to tell the 
 count. Informed him that it was my intention to 
 call in Mr. Baxter, to have the benefit of his ad- 
 vice in the case of young Las Cases, which pre- 
 sented some alarming appearances. 
 
 Communicated to Count Las Cases the mes- 
 sage I was charged with by Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 The count replied, " if the governor had told me 
 that he did not wish my servant to remain with 
 me, or that he would be glad if I sent him away, 
 and that he would give me a fortnight to look out 
 for another, I would immediately have dismissed 
 him, and most probably have asked the governor 
 to send me another ; but acting in the manner he 
 has done, without saying a word to me, I will 
 take no servant from his hands. He treats me as 
 a corporal would do. The admiral, even if dis- 
 
 VOL. i. 2 F
 
 218 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 pleased with me, never would have taken my ser- 
 vant away out of revenge." 
 
 Dined at Plantation House in company with 
 the Marquis Montchenu, who amused the com- 
 pany with the importance which he attached to 
 grande naissance, relative to which he recounted 
 some anecdotes. 
 
 16#A. The Adamant transport arrived from the 
 Cape, bringing news of the arrival of Sir George 
 Cockburn in England, and that he had had an 
 audience with the Prince Regent on the 2nd of 
 August. 
 
 An inspector of police named Rainsford ar- 
 rived from England and the Cape. 
 
 \7th. The allowances for Longwood dimi- 
 nished by order of Sir Hudson Lowe two pounds 
 of meat daily, in consequence of the departure of 
 a servant, who had received but one pound. A 
 bottle of wine also struck off. 
 
 The carters who bring up the provisions, state 
 that the foul linen of Longwood is frequently in- 
 spected by Sir Thomas Reade on its arrival in 
 town. Countess Bertrand sent down in the trunk 
 containing her soiled linen, some novels which 
 she had borrowed from Miss Chesborough, before 
 the arrival of Sir Hudson Lowe on the island. 
 They were placed on the top of the linen, and the 
 trunk was unlocked. Sir Thomas Reade said, 
 that it was a violation of the proclamation, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that Miss Chesborough should be turned off the 
 island. He then examined the countess's linen, 
 upon which he made observations not consistent 
 with the delicacy or the respect due to the female sex. 
 Mentioned to the emperor that I had been in- 
 formed he had saved Marshal Duroc's life during 
 his first campaigns in Italy, when seized and con- 
 demned to death as an emigrant ; which was as- 
 serted to have been the cause of the great attach- 
 ment subsequently displayed by Duroc to him 
 until the hour of his death. Napoleon looked sur- 
 prised, and replied, " No such thing who told you 
 that tale ?" I said that I had heard the Marquis 
 Montchenu repeat it at a public dinner. " There 
 is not a word of truth in it," replied Napoleon. 
 " I took Duroc out of the artillery train when he 
 was a boy, and protected him until his death. 
 But I suppose Montchenu said this, because 
 Duroc was of an old family, which in that booby's 
 eyes is the only source of merit. He despises 
 every body who has not as many hundred years 
 of nobility to boast of as himself. It was such as 
 Montchenu who were the chief cause of the revo- 
 lution. Before it, such a man as Bertrand, who 
 is worth an army of Montchenu's, could not even 
 be a sous-lieutenant, wh:le vieux enfans like him 
 would be generals. God help," continued he, 
 " the nation that is governed by such. In my 
 time, most of the generals, of whose deeds France
 
 220 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 is so proud, sprung from that very class of ple- 
 beians so much despised by him. It surprises 
 me," added he, " that they have permitted the 
 Duchess of Reggio to be premiere dame to the 
 Duchess of Berri, as her husband was once a pri- 
 vate soldier, and did not spring from grande nais- 
 sance" 1 asked his opinion of the Duke of Reggio. 
 " A brave man," replied Napoleon, " Ma di poca 
 testa. He has been influenced latterly by his young 
 wife, who is of an old family, whose vanity and 
 prejudices she inherits. However," continued he, 
 " he offered his services after my return from 
 Elba, and took the oath of allegiance to me." I 
 asked him if he thought that he was sincere. " It 
 might have been so, signor medico. If I had suc- 
 ceeded, I dare say he would have been." 
 
 Napoleon very busily employed in dictating his 
 memoirs to Counts Bertrand and Montholon. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe objected to allowing the pro- 
 duce of the last plate which had been disposed 
 of to be placed at the disposal of the French, al- 
 leging that it was too large a sum, viz. 295/., and 
 demanded an explanation of the manner in which 
 so large a sum of money was to be disposed of. It 
 appeared upon examination, that instead of hav- 
 ing 295 /. disposable, there would be in reality 
 only a few pounds, as 85 /. was due to Marchand, 
 457. to Cipriani, 16/. to Gentilini, for money ad- 
 vanced by them to purchase extra articles of food,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 221 
 
 previous to the sale of the last plate : also 70/. to 
 Mr. Balcombe's concern, 10/. to Le Page, and 20/. 
 to Archambaud, for fowls, &c. 
 
 22nd. Orders sent up by Sir Hudson Lowe for 
 a fresh reduction in the allowance of meat and 
 wine. 
 
 Saw Baron Sturmer in the town, with whom I 
 had some conversation. He was very desirous of 
 seeing- Napoleon, and informed me that Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, in granting the commissioners permission 
 to enter as far as the inner gate of Longwood, had 
 required them to pledge their honour that they 
 would not speak to Napoleon, without having first 
 obtained his permission. 
 
 23rd. Sir Pulteney Malcolm arrived from the 
 Cape. Napoleon very anxious to obtain some 
 newspapers. Tried to procure some, but was in- 
 formed that the governor had got all that were to 
 be had. 
 
 25th. On my return from town to Longwood, 
 met Sir Hudson Lowe, who was riding up and 
 down the road. When I came near to his excel- 
 lency, he observed, with an air of triumph, " You 
 will meet your friend Las Cases in custody." A 
 few minutes afterwards, met the count, under 
 charge of the governor's aid- de-camp, Prichard, 
 on his way to Hut's Gate. It had been effected 
 in the following manner : About three o'clock, 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, accompanied by Sir Thomas
 
 222 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Reade, Major Gorrequer, and three dragoons, 
 entered Longwood. Shortly afterwards, Captain 
 Blakeney and the minister of police followed 
 them. Sir Hudson and Major Gorrequer rode 
 off a little to the left, while the others proceeded 
 to Captain Poppleton's room, having first ordered 
 a corporal and party from the guard to follow 
 them up to the house. Sir Thomas ordered Cap- 
 tain Poppleton to send for Count Las Cases, who 
 was with Napoleon. After they had waited a 
 short time, Las Cases came out, and was arrested 
 while going into his room by Reade and the mi- 
 nister of police, who took possession of his clothes 
 and effects. His papers were sealed up by his 
 son, who afterwards proceeded to Hut's Gate 
 under custody, where he remained with his father 
 in charge of an officer of the 66th regiment, with 
 orders not to be allowed to see any body, except 
 the governor and his staff. It appeared that the 
 count had given a letter, written upon silk, to Scott 
 his servant, with which he was to proceed to Eng- 
 land. Scott told this to his father, who had him 
 brought to a Mr. Barker, and from thence to the 
 governor, by whom, after undergoing an examina- 
 tion, he was committed to prison. 
 
 Saw Napoleon in the evening, who appeared to 
 have been wholly ignorant of Las Cases' inten- 
 tions. " I am convinced," said he, " however, that 
 there is nothing of consequence in the letter, as
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 2*23 
 
 Las Cases is an honest man, and too much at- 
 tached to me to undertake any thing of conse- 
 quence without first having acquainted me with 
 his project. You may depend upon it that it is 
 some letter of complaints to Miledi about the con- 
 duct of this governor, and the vexations which he 
 inflicts upon us, or to his banker, as he has four 
 or five thousand pounds in some banker's hands 
 in London, which I was to have had for my neces- 
 sities, and he did not like his letter to go through 
 the governor's hands, as none of us will trust 
 him. If Las Cases had made his project known 
 to me, I would have stopped him ; not that I dis- 
 approve of his endeavouring to make our situation 
 known, on the contrary ; but I disapprove of the 
 bungling manner in which he attempted it. For 
 a man of talent, like Las Cases, to make an am- 
 bassador of a slave, who could not read or write, 
 to go upon a six montlis embassy to England, 
 where he never has been, knows nobody, and who, 
 unless the governor was a scioccone, would not be 
 permitted to leave the island, is to me incompre- 
 hensible. I can only account for it by supposing, 
 that the weight of afflictions which presses upon 
 us, together with the melancholy situation of his 
 son, condemned to die of an incurable malady, 
 have impaired his judgment. All this I wish to 
 be known. I am sorry for it, because people will 
 accuse me of having been privy to the plan, and
 
 *2*J4 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 will have a poor opinion of my understanding ; 
 supposing me to have consented to so shallow a 
 plot. I would have recommended him to have 
 requested of some man of honour to make our 
 situation known in England, and to have taken 
 a letter to the Prince Regent ; first asking him to 
 pledge his honour to observe secrecy if he did not 
 choose to perform it. If he betrayed us. so inueh 
 the worse for himself. Las Cases has with him 
 my campaigns in Italy, and all the official corre- 
 spondence between the admiral, governor, and 
 Longwood ; and I am told that he has made a 
 journal, containing an account of what passes here, 
 with many anecdotes of myself. I have desired 
 Bertrand to go to Plantation House and ask for 
 them. It is the least interesting part of my life, 
 as it only relates the commencement of it ; but I 
 should not like this governor to have it. 
 
 " I am sure," continued he, " that there is no- 
 thing of consequence in Las Cases' letter, or he 
 would have made me acquainted with it ; although 
 I dare say this **** will write a hundred false- 
 hoods to England about it. When in Paris, after 
 my return from Elba, I found in M. Blacas's pri- 
 vate papers, which he left behind when he ran 
 away from the Thuilleries, a letter which had been 
 written in Elba by one of my sister Pauline's 
 chamber-maids, and appeared to have been com- 
 posed in a moment of anger. Pauline is very
 
 A- VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 225 
 
 handsome and graceful. There was a description 
 of her habits, of her dress, her wardrobe, and of 
 every thing that she liked ; of how fond I was 
 of contributing to her happiness ; and that I had 
 superintended the furnishing of her boudoir my- 
 self ; what an extraordinary man I was ; that one 
 night I had burnt my finger dreadfully, and had 
 merely poured a bottle of ink over it, without ap- 
 pearing to regard the pain, and many little betises 
 true enough perhaps. This letter M. Blacas had 
 got interpolated with horrid stories ; in fact, insi- 
 nuating that I slept with my sister; and in the 
 margin, in the hand-writing of the interpolator, 
 was written ' to be printed.' " 
 
 26#/i. Napoleon in his bath. Asked if I had 
 heard any thing more respecting Las Cases ; pro- 
 fessed his sorrow to lose him. " Las Cases," said 
 he, " is the only one of the French who can speak 
 English well, or explain it to my satisfaction. I 
 cannot now read an English newspaper. Madame 
 Bert rand understands English perfectly ; but you 
 know one cannot trouble a lady. Las Cases was 
 necessary to me. Ask the admiral to interest 
 himself for that poor man, who, I am convinced, 
 has not said as much as there was in Montholon's 
 letter. He will die under all these afflictions, for 
 he has no bodily strength, and his unfortunate son 
 will finish his existence a little sooner." 
 
 He asked if Madame Bertrand had not been 
 
 VOL. i. 2 G
 
 226 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 unwell, and said he believed she suspected that 
 her mother was either dead or most alarmingly ill. 
 " Those Creoles," said he, " are very susceptible. 
 Josephine was subject to nervous attacks when in 
 affliction. She was really an amiable woman 
 elegant, charming, and affable. Era la dama la 
 piu graziosa di Francia. She was the goddess of 
 the toilet, all the fashions originated with her ; 
 every thing she put on appeared elegant ; and she 
 was so kind, so humane she was the best wo- 
 man in France." 
 
 He then spoke about the distress prevailing in 
 England, and said, that it was caused by the 
 abuses of the ministry. " You have done won- 
 ders," said he ; " you have effected impossibilities, 
 I may say ; but I think that England, encumbered 
 with a national debt, which will take forty years 
 of peace and commerce to pay off, may be com- 
 pared to a man who has drunk large quantities of 
 brandy to give him courage and strength ; but af- 
 terwards weakened by the stimulus which had 
 imparted energy for the moment, he totters and 
 finally falls ; his powers entirely exhausted by the 
 unnatural means used to excite them." 
 
 Some conversation then took place relative to 
 the battle of Austerlitz. Napoleon said, that prior 
 to the battle, the king of Prussia had signed the 
 coalition against him. " Haugwitz," said he, 
 " came to inform me of it, and advised me to think
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 227 
 
 of peace. I replied, ' The event of the battle which 
 is approaching will decide every thing 1 . I think 
 that I shall gain it, and if so, I will dictate such 
 a peace as answers my purposes. Now I will 
 hear nothing.' The event answered my expecta- 
 tion : I gained a victory so decisive, as to enable 
 me to dictate what terms I pleased." I asked him 
 if Haugwitz had been gained by him ? He replied, 
 " No ; but he was of opinion that Prussia should 
 never play the first fiddle (gitiocare il primo ruolo) 
 in the affairs of the continent ; that she was only 
 a second-rate power, and ought to act as such. 
 Even if I had lost the battle, I expected that 
 Prussia would not cordially join the allies, as it 
 would naturally be her interest to preserve an 
 equilibrium in Europe, which would not result 
 from her joining those who, on my being defeated, 
 would be much the strongest. Besides, jea- 
 lousies and suspicions would arise, and the allies 
 would not have trusted to the king of Prussia, 
 who had betrayed them before. I gave Hanover 
 to the Prussians," continued he, "on purpose to 
 embroil them with you, produce a war, and shut 
 you out from the continent. The king of Prussia 
 was blockhead enough to believe that he could 
 keep Hanover, and still remain at peace with you. 
 Like a madman, he made war upon me afterwards, 
 induced by the queen and prince Louis, with 
 some other young men, who persuaded him that
 
 228 A VorcE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Prussia was strong enough, even without Russia. 
 A few weeks convinced him of the contrary." I 
 asked him what he would have done if the king of 
 Prussia had joined the allies with his army previ- 
 ous to the battle of Austerlitz ? " Ah, Mr. Doc- 
 tor, that would have entirely altered the face of 
 things." 
 
 He eulogized the king of Saxony, who he said 
 was a truly good man ; the king of Bavaria, a plain 
 good man ; the king of Wirtemberg, a man of 
 considerable talent, but unprincipled and wicked. 
 " Alexander and the latter," said he. " are the onlv 
 
 if 
 
 sovereigns in Europe possessed of talents. Lord 
 * * * *, un mctuvals sujet, un agioteur. While nego- 
 tiating in Paris, he sent couriers away every day 
 to London, for the purposes of stock-jobbing, 
 which was solely what he interested himself about. 
 Had there been an honest man, instead of an in- 
 triguing stock-jobber, it is very likely the negotia- 
 tion would have succeeded. I was much grieved 
 afterwards to have had any affairs with such a 
 contemptible character." This was pronounced 
 with an air of disdain. 
 
 27th. Napoleon very much concerned about 
 the treatment which Las Cases had suffered, and 
 the detention of his own papers. He observed, that 
 if there had been any plot in Las Cases' letter, 
 the governor could have perceived it in ten minutes 
 perusal. That in a few moments he could also 
 see that the campaigns of Italy, &c. contained
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 229 
 
 nothing treasonable ; and that it was contrary to 
 ail law to detain papers belonging to him (Napo- 
 leon). " Perhaps," said he, "he will come up 
 here some day and say that he has received inti- 
 mation that a plot to effect my escape is in agita- 
 tion. What guarantee have I, that when I have 
 nearly finished my history, he will not seize the 
 whole of it ? It is true that I can keep my ma- 
 nuscripts in my own room, and with a couple of 
 brace of pistols I can despatch the first who en- 
 ters. I must burn the whole of what I have 
 written. It served as an amusement to me in this 
 dismal abode, and might perhaps have been inte- 
 resting to the world, but with this sbirro Siciliano 
 there is no guarantee nor security. He violates 
 every law, and tramples under foot decency, po- 
 liteness, and the common forms of society. He 
 came up with a savage joy beaming from his eyes, 
 because he had an opportunity of insulting and 
 tormenting us. While surrounding the house 
 with his staff, he reminded me of the savages of 
 the South Sea islands, dancing round the prisoners 
 whom they were going to devour. Tell him," 
 continued he, " what I said about his conduct." 
 For fear that I should forget, he repeated his ex- 
 pressions about the savages a second time, and 
 made me say it after him. 
 
 Went to Hut's Gate to see Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 who had sent a dragoon for me. On my arrival, his
 
 230 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 excellency told me that the campaigns of Italy, 
 and the official documents, would be sent to Long- 
 wood the following day, and desired me to tell 
 General Bonaparte that all his papers had been 
 kept sacred, and that all his personal ones should 
 be returned. As to Las Cases' journal, he said 
 that he would have some conversation with Count 
 Bertrand concerning it. 
 
 I informed his excellency that Napoleon had 
 disclaimed all knowledge of the project which 
 Count Las Cases had formed, and added my own 
 conviction, that until the moment that the letters 
 had been arrested, he was wholly ignorant of his 
 intentions. Sir Hudson replied, that he acquitted 
 him of any knowledge of the matter, which he de- 
 sired me to tell him, and congratulated himself 
 much on his own discernment in the opinion he 
 had formed of Count Las Cases' servant. 
 
 Saw young Las Cases afterwards, who was very 
 unwell. During the time that I was examining 
 him professionally, Sir Thomas Reade remained 
 in the room. On my going out, Sir Thomas 
 said, that " old Las Cases had been so imperti- 
 nent to the governor, that the latter had ordered 
 that he should not be permitted to see any person, 
 unless in the presence of some of the governor's 
 staff." 
 
 On my return, explained to Napoleon the gover- 
 nor's message, and informed him that I had seen
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 231 
 
 part of his papers sealed up. When I said that 
 the governor had acquitted him of any participa- 
 tion in the business ; " if," said he, " I had known 
 of it, and had not put a stop to it, I should have 
 been worse than a pazzo da catena. I suppose he 
 thinks there was some plot for my escape. I can 
 safely say that I left Elba with eight hundred 
 men, and arrived at Paris, through France, with- 
 out any other plot than that of knowing the sen- 
 timents of the French nation." 
 
 He then sent for St. Denis, who had copied Las 
 Cases' journal, and asked him the nature of it. 
 St. Denis replied that it was a journal of every 
 thing remarkable that had taken place since the 
 embarkation on board of the Bellerophon ; and 
 contained divers anecdotes of different persons, of 
 Sir George Cockburn, &c. " How is he treated ?" 
 says Napoleon, " Comme pa, Sire" " Has he said 
 that I called him a requin?" "Yes, Sire," "Sir 
 George Bingham ?" " Very well spoken of, also 
 Colonel Wilks." " Is there any thing to compro- 
 mise any person ?" (naming three or four.) " No, 
 Sire." " Any thing about Admiral Malcolm ?" 
 " Yes, Sire." " Does it say that I observed, Be- 
 hold the countenance of a real Englishman ? 
 " Yes, Sire, he is very well treated." " Any thing 
 about the governor ?" " A great deal, Sire," re- 
 plied St. Denis, who could not help smiling, 
 " Does it say that I said, C'est un homme ignoble.
 
 232 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and that his face was the most ignoble I had ever 
 seen?" St. Denis replied in the affirmative, but 
 added, that his expressions were very frequently 
 moderated. Napoleon asked if the anecdote of 
 the coffee-cup was in it ; St. Denis replied, he did 
 not recollect it. " Does it say that I called him. 
 sblre Sicilien ?" " Oui, Sire." " C'est son wo//?," 
 said the emperor. 
 
 Napoleon conversed about his brother Joseph, 
 whom he described as being a most excellent cha- 
 racter. " His virtues and talents are those of a 
 private character ; and for such, nature intended 
 him : he is too good to be a great man. He has 
 no ambition. He is very like me in person, but 
 handsomer. He is extremely well informed." On 
 all occasions I have observed that Napoleon spoke 
 of his brother Joseph in terms of warm affection. 
 
 29th. Having been unwell for some days with 
 a liver complaint, a disease extremely prevalent, 
 and frequently fatal in the island ; and finding the 
 symptoms considerably aggravated by the fre- 
 quent journeys I was obliged to make to town 
 and Plantation House, I felt it necessary to ap- 
 ply to Dr. M'Lean of the 53rd regiment to bleed 
 me very profusely. Before the abstraction of 
 blood was well over, Sir Hudson Lowe came 
 into my apartment. I informed him that Napo- 
 leon had said, " what guarantee can I have that 
 he will not come up some day when I have
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 233 
 
 nearly finished ray history, and under some pre- 
 text, seize it ?" which he had desired might be 
 communicated to him. Sir Hudson replied, "The 
 guarantee .of hjs good conduct !" 
 
 Shortly $ter\yards I saw Napoleon in his dres- 
 sing-room. He was tmicr^ .pleased at having re- 
 ceived the campaigns of Italy, and added that he 
 would reclaim the other -papers. " This gover- 
 nor," said he, " if he had any delicacy, would not 
 have continued to read a work in which his con- 
 duct was depicted in its true light. He must have 
 been little satisfied with the comparisons made 
 between Cockburn and him, especially where it 
 is mentioned that I said the admiral was rough, 
 but incapable of a mean action ; but that his suc- 
 cesssor was capable of every thing that was * * * 
 and * * *. I am glad, however, that he has read 
 it, because he will see the real opinion that we 
 have of -him." While he was speaking, my vision 
 became indistinct, every thing appeared to swim 
 before my eyes, ,nd I fell upon the floor in a 
 fainting fit. When I recovered my senses and 
 opened my eyes, the first object which presented 
 itself to my view, I shall never forget: k was the 
 countenance of Napoleon, bending over my face, 
 and regarding me with an expression of great 
 concern and anxiety. With one hand he was 
 opening my shirt-collar, and with the other, hold- 
 ing a bottle de vmalgre des quatre voleurs to my 
 
 VOL. i. 2 H
 
 234 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 nostrils. He had taken off my cravat, and dashed 
 the contents of a bottle of eau de Cologne over 
 my face. " When I saw you fall," said he, " I at 
 first thought that your foot had slipped ; but see- 
 ing you remain without motion, I apprehended 
 that it was a fit of apoplexy ; observing, however, 
 that your face was the colour of death, your 
 lips white and without motion, and no evident 
 respiration or bloated countenance, I concluded 
 directly that it was a fit of syncope, or that your 
 soul had departed." Marchand now came into the 
 room, whom he ordered to give me some orange- 
 flower water, which was a favorite remedy of his. 
 When he saw me fall, in his haste he broke the 
 bell riband. He told me that he had lifted me up, 
 placed me in a chair, torn off my cravat, dashed 
 some eau de Cologne and water over my face, 
 &c., and asked if he had done right. I informed 
 him that he had done every thing proper, and as a 
 surgeon would have done under similar circum- 
 stances ; except that instead of allowing me to re- 
 main in a recumbent posture, he had placed me 
 in a chair. When I was leaving the room, I heard 
 him tell Marchand in an under-voice to follow me, 
 for fear I should have another fit. 
 
 December 1st. Napoleon, after some inquiries 
 touching my health, and the effects of the mercury 
 upon me, observed that he wished Las Cases to 
 go away, as three or four months stay in St. He-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 235 
 
 lena would be of little utility either to Las Cases 
 or himself. The next," said he, " to be removed 
 under some pretext, will be Montliolon, as they 
 see that he is a most useful and consoling friend 
 to me, and that he always endeavours to antici- 
 pate my wants. I am less unfortunate than them. 
 I see nobody ; they are subject to daily insults 
 and vexations. They cannot speak, they cannot 
 write, they cannot stir out without submitting to 
 degrading restrictions. I am sorry that two months 
 ago they did not all go. I have sufficient force to 
 resist alone agaiust all this tyranny. It is only 
 prolonging their agony to keep them here a few 
 months longer. After they have been taken away, 
 you will be sent off, et alors le crime sera con- 
 somme*. They are subject to every caprice which 
 arbitrary power chooses to inflict, and are not 
 protected by any laws. He is at once geolier, 
 governor, accuser, judge, and sometimes execu- 
 tioner ; for example, when he seized that East 
 Indian, who was recommended by that brave 
 homme. Colonel Skelton, to General Montholon, 
 as a good servant. He came up here and seized 
 the man with his own hands under my windows. 
 He did justice to himself certainly ; le metier (fun 
 shire lid convient beaucoup mieux que celui de repre- 
 sent ant d'une grande nation. A soldier is better 
 off than they are, as, if he is accused, he must be 
 tried according to known forms before he can be
 
 236 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 punished. In the worst dungeon in England, a 
 prisoner is not denied printed papers and books. 
 Except obliging me to see him, he bas clone every 
 thing to annoy me. 
 
 " Instead of allowing us to be sirbject to the 
 caprice of an individual," added he, " there ought 
 to be a council composed of the admiral, Sir 
 George Bingham, and two members of the council, 
 to debate and decide upon the measures necessary 
 to be adopted towards us." 
 
 3rd. Napoleon sent for me at one o'clock, 
 p. m. Found him m bed suffering from headach 
 and general uneasiness, which had been preceded 
 by shiverings. Had a little fever during the night. 
 I recommended some remedies, and pointed out 
 in strong terms the necessity there was of his fol- 
 lowing my advice, and especially in taking exer- 
 cise, and my firm conviction, that in the contrary 
 case, he would soon be seized with an alarming- 
 fit of illness. " Tanto meglio" replied Napoleon ; 
 "piii presto si Jin Ira? 
 
 4th. Wrote an account of the state of Napo- 
 leon's health, and of the advice which I had given 
 him, to Sir Hudson Lowe. Napoleon somewhat 
 better. Observed that it was impossible for him 
 to follow the recommendation I had given, to 
 take exercise ; first, on account of the restric- 
 tions, and next, the furious wind, or when that 
 was calmed, the want of shade at Longwood to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 237 
 
 protect him from the rays of the tropical sun. 
 He gave his opinions about Moreau and others. 
 " Moreau," said he, " was an excellent general of 
 division, but not fit to command a large army. 
 With a hundred thousand men, Moreau would 
 divide his army in different positions, covering 
 roads, and would not do more than if he had 
 only thirty thousand. He did not know how to 
 profit either by the number of his troops, or by 
 their positions. Very calm and cool in the field, 
 he was more collected and better able to com- 
 mand in the heat of an action than to make dispo- 
 sitions prior to it. He was often seen smoking his 
 pipe in battle. Moreau was not naturally a man 
 of a bad heart ; Un bon vivant, mais II navait pas 
 beaucaup de caractere. He was led away by his 
 wife and another intriguing Creole. His having 
 joined Pichegru and Georges in the conspiracy, 
 and subsequently having closed his life fighting 
 against his country, will ever disgrace his memory. 
 As a general, Moreau was infinitely inferior to De- 
 saix, or to Kleber, or even to Soult. Of all the 
 generals I ever had under me, Desaix and Kleber 
 possessed the greatest talents ; especially Desaix, 
 as Kleber only loved glory, inasmuch as it was 
 the means of procuring him riches and pleasures, 
 whereas Desaix loved glory for itself, and despised 
 every thing else. Desaix was wholly wrapt up in 
 war and glory. To him riches and pleasure were
 
 238 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 valueless, nor did he give them a moment's thought. 
 He was a little black-looking man, about an inch 
 shorter than I am, always badly dressed, some- 
 times even ragged, and despising comfort or con- 
 venience. When in Egypt, 1 made him a present 
 of a complete field-equipage several times, but he 
 always lost it. Wrapt up in a cloak, Desaix threw 
 himself under a gun, and slept as contentedly as if 
 he were in a palace. For him luxury had no 
 charms. Upright and honest in all his proceed- 
 ings, he was called by the Arabs, the just sultan. 
 He was intended by nature for a great general. 
 Kleber and Desaix were a loss irreparable to 
 France. Had Kleber lived, your army in Egypt 
 would have perished. Had that imbecile Menou, 
 attacked you on your landing with twenty thou- 
 sand men, as he might have done, instead of the 
 division Lanusse, your army would have been 
 only a meal for them. You were seventeen or 
 eighteen thousand strong, without cavalry." 
 
 " Lasnes, when I first took him by the hand, 
 was an ignorantaccio. His education had been 
 much neglected. However, he improved greatly ; 
 and to judge from the astonishing progress he 
 made, he would have been a general of the first 
 class. He had great experience in war. Had 
 been in fifty-four pitched battles, and in three hun- 
 dred combats of different kinds. He was a man 
 of uncommon bravery ; cool in the midst of fire ;
 
 A VOICE frfcOM ST. HELENA, 239 
 
 and possessed of a clear and penetrating eye, ready 
 to take advantage of any opportunity which might 
 present itself. Violent and hasty in his expres- 
 sions, sometimes even in my presence ; he was ar- 
 dently attached to me. In the midst of his anger 
 he would not suffer any person to join him in his 
 remarks. On that account, when he was in a cho- 
 leric mood, it was dangerous to speak to him, as he 
 used to come to me in his rage, and say, that such 
 and such persons were not to be trusted. As a gene- 
 ral he was greatly superior to Moreau or to Soult." 
 " Massena," said he, " was a man of superior 
 talent. He generally, however, made bad dispo- 
 sitions previous to a battle ; and it was not until 
 the dead fell around him that he began to act 
 with that judgment which he ought to have 
 displayed before. In the midst of the dying and 
 the dead, of balls sweeping away those who en- 
 circled him, then Massena was himself; gave his 
 orders, and made his dispositions with the greatest 
 sangfroid and judgment. This is, la vera nobllta 
 di sangue* It was truly said of Massena, that he 
 never began to act with judgment until the battle 
 was going against him. He was, however, un 
 voleur. He went halves along with the contrac- 
 tors and commissaries of the army. I signified to 
 him often, that if he would discontinue his pecu- 
 lations, I would make him a present of eight hun- 
 
 * True nobleness of blood.
 
 240 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 clred thousand, or a million of francs ; but he had 
 acquired such a habit, that lie could not keep his 
 hands from money. On this account he was hated 
 by the soldiers, who mutinied against him three or 
 four times. However, considering the circum- 
 stances of the times, he -was precious ; and had not 
 his bright parts been soiled with the vice of ava- 
 rice, he would have been a great man." 
 
 *' Pichegru," continued Napoleon, " was rfye- 
 titeur at Brienne, and instructed me in mathe- 
 matics, when I was about ten years old. He pos- 
 sessed considerable knowledge in that science. 
 As a general, Pichegru was a man of no ordinary 
 talent, far superior to Moreau, although he had 
 never done any thing extraordinarily great, as the 
 success of the campaigns in Holland was in a great 
 measure owing to the battle of Fleurus. Pichegru, 
 after he had united himself to the Bourbons, sa- 
 crificed the lives of upwards of twenty thousand 
 of his soldiers, by throwing them purposely into 
 the enemy's hands, whom he had informed before 
 hand of his intentions. He had a dispute once 
 with Kleber, at a time when, instead of marching 
 his army upon Mayence, as he ought to have 
 done, he marched the greatest part of tliem to 
 another point, where Kleber observed that it 
 would only be necessary to send the ambulances 
 with a few men to make a shew. At that time, 
 it was thought to be imbecility, but afterwards it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 241 
 
 was discovered to be treachery. One of Piche- 
 gru's projects was for Louis to come and join the 
 army under his command, and to cause himself 
 to be proclaimed king. To insure success, he 
 signified to Louis that it was necessary for him to 
 bring a large sum of money ; as he said that Vive 
 le Rol lay at the bottom of the gosier, and that it 
 would require a great quantity of wine to bring it 
 out of the mouth. If Louis had come," continued 
 he, " he would have been shot." 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe came up to Longwood, 
 and observed to me, that General Bonaparte had 
 adopted a very bad mode of procedure, by in a 
 manner declaring war against him (Sir Hudson)^ 
 when he was the only person who had it in his 
 power to render him a service, or to make his 
 situation comfortable. Count Las Cases had, he 
 said, much altered his opinion concerning him 
 since the intercourse they had had together, and 
 no longer looked upon him in the light of an arbi- 
 trary tyrant, who did every thing to annoy them ; 
 which change of opinion the count had signified 
 to him ; and confessed that they had represented 
 every thing to General Bonaparte "par un voile 
 de sang"* That I had better try to remove 
 any false impressions under which General Bo- 
 naparte might labour. He then asked me if I 
 had ever signified to General Bonaparte that the 
 
 * Sir Hudson Lowe's own words. 
 VOL. I. 2 I
 
 242 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 
 
 French who were with him only wanted to make 
 an instrument of him to aggrandize themselves, 
 without caring by what means they effected it? 
 I replied, that certainly I never had signified any 
 thing of the kind to him ; but that I had always 
 laboured to undeceive him, whenever I perceived 
 that he was misinformed. Sir Hudson Lowe 
 said, that the ministers would hold me in some 
 degree accountable, that General Bonaparte was 
 correctly informed of every thing; and that no 
 false colourings, misrepresentations, or malicious 
 constructions were put upon what was done. 
 His excellency then made some remarks upon 
 u General Bonaparte's constantly confining him- 
 self to his room," and asked what I supposed 
 would induce him to go out ? I replied, an en- 
 largement of his boundaries, taking off some of 
 the restrictions, and giving him a house at the 
 other side of the island. He had frequently 
 complained that he could not walk out at Long- 
 wood, without getting a pain in his head from the 
 sun, as there was no shade ; or if the rays of the 
 sun were obscured, his cheeks became inflamed ; or 
 a catarrh was produced by the sharp wind blowing 
 over an elevated spot without shelter. I observed 
 also, that the allowance of provision was totally 
 insufficient, as the French laid out seven or eight 
 pounds a day in articles which were indispensable ; 
 and which I enumerated. Sir Hudson Lowe
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 243 
 
 answered, " that with respect to this last, he had 
 exceeded by one half what was allowed by the 
 ministers, who were answerable to parliament that 
 the expenses of Longwood did not exceed eight 
 thousand pounds per annum, and that perhaps 
 he (Sir Hudson) might be obliged hereafter to pay 
 the surplus out of his own salary. That his in- 
 structions were much more rigid that those of his 
 predecessor. But unfortunately General Bona- 
 parte had thought that he had come out furnished 
 with instructions of a much more lenient nature 
 than those of the admiral ; when the fact was 
 directly the reverse. That all his actions had 
 been misconstrued and misrepresented, and mali- 
 cious constructions put upon them. That the 
 British government did not wish to render Gene- 
 ral Bonaparte's existence miserable, or to torture 
 nim. That it was not so much himself (Bonaparte) 
 they were afraid of; but that turbulent and dis- 
 affected people in Europe would make use of his 
 name and influence to excite rebellion and dis- 
 turbances in France and elsewhere, in order to 
 aggrandize themselves, and otherwise answer their 
 own purposes ; also, that Las Cases was very well 
 treated, and wanted for nothing." This he desired 
 I would communicate to General Bonaparte. 
 
 I communicated some of those remarks of the go- 
 vernors to Napoleon, who replied, "I do not believe 
 that he acts according to his instructions ; or if he
 
 2-14 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 does, he has disgraced himself by accepting a dis- 
 honourable employment. A government two thou- 
 sand leagues off, and ignorant of the localities of 
 the island, can never give orders in detail ; they 
 can only give general and discretionary ones. 
 They have only directed him to adopt every mea- 
 sure he may think necessary to prevent my escape. 
 Instead of that, I am treated in a manner disho- 
 norable to humanity. To kill and bury a man 
 is well understood, but this slow torture, this 
 killing in detail, is much less humane than if they 
 ordered me to be shot at once. I have often 
 heard," continued he, " of the tyranny and oppres- 
 sions practised in your colonies ; but I never 
 thought that there could exist such violations of 
 law and of justice, as are practised here. From 
 what I have seen of you English, I think there is 
 not a nation on earth more enslaved ; as I told Co- 
 lonel Wilks, the former governor of this island." 
 Here I observed, that I begged of him not to form 
 his opinion of the English nation by a little co- 
 lony, placed under peculiar circumstances, and 
 subject to military law ; that to judge correctly of 
 England, one must be there, and there he would 
 see how little a person with a brown, or a black 
 coat, cared about the ministers. " So said the 
 old colonel," replied Napoleon, " but I only 
 speak of you as I have seen you, and I find you 
 to be the greatest slaves upon earth. All trem-
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 245 
 
 bling with fear at the sight of that governor. There 
 is Sir George Bingharn, who is a well disposed 
 man, yet he is so much afraid, that he will not 
 come and see me, through fear that he might give 
 umbrage to the governor: the rest of the officers 
 run away at the sight of us." I observed that it 
 was not fear, but delicacy, which prevented Sir 
 George Bingham from coming, and that as to the 
 other officers, they must obey the orders which they 
 had received. Napoleon replied, " If they were 
 French officers, they would not be afraid of ex- 
 pressing their opinion as to the barbarity of the 
 treatment pursued here ; and a French general, 
 second in command, would, if he saw his country 
 dishonoured in the manner yours is, write a com- 
 plaint of it himself to his government. As to my- 
 self," continued he, "I would never make a com- 
 plaint, if I did not know, that were an inquiiy 
 demanded by the nation, your ministers would 
 say, ' he has never complained, and therefore he is 
 conscious that he is well treated, and that there are 
 no grounds for it.' Otherwise, I should conceive it 
 degrading to me to utter a word ; though I am so 
 disgusted with the conduct of this sbirro, that I 
 should, with the greatest pleasure, receive the in- 
 timation that orders had arrived to shoot me I 
 should esteem it a blessing." 
 
 I observed that Sir Hudson Lowe had pro- 
 fessed himself very desirous to accommodate and
 
 246 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 arrange matters in an amicable manner. Napo- 
 leon replied, " If he wishes to accommodate-, 
 let him put things upon the same footing they 
 were during the time of Admiral Cockburn. Let 
 no person be permitted to enter here for the pur- 
 pose of seeing me, without a letter from Ber- 
 trand. If he does not like to give Bertrand liberty 
 to pass people in, let him make out a list himself 
 of such persons in the island as he will allow to 
 visit, and send it to Bertrand, and let the latter 
 have the power to grant them permission to enter, 
 and to write to them. When strangers arrive, 
 in like manner let him make out a list of such 
 as he will permit to see us, and during their 
 stay, let them be allowed to visit with Bertrand's 
 pass. Perhaps I should see very few of them, as 
 it is difficult to distinguish between those who 
 come up to see me as they would a wild boar, 
 and others, who are actuated by motives of re- 
 spect ; but still, I should like to have the privilege. 
 It is for him to accommodate if he likes ; he has 
 the power, I have none ; I am not governor, I 
 have no places to give away. Let him take off his 
 prohibitions that I shall not quit the high road, or 
 speak to a lady if I meet one. In a few words, 
 che si comporti bene verso di me, (let him behave 
 well to me). If he does not choose to treat me 
 like a man, che ha giuocato un ruolo nel mondo 
 come quel che ho giuocato to, let him not treat me
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 247 
 
 worse than a galley-slave or a condemned crimi- 
 nal, as they are not prohibited to speak. Let 
 him do this, and then I will say that he acted at 
 first inconsiderately, through fear of my escap- 
 ing, but that when he saw his error, he was not 
 ashamed to alter his treatment. Then I will say, 
 that I formed a hasty opinion of him ; that I have 
 been mistaken. Ma siete un bambino, dottore, 
 (you are a child, doctor) ; you have too good an 
 opinion of mankind. This man is not sincere. I 
 believe the opinion I first formed of him is correct, 
 that he is a man whose natural badness is increas- 
 ed by suspicion and dread of the responsibility 
 of the situation which he holds, C'est un homme 
 retors, abject, et tout a fait au-dessous de son emploi. 
 I would wager my life," continued he, " that if I 
 sent for Sir George Bingham, or the admiral, to 
 ride out with me, before I had gone out three times 
 with either the one or the other, this governor 
 would make some insinuations to them which 
 would render me liable to be affronted, by their re- 
 fusing to accompany me any longer. He says that 
 Las Cases is well treated, and wants for nothing ; 
 because he does not starve him. C'est un homme 
 vraiment ignoble. He degrades his own species ; 
 he pays no attention to the moral wants which dis- 
 tinguish the man from the brute ; he only looks to 
 the physical and grosser ones. Just as if Las 
 Cases were a horse, or an ass, and that a bundle
 
 248 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of hay was sufficient to entitle him to say, he is 
 happy ; because his belly was full, therefore all 
 his wants were satisfied." 
 
 5th. Had a long conversation with the empe- 
 ror in his bath. Asked his opinion of the Empe- 
 ror Alexander, "C?est un homme extrcmement fain. 
 Un Grec du has empire" replied Napoleon. " He 
 is the only one of the three,* who has any talent. 
 He is plausible, a great dissimulator, very ambi- 
 tious, and a man who studies to make himself 
 popular. It is his foible to believe himself skilled 
 in the art of war, and he likes nothing so well as 
 to be complimented upon it, although every thing 
 that originated with himself, relative to military 
 operations, was ill-judged and absurd. At Tilsit, 
 Alexander and the King of Prussia used fre- 
 quently to occupy themselves in contriving dresses 
 for dragoons ; debating upon what button the 
 crosses of the orders ought to be hung, and such 
 other fooleries. They fancied themselves on an 
 equality with the best generals in Europe, be- 
 cause they knew how many rows of buttons there 
 were upon a dragoon's jacket. I could scarcely 
 keep from laughing sometimes, when I heard 
 them discussing these cogllonerie with as much 
 gravity and earnestness as if they were planning 
 an impending action between two hundred thou- 
 sand men. However, 1 encouraged them in their 
 
 * Alexander, Francis, and the king of Prussia.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 249 
 
 arguments as I saw it was their weak point. We 
 rode out every day together. The king of Prussia 
 was une bete, et nous a tellement ennuyfa, that 
 Alexander and myself frequently galloped away 
 in order to get rid of him." 
 
 Napoleon afterwards recounted to me some 
 part of his early life : said, that after having been 
 at school at Brienne, he was sent to Paris, at the 
 age of fifteen or sixteen, " where at the general ex- 
 amination," continued he, " being found to have 
 given the best answers in mathematics, I was ap- 
 pointed to the artillery. After the revolution, 
 about one-third of the artillery officers emigrated, 
 and I became chef de bataillon at the siege of 
 Toulon ; having been proposed by the artillery 
 officers themselves as the person who, amongst 
 them, possessed the most knowledge of the science. 
 During the siege I commanded the artillery, di- 
 rected the operations against the town, and took 
 O'Hara prisoner, as I formerly told you. After 
 the siege, I was made commandant of the artillery 
 of the army of Italy, and my plans caused the 
 capture of many considerable fortresses in Pied- 
 mont and Italy. Before my return to Paris I was 
 made general, and a command in the army of La 
 Vendee offered to me, which I refused, and replied 
 that such a command was only fit for a general 
 of gendarmerie. On the 13th of Vendemiaire, I 
 commanded the army of the convention in Paris 
 
 VOL. i. 2 K
 
 250 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 against the sections, whom I defeated after an ac- 
 tion of a few minutes. Subsequently I got the 
 command of the army of Italy, where I established 
 my reputation. Nothing," continued he, " has 
 been more simple than my elevation. It was not 
 the result of intrigue or crime. It was owing to 
 the peculiar circumstances of the times, and be- 
 cause I fought successfully against the enemies of 
 my country. What is most extraordinary, and I 
 believe unparalleled in history, is, that I rose from 
 being a private person to the astonishing height 
 of power I possessed, without having committed 
 a single crime to obtain it. If I were on my death- 
 bed, I could make the same declaration." 
 
 I asked if it were true that he was indebted to 
 Barras for employment at Toulon, and if he had 
 ever offered his services to the English. "Both 
 are false," replied Napoleon. " I had no con- 
 nexion with Barras until after the affair of Toulon. 
 It was to Gasparin, deputy for Orange, and a man 
 of talent, to whom I was chiefly indebted for pro- 
 tection at Toulon, and support against a set of 
 ignorantacci sent down by the convention. I 
 never in my life offered my services to England, 
 nor ever intended it. Nor did I ever intend to go 
 to Constantinople : all those accounts sont des 
 romans. I passed a short time with Paoli in Cor- 
 sica, in the year , who was very partial to me, 
 
 and to whom I was then much attached. Paoli
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 espoused the cause of the English faction, and I 
 that of the French, and consequently most of my 
 family were driven away from Corsica. Paoii 
 often patted me on the head, saying, ' you are one 
 of Plutarch's men.' He divined that I should be 
 something extraordinary." Of General Dugom- 
 mier, he spoke as a personal friend in terms of 
 great affection, describing him to be a brave and 
 intrepid officer, who had judgment enough to carry 
 into execution the plan proposed by him, in oppo- 
 sition to those directed by the committee of public 
 safety. 
 
 He spoke about the expedition to Copenhagen, 
 " That expedition," said he, " shewed great energy 
 on the part of your ministers: but setting aside 
 the violation of the laws of nations which you 
 committed, for in fact it was nothing but a rob- 
 bery, I think that it was injurious to your inte- 
 rests, as it made the brave Danish nation irrecon- 
 cileable enemies to you, and in fact shut you out 
 of the north for three years. When I heard of it, 
 I said, I am glad of it, as it will embroil England 
 irrecoverably with the northern powers. The 
 Danes being able to join me with sixteen sail of 
 the line was of but little consequence. I had 
 plenty of ships, and only wanted seamen, whom 
 you did not take, and whom I obtained afterwards ; 
 while by the expedition your ministers established 
 their characters as faithless, and as persons with
 
 252 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 whom no engagements, no laws, were binding," 
 " During the war with you," said he, " all the 
 intelligence I received from England came through 
 the smugglers. They are terrible people, and 
 have courage and ability to do any thing for mo- 
 ney. They had at first a part of Dunkerque al- 
 lotted to them, to which they were restricted ; but 
 as they latterly went out of their limits, committed 
 riots, and insulted eveiy body, I ordered Grave- 
 lines to be prepared for their reception, where 
 they had a little camp for their accommodation, 
 beyond which they were not permitted to go. At 
 one time there were upwards of five hundred of 
 them in Dunkerque. I had every information I 
 wanted through them. They brought over newspa- 
 pers and despatches from the spies that we had 
 in London. They took over spies from France, 
 landed and kept them in their houses for some 
 days, then dispersed them over the country, and 
 brought them back when wanted. The police had 
 in pay a number of French emigrants, who gave 
 constant information of the actions of the Vendean 
 party, Georges, and others, at the time they were 
 preparing to assassinate me. All their movements 
 were made known. Besides, the police had in 
 pay many English spies, some of high quality, 
 amongst whom there were many ladies. There 
 was one lady in particular of very high rank who 
 furnished considerable information, and was some-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 253 
 
 times paid so high as three thousand pounds in 
 one month. They came over," continued he, " in 
 boats not broader than this bath. It was really 
 astonishing to see them passing your seventy-four 
 gun ships in defiance." I observed, that they 
 were double spies and that they brought intelli- 
 gence from France to the British government. 
 " That is very likely," replied Napoleon. " They 
 brought you newspapers ; but I believe, that as 
 spies, they did not convey much intelligence to 
 you. They are genti terribili, and did great mis- 
 chief to your government. They took from France 
 annually forty or fifty millions of silks and brandy. 
 They assisted the French prisoners to escape from 
 England. The relations of Frenchmen, prisoners 
 in your country, were accustomed to go to Dun- 
 kerque, and to make a bargain with them to bring 
 over a certain prisoner. All that they wanted was 
 the name, age, and a private token, by means of 
 which the prisoner might repose confidence in 
 them. Generally, in a short time afterwards, they 
 effected it ; as, for men like them, they had a great 
 deal of honour in their dealings. They offered 
 several times to bring over Louis and the rest of 
 the Bourbons for a sum of money ; but they 
 wanted to stipulate, that if they met with any ac- 
 cident, or interruption to their design, they might 
 be allowed to massacre them. This I would not 
 consent to. Besides, I despised the Bourbons too
 
 254 A VOICE FROM ST. HKMSNA. 
 
 much, and had no fear of them : indeed, at thai 
 time, they were no more thought of in France 
 than the Stuarts were in England. They also offer- 
 ed to bring over Dumourier, Sarrazin, and others, 
 whom they thought I hated, but I held them in too 
 much contempt to take any trouble about them." 
 
 This conversation was brought about by my 
 telling him that Lefebvre Desnouettes had ar- 
 rived at New York, and was with his brother 
 Joseph ; when I asked if Lefebvre had not broken 
 his parole in England. Napoleon replied that he 
 had, and then observed, "A great deal has been 
 said about French officers having been employed 
 after having broken their parole in England. 
 Now the fact is, that the English themselves were 
 the first to break their parole at a time when 
 twelve of them ran away. I proposed afterwards 
 to your ministers, that both governments should 
 reciprocally send back every prisoner of whatso- 
 ever rank he might be, who had broken his parole 
 and escaped. This they refused to do, and I be- 
 came indifferent about it. I did not receive at 
 court those who escaped ; or encourage them, nor 
 discourage them, after this refusal. Your minis- 
 ters made a great fuss (chiasso) about officers 
 who broke their parole having been employed in 
 my armies, although they refused to agree to the 
 only measure which could put a stop to it, viz. 
 that both sides should send them back imme-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 255 
 
 diately ; and afterwards had the impudence to at- 
 tempt to throw all the odium upon me. But you 
 English can never do any wrong." 
 
 I asked if he thought that the expedition to 
 Walcheren, might, if it had been well conducted, 
 have taken Antwerp ? Napoleon replied, " I am 
 of opinion, that if you had landed a few thousand 
 men at first at Williamstadt, and marched directly 
 for Antwerp, that between consternation, want of 
 preparation, and the uncertainty of the number of 
 assailants, you might have taken it by a coup de 
 main. But after the fleet had got up it was impos- 
 sible ; as the crews of the ships, united to the na- 
 tional guard, workmen, and others, amounted to 
 upwards of fifteen thousand men. The ships would 
 have been sunk, or taken into the docks, and the 
 crews employed upon the batteries. Besides, 
 Antwerp, though old, is strongly fortified. It is 
 true that Lord Chatham did every thing possible 
 to insure the failure of the object of the expedi- 
 tion ; but after the delay of a few days, it would 
 have been impossible for any man to have effected 
 it. You had too many and too few men ; too 
 many for a coup de main, and too few for a regular 
 siege. The inhabitants were all against you ; as 
 they saw clearly that your object was to get pos- 
 session of the town, to burn and destroy every 
 thing, and then go to your ships and get away. 
 It was a very bad expedition for you. Your mi- 
 nisters were very badly informed about the coun-
 
 256 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 try. You had afterwards the betiae to remain in 
 that pestilential place, until you lost some thou- 
 sands of men. C'&ait le comble de la betise et de 
 rinhumanite.* I was very glad of it, as I knew 
 that disease would carry you off by thousands, 
 and oblige you to evacuate it without any exer- 
 tion being made on my part. I sent none but de- 
 serters and mauvais sujets to garrison it, and gave 
 orders that they should sleep in two frigates I 
 had sent there for that purpose. I also had water 
 conveyed to them at a great expense, but still 
 it was most unhealthy. The general who com- 
 manded Flushing," added he, " did not defend 
 it as long as he ought to have done. He had 
 made a large fortune by the smugglers (as there 
 was another depot of them there) and had been 
 guilty of some mal-practices, for which he was 
 afraid of being brought to a court-martial, and I 
 believe was glad to get away." 
 
 I asked him if it were true that a Corsican, 
 named Masseria, had been sent with some pro- 
 posals to him once by our government ? Napoleon 
 replied, " Masseria ? Yes, I recollect perfectly 
 well that he was brought to me when I was first 
 consul. He was introduced with great mystery 
 and secrecy into my room, when I was in a bath, 
 as I am now. I think he began to speak about 
 some political matters, and to make some insi- 
 nuations about peace, but I stopped him, as it 
 
 * It was the height of idiotism and of inhumanity.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 had been published in the English papers, that 
 he was coming upon some mission to me, which 
 I did not like. Besides, Masseria, though un bra- 
 vissimo uomo, was a great bavard. I believe that 
 he was sent by King George himself. He was 
 a republican, and maintained that the death of 
 Charles the first was just and necessary." 
 
 Lady Lowe came up to Longwood, and for the 
 first time paid a visit to Countesses Bert rand and 
 Montholon. 
 
 6/A. Napoleon observed to me that the visit 
 of Lady Lowe yesterday appeared to him to be an 
 artifice of her husband, per gettar la polvere negli 
 occhi (to throw dust in the eyes) ; to make people 
 believe that notwithstanding the arrest of Las 
 Cases, the governor was very well at Longwood, 
 and had only done his duty ; and that there was 
 no foundation for the reports which had been 
 spread of the ill treatment said to be inflicted upon 
 the inhabitants of Longwood. I informed him that 
 Lady Lowe had been always desirous to call 
 upon Countesses Bertrand and Montholon, and 
 had embraced the first opportunity which pre- 
 sented itself after her accouchement. Napoleon 
 replied, " I am far from thinking that she parti- 
 cipates in the designs of her husband, but she has 
 badly chosen the time. At the moment when he 
 treats Las Cases so barbarously and illegally he 
 sends her up. It is either an artifice of her hus- 
 
 VOL. I. 2 L
 
 258 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 band's to blind the world, or else he mocks our 
 misfortunes. Nothing is so insulting as to add 
 irony to injury." I observed, that more probably 
 it was a preliminary step of the governor's towards 
 an accommodation. " No," replied Napok-on, 
 " that cannot be. If he really wished to accom- 
 modate, the first step would be to take away 
 some of his useless and oppressive restrictions. 
 Yesterday, after his wife had been here, Madame 
 Bertrand and family went out to walk. On their 
 return, they were stopped and seized by the sen- 
 tinels, who refused to let them in because it was 
 six o'clock. Now, in the name of God, if he had a 
 mind to accommodate, would he continue to pre- 
 vent us from walking at the only time of the day 
 when, at this season it is agreeable. Tell him," 
 continued Napoleon, " candidly the observations 
 I have made, if he asks you what I thought of the 
 visit." 
 
 7th. Wrote to Sir Hudson Lowe a statement 
 of what Napoleon had informed me on the 4th 
 inst. would be the best mode of effecting an ac- 
 commodation. 
 
 Had a long conversation with Napoleon upon 
 the anatomy of the human body. He desired to 
 see some anatomical plates, which I explained to 
 him. He informed me that at one time he had 
 tried to study anatomy, but that he had been dis- 
 gusted with the sight and the smell of the sub-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 259 
 
 jects. I observed, that plates only served to re- 
 mind a person of what he had already learned 
 from actual dissection ; for which last they could 
 never be entirely substituted. In this Napoleon 
 perfectly agreed with me, and gave me some ac- 
 count of the great encouragement which he had 
 given to the schools of anatomy and surgery ; and 
 of the facilities which he had afforded to medical 
 students to learn their profession at a trifling ex- 
 pense. 
 
 Heard him express some opinions afterwards 
 relative to a few of the characters who had figured 
 in the revolution. "Robespierre," said he, "though 
 a blood-thirsty monster, was not so bad as Collot 
 d'Herbois, Billand de Varennes, Hebert, Fouquier 
 Tinville, and many others. Latterly Robespierre 
 wished to be more moderate ; and actually some 
 time before his death said that he was tired of 
 executions, and suggested moderation. When He- 
 bert accused the queen de contrarier la nature, 
 Robespierre proposed that he should be denounc- 
 ed, as having made such an improbable accusa- 
 tion purposely to excite a sympathy amongst the 
 people, that they might rise and rescue her. From 
 the beginning of the revolution, Louis had con- 
 stantly the life of Charles the First before his eyes. 
 The example of Charles, who had come to extre- 
 mities with the parliament and lost his head, pre- 
 vented Louis OB many occasions from making
 
 260 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the defence which he ought to have done against 
 the revolutionists. When brought to trial, he 
 ought merely to have said, that by the laws he 
 could do no wrong, and that his person was sacred. 
 The queen ought to have done the same. It would 
 have had no effect in saving their lives ; but they 
 would have died with more dignity. Robespierre 
 was of opinion that the king ought to have been 
 despatched privately. l What is the use,' said 
 Robespierre, * of this mockery of forms, when you 
 go to the trial prepared to condemn him to death, 
 whether he deserves it or not.' The queen," added 
 Napoleon, " went to the scaffold with some sen 
 sations of joy ; and truly it must have been a re- 
 lief to her to depart from a life in which she was 
 treated witli such execrable barbarity. Had I," 
 continued he, " been four or five years older, I 
 have no doubt that I should have been guillotined 
 along with numbers of others." 
 
 Sth. Napoleon in a bath. Conversed at length 
 about the situation of England, which he imputed 
 entirely to the imbecility of Lord Castlereagh. 
 "If," said he, "your ministers had paid attention 
 to the interests of the country, instead of intriguing, 
 they would have rendered you the most happy, 
 and the most flourishing nation in the world. At 
 the conclusion of the war they should have said 
 to the Spanish and Portugueze governments, ' we 
 have saved your country, we alone have supported
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 you, and prevented you from falling a prey to 
 France. We have made many campaigns, and 
 shed our best blood in your cause. We have ex- 
 pended many millions of money, and consequently 
 the country is overburdened with debt on your 
 account, which we must pay. You have the 
 means of repaying us. Our situation requires that 
 we should liquidate our debts. We demand, 
 therefore, that we shall be the only nation allowed 
 to trade with South America for twenty years ; 
 and that our ships shall have the same privilege 
 as Spanish vessels. In this* way we will reim- 
 burse ourselves without distressing you.' Who," 
 continued he, " could say no to this. France is 
 now nothing. Besides, to tell the truth, it would 
 be only a just demand, and none of the allied 
 powers could deny your right to exact it; for it 
 was through you alone, and the energy which, 
 you displayed, that both Spain and Portugal 
 did not fall. You might have asked, ' who saved 
 Portugal ? who alone assisted you with men and 
 money, besides having saved your existence as 
 a nation ?' In this way you would have had 
 your manufacturers thriving ; your sailors em- 
 ployed in your own ships instead of starving, or 
 being forced to seek a livelihood with foreign 
 powers : your canaille would have bee.n contented 
 and happy, instead of being obliged to have re- 
 course to subscriptions to keep them from starva-
 
 262 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tion. As it now is, France will soon have the 
 trade of the Brazils ; you have in your own co- 
 lonies more cotton and sugar than you want, and 
 consequently will not take the productions of 
 the Brazils in exchange for your merchandise. 
 Now the French will ; for Martinique cannot sup- 
 ply a quantity sufficient for the consumption of 
 France. They will exchange their manufactured 
 goods, silks, furniture, wines, &c. against co- 
 lonial produce, and soon have the whole trade of 
 the Brazils. In like manner they will have the 
 preference in trading 1 with the Spanish colonies ; 
 partly on account of the religion, and also because 
 the Spaniards, like other nations, are jealous of a 
 people all-powerful at sea, and will constantly 
 assist to lessen that power ; which is most effectu- 
 ally to be done by lessening your commerce. 
 Another piece of folly in your ministers was 
 the allowing any nation but yourselves to trade 
 with India ; particularly the Dutch, who will be 
 your greatest enemies ; and probably before twenty 
 years, when France has recovered herself, you 
 will see the Dutch unite with her to humble you. 
 If you had made those demands they must have 
 been granted; and the powers of Europe would 
 not have been more jealous of you than they are 
 now, and always will be, as long as you have ab- 
 solute power over the seas, and insist upon the 
 right of search, and other articles of your maritime
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 code. You would then have the means of keep- 
 ing- up your maritime empire, which must decay 
 if you have not more commerce than the rest of 
 the world. But your ministers have had false 
 ideas of things. They imagined that they could 
 inundate the continent with your merchandise, 
 and find a ready sale. No, no : the world is 
 now more illuminated.* Even the Russians will 
 say, 'why should we enrich this nation, to ena- 
 ble her to keep up a monopoly and tyranny of 
 the seas, while our own manufacturers are nu- 
 merous and skilful ?' You will," continued he, 
 " find that in a few years very little English mer- 
 chandise will be sold on the continent.-^ I gave a 
 new era to manufactories. The French already 
 excel you in the manufactory of cloths and many 
 other articles. The Hollanders in cambric and 
 linen. I formed several thousand. I established 
 the Ecole Polytechnique, from which hundreds of 
 able chemists went to the different manufactories. 
 In each of them, I caused a person well skilled in 
 chemistry to reside, in consequence, every thing 
 proceeded upon certain and established princi- 
 ples; and they had a reason to give for every part 
 of their operations ; instead of the old vague and 
 
 * A perusal of the tariff just promulgated by Russia will shew how 
 prophetic this opinion was. 
 
 t The whole of this conversation was communicated by me to offi- 
 cial persons in London shortly after it took place.
 
 264 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 uncertain mode. Times are changed," continued 
 Napoleon, " and you must no longer look to the 
 continent for the disposal of your manufactures. 
 America, the Spanish and Portuguese main, are 
 the only vent for them. Recollect what I say to 
 you. In a year or two your people will complain, 
 and say, * we have gained every thing, but we arc 
 starving : we are worse than we were during the 
 war.' Then perhaps your ministers will endeavour 
 to effect what they ought to have done at first. 
 You are not able," continued he, " to face even 
 Prussia in the field, and your preponderance on 
 the continent was entirely owing to that naval 
 sovereignty which perhaps you may lose by this 
 military disease of your ministers. England has 
 played for all or for nothing, (ha giuocato per tut to 
 o per niente). She has gained all, effected impos- 
 sibilities, yet has nothing ; and her people are 
 starving, and worse than they were during the 
 midst of the war ; while France, who has lost 
 every thing, is doing well, and the wants of her 
 people are abundantly supplied. France has got 
 fat, notwithstanding the liberal bleedings which 
 she has had ; while England is like a man who 
 has had a false momentary strength given to him 
 by intoxicating liquors, but who, after their effect 
 ceases, sinks into a state of debility." 
 
 10///. Water very scarce at Longwood. Sir 
 Hudson Lowe gave directions that the horse. <>t
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 265 
 
 the establishment should be ridden to water to 
 Hut's Gate, instead of getting it from the tubs that 
 were placed for the use of Napoleon's house- 
 hold. The water in them is extremely muddy, 
 green, and nauseous. In Deadwood it is much 
 more easy to get a bottle of wine than one of 
 water. Parties of the 53d are employed daily in 
 rolling butts of water to their camp. It reminded 
 me of my former residence in Egypt, where we 
 were obliged to buy bad water at an exorbitant 
 rate. 
 
 Charles, a mulatto servant, discharged from 
 Longwood. Orders given by Sir Hudson Lowe 
 that he should be sent to his house. Underwent 
 a long interrogation from his excellency as to 
 what he had seen and heard during the time he 
 had been at Longwood. Application made to 
 the governor by the orderly officer to allow a cart 
 for the purpose of bringing water to the establish- 
 ment, that in the tubs being so very scanty and 
 bad. 
 
 Napoleon rather melancholy, and annoyed, 
 that instead of the whole of the campaigns of 
 Italy having been returned by Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 only three or four chapters had been sent. De- 
 sired me to tell Sir Hudson Lowe that he sup- 
 posed he was getting them copied, and that ac- 
 cording as they were finished, he would send 
 them back. 
 
 \\th. Went to Plantation House, and ac- 
 
 VOL. i. 2 M
 
 266 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 quainted Sir Hudson Lowe with the message I 
 was charged to deliver to him. His excellency 
 waxed very wroth, and said, " that if General Bo- 
 naparte persisted in his belief that the papers had 
 been kept for the purpose of copying ; after the 
 assurance to the contrary, which he had yester- 
 day had from young Las Cases ; he (Sir Hudson) 
 considered him unworthy of being treated like a 
 man of honour, and undeserving the consideration 
 due from one gentleman to another? This he not 
 only repeated twice, but obliged me to insert it 
 in my pocket-book ; desiring me not on any ac- 
 count to omit communicating those expressions to 
 General Bonaparte. After having cooled a little, 
 however, his excellency rescinded his directions, 
 gave me some explanations which he desired me 
 to make known to Napoleon, and ordered me to 
 rub out of my pocket-book the obnoxious expres- 
 sions. He then walked about with me in the li- 
 brary, and said, "that in reference and reply to 
 what I had written to him, General Bonaparte 
 could not be permitted to run about the country. 
 That if the intentions of ministers were only to 
 prevent his escape from the island, a company's 
 governor would have answered as well as any 
 other person; but that there were other objects 
 in view, and material ones, which he had been 
 sent out to fulfil. That there were several strong 
 reasons for not allowing him to communicate in 
 the island. That any man might secure his per-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 son by planting sentries about him, but that much 
 more was to be done." When I was about to 
 leave the room, he called me back, and said, " Tell 
 General Bonaparte that it is very fortunate for him 
 that he has so good a man for governor over him ; 
 that others, with the instructions I have, would 
 have put him in chains for his conduct." He 
 concluded by desiring me to endeavour to get Sir 
 Thomas Strange introduced to Napoleon. 
 
 Cipriani in town, purchasing provisions. 
 
 12M. Explained to Napoleon in the least of- 
 fensive manner I could, the message I had been 
 ordered by Sir Hudson Lowe to deliver, with an 
 assurance from the governor, that his papers had 
 been kept sacred ; which I observed had been 
 confirmed by a letter from Emanuel de Las 
 Cases, accompanying those that had been re- 
 turned, testifying that the papers had been re- 
 spected. That Sir Hudson Lowe had told me, 
 that during the examination of the papers, which 
 took place always in presence of Las Cases, 
 whenever the latter pointed out one as belong- 
 ing to him, (Napoleon,) it was immediately put 
 aside, without being looked at ; and that when 
 the examination was finished, the papers were 
 sealed up with Las Cases' seal, and not opened 
 again, unless in his presence. That Sir Hudson 
 had said, that so far from being instigated by 
 malice or revenge, he had written to the ministry 
 to ameliorate his condition, &c. Napoleon re-
 
 268 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 plied, that he did not believe it ; no government 
 two thousand leagues off could know the localities 
 so well as to give minute details, they could only 
 give general orders ; that no assertion from a man 
 who had told so many falsehoods, could be cre- 
 dited ; and that the letter from young Las Cases 
 was not satisfactory, as it merely contained an as- 
 surance from Sir Hudson Lowe, that they would 
 be respected. * " As to his instructions/' conti- 
 nued he, "I 'have no doubt that if he has not re- 
 ceived written orders to * * *, he has verbal ones, 
 (a voce). When it is intended to ***, it is always 
 commenced by cutting off all communication be- 
 tween him and the world ; by enveloping him with 
 mystery and secrecy, in order, that after having 
 accustomed the world to hear nothing about him, 
 ******. Tell him," added he, " my sentiments 
 on the subject." 
 
 I then spoke about Sir Thomas Strange, and 
 informed him that Sir Thomas Strange, who had 
 been chief judge in the East Indies, was desirous 
 of paying his respects to him, and that his intend- 
 ed visit did not arise from curiosity, but was a 
 mark of that attention which every person ought 
 to shew towards so great a man, and one who had 
 filled so high a station in the world. Napoleon 
 replied, " I will see no person who does not first 
 go to Bertrand. Persons sent direct by the go- 
 
 * This reply, in full, was communicated by me in writing to Sir 
 Hitdstm Lowe.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 269 
 
 vernor I will not see, as it would have the appear- 
 ance of obeying 1 a command from him." 
 
 Count Bertrand now came in, and mentioned 
 that the governor was at Longwood, and wanted 
 to see me. Napoleon then said, " If he asks you 
 any questions about my thoughts, tell him that 
 I intend writing 1 a Protest to the Prince Regent 
 against his barbarous conduct. That his keeping 
 Las Cases in custody, when there is nothing 
 against him, is illegal. That he ought either to 
 be sent back here, or sent off the island, or tried. 
 That if he wishes to accommodate differences, as 
 he informed you, let him alter his conduct, and 
 put matters upon the footing they were during the 
 time of Admiral Cockburn. As to the visit of the 
 judge, whom he wishes me to see, tell him que les 
 gens qui sont dans un tombeau ne repoivent pas de 
 visites, as he has literally immured me in a tomb. 
 Besides, according to his restrictions, if the judge 
 does not speak French, I cannot employ one of 
 my officers to interpret, for he has prohibited 
 strangers who may visit rne from speaking or com- 
 municating with any person of my suite, and more- 
 over, I have lost Las Cases." 
 
 Count Bertrand desired me to say, that if he 
 saw Sir Thomas Strange, he should be obliged to 
 shew him those parts of the governor's restrictions, 
 signed by himself, in which he had prohibited 
 those who had a pass to see the emperor, from
 
 270 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 holding any communication with others of his 
 household unless specially permitted. 
 
 Informed Sir Hudson Lowe of what I had been 
 desired, which he said he would communicate to 
 Lord Bathurst. He then observed, " that Count 
 Las Cases had not followed General Bonaparte 
 out of affection, but merely to have an opportunity 
 of obtaining materials from him to publish his life ; 
 that General Bonaparte did not know what Las 
 Cases had written, or the expressions which had 
 dropped from him ; that he had already collected 
 some very curious materials for his history ; that 
 ministers feared that some turbulent, intriguing 
 persons in France, or on the continent, would en- 
 deavour to excite rebellion and new wars in Eu- 
 rope, by making use of his (Napoleon's) name to 
 insure their purposes ; that General Bonaparte was 
 very lucky in having so good a man as himself 
 to deal with, &c." 
 
 He added again, that he could not tell the na- 
 ture of his orders ; that he had an important object 
 to fulfil, independent of the detention of General 
 Bonaparte : and, after some more conversation 
 upon similar subjects, said, that he would give 
 permission to-morrow to Sir Thomas Strange and 
 family to communicate with Bertrand, or with any 
 others of the suite. 
 
 Saw Sir Thomas Reade, to whom I mentioned 
 Napoleon's answer relative to the interview which
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 271 
 
 the governor was desirous to obtain for Sir Thomas 
 Strange. Sir Thomas replied, " If I were gover- 
 nor, I'll be d d if I would not make him feel 
 
 that he was a prisoner." I observed, "Why you 
 cannot do much more to him than you have al- 
 ready done, unless you put him in irons." " Oh," 
 answered Reade, " If he did not comply with what 
 
 I wanted, I'll be d d if I wouldn't take his 
 
 books from him, which I'll advise the governor to 
 
 do. He is a d d outlaw and a prisoner, and 
 
 the governor has a right to treat him with as much 
 severity as he likes, and nobody has any business 
 to interfere with him in the execution of his duty." 
 
 Told Napoleon what his excellency had direct- 
 ed me to communicate. He observed, that the 
 only way to prevent people from making use of 
 his name, in order to excite rebellion, was to put 
 him to death. " That," said he, " is the only ef- 
 fectual mode, and the sooner the better. // riy 
 a que les marts qui ne reviennent pas" 
 
 " All that he says," continued he, " is per get- 
 tar lapolvere, to deceive the judge, in order that 
 he may say when he arrives in England, that it 
 is my own fault if I do not receive whoever I 
 please. Un uomo cattivo che ha tutta la scaltrezza 
 Siciliana" 
 
 \3th. A sealed letter from Napoleon to Las 
 Cases given by Count Bertram! to Captain Pop- 
 pleton, for the purpose of being forwarded through
 
 272 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the governor to the count. At six, p. m. a dragoon 
 brought two letters from Sir Hudson Lowe to 
 Count Bertrand, one returning Napoleon's letter 
 to Count Las Cases, because it was sealed, add- 
 ing, that he would not forward any sealed letter ; 
 and that even if it were open, it would depend 
 upon the nature of the contents, whether it would 
 be forwarded or not ; as he (the governor) did not 
 wish that any communication should take place 
 between Longwood and Count Las Cases. In the 
 other, the governor intimated that probably he 
 should not take any steps with respect to Las 
 Cases, until he heard from the British govern- 
 ment. 
 
 Saw Napoleon, who observed, that he believed 
 nothing good could come from the governor, who 
 was a man of bad lymph. " He ought," continued 
 he, "to have several large blisters applied, to draw 
 away some of that bad lymph from him." 
 
 He conversed upon the probability of a revolu- 
 tion in France. " Ere twenty years have elapsed, 
 when I am dead and buried," said he, " you will 
 witness another revolution in France. It is im- 
 possible that twenty-nine millions of Frenchmen 
 can live contented under the yoke of sovereigns 
 imposed upon them by foreigners, and against 
 whom they have fought and bled for nearly thirty 
 years. Can you blame the French for not being 
 willing to submit to the yoke of such animals
 
 A. VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 273 
 
 as Montchenu ? You are very fond in England of 
 making a comparison between the restoration of 
 Charles the Second and that of Louis ; but there 
 is not the smallest similitude. Charles was re- 
 called by the mass of the English nation to the 
 throne which his successor afterwards lost for a 
 mass : but as to the Bourbons, there is not a village 
 in France which has not lost thirty or forty of the 
 flower of its youth in endeavouring to prevent their 
 return. The sentiments of the nation are,-!-* Ce 
 nest pas nous qui avons r amend ces mise'rables ; 
 non, ceux qui ont ravage^ notre pays, qui ont bruit 
 nos maisons, qui ont viol6 nos femmes et nos Jilles, 
 les ont mis sur le trdne par la force.""'* 
 
 I asked him some questions about the share that 
 Moreau had in Georges' conspiracy. " Moreau," 
 said he, "confessed to his advocate that he had 
 seen and conversed with Georges and Pichegru, 
 and that on his trial he intended to avow it. His 
 counsel, however, dissuaded him from doing so, 
 and observed, that if he confessed having seen 
 Georges, nothing could save him from being con- 
 demned to death. Moreau, in an interview with 
 the other two conspirators, insisted that the first 
 step to be taken was to kill me ; that when I was 
 disposed of, he should have great power and in- 
 
 * We have not brought back those wretches ; no, those who have 
 ravaged our country, burnt our houses, and violated our wives and 
 our daughters, have placed them on the throne by force. 
 VOL. I. 2 N
 
 274 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 fluence with the army; but that as long as I lived, 
 he could do nothing. When he was arrested, the 
 paper of accusation against him was given to him, 
 in which his crime was stated to be, the having 
 conspired against the life of the first consul and 
 the security of the republic, in complicity with 
 Pichegru and Georges. On reading the names of 
 those two he dropt the paper and fainted." 
 
 " In the battle before Dresden," said Napoleon, 
 " I ordered an attack to be made upon the allies 
 by both flanks of my army. While the manoeuvres 
 for this purpose were executing, the centre re- 
 mained motionless. At the distance of about from 
 this to the outer gate,* I observed a group of per- 
 sons collected together on horseback. Conclud- 
 ing that they were endeavouring to observe my 
 manoeuvres, I resolved to disturb them, and called 
 to a captain of artillery who commanded a field 
 battery of eighteen or twenty pieces : l Jettez une 
 douzaine de boulets a la fois dans ce groupe la, 
 peut-etre il y a quelques petits g&nfraux? (Throw 
 a dozen of bullets at once into that group ; per- 
 haps there are some little generals in it.) It was 
 done instantly. One of the balls struck Moreau, 
 carried off both his legs, and went through his 
 horse. Many more, I believe, who were near 
 him, were killed and wounded. A moment be- 
 fore Alexander had been speaking to him. Mo- 
 
 * About five hundred yards.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELEN'A. 275 
 
 rcau's legs were amputated not far from the spot. 
 One of his feet, with the boot upon it, which the 
 surgeon had thrown upon the ground, was brought 
 by a peasant to the king of Saxony, with infor- 
 mation that some officer of great distinction had 
 been struck by a cannon-shot. The king, con- 
 ceiving that the name of the person might perhaps 
 be discovered by the boot, sent it to me. It was 
 examined at my head-quarters, but all that could 
 be ascertained was, that the boot was neither 
 of English nor of French manufacture. The 
 next day we were informed that it was the leg of 
 Moreau. It is not a little extraordinary," conti- 
 nued Napoleon, "that in an action a short time 
 afterwards, I ordered the same artillery officer, 
 with the same guns, and under nearly similar cir- 
 cumstances, to throw eighteen or twenty bullets 
 at once into a concourse of officers collected toge- 
 ther, by which General St. Priest, another French- 
 man, a traitor and a man of talent, who had a 
 command in the Russian army, was killed, along 
 with many others. Nothing," continued the em- 
 peror, " is more destructive than a discharge of a 
 dozen or more guns at once amongst a group of 
 persons. From one or two they may escape ; but 
 from a number discharged at a time, it is almost 
 impossible. After Esling, when I had caused my 
 army to go over to the isle of Lobau, there was 
 for some weeks, by common and tacit consent on
 
 276 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 both sides between the soldiers, not by any agree- 
 ment between the generals, a cessation of firing, 
 which indeed had produced no benefit, and only 
 killed a few unfortunate sentinels. I rode out 
 every day in different directions. No person was 
 molested on either side. One day, however, riding 
 along with Oudinot, I stopped for a moment upon 
 the edge of the island, which was about eighty 
 toiscs distant from the opposite bank, where the 
 t-nerny was. They perceived us, and knowing 
 me by the little hat and grey coat, they pointed 
 a three -pounder at us. The ball passed between 
 Oudinot and me, and was very close to both of 
 us. We put spurs to our horses, and speedily 
 got out of sight. Under the actual circumstances, 
 tile attack was little better than murder; but if 
 they had fired a dozen guns at once, they must 
 have killed us." 
 
 Count Bertrand brought back Napoleon's letter 
 to Captain Poppleton, broke the seal before him, 
 and desired that it might be sent in that state to 
 Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 
 Some oranges sent to Longwood by the admiral. 
 
 \4th. Napoleon very unwell. Had passed a 
 very bad night. Found him in bed at eleven, 
 p. in. " Doctor," said he, " I had a nervous at- 
 tack -last night, which kept me continually un- 
 easy and restless, with a severe headach, and in- 
 voluntary agitations. I was without sense for a 
 few moments. I verily thought and hoped, that
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 277 
 
 a more violent attack would have taken place, 
 which would have carried me off before morning. 
 It seemed as if a fit of apoplexy was coining on. 
 I felt a,heaviness and giddiness of my head, (as if 
 it were overloaded with blood,) with a desire to 
 put myself in an upright posture. I felt a heat in 
 my head, and called to those about me to pour 
 some cold water over it, which they did not com- 
 prehend for some time. Afterwards, the water 
 felt hot, and I thought it smelt of sulphur, though 
 in reality it was cold." At this time he was in a 
 free perspiration, which I recommended him to 
 encourage, and his headach was much diminished. 
 After I had recommended every thing I thought 
 necessary or advisable, he replied, " si viverebbe 
 troppo lungamente"* He afterwards spoke about 
 funeral rites, and added, that when he died, he 
 would wish that his body might be burned. " It 
 is the best mode," said he, " as then the corpse 
 does not produce any inconvenience ; and as to 
 the resurrection, that must be accomplished by a 
 miracle, and it is easy to the being who has it in 
 his power to perform such a miracle as bringing 
 the remains of the bodies together, to also form 
 again the ashes of the dead." 
 
 15th. Had a long conversation with Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe relative to the affairs of Longwood, 
 and to Napoleon's health. His excellency said, 
 that he supposed it was Count Bert rand who had 
 
 * One would live too long'.
 
 278 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 
 
 informed Count Las Cases, that he (Sir Hudson) 
 would send him off the island, if he persisted in 
 writing any more injurious reflections upon the 
 manner that General Bonaparte was treated. That 
 he would hold him (Bertrand) answerable for the 
 consequences. He also observed, that as to the 
 restrictions which had been so much complained 
 of, there was in reality but little difference ; that 
 with respect to the prohibition to speak, which 
 General Bonaparte complained of, it was not an 
 order to him not to speak, but merely a request /.'.' 
 He also added, that Las Cases had attempted 
 to send a secret accusation against him, which 
 was like stabbing a man in the back, and that 
 they must be conscious they were telling lies, or 
 they would not be afraid to send them to England, 
 through him, as he had offered to forward them. 
 In his conversation with Bertrand he had merely 
 observed, that according to his instructions, he 
 ought to have sent Las Cases off the island, in 
 consequence of the letters he had written. His 
 instructions, he said, were of such a nature, that 
 it was impossible to draw a line between some 
 which directed that General Bonaparte should 
 be treated with great indulgence, and others, pre- 
 scribing regulations and restrictions impossible 
 to be reconciled with the first. That he had in 
 consequence written for further explanations, and 
 had recommended the lessening of the existing 
 restrictions.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 279 
 
 16th. Saw Napoleon, to whom I repeated what 
 the governor had desired. Napoleon replied, " he 
 sent back, and refused to forward a letter of 
 complaints, sent to him by Montholon ; he told 
 Bertram! that he would receive no letters in which 
 I was not styled as his government wished ; and 
 he sent up by his chef d'etat major, a paper, me- 
 nacing with transportation from the island all those 
 who should make reflections upon him or his go- 
 vernment ; independent of his having given Ber- 
 trand clearly to understand, that if Las Cases 
 continued his complaints, he would send him from 
 St. Helena. In orders like his, there must be 
 always some apparent contradiction, and great dis- 
 cretionary powers ; but he interprets every thing 
 badly, and where there is a possibility of putting a 
 bad construction upon any part, which would as 
 well admit of a favourable one, he is sure to choose 
 the former. Un uomo che ha la malizia, ma non 
 Vanima. Perhaps he sees that he has gone too 
 far, and now wants to saddle the odium of his 
 proceedings upon his government." 
 
 18th. Went along with Mr. Baxter to visit 
 Count Las Cases and son. The Count informed 
 me that the governor had given him permission to 
 return to Longwood, under certain conditions, but 
 that he had not entirely decided what he would 
 do. Young Las Cases said that his father feared 
 he would be looked upon in a slighting manner 
 at Longwood, if he returned, in consequence
 
 280 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of the disgraceful manner in which he had been ar- 
 rested and dragged away by the governor's police. 
 
 Informed Napoleon on my return that the go- 
 vernor had offered to allow Las Cases to return 
 to Longwood. After some discussion on the sub- 
 ject, he observed, that he would give no advice to 
 Las Cases about it. If he came back, he would 
 receive him with pleasure ; if he went away, he 
 would hear of it with pleasure ; but that in the 
 latter case, he should wish to see him once more 
 before he left the island. He added, that since 
 the arrest of Las Cases, he had ordered all his 
 generals to go away ; that he should be more in- 
 dependent without them, as then he should not 
 labour under the fear of their suffering ill-treat- 
 ment by the governor, in order thereby to revenue 
 himself upon him. "I," continued he, "am not 
 afraid that they will send me off the island." 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe, who said, that with 
 the exception of certain necessary restrictions, he 
 had orders from government to treat General Bo- 
 naparte with all possible indulgence, which lie 
 thought he had done. That if some restrictions 
 had been imposed, it was his own fault, and that 
 of Las Cases. That he had been very mild ! ! 
 This he desired me to communicate. Shortly 
 afterwards he said, that if Count Bertrand had 
 shewn his (Sir Hudson's) restrictions to Sir Tho- 
 mas Strange, he, the governor, would have been 
 authorized to send him off the island. Nearly in
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 281 
 
 the same breath, he asked if I thought that the 
 interference of Sir George Bingham as an^iter- 
 inediator would be of any service ? I replies that 
 probably it might, but as Sir George Bingham did 
 not speak French with sufficient fluency to enter 
 into long discussions or reasonings, I was of opi- 
 nion that Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm would 
 be a much better intermediator. 
 
 Told Napoleon what Sir Hudson Lowe had 
 directed. "Doctor," replied he, " when this rn^n 
 has the audacity to tell you, who know evei-y thing 
 that has been done, that he treats me with indul- 
 gence ; I need not suggest to you what he writes 
 to his government." 
 
 Informed me that last night he had suffered an- 
 other attack similar to that of the 13th, but more 
 violent. " Ali,"* said he, "frightened, threw some 
 eau de Cologne in my face, mistaking it for water. 
 This getting into my eyes gave me intolerable pain, 
 and certainly brought me to myself." 
 
 Told him what Sir Hudson Lowe had said re- 
 lative to the intermediation of Sir George Bing- 
 ham. He replied, " perhaps it might be of some 
 service ; but all he has to do is, che esca del two 
 ruolo di carceriere e che si metta nel ruolo di galan- 
 tuomo.-\- If any person were to undertake the 
 
 * St. Denis was commonly called Ali. 
 
 f This means, "let him conduct himself no longer as a gaoler, but 
 heliave like a gentleman." 
 
 VOL. I. 2 O
 
 282 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 office of intermediator, the most fit would be the 
 admiral, both because he is independent of Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, and because he is a man with 
 whom I can reason and argue. But," continued 
 he, " questo governatore e un uomo senza fede. 
 When your ministry is insincere, wants to shuffle, 
 or has nothing good to execute, a polisson like 
 Drake, or Hudson Lowe, is sent out as ambas- 
 sador, or governor ; when it is the contrary, and 
 it wishes to conciliate or treat, such a man as 
 Lord Gornwallis is employed. A Cornwallis 
 here, would be of more avail than all the restric- 
 tions that could be imagined." He then observed, 
 that he thought it would be better for Las Cases 
 to return back to Longwood, than either to re- 
 main in the island separated from them, or sent to 
 the Cape, and that I might report that I had heard 
 him say so. 
 
 2l,rf. A letter received from Major Gorrequer, 
 stating that the governor would permit Archam- 
 baud to see his brother on the following day, who, 
 with Santini and Rousseau, had arrived in the 
 Orontes frigate from the Cape.* 
 
 22wd. Archambaud allowed to see his brother 
 in the presence of one of the governor's agents, 
 but not permitted either to see or converse with 
 any of the others. 
 
 23rrf. Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood ; in- 
 
 * This request had been at first refused by Sir Hudson Lowe.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 283 
 
 formed- him what Napoleon had said about Las 
 Cases. He told me that Las Cases wanted to 
 make terms, previous to returning to Longwood, 
 and desired me to " go to Hut's Gate, and tell 
 him what General Bonaparte had said ; but not 
 to hold any other communication with him." I 
 mentioned to his excellency the fit of syncope 
 with which Napoleon had been attacked : " It 
 would be lucky," replied Sir Hudson Lowe, "if 
 he went off some of those nights in a fit of the 
 kind." I observed that I thought it very prob- 
 able he would be attacked with a fit of apo- 
 plexy, which would finish him, and that continu- 
 ing to lead his present mode of life, it was im- 
 possible he could remain in health. Sir Hudson 
 asked, what could induce him to take exercise. 
 I replied to moderate the restrictions, and to 
 remove some of which he complained so much. 
 Sir Hudson Lowe made some observations about 
 the danger of allowing a man to get loose who 
 had done such mischief already, and desired me 
 to write him a statement of the health of young 
 Las Cases. I replied that I was going to see him, 
 in company with Mr. Baxter. His excellency 
 observed, that he would go and have some con- 
 versation with Count Bertrand on the subjects 
 complained of. 
 
 On my return met Sir Hudson Lowe, who ap- 
 peared in a very bad humour, and said, that Count 
 Bertrand had for a short time spoken very rea-
 
 284 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 sonably, but that afterwards he had broken out 
 foolishly aboHt noire situation, just as if it were 
 of any consequence to England, or to Europe, 
 what became of Count Bertrand ; or as if it were 
 not Bonaparte alone who was looked after, that 
 he did not know what business he had to couple 
 ///* situation with Bonaparte's. 
 
 Mrs. Balcombe and eldest daughter came to see 
 Countess Bertrand. They were desirous of paying 
 a visit to Napoleon and to Countess Montholoii, 
 but as their pass specified Count Bert rand's house, 
 and did not mention either of the others, it was 
 not permitted by the orderly officer. 
 
 Saw Napoleon afterwards. " This governor," 
 said he, " has been with Bertrand making some 
 proposals, but in such a dark and mysterious 
 manner, that one cannot understand what object 
 he has in view. Every thing he says is destitute 
 of clearness ; and when he reluctantly gives the 
 truth, it is enveloped in quibbles and evasions. 
 He had a long pourparler about Las Cases, which 
 he. concluded by asserting, that Las Cases was not 
 in prison, and never had been so! x E un twnw com- 
 posto d'imbecillita, di bugie, e d'-un poco di scal- 
 trezza. Can Las Cases go out ? Can he see any 
 person, either French or English, besides his 
 gaolers ? (for seeing a surgeon is nothing). ( 'an 
 he send or receive a letter that does not pass open 
 through their hands ? I know not really," conti- 
 nued he, " what this man calls being in prison."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST.., HELENA. 285 
 
 " What a fool I was to give myself up to you," 
 continued he ; "I had a mistaken notion of your 
 national character ; I had formed a romantic idea 
 of the English. There entered into it also a por- 
 tion of pride. I disdained to give myself up to 
 any of those sovereigns whose countries I had 
 conquered, and whose capitals I had entered in 
 triumph ; and I determined to confide in you, 
 whom I had never vanquished. Doctor, I am well 
 punished for the good opinion I had of you, and 
 for the confidence which I reposed in you, in- 
 stead of giving myself up to my father-in-law, or 
 to the emperor Alexander, either of whom would 
 have treated me with the greatest respect." I ob- 
 served, that it was possible that Alexander might 
 have sent him to Siberia ; " not at all," replied Na- 
 poleon, " setting aside other motives, Alexander 
 would, through policy, and from the desire which 
 he has to make himself popular, have treated me 
 like a king, and I snould have had palaces at 
 command. Besides, Alexander is a generous 
 man, and would have taken a pleasure in treating 
 me well; and my father-in-law, though he is an 
 imbecile, is still a religious man, and incapable of 
 committing crimes, or such acts of cruelty as are 
 practised here." 
 
 Saw Las Cases and son along with Mr. Baxter. 
 Wrote a letter afterwards to Sir Hudson Lowe re- 
 specting the state of health of young Las Cases,
 
 4 2S() A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and concluded by recommending him to be re- 
 moved to Europe for the recovery of his health. 
 Mr. Baxter also wrote one of a similar tendency, 
 and one about the count himself, in which he said, 
 that in consequence of his being afflicted with 
 dyspepsia, it was probable that a change to a 
 colder climate would be beneficial, and that that 
 of Europe would be preferable. 
 
 <25th. Napoleon in very good spirits. Asked 
 many questions in English, which although he 
 pronounced it as he would have done French, yet 
 the words were correct, and applied in their pro- 
 per meaning. 
 
 26M. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me. Found 
 him in town. He observed that I had put too 
 much political feeling into my letter respecting 
 young Las Cases : that my opinion must have re- 
 lated to what would have happened had he re- 
 mained at Longwood ; and that it appeared to 
 enter too much into the feelings of those people. 
 I replied, that I could not separate my opinion 
 from the cause of his complaints, and that he him- 
 self had said, if the state of his son's health abso- 
 lutely required his removal to Europe, he would 
 not oppose it. Sir Hudson answered, that he had 
 certainly said, that if it absolutely required such 
 a measure, he would not oppose it ; but that I 
 had entered into a discussion not called for in the 
 letter.
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 287 
 
 He then spoke about the restrictions, and 
 shewed me a letter which he said he intended to 
 send to Bertrand. and upon which he desired to 
 know ray opinion. After reading it, I observed 
 to his excellency that I thought it calculated to 
 produce some severe remarks from Napoleon ; as 
 in fact it left matters in nearly the same state as 
 they had been before, after having nominally re- 
 moved some of the restrictions. On a little re- 
 flection, his excellency appeared to be of the same 
 opinion, and said that he would reconsider the 
 matter. In the mean time he authorised me to 
 tell General Bonaparte that several of the re- 
 strictions should be removed, especially those re- 
 lative to speaking ; that the limits should be en- 
 larged, and that liberty should be granted to peo- 
 ple to visit him, nearly as in former times under 
 the admiral. 
 
 Informed Napoleon of this, who replied, that 
 he desired no more than to have matters put 
 as nearly as possible as they were under the ad- 
 miral. That he thought it right and just if the 
 governor suspected either an inhabitant of the 
 island, or a passenger, or any of them, that he 
 should not allow them to enter Longwood; but 
 that what he (Napoleon) meant was, that the ma- 
 jority of respectable passengers or inhabitants 
 should be allowed to visit him, and not one or 
 two who had been picked out and sent up to
 
 288 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Longwood by th governor, or by his staff, as 
 a keeper of galley-slaves would send a curious 
 traveller to his galleys to see some extraordinary 
 criminal. If," continued he, "I met a man whose 
 conversation pleased me (like the admiral, for ex- 
 ample) I should wish to see him again, and per- 
 haps ask him to dinner or breakfast, as was done 
 before this governor's arrival ; therefore I wish 
 that a list should be sent in the first place by 
 the governor to Bertrand, containing the names of 
 the persons that he will allow to visit us ; and 
 that afterwards, Bertrand shall have the privi- 
 lege of asking any person again whose name is 
 upon that list. I will never see any one com- 
 ing up with a pass in which the day is fixed, 
 which is a way of saying, come out this day and 
 exhibit yourself. I want also that our situation 
 may be clearly defined, so that my household shall 
 not be liable to the insults which they have all 
 suffered, and continue to suffer, either from being 
 kept in the dark respecting the restrictions which 
 he imposes, or from misconception of sentinels, or 
 the orders given being of a discretional nature, 
 which may put a sentinel upon his responsibility, 
 and will constitute him an arbitrary judge. The 
 trifling vexations and humiliations which he makes 
 us undergo, are worse to us than the greater. I am 
 willing," continued he, " to listen to accommoda- 
 tion, and not to insist upon too much. But, he
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 289 
 
 has no heart or feeling. He thinks that a man is like 
 a horse, give him a bundle of hay and a roof to co- 
 ver him, and nothing- further is necessary to make 
 him happy. His policy is that of the petty states 
 of Italy; to write and promise fairly, apparently 
 give liberty, but afterwards by insinuations change 
 every thing. His is the policy of insinuations." 
 
 I then asked, if the governor consented, and 
 the admiral were satisfied, would he hold a con- 
 ference with that officer as an intermediator, in 
 order to bring about an arrangement ? Napo- 
 leon replied, " willingly. With the greatest plea- 
 sure I would treat personally with the admiral, 
 and I think that we could settle it in half an 
 hour. I have so much confidence in him, that if 
 the English government would allow it, and the 
 admiral would pledge his word of honour, that 
 no one but himself should know the contents, (un- 
 less there was some plot or intrigue against his go- 
 vernment,) I would write a letter, putting him in 
 possession of every thing I know relative to my 
 property, in order that I might be able to make 
 use of it. To-morrow," continued he, " I shall 
 let you know whether I am of the like opinion 
 relative to the intermediation. If I continue the 
 same, you shall go to the governor and propose it 
 to him." 
 
 A letter sent by Count Bertrand to Sir Hudson 
 
 VOL. i. 2 p
 
 290 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Lowe, requesting that Count Las Cases might be 
 permitted to visit Longwood previous to his de- 
 parture, to take leave of the emperor. 
 
 27th. Gave Napoleon some newspapers. On 
 looking over them he observed an article about 
 Pozzo di Borgo. " Pozzo di Borgo," said he, 
 " was deputy to the legislative body during the 
 revolution. He is a man of talent, an intriguer, 
 and knows France well. As long as he remains 
 there as ambassador, you may be sure that Alex- 
 ander does not consider Louis to be firmly seated 
 upon the throne. When you see a Russian no- 
 minated as ambassador, you may then conclude 
 that Alexander thinks the Bourbons likely to con- 
 tinue in France." 
 
 He then desired me to go to the governor and 
 tell him, " that if he were willing to come to an 
 amicable arrangement, he (Napoleon) thought the 
 best means of effecting it would be to authorize 
 the admiral to act as an intermediator. That if 
 such were done, he had little doubt but matters 
 might be adjusted. That he wished it himself, as 
 he did not like to complain. All he wanted was 
 to live, or in other words, that the restrictions 
 should not be of such a nature as to induce a per- 
 son to wish for death. That in consequence of 
 what I had said to him, he had ordered Bertrand 
 to discontinue writing a complaint, which he had
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 291 
 
 intended to have sent to Lord Castlereagh for the 
 Prince Regent ; and in fact, that he was desirous 
 an accommodation should take place." 
 
 Went to town to deliver the above message. 
 Found that the governor had left it before my 
 arrival. Communicated the object of my mis- 
 sion to Sir Thomas Reade, who replied, that he 
 knew the governor would never consent to al- 
 low the admiral to act as an intermediator. 
 There was no use in proposing it. I replied, that 
 as I had been charged with the message, I must 
 deliver it, as perhaps it might lead to good ef- 
 fects. 
 
 Went to Plantation House and communicated 
 my message to Sir Hudson Lowe. He said, 
 " that he would accept of the proposal, but that 
 he had previously to decide upon a very delicate 
 point, which might break off any purposed ar- 
 rangement. That General Bonaparte had asked 
 to see Count Las Cases before his departure, 
 which would do away with the great object he 
 had had in view for a month back, viz. that of 
 cutting off all communication between Longwood 
 and Las Cases. That General Bonaparte might 
 make important and dangerous communications 
 to Las Cases ; to obviate which, he would propose 
 that a staff officer should be present at the de- 
 manded interview, which it was likely might anger 
 General Bonaparte."
 
 292 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 He then wrote the following words on a piece 
 of paper, which he desired me to copy, and to 
 shew the copy : " The governor is not conscious 
 of ever having wilfully given to General Bonaparte 
 any just cause of offence or disagreement. He 
 has seen with pain misunderstandings arise on 
 points where his duty would not allow him to 
 pursue any other course, and which might have 
 been frequently removed by a single word of ex- 
 planation. 
 
 " Any channel by which he may think such 
 misunderstandings may be removed, the governor 
 is perfectly ready and willing to avail himself of." 
 
 Sir Hudson then gave me a large packet for 
 Count Bertrand, containing his answer to the ap- 
 plication to see Las Cases, and some explana- 
 tions relative to the restrictions, some of which he 
 said he was willing should be altered ; and that 
 the 5th paragraph of the restrictions delivered in 
 October was merely meant as a civil request to 
 General Bonaparte, not to subject himself to the 
 interference of an officer, by entering into long 
 conversations with persons not authorized by the 
 governor to communicate with him. He added, 
 that he would have some conversation with the 
 admiral previous to the latter's going to see Na- 
 poleon, for the purpose of entering upon the inter- 
 mediation. 
 
 28th. Napoleon indisposed. Had passed a
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 293 
 
 very uneasy night and had suffered considerably 
 from headach. Saw him at three, p. m. when he 
 was still in bed, and afflicted with severe headach. 
 He had not seen any one. Informed him what 
 Sir Hudson Lowe said respecting the proposed 
 intermediation. I did not like to communicate 
 what his excellency had said fibout the interview 
 which he had desired to have with Las Cases, as I 
 thought it would both aggravate his illness and 
 tend to impede the desired accommodation. While 
 I was in his bed-room, Marchand came in and in- 
 formed him that the bath which he had ordered 
 could not be got ready on account of the total 
 want of water at Longwood. However, he ap- 
 peared well satisfied, and expressed his fear, that 
 if Sir Pulteney came up this day, his indisposition 
 might prevent his seeing and conversing with him. 
 He desired me, therefore, to tell Count Bertrand, 
 in case the admiral came, to take him to his house, 
 shew him the necessary papers, and talk the mat- 
 ter over; adding, that if he found himself well 
 enough, he would send for him, but if not, that 
 he would appoint a future day. 
 
 Saw Count Bertrand afterwards, who asked 
 me to explain the meaning of the passage in his 
 excellency's letter in which he attempted to make 
 it appear that the prohibition to Napoleon to speak 
 was a piece of civility. Not having been educated 
 for a special pleader, I felt myself at a loss to af-
 
 JIM A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ford any explanation sufficient to establish the 
 truth of the governor's doctrine. 
 
 Sir Pulteney and Lady Malcolm came to Long- 
 wood and paid a visit to Counts and Countesses 
 Bertrand and Montholon. No communication had 
 been yet made by the governor to Sir Pulteney, 
 who, when informed of the proposal, expressed 
 his ardent wish that something might be done to 
 put things upon a better footing between Napo- 
 leon and the governor ; adding, that he thought if 
 the matter were left to him, he could arrange it 
 satisfactorily in a very little time. He observed, 
 however, that until the governor authorized him, 
 he would have no conversation on the subject 
 either with Napoleon or with any of his suite. 
 
 Saw Napoleon in the evening in his bed-room, 
 along with Marshal Bertrand. The parcel of 
 letters which I had brought from the governor 
 was before him. He had just been informed of 
 his reply to the application that Count Las Cases 
 might be allowed to visit Longwood before his 
 departure. He observed, that " criminals con- 
 demned to death, and on the point of being led 
 out to execution, were allowed to bid adieu to 
 their friends, without it being required that a 
 third person should be present." He was very 
 much displeased, and expressed in strong terms 
 his indignation at such barbarous conduct. He 
 then asked me for the governor's reply to the pro-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 295 
 
 posal I had made, which I gave him in French 
 and English, having made a translation of it into 
 the former, and also repeated to him what the go- 
 vernor had expressed to me relative to Las Cases. 
 When he came to the words, " where his duty 
 would not allow him." " misunderstanding," &c. 
 " Tracasserie" said he, " this is the language he has 
 always held. It is an insult to the human under- 
 standing. His intentions could not be mistaken. 
 They were to heap all sorts of useless vexations 
 upon me. I cannot/' continued he, " think that he 
 will allow the admiral to act as intermediator. 
 Depend upon it, it is some shuffling trick of his, 
 and that he will never allow it to come to a con- 
 clusion." He then dictated a few lines to Count 
 Bertrand, containing a protest against the gover- 
 nor's conduct, which he desired him to write out 
 fair in the next room. He requested me to commu- 
 nicate to the governor the remarks which he had 
 made upon his conduct, and observed, that he 
 hoped the admiral would not commence any pro- 
 ceedings without having first made himself per- 
 fectly master of the subject, in order not to allow 
 himself to be joue by the governor ; who would 
 probably fill him with those falsehoods which he 
 always had at command. " I should be sorry that 
 the admiral," continued he, " should undertake any 
 thing likely to prove abortive, as I have an esteem 
 for him."
 
 296 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 " Sir Thomas Reade all day in consultation at 
 Plantation House. 
 
 29th. A letter from Sir Hudson Lowe for 
 Count Bertrand arrived at eight o'clock in the 
 morning. Saw Napoleon at two, p. m. Informed 
 me, that as the governor had fourteen or fifteen 
 days ago expressed a wish to know what the 
 French complained of, he had directed Bertrand 
 to send him a copy of his restrictions, with some 
 observations thereupon, that he might think and 
 reflect upon them. Also that he had caused the 
 following remarks to be written upon the back of 
 the memorandum containing the governor's sen- 
 timents, which I had delivered to him yesterday, 
 and which he directed me to forward to Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe : 
 
 " 1. On ne peut justifier la conduite qu'on tient 
 depuis six mois par quelques phrases de la corres- 
 pondtince du ministre. Une longue et voliuni- 
 neuse correspondance ministerielle est un arsenal 
 ou il y a des armes tout tran chant. 
 
 " 2. Les derniers reglemens seraient considers 
 & Botany Bay comme injurieux et oppressifs ; ils 
 doivent etre, quoique Ton en disc, contraires a la 
 volont du gouvernement Anglais, qui a approuve* 
 les reglemens qui ont e^d en vigueur jusqu'au 
 mois d'Aout dernier. 
 
 " 3. Toutes les observations que le Comte Ber-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 297 
 
 trand et le Comte de Montholon out faites ont e"te" 
 inutiles. Une libre discussion leur a etc" interdite 
 par des menaces."* 
 
 "This governor," said he, <{ is a man totally 
 unfit to fill the situation he holds, He has a good 
 deal of cunning, but no talent or steadiness. C'ext 
 un homme soupponneux, astucieujr, menteur, double, 
 et plein d 1 insinuations, like the Italians of two oi 1 
 three centuries ago. C'est un excellent familler de 
 V inquisition. II mettrait de Vastuce a dire le bon 
 jour. Je crois quil en met a manger son dejeune. 
 He ought to be sent to Goa. Bertram! wrote that 
 he hoped he would not refuse his consent to a 
 matter of so little consequence as that Of permit- 
 ting Las Cases to come up here. If he refuses, 
 Bertrand will go down to see htm along with an 
 officer, which I could not consent to do." 
 
 " What can he be afraid of ?" continued he, 
 " that I would tell him to write to my wife ? He 
 will do that without my direction. That I would 
 tell him my sentiments and intentions ? He knows 
 them already. Does he think that Europe is a 
 ( mine of gunpowder, and Las Cases the spark to 
 blow it up. 
 
 A letter superscribed " in haste," from Sir Hud- 
 son, was given to Captain Poppleton, containing 
 one for Count Bertrand, signifying that " in conse- 
 quence of the manner in which Count Las Cases 
 
 * The translation will be found in the Appendix, No. VII. 
 VOL. I. 2 Q
 
 298 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 had been removed from Longwood, the governor 
 could not permit him to take leave of General 
 Bonaparte," &c. Shortly afterwards Count Ber- 
 trand and Baron Gourgaud went to town, accom- 
 panied by Captain Poppleton, to see and take 
 leave of Count Las Cases. It is difficult to recon- 
 cile the conduct pursued towards them there, with 
 the other measures practised by Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 and with the importance which he professed to 
 attach to " cutting off' all communication with 
 Longwood." At breakfast they were left to them- 
 selves, with the exception of Capt. Poppleton, who 
 understands French with difficulty, and not at all 
 when spoken in the quick manner in which French- 
 men usually converse with each other. For some 
 hours they remained together in the large room 
 of the castle, which is about fifty feet by twenty, 
 walking up one side, while Colonel Wynyard and 
 Major Gorrequer, who were to watch them, re- 
 mained on the opposite side of the room ; so that 
 in fact, Las Cases might just as well have been 
 permitted to come to Longwood, and thereby a 
 refusal, which was considered as an insult, would 
 have been spared to Napoleon. 
 
 About three, p. m. Las Cases and his son em- 
 barked on board of the Griffon sloop of war, Ccip- 
 tain Wright, for the Cape of Good Hope. He was 
 accompanied to the sea-side by Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 Sir Thomas Reade, &c. His journal and papers, 
 except a few of no consequence, were detained
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 299 
 
 by the governor. Previous to his departure he 
 made over 4,000/. (which he had in a banker's 
 hands in London), for Napoleon's use. 
 
 I saw Sir Hudson Lowe on horseback in the 
 street, who called out to me when passing, " your 
 negotiation has failed." 
 
 About five hundred pounds' worth of plate 
 brought down by Cipriani in the morning to be 
 sold. When Sir Hudson Lowe saw it he sent for 
 Cipriani, from whom he demanded, in what man- 
 ner they could spend so much money ? Cipriani 
 (an arch, intelligent Corsican), replied. " to buy 
 food." His excellency affected surprise, and said, 
 " What, have you not enough ?" " We have p*ur- 
 cliased," said Cipriani, " so many fowls, so much 
 butter, bread, meat, and divers other articles of 
 food daily for some months ; and I have to thank 
 your chef d'ttat major, Colonel Reade, for his 
 goodness in not only procuring me many things 
 that I wanted, but for his kindness in seeing that 
 the people did not impose upon me when I was 
 paying for them." Sir Hudson was a little dis- 
 concerted at this reply at first ; but afterwards 
 resuming an appearance of astonishment, asked, 
 " why do you buy so much butter, or so many 
 fowls ?" " Because," replied Cipriani, " the allow- 
 ance granted by vostra eccellenza does not give us 
 enough to eat. You have taken off nearly half of 
 what the admiral allowed us." Cipriani then gave
 
 300 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 him an account in detail of their wants ; explained 
 the difference between the French and English 
 mode of living, and accounted satisfactorily for 
 every thing. Sir Hudson said, that the scheme 
 of allowances had been hastily made out ; that he 
 would look into it, and endeavour to increase the 
 quantity of those articles of provisions of which 
 they Stood most in need ; and that on the next 
 iirrival. from England he expected a change for 
 the better. 
 
 31 st. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me at six in 
 the morning. Soon after my arrival he called me 
 into a private room, and in a very solemn manner 
 said, ti;at he had sent for me about a very extraor- 
 dinary circumstance ; that last evening the Baron 
 Stunner had written a note to Major Gorrequer, 
 stating that General Bonaparte had had a fainting 
 fit, accompanied by fever ! some time back, and 
 detailing the fact Of the eau de Cologne having 
 been thrown in his fa'be, and some other circum- 
 stances, and begging to know if it were true, as 
 such stories were good to send to his court. His 
 excellency said, that he was very much surprised 
 how Baron Stunner could know that General Bo- 
 naparte had experienced a fit, or any of the cir- 
 cumstances attending it ; and asked me to whom 
 I had told it ? I replied, " I mentioned it to none 
 but yourself, your staff, possibly the admiral, and 
 Baxter, whom I consulted professionally upon the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 301 
 
 matter ; that moreover many of the circumstances 
 detailed in the Baron's letter were falsehoods; also 
 that every body at Longwood knew that Napoleon 
 had had a fainting fit on the night he had men- 
 tioned, as well as the circumstances which accom- 
 panied it." His excellency then gave me some ad- 
 vice about the necessity of secrecy, and desired me 
 to write him a statement of the business, in order 
 that, as it had unfortunately got abroad, he might 
 be able to contradict any incorrect account of it ; 
 he supposed the admiral had repeated it to Mont- 
 el icnu or Stunner. 
 
 Saw the admiral in town, who told me that I 
 had not mentioned the circumstance to him, nor 
 had he done so either to Montchenu or Stunner ; 
 but that half the town knew it, which I was soon 
 convinced of by the number of questions put to 
 me by divers persons before leaving it. 
 
 Saw Napoleon on my return. " Veramente" 
 said he, laughing, " vostro governatore e una bcstia 
 che non ha senso commune. His conduct within a 
 few days has proved his incapacity more than 
 ever. He comes up here with an army of staff, 
 just as if he were going to take a town by assault, 
 seizes Las Cases, drags him away, keeps him au 
 secret for some weeks; he then offers to allow him 
 to return back. Las Cases is determined to go 
 away. This governor in a most brutal manner re- 
 fuses to allow him to take leave of me, although
 
 302 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 at the same time he offers to allow him to return 
 to Longwood until he hears from England ; and, 
 to crown the business, he permits Bertrand and 
 Gourgaud to go down and converse with him for 
 hours. Bertrand tells me that they had every 
 opportunity for communication that they could 
 desire, and every facility of informing him of my 
 wishes, and of giving him letters. Ah," continued 
 he, " if all in England were like him, I should not 
 be here now. C*est un homme borntf, a poor sub- 
 ject. He has a little cunning, and that is all, with- 
 out any firmness or consistency. He spoke to 
 Cipriani yesterday, to whom he pretended that he 
 did not know we had not enough of provisions, 
 (although his privy counsellor Reade has assisted 
 Cipriani to buy bread and salt for us for some 
 months) and professed his sorrow that the plate 
 had been broken up. Veramente fa pietd to see a 
 great nation represented by such a man." 
 
 Jan. 1st, 1817. Saw Napoleon in the drawing- 
 room. Wished him a happy new year. He said 
 he hoped that the succeeding one would find him 
 better situated ; and added, laughing, " perhaps I 
 shall be dead, which will be much better. Worse 
 than this cannot be." He was in very good spirits, 
 spoke about hunting the stag and the wild boar. 
 Shewed me the scar of a wound in the inside of 
 the ring-finger, which he told me he had received 
 from a wild boar while hunting, accompanied by
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 303 
 
 the Duke of Dalinatia. Count Montholon came 
 in, to whom Napoleon whispered something- ; after 
 which he went out, and returned with a snuff-box, 
 which he gave to the emperor, who presented it 
 to me with his own hands, saying 1 , " here, doctor, 
 is a present I make to you for the attention which 
 you manifested towards me during- my illness." 
 It is needless to say that a gift from the hands of 
 such a man was received with sensations of pride, 
 and that I endeavoured to express the sentiments 
 which occupied my mind. 
 
 Napoleon also made some elegant presents to 
 the Countesses Bertram! and Montholon, consist- 
 ing of some of the beautiful porcelain, unique in 
 the world, presented to him by the city of Paris, 
 with some handsome crapes ; to Count Bertrand, 
 a fine set of chess-men ; to Count Montholon, a 
 handsome ornament, &c. All the children also 
 were gratified with some elegant gift from him. 
 The weather was so bad and so foggy, that the 
 signal from Deadwood could not be discerned. 
 
 2wrf. Cipriani in town buying provisions. 
 
 3rd. Napoleon had been ill during the nig'ht ; 
 but felt better. In pretty good spirits. After 
 some conversation, I asked his opinion about 
 Georges. " Georges," said he, " was uha best i a 
 ignorante. He had courage, and that was all. 
 After the peace with the Chouans I endeavoured 
 to gain him over, as then he would have been
 
 304 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 useful to me, and I was anxious to calm all parties. 
 I sent for and spoke to him for a long time. His 
 father was a miller, and he was an ignorant fellow 
 himself. I asked him, ' why do you want to re- 
 store those Bourbons ? If even you were to suc- 
 ceed in placing them upon the throne, you would 
 still be only a miller's son in their eyes. They 
 would hold you in contempt, because you are not 
 of noble birth.' But I found that he had no heart ; 
 in fact, that he was not a Frenchman. A few 
 days after he went over to London." 
 
 4th. The Spey man of war arrived, and brought 
 the news of the destruction of the Algerine ships, 
 and the treaty which they had been obliged to 
 make. 
 
 5th. Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood. Had 
 a long conversation with him concerning the re- 
 strictions. His excellency said that he had no 
 objection to allow General Bonaparte to ride to 
 the left of Hut's Gate, in the direction of Miss 
 Mason's ; but that he did not like to grant the 
 same permission to his attendants. I observed, 
 that it would be difficult to draw such a line of 
 distinction, as Napoleon never rode out without 
 being accompanied by two or three of them. 
 Sir Hudson Lowe replied, that he had no objec- 
 tion to their being permitted to ride in that direc- 
 tion when in company with General Bonaparte; 
 but without him, he would not grant it. He then
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 305 
 
 desired me to tell General Bonaparte that he 
 might ride in that direction, whenever he pleased, 
 that there would be no impediment to his going. 
 I observed that he had better make Count Ber- 
 trand acquainted with it : and also that some no- 
 tice ought to be given to the sentinel at Hut's Gate, 
 otherwise he would stop him if he attempted to 
 avail himself of the permission. Sir Hudson Lowe 
 replied that the sentinel had no orders to stop him. 
 I said that Generals Montholon and Gourgaud 
 had been stopped several times when going to the 
 alarm-house, although within the limits. The go- 
 vernor replied that this must be a mistake, as the 
 sentinels had no orders to stop them. I observed, 
 that I had been twice stopped myself by the sen- 
 tinels in that spot. " How can that be," said Sir 
 Hudson, " as the sentinels have orders only to stop 
 French people ?" I answered, that the sentinel had 
 said, that he had orders to stop all suspicious peo- 
 ple ; and that conceiving me to be one, he had 
 stopped me, for which I could not blame him. 
 His excellency laughed at this, then observed that 
 he would not enlarge the limits, that they were 
 fixed ; but that he would give General Bonaparte 
 leave to extend his rides in different directions, 
 and ordered me to tell him, " that he might ride 
 within the old limits unaccompanied, that no im- 
 pediment would be opposed." 
 
 Saw Napoleon shortly after, to whom I con- 
 
 VOL. i. 2 R
 
 306 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 veyed his excellency's message. He asked me if 
 the picquets had been placed upon the hills as 
 formerly, when he used to ride in that direction. 
 I replied, that I had not observed them. He took 
 out his glass and looked towards the spot for a 
 moment. 
 
 Informed Napoleon of the Algerine affair, and 
 gave him a paper which contained the official 
 detail. After reading it he professed great plea- 
 sure that those barbarians had been chastised, 
 but observed that the victory we had gained did 
 not alter his opinion, as to the best mode of acting 
 with them. " You might," said he, " have settled 
 it equally well by a blockade. It no doubt re- 
 flects great credit upon the English sailors for 
 their bravery and skill ; yet still I think that it 
 was hazarding too much. To be sure, you ef- 
 fected a great deal, and got away, because your 
 seamen are so good ; but that is an additional 
 reason why you should not run the risk of sacri- 
 ficing them against such canaille. There are no 
 other seamen (except the Americans,) who would 
 have done what yours have effected, or perhaps 
 have attempted it. Notwithstanding this, and that 
 you have succeeded, it was madness and an abuse 
 of the navy, to attack batteries elevated above 
 your ships, which you could not injure; to en- 
 gage red hot balls and shells, and run the hazard of 
 losing a fleet, and so many brave seamen against
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 307 
 
 such canaille ; independent of the disgrace which 
 it would have been to England to be beaten by 
 the barbarians, which ought to have been the case. 
 If the Algerines had fired upon you in coming 
 down, instead of, like imbeciles, allowing you to 
 take up your position, quietly, and anchor, as if 
 you were going to a review, you would not have 
 succeeded. Suppose the Dey of Algiers had re- 
 fused to agree to Lord Exmouth's terms the next 
 day, what could he have done? Nothing. De- 
 pend upon it, he never would have gone in to at- 
 tack them a second time with disabled ships, and 
 powder deficient. He would have been obliged 
 to withdraw his fleet, and it would have been a 
 slap in the face for England. Moreover you have 
 taught those wretches what they wanted for the 
 defence of the place." 
 
 " If you have struck terror into them, and that 
 the terms you have made," continued he, " be 
 strictly adhered to for the future, you have done 
 a great benefit to humanity, as well as having 
 shewn much maritime skill and bravery ; but I do 
 not believe that the Algerines will adhere to the 
 stipulation that prisoners are not to be made 
 slaves. I fear that they will be worse treated 
 than they were before, in consequence of those 
 barbarians not having any hope of ransom ; which 
 was the only reason they spared the lives of their 
 captives. But now, having lost the hope of mak-
 
 308 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ing money by them, they will massacre and throw 
 them overboard, or else mutilate them horribly; 
 for you know that they conceive it to be a merito- 
 rious action to destroy heretics." 
 
 He spoke in very high terms of Lord Nelson, 
 and indeed attempted to palliate that only stigma 
 to his memory, the execution of Caraccioli ; which 
 he attributed entirely to his having been deceived 
 by that wicked woman, Queen Caroline, through 
 Lady Hamilton, and to the influence which the 
 latter had over him. 
 
 While conversing with Napoleon, General Gour- 
 gaud sent in his name and entered. He commu- 
 nicated some information rather in discordance 
 with the message which the governor had directed 
 me to deliver. It appeared, that while taking a 
 ride within the limits, he was stopped about five 
 o'clock, p. m. by the sentinel at Hut's Gate, and 
 detained, until released .by the Serjeant com- 
 manding the guard. He added, that almost every 
 time he went out, the same thing occurred, the 
 sentinels wishing to screen themselves from any 
 responsibility. 
 
 6th. Communicated this to Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 and brought him a letter from Captain Poppleton 
 on the subject. His excellency denied that the 
 sentinels had ever received any new orders ; and 
 that it was the fault of the sentinel. 
 
 Cipriani informed me that Pozzo di Borgo was
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 309 
 
 the son of a shepherd in Corsica, who used to 
 bring eggs, milk, and butter to the Bonaparte fa- 
 mily. Being a smart boy, he was noticed by Ma- 
 dame Mere, who paid for his schooling. After- 
 wards, through the interest of the family, he was 
 chosen deputy to the legislative body, as their 
 sons were too young to be elected. He- returned 
 to Corsica as procurators generale, where he united 
 himself with Peraldi, an implacable enemy of the. 
 Bonapartes, and consequently became one him- 
 self. 
 
 By the same authority I was informed that 
 Masseria, on his arrival at Paris in order to obtain 
 an interview with Napoleon, had applied to him, 
 (Cipriani), for advice how to accomplish this ob- 
 ject, stating that he intended to apply to the Arch 
 Chancellor. Cipriani advised him by no means 
 to do so, as possibly he might be arrested and 
 tried, (being an emigrant,) in which case he must 
 be condemned to death ; but to apply to Ma- 
 dame Mere, to whom he was known. Masseria 
 followed his advice, and succeeded in obtaining 
 an interview, although he failed in the attempt to 
 open a negociation. In a subsequent endeavour to 
 obtain another, he received a hint to quit France. 
 
 On making inquiry at Hut's Gate, the serjeant 
 commanding the guard shewed a scrap of paper 
 containing the orders to the sentinels, which were
 
 310 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 " that none of the French, not even Bonaparte 
 himself, were to be permitted to pass that post, 
 unless accompanied by a British officer." The 
 serjeant also said, what indeed was notorious, that 
 Sir Hudson Lowe frequently gave verbal orders 
 himself, not only to the non-commissioned officers 
 of the guard, but sometimes to the sentinels them- 
 selves. That those orders might be written down 
 afterwards, or they might not. 
 
 Dined with Sir Pulteney Malcolm in town. 
 
 7th. Napoleon did not retire to rest until three 
 in the morning, having been employed dictating 
 and writing until that hour. He got up again at 
 five, and went into a warm bath. Eat nothing 
 until seven in the evening, and went to bed before 
 eight. 
 
 8th. Had some farther conversation concern- 
 ing the Algerine business. Asked him if it were 
 true that Desaix had, a little before his death, sent 
 a message of the following purport to him. "Tell 
 the first consul that I regret dying before I have 
 done sufficient to make my name known to pos- 
 terity." Napoleon replied, " it was true," and ac- 
 companied it with -some warm eulogiurns on De- 
 saix. He breakfasted this morning in the English 
 manner, upon a little toast and tea. Weather so 
 foggy that signals could not be passed. 
 
 Wth. Sir Pulteney Malcolm, accompanied by
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 311 
 
 Captains Meynel and Wauchope, II. N., came 
 to Longwood, and had an interview with Napo- 
 leon. He recounted to the admiral a sketch of his 
 life. 
 
 Went to town, and applied to Sir Thomas 
 Reade that permission might be granted to the 
 French to purchase two cows, that a little good 
 milk might be provided for the establishment. 
 
 The fog so thick, and the weather so bad, that 
 the signal of all's well could not be seen. Order- 
 lies sent to acquaint the governor and admiral. 
 
 \lth. Weather still very bad. 
 
 12M. Saw Napoleon in his dressing-room 
 Gave him a newspaper of the 3rd of October, 
 1816. Had some conversation with him relative 
 to Chateaubriand, Sir Robert Wilson, &c. I ob- 
 served, that some persons were surprised that he 
 had never written, or caused to be written, an an- 
 swer to Sir Robert Wilson's work, and to others 
 containing similar assertions. He replied, that 
 it was unnecessary ; that they would fall to the 
 ground of themselves ; that Sir Robert had al- 
 ready contradicted it, by the answer which he had 
 given in his interrogation, when tried in Paris for 
 having assisted Lavalette in his escape ; and that 
 he was convinced Wilson was now sorry for hav- 
 ing published what he then had been led to believe 
 was true. That moreover the English, who re-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 turned from their travels in France, would return 
 undeceived as to his character, and would unde- 
 ceive their countrymen. 
 
 I asked if he had not been very thin when he 
 was in Egypt. He answered, that he was at that 
 time extremely thin, although possessed of a 
 strong and robust constitution. That he had sup- 
 ported what would have killed most other men. 
 After his thirty-sixth year he began to grow fat. 
 
 He told me that he had frequently laboured in 
 state affairs for fifteen hours, without a moment's 
 cessation, or even having taken any nourishment. 
 On one occasion, he had continued at his labours 
 for three days and nights without lying down to 
 sleep. 
 
 When Napoleon was rising up from table this 
 day, and in the act of taking his hat off the side- 
 board., a large rat sprang out of it, and ran be- 
 tween his legs to the surprise of those present. 
 
 13th. Made inquiries from the purveyor if 
 credit were given to the establishment on any 
 articles allowed them by government during the 
 week, which had not been consumed, and whe- 
 ther they might be permitted to appropriate the 
 value of such articles as had not been used, to 
 increase the allowance of others, of which they had 
 not a sufficient quantity ; or whether the savings 
 so made, were to be credited to government ?
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 313 
 
 The reply was, "any saving made by the establish- 
 ment upon the English confectionary allowed to 
 them, may be carried to increase the quantity of 
 vegetables allowed ', but all and every other saving 
 is to be credited to government, and not to the 
 French. That some weeks back, no saving of any 
 description was permitted to be appropriated to 
 increase the allowances in which there might be a 
 deficiency ; but after several representations had 
 been made by me during Napoleon's illness, of. 
 the deficiency of vegetables, Sir Hudson Lowe 
 had directed, that the value of the confectionary 
 not H-sed by them,* might be carried over to in- 
 crease the allowance of provisions ; that a very 
 severe reprimand had been given to the purveyors, 
 in a letter from Major Gorrequer, for having cre- 
 dited the value of the fruit allowed (when none 
 was to be procured on the island), to increase the 
 quantity of vegetables, accompanied by a strict 
 order never to repeat it." 
 
 \.4th. Made inquiries from Brigade Major Har- 
 rison, who was stationed at Hut's Gate, if any 
 alteration had been made in the orders, so as to 
 allow Napoleon to pass the picquet at that gate, 
 and to go round by Miss Mason's and Woody 
 Range, unaccompanied by a British officer ? Major 
 
 * The French rarely used any of the confectionary sent from Eng- 
 lanfl, as Pieron, the ehrf d' office, was very superior in *his art. 
 VOL. I. 2s
 
 314 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Harrison replied, that no change of orders to that 
 effect had been given, and that if he attempted to 
 pass he would be stopped by the sentinels. He 
 added, that General Gourgaud had asked him the 
 same question yesterday, to whom he had returned 
 a similar answer. Cipriani in town purchasing 
 sheep. 
 
 15th. Saw Napoleon in his bath. He was ra- 
 ther low spirited and thoughtful. Made some 
 observations about the governor's not having kept 
 his word relative to the proposed intermediation 
 through the medium of the admiral. 
 
 17 th. Madame Bertrand delivered of a fine 
 boy, at half-past four o'clock. Her accouche- 
 ment was followed by some dangerous symp- 
 toms. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe came up to Longwood, and 
 asked me, " if I had had any conversation with Na- 
 poleon touching the admiral since he had seen me ?" 
 I replied, that he " appeared much surprised that 
 he (the governor) had not cicted upon the proposed 
 intermediation by means of the admiral." Sir 
 Hudson Lowe observed "that he had considered 
 the negotiation to be broken off, by General Bo- 
 naparte's having sent to him a number of stric- 
 tures upon the restrictions of October last, written 
 in a violent manner, and containing falsehoods ; 
 and by the tenor of the remarks written upon 
 the back of the answer delivered by him. to the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 315 
 
 original proposition. That he was ignorant whe- 
 ther they intended those remarks for his perusal, 
 or to be sent to England. That the frequent use 
 of the word" ' emperor* in the strictures written 
 by Count Bertrand, was sufficient for him to break 
 off the affair." I replied, that the strictures had 
 merely been sent by Napoleon for his own consi- 
 deration. His excellency then began to inveigh 
 against Count Las Cases, whom he accused of 
 " having been the cause of much mischief between 
 Bonaparte and himself; said he had asserted in 
 his journal, that Bonaparte had declared, that 
 he abhorred the sight of the British uniform, or 
 of a British officer ; that he held both in abomi- 
 nation ; and that I had better take an opportunity 
 to tell him this, and add, that I had heard him (the 
 governor) say, that he did not believe that he had 
 ever said so." 
 
 Sir Hudson then asked me if " I had informed 
 General Bonaparte, that he was at liberty to ride 
 round by Miss Mason's and Woody Range unac- 
 companied ?" I replied, that I had, but that Ma- 
 jor Harrison had asserted the contrary to Gene- 
 ral Gourgaud and myself. His excellency said, 
 that since that time, permission had been granted, 
 of which he desired me to inform General Bona- 
 parte ; as well as of his reasons for not having gone 
 on any further with the proposed intermediation. 
 Also, " that he daily expected good news from
 
 316 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 England for the French, and hoped he should be 
 permitted by the English government to render 
 their situation more comfortable." 
 
 In the evening, however, his excellency changed 
 his mind, and ordered me " not to communicate 
 any thing to General Bonaparte on the subject of 
 the ricje to the left of Hut's Gate, but to mention 
 every thing else he had directed me. 
 
 18th. Napoleon sent for me. Complained of 
 severe Jieadach, and made many inquiries con- 
 cerning Madame Bertrand, about whose state of 
 health he appeared very anxious. I informed him 
 of the real cause of the unpleasant symptoms 
 which had appeared. 
 
 Acquainted him with the causes which the go- 
 vernor had assigned yesterday, as his reasons 
 for not having proceeded farther in the proposed 
 intermediation, and the other matters that I was 
 directed to tell him. Napoleon replied, " I never 
 intended to break off the negotiation. The ob- 
 servations were sent to him, because he asked 
 for them himself, and desired to know what we 
 complained of. It was never intended as a re- 
 fusal, nor to be sent to England, as it was only 
 a copy of what I once intended to send. I 
 wished," continued he, " to have had the admiral 
 present at any agreement which might be made, in 
 order to be able to call upon him hereafter as a 
 man of honour and an Englishman, to bear wit-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 317 
 
 ness to whatever was agreed upon, that the go- 
 vernor might not be able to change the orders 
 and directions, subsequently deny what had been 
 settled, and then say that he had changed nothing. 
 But this governor never intended to call in the 
 admiral. It was all a trick. ^E un uomo senza 
 fede." I said that the governor had informed me 
 that he had written to England, and daily ex- 
 pected orders to ameliorate his condition. " He 
 has never written for any such thing," replied 
 Napoleon ; " he sees that he has gone too far, 
 and now he awaits the arrival of some ship from 
 England, in order that he may throw the weight 
 and odium of those restrictions upon the minis- 
 ters, and say that he has written and got them 
 taken off. The ministers have merely given him 
 directions to take every precaution to prevent me 
 from escaping; all the rest is discretional. He 
 treats us as if we were so many peasants, or poor 
 simple creatures, who could be duped by his 
 shallow artifices." 
 
 The Adamant arrived from the Cape. A present 
 of some fruit sent by Lady Malcolm to Napoleon, 
 Went to town, and procured some newspapers, 
 which I gave to Napoleon on my return. As- 
 sisted in explaining some of the passages to him. 
 Repeated an anecdote which I had heard about 
 his son, at which he laughed much, appeared 
 entertained, and brightened up. Made me re-
 
 318 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 peat it agairi ; asked about Marie Louise, and de- 
 sired me to endeavour to see all the newspapers 
 that arrived, in order, that if I could not procure 
 the loan of them, I should be able to inform him 
 of any thing they might contain relative to his 
 wife and child. "For," added he, "one reason 
 that this governor does not send up a regular 
 series of papers, is to prevent me from seeing any 
 article which he thinks would give me pleasure, 
 especially such as contain some little information 
 about my son or my wife." 
 
 19 th. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me. Pro- 
 ceeded to Plantation House. Communicated to him 
 Napoleon's reply to the message he had charged 
 me to deliver on the 17th, concealing any offensive 
 epithets, and otherwise moderating the manner. 
 Sir Hudson said, "that he had never asked for the 
 observations on the restrictions. That he believed 
 he had asked what ttyey complained of, and that 
 he was glad to know they had not intended to 
 break off the accommodation by sending them." 
 
 A little afterwards, however, his excellency 
 began to wax warm, and said, " that the per- 
 son who had ordered observations to be written 
 couched in such language, and containing lies, 
 could not be actuated by any conciliatory views, 
 and he should take no positive steps in the mat- 
 ter. That he conceived a person's proposing an- 
 other for a mediator could have no other object
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 319 
 
 in view than to make some concession or apology ; 
 if such were General Bonaparte's views, he (Sir 
 Hudson) should think it advisable to employ one, 
 and not otherwise." He then asked me, "if such 
 were General Bonaparte's intentions ?" I told his 
 excellency, that I could assure him Napoleon 
 had no such intention, nor ever had. Sir Hud- 
 son, after some hazardous assertions relative to 
 Napoleon's motives, got up, walked into another 
 room, from whence he returned with a volume of 
 the Quarterly Review, containing an article on 
 Miot's work upon Egypt, which he put into my 
 hands, and with a triumphant laugh pointed out 
 the following passage, which he desired me to read 
 aloud. " He (Bonaparte) understands enough of 
 mankind to dazzle the weak, to dupe the vain, to 
 overawe the timid, and to make the wicked his in- 
 struments. But of all beyond this, Bonaparte is 
 grossly and brutally ignorant. Of the strength of 
 patriotism, the enthusiasm of virtue, the fortitude 
 of duty, he knows nothing, and can comprehend 
 nothing." During the time I was reading this, 
 his excellency indulged in bursts of laughter. He 
 afterwards made me observe a definition of the 
 word caractere in a posthumous work of Voltaire's, 
 (I think) of which he said General Bonapartf must 
 have been ignorant, or he would not be so fond of 
 using the word. 
 
 Subsequently, Sir Hudson Lowe said that " Ge-
 
 320 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 neral Bonaparte ought to send the admiral to him." 
 I observed that Sir Pulteney Malcolm would not 
 undertake any office of the kind, unless first spoken 
 to and authorized by him (Sir Hudson) to under- 
 take it. That as he had now the complaints of the 
 French in his possession, he might let the admiral 
 know how far he would agree to their demands ; 
 and, by making that officer acquainted with his 
 intentions, the latter would know how to act and 
 what answer to make. Sir Hudson recurred again 
 to the language in which the observations on his 
 restrictions were couched, and after a discussion 
 which continued for some time, gave me a mes- 
 sage similar to that which he had done on 
 the 17th, with the addition, " that at the time foe 
 had foreseen that the request to see Las Cases, 
 which he could not grant, would probably break 
 off the proposed accommodation." He then told 
 me that I might borrow any books I liked in his 
 library, excepting such as flattered Bonaparte too 
 much. Shortly after he gave me Fillet's libel upon 
 England, Miot's Expedition to Egypt, "Amours 
 secretes de Napoleon" &c. I asked him if I might 
 lend Fillet to Napoleon. He said, " yes ^ and 
 tell him that Fillet knows just as much about 
 EngU id as Las Cases." His excellency then 
 took from a siielf a book called " Lcs Imposti-urx 
 insignes, ou Histoires de plusleurs Hommes de neant 
 de ioutes Nations? yui out usurpd la Qualite d'Em-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 321 
 
 pereur, de Roi, et de Prince,"* put it into my hand, 
 and with a peculiar grin, said, " you had better 
 take General Bonaparte this also. Perhaps he 
 may find some characters in it resembling him- 
 self." 
 
 20M/ Cipriani in town, purchasing meat, but- 
 ter, and other necessaries. Sir Thomas Reatle 
 very active in assisting him to procure them. 
 
 21^. Saw Napoleon in the evening. Gave 
 him Fillet's libel, mentioning at the same time, 
 some of the falsehoods contained in it; amongst 
 others the incestuous practices which the wretch 
 who wrote it asserted to be prevalent in England. 
 He appeared surprised and shocked at this, and 
 observed that malice frequently defeated itself. 
 When I mentioned that Fillet had asserted that 
 the French naval officers were more skilful and 
 manoeuvred better than the English, he smiled 
 contemptuously, and observed, " truly, they have 
 proved it by the result of their actions." 
 
 I then told him that I had got a book entitled 
 " Amours secretes de Napoleon Bonaparte" but 
 that it was a foolish work. He laughed, and de- 
 sired me to bring it to him. " It will at least 
 make me laugh," said he. I accordingly brought 
 
 * Famous Impostors, or Histories of many pitiful Wretches of low 
 birth of all Nations, who have usurped the office of Emperor, King, 
 or Prince. 
 
 VOL. I, 2 T
 
 322 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 it. He observed a print in the book which repre- 
 sented him plunging a sword into a balloon, be- 
 cause the manager of it would not let him ascend, 
 and remarked, " It is believed by some that I did 
 what is represented here, and I have heard that it 
 was asserted by persons who knew me well, but 
 it is not true. The circumstance represented real-, 
 ly occurred, but the actor was one of the comlte, 
 a young man of great bravery, of a singular ap- 
 pearance and peculiar manner, always elevated 
 upon his tiptoes, and loving to walk near the 
 brink of precipices." 
 
 Some one came into the room now, to whom 
 he cried " eh bien, voila mes amours secretes" 
 He then ran through the book, read out some 
 parts, laughing very heartily, but observed that it 
 was monstrous silly ; that they had not even de- 
 scribed him to be a wicked man. After having 
 perused a portion of it which I had not read, he 
 shut the book, and returned it, observing that 
 there was not a single word of truth in the anec- 
 dotes ; that even the names of the greatest num- 
 ber of the females mentioned were unknown to 
 him. 
 
 Napoleon sat up until late at night reading Pil- 
 let, and I was informed that he was heard repeat- 
 edly to burst out into loud fits of laughter. 
 
 22wrf. Napoleon employed a considerable por- 
 tion of the day in dictating his memoirs to Counts
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 323 
 
 fiertrand and Montholon in the billiard-room, 
 which he has converted into a cabinet de travail. 
 Occasionally he amuses himself with collecting 
 the balls together and endeavouring to roll them 
 all into the opposite corner-pocket. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe sent me up some coffee for 
 'Napoleon's own use, which he said was of very 
 good quality, and which he strongly recommended. 
 
 23/v/. Napoleon in good spirits. Spoke about 
 Fillet's book. Observed that he had no recollec- 
 tion whatever of such a name. " Probably," said 
 he, " Fillet is some person who has been harshly 
 treated by you in the prison-ships (pontom), and 
 has written in a bad humour and full of malice 
 against the English, which is evidently displayed 
 in his work. There is," continued he, "only one 
 statement in the book which I believe to be cor- 
 rect, viz. that relative to the treatment of the pri- 
 soners in the pontons. It was barbarous on the 
 part of your government to immure a number of 
 poor wretches of soldiers, who had not been ac- 
 customed to the sea, on board of ships so many 
 hours every night, without fresh air. There was 
 something horrid," continued he, " in the treat- 
 ment of the prisoners in England. The very 
 idea of being put on board of a ship, and kept 
 there for several years, has something dreadful in 
 it. Even your seamen hate the idea of being al- 
 ways on board of ships, and run to seek the de-
 
 324 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lights of the shore whenever they can. There was 
 nothing which so much irritated the nations of the 
 continent against you. For your ministers not only 
 heaped Frenchmen in them, but also prisoners of 
 all other nations at war with you. I received so 
 many complaints about the barbarous treatment 
 to which they were subjected in the pontons, a 
 treatment so contrary to that practised in France 
 towards the English, that at last I gave orders 
 that all the English prisoners should be put on 
 board of pontons, which were to be prepared for 
 that purpose, and to be treated precisely as you 
 treated mine in England. Had I remained in 
 France it would have been* carried into execu 
 tion, and would have had a good effect, for I 
 would have given every liberty and facility to the 
 English so confined to vent their complaints, and 
 your ministry would, in spite of themselves, have 
 been obliged to remove the French from the pan - 
 tonS) in order that a similar measure might be 
 adopted towards the English in France.'" 
 
 I observed that the treatment of the French 
 prisoners in England had not been near so bad as 
 was stated by many, especially by Fillet. Na- 
 poleon replied, " I have no doubt that the state- 
 ment is exaggerated ; but still they were treated 
 m a most barbarous and oppressive manner. The 
 mere putting of soldiers on board of ships is of 
 itself cruel. Now, in France, all the English were
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 325 
 
 treated well : at least my intentions towards them 
 were good. Some abuses existed doubtless, as 
 there always will under similar circumstances ; 
 but that was not my fault. Whenever they came 
 to my knowledge, I always punished the guilty. 
 There was Virion ; as soon as I found out his 
 robberies, I gave orders to have him tried, and I 
 would have had him hanged, if, dreading the re- 
 sult, he had not shot himself. Others did the 
 same. It is impossible that any government could 
 have given more lenient directions for the treat- 
 ment of prisoners of war than those which were 
 issued by me ; but I could not help some abuses 
 being practised. I always punished the authors 
 of them when they came to my knowledge. Let 
 the thousands of English prisoners who were in 
 France be asked to state candidly the manner in 
 which they were treated. There are some of them 
 now in this island. When they attempted to 
 escape and were retaken, then indeed they were 
 closely confined ; but never were treated in such a 
 barbarous manner as you treated mine in your 
 pontons. Your ministers made a great noise 
 about my having employed French prisoners who 
 had broken their parole and escaped. But the 
 prisoners of your nation were the first to set the 
 example to escape, and your ministers employ- 
 ed them afterwards. In retaliation, I of course 
 did the same. I published the names of several
 
 326 -\ VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Englishmen who broke their parole previous to 
 the French baving done so, and who were after- 
 wards employed by you ; nay I did more, I 
 made an offer to your ministers to send back all 
 the French prisoners who had violated their pa- 
 role from the beginning of the war, provided they 
 would in like manner send back all the English 
 who had done the like. They, however, refused 
 to consent to this. What more could I do ? 
 Your ministers made a great outcry about the 
 English travellers that I detained in France ; al- 
 though they themselves had set the example, by 
 seizing upon all the French vessels and persons 
 on board of them, upon whom they could lay 
 their hands, either in their harbours, or at sea, 
 before the declaration of war, and before I had 
 detained the English in France. I said then, if 
 you detain my travellers at sea, where you can do 
 what you like, I will detain yours at land, where 
 I am equally powerful. But after this I offered 
 to release all the English I had seized in France 
 before the declaration of war, provided you would 
 in like manner release the French and their pro- 
 perty which you had seized on board of the ships. 
 Your ministers refused." 
 
 "Your ministers," continued he, "never pub- 
 lish all the truth, unless when they cannot avoid 
 it ; or when they know that it will come to the 
 knowledge of the public through .other channels ;
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 327 
 
 in other cases, they turn, disguise, or suppress 
 every thing, as best answers their views." 
 
 I made some observations relative to the ca- 
 lumnious assertions of Fillet, of the general de- 
 pravity alleged by him to exist amongst the Eng- 
 lish ladies, and the horrible assertions he had put 
 forth ; and maintained, that in no country was 
 there less reason for supposing that an improper 
 connexion existed between near relations ; nor 
 in any country were there to be found females 
 more delicate, or more irreproachable in their 
 mode of life ; pointing out to the emperor that it 
 was evident Fillet had kept very low company, by 
 his assertions about sweethearts, which I explain- 
 ed was a word in habitual use only amongst cham- 
 bermaids, low shop-keepers' daughters, and others 
 of a similar rank, although Fillet had the impu- 
 dence to assert that such a term was in familiar 
 use with young ladies of the first respectability. 
 " True," said Napoleon, " I fancy that he never 
 saw any English women on board of his ship, ex- 
 cept puttane of the lowest class. He had," conti- 
 nued he, " a fine opportunity truly of learning the 
 manners and customs of the English, confined as 
 he was on board of a ponton for seven or eight 
 years. He defeated his own intention ; for in 
 some parts he has written so many lies and horrors 
 of the English, that the truth which he has stated 
 in another part will not be credited. His book is
 
 328 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 like those which have described me as a monster 
 delighting in bloodshed, in crimes and atrocities ; 
 that merely to gratify a sanguinary disposition, I 
 drove my carriage over the bodies of the killed and 
 wounded in battle. His book is just as true, and 
 in like manner defeats the intentions of the pub- 
 lisher. I was indeed pleased to see those violent 
 works, as I knew that no person of sense or reason- 
 ing would believe them. Those written with an 
 appearance of moderation and impartiality were 
 the only ones I had to fear." 
 
 I asked the emperor then if he had ever read 
 Miot's history of the expedition to Egypt. " What, 
 the commissary r" replied he. " I believe Las 
 Cases gave me a copy ; moreover it was published 
 in my time." He then desired me to bring the 
 one which I had, that he might compare them. 
 He observed, " Miot was a polisson, whom, to- 
 gether with his brother, I raised from the dirt. 
 He says that I threatened him for writing the 
 book, which is a falsehood. I said to his brother 
 once that he might as well not have published 
 untruths. He was a man who had always fear 
 before his eyes. What does he say about the 
 poisoning affair and the shooting at Jaffa ?" I 
 replied, that as to the poisoning, Miot declared, 
 he could say no more than that such had been 
 the current report ; but that he positively as- 
 serted that he (Napoleon) had caused between
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 329 
 
 three and four thousand Turks to be shot, some 
 days after the capture of Jaffa. Napoleon an- 
 swered, " It is not true that there were so many. 
 I ordered about a thousand or twelve hundred to 
 be shot, which was done. The reason was, that 
 amongst the garrison of Jaffa, a number of Turkish 
 troops were discovered, whom I had taken a short 
 time before at El-Arish, and sent to Bagdat upon 
 their parole not to serve again, or to be found in 
 arms against me for a year. I had caused them 
 to be escorted twelve leagues on their way to 
 Bagdat, by a division of my army. But those 
 Turks, instead of proceeding to Bagdat, threw 
 themselves into Jaffa, defended it to the last, and 
 cost me a number of brave men to take it, whose 
 lives would have been spared, if the others had 
 not reinforced the garrison of Jaffa. Moreover, 
 before 1 attacked the town, I sent them a flag 
 of truce. Immediately afterwards we saw the 
 head of the bearer elevated on a pole over the 
 wall. Now if I had spared them again, and sent 
 them away upon their parole, they would directly 
 have gone to St. Jean d'Acre, where they would 
 have played over again the same scene that they 
 have done at Jaffa. In justice to the lives of my 
 soldiers, as every general ought to consider him- 
 self as their father, and them as his children, I 
 could not allow this. To leave as a guard a por- 
 tion of my army, already small and reduced in 
 VOL. i. 2 u
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 number, in consequence of the breach of faith of 
 those wretches ; was impossible. Indeed, to have 
 acted otherwise than as I did, would probably 
 have caused the destruction of my whole army. 
 I therefore, availing myself of the rights of war, 
 which authorize the putting to death prisoners 
 taken under such circumstances ; independent of 
 the right given to me by having taken the city by 
 assault, and that of retaliation on the Turks, or- 
 dered that the prisoners taken at El-Arish, who, 
 in defiance of their capitulation, had been found 
 bearing arms against me, should be selected out 
 and shot. The rest, amounting to a considerable 
 number, were spared. I would," continued he, " do 
 the same thing again to-morrow, and so would 
 Wellington, or any general commanding an army 
 under similar circumstances." 
 
 " Previous to leaving Jaffa," continued Napo- 
 leon, " and after the greatest number of the sick 
 and wounded had been embarked, it was reported 
 to me that there were some men in the hospital so 
 dangerously ill, as not to be able to be moved. I 
 ordered immediately the chiefs of the medical staff 
 to consult together upon what was best to be done, 
 and to give me their opinion on the subject. Ac- 
 cordingly they met, and found that there were 
 seven or eight men so dangerously ill, that they 
 conceived it impossible for them to recover ; and 
 also that they could not exist twenty-four or
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. .331 
 
 thirty-six hours longer ; that moreover, being af- 
 flicted with the plague, they would spread that 
 complaint amongst all those who approached 
 them. Some of them, who were sensible, perceiv- 
 ing that they were about to be abandoned, de- 
 manded with earnest entreaties to be put to death. 
 Larrey was of opinion that recovery was impos- 
 sible, and that those poor fellows could not exist 
 many hours; but as they might live long enough to 
 be alive when the Turks entered, and experience 
 the dreadful torments which they were accustomed 
 to inflict upon their prisoners, he thought it would 
 be an act of charity to comply with their desires, 
 and accelerate their end by a few hours. Desge- 
 nettes did not approve of this, and replied, that 
 his profession was to cure the sick, and not to des- 
 patch them. Larrey came to me immediately after- 
 wards, informed me of the circumstances, and of 
 what Desgenettes had said ; adding, that perhaps 
 Desgenettes was right. e But,' continued Larrey, 
 ' those men cannot live for more than a few hours, 
 twenty-four, or thirty-six at most ; and if you will 
 leave a rear-guard of cavalry, to stay and protect 
 them from advanced parties, it will be sufficient.* 
 Accordingly I ordered four or five hundred ca- 
 valry to remain behind, and not to quit the place 
 until all were dead. They did remain, and in- 
 formed me that all had expired before they had 
 left the town ; but I have heard since, that Sydney
 
 332 A VOICB FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Smith found one or two alive, when he entered it. 
 This is the truth of the business. Wilson him- 
 self, I dare say, knows now that he was mistaken. 
 Sydney Smith never asserted it. I have no doubt 
 that this story of the poisoning originated in 
 something said by Desgenettes, who was a ba- 
 vard, which was afterwards misconceived or in- 
 correctly repeated. Desgenettes," continued he, 
 " was a good man, and notwithstanding that he 
 had given rise to this story, I was not offended, 
 and had him near my person in different cam- 
 paigns afterwards. Not that I think it would 
 have been a crime, had opium been given to 
 them ; on the contrary, I think it would have 
 been a virtue. To leave a few miserables, who 
 could not recover, in order that they might be 
 massacred by the Turks with the most dreadful 
 tortures, as was their custom, would, I think, have 
 been cruelty. A general ought to act with his 
 soldiers, as he would wish should be done to him- 
 self. Now would not any man under similar cir- 
 cumstances, who had his senses, have preferred 
 dying easily a few hours sooner, rather than ex- 
 pire under the tortures of those barbarians : You 
 have been amongst the Turks, and know what 
 they are; I ask you now to place yourself in the 
 situation of one of those sick men, and that you 
 were asked which you would prefer, to be left to 
 suffer the tortures of those miscreants, or to have
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 333 
 
 opium administered to you ?" I replied, " most 
 undoubtedly I should prefer the latter." " Cer- 
 tainly, so would any man," answered Napoleon : 
 " if my own son, (and I believe I love my son as 
 well as any father does his child,) were in a similar 
 situation with those men, I would advise it to be 
 done ; and if so situated myself, I would insist 
 upon it, if I had sense enough, and strength enough 
 to demand it. But, however, affairs were not so 
 pressing as to prevent me from leaving a party to 
 take care of them, which was done. If I had 
 thought such a measure as that of giving opium 
 necessary, I would have called a council of war, 
 have stated the necessity of it, and have published 
 it in the order of the day. It should have been 
 no secret. Do you think that if I had been ca- 
 pable of secretly poisoning my soldiers, (as do- 
 ing a necessary action secretly would give it the 
 appearance of a crime,) or of such barbarities as 
 driving my carriage over the dead, and the still 
 bleeding bodies of the wounded, that my troops 
 would have fought for me with an enthusiasm and 
 affection without a parallel ? No, no, I never 
 should have done so a second time. Some would 
 have shot me in passing. Even some of the 
 wounded, who had sufficient strength left to pull 
 a trigger, would have despatched me." 
 
 " I never," continued Napoleon, " committed 
 a crime in all my political career. At my last
 
 334 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 hour I can assert that. Had I done so, I should 
 not have been here now. I should have despatched 
 the Bourbons. It only rested with me to give my 
 consent, and they would have ceased to live." 
 
 " I have been accused in like manner," con- 
 tinued the emperor, " of having committed sucli 
 unnecessary crimes as causing Pichegru, Wright, 
 and others to be assassinated. Instead of desiring 
 the death of Wright, I was anxious to bring to 
 light by his testimony, that Pitt had caused as- 
 sassins to be landed in France, purposely and 
 knowingly to murder me. Wright killed himself, 
 probably that he might not compromise his go- 
 vernment. What motive could I have in assassi- 
 nating Pichegru ? A man who was evidently 
 guilty ; against whom every proof was ready. No 
 evidence was wanting against him. His condem- 
 nation was certain. Perhaps I should have par- 
 doned him. If indeed Moreau had been put to 
 death, then people might have said that I had 
 caused his assassination, and with great apparent 
 justice, for he was the only man I had much rea- 
 son to fear ; and until then, he was judged inno- 
 cent. He was ' blue, 1 like me ; Pichegru was 
 1 white* known to be in the pay of England, and 
 his death certain." Here Napoleon described the 
 way in which he had been found, and observed, 
 that the very uncommon mode of his death was a 
 proof that he had not been murdered. " There
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 335 
 
 never has been," continued he, " a man who has 
 arrived to the pitch of power to which I have done, 
 without having been sullied by crimes, except 
 myself. An English lord, a relation of the Duke 
 of Bedford, who dined with me at Elba, told me 
 that it was generally believed in England that the 
 Duke d'Enghien had not been tried, but assassi- 
 nated in prison in the night ; and was surprised 
 when I told him that he had had a regular trial, 
 and that the sentence had been published before 
 execution." 
 
 I now asked if it were true that Talleyrand had 
 retained a letter written by the Duke d'Enghien to 
 him until two days after the duke's execution ? 
 Napoleon's reply was, " It is true ; the duke had 
 written a letter, offering his services, and asking a 
 command in the army from me, which that scele- 
 rato* Talleyrand, did not make known until two 
 days after his execution." I observed that Tal- 
 leyrand, by his culpable concealment of the letter, 
 was virtually guilty of the death of the duke. 
 " Talleyrand," replied Napoleon, " is a briccone, 
 capable of any crime. I," continued he, " caused 
 the Duke d'Enghien to be arrested in consequence 
 of the Bourbons having landed assassins in 
 France to murder me. I was resolved to let 
 them see that the blood of one of their princes 
 should pay for their attempts, and he was accord- 
 
 * Miscreant.
 
 336 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ingly tried for having borne arms against the re- 
 public, found guilty, and shot, according to the 
 existing laws against such a crime. 
 
 " You will never," added Napoleon, " see the 
 truth represented by your ministers, where France 
 is concerned. Your great Lord Chatham said, 
 speaking of your nation, * if we deal fairly or justly 
 witli France, England will not exist for four-and- 
 twenty hours.'" 
 
 After this, I informed the emperor of the mes- 
 sage which Sir Hudson Lowe had directed me to 
 deliver. He replied, " I certainly was very much 
 vexed at the refusal to allow Las Cases to come 
 up, as it was an unnecessary cruelty, a vexatious 
 foolery, particularly when he permitted the French 
 generals to go down and converse with him as long 
 as they liked ; and I may say without a witness 
 having been present ; but I never intended to de- 
 cline the accommodation, on the contrary. As 
 to the observations upon his restrictions, in the 
 last letter he wrote to Bertrand, he mentioned 
 that he should wish to learn any observations we 
 might have to offer on the subject of the restric- 
 tions ; and, in consequence, those remarks were 
 sent to let him know what we thought of his con- 
 duct, he having pretended that nothing had been 
 changed. But he never intended to avail himself 
 of the intermediation of the admiral. What can 
 be expected from a man who gives false orders ?
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 337 
 
 A man who tells you that he has given directions 
 to sentinels and guards which they deny ever hav- 
 ing received ; who says, that we have liberty to 
 pass in certain directions ; and at the same time 
 orders the sentinels to stop all suspicious per- 
 sons. Now, in the name of God, who can be 
 more suspicious to an English sentinel than a 
 Frenchman, and above all, myself? to guard whom 
 is his only business here ; and if he does his duty 
 he will assuredly stop every Frenchman he sees." 
 I could not help laughing heartily at the emperor's 
 manner, in which he joined himself, and repeated. 
 " Un uomo incapace che non ha nessuna fede." 
 After which he desired me to endeavour to pro- 
 cure him a catalogue of the books that were in the 
 public library of James Town, and to bring him 
 as many accounts relative to Egypt and the expe- 
 ditions there, as I could procure. 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe in town, to whom I 
 repeated Napoleon's reply. When I came to that 
 part of it which urged, that in his last letter to 
 Bertrand he had stated, that he would be glad to 
 learn any observations, he interrupted me with 
 " Ay, that I would be glad to enter into any fur- 
 ther explanation. Yes, I recollect that," but he 
 did not seem to like to dwell on the subject, and 
 observed, that it appeared General Bonaparte's 
 answer was the same as before ; and desired me 
 
 VOL. i. 2 x
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to be sure to tell him that Las Cases knew just 
 as much of England as Fillet. 
 
 24th. Cipriani in town, employed as usual, 
 endeavouring to procure some good articles of 
 viands. 
 
 26/k Napoleon went out of the house, (being 
 the first time since the 20th of November last,) to 
 pay a visit to Countess Bertrand, whom he com- 
 plimented much upon her beautiful child. " Sire," 
 said the countess, " I have the honour to present 
 to your majesty le premier Franpais who, since 
 your arrival, has entered Longwood without Lord 
 Bathurst's permission." 
 
 27th. Napoleon in his bath. Complained of 
 headach and loss of sleep, which I imputed to his 
 want of exercise ; and concluded by strongly re- 
 commending him to practise it. He acknowledged 
 the justice of my advice, but did not seem to think 
 that he could follow it. 
 
 Informed him that I had a book containing an 
 account of a society named " Philadelphi," which 
 had been formed against him, and expressed my 
 surprise that he had never fallen by the hands 
 of some conspirators. He replied, " No person 
 knew five minutes before I put it into execution, 
 that I intended to go out, or where I should go. 
 For this reason the conspirators were baffled, as 
 they were ignorant where to lay the scene of their
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 339 
 
 enterprize. Shortly after I was made consul, there 
 was a conspiracy formed against me by about fifty 
 persons, the greatest number of whom had once 
 been very much attached to me, and consisted of 
 officers of the army, men of science, painters, and 
 sculptors. They were all stern republicans, their 
 minds were heated ; each fancied himself a Brutus, 
 and me a tyrant and another Caesar. Amongst 
 them was Arena, a countryman of mine, a repub- 
 lican, and a man who had been much attached to 
 me before ; but thinking me a tyrant, he deter- 
 mined to get rid of me, imagining that by doing 
 so he should render a service to France. There 
 was also one Ceracchi, another Corsican, and a 
 famous sculptor, who, when I was at Milan, had 
 made a statue of me. He too had been greatly 
 attached to me, but being a fanatical republi- 
 can, determined to kill me, for which purpose he 
 came to Paris, and begged to have the honour of 
 making another statue for me, alleging, that the 
 first was not sufficiently well executed for so 
 great a man. Though I then knew nothing of 
 the conspiracy which had been formed, I re- 
 fused to give my consent, as I did not like the 
 trouble of sitting for two or three hours in the 
 same posture for some days, especially as I had 
 sat before to him. This saved my life, his in- 
 tention being to poniard me whilst I was sitting. 
 In the mean time, they had arranged their plans.
 
 340 A VOICK FROM ST. HKLKXA. 
 
 Amongst them there was a captain, who had 
 beten a great admirer of me. This man agreed 
 with the rest that it was necessary to overturn the 
 tyrant, but he would not consent that I should 
 be killed, although he strenuously joined in every 
 thing else. All the others, however, differed with 
 him in opinion, and insisted that it was absolutely 
 necessary to despatch me, as the only means of 
 preventing France from being enslaved. That 
 while I lived there would be no chance of free- 
 dom. This captain, finding that they were de- 
 termined to shed my blood, notwithstanding all his 
 arguments and entreaties, gave information of their 
 names and plans. They were to assassinate me 
 on the first night that I went to the theatre, in the 
 passage as I was returning. Every thing was ar- 
 ranged with the police I went the same evening 
 to the theatre, and actually passed through the 
 conspirators ; some of whom I knew by person, 
 and who were armed with poniards under their 
 cloaks in order to despatch me when I was going 
 out. Shortly after my arrival the police seized them 
 all. They were searched and the poniards found 
 upon them. In France a person cannot be found 
 guilty of a conspiracy to murder, unless the instru- 
 ments of death are found upon him. They were 
 afterwards tried, and some were executed." 
 
 I asked several questions about the infernal-ma- 
 chine transaction. Napoleon replied in the follow-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ing manner. " It was about Christmas time, and 
 great festivities were going on. I was much 
 pressed to go to the opera. I had been greatly 
 occupied with business all the day, and in the 
 evening found myself sleepy and tired. I threw 
 myself on a sofa in my wife's saloon and fell asleep. 
 Josephine carne down some time after, awoke me, 
 and insisted that I should go to the theatre. She 
 was an excellent woman, and wished me to do 
 every thing to ingratiate myself with the people. 
 You know that when women take a thing into 
 their heads, they will go through with it, and you 
 must gratify them. Well, I got up, much against 
 my inclination, and went in my carriage, accom- 
 panied by Lasnes and BessieVes. I was so drowsy 
 that I fell asleep in the coach. I was asleep when 
 the explosion took place, and I recollect, when I 
 awoke, experiencing a sensation as if the vehicle 
 had been raised up, and was passing through a 
 great body of water. The contrivers of this were a 
 man named St. Regent, Imolan, a religious man, 
 who has since gone to America and turned priest, 
 and some others. They procured a cart and a bar- 
 rel resembling that with which water is supplied 
 through the streets of Paris, with this exception, 
 that the barrel was put cross-ways. This he 
 filled with gunpowder, and placed it and himself 
 nearly in the turning of the street through which 
 I was to pass. What saved rne was, that* my
 
 312 A VOICE FROM ST. HELIiNA. 
 
 wife's carriage was the same in appearance as 
 mine, and there was a guard of fifteen men to 
 each. Imolan did not know which I was in, 
 and indeed was not certain that I should be in 
 either of them. In order to ascertain this, he 
 stepped forward to look into the carriage, and as- 
 sure himself of my presence. One of my guards, 
 a great tall strong fellow, impatient and angry at 
 seeing a man stopping up the way and staring into 
 the carriage, rode up, and gave him a kick with 
 his great boot, crying, ' get out of the way, pekin? 
 which knocked him down. Before he could get 
 up, the carriage had passed a little on. Imolan 
 being confused I suppose by his fall, and by his 
 intentions, not perceiving that the carriage had 
 passed, ran to the cart and exploded his machine 
 between the two carriages. It killed the horse of 
 one of my guards and wounded the rider, knocked 
 down several houses, and killed and wounded 
 about forty or fifty baduuds, who were gazing tu 
 see me pass. The police collected together all 
 the remnants of the cart and the machine, and in- 
 vited all the workmen in Paris to come and look 
 at them. The pieces were recognised by several. 
 One said, I made this, another that, and all agreed 
 that they had sold them to two men, who by their 
 accent were Bus Bretons ; but nothing more 
 could be ascertained. Shortly after, the hackney 
 coachmen and others of that description gave a
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. .'U3 
 
 great dinner in the Champs Elysees to Cesar, my 
 coachman, thinking that he had saved my life by 
 his skill and activity at the moment of the explo- 
 sion, which was not the case, for he was drunk at 
 the time. It was the guardsman who saved it by 
 knocking the fellow down. Possibly, my coach- 
 man may have assisted by driving furiously round 
 the corner, as he was drunk and not afraid of any 
 thing. He was so far gone, that he thought the 
 report of the explosion was that of a salute fired 
 in honour of my visit to the theatre. At this din- 
 ner they all took their bottle freely, and drank to 
 Cesar's health. One of them, when he was drunk, 
 said, ' Cesar, I know the men who tried to blow 
 the first consul up the other day. In such a street 
 and such a house (naming them), I saw on that 
 day a cart like a water-cart coming out of a pas- 
 sage, which attracted my attention, as I had never 
 seen one there before. I observed the men and 
 the horse, and should know them again.' The 
 minister of police was sent for, he was interro- 
 gated, and brought them to the house which he 
 had mentioned, where they found the measure 
 with which the conspirators had put the powder 
 into the barrel, with some of the powder still ad- 
 hering to it. A little also was found scattered 
 about. The master of the house, on being ques- 
 tioned, said that there had been people there for 
 some time, whom he took to be smugglers ; that
 
 .344 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLENA. 
 
 on the day in question they had gone out with the 
 cart, which he supposed to contain a loading of 
 smuggled goods. He added, that they were Bas 
 Bretons, and that one of them had the appearance 
 of being master over the other two. Having now 
 a description of their persons, every search was 
 made for them, and St. Regent and Carbon were 
 taken, tried, and executed. It was a singular cir- 
 cumstance, that an inspector of police had noticed 
 the cart standing at the corner of the street for a 
 long time, and had ordered the person who was 
 with it to drive it away ; but he made some excuse, 
 and said that there was plenty of room, and the 
 other seeing what he thought to be a water-cart, 
 with a miserable horse, not worth twenty francs, 
 did not suspect any mischief." 
 
 "At Schoenbrunn," continued the emperor, "I 
 .had a narrow escape. Shortly after the capture 
 of Vienna, I reviewed my troops at Schoenbrunn. 
 A young man about eighteen years of age pre- 
 sented himself to me. He came so close at one 
 time as to touch me, and said that he wanted 
 to speak to me. Berthier, who did not like to see 
 me disturbed then, pushed him to one side, say- 
 ing, ' if you want to say any thing to the emperor, 
 you cannot do it now.' He then called Rapp, 
 who was a German, and said, here is a young 
 man who wishes to speak to the emperor, see what 
 he wants and do not let him annoy the emperor ;'
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 345 
 
 after which he called the young man, and told him 
 that Rapp spoke German, and would answer him. 
 Rapp went up to him, and asked him what he 
 wanted ? He replied, that he had a memorial to 
 give to the emperor. Rapp told him that I was 
 busy, and that he could not speak to me then. He 
 had his hand in his breast all this time, as if he 
 had some paper in it to give to me. Finding that 
 notwithstanding his refusal, he insisted upon seeing 
 me, and was pushing on, Rapp, who is a violent 
 man, gave him a blow of his fist, and knocked 
 him down, or shoved him away to some distance. 
 He came again afterwards, when the troops were 
 passing. Rapp, who watched him, ordered some 
 of the guards to seize and keep him in custody 
 until after the review, and then bring him to his 
 quarters, that he might learn what he com- 
 plained of. The guards observing that he always 
 kept his right hand in his breast, made him draw 
 it out, and examined him. Under his coat they 
 found a knife as long as my arm. When asked 
 what he intended to do with it, he replied instant- 
 ly, * to kill the emperor.' Some short time after- 
 wards he was brought before me. I asked him 
 what he wanted ? He replied, < to kill you.' I 
 asked him what I had done to him to make him 
 desire to take away my life ? He answered, that I 
 had done a great deal of mischief to his country ; 
 that I had desolated and ruined it by the war 
 VOL. i. 2 y
 
 346 A VOICE FROM ST. HELRN'A. 
 
 which I had waged against it. I inquired of him 
 why he did not kill the Emperor of Austria instead 
 of me, as he was the cause of the war and not I ? 
 He replied, ' Oh, he is a blockhead, and if he were 
 killed, another like him would be put upon the 
 throne; but if you were dead, it would not be 
 easy to find such another.' He said that he had 
 been called upon by God to kill me, and quoted 
 Judith and Holofernes. Spoke much about re- 
 ligion, and fancied that he was another Judith and 
 I a Holofernes. He cited several parts of the 
 Testament, which he thought appropriate to his 
 projects. He was the son of a Protestant clergy- 
 man at Erfurth. He had not made his father 
 privy to his design, and had left his house with- 
 out money. I believe that he had sold his watch 
 to purchase the knife with which he intended to 
 kill me. He said that he trusted in God to find 
 him the means to effect it. I called Corvisart, 
 ordered him to feel his pulse, and see if he were 
 mad. He did so, and every thing was calm. I 
 desired him to be taken away and locked up in a 
 room with a gendarme, to have no sort of food 
 for twenty-four hours, but as much cold water as 
 he liked. I wished to give him time to cool and 
 reflect, and then to examine him when his stomach 
 was empty, and at a time when he might not be 
 supposed to be under the influence of any thing 
 that would heat or exalt his imagination. After
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. ,'347 
 
 the twenty-four hours were expired, I sent for him 
 and asked, ' if I were to pardon you, would you 
 make another attempt upon my life ?' He hesi- 
 tated for a long time, and at last, but with great 
 difficulty, said that he would not, as then it would 
 not appear to be the intention of God that he 
 should kill me, otherwise he would have allowed 
 him to have done it at first. I ordered him to be 
 taken away. It was my intention at first to have 
 pardoned him ; but it was represented to me, that 
 his hesitation after twenty-four hours fasting, was 
 a certain sign that his intentions were bad, and that 
 he still intended to assassinate ; that he was an 
 enthusiast, a fanatic, and that it would set a very 
 bad example. Nothing," continued he, " is more 
 dangerous than one of those religious enthusiasts. 
 They always aim either at God or the King. He 
 was left to his fate." 
 
 " Another time," proceeded the emperor, " a 
 letter was sent to me by the King of Saxony, con- 
 taining information that a certain person was to 
 leave Stutgard on a particular day for Paris, 
 where he would probably arrive on a day that was 
 pointed out. That his intentions were to murder 
 me. A minute description of his person was also 
 given. The police took its measures ; and on the 
 day pointed out he arrived. They had him 
 watched. He was seen to enter my chapel, to 
 which I had gone on the celebration of some fes- 

 
 348 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tival. He was arrested and examined. He con- 
 fessed his intentions, and said, that when the peo- 
 ple knelt down, on the elevation of the host, he 
 saw me gazing at the fine women ; at first he in- 
 tended to advance and fire at me (in fact he had 
 advanced near to me at the moment) ; but upon a 
 little reflection, thought that would not be sure 
 enough, and he determined to stab me with a 
 knife which he had brought for that purpose. I 
 did not like to have him executed, and ordered 
 that he should be kept in prison. When I was no 
 longer at the head of affairs, this man, who had 
 been detained in prison for seven months after I 
 left Paris, and ill-treated, I believe, got his liberty. 
 Soon after, he said that his designs were no longer 
 to kill me ; but that he would murder the King 
 of Prussia for having ill-treated the Saxons and 
 Saxony. On my return from Elba I was to be 
 present at the opening of the legislative body, 
 which was to be done with great state and cere- 
 mony. When I went to open the chamber, this 
 same man, who had got in, fell down by some ac- 
 cident, and a parcel, containing some chemical 
 preparation, exploded in his pocket, and wounded 
 him severely. It never has been clearly ascer- 
 tained what his intentions were at this time. It 
 caused great alarm amongst the legislative body, 
 and he was arrested. I have since heard that he 
 threw himself into the Seine."
 
 A VOICE FHOM ST. HKLENA. 349 
 
 I then asked Napoleon if he had really intended 
 to invade England, and if so, what were his plans ? 
 He replied, " I would have headed it myself. I 
 had given orders for two fleets to proceed to the 
 West Indies. Instead of remaining there, they 
 were merely to shew themselves amongst the 
 islands, and return directly to Europe, raise the 
 blockade of Ferrol, take the ships out, proceed to 
 Brest, where there were about forty sail of the 
 line, unite and sail to the channel, where they 
 would not have met with any thing strong enough 
 to engage them, and clear it of all English men- 
 of-war. By false intelligence, adroitly managed, 
 I calculated that you would have sent squadrons 
 to the East and West Indies and Mediterranean 
 in search of my fleets. Before they could return, 
 I would have had the command of the channel for 
 two months, as I should have had about seventy 
 sail of the line, besides frigates. I would have 
 hastened over my flotilla with two hundred thou- 
 sand men, landed as near Chatham as possible, 
 and proceeded direct to London, where I calcu- 
 lated to arrive in four days from the time of my 
 landing. I would have proclaimed a republic, (I 
 was first consul then) the abolition of the nobility 
 and house of peers, the distribution of the pro- 
 perty of such of the latter as opposed me amongst 
 my partizans, liberty, equality, and the sove- 
 reignty of the people. I would have allowed the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 House of Commons to remain ; but would have 
 introduced a great reform. I would have pub- 
 lished a proclamation, declaring that we came 1 as 
 friends to the English, and to free the nation from 
 a corrupt and flagitious aristocracy, and restore 
 a popular form of government, a democracy ; all 
 which would have been confirmed by the conduct 
 of my army, as I would not have allowed the 
 slightest outrage to be committed by my troops. 
 Marauding or ill-treating the inhabitants, or the 
 most trifling infringement of my orders, I would 
 have punished with instant death. I think," con- 
 tinued he, "that with my promises, together with 
 what I would actually have effected, I should have 
 had the support of a great many. In a large city 
 like London, where there are so many canaille and 
 so many disaffected, I should have been joined by 
 a formidable body. I would at the same time have 
 excited an insurrection in Ireland." I observed 
 that his army would have been destroyed piece- 
 meal, that he would have had a million of men in 
 arms against him in a short time ; and moreover, 
 that the English would have burnt London, rather 
 than have suffered it to fall into his hands. " No, 
 no," said Napoleon, " I do not believe it. You 
 are too rich and too fond of money. A nation 
 will not so readily burn its capital. How often 
 have the Parisians sworn to bury themselves un- 
 der the ruins of their capital, rather than suffer it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 351 
 
 to fall into the hands of the enemies of France, 
 and yet twice it has been taken. There is no 
 knowing what would have happened, Mr. Doctor. 
 Neither Pitt, nor you, nor I, could have foretold 
 what would have been the result. The hope of a 
 change for the better, and of a division of property, 
 would have operated wonderfully amongst the 
 canaille, especially that of London. The canaille 
 of all rich nations are nearly alike. I would have 
 made such promises as would have had a great 
 effect. What resistance could an undisciplined 
 army make against mine in a country like Eng- 
 land, abounding in plains ? I considered all you 
 have said ; but I calculated on the effect that 
 would be produced by the possession of a great 
 and rich capital, the bank and all your riches, 
 the ships in the river and at Chatham. I ex- 
 pected that I should have had the command of the 
 Channel for two months, by which I should have 
 had supplies of troops ; and when your fleet came 
 back, they would have found their capital in the 
 hands of an enemy, and their country overwhelmed 
 by my armies. I would have abolished flogging, 
 and promised your seamen every thing ; which 
 would have made a great impression upon their 
 minds. The proclamations stating that we came 
 Only as friends, to relieve the English from an ob- 
 noxious and despotic aristocracy, whose object was 
 to keep the nation eternally at war, in order to en-
 
 352 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 rich themselves and their families with the blood of 
 the people, together with the proclaiming a repub- 
 lic, the abolition of the monarchical government, 
 and the nobility ; the declaration of the forfeiture 
 of the property of such of the latter as should re- 
 sist, and its division amongst the parti zans of the 
 revolution, with a general equalization of property, 
 would have gained me the support of the canaille, 
 and of all the idle, the profligate, and the disaf- 
 fected in the kingdom." 
 
 I took the liberty of stating, that on account of 
 France having been lately revolutionized, there 
 was a great division of opinion amongst the French, 
 and consequently not so strong a national spirit, 
 as was to be found amongst the English. That 
 from the late frequent vicissitudes in France, the 
 people contemplated a change of government with 
 less concern than the English would do ; that if 
 the English were not to burn the capital, as the 
 Russians had done, in all probability they would 
 have defended it street by street, and his army 
 would have met the fate that our's had experi- 
 enced at Rosetta and Buenos Ay res. " I be- 
 lieve," replied the emperor, " that there is more 
 national spirit in England than in France ; but 
 still, I do not think that you would have burned 
 the capital. If, indeed, you had had some weeks* 
 notice given to you, to enable you to remove your 
 riches, ttyen it is possible that it might have been 
 effected; but vou must consider that vou would
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 353 
 
 not have had time sufficient to organize a plan ; 
 besides, Moscow was built of wood, and it was 
 not the inhabitants who set it on fire. They had 
 also time to take their measures. As to defend- 
 ing the town, in the first place I would not have 
 been l>ete enough to have acted as you did at Ro- 
 setta ; for, before you would have had time to 
 arrange your defence, I should have been at y out- 
 doors, and the terror of such an army would 
 have paralyzed your exertions. I tell you, sigtwr 
 dottore" continued the emperor, "that much can 
 be said on both sides. Having the capital, the 
 capital," repeated he, " in my hands, would have 
 produced a wonderful effect." 
 
 " After the treaty of Amiens," said Napoleon, 
 " I would also have made a good peace with 
 England. Whatever your ministers may say, I 
 was always ready to conclude a peace upon terms 
 equally advantageous to both. I proposed to 
 form a commercial treaty, by which, for a million 
 of English manufactured or colonial produce taken 
 by France, England should take the value of a 
 million of French goods in return. This was 
 thought a heinous crime by your ministers, who 
 reprobated in the most violent manner my pre- 
 sumption in having made such a proposal. I 
 would both have made and have kept a fair peace ; 
 but your ministers always refused to make one on 
 equal terms, and then wished to persuade the 
 
 VOL. i. 2 z
 
 354 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 world that I was the violator of the treaty of 
 Amiens." 
 
 I asked who were the persons that had em- 
 ployed the contrivers of the infernal machine. " It 
 is certain," replied Napoleon, " that they were em- 
 ployed by the Count d' * * * *, and sent over by 
 Pitt in English ships, and furnished with Eng- 
 lish money. Although your * * * did not actually 
 suborn them, they knew what they were going to 
 execute, and furnished them with the means. I 
 do not believe," continued he, " that Louis was 
 privy to it." 
 
 I ventured to ask if he had aimed at universal 
 dominion. " No," replied Napoleon ; " my inten- 
 tion was to make France greater than any other 
 nation ; but universal dominion I did not aim at. 
 For example, it was not my intention to have 
 passed the Alps. I purposed, when I had a se- 
 cond son, which I had reason to hope for, to have 
 made him king of Italy, with Rome for his capital, 
 uniting all Italy, Naples, and Sicily into one king- 
 dom, and putting Murat out of Naples." I asked 
 if he would have given another kingdom to Murat. 
 " Oh," replied he, " that would have been easily 
 settled." 
 
 " If," said he, " I were at the head of affairs in 
 England, I would devise some means of paying 
 off the national debt. I would appropriate to that 
 purpose the whole of the church livings, except a
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 355 
 
 tentn, (always excepting those whose incomes 
 were moderate) in a manner that the salary of the 
 highest amongst the clergy should not exceed 
 eight hundred or a thousand a year. What bu- 
 siness have those priests with such enormous 
 incomes ? They should follow the directions of 
 Jesus Christ, who ordered that, as pastors to the 
 people, they should set an example of moderation, 
 humanity, virtue, and poverty, instead of wallow- 
 ing in riches, luxury, and sloth. In Cambray, be- 
 fore the revolution, two thirds of all lands belong- 
 ed to the church, and a fourth in most other pro- 
 vinces of France. I would appropriate to a simi- 
 lar purpose all sinecures, except those enjoyed by 
 men who had rendered most eminent services to 
 the state ; and, indeed, even those might be re- 
 warded by giving them some office, in which they 
 would be obliged to do something. If you eman- 
 cipated the Catholics, they would readily pay an 
 immense sum towards liquidating the nation's 
 debt. I cannot conceive," continued he, "why 
 your ministers have not emancipated them. At 
 the time that all nations are emerging from illibe- 
 rality and intolerance, you retain your disgraceful 
 laws which are only worthy of two or three cen- 
 turies back. When the Catholic question was 
 first seriously agitated, I would have given fifty 
 millions to be assured that it would not be grant- 
 ed ; for it would have entirely ruined my projects
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 upon Ireland ; as the Catholics, if you emancipat- 
 ed them, would become as loyal subjects as the 
 Protestants. I would," continued he, " impose a 
 tax of fifty per cent, upon absentees, and perhaps 
 diminish the interest upon the debt." 
 
 I made some observations upon the intolerance 
 which had been manifested on some occasions by 
 the Catholics. 
 
 " The inability to. rise above a certain rank, and 
 to be members of parliament, and other persecu- 
 tions, once removed from your Catholic brethren." 
 replied he, " you will find that they will be no 
 longer intolerant or fanatical. Fanaticism is al- 
 ways the child of persecution. That intolerance 
 which you complain of, is also the result of your 
 oppressive laws. Remove them oiice, and put 
 them on a similar footing with the Protestants, 
 and in a few years you will find the spirit of into- 
 lerance disappear. Do as I did in France with 
 the Protestants." 
 
 "I observed," continued the emperor, " a cir 
 cumstance in a paper two or three days ago, 
 which I cannot believe, viz. that there was a pro- 
 ject in France to make a contract with some 
 English company to furnish iron pipes to supply 
 Paris with water, which had met with the appro- 
 bation of the French government. This, imlwill<-* 
 as I know the Bourbons to be, appears to me not 
 to be credible, as there arc so many thousand
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 manufacturers in France who could execute it 
 equally well. A project so unpopular, and of so 
 destructive a tendency to themselves, could be 
 entertained by none but insane persons. Why, it 
 would excite the rage and hatred of the nation 
 against the Bourbons more than any plan their 
 greatest enemies could suggest, to cause their 
 own ruin, and their expulsion a third time from 
 France. If it takes place and be not followed by 
 some terrible consequences to them," said Napo- 
 leon with energy, " I am a blockhead, and will 
 say that I have always been one. Fifty years 
 ago, it would have produced terrible commotion 
 in France." 
 
 28th. Cipriani in town purchasing necessaries. 
 
 30th. Saw Napoleon in the billiard room. 
 After some expressions of his sentiments upon the 
 hypocrisy of the governor, he directed me to bear 
 the following message to him : " Tell him that in 
 consequence of his conduct in having accepted 
 the proposed intermediation of the admiral, de- 
 claring that he would charge the admiral with it, 
 and afterwards doing nothing, 1 conceive him to 
 be a man senza parola e senza fede.* That he has 
 broken his word with me, broken a compact which 
 is held sacred by robbers and Bedouin Arabs, 
 but not by the agents of the British ministers. 
 Tell him that when a man has lost his word, he 
 
 * Without word and without faith.
 
 .358 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 has lost every thing which distinguishes the man 
 from the brute. Tell him that he has forfeited 
 that distinction, and that I hold him to be infe- 
 rior to the robber of the desert. Independent," 
 continued he, " of his conduct with respect to 
 the admiral, he has broken his word about the 
 limits. He charged you to inform me that we 
 were permitted to ride any where through the old 
 bounds, and specifically named the path by Miss 
 Mason's. Now Gourgaud went a few days ago 
 and asked the question from the major at Hut's 
 Gate, who told him that he could not pass, and 
 that no change had been made in the orders by the 
 governor." 
 
 I now informed the emperor, " that since the 
 time he alluded to, Sir Hudson Lowe had given 
 directions to allow him, (Napoleon,) and any of 
 his suite, to pass by the road leading to Miss Ma- 
 son's, but that they could not pass, unless accom- 
 panied by him." Napoleon replied, " then it is an 
 unjust order, and beyond his power to give. For 
 by the paper which those generals have signed, 
 by order of his government, they bind themselves 
 to undergo such restrictions as it may be thought 
 necessary to impose upon me, and not any more. 
 Now this is a restriction not imposed upon me, 
 and consequently cannot be inflicted upon them, 
 and is illegal." 
 
 Napoleon directed me to say in addition, that
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 359 
 
 he had foreseen all along-, that the governor's hav- 
 ing accepted of the offer for an intermediation by 
 means of the admiral, was a mere trick to gain 
 time, and to prevent a complaint from being sent 
 home by the Orontes frigate. That in consequence 
 of the offer having been accepted by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, Count Bertrand had discontinued writing 
 a complaint, intended to have been submitted to 
 the Prince Regent and the government. That al- 
 though it might have failed in producing any re- 
 dress, still it would be satisfactory to know that 
 the present ill treatment suffered by him, was the 
 act and order of the government, and not that of 
 an inferior officer. 
 
 Went to town to deliver this message. On my 
 arrival found that Sir Hudson Lowe had left it. 
 Conceiving that Napoleon might alter his mind, 
 and finding that the Julia had arrived, bringing 
 news from England, I did not proceed to Planta- 
 tion House. Got some newspapers and returned 
 to Longwood. Found Napoleon in a warm bath. 
 His legs were swelled. On my recommending 
 exercise, he said that he had some idea of asking 
 the admiral to ride out with him, but was afraid 
 that it might get him into a scrape with the go- 
 vernor. 
 
 In one of the papers, there was a report that 
 the sovereignty of Spanish South America had 
 been offered to his brother Joseph. "Joseph,"
 
 ,360 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 said lie, " although he has beaucoup de talent, et 
 d'esprit, is too good a man, and too fond of amuse- 
 ments and literature, to be a king. However, it 
 would be of great advantage to England, as you 
 would have all the commerce of Spanish America. 
 Joseph would not, and indeed could not trade 
 with either France or Spain, for evident reasons ; 
 and South America cannot do without importing 
 immense quantities of European goods. By hav- 
 ing m in your hands, you could always make 
 advantageous terms with Joseph, who loves me 
 sincerely, and would do any thing for me." 
 
 31 st. Went to Plantation House, and made 
 known to Sir Hudson Lowe the message [ was 
 charged with, in as moderate language as circum- 
 stances would admit. His excellency replied, 
 that he did not care what complaints General Bo- 
 naparte sent to England, and that he had already 
 forwarded his observations upon the restrictions, 
 That he had no objection to receive the admiral 
 upon the business, but he expected that he should 
 come to him first and break the matter. I re- 
 marked, that Sir Pulteney Malcolm would cer- 
 tainly not undertake the business, unless first 
 spoken to and authorized by him, (Sir Hudson,) 
 and reminded him, that in the first proposition 
 which had been made for the intervention of the 
 admiral, it was expressly mentioned that the latter 
 should be authorized by the governor to undertake
 
 A VbtCE FROM St. HELENA. 
 
 if. Sir Hudson Lowe denied this. I demanded 
 that a reference should be made to my letter on 
 the subject. On its being produced, Sir Hudson 
 Lowe acknowledged with some expression of dis- 
 content that I was right. I then reminded him 
 that he bad also said, on tlie proposition's having 
 been made to him, that he would speak to the 
 admiral himself about it, previous to his attempt- 
 ing to undertake it. The governor at first denied 
 this, and after a long discussion, determined upon; 
 giving the following reply: " The governor is- 
 etai ployed in writing an answer to the observa- 
 tions of Count Bertrand, and to the paper con- 
 taining the remarks on his answer to the proposi- 
 tion" for the intervention of the admiral ; and also 
 in arranging how far his instructions will permit 
 him to accede to General Bonaparte's wishes. 
 When these are finished, he will send them to 
 Count Bertrand, and then, if any other arrange- 
 ment is deemed necessary, the governor will have 
 no objection to authorize the admiral, or any other 
 person General Bonaparte may think proper, to 
 act "as an intermediator, although the intermedia- 
 tion of any person will have no influence whatso- 
 ever in inducing the governor to grant more or less 
 than he would do of his own free will and judg- 
 ment. This, with the alterations already made 
 in the restrictions, and the general tenor of the 
 observations and remarks received from Long- 7 
 VOL. i. 3 A
 
 362 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 wood, since the governor expressed his readiness 
 to employ an intermediator, and the expectation 
 of an arrival from England, has been the cause of 
 the delay in authorizing the admiral to undertake 
 the office." 
 
 Sir Hudson desired me to shew this to Napo- 
 leon, and at the same time gave me a copy of his 
 own answer to the original proposition, and one of 
 the remarks that had been made upon it by Na- 
 poleon, which, together with the tenor of the ob- 
 servations, he desired me to explain, "were of a 
 nature to induce a belief that a refusal had been 
 intended by General Bonaparte." 
 
 I then repeated to Sir Hudson Lowe the ob- 
 servations made by Napoleon, on the illegality of 
 his attempting to subject the persons of his suite 
 to more restrictions than what were imposed upon 
 himself ; as well as what he had said about Gen. 
 Gourgaud. Sir Hudson replied, " that as gover- 
 nor he had power to grant a favour, and take it 
 away when he pleased ; that if he conceded one 
 to General Bonaparte, it did not follow that he 
 was obliged to grant the same to the rest ; that 
 they had liberty to go away whenever they pleased, 
 if they did not like their treatment, &c." He also 
 desired me to repeat, that the prohibition to speak 
 was an act of civility, or a friendly sort of warn- 
 hig. I remarked, that I did not think Napoleon 
 would avail himself of the indulgence, unless the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 363 
 
 same were granted to all. His excellency replied, 
 " that he could not think of allowing General Bo- 
 naparte's officers to run about the country, telling 
 lies of him (Sir Hudson) as Las Cases and Mon- 
 tholon had done, by having shewn letters to divers 
 persons. That General Bonaparte would be much 
 better, if he had not such liars as Montholon, and 
 such a blubbering, whining son of a b h as Ber- 
 trand about him." 
 
 I said, that Napoleon had also remarked, that 
 it was impossible that all the restrictions could 
 have been imposed m obedience to specific in- 
 structions from the ministers, as he had of his 
 own power taken some of them off, which, had 
 they been ordered by ministers, he could not have 
 done without having first obtained their sanction, 
 for which there had not been yet sufficient time. 
 His excellency appeared to be taken unawares, as 
 he immediately replied, " They were not ordered 
 by ministers ; there were no minute details given, 
 either to me, or to Sir George Cockburn. In fact, 
 it is left entirely to my judgment, and I may take 
 what measures I think proper, and, indeed, do as 
 I like. I have been ordered to take particular 
 care that he does not escape, and to prevent cor- 
 respondence of any kind with him, except through 
 me. The rest is left to myself." 
 
 Admiral and Lady Malcolm, with Captain 
 Meynel, had an interview at Longwood.
 
 364 A VOICK rilOM ST. HELENM. 
 
 ' February 1st. Informed Napoleon of 'what I 
 Jiiid been directed by Sir Hudson Lowe. Shewed 
 him his excellency's answer to the proposition for 
 intermediation, with his remarks opposite to it. 
 * I maintained, and will maintain," replied the 
 emperor, " that his last restrictions are worse 
 than any in force at Botany Bay, because even 
 there, it is not attempted to prohibit people from 
 speaking. It is useless for him to endeavour to 
 persuade us that we have not been ill-treated by 
 him. We are not simpletons, or ordinary people. 
 There is not a free-born man, whose hair would 
 not stand on end with horror, on reading such an 
 atrocious proceeding 1 as that prohibition against 
 speaking. His assertion, that it was intended as 
 civility, is a mockery, and adds irony and insult 
 to injury. I know well, that if he really intended 
 to grant any thing, it is in his power to do so 
 without a mediator. It was a mark of imbecilitv 
 
 w 
 
 in him to have accepted the proposition, but hav- 
 ing once accepted it, he ought not to have broken 
 his word. (liKtlc/ie volta lo credo un boju, c7/V 
 vcnuto per assassinarmi, ma c piutosto mi itotno in- 
 capace, e senza cuore, die non capisce it suo im~ 
 piego?* 
 
 A few days ago, Count Bert rand sent a .sealed 
 
 * Sometimes I believe that he is an executioner, whjo has come to 
 Hssassinate me; but most probably he is a man of incapacity and 
 without heart, who docs not comprehend hi* office.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 365 
 
 letter to Captain Poppieton, directed to Sir Tho- 
 mas Reade. As Captain Poppleton had orders 
 to forward all sealed letters to the governor, he 
 sent it to Plantation House, where it was opened 
 by Sir Hudson Lowe, and found to contain an 
 open letter addressed to Bertrand's father, an- 
 nouncing the accouchement of Countess Bertrand, 
 and a note to Sir Thomas, requesting that it might 
 be forwarded to Europe through the usual chan- 
 nels. In the letter were the words, nous tcrwons 
 a M. de la Touche, &c., to give further information, 
 &c, Sir Hudson Lowe conceived that this meant 
 that they had written, and immediately wrote a 
 letter of reprimand to Count Bertrand, which was 
 despatched in haste by an orderly dragoon. 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe on the hill above Hut^s 
 : Gate, to whom I communicated Napoleon's reply. 
 His excellency repeated, that the prohibition to 
 speak, which had been so much complained of, 
 was not an order, but rather a request, and an in- 
 stance of. civility on his (Sir Hudson's) part,, in 
 order to prevent the necessity which would other- 
 wise exist, of the interference of a British officer. 
 " Did you tell him that ?" said Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 I answered that I had. " Well, what reply did 
 he make ?" I gave his reply, which did not ap- 
 pear to please the governor. I subsequently ac- 
 quainted him that water was so scarce at Long- 
 wood, as to make it sometimes impossible to pro-
 
 366 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 cure a sufficiency for a bath for Napoleon's ust', 
 and that it was generally a matter of great diffi- 
 culty to obtain the necessary quantity. Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe replied, " that he did not know what 
 business General Bonaparte had to stew himself 
 in hot water for so many hours, and so often, at a 
 time when the 53rd regiment could scarcely pro- 
 cure enough of water to cook their victuals." 
 
 Napoleon went down to pay a visit to Count 
 and Countess Bertrand, where he remained nearly 
 two hours. 
 
 2nd. Napoleon in a bath. " This governor," 
 said he, " sent a letter two or three days since to 
 Bertrand, which convinces me, that he is composed 
 of imbecility, incapacity, and a little cunning, but 
 that incapacity prevails. He wrote to Bertrand 
 as one would write to a child of eight or ten 
 years of age, demanding, that if he had sent letters 
 to Europe through any other channel than his, he 
 should let him know by whom ? He does not un- 
 derstand French. It is a delicacy of the French 
 language, that when you write in the present 
 tense, fe'cris, for example, it means that it is your 
 positive intention to write, but that you have not 
 yet done it. It is a delicate mode of expression 
 to juse the present tense instead of the future. If 
 Bertrand had written, fai Jcrit, then, indeed, it 
 would mean that he had positively written ; but 
 the other denotes a firm intention and determina-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 367 
 
 
 
 tion of doing what has not yet been executed. He 
 might be excused for not having known the deli- 
 cacies of a language not his own, if he did not pre- 
 tend to offer remarks upon them. In his situation, 
 he ought to be like a confessor, forget the contents 
 of letters after having perused them." 
 
 " What else but la rage to write and to find 
 fault, could have produced such an epistle to Ber- 
 trand.* I am told that there is a cook here who 
 had formerly served him, who relates, that he was 
 in the habit of going into the kitchen of Plantation 
 House, and telling the cook, ' you shall cut off so 
 much of this meat and stew it, so much more and 
 roast it,' and in a similar manner with every other 
 dish ; and that he was quite at home when he got 
 into the kitchen. Montholon tells me, that a short 
 time ago, when debating about the expenses of the 
 house, he observed that we soiled too many shirts, 
 and that we must not in future shift ourselves so 
 often." 
 
 3rd. Had some conversation with Napoleon 
 relative to the governor's attempt to explain away 
 the prohibition to speak. " I would," said he, 
 
 * Count and Countess Bertrand informed me afterwards, that Sir 
 Thomas Reade had offered his services to the countess for the purpose 
 of forwarding their letters to their friends in Europe through the 
 channel of Lord Bathurst, and had assured them, that sending them 
 to him was precisely the same as if they were transmitted direct to 
 the governor.
 
 S68 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ? give two millions that those restrictions wen* 
 signed by the English ministry, in order to shc\v 
 to Europe, what base, tyrannical, and dishonour- 
 able acts they were capable of, and the manner in 
 which they had fulfilled the promises they had 
 made of treating me well. According to law, this 
 governed has no right to impose any restrictions 
 upon me. The bill, illegal and iniquitous as it is, 
 Says that I shall be subject to such restrictions as 
 the ministers think fit and necessary, but it docs 
 not say that they shall have the power to delegate 
 that authority to any other person. Therefore, 
 every restriction laid upon mc 7 ought not only to 
 be signed by a minister, but, properly speaking, hv 
 all the ministers assembled." 
 
 "It is possible," continued Napoleon, "that part 
 of his bad treatment arises from his imbecility and 
 his fear, for he is a man who has no morale. I'u 
 ]>()> dl scaltrezza-e moUo -imbecillifti.*. It is an 
 injury to his nation, and an indignity and insiil* 
 to the emperor of Austria, to the emperor of Rus- 
 sia, and to all those, sovereigns whom I have con- 
 quered and treated with." 
 
 " I told MiUdi? continued the emperor, "that 
 I had paid your nation a great compliment, and 
 shewed what a high sense I entertained of the 
 JEnglish honour, by giving myself up to them, 
 after so many years' war, in preference to my 
 
 * A little cunning and much imbecility.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 369 
 
 father-in-law, or to my old friend. I told her also 
 that the English would have been my greatest 
 friends, had I remained in France. United, we 
 could have conquered the world. The confidence 
 which I placed in the English shews what an opi- 
 nion I entertained of them, and what steps I would 
 have taken to have rendered such a nation my 
 friends: and I should have succeeded. There 
 is nothing that I would not have sacrificed to 
 have been in friendship with them. They were 
 the only nation I esteemed. As to the Russians, 
 Austrians, and others," said he, with an expres- 
 sion of contempt, " I had no esteem for them. 
 Now I am sorry to see that I erred in opinion. 
 For had I given myself up to the Emperor of 
 Austria, he, however he might differ with me in 
 politics, and think it necessary to dethrone me, 
 would have embraced me closely as a friend, and 
 have treated me with every kindness. So also 
 would my old friend, the Emperor of Russia. 
 This I told Miledi ; also that the treatment of the 
 Calabrese to Murat was humanity compared to 
 it, as the Calabrese soon finished Murat's misery, 
 but here, ils me tuent a coup d'Jpwgles. I think 
 that your own nation will feel very little obliged 
 to this governor for having conferred upon it a 
 dishonour, which will be recorded in history. 
 For you are proud ; and have the honour of your 
 nation more at heart than even your money. Wit- 
 V<OL. i. OB
 
 370 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ness the thousands that your Milords throw away 
 annually in France and in other parts of the con- 
 tinent, to raise and exalt the English name. Many 
 of your nobility and others would voluntarily 
 have subscribed thousands, to have prevented the 
 stigma which this imbecillv has brought upon your 
 nation." 
 
 4th. The scarcity of water at Long-wood has 
 daily increased, and the greatest part of what has 
 been brought up, sour, turbid, and of a very dis- 
 agreeable taste, in consequence of having been 
 conveyed in old wine and rum casks, which ne- 
 cessarily communicate a sour and unpleasant taste 
 to the water. 
 
 5th. A complaint made officially by Captain 
 Poppleton to Colonel Wynyard of the state of the 
 water. Cipriani in town employed as usual. 
 
 ftth. Lady Lowe paid a visit to Countess 
 Bert rand. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe had a long conversation with 
 me relative to Napoleon; the purport of which 
 was, that if he put the limits on their old footing, 
 Napoleon should not make a practice of visiting 
 the houses that were situated in them, and at the 
 same time that he (Napoleon) should not know 
 that any restriction existed to prevent him. In- 
 formed him of some of the sentiments which had 
 been expressed yesterday by Napoleon. His ex- 
 cellency said, that there was a great difference
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 371 
 
 between limits for exercise and limits for corre- 
 spondence and communication ; that if he gave 
 larger limits, they must be subject to the restric- 
 tion of not entering a house, unless accompanied 
 bv a British officer. I observed that there were 
 
 p 
 
 only four houses within the limits of Woody 
 Range. Sir Hudson said, that perhaps it might 
 be settled by his giving General Bonaparte a list 
 of such houses as he would permit him to enter. 
 I informed him that Napoleon had said that 
 if he had a mind to intrigue with the commis- 
 sioners, or with others, he might easily do so by 
 instructing them to meet him within the limits of 
 the alarm-house, which was always in his power 
 to effect ; but that he (Napoleon) would never do 
 any thing which had the appearance of an intrigue. 
 Sir Hudson replied, that " General Bonaparte had 
 never been without intriguing, and never would." 
 He then desired me to say, that he daily expected 
 a ship with fresh orders, and permission to grant 
 an extension of limits. That he should have no 
 objection to allow general Bonaparte to enter 
 into certain houses which he (Sir H.) would point 
 out, nor indeed to send a list of them to Count 
 Bertrand. 
 
 7th. Communicated Sir Hudson Lowe's ideas 
 to Napoleon. " If he were to give me the whole 
 of the island, on condition that I would pledge 
 my word not to attempt an escape," replied he,
 
 372 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 
 
 -" I would not accept of it, because it would be 
 equivalent to the acknowledging myself a prisoner, 
 although at the same time, I would not make the 
 attempt. I am here by force and not by right. If 
 I had been taken at Waterloo, perhaps I might 
 have had no hesitation in accepting it, although 
 even in that case, it would be contraiy to the law 
 of nations, as now there is no war. If they were 
 to offer me permission to reside in England on si- 
 milar conditions, I would refuse it. I do not under- 
 stand what he means by correspondence. What 
 is he afraid of? Perhaps the commissioners. The 
 admiral never was afraid of his conduct being 
 published. I hope," continued Napoleon, " that 
 you told him I said that he had not the right to 
 impose any restrictions, unless they were signed 
 by the ministers." I replied, that I had, and that 
 the governor had said that he had it in his power 
 to impose whatever restrictions he thought neces- 
 sary. " By the bill," replied Napoleon, " he has 
 not the right. By the law of force he can do what 
 he likes, in the same manner as the English parli- 
 ament have passed a bill to legalize illegality, and 
 to authorize a proscription contrary to the laws of 
 nations, to good faith, and to their own honour. 
 But even in that, it is not allowed to delegate the 
 authority." 
 
 After some further observations, Napoleon desir- 
 ed me to communicate to the governor, "that, if lie
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 373 
 
 sent a list to Count Bertrand, or told him that 
 within the limits there were two or more houses 
 which he either suspected or was unwilling that I 
 should visit, I shall not enter either them, or those 
 of the commissioners. If he arranges it in this 
 manner, it will be understood, but if he sent a 
 list of all the houses in the island except one, and 
 specified that I might enter all but that one, I 
 would not accept of it. Whereas, on the con- 
 trary, if he made another list of every house in the 
 island except one, and said that he did not wish 
 me to go into any of those mentioned in that list, 
 and made no observation about the remaining one, I 
 would sooner accept of it than of the first, although 
 I could go only into one house, whereas by the 
 other, I could enter all on the island excepting one. 
 By availing myself of the first, it would appear 
 like visiting by his permission, whereas the other 
 would seem to be voluntary, as in consequence 
 of nothing having been mentioned, it would be 
 left at my option to go in or not. It would be 
 like a free will. Tell him this," continued he ; 
 " although I am sure that it is merely some shuf- 
 fling trick on his part, and will come to nothing." 
 " I think," added Napoleon, " that it is owing 
 to some small remains of the influence of my star, 
 that the English have treated me so ill ; at least 
 that this man whom they have sent out as gover-
 
 37 i A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 nor, has conducted himself in such an * * * man- 
 ner. At least posterity will revenge me." 
 
 The meat has been of so bad a quality for some 
 days, that the orderly officer has thought it in- 
 cumbent upon him to return it, accompanied with 
 official complaints. 
 
 8th. Went to Plantation House, and commu- 
 nicated to Sir Hudson Lowe the purport of the 
 above mentioned conversation. His excellency 
 replied, that by the proposed arrangement, the 
 principal difficulties were removed, and that he 
 would speak to Count Bertrand about it. Cipri- 
 ani in town endeavouring to procure some good 
 meat. 
 
 9th. Scott, the servant, to whom Count Las 
 Cases had given the letter, released from prison 
 under the following conditions, viz. his father to 
 go security for him, and to forfeit 100/. if his son 
 ever went beyond the inclosure of the father's 
 little property. 
 
 10M. Acquainted Napoleon that I had com- 
 municated his desires to Sir Hudson Lowe, who 
 had promised to talk the matter over with Count 
 Bertrand. Napoleon replied, " you may depend 
 upon it that it will end in nothing. It is merely 
 to deceive you. He will act as he has done in that 
 affair with the admiral." 
 
 " Gourgaud," added Napoleon, " is stopped 
 
 .
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 at Hut's Gate every day. The sentinel cries 
 * halt; then the Serjeant comes out, and after a sort 
 of consultation together, says 'pass.' " 
 
 Had some conversation about Alexandria. 
 " Your ministers," said he, " acted most unwise- 
 ly in not having retained possession of Alexan- 
 dria. For if you had kept it then, it would 
 now be an old robbery like Malta, and would 
 have remained with you quietly. Five thousand 
 men would be sufficient to garrison it, and it 
 would pay itself by the great trade you would 
 have in Egypt. You could prohibit the intro- 
 duction of all manufactures except English, and 
 consequently you would have all the commerce 
 of Egypt, as there is no other sea-port town 
 in the country. In my opinion, it would be to 
 you an acquisition far preferable to Gibraltar, or 
 Malta. Egypt once in possession of the French, 
 farewell India to the English. This was one of 
 the grand projects I aimed at. I know not why 
 you set so great a value upon Gibraltar; it is a 
 bad harbour, and costs an enormous sum of mo- 
 ney. From it you cannot prevent a fleet from 
 passing into the Mediterranean. When I was so- 
 vereign of France, I would much rather have seen 
 Gibraltar in your hands, than in those of the 
 Spaniards ; because your having possession of it 
 always fed the hatred of the Spaniards against 
 you." I observed that it had been reported he
 
 376 A VOICE FROM ST. HELKNA. 
 
 had intended to besiege it, and for that purpose 
 had marched a great army into Spain ; although 
 others said that his object was merely to get his 
 troops a footing in that country. He laughed, 
 and said, "C'est vrai. Turkey," added he, "must 
 soon fall, and it will be impossible to divide it 
 without allotting some portion to France, which 
 will be Egypt. But, if you had kept Alexandria, 
 you would have prevented the French from ob- 
 taining it, and of ultimately gaining possession 
 of India, which will certainly follow their posses- 
 sion of Egypt." 
 
 12M. Found Sir Hudson Lowe at Plantation 
 House closeted with Sir Thomas Reade. Had 
 a conversation with him afterwards in the library 
 relative to the proposition which had been made 
 to him on the 8th. His excellency, however, 
 would not understand that the visiting of only 
 such houses into which entrance had not been 
 prohibited by him, and abstaining from entering 
 all which were marked as objectionable in a list 
 made by himself, was in the end precisely the 
 same as the mode which he had suggested of only 
 visiting certain houses that were specifically named 
 in a list. He said, with considerable ill-humour, 
 that General Bonaparte had some design in it, 
 and that he would not grant his consent. I ob- 
 served that it was rather unfortunate that he had 
 desired me to make any proposition on the sub-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST HELENA. o/ / 
 
 ject, us it might afford a foundation for another 
 charge of shuffling. His excellency replied by 
 desiring me to tell General Bonaparte, as he had 
 done on former occasions, that he might consider 
 himself very fortunate in having so good a man to 
 deal with, &c. 
 
 Mrs. and Misses Balcombe arrived at Long- 
 wood. I dined with Napoleon in company with 
 them. He was extremely lively and chatty, and 
 displayed a fund of causer ie rarely to be met with. 
 He instructed Miss Eliza how to play at Billiards. 
 
 In the evening, Napoleon directed me for the 
 future not to bring him any more communications 
 or propositions from Sir Hudson Lowe, without 
 having first asked the latter what the result would 
 be, provided he, (Napoleon,) agreed to them. 
 " C'est un menteur" said he, " un komme cT insinua- 
 tions comme les petits tyrans a" Italic, qui ria rien 
 d? Anglais, et qui a la rage de tourmenter et de tra- 
 casser les gens." 
 
 Application made on the 10th to Sir Hudson 
 Lowe to allow Cipriani to go down into the valley 
 (guarded by a soldier,) to purchase sheep and ve- 
 getables from the farmers, as the meat sent by the 
 government was not eatable. Refused by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe. The daily allowance of meat, ve- 
 getables, wines, &c. being carted up in the sun to 
 Longwood, many of the articles are rendered unfit 
 for use on the road. 
 
 VOL. i. 3 c
 
 378 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 14th. Breakfasted with Napoleon, with whom 
 I had a conversation about Russia. " If Paul had 
 lived," said he, " there would have been a peart 
 with England in a short time, as you would not 
 have been long able to contend with the united 
 northern powers. I wrote to Paul to continue 
 building ships, and to endeavour to unite the north 
 against you ; not to hazard any battles, as the Eng- 
 lish would gain them, but allow you to exhaust 
 yourselves, and by all means to get a large fleet 
 into the Mediterranean." 
 
 Some conversation then took place relative to 
 the manner in which the British ministers had 
 treated him, which he asserted to be much worse 
 than that which had been practised towards Queen 
 Mary. 
 
 " Mary," said he, " was better treated. She 
 was permitted to write to whom she pleased, and 
 she was confined in England, which of itself was 
 every thing ; it appeal's that she was persecuted 
 more on account of her religion by the Puritans, 
 than from any other cause." I observed that 
 Mary was accused of having been an accomplice 
 in the murder of her husband. He replied, "of 
 that there is not the smallest doubt. She even 
 married his murderer afterwards. * * * * em- 
 
 
 
 ploys the murderers of his father. One of them 
 O * * * is now his aid-de-camp. I must, however, 
 do him the justice to say, that at T * * * he ob-
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 served to me that I paid a great deal of atten- 
 tion to B * * * *, and begged to know my rea- 
 sons for it ? I answered, because he is your ge- 
 neral. i CependantJ said * * *, ' cest un vilaln 
 coquin. C'est lui qul a assassine mon pere, and 
 policy alone has obliged, and obliges me to em- 
 ploy him, although I wish him dead, and in a 
 short time will send him about his business,' 
 Alexander and the king of Prussia," continued 
 he, "dined with me every day, and in order to 
 pay a compliment to * * *, I had intended, on the 
 day that this conversation took place, to have 
 asked B * * * * to dinner, as being the commander- 
 in-chief of his army. This displeased * * *, who, 
 although he asked B * * * * to his own table, did 
 not wish me to do so, because it would have raised 
 him so high in the eyes of the Russians. Paul," 
 continued he, "was murdered by B****, O****, 
 P * * *, and others. There was a Cossac, in whom 
 Paul had confidence, stationed at his door. The 
 conspirators came up, and demanded entrance, 
 P * * * told him who he was, and that he wanted 
 to see the emperor upon immediate business. The 
 faithful Cossac refused. The conspirators fell 
 upon him, and after a desperate resistance, over- 
 powered and cut him to pieces. Paul, who was 
 in bed, hearing the noise got out and endeavoured 
 to escape to the empress's apartments. Unluckily 
 for himself, ho, in his suspicions, a day or two be-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. I1KLKNA. 
 
 lore, liad ordered the door of communication to 
 be closed up. He then went and concealed him- 
 self in a press. Meanwhile the conspirators broke 
 open the door, and running to the bed, perceived 
 that there was nobody in it. 'We are lost,' they 
 cried, ' he has escaped.' P * * *, who had more 
 presence of mind than the rest, went .to the bed, 
 and putting- his hands under the bed-clothes said, 
 ' The nest is warm, the bird cannot be far oftV 
 They then began to search, and finally dragged 
 Paul out of his hiding-place. They presented 
 him a paper containing his abdication, which they 
 wanted him to sign. He refused at first, but said 
 that he would abdicate, if they would release him. 
 They then seized and knocked him down, and 
 tried to suffocate him. Paul made a desperate 
 resistance, and, fearful that assistance might arrive, 
 B * * * * despatched him by stamping his heel 
 into his eyes, and thus beating his brains out, 
 while the others held him down. Paul in his 
 struggles for life, once got B * * * *'s heel into his 
 mouth, and bit a piece out of the skin of it." 
 
 I asked him if he thought that Paul had been 
 mad: " Latterly," said Napoleon, "I believe that 
 he was. At first, he was strongly prejudiced 
 against the revolution, and every person concerned 
 in it ; but afterwards I had rendered him reason- 
 able, and had changed his opinions altogether. If 
 Paul had lived, you would have lost India before
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 now. Aii agreement was made between Paul 
 and myself to invade it. I furnished the plan. I 
 was to have sent thirty thousand good troops. 
 He was to send a similar number of the best Rus- 
 sian soldiers, and forty thousand Cossacs. I was 
 to subscribe ten millions, for the purchase of 
 camels and other requisites for crossing the de- 
 sert. The King of Prussia was to have been ap- 
 plied to by both of us to grant a passage for my 
 troops through his dominions, which would have 
 been immediately granted. I had at the same 
 time made a demand to the King of Persia for a 
 passage through his country, which would also 
 have been granted, although the negotiations were 
 not entirely concluded, but would have succeeded, 
 as the Persians were desirous of profiting by it 
 themselves. My troops were to have gone to 
 Warsaw, to be joined by the Russians and Cos- 
 sacs, and to have marched from thence to the 
 Caspian Sea, where they would have either em- 
 barked, or have proceeded by land, according to 
 circumstances. I was beforehand with you, in 
 sending an ambassador to Persia to make interest 
 there. Since that time, your ministers have been 
 imbecilles enough to allow the Russians to get 
 four provinces, which increase their territories 
 beyond the mountains. The first year of war that 
 you will have with the Russians they will take 
 India from you."
 
 .382 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I asked then if it were true that Alexander had 
 intended to have seized upon Turkey ? Napoleon 
 answered, " All his thoughts are directed to the 
 conquest of Turkey. We have had many dis- 
 cussions about it ; at first I was pleased with 
 his proposals, because I thought it would en- 
 lighten the world to drive those brutes, the Turks, 
 out of Europe. But when I reflected upon the 
 consequences, and saw what a tremendous weight 
 of power it would give to Russia, on account 
 of the numbers of Greeks in the Turkish domi- 
 nions who would naturally join the Russians, 
 I refused to consent to it, especially as Alex- 
 ander wanted to get Constantinople, which I 
 would not allow, as it would have destroyed the 
 equilibrium of power in Europe. I reflected that 
 France would gain Egypt, Syria, and the islands, 
 which would have been nothing in comparison 
 with what Russia would have obtained. I con- 
 sidered that the Barbarians of the north were al- 
 ready too powerful, and probably in the course 
 of time would overwhelm all Europe, as I now 
 think they will. Austria already trembles, Rus~ 
 sia and Prussia united, Austria falls, and Eng- 
 land cannot prevent it. France under the pre- 
 sent family is nothing, and the Austrians are so 
 Idches, that they will be easily overpowered. I'na 
 na^ionc n colpn di bastone* They will offer little 
 
 * Means a nation that may l>c ruled with blo-v*.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 383 
 
 resistance to the Russians, who are brave and 
 patient. Russia is the more formidable, because 
 she can never disarm. In Russia, once a soldier, 
 always a soldier. Barbarians, who, one may say, 
 have no country, and to whom every country is 
 better than the one which gave them birth. When 
 the Cossacs entered France, it was indifferent to 
 .them what women they violated, old or young- 
 were alike to them, as any were preferable to those 
 they had left behind. Moreover the Russians are 
 poor, and it is necessary for them to conquer. 
 When I am dead and gone, my memory will be 
 esteemed, and I shall be revered in consequence 
 of having foreseen, and endeavoured to put a stop 
 to, that which will yet take place. It will be re- 
 .vered when the barbarians of the north will pos- 
 sess Europe, which would not have happened, 
 had it not been for you, signori Inglesi" 
 
 Napoleon expressed great anxiety relative to 
 Count Montholon, as the governor had made 
 some insinuations that his removal was in contem- 
 plation. " I should feel," continued he, " the 
 loss of Montholon most sensibly ; as, independent 
 of his attachment to me, he is most useful, and 
 endeavours to anticipate all my wants. I know 
 that it would grieve him much to leave me, 
 though in truth it would render him a great ser- 
 vice if he were removed from this desolate place, 
 and restored to the bosom of his friends, as
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. IIKLR.NA. 
 
 he is. not proscribed, and has nothing to fear in 
 France. Moreover, being of a noble family, he 
 might readily find favour with the Bourbons if hr 
 chose." 
 
 Accompanied Countess Montholon to Planta- 
 tion House, to pay a visit to Lady Lowe. San 
 Sir Hudson, who said that " he would not platv 
 any confidence in the assurances of General Bo- 
 naparte, and was determined that he should not 
 enter any house unaccompanied by a British offi- 
 cer." Some discussion then took place relative 
 to the passes which his excellency had formerly 
 given to persons who were desirous to visit Long- 
 wood. Sir Hudson Lowe wished to persuade 
 me that he had never given a pass for one day 
 only,* and that Major Gorrequer could testify 
 to the truth of that. ' I remarked, that several 
 persons to whom he had granted passes, had 
 shewn them to Count Bertrand at Hut's Gate, and 
 pointed out to him, that on the pass itself the day 
 had been specified, and on that account they had 
 begged of Bertrand to exert himself, to induce 
 Napoleon to see them, as their passes were null 
 after that day. Sir Hudson angrily replied, that 
 '' they were liars" 
 
 Before my departure, Sir Hudson Lowe told 
 me that I might take some of the numbers of 
 
 * This was a matter of public notoriety both at St. Helena rm.l 
 unionist the pasHengers to and from England. 

 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 385 
 
 the Ambigu to Longwood, and shew them to Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte. 
 
 On my return informed Napoleon that I had 
 received some numbers of a periodical work called 
 r Ambigu, which, I added, were extremely abusive 
 of him. He laughed, and said, " children only care 
 for abuse ;" and then desired me to bring them to 
 him. When he saw them, he said, "Ah ! Pelletier. 
 He has been libelling me these twenty years. But 
 I am very glad to get them." 
 
 Countess Montholon, and Mrs. and Miss Bal- 
 coinbe, passed an hour in conversation with Na- 
 poleon after dinner yesterday. 
 
 Cipriani in town, employed as customary. 
 
 17 th. Napoleon observed that he found Pele- 
 tier's Ambigu very interesting, although it con- 
 tained many falsehoods and betises. " I have been 
 reading," continued he, " the account of the battle 
 of Waterloo contained in it, which is nearly correct. 
 1 have been considering who could have been the 
 author. It must have been some person about me. 
 Had it not been for the imbecility of Grouchy," 
 added he, " I should have gained that day.", 
 i I asked if he thought that Grouchy had betrayed 
 him intentionally. " No, no," replied Napoleon, 
 "but there was a want of energy on his part. 
 There was also treason amongst the staff. I be- 
 lieve that some of the staff officers whom I had 
 sent to Grouchy, betrayed me, and went over to 
 
 VOL. i. 3 D
 
 386 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the enemy. Of this, however, I am not certain, as 
 I have never seen Grouchy since. 
 
 I asked if he had thought Marshal Soult to 
 have been in his interest ? Napoleon answered, 
 " certainly, J considered so. But Soult did not 
 betray Louis, as has been supposed, nor was he 
 privy to my return and landing in France. For 
 some days, Soult thought that I was mad, and 
 that I must certainly be lost. Notwithstanding 
 this, appearances were so much against Soult, and 
 without intending it his acts turned out to be so 
 favourable to my projects, that, were I on his jury, 
 and ignorant of what I know, I should condemn 
 him for having betrayed Louis. But he really 
 was not privy to it, although Ney in his defence 
 stated that I told him so. As to the proclamation 
 which Ney said that I had sent to him, it is not 
 true. I sent him nothing but orders. I would 
 have stopped the proclamation, had it been in 
 my power, as it was unworthy of me. Ney was 
 deficient in education, or he would have not pub- 
 lished it, or indeed have acted as he did. For 
 when he promised the king to bring me back in 
 an iron cage, he was sincere, and really meant 
 what he said, and continued so until two days 
 before he actually joined me. He ought to have 
 acted like Oudinot, who asked his troops if they 
 might be depended upon, to which they unami- 
 mously replied, 'We will not fight against the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. '387 
 
 emperor, nor for the Bourbons.' He could not 
 prevent the troops from joining me, nor indeed the 
 peasants, but he went too far." 
 
 " Mouton Duvernet," said he, " suffered un- 
 justly ; at least considering all circumstances, he 
 did not deserve it more than another. He hung 
 upon the flanks of my little army for two days, 
 and his intentions were for the king. But every 
 one joined me. The enthusiasm was astonishing. 
 I might have entered Paris with four hundred 
 thousand men, if I had liked. What is still more 
 surprising, and I believe unparalleled in history 
 is, that it was effected without any conspiracy. 
 There was no plot, no understanding with any of 
 the generals in France. Not one of them knew 
 my intentions. In my proclamations consisted the 
 whole of my conspiracy. With them I effected 
 every thing. With them I led the nation. Not 
 even Massena knew of my intention. When he 
 was informed of my having landed with a few hun- 
 dred men he disbelieved it, and pronounced it im- 
 possible, thinking that if I had entertained such a 
 project I should have made him acquainted with 
 it. The Bourbons want to make it appear that 
 a conspiracy existed in the army, which is the 
 reason they have shot Mouton Duvernet, Ney, 
 and others, because my having effected what I 
 did, not by the aid of^ a conspiracy, or by force, as
 
 338 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 not a musquet was fired, but by the general wish 
 of the nation, reflects such disgrace upon them." 
 
 " There never was yet," continued Napoleon, 
 " a king who was more the sovereign of the peo- 
 ple than I was. If I were not possessed of the 
 smallest talent, I could reign easier in France 
 than Louis and the Bourbons, endowed with the 
 greatest abilities. The mass of the French nation 
 hate the old nobles and the priests. I have not 
 sprung from the ancienne noblesse, nor have I ever 
 too much encouraged the priests. The French 
 nation have predominant in them, la vanita, la leg- 
 gerezza, V independenza, ed il capriccio* with an 
 unconquerable passion for glory. They will as 
 soon do without bread, as without glory; and a 
 proclamation will lead them (les entrainer). Un- 
 like England, where the inhabitants of a whole 
 county may be inflamed by, and will follow the 
 opinion of two or three noble families, they must 
 be themselves courted." 
 
 "Some young and ignorant peasants," continued 
 Napoleon, " who were born since the revolution, 
 were conversing with some older and better in- 
 formed men about the Bourbons. 'Who are those 
 Bourbons ?' said one. * What are they like ?* 
 ' Why,' replied one of the older men, * they are 
 like that old ruined chateau, which you see nrar 
 
 * Vanity, levity, independence, and caprice.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 our village : like it, their time is past and gone, 
 they are no longer of the age.'" 
 
 " The Bourbons will find," added he, " that 
 their caressing the marshals and generals will not 
 answer. They must caress the people. To them 
 they must address themselves. Unless they adopt 
 some measures to render themselves popular, you 
 will see a terrible explosion burst forth in France. 
 The nation will never bear to live debased and 
 humiliated as it is at present. When I hear of a 
 nation living without bread, then I will believe 
 that the French will exist without glory. 
 
 "At Waterloo not a single soldier betrayed me. 
 Whatever treason there was, existed among the 
 generals, and not among the soldiers or the regi- 
 mental officers ; these last were acquainted with 
 each other's sentiments, and purged themselves by 
 turning out such as they suspected." 
 
 " Your nation," continued Napoleon, " is chiefly 
 guided by interest in all its actions. I have found 
 since I have fallen into your hands, that you have 
 no more liberty than other countries. I have paid 
 dearly for the romantic and chivalrous opinion 
 which I had formed of you." 
 
 Here I repeated nearly what I had said upon 
 former occasions. Napoleon shook his head, and 
 replied, " I recollect that Paoli, who was a great 
 friend to your nation, in fact who was almost an 
 Englishman, said, on hearing the English extolled
 
 390 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 as the most generous, the most liberal, and the 
 most unprejudiced nation on earth, ' Softly, you 
 go too far; they are not so generous nor so un- 
 prejudiced as you imagine ; they are very self-in- 
 terested ; they are a nation of merchants, and ge- 
 nerally have gain in view. Whenever they do any 
 thing, they always calculate what profit they shall 
 derive from it. They are the most calculating peo- 
 ple in existence.' This Paoli said, not without at 
 the same time having given you credit for the good 
 national qualities which you really possess. Now 
 1 believe that Paoli was right." 
 
 Napoleon then made some remarks upon Long- 
 wood, expressed his surprise that some person had 
 not made a contract to bring a supply of water to 
 it and to the camp ; stipulating that he should be 
 permitted to establish a garden in the valley, by 
 means of which a sufficiency of vegetables might 
 be produced at a cheap rate, not only for Long- 
 wood and the camp, but also for the .ships. 
 " Here," continued he, " if water were brought by 
 a conduit, Novarre, with the help of two or three 
 Chinese, would produce a sufficiency of the vege- 
 tables which we so much want. How preferable 
 would it be to dispose of the public money in 
 conducting water to those poor soldiers in camp, 
 than in digging of ditches and throwing up for- 
 tifications round this house, just as if an army 
 were coming to attack it. A man who has no
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 391 
 
 regard for his soldiers ought never to have a com- 
 mand. The greatest necessity of the soldier is 
 water." 
 
 Sir Thomas Reade made a long harangue this 
 day upon the " impropriety of allowing Bonaparte 
 any newspapers, unless such as had been previ- 
 ously inspected by the governor." 
 
 18th. Saw Sir Hudson Lowe at Plantation 
 House. Found him busied in examining some 
 newspapers for Longwood, several of which he 
 put aside, as not being, in his opinion, proper to 
 be sent to Napoleon, observing to me, at the same 
 time "that however strange it might appear, Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte ought to be obliged to him for 
 not sending him newspapers indiscriminately, as 
 the perusal of articles written in his own favour 
 might excite hopes which, when not ultimately 
 realized, could not fail to afflict him ; that more- 
 over, the British government thought it improper 
 to let him know every thing that appeared in the 
 newspapers." 
 
 19th. Sir Thomas Reade very busy in circu- 
 lating reports in the town that " General Bona- 
 parte was sulky and would see nobody; that the 
 governor was too good, and that the villain ought 
 to be put in chains." 
 
 2lst. The David transport brought the news 
 of the arrival of the Adolphus at the Cape, laden 
 chiefly with iron rails, to surround Napoleon's
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 house, for which the governor had sent to Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe came up to Longwood, and 
 inspected the works throwing up about the stables, 
 and the sentinels that he had placed. Held a 
 long conversation with me afterwards about the 
 restrictions and limits, without coining to any de- 
 termination. 
 
 After having observed that I was responsible in 
 some degree to ministers for any unfavourable im- 
 pressions which might exist upon Napoleon's mind, 
 his excellency proceeded to catechise me relative 
 to my conversations with him. I hinted to him 
 the peculiar delicacy of my situation, and the im- 
 propriety and indeed impossibility that existed of 
 my making the disclosures which he required. Sir 
 Hudson said, " that he admitted the peculiar deli- 
 cacy of my situation, but at the same time that I 
 ought to make a full and ample disclosure to him, 
 and to him only, of the language made use of by 
 General Bonaparte, especially of any abusive epi- 
 thets. That it was necessary for him to know 
 every thing that passed. That for a man who had 
 so much intercourse with General Bonaparte, he 
 thought I was less influenced by him than ninety- 
 nine out of a hundred would have been. That my 
 situation was of great importance, and one in 
 which I could render great services. That abso- 
 lute silence as to what was going on, except to
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 393 
 
 him, was imperatively necessary, and indeed the 
 chief requisite." 
 
 His excellency then told me, in order, as he 
 said, to shew the good opinion that he enter- 
 tained of me, that " he had no scruple, in inform- 
 ing me, that the commissioners were to be looked 
 upon with great suspicion ; that they were in fact 
 spies upon every body and upon every thing, and 
 only wanted to pick something out; of me, in order 
 to send it to their courts ; that I had better be very 
 cautious, as in all probability they would report 
 to their employers every thing that I said, as they 
 had already done to him; in proof of which he re- 
 peated to me the tenor of the conversation which I 
 had held with Baron Stunner at Plantation House 
 on the 21st of Oct. 1816, adding his satisfaction 
 at having found that I had been cautious in my 
 remarks. He also said that he had written to 
 Lord Bathurst in very favourable terms about me, 
 and had recommended that my salary should be 
 augmented to 500/. per annum." 
 
 After this his excellency acquainted me that he 
 had received a letter from young Las Cases for me, 
 which he would send. 
 
 In the evening I received the above-mentioned 
 letter under an inclosure, containing one to Gene- 
 ral Gourgaud from his mother, as Sir Hudson de- 
 scribed it in his note, which I was directed to de- 
 liver to him. 
 
 VOL. i, 3 E
 
 394 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 '24th. Mr. Vernon came up to Longwood to 
 ondoyer Count Bertrand's child. Napoleon play- 
 ed at Billiards in the evening-. 
 
 25th. Cipriani in town, purchasing provisions. 
 
 28th. Napoleon had very little rest during the 
 night. Got up at five o'clock and walked about 
 in the billiard-room for some time. Found him 
 lying on his sola. Looked low, and out of spirits. 
 Saluted me with a faint voice. Gave him a Ports- 
 mouth paper of the 18th of November last. On 
 reading some remarks made about the injury that 
 was likely to accrue to the French interest by the 
 marriage of the Emperor of Austria and the Prin- 
 cess of Bavaria, together with an observation that 
 he, Napoleon, had prevented it even when in the 
 plenitude of his power ; Napoleon said, '' cest vral. 
 I was apprehensive of the consequences of the al- 
 liance between the two houses. But what signifies 
 it now. Under the Bourbons, France 1 will never 
 be a first-rate power. There is no occasion to be 
 afraid of her, she will always be an inferior power 
 under that house of blockheads." 
 
 Adverting to the commercial distress of Eng- 
 land, he observed that Lord Castlereagh deserved 
 the reprobation of the English nation for the little 
 care which he had taken of their interests at the 
 time of the general peace. "The misfortunes which 
 befel me," said he, " gave such an ascendancy to 
 England, that almost any demand made by her
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 395 
 
 would have been granted ; independent of the 
 right which she had to claim a recompence for 
 the vast expence which she had been at. An op- 
 portunity offered itself, which probably will never 
 occur again, for England to recover and extricate 
 herself from all her difficulties in a few years, and 
 to relieve her from the immense load of debt 
 which weighs her down. Had Castlereagh been 
 really attentive to the interests of his own country, 
 he would have embraced, at an early period, the 
 only opportunity that had been presented to him 
 to secure such commercial advantages to England 
 as would have relieved her from her embarrass- 
 ments. But, instead of this, he only attended to 
 paying his court to kings and emperors, who flat- 
 tered his vanity by taking notice of him ; well 
 knowing that in doing so, they gained the great 
 point of making him neglect his country's inte- 
 rests, and consequently benefited their own. He 
 was completely duped, and will yet be cursed by 
 your nation. 
 
 "I see no other way now," continued he, "to 
 extricate you from your difficulties, than by re- 
 ducing the interest of the national debt, confis- 
 cating the greatest part of the revenues of the 
 clergy, all the sinecures, diminishing considerably 
 the army, and establishing a system of reduction 
 altogether. Let those who want priests pay them. 
 Your sinking fund is a humbug. Impose a heavy
 
 396 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tax upon absentees. It is too late now for you to 
 make commercial treaties. What would then have 
 been considered as only just and reasonable would 
 now be thought far different. The opportunity is 
 gone, and the nation is indebted to your imbeciUes 
 of ministers for all the calamities which will befal 
 it, and which are solely to be attributed to their 
 criminal neglect," 
 
 "I understand," said he, " that the botanist* 
 is on the eve of departure, without having seen 
 me. In the most barbarous countries, it would 
 not be prohibited even to a prisoner under sen- 
 tence of death to have the consolation of convers- 
 ing with a person who had lately seen his wife and 
 child. Even in that worst of courts, the revolu- 
 tionary tribunal of France, such an instance of 
 barbarity and of callousness to all feeling was 
 never known ; and your nation, which is so much 
 cried up for liberality, permits such treatment. 
 I am informed that this botanist has made appli- 
 cation to see me, which was refused; and in my 
 letter to Las Cases, which was read by the go- 
 vernor, I complained of it as a hardship, and 
 thereby made application to see him. If I had 
 asked it in any other manner, I should have ex- 
 posed myself to the insult of a refusal from this 
 
 * Napoleon had been informed, and I believe with truth, that this 
 gentleman had seen and conversed with the empress and her son a 
 short time before he left Germany for St. Helena.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 397 
 
 bourreau. C'est le comble dc la cfuautt* He 
 must indeed be a barbarian who would deny to a 
 husband and a father the consolation of discours- 
 ing with a person who had lately seen, spoken to, 
 and touched his wife, his child," (here Napoleon's 
 voice faltered) ; " from whose embraces he is for 
 ever separated by the cruel policy of a few. The 
 Anthropophagi of the South Seas would not prac- 
 tise it. Previous to devouring their victims, they 
 would allow them the consolation of seeing and 
 conversing with each other. The cruelties which 
 are practised here would be disavowed by canni- 
 bals." 
 
 Napoleon now walked up and down for some 
 time, much agitated. Afterwards he proceeded, 
 " You see the manner in which he endeavours to 
 impose upon the passengers going to England, 
 that he may make them believe he is all goodness 
 to me, and that it is all my own fault if I do not 
 receive strangers. That he interests himself so 
 far as even to send up his own aid-de-camp to 
 effect it, although he well knows this last circum- 
 stance would of itself be sufficient to prevent my 
 receiving the person whom he accompanied. His 
 object now is to impress upon the minds of the 
 public that I hate the sight of an Englishman. 
 That is the reason he desired you to tell me that 
 
 * It is the height of cruelty.
 
 398 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Las Cases had made me say that I abhorred the 
 sight of the English uniform." 
 
 I observed that Sir Hudson Lowe had also 
 told me that he conceived it to be an invention of 
 Las Cases. " It is an invention of his own," re- 
 plied the emperor, " in order to impose upon you. 
 If I had hated the English, should I have given 
 myself up to them, instead of going to the empe- 
 ror of Russia, or of Austria ? Is it possible that I 
 could have given a greater proof of esteem for a 
 nation, than that which I have done for the Eng- 
 lish, unfortunately for myself?" 
 
 Napoleon now opened the door, called St. 
 Denis, and in my presence asked him if in Las 
 Cases' journal it was asserted that he (Napo- 
 leon) had ever said that he hated the sight of the 
 English uniform, or the English, or words of a 
 similar tendency and meaning ? St. Denis replied, 
 that nothing of the kind was contained in the 
 journal. " There," said Napoleon, " if Las Cases 
 had said so, it would have been in his journal. 
 He must be wicked who would torment me under 
 the circumstances in which I am placed. He has 
 got nothing here," continued Napoleon, placing 
 his hand over his heart, " and when there is no- 
 thing here, the head must be bad : he is a man 
 unfit to command, or to act for himself. Nature 
 in forming some men intended that they should
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 399 
 
 always remain in a subaltern situation. Such 
 was Berthier. There was not in the world so 
 good a chef d'dtat major ; but change his occu- 
 pation, he was not fit to command five hundred 
 men. A good scribbler, like this man, an excel- 
 lent commis. You may see how unfit for com- 
 mand he is, when he allows himself to be led by 
 the nose by such a contemptible imbecille as that 
 Colonel Reade. Have you ever read Gil Bias ?" 
 I replied that I had. " That eternal smile on 
 Reade's lips," rejoined Napoleon, "is not natural, 
 and reminds me of Ambrose de Lamela. Like 
 Lamela's going to church while he was plotting 
 to rob his master, it masks his real intentions. I 
 have been informed," continued he, " that the 
 Balcombe's were interrogated and cross-examined 
 both by the governor and by his privy councillor, 
 Reade, touching what they had heard and seen at 
 Longwood, and that the father replied, that his 
 daughters had come here to have the honour of 
 visiting us, and not as spies." 
 
 March 1st. Napoleon conversed with me for 
 some time relative to the iron railing said to have 
 been brought out in the Adolphus. I told him 
 that it was customary in England to put rails 
 round the country-houses of gentlemen, at which 
 he looked rather incredulous. 
 
 2nd. Saw Napoleon in his dressing-room, ly- 
 ing on his sofa. He was rather low spirited,
 
 40Q A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 looked pale, and complained of diarrhoea. Of the 
 remedies which I advised, he would only consent 
 to take freely of weak chicken-broth, or barley- 
 water. 
 
 During the course of conversation he observed 
 that he saw a change in the system of the Bourbons 
 favourable- to them, as, instead of employing the 
 ultra faction, and other violent characters, they 
 had appointed men who had been formerly em- 
 ployed by him, and who had the confidence of the 
 nation. Amongst others he mentioned Mole*. 
 
 Asked Napoleon whether the statement con- 
 tained in the Observer relative to Clarke's con- 
 duct towards Carnot, in having withheld his pen- 
 sion, and the manner in which he himself was re- 
 ported to have acted, were true. Napoleon re- 
 plied, "it is perfectly true. But I was surprised 
 to see the papers occupied so much about Clarke, 
 who is not of sufficient importance for people to 
 trouble themselves about him." I asked his opi- 
 nion of Clarke. He replied, " he is not a man of 
 talent, but he is laborious and useful in the bureau. 
 He is, moreover, incorruptible, and saving of the 
 public money, which he never has appropriated 
 to his own use. He is an excellent redacteur. He 
 is not a soldier, however, nor do I believe that he 
 ever saw a shot fired in his life. He is infatuated 
 with his nobility. He pretends that he i& de- 
 scended from the ancient kings of Scotland, or
 
 A VOICR FROM ST. HELENA. 401 
 
 Ireland, and constantly vaunts of his noble de- 
 scent. A good clerk. I sent him to Florence as 
 ambassador, where he employed himself in no- 
 thing but turning over the old musty records of 
 the place, in search of proofs of the nobility of 
 my family, for you must know that they came 
 from Florence. He plagued me with letters upon 
 this subject, which caused me to write to him to 
 attend to the business for which he had been sent 
 to Florence, and not to trouble his head or mine 
 with his nonsense about nobility ; that I was the 
 first of rny family. Notwithstanding this, he still 
 continued his inquiries. When I returned from 
 Elba he offered his services to me, but I sent him 
 word that I would not employ any traitors, and 
 ordered him to his estates." I asked if he thought 
 that Clarke would have served him faithfully. 
 " Yes," replied the emperor, " as long as I was the 
 strongest, like a great many others." I inquired if 
 it were true that he had written the letter which 
 had been attributed to him, announcing to Clarke 
 the death of his nephew ? He replied, that he 
 had, and that his name was Elliot. 
 
 I remarked that his ancestors were noble. He 
 replied, they were senators of Florence. 
 
 Napoleon then observed, " in the papers, they 
 make me serve for all purposes, and say whatever 
 suits their views. Lord Castlereagh, on his re- 
 turn to Ireland, publicly asserted a falsehood re~< 
 
 VOL. j. 3 F
 
 402 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lative to what had been my intentions upon Eng 
 land, and put expressions into my mouth since 
 my arrival here, which I never made use of." I 
 observed, that in all probability Lord Castle- 
 reagh had been informed that he had said so. He 
 replied, '* it may be, but your ministers have lit- 
 tle scruple in having recourse to falsehood when 
 they think it will forward any object they have 
 in view. It is," continued he, " always disho- 
 nourable and base to belie the unfortunate, and 
 doubly so when in your power, and when you 
 hold a padlock upon the mouth to prevent a re- 
 ply." 
 
 3rd. Saw Napoleon dressing. Free from any 
 complaint. In very high spirits. Laughed and 
 quizzed me about some young ladies, and asked 
 me to give all the little news of the town. Ap- 
 peared to be in better spirits than he had been for 
 a long time. 
 
 Had some further conversation relative to the 
 governor s declaration that Count Las Cases had, 
 in his journal, made Napoleon say, that he ab- 
 horred the sight of the British uniform, and his 
 excellency's assertion, that Las Cases had endea- 
 voured to make him hate the English. " I can- 
 not conceive," said Napoleon, "what object Las 
 Cases could have in view by doing so ? What 
 could he gain by it ? On the contrary, Las Cases 
 always spoke well of the English, said that he
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 40ii 
 
 had been ten years amongst them, and had been 
 always well-treated. It is an invention of this 
 man's, whose whole superstructure is built upon 
 lies. I said, certainly, that I did not like to see 
 officers in uniform, closely attending or watching 
 me, because the uniform reminded me that I was 
 considered as a prisoner, and gave rise to unplea- 
 sant reflections. If even you were to come into 
 my apartment every day in your uniform, it would 
 give me the idea of your being a gendarme. But 
 this man has no morale. The admiral had, and 
 immediately understood the delicacy of it when it 
 was mentioned to him." 
 
 He then asked some medical questions, went 
 into the billiard-room, ordered some bottled por- 
 ter, took a glass of it, saying in English, your 
 health, and made me take another. Asked many 
 questions about porter, and was much surprised 
 at the low price it bore in England. While walk- 
 ing about the room, "What sort of a man did you 
 take me to be before you became my surgeon ?" 
 said he, " What did you think of my character, 
 and what I was capable of ? Give me your real 
 opinion frankly." I replied, " I thought you to be 
 a man, whose stupendous talents were only to be 
 equalled by your measureless ambition, and al- 
 though I did not give credit to one-tenth part of 
 the libels which 1 had read against you, still, I 
 believed that you would not hesitate to commit a
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. UK LEX A. 
 
 crime, when you found it to be necessary, or 
 thought it might be useful to you." " This is just 
 the answer that I expected," replied Napoleon, 
 " and is perhaps the opinion of Lord Holland, 
 and even of numbers of the French. I have risen 
 to too great a pitch of human glory and elevation, 
 not to have excited the envy and jealousy of man- 
 kind. They will say, 4 it is true that he has raised 
 himself to the highest pinnacle of glory, mais pour 
 y arriver, il commit beaucoup de crimes, (but to at- 
 tain it, he has committed many crimes).' Now the 
 fact is, that I not only never committed any 
 crimes, but I never even thought of doing so. J'ai 
 toujours marche' avec ^opinion de grandes masse* et 
 les evenemens, (I have always gone with the opi- 
 nion of great masses, and with events). I have 
 always made pen de cas of the opinion of indivi- 
 duals, of that of the public a great deal ; of what 
 use, then, would crime have been to me ? I am too 
 much a fatalist, and have always despised man- 
 kind too much to have had recourse to crime to 
 frustrate their attempts. J\ii marche" toujours </(<< 
 r opinion de cinq on six millions d* homines, (I have 
 always marched with the opinion of five or six 
 millions of men); of what use, then, would crime 
 have been to me i 1 " 
 
 ' In spite of all the libels," continued he, " I 
 have no fear whatever about my fame. Posterity 
 will do me justice. The truth will be known*
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 405 
 
 and the good that I have done, with the faults 
 that I have committed, will be compared. I 
 am not uneasy for the result. Had I succeeded,, 
 I should have died with the reputation of the 
 greatest man that ever existed. As it is, although 
 I have failed, I shall be considered as an extraor- 
 dinary man : my elevation was unparalleled, be- 
 cause unaccompanied by crime. I have fought 
 fifty pitched battles, almost all of which I have 
 gained. I have framed and carried into effect a 
 code of laws that will bear my name to the most 
 distant posterity. From nothing I raised myself 
 to be the most powerful monarch in the world. 
 Europe was at my feet. My ambition was great, 
 I admit, but it was of a cold nature, (d'une nature 
 frolde,) and caused par les (fvenemens, (by events), 
 and the opinion of great bodies. I have always 
 been of opinion, that the sovereignty lay in the 
 people. In fact, the imperial government was a 
 kind of republic. Called to the head of it by the 
 voice of the nation, my maxim was, la carrier e 
 ouverte aux talens, (the career open to talents,) 
 without distinction of birth or fortune, and this 
 system of equality is the reason that your oligarchy 
 hate me so much." 
 
 "If ever policy," continued he, "authorized a 
 man to commit a crime and murder others, it au- 
 thorized me to put to death Ferdinand^ and the 
 other Bourbons of his family when in France.
 
 406 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLKNA. 
 
 Were I a man accustomed to commit crimes, 
 would I not have effected one which it would have 
 been so beneficial to me to put in execution ? Fer- 
 dinand and his family once out of the way, the 
 Spaniards would have had nothing to fight for, 
 and would have submitted. No, had I been in- 
 clined to commit crimes, I should not be here. 
 Would a French Bourbon be in existence now, 
 had I consented to their murder? Not only did 
 I refuse to consent, but I positively prohibited 
 that any attempt of the kind should be made." 
 
 " It is not," added Napoleon, " by what the 
 Quarterly Review, or Pichon says, or by what I 
 could write myself, that posterity will judge of 
 me ; it is by the voice of so many millions of inha- 
 bitants who have been under my government." 
 
 " Those," continued he, " who consented to the 
 union of Poland with Russia, will be the execra- 
 tion of posterity, while my name will be pro- 
 nounced with respect, when the fine southern 
 countries of Europe are a prey to the barbarians 
 of the north. Perhaps my greatest fault was, not 
 having deprived the King of Prussia of his throne, 
 which I might easily have done. After Fried- 
 land, I ought to have taken Silesia and * * * from 
 Prussia, and given them to Saxony, as the king 
 and the Prussians were too much humiliated not 
 to revenge themselves the first opportunity. Had 
 I done this, given them a free constitution, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 407 
 
 delivered the peasants from feodal slavery, they 
 would have been contented." 
 
 Napoleon afterwards walked down to Count 
 Bertrand's. For two or three days he has taken 
 much more exercise than formerly. 
 
 4th. Saw Napoleon in the billiard-room. He 
 was in extremely good spirits. Returned me the 
 Ambigu for 1816, and desired me to endeavour to 
 obtain the numbers for 1815. 
 
 In answer to a question of mine about P * * *, 
 he said " P * * * is a polisson who would write for 
 any body that would pay him. He made offers 
 to me to change his style, and write for me in 
 such a manner that the British government would 
 not be aware that he was employed by me. One 
 time in particular, he sent to the police a MS. copy 
 of a book written against me, with an offer that it 
 should not be printed provided he ,were paid a 
 certain sum of money. This was made known 
 to me. I ordered the police to answer, that if he 
 paid the expences of printing, the work should 
 be published in Paris for him. He was not the 
 only one who made offers of the kind to me when 
 I was in power. Some of the editors of the English 
 newspapers made similar advances, and declared 
 that they could render me most essential ser- 
 vices, but I then did not attach sufficient impor- 
 tance to their offers, and refused them. Not so the 

 
 408 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Bourbons. In 1814, the editor of The ***** 
 newspaper was paid about three thousand pounds 
 of your money, besides having a great number of 
 copies taken.* I told you before that I found his 
 receipt amongst Blacas's papers on my return from 
 Elba. I do not know if he is in their pay now. In 
 that year also a great number of pamphlets were 
 printed in London against the Bourbons, and 
 copies of each sent over to them, with a threat of 
 publication if they were not paid. The Bourbons 
 were greatly frightened, and greedily bought them 
 up. There was one pamphlet in particular, a ter- 
 rible libel against the late queen of France, which 
 it cost them a large sum of money to suppress. 
 
 " When I was on the throne," continued he, 
 " there were thirty clerks employed in translating 
 the English newspapers, and in making extracts 
 from English works of merit. Matters which ap- 
 peared of importance were extracted from the 
 newspapers, and daily submitted to me. But I never 
 had it done in my presence, or endeavoured to 
 accompany the translator in his progress, as has 
 been asserted. I did not even know the English 
 article * the ' at that time. Indeed, to me it was 
 not of sufficient importance to learn the language 
 purposely to read the papers, especially as I had 
 
 * " Now, though no one journal is mentioned more than another 
 in this passage, it it impossible not to suppose THE TIMES to be the 
 journal meant." Tims Newspaper, July 15/A, 1822.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 409 
 
 letters and intelligence constantly from the spies 
 in England. The papers, however, served to cor- 
 roborate their information relative to the move- 
 ments of troops, assembling and sailing of men of 
 war, and other measures of government." 
 
 The governor at Longvvood. Explained his in- 
 tentions of putting the iron railing round the house, 
 the doors of which he said he should cause to be 
 locked at seven or eight o'clock at night, and the 
 keys sent to Plantation House, where they should 
 remain until day-break the next morning. 
 
 5th. The Tortoise store-ship, Captain Cook, 
 arrived direct from England, which she had left 
 on the 18th of December, 1816. Went to town, 
 and learned that Warden had published a book 
 about Napoleon which had excited considerable 
 interest, and was supposed to have produced a fa- 
 vourable impression towards him. Received some 
 newspapers containing extracts from the work. 
 
 On my return to Longwood I found Napoleon 
 in quite different spirits from yesterday. He was 
 reclining on his sofa, in a very pensive attitude, 
 his head resting upon one of his hands, and appa- 
 rently melancholy. His morning gown was on, a 
 madras round his head, and his beard unshaved. 
 In rather a desponding manner, he asked me 
 " What news ?" and if the ship had arrived from 
 England ? I replied that she had arrived di- 
 rect from that country. After having related 
 
 VOL. i. 3 G
 
 410 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 something of what I heard and conceived to be 
 most interesting, I mentioned that a book had been 
 published respecting him by Warden, which had 
 excited great interest. At the name of Warden 
 he raised his head and said, " What, Warden of 
 the Northumberland ?" I replied in the affirma- 
 tive. " W'hat is the nature of the work ? Is it for 
 or against me ? Is it well written r What is the 
 subject ?" I replied, that it was a description of 
 what had passed on board of the Northumberland 
 and here ; that it was in his favour, and contained 
 many curious statements, and also refutations of 
 some accusations that had been made against him, 
 an explanation about the affair of the Duke d'Eng- 
 hien, and that it was well written, &c. "Have 
 you seen it?" I replied, "No." "Then how do you 
 know that it is in my favour, or that it is well 
 written ?" I replied that I had seen some extracts 
 from it in the newspapers, which I gave to him. 
 He sat down to read the papers, asked the expla- 
 nation of a few passages, said they were true ; in- 
 quired what Warden had said of the affair of the 
 Duke d'Enghien ? I replied that he asserted that 
 Talleyrand had detained a letter from the Duke 
 for a considerable time after his execution, and 
 that he had attributed his death to Talleyrand. 
 " Di questo non ce dubbio " (of this there is no 
 doubt), replied Napoleon. 
 
 Napoleon then asked how the work had been
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 411 
 
 received in England ? I replied. " I had heard 
 that it had succeeded very well." He asked 
 " whether the ministers were pleased with it." I 
 answered, " that they had not as yet shewn any 
 displeasure, as Warden had been recently ap- 
 pointed to a ship." " I suppose," said Napoleon, 
 " that he has arranged it so as to please the minis- 
 ters ?" I replied that from what I had been able 
 to learn, he had endeavoured to state the truth. 
 
 I then assisted him in reading over some ex- 
 tracts which were in the Observer, the correctness 
 of which he admitted. He perused very atten- 
 tively and made me explain to him three times an 
 article which stated that the Empress Marie 
 Louise had fallen from her horse into the Po, and 
 with difficulty had been saved from a watery 
 grave. He appeared considerably affected by the 
 perusal. 
 
 Subsequently he conversed about the tumults 
 in England, and the distress of the poorer clas- 
 ses. " Your ministers," said he, " are answerable 
 for all the misery and the distress of England, 
 by their having neglected to take advantage 
 of favourable circumstances to secure to the 
 country great commercial advantages. In con- 
 sequence of my misfortunes in Russia, successes 
 unparalleled in the history of the world attended 
 her, and by the force of circumstances an op- 
 portunity was afforded her of rendering herself
 
 412 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA 
 
 the most flourishing and powerful nation in the 
 world. I have always considered England to be 
 in a dangerous state, in an unnatural state of over- 
 exertion, and that if some unforeseen circumstance 
 did not arise to succour her, she must sink under 
 the pressure of the exertions she has made, and 
 the load of taxation. Such an opportunity has oc- 
 curred, but your ministers, like blockheads, have 
 not taken advantage of it, but preferred paying 
 their court to those kings to consulting the inte- 
 rests of their country. Every sovereign or mi- 
 nister ought to hold the interests and welfare of 
 his own countiy paramount to all other considera-* 
 tions, and ought never to fail to take advantage of 
 existing circumstances to benefit it, particularly 
 when it can be done by means of a treaty. Those 
 who neglect it, are traitors to their country. You 
 have already the hatred of all nations, in conse- 
 quence of your maritime laws, and your preten- 
 sions to be mistress of the seas, which you say 
 belongs to you by right. Then why not take ad- 
 vantage of it ? You have made a most unprofit- 
 able bargain ; you have the hatred of all other 
 nations, on account of your maritime pretensions, 
 without enjoying any benefit from them. Your 
 ministers do not know the situation of their own 
 country." 
 
 " It appears to me," continued he, " to be clearly 
 the intention of your ministers to subject Eng-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 413 
 
 land to a military yoke, to put down by degrees 
 the liberty which prevails there, and to render 
 their own power unlimited. All those honours 
 conferred upon the military, and the tenor of seve- 
 ral other steps lately adopted, are only so many 
 preliminaries towards it. I can discern their 
 object. Assistance, if necessary, will probably 
 be rendered by the other sovereigns of Europe, 
 who are jealous, and cannot bear the idea that 
 England should be the only free nation in Eu- 
 rope. They will all assist in putting you down.' 
 I observed that the English would never submit 
 to be made a nation of slaves. He replied, "there 
 is every appearance that the attempt will be 
 made." . 
 
 Some broken numbers of the Times and a few 
 letters sent up by the governor. General Gour- 
 gaud received a letter from his sister, which in- 
 formed him that Sir George Cockburn had called 
 twice to see his mother in Paris. This mark of 
 attention on the part of the admiral quite en- 
 chanted General Gourgaud. Count and Countess 
 Bertrand in raptures, as the same letter stated 
 that Madame Dillon, the Countess's mother, was 
 doing well. Though for many years a wanderer, 
 I never observed so forcibly before the satisfaction 
 and consolati'on afforded by a letter from distant 
 relations or friends, to those who are separated 
 from their home. By the joy in the countenances
 
 '114 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of some at Longwood, it was easy to distinguish 
 those who had received intelligence, as the melan- 
 choly and dissatisfaction pourtrayed in the others 
 denoted the contrary. There was no necessity for 
 asking any questions. A line of writing from Eu- 
 rope is, at Longwood, a treasure above all price. 
 
 6th. Some French newspapers sent up to Na- 
 poleon by the admiral, through the governor. 
 Napoleon very anxious to hear some further intel- 
 ligence of Marie Louise. The circumstance he 
 observed yesterday appeared to have excited some 
 apprehensions for her safety in his mind, which 
 was not much relieved when he perceived that 
 only broken numbers of the newspapers had been 
 sent up by the governor. On coming afterwards 
 to an article in the French papers, which stated 
 that the project for supplying Paris with water by 
 an English company had been abandoned, he 
 called out to me : " Have I not told you so, and 
 that the people would not suffer it r" Informed 
 him that the governor had sent up Mr. Warden's 
 book to me, with instructions to deliver it to him. 
 He looked at the fac-simile of his own hand-writ- 
 ing and laughed heartily. 
 
 At night Napoleon sent for me. Said that he 
 was convinced the governor had kept back some 
 letters and newspapers. That he had no doubt 
 that Sir Hudson Lowe had himself received a com- 
 plete series of papers, but that he had kept back
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 415 
 
 some according to his usual brutal custom, because 
 there might have been an article which would 
 prove agreeable to him, " At first," said he, " I 
 thought that there might have been some bad 
 news of my wife, but a moment's reflection taught 
 me, that if so, this man would not have failed to 
 send it directly, in order to afflict me. Perhaps 
 there may be some news of my son ; when you go 
 to town to-morrow, endeavour to see a complete 
 series of papers, and look attentively at them. 
 You can find out ten articles in your papers, 
 while I am searching for one. Try and get some 
 more of the Portsmouth papers, as the news is 
 more condensed in them, and I do not lose myself 
 as in looking over a number of the Times." 
 
 7th. Cipriani in town making purchases of 
 provisions. 
 
 8th. Mrs. and Misses Balcombe at Longwood. 
 Napoleon sent for and conversed with them for a 
 few minutes Sir Hudson Lowe, when informed 
 of this, said, u that they had no business to have 
 spoken to General Bonaparte, as their pass had 
 only specified Count Bertrand's family." 
 
 IQth. Napoleon in good spirits. Had some 
 conversation relative to Warden's book. I asked 
 him about that part which treats of the governor's 
 physiognomy ; and Warden's reply, that he liked 
 Lady Lowe's better. He laughed, and replied, 
 " as well as I recollect, it is true. But I said
 
 416 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 much worse than what Warden has stated there, 
 which I believe is to be found in Las Cases' 
 journal, where the governor must have seen my 
 remarks.** 
 
 I then asked his opinion of Warden's book. 
 He replied, " the foundation of it is true, but he 
 has badly understood what was said to him ; as in 
 the work there are many mistakes, which must 
 have arisen from bad explanation ; Warden does 
 not understand French. He has acted wrong 1 in 
 making me speak in the manner he has done. 
 For, instead of having stated that it had been con- 
 veyed through an interpreter, he puts down al- 
 most every thing, as if I had been speaking to 
 him all the time, and as if he could have under- 
 stood me ; consequently he has put into my mouth 
 expressions unworthy of me, and not in my style. 
 Any person who knows me, will readily see that 
 it is not my style. In fact, most of what he has 
 received through interpretation, and that composes 
 a large portion of the work, is more or less incor- 
 rect. He has said that Massena had stormed the 
 village of Esling thirteen times, which, if the work 
 is translated into French, will make every French 
 officer acquainted with the battle laugh, as Mas- 
 sena was not at that particular spot during the 
 whole of the action. W'hat he says about the pri- 
 soners that had been made at Jaffa, is also incor- 
 rect, as they were marched on twelve leagues in
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 417 
 
 the direction of Bagdat, and not to Nazareth. 
 They were Maugrabins from near Algiers, and 
 not natives of the country that he mentions: he 
 is incorrect in stating that I proposed to give the 
 sick opium ; I did not propose it. It was firsi 
 made by one of the medical officers. He is wrong 
 in the explanation which he has given of the rea- 
 son why I wished Wright to live. My principal 
 reason was, to be able to prove, as I told you be- 
 fore, by Wright's evidence, that * *'* had caused 
 assassins, hired by the Count d'* * * * to be landed 
 in France, to murder me. This I thought I 
 should have effected by Wright's own evidence 
 at a trial in presence of the ambassadors of the 
 powers in friendship with me. Now there was 
 something glorious in Wright's death. He pre- 
 ferred taking away his own life, to compromising 
 his government." 
 
 "The Duke d'Enghien was to have come to Paris 
 to assist the assassins. The Duke de Berri also 
 was to have landed at a certain place in Picardy, 
 to have excited insurrection and assassination. 
 I received information of this, and Savary was 
 despatched to the spot to arrest him. If he had 
 been taken, he would have been instantly shot. 
 He was on board of an English vessel which 
 came in close to the coast, but a certain signal 
 which had been previously agreed upon, not hav- 
 ing been made from Beville, he became afraid 
 
 VOL. i. 3 H
 
 418 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 
 
 and stood off. The place where they were to 
 have landed was called the falaise de Seville, 
 near Dieppe, at the foot of a steep precipice, up 
 which people are obliged to climb by the help of 
 ropes. It was chosen by them on this account, 
 as they were not likely to be interrupted by the 
 custom-house officers. The Count d' * * * and 
 the Duke de B** were always endeavouring to 
 procure my assassination. Louis, I believe, was 
 not privy to it. They thought, I suppose, that 
 they were at liberty to make as many attempts to 
 assassinate me as they chose, with impunity. As 
 head of the French government, by the laws of 
 politics, and by the laws of nature, I should have 
 been justified in causing assassination in return : 
 which it would have been most easy for me to 
 have effected." 
 
 " Shortly after Marengo," continued Napoleon, 
 " Louis wrote a letter to me, which was delivered 
 by the Abb Montesquieu, in which he said, that 
 I delayed for a long time to restore him to his 
 throne ; that the happiness of France could never 
 be complete without him ; neither could the glory 
 of the country be complete without me ; that one 
 was as necessary to it as the other ; and con- 
 cluded by desiring me to chuse whatever I thought 
 proper, which would be granted under him, pro- 
 vided I restored to him his throne. I sent him 
 back a very handsome answer, in which I stated
 
 A VOICE FROM ^T. HELENA. 419 
 
 that I was extremely sorry for the misfortunes of 
 himself, and his family; that I was ready to do 
 every thing in my power to relieve them, and 
 would interest myself about providing a suitable 
 income for them, but that he might abandon the 
 thought of ever returning to France as a sovereign, 
 as that could not be effected without his having 
 passed over the bodies of five hundred thousand 
 Frenchmen. 
 
 " Warden has been incorrectly informed that 
 Maret was privy to my return to France. He 
 knew nothing about it, and such a statement may 
 injure his relations in France. He has acted also 
 unguardedly in asserting matters upon the autho- 
 rity of Count and Countess Bertrand, as it may 
 cause them many enemies. He ought to have 
 said, ' I have been told at Longwood.' As to his 
 saying that the information caine from me. I care 
 not, as I fear nobody, but he ought to have been 
 cautious about the others. 
 
 " Warden," added he, " is a man of good in- 
 tentions, and the foundation of his work is true ; 
 but many of the circumstances are incorrectly 
 stated, in consequence of misconception, and bad 
 interpretation. Gourgaud was very angry yes- 
 terday about what was said of him. I told him 
 that he ought to take example by me, and ob- 
 serve with what patience I bore the libels on me, 
 with which the press was overwhelmed ; that
 
 420 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 they had made me a poisoner, an assassin, a vio- 
 lator ; a monster who was guilty of incest, and or 
 every horrid crime, &c. That he ought to reflect 
 upon this, and be silent." 
 
 " I see," continued he, " by some answers in 
 the Times, that the Morning Chronicle appears to 
 defend me. What harm could it possibly be to 
 let me see that paper. To let me read something 
 favourable of myself. It is very seldom that I 
 now see any thing of the kind, but it is a cruelty 
 to withhold so slender a consolation. 
 
 " You recollect I told you that the English 
 would change their opinion of me, and that from 
 the great intercourse they had with France and 
 Italy, they would soon discover that I was not 
 the horrid character they had believed me to be ; 
 and also that the English travellers in returning 
 from the countries which had been under my do- 
 minion, would bring back with them sentiments 
 quite different from those with which they had 
 set out. This is now beginning to take place, and 
 will increase every day. Those people will say, 
 ' We have been deceived. On the continent we 
 have heard none of those horrid stories. On the 
 contrary, wherever there was a fine road, or a 
 noble bridge, and we asked, who made this ? 
 the answer has been, Napoleon, or Bonaparte/ 
 They will naturally say, at least this man encour- 
 aged the arts and the sciences during his reign,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and endeavoured to facilitate and to increase the 
 commerce of the countries under him. 
 
 " Lord Castle reugh," continued he, " has been 
 guilty of a base libel by having declared that I 
 had said, since I came here, that ' in peace, or in 
 war, I aimed at the destruction of England.' It 
 is wholly false, and I shall make it a subject of 
 complaint to his master, the Prince Regent, and 
 expose to him the unworthy conduct of his minis- 
 ter ; conduct degrading to the character of a man. 
 It is always dishonourable and base to publicly 
 insult and belie the unfortunate ; especially when 
 in your power, and at such a distance as to pre- 
 clude the possibility of a reply." 
 
 He then made some observations respecting 
 Talleyrand. " As to Talleyrand," said he, " CTest 
 un coquin, un homme corrompu, mals homme d'es- 
 prit. A man who seeks every opportunity to 
 betray. After the marriage of Prince Eugene, I 
 was obliged to turn him out of office, on account 
 of complaints made against him by the kings of 
 Bavaria and Wirtemberg. Nothing was to be got, 
 no treaty to be made, or arrangement for com- 
 merce, without first having bribed him. There 
 were some commercial treaties on foot at the time, 
 to conclude which he demanded enormous sums. 
 The Bourbons have done right to get rid of him, 
 as he would have betrayed them the first oppor- 
 tunity, if he saw that there was any probability of
 
 4*22 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 success, as he had offered to do after my return 
 from Elba. 
 
 " Your ministers," said he, " reason thus for 
 sending me to St. Helena. This Bonaparte is a 
 man of talent, and lias always been an enemy to 
 England. The Bourbons are a set of imbecilles, 
 and it is better for the English to have imbecilles 
 on the throne of France, than persons of talent ; 
 for the former will not have the ability, though 
 they may have the inclination to do as much mis- 
 chief to England as the latter. We must do every 
 thing we can to keep down the French, who are 
 our natural enemies ; and the best mode of effect- 
 ing it, is to place a set of fools upon the throne, 
 who will occupy themselves in restoring the old 
 superstition, ignorance, and prejudices of the na- 
 tion, and consequently weaken, instead of strength- 
 ening it. They would have done better," conti- 
 nued he, " to have left me upon the throne. I 
 would have given the English great commercial 
 advantages, which the Bourbons dare not offer. 
 Besides, it would have kept up the importance of 
 the English on the continent. For the other 
 powers being afraid of me, would have made 
 sacrifices to keep on good terms with them, in 
 order to have them on their side, well know- 
 ing that without their aid, they could do nothing 
 against me ; whereas now, as they are not afraid 
 of the Bourbons, they will set but little value upon
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 4'23 
 
 the friendship of a power that they are jealous of, 
 and want to humble. Moreover, your ministers 
 could always have held me up in terrorem to the 
 people of England, whenever they wanted to com- 
 mand the exertions of the nation. 
 
 " I see," added Napoleon, " no feasible mea- 
 sure to remedy the distresses of your manu- 
 facturers, except endeavouring by all means in 
 your power to promote the separation of the 
 Spanish South American colonies from the mo- 
 ther-country. By means of this, you would have 
 an opportunity of opening a most extensive and 
 lucrative commerce with the South Americans, 
 which would be productive of great advantages to 
 you. If you do not adopt some steps of the kind, 
 the Americans will be before-hand with you. If 
 you act as I have said, they could trade with no 
 other nation than you. Koth Spain and France 
 must be shut to them." 
 
 " If the war with England had lasted two or 
 three years longer," added he, " France would not 
 have had any further occasion for colonies. In 
 consequence of the great encouragement I gave, 
 and the premiums I paid to those who devoted 
 their chemical labours to the making of sugar, 
 especially from the beet-root, it was sold so low 
 as fifteen sous a pound, and when the process 
 should have been a little more matured, sugar 
 would have been made in France as cheap as it
 
 424 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 could have been imported from the West Indies.'' 
 I remarked that the French could with difficulty 
 have done without coffee. " They could very 
 well have contented themselves with several kinds 
 of herbs, as tea," replied the emperor. " Moreover, 
 it would have been possible to have grown coffee 
 in some of the southern parts of France, and an 
 inferior kind of coffee of grain might have been 
 substituted." 
 
 A few moments afterwards Napoleon observed, 
 that it was true, as had been stated in the papers, 
 that the Belgians were sorry that the English had 
 gained the battle of Waterloo. " They considered 
 themselves as Frenchmen," said he, " and in truth 
 they were such. The greatest part of the nation 
 loved me, and wished that I might succeed. The 
 stories that your ministers have taken such pains 
 to circulate respecting the nations that I had 
 united to France having hated me and detested 
 my tyranny, are all falsehoods. The Italians, 
 Piedmontese, Belgians, and others, are an exam- 
 ple of what I say. You will receive hereafter the 
 opinions of those English who have visited the 
 continent. You will find that what I tell you is 
 correct, and that millions in Europe now weep for 
 me. The Piedmontese preferred being as a pro- 
 vince of France, to being an independent kingdom 
 under the King of Sardinia." 
 
 Count Bertrand's cook went to camp and got
 
 A. VOICE FROM ST. HELENA 425 
 
 so drunk as to be totally incapable of cooking 
 the dinner for the family. Napoleon, when in- 
 formed of this at dinner, sent some dishes off the 
 table down to Countess Bertrand, with his com- 
 pliments. 
 
 ]l th. The Griffon sloop of war arrived from 
 the Cape with a mail, in which were some letters 
 for the French. Count Bertrand received the pleas- 
 ing intelligence that his brother was no longer in 
 exile, but had been permitted to return to his home, 
 and to remain there under surveillance. 
 
 Informed by one of the partners, that last week 
 an official letter had been sent to the house of Bal- 
 combe and Co., to demand an explanation why 
 fourteen shillings more than the sum that had 
 been allowed by government, had been expended 
 for fish for the establishment of Longwood, in the 
 preceding fortnight. Also a demand to know 
 why two shillings and sixpence more than the 
 allowance had been expended for twine. More- 
 over, that forty pounds of barley had been sent up 
 to Longwood by order of the surgeon, for the use 
 of Countess Bertrand, a repetition of which in 
 future was prohibited, unless the order was first 
 approved of at Plantation House. 
 
 Last Sunday Mr. Balcombe and myself had a 
 conversation with Sir Hudson Lowe, in the library 
 at Plantation House, relative to the affairs of 
 Longwood. Mr. Balcombe presented two sets of 
 
 VOL. i. 3 i
 
 4*26 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 bills drawn by Count Bertrand for his approval. 
 His excellency professed himself to be greatly 
 surprised at the large sums of money laid out 
 by the French, and said that twelve thousand 
 a year ought to cover all expenses. He was 
 informed by Mr. Balcombe and myself, that it 
 was chiefly expended in the purchase of provi- 
 sions, and various necessaries of life, as the allow- 
 ance granted by government was not sufficient. 
 Amongst many other articles, I mentioned that 
 only seventy-two pounds of beef was allowed. Sir 
 Hudson said, that he would increase the quantity 
 to one hundred, and would confer with Count 
 Bertrand on the subject. He was apparently in a 
 very bad humour, and railed at what he termed 
 the impudence of Las Cases, in having presumed 
 to send from the Cape to Longwood, some wine, 
 Florence oil, and other articles of a similar nature, 
 for the use of the French, which he said was an 
 insult to the British government, and concluded 
 by refusing to approve of more than one set of 
 bills.* 
 
 \2th. Saw the emperor at eleven, a. m. in a 
 very good humour. He made some remarks again 
 about the disturbances in England. Observed, 
 that he thought the Prince Regent must adopt 
 
 * Sir Hudson Lowe would not allow any bill of exchange drawn by 
 any of the inhabitants of Longwood to be cashed, unless it had been 
 previously approved of, and indorsed by himself.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 427 
 
 some measures in order to pacify the people, such 
 as reducing 1 the taxes. " It is impossible," said 
 he, " that a nation in cold blood will consent to 
 pay in time of peace, taxes nearly equal to the 
 amount of those paid by them in war, when there 
 is no longer that stimulus, that irritation of mind 
 which made them consider such drainings of their 
 purses absolutely necessary to prevent their coun- 
 try from being devoured by a foreign nation. 
 England," continued he, " is in an unnatural state, 
 and some change must take place." 
 
 I said, that although great distress existed in 
 England, the disturbances were confined to the 
 lower classes, and that it would end by a few of 
 them being hanged. Napoleon replied, " it may 
 be so, Mr. Doctor, but you must consider that 
 the canaille, as you call them, are the bulk of the 
 people. They, and not the nobles, form the na- 
 tion. When the canaille gains the day, it ceases 
 to be any longer canaille. It is then called the 
 nation. If it does not, why then some are exe- 
 cuted, and they are called canaille, rebels, rob- 
 bers, &c. Thus goes the world." 
 
 I then asked Napoleon if it were true, as had 
 been stated, that he was once in danger of being 
 taken by the Cossacs ? " At the battle of Brienne," 
 replied he, " I recollect, that about twenty or 
 twenty-five Uhlans, not Cossacs, got round one 
 of the wings of my army, and endeavoured to fall
 
 4-8 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 upon a part of the artillery. It was at the close 
 of the day, and just beginning to be dark. 
 They stumbled some how or other upon me and 
 my e'tat-major. When they saw us, they were 
 quite lost, and did not know how to act. They 
 did not however know who I was, neither was 
 I myself for some time aware of who they were. 
 I thought they were some of my own troops. 
 Caulaincourt, however, perceived who they were, 
 and called out to me that we were amongst ene- 
 mies. Just at this moment, those Uhlans being 
 frightened, and not knowing what to do, began to 
 fly, and tried to escape in all directions. My staff 
 began to fire upon them. One of them galloped 
 up so close to me (without knowing me) as to 
 touch my knee violently with his hand. He had 
 a spear in his hand at the charge, but it was with 
 the opposite one that he touched me. At first I 
 thought that it was one of my own staff who was 
 riding roughly by me, but looking round, I per- 
 ceived that he was an enemy. I put my hand 
 down to draw out one of my pistols to fire at 
 him, but he was gone. Whether he was killed 
 or escaped I know not. That day I drew my 
 sword, which was a circumstance that rarely had 
 occurred, as I gained battles with my eye and 
 not with my arms. Those Uhlans were after- 
 wards, I believe, cut to pieces." I asked if he 
 had considered himself to have been in any great
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELRNA. 429 
 
 peril on that day? "No," said he, " it was an ac- 
 cident. My cavalry was in another part of the 
 field at the time. It was possible certainly, that I 
 might have been killed, but they were more intent 
 upon running away themselves, than upon killing 
 any of us."* 
 
 I asked, if during the retreat from Moscow, he 
 had ever been in danger of being taken by the 
 Cossacs ? " Never," replied Napoleon, " I had 
 always with me a guard sufficient to repel any at- 
 
 * It has been said, that on the same night, when the French had 
 in their turn stormed the village of Brienne, Blucher and his staff 
 fell in with a party of their cavalry, and were prevented from hav- 
 ing been taken by two Cossacs who had seen them, and who stopped 
 Blucher at the foot of a flight of stairs when on the point of going 
 out, who otherwise would have been killed or made prisoner. That 
 they had drawn their swords, and were prepared to fall upon the 
 French, but after having made a reconnaissance, they were found to 
 be so numerous, as not to admit of a probability of success. This, 
 if true, forms a singular coincidence with what I have related above, 
 but as I had it from Sir Hudson Lowe, I cannot of course be respon- 
 sible for the correctness of the statement. Sir Hudson Lowe also 
 informed me of what, according to his ideas, was a praiseworthy spe- 
 cimen of the utter contempt in which Blucher held the French na- 
 tion, in the following terms : "At the time when Blucher made his 
 first hostile entrance into France, the mayor of the town he occu- 
 pied waited upon him to offer his services to procure whatever he 
 might want, as is customary under similar circumstances. When 
 the Prussian general had heard his business, his reply was ' Bring 
 me a wench !' "
 
 430 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA* 
 
 tack, or even to admit of any apprehension as to 
 the result in case one was made." 
 
 I3th. Napoleon in his bath. In very good 
 spirits. After some conversation on the subject 
 of what had been lately published respecting him, 
 " I suppose," said he, " that when you go to Eng- 
 land, you will publish your book. You certainly 
 have a better right to publish about me than 
 Warden, and you can say, that you have heard me 
 say many things, and have had long conversations 
 with me. You would gain a great deal of money, 
 and every body would believe you. Truly, no 
 French physician has ever been so much about 
 me as you have been. I saw them only for a few 
 minutes. The world is anxious to know every lit- 
 tle circumstance of a man that has happened to 
 make any figure in it, such as all the little trifles 
 about how he eats, drinks, sleeps, his general ha- 
 bits, and manners. People are more anxious to 
 learn those sottises than to know what good or bad 
 qualities he may possess. Pour moi, il siiffit de 
 dire la veritd" 
 
 Napoleon walked out about five, and paid a 
 visit to Countess Montholon. He remained a few 
 minutes looking at Captain Poppleton, who was 
 busily employed in digging some potatoes out of 
 a little garden that we had endeavoured to culti- 
 vate in front of the house.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELKNA. 4,31 
 
 14th. Napoleon in very good humour. Told 
 him that a letter had appeared in the French 
 papers, which was attributed to Marquis Mont- 
 chenu, stating that upon his arrival, he (Napo- 
 leon) had given him an invitation to dine, to which 
 he had replied, that he had been sent to St. He- 
 lena to guard, and not to dine with him. " Ces 
 messieurs sont toujours les mcmes" replied the em- 
 peror, "it is very likely that he has been bete 
 enough to write it. Those old French noblesse 
 are capable of any betlse. He is worthy of being 
 one of the grande naissance* of France." 
 
 Mentioned to him that in one of the papers it 
 had been stated, that Sir George Cockburn had 
 gone to Paris, impressed with a poor opinion of 
 his (Napoleon's) abilities, and had said, that on 
 the score of talent, he was an ordinary charac- 
 ter, and by no means to be feared. Napoleon 
 replied, " probably and with reason he does not 
 suppose me to be a God, or to be endowed with 
 supernatural talents ; but I will venture to say 
 that he gives me credit for posssesing some. If 
 he has really expressed the opinion attributed to 
 him, it pays a poor compliment to the discernment 
 of the greatest part of the world." 
 
 * The contemptuous manner in which the marquis generally 
 expressed himself of any person who was not able to count some 
 hundred years of nobility in his family, was notorious in St. He- 
 lena.
 
 482 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 He then desired me to get him the paper which 
 contained the report of Sir George Cockburn's 
 opinion, adding that he was now so much accus- 
 tomed to read libels, that he cared but little what 
 was said, or what calumnies were published about 
 him. 
 
 " The people of England with difficulty will 
 believe," added he, " that I not only read those 
 libels without anger, but even laugh at them. 
 From the violence of temper which has been at- 
 tributed to me, I suppose they think that I must 
 be worked up by rage to fits of madness. They 
 are mistaken ; they only excite my laughter. La 
 verit^ seule blessed 
 
 I asked him about the affair of Palm, and said, 
 I had been informed that he had given a satisfac- 
 tory explanation of every sanguinary act, except- 
 ing that, that he had been accused of having com- 
 mitted. Napoleon replied, " I never have been 
 asked any explanation about it. All that I recol- 
 lect is, that Palm was arrested by order of Da- 
 voust, I believe, tried, condemned, and shot, for 
 having, while the country was in possession of 
 the French, and under military occupation, not 
 only excited rebellion amongst the inhabitants, 
 and urged them to rise and massacre the soldiers, 
 but also attempted to instigate the soldiers them- 
 selves to refuse obedience to their orders, and to mu- 
 tl'&y against their generals. I believe that he met
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 433 
 
 with a fair trial. I should like," continued he, 
 " to read the principal libels which have been 
 published against me in England, if I could have 
 them in French. There is Pelletier," added he, 
 laughing, "who proves that I was myself the con- 
 triver of the infernal machine." 
 
 Major Hodson paid a visit to Countess Bertrand. 
 Informed her that both himself and his wife would 
 be most happy to call frequently upon her ; but 
 that insinuations had been made to him that it 
 would not be liked at Plantation House. 
 
 15th. Sir Hudson Lowe gave directions to 
 Captain Poppleton, that General Bonaparte, or 
 any of his suite might go unaccompanied along 
 the road to Woody Range, and to Miss Mason's ; 
 but that they were not permitted to quit the path, 
 and that they might re-enter Longwood at the 
 bottom of the wood. That the two sentinels at 
 the end of the wood were still to remain. He 
 then asked what were the orders of those sen- 
 tinels ? Captain Poppleton replied, " to let no 
 person in or out of Longwood." Sir Hudson de- 
 sired that those orders should still be continued in 
 force, adding, that he did not think that the path 
 by which the French were to be permitted to 
 enter was near enough to the sentinels to allow 
 them to interfere with them. He desired also that 
 the sentinels should be posted a little before 
 sun-set. 
 
 VOL. i. 3 K
 
 434 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Cipriani in town, making 1 the usual purchases 
 of provisions. 
 
 16th. Saw the emperor in the drawing-room. 
 He was in extremely good spirits, laughed repeat- 
 edly, joked with me on a supposed attachment to 
 a fair damsel, and endeavoured to speak some 
 English. Said that he had seen Lady Bingham 
 the day before, but that she could not speak 
 French ; that she " looked good tempered." 
 
 " Bertrand," said Napoleon, " has told me that 
 the governor has at last sent up his answers. 
 They are full of imbecility. I have not read them 
 myself, but from what Bertrand tells me, they are 
 a very poor production, and would make one pity 
 the writer who covers over so many pages with- 
 out arriving at any conclusion. He asserts that 
 he never has signed a pass for one day only, when 
 the fact is, that numbers of persons have shewn 
 the passes signed by him to Bertrand, and pointed 
 out to him that the day was specifically marked, 
 and consequently begged of him to interest him- 
 self to induce me to see them on that day, as they 
 could not enter Longwood upon any other. Si 
 fa pietd di lui."* 
 
 Napoleon then spoke at length about Talley- 
 rand. " The triumph of Talleyrand," said he, " is 
 the triumph of immorality. A priest united to an- 
 other man's wife, and who has paid her husband 
 
 * Meaning, that it makes one pity him.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 435 
 
 a large sum of money to leave her with him. A 
 man who has sold every thing, betrayed every 
 body and every side. I forbade Madame Talley- 
 rand the court, first, because she was a disrepu- 
 table character, and because I found out that 
 some Genoese merchants had paid her four hun- 
 dred thousand francs, in hopes of gaining some 
 commercial favours by means of her husband. She 
 was a very fine woman, English or East Indian, 
 but sotte and grossly ignorant. I sometimes asked 
 Denon, whose works I suppose you have read, 
 to breakfast with me, as I took pleasure in his 
 conversation, and conversed very freely with him. 
 Now all the intriguers and speculators paid their 
 court to Denon, with a view of inducing him to 
 mention their projects or themselves in the course 
 of his conversations with me, thinking that even 
 being mentioned by such a man as Denon, for 
 whom I had a great esteem, might materially serve 
 them. Talleyrand, who was a great speculator, 
 invited Denon to dinner. When he went home to 
 his wife he said, f my dear, I have invited Denon 
 to dine. He is a great traveller, and you must 
 say something handsome to him about his travels, 
 as he may be useful to us with the emperor.' His 
 wife being extremely ignorant, and probably never 
 having read any other book of travels than that of 
 Robinson Crusoe, concluded that Denon could 
 be nobody else than Robinson. Wishing to be
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 very civil to him, she, before a large company, 
 asked him divers questions about his man Friday ! 
 Denon, astonished, did not know what to think 
 at first, but at length discovered by her questions 
 that she really imagined him to be Robinson 
 Crusoe. His astonishment and that of the com- 
 pany cannot be described, nor the peals of laughter 
 which it excited in Paris, as the story flew like 
 wildfire through the city, and even Talleyrand him- 
 self was ashamed of it. 
 
 " The doctor has suid," continued he, " that I 
 turned Mahometan in Egypt. Now it is not the 
 case. I never followed any of the tenets of that 
 religion. I never prayed in the mosques. I never 
 abstained from wine, or was circumcised, neither 
 did I ever profess it. I said merely that we were 
 the friends of the Mussulmen, and that I respected 
 Mahomet their prophet, which was true ; I respect 
 him now. I wanted to make the Imans cause 
 prayers to be offered up in the mosques for me, in 
 order to make the people respect me still more 
 than they actually did, and obey me more readily. 
 The Imans replied, that there was a great ob- 
 stacle, because their prophet in the Koran had 
 inculcated to them that they were not to obey, 
 respect, or hold faith with infidels, and that I 
 came under that denomination. I then desired 
 them to hold a consultation, and see what was 
 necessary to be done in order to become a Mus-
 
 . A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 437 
 
 sulman, as some of their tenets could not be prac- 
 tised by us. That as to circumcision, God had 
 made us unfit for that. That with respect to 
 drinking wine, we were poor cold people, inhabi- 
 tants of the north, who could not exist without it. 
 Therefore that we could neither circumcise nor 
 abstain from wine. They consulted together ac- 
 cordingly, and in about three weeks issued a Fe- 
 tham, declaring that circumcision might be omitted, 
 because it was merely a profession ; that as to 
 drinking wine, it might be drunk by Mussulmen, 
 but that those who drank it would not go to pa- 
 radise, but to hell. I replied that this would not 
 do; that we had no occasion to make ourselves 
 Mussulmen in order to go to hell, that there were 
 many ways of getting there without coming to 
 Egypt, and desired them to hold another consul- 
 tation. Well, after deliberating and battling toge- 
 ther for I believe three months, they finally decided 
 that a man might become a Mussulman, and nei- 
 ther circumcise, nor abstain from wine ; but that 
 in proportion to the wine drunk, some good works 
 must be done. I then told them that we were all 
 Mussulmen and friends of the prophet, which 
 they readily believed, as the French soldiers never 
 went to church, and had no priests with them. 
 For you must know that during the revolution 
 there was no religion whatever in the French army. 
 Menou," continued Napoleon, "really turned Ma-
 
 438 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 hometan, which was the reason that I left him be- 
 hind." 
 
 He then spoke about some of the plans that he 
 had had in contemplation for making- canals of 
 communication in Egypt. " I intended," said he, 
 " to have made two, one from the Red Sea to the 
 Nile at Cairo, and the other to the Mediterranean. 
 I had the Red Sea surveyed, and found that its 
 waters were thirty feet higher than the Mediter- 
 ranean when they were highest, but only twenty- 
 four at the lowest. My plan was to have pre- 
 vented any water from flowing into the canal un- 
 less at low water, and this in the course of a dis- 
 tance of thirty leagues in its passage to the Medi- 
 terranean would have been of little consequence. 
 Besides, I would have had some sluices made. 
 The Nile was seven feet lower than the Red Sea, 
 when at its lowest, but fourteen feet higher (I think 
 he said) during the inundation. The expense was 
 calculated at eighteen millions of francs, and two 
 years' labour. It is only," continued he, " the ig- 
 norance and barbarity of the Turks which pre- 
 vents your India trade from being ruined. If 
 any European nation had possession of Egypt, it 
 would speedily be effected, and one day or ano- 
 ther Egypt will destroy the East India Company. 
 If Kleber had lived you would never have con- 
 quered it. He would have had the army do\vn 
 from Cairo in nine days, and would have over-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 439 
 
 whelmed you. If I had been there myself, I would 
 have brought the troops down in seven days, and 
 have been on the coast before you had disem- 
 barked. I had done so before, when the Turks 
 landed with Sydney Smith.*' 
 
 I asked if he had not saved Menou's life after the 
 13th of Vendemiare ? He replied, " I certainly 
 was the means of saving his life. The convention 
 ordered him to be tried, and he would have been 
 guillotined ; I was then commander-in-chief of 
 Paris. Thinking it very unjust that Menou only 
 should suffer, while three commissaires of the con- 
 vention, under whose orders he acted, were left 
 untried and unpunished ; but not venturing to say 
 openly that he ought to be acquitted, (for," conti- 
 nued he, " in those terrible times a man who told 
 the truth lost his head,) I had recourse to a stra- 
 tagem. I invited the members who were trying 
 him to breakfast, and turned the conversation 
 upon Menou. I said, that he had acted very 
 wrong, and deserved to be condemned to death ; 
 but that first, the commissioners of the conven- 
 tion must be tried and condemned, as he had 
 acted by their orders, and all must suffer. This 
 had the desired effect. The members of the court 
 said, ' We will not allow those civilians to bathe 
 themselves in our blood, while they allow their 
 own commissioners, who are more culpable, to 
 escape with impunity.' Menou was immediately
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 declared innocent." I then asked how many 
 men he supposed had lost their lives in the 
 business of the 13th Vende'miare ? He replied, 
 " Very few, considering the circumstances. Of 
 the people, there were about seventy or eighty 
 killed, and between three and four hundred 
 wounded ; of the conventionalists, about thirty 
 killed, and two hundred and fifty wounded. The 
 reason there was so few killed, was, that after the 
 first two discharges, I made the troops load with 
 powder only, which had the effect of frightening 
 the Parisians, and answered as well as killing 
 them would have done. I made the troops at 
 first fire ball, because to a rabble who are igno- 
 rant of the effect of fire-arms, it is the worst pos- 
 sible policy to fire powder only in the beginning. 
 For the populace after the first discharge, hearing 
 a great noise, are a little frightened, but looking 
 around them, and seeing nobody killed or wound- 
 ed, pluck up their spirits, begin immediately to 
 despise you, become doubly outrageous, and rush 
 on without fear, and it is necessary to kill ten 
 times the number that it would have been, had 
 ball been used at first. For, with a rabble, every 
 
 d 
 
 thing depends upon the fii-st impressions made 
 upon them. If they receive a discharge of fire- 
 arms, and perceive the killed and wounded fall- 
 ing amongst them, a panic seizes them, they take 
 to their heels instantly, and vanish in a moment.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 441 
 
 Therefore, when it is necessary to fire at all, it 
 ought to be done with ball at first. It is a mis- 
 taken instance of humanity to use powder only at 
 that moment, and instead of saving- the lives of 
 men, ultimately causes an unnecessary waste of 
 human blood." 
 
 17 th.- Napoleon walked round the house for a 
 short time. 
 
 A letter written by Captain Poppleton to Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, informing his excellency that the 
 horses of the establishment had been three days 
 without receiving any hay, and that for a length 
 of time they had had no litter. Also, that the stuff 
 sent as hay, was grass recently cut, with occa- 
 sionally a large portion of cow-grass* mixed with 
 it. That upon allowing fifty pounds of the said 
 miscalled hay to dry for two days, it only weighed, 
 with the rope which bound it, twenty pounds, ac- 
 cording to a very accurate trial made by himself. 
 That in consequence, he had directed the grooms 
 to go and cut some grass if they could find any, 
 as the horses were starving. 
 
 18th. Napoleon in very good humour. Joked 
 with me for some time about St. Patrick, and 
 endeavoured to speak some English, in which he 
 succeeded better than I had ever observed be- 
 fore. I said, that I had remarked divers of his 
 
 , * A species of inferior coarse grass, which horses will not eat. 
 VOL. J. 3 L
 
 442 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 expressions in some of the French bulletins. That 
 from having had the honour of being accustomed 
 to speak to him, I had recognized some of them, 
 and took the liberty of asking him if he had not 
 occasionally written them ? He replied, " Where 
 have you seen them ?" I answered, at the gover- 
 nor's, and that I had particularly remarked his 
 forcible expressions in the bulletin announcing 
 the burning of Moscow. He laughed, gave me a 
 gentle pull by the ear, and said, " You are right. 
 Some of them are mine." 
 
 Napoleon then observed, " Your ministers will 
 not be able to impose always upon the nation. 
 Because they are afraid of me, and think that I 
 have some talent, and because I have been always 
 at war with them, and that I have made France 
 greater than ever she was before, they fear that 
 I might do so again, and as any thing for the ad- 
 vantage of France would be disadvantageous to 
 them, they endeavour by all means to prevent it, 
 by putting a set of imbecilles on the throne, under 
 whom France must necessarily decay. In order 
 to find an excuse for sending me here, and to give 
 a colour to their proceedings, they seek all means 
 of blackening my character. Mark me, the Eng- 
 glish themselves will be the first to justify me, and 
 to vindicate my character from the calumnies 
 which their ministers have thrown upon it. Poste- 
 rity will revenge me. Recollect my words, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 443 
 
 recollect that this is not the first time that I have 
 told you so." 
 
 " I am told," added he, " that there is twenty 
 thousand pounds worth of iron railing sent out. It 
 is money thrown into the sea. Before this railing- 
 can be fixed up here, I shall be under ground, for 
 
 I am sure that I shall not hold out more than two 
 years under the treatment that I experience." 
 
 " If," continued Napoleon, " my greatest ene- 
 mies knew the way in which I am treated, they 
 would compassionate me. Millions in Europe 
 will weep for my lot when it is known, and 
 known it will be, in spite of the endeavours of 
 this governor to envelope every thing in secrecy 
 and mystery. He shews how little he knows of 
 England by thinking to effect this. A man who 
 has always been accustomed to be amongst a set 
 of low, vagabond deserters and brigands, where 
 his word was a law. On a band of poor ignorant 
 wretches like those, who trembled at the sight of 
 him, and whom he could threaten to send back to 
 their own country to be shot, he might impose se- 
 crecy. Like a man putting his hat over a candle, 
 he could then conceal the light, but now his en- 
 deavours resemble those of one who would at- 
 tempt to obscure and hide the light of the sun by 
 holding his hat before it. He has nothing English 
 about him, either within or without. He badly 
 serves his government, who are desirous that as
 
 444 A VOICE VRO.M ST. HELENA. 
 
 little as possible should be said about me, but he 
 takes the most certain method of effecting the con- 
 trary." 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe very busy inspecting the 
 ditches and other works he had ordered to be 
 thrown up about Longwood House and the 
 stables. 
 
 19th. Saw Napoleon in his bath. He was 
 reading a little book, which I perceived to be a 
 French New Testament. I could not help ob- 
 serving to him, that many people would not be- 
 lieve that he would read such a book, as it had 
 been asserted and credited by some that he was 
 an unbeliever. Napoleon laughed and replied, 
 " Cependant ce nest pas vrai. Je suis loin d'etre 
 Athte. (Nevertheless, it is not true. I am far 
 from being an Atheist.) In spite of all the iniqui- 
 ties and frauds of the teachers of religion, who are 
 eternally preaching up that their kingdom is not 
 of this world, and yet seize every thing which they 
 can lay their hands upon, from the time that I ar- 
 rived at the head of the government, I did every 
 thing in my power to re-establish religion. But I 
 wished to render it the foundation and prop of 
 morality and good principles, and not a prendrc 
 Vessor of the human laws. Man has need of some- 
 thing wonderful. It is better for him to seek it 
 in religion than in M 1Ie le Normand.* Moreover, 
 
 * A celebrated fortune-teller at Paris, consulted by emperors and 
 kings.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 445 
 
 religion is a great consolation and resource to 
 those who possess it, and no man can pronounce 
 what he will do in his last moments." 
 
 Napoleon then made some remarks upon the 
 conduct of the governor, whom he declared to be 
 a man totally unfit for his situation. " If he were," 
 said he, " he might make it pleasant and interest- 
 ing. He might spend much of his time with me, 
 and get great information with respect to past oc- 
 currences, with which no other person could be so 
 well acquainted or so satisfactorily account for. 
 You see what I am, dottore. Even unknown to 
 myself, he would imperceptibly have opportuni- 
 ties of getting information from me, which would 
 be very desirable to his ministers, and which I am 
 certain they have ordered him to obtain, and that 
 he burns to know. If I had really any intention 
 of effecting my escape from this place, instead of 
 disagreeing with him I would caress and flatter 
 him, endeavour to be on the best terms, go to 
 Plantation House, call on his wife, and try to 
 make him believe that I was contented, and 
 thereby lull his suspicions asleep. In fact, this, 
 governor e un imbecille die sa scrivere (he is an im- 
 becile who knows how to write). Every person, 
 however imbecille., has some kind of talent : one for 
 music, another for drawing, another for some me- 
 chanical art, and this imbecile for writing (per lo 
 scrivere) ."
 
 440 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I said that I could not deny that Sir Hudson 
 Lowe was hasty, and allowed the fear of his (Napo- 
 leon's) making his escape to get the better of his un- 
 derstanding, but that he was not devoid of talent. 
 That he had said his situation was one of great 
 delicacy, his responsibility great, and his orders 
 rigid. That he had desired me to say, that Las 
 Cases had confessed that the French about his 
 person had made him see every thing par un roi/r 
 de sang. "Les betes meme ont leurs talens" re- 
 plied the emperor. " As to his saying, that I was 
 made to see every thing a trovers (run voile de 
 sang, ma foi, partout ou Von voit le bourreau, on 
 voit du sang. Las Cases certainly was greatly ir- 
 ritated against him, and contributed materially to- 
 wards forming the impression existing upon my 
 mind, because Las Cases is a man of a feeling 
 mind, and extremely sensible to the ill treatment 
 which has been put in practice towards me and 
 himself. But I had no occasion for the assistance 
 of Las Cases towards giving me that opinion, as 
 the treatment I experienced was fully sufficient in 
 itself to create it, and Montholon has merely writ- 
 ten according to my orders." 
 
 20M. Saw Napoleon in his bed-room in his 
 morning gown. He spoke at length about some 
 statements in Warden's book. "At one time I had 
 appointed Talleyrand," said he, "to proceed on 
 a mission to Warsaw, in order to arrange and or-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 447 
 
 ganize the best method of accomplishing the sepa- 
 ration of Poland from Russia. He had several 
 conferences with me respecting this mission, which 
 was a great surprise to the ministers, as Talley- 
 rand had no official character at the time. Hav- 
 ing married one of his relations to the Duchess of 
 Courland, Talleyrand was very anxious to receive 
 the appointment, that he might revive the claims 
 of the Duchess's family. However, some money 
 transactions of his were discovered at Vienna, 
 which convinced me that he was carrying on his 
 old game of corruption, and determined me not 
 to employ him on the intended mission. I had 
 designed at one time to have made him a cardi- 
 nal, with which he refused to comply. Madame 
 Grant threw herself twice upon her knees before 
 me, in order to obtain permission to marry him, 
 which I refused; but through the intreaties of Jo- 
 sephine, she succeeded on the second application. 
 I afterwards forbade her the court, when I disco- 
 vered the Genoa affair, of which I told you before. 
 Latterly," continued he, " Talleyrand sunk into 
 contempt." 
 
 " Ney," said he, " never made use of haughty 
 language at Fontainbleau in my presence ; on the 
 contrary, he was always submissive before me, 
 although in my absence he sometimes broke out 
 into violence, as he was a man without education. 
 If he had made use of unbecoming language to-
 
 448 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 wards me at Fontainbleau, the troops would have 
 torn him to pieces." 
 
 " Lavalette," added Napoleon, " knew nothing 
 of my intended return from Elba, or of what was 
 hatching there. Madame Lavalette was of the fa- 
 mily of Beauharnais. She was a very fine woman. 
 Louis my brother fell in love with and wanted to 
 marry her ; to prevent which I caused her to es- 
 pouse Lavalette to whom she was attached." 
 
 "When Lavalette was director of posts," con- 
 tinued Napoleon, " I was desirous to be made 
 acquainted with the sentiments of the nation rela- 
 tive to my administration. I appointed twelve 
 persons, all of different ways of thinking, some 
 jacobins, others royalists, some republicans, impe- 
 rialists, &c. with a salary of a thousand francs a 
 month, whose business it was to make monthly 
 reports to Lavalette of the opinions which they 
 had heard expressed and their own, relative to 
 the public acts. These reports were brought to 
 me unopened by Lavalette. After reading, and 
 making extracts when necessary, I burned them. 
 This was conducted so secretly, that even the mi- 
 nisters did not know of it." 
 
 Napoleon added, that he had never told Ney 
 that he had entered France with the privity and 
 support of England; that on the contrary lie had 
 always disclaimed and reprobated the idea of re- 
 turning by the aid of foreign bayonets, and had
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 449 
 
 come purposely to overturn a dynasty upheld by 
 them. That all he looked for was the support of 
 the French nation, to which all his proclamations 
 would bear witness. He afterwards delivered the 
 following 1 history of Pichegru's conspiracy. 
 
 " The doctor has given a very imperfect ac- 
 count of the part taken by Captain Wright in 
 the conspiracy against me. In different nights 
 of August, September, and December, 1803, and 
 January, 1804, Wright landed Georges, Pichegru, 
 Riviere, Coster, St. Victor, La Haye, St. Hilaire, 
 and others, at Seville. The four last named had 
 been accomplices in the former attempt to assas- 
 sinate me by means of the infernal machine, and 
 most of the rest were well known to be chiefs of 
 the Chouans. They remained during the day in 
 a little farm-house near to where they had landed, 
 the proprietor of which had been bribed to assist 
 them. They travelled only by night, pretending 
 to be smugglers, concealing themselves in the day- 
 time in lodgings which had been previously procur- 
 ed for them. They had plenty of money, and re- 
 mained at Paris for some time without being disco- 
 vered, although the police had some intimation that 
 a plot was going on, through Mehe'e de la Touche, 
 who although paid as a spy by your ministers,* 
 
 * Napoleon informed me that Mehee had received from Mr. Drake 
 and other official persons nearly 200,000 francs, 
 VOL. I. 3 M
 
 450 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 disclosed every thing to the French police. He 
 had several conferences with Drake, your charge 
 d'affaires at Munich, from whom he received large 
 sums of money. Some of the brigands who 
 had been landed were arrested and interrogated 
 By their answers it appeared that a man named 
 Mussey, who lived at Offembourg, along with the 
 Duke d'Enghien, was very active in corresponding 
 with and sending money to those who had been se- 
 cretly landed on the coasts; and most of whom 
 could give no good reason why they had ventured 
 to return to Paris at the imminent hazard of their 
 lives, as they had not been included in the am- 
 nesty. The list of the prisoners and their answers 
 on examination were submitted to me. I was 
 very anxious, and on looking over it one night, I 
 remarked that one of the number named Querel, 
 was stated to be a surgeon. It immediately struck 
 me that this man was not actuated by enthusiasm, 
 or by a spirit of party, but by the hope of gain. 
 He will therefore be more likely to confess than any 
 of the others ; and the fear of death will probably 
 induce him to betray his accomplices. I ordered 
 him to be tried as a Chouan ; and according to 
 the laws, he was condemned to death. It was 
 not a mock trial, as Warden thought: on the con- 
 trary, while leading to execution, he demanded 
 to be heard, and promised to make important 
 disclosures. Information of this was brought to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 431 
 
 me by Lauristan, and Querel was conducted 
 back to prison, where he was interrogated by the 
 grand judge Real. He confessed that he had 
 come from England, and had been landed in Au- 
 gust, 1803, from Wright's ship, along with Georges 
 and several others. That Georges was then in 
 Paris, planning the assassination of the first consul. 
 He also pointed out the houses where the other 
 conspirators and himself had stopped on their 
 way to Paris. Police officers were immediately 
 sent to the place he had designated ; and from 
 the result of their inquiries it appeared that he 
 had told the truth, and that since the time he had 
 described, two other landings of similar gentry 
 had been effected by Wright, with the last of 
 whom there had been some person of consequence 
 whose name they could not discover, and that 
 they soon expected another cargo. The Duke of 
 Rovigo, as I told you once before, was imme- 
 diately sent to Beville with a party of the police, 
 in the hope of being able to seize them. An emi- 
 grant, named Bouvet de Lozier, who has since 
 been employed at the Isle of France, was also ar- 
 rested. After he had been confined for some 
 weeks he became desperate and hung himself in 
 the prison one morning. The gaoler, who heard 
 an uncommon noise in his room, went in and cut 
 him down before life had departed. While he was 
 recovering his senses he burst out into incoherent
 
 452 A VOICE FKOM ST. HELENA. 
 
 exclamations, that Moreau had brought Pichegru 
 from London. That he was a traitor, and had per- 
 suaded them that all the army were for him, and 
 that he would prove the cause of their destruction. 
 Those expressions excited an alarm. The police 
 knew that a brother of Pichegru's who had once 
 been a monk, lived in Paris. He was arrested 
 and examined. He avowed that he had seen his 
 brother a day or two before, and asked if it were, 
 a crime ? Moreau was immediately arrested, and 
 large rewards were ottered by the police for the 
 apprehension of Georges and Pichegru. Pichegru 
 was betrayed by one of his old friends, who came 
 to the police and offered to deliver him into their 
 hands for a hundred thousand francs paid on the 
 spot. Georges still continued to elude the vigi- 
 lance of the police. I proclaimed the city of Paris 
 to be in a state of siege, and no person was al- 
 lowed to quit it unless by day, and through cer- 
 tain barriers, where were stationed people to whom 
 the persons of the conspirators were familiar. 
 About three weeks afterwards, Georges was be- 
 trayed and taken, after having shot one of the men 
 who tried to arrest him. All his accomplices 
 were subsequently taken. Pichegru did not deny 
 having been employed by the Bourbons and be- 
 haved with great audacity. Afterwards finding 
 his case desperate, he strangled himself in the 
 prison. The rest of the conspirator- were publicly
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 453 
 
 tried in the month of May before the tribunal of 
 the department of the Seine, and in the presence 
 of all the foreign, ambassadors in Paris. Georges, 
 Polignac, Riviere, Coster, and sixteen or seven- 
 teen others were found guilty of having conspired 
 against the life of the chief magistrate of the ' 
 French nation, and condemned to death. Georges, 
 Coster, and seven or eight more were executed. 
 Riviere was pardoned, partly by the prayers of 
 Murat. I pardoned some of the others also. Mo- 
 reau was condemned to two years imprisonment, 
 which was commuted into banishment to Ame- 
 rica. Jules de Polignac, confidant of the Count 
 d'Artois, and many others, were also condemned 
 to imprisonment. 
 
 " It was discovered," continued Napoleon, " by 
 the confession of some of the conspirators, that 
 the Duke d'Enghien was an accomplice, and that 
 he was only waiting on the frontiers of France 
 for the news of my assassination, upon receiving 
 which he was to have entered France as the king's 
 lieutenant. Was I to suffer that the Count d'Ar- 
 tois should send a parcel of miscreants to murder 
 me, and that a prince of his house should hover on 
 the borders of the country that I governed to pro- 
 fit by my assassination. According to the laws 
 of nature, I was authorized to cause him to be as- 
 sassinated in retaliation for the numerous attempts 
 of the kind that he had before caused to be made
 
 454 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 against me. I gave orders to have him seized. 
 He was tried and condemned by a law made long 
 before I had any power in France. He was tried 
 by a military commission formed of all the colo- 
 nels of the regiments then in garrison at Paris. 
 He was accused of having borne arms against the 
 republic, which he did not deny. When before 
 the tribunal, he behaved with great bravery. When 
 he arrived at Strasburg, he wrote a letter to me, 
 in which he offered to discover every thing if par- 
 don were granted to him, said that his family had 
 lost their claims for a long time, and concluded 
 by offering his services to me. This letter was 
 delivered to Talleyrand, who concealed it until 
 after his execution. Had the Count d'Artois been 
 in his place he would have suffered the same fate ; 
 and were I now placed under similar circum- 
 stances, I would act in a similar manner. As the 
 police," added Napoleon, " did not like to trust 
 to the evidence of Mehe'e de la Touche alone, they 
 sent Captain Rosey, (a man in whose integrity 
 they had eveiy confidence,) to Drake at Munich, 
 with a letter from Mehee, which procured him an 
 interview, the result of which confirmed MeheVs 
 statement, that he was concerned in a plot to ter- 
 rasser le premier consul, no matter by what means."* 
 
 * While the Duke d'Enghien was oil his trial, Madame la Marc- 
 dial Bessicre said to Colonel Ordener, who had arrested him, " Are 
 there no possible means to save that malhtureux ? Has his guilt been
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 453 
 
 23rd. Napoleon dressed and in the billiard- 
 room. In very good humour. Gave him some 
 libels upon himself. They were all in French, 
 and amongst others was " Mtfmoires secrets? " Bo- 
 naparte peint par lui meme" and which excited his 
 laughter. 
 
 Napoleon then asked several questions about the 
 governor. I said that Sir Hudson had desired me 
 to say, a few days ago, that he had every wish to 
 accommodate, and that he thought that Las Cases, 
 Warden, and Mrs. Skelton,* and some others, had 
 been the means of producing much ill-blood, and 
 a great deal of misunderstanding. Napoleon re- 
 plied, " S'inganna (he is deceived). In the first 
 place, it was the badness of his physiognomy (era 
 sua cattiva faccia) ; next his wanting to force me 
 to receive the visit of an officer twice in the twenty- 
 established beyond a doubt ?" " Madame," replied Colonel Ordener, 
 " I found in his house sacks of papers sufficient to compromise the 
 half of France." The duke was executed in the morning, and not by 
 torch-light as has been represented. 
 
 * Mrs. Skelton was accused by the governor of having told Napo- 
 leon one day at dinner, that from experience she knew he would not 
 always find Longwood pleasant. That at certain times of the year 
 it was a damp, disagreeable, bleak, and unhealthy residence; as a 
 proof of which, she mentioned that she never could succeed in rear- 
 ing poultry there ; while down in the company's garden, situated in 
 a sheltered valley, about four hundred yards distant, she had no dif- 
 ficulty in bringing them up. Mrs. Skelton and family had resided 
 at Longwood a few months in each year for four or five years before 
 Napoleon arrived.
 
 456 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 four hours ; then the letter to Bert rand ; his wish- 
 ing- that I should send you away, and to give me 
 a surgeon of his own choice ; the manner in which 
 he spoke to me about the wooden house ; his let- 
 ters full of softness, accompanying the train of 
 vexations which followed ; and his always leaving 
 something doubtful which he could afterwards in- 
 terpret as best suited his views. In fact, he wanted, 
 by shewing that he could render things disagree- 
 able, to compel us to bend, and submissively de- 
 mand pardon of him, go to Plantation House, and 
 be his very humble servants." 
 
 " It appears that Warden has been informed," 
 ,-idded Napoleon, " that I applied some lines of 
 Shakespeare to Madame Montholon. You well 
 know that I could not then, nor can I now, quote 
 English verse, nor have I ever intended to convey 
 a reflection on Madame Montholon. On the con- 
 trary, I think that she possesses more firmness and 
 caractere than most of her sex." 
 
 24M. Napoleon complained of swellings in his 
 legs, for which I recommended some simple reme- 
 dies, which he put in practice. 
 
 He afterwards observed that he had been read- 
 ing all yesterday the Secret Memoirs of himself, 
 Pichon's work, &c. " These libels," said he, 
 " have done me more good than harm in France, 
 because they irritated the nation both against the 
 writers, and the Bourbons who paid them, by re-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 presenting me as a monster, and by the impro- 
 bable and scandalous falsehoods they contained 
 against me, and the government under me, which 
 were degrading to them as a nation. Even Cha- 
 teaubriand has done me good by his work. Pichon, 
 the author of the state of France under Bona- 
 parte, had been consul in America, and was dis- 
 graced by me for having embezzled three millions, 
 part of which he was obliged to refund, as I was 
 very particular with consuls and other agents, and 
 always examined their accounts myself. This 
 Pichon, after he had published his libel, was sent 
 by me to London as a spy after my return from 
 Elba ; at least, he was so far sent by me, that I 
 suffered it, because, although he was un coquin, he 
 had some esprit, and on account of the nature of 
 his writings, would not be suspected. You see 
 what dependance is to be placed upon writers of 
 libels. This man, who in 1814 had written such 
 a libel against me, went in 1815 as a spy for the 
 police of the very person whom he had so grossly 
 libelled." 
 
 25M. Napoleon in his bath. His legs much 
 better. In very good spirits. " It appears, Mr. 
 Doctor," said he, " from the books you lent me, 
 that at a very early age I poisoned a girl ; that I 
 poisoned others for the mere pleasure of poison- 
 ing ; that I assassinated Desaix, Kleber, the Duke 
 of Abrantes, and I know not how many others: 
 
 VOL. i. 3 N
 
 458 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that I went to the army of Italy, consisting of 
 some thousand galley-slaves, who were extremely 
 happy to see me, as being one of their fraternity. 
 Jt is surprising what things are believed on both 
 sides, in consequence of not having had communi- 
 cation with each other. In France, if a house was 
 burnt down, the vulgar attributed it to the English. 
 Pitt, Pitt, was the cry directly. Nothing could 
 persuade the French canaille that the conflagra- 
 tion at Lyon had not been effected by the English. 
 In like manner, you English believed every thing 
 bad of me, which belief was always encouraged 
 by your ministers. Your **** also, with the 
 exception of Fox, who was sincere in his desire 
 for peace, encouraged * * * against ine." Here I 
 made some observations in disbelief of the asser- 
 tion, to which Napoleon replied, " When they 
 furnished ships to land, and money to support, 
 men whose professed object was to assassinate 
 me, was not that being privy to it ?" I said that 
 they had furnished ships and money to assist in 
 accomplishing a revolution, but without having 
 known that assassination formed part of their 
 plans. " Doctor," replied Napoleon, " you are 
 a child. They knew it well. Fifty or sixty bri- 
 gands, the most of them notorious for assassina- 
 tion, could have no other mode of effecting a revo- 
 lution. They had republished in London at the 
 same time a book called, ' Killing no Murder'
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 459 
 
 Which had been originally printed in Cromwell's 
 time ; for the purpose of inculcating a belief that 
 assassinating me was not only not a crime, but 
 that it would be a praiseworthy and meritorious 
 action. Fox indeed was of a contrary opinion. 
 That great man wrote to Talleyrand, and informed 
 him that a coqu'm had come that morning to him 
 with a proposal to assassinate me." 
 
 " When I was at Elba," added Nopoleon, " I 
 was visited by an English nobleman, a Catholic, 
 about thirty years old, and from Northumberland, 
 I believe. He had dined a few weeks before with 
 the Duke de Fleury, with whom he had a conver- 
 sation relative to the sum of money to be allowed 
 me annually by France, according to the agree- 
 ment that had been signed by the ministers of the 
 allied powers. The duke laughed at him for sup- 
 posing for a moment that it would be complied 
 with, and said, that they were not such fools. 
 This was one of the reasons which induced me to 
 quit Elba. I do not believe that Castlereagh 
 thought I would have ventured to leave it, as 
 otherwise some frigates would have been stationed 
 about the island. If they had kept a frigate in 
 the harbour, and another outside, it would have 
 been impossible for me to have gone to France, 
 except alone, which I never would have attempted. 
 If even the king of France had ordered a frigate 
 with a picked crew to cruise off the island, it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 would have prevented me." I asked if he thought 
 that it had been the intention of the allies to have 
 sent him to St. Helena ? " Why," replied the em- 
 peror, " it was much spoken of. However, Co- 
 lonel Campbell denied it. They must have sent 
 an army to take me, I could have held out for 
 some months. But there were many violations 
 of the treaty of Fontainbleau by the allies, which 
 authorized and obliged me to take tl>e step I did. 
 Independent of what I have told you, it was sti- 
 pulated and agreed to, that all the members of 
 my family should be allowed to follow me to 
 Elba ; but in violation of that, my wife and child 
 were seized, detained, and never permitted to join 
 a husband and a father. They were also to have 
 bad the duchies of Parma, Placentia, and Guas- 
 talla, which they were deprived of. By the treaty 
 Prince Eugene was to have had a principality in 
 Italy, which was never given. My mother and 
 brothers were to receive pensions, which were also 
 refused to them. My own private property, and 
 the savings which I had made on the civil list,, 
 were to have been preserved for me. Instead of 
 that, they were seized in the hands of LabouUleric, 
 the treasurer, contrary to the treaty, and all claims 
 made by me rejected. The private property of 
 my family was to be held sacred ; it was confis- 
 cated. The dotations assigned to the army on the 
 Mont Napoleon, were to be preserved, they were
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 461 
 
 suppressed; nor were the hundred thousand francs, 
 which were to be given as pensions to persons 
 pointed out by me, ever paid. Moreover, assas- 
 sins were sent to Elba to murder me. Never," 
 .continued Napoleon, " have the terms of a treaty 
 been more evidently violated, and, indeed, openly 
 scoffed at, than those were by the allies, and yet 
 your ministers had the impudence to te-U the na- 
 tion, that I was the first violator of the treaty of 
 Fontainbleau." 
 
 I observed that the allies had given as a reason 
 for their conduct towards him, that he had aimed 
 at 4 universal dominion. "No," replied the empe- 
 ror, " I certainly wished to render France the 
 most powerful nation in the world, but no further, 
 I did not aim at universal dominion. It was my 
 intention to have made Italy an independent king- 
 dom. There are natural bounds for France, which 
 I did not intend to pass. It was my object to 
 prevent England from being able to go to war 
 with France, without assistance from some of the 
 great continental powers, without which, indeed, 
 she ought never to venture." 
 
 Had some conversation about Ferdinand of 
 Spain. " When Ferdinand was at Vajeiujay," 
 said Napoleon, " he always expressed great hatred 
 of the English, and declared, that the first thing 
 he would do, on his return to Spain, would be to
 
 46*2 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 re-establish the Inquisition. You English will 
 find one day, that by restoring him, you have 
 done yourselves a great national injury. While 
 at Valengay, he said that he would prefer remain- 
 ing in France to returning to Spain, and wrote se- 
 veral times to me, begging of me to adopt and give 
 him a Frenchwoman in marriage." 
 
 " I observe now," added he, " that as your mi- 
 nisters and the Bourbonists cannot any longer 
 deny that I have done some good to France, they 
 endeavour to turn it, by saying, that whatever 
 good I effected was done through the persuasions 
 of Josephine. For example, they say that it was 
 Josephine who induced me to recall the emigrants. 
 Now the fact is, that Josephine was the most ami- 
 able and the best of women, but she never inter- 
 fered with politics. Their object is to persuade 
 the world that I am incapable of a good action. 
 But your English travellers will produce a great 
 change in the opinion of their nation." 
 
 Sir Pulteney and Lady Malcolm, Captains 
 Stanfell and Festing, of the navy, came up and 
 had an interview with Napoleon. When they 
 came out, Captain * * expressed his astonishment 
 at finding Napoleon so different a person to what 
 he was reported. " Instead of being a rough, im- 
 patient, and imperious character," said he, " I 
 found him to be mild, gentle in his manner, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 463 
 
 one of the pleasantest men I ever saw. I shall 
 never forget him, nor how different he is from the 
 idea I had been led to form of him." 
 
 Sir Pulteney Malcolm expressed to me his 
 ardent wish that matters might be accommodated 
 between Napoleon and the governor, adding, that 
 two opportunities of effecting it would soon pre- 
 sent themselves, viz. the arrival of Lord Amherst, 
 and of Admiral Plampin ; that he much wished 
 that both should be introduced by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, and, indeed, thought that Lord Amherst 
 could not be introduced by any other person. 
 
 Napoleon, accompanied by Countesses Bertrand 
 and Montholon, and their husbands, walked down 
 into the wood. On their return, chairs were brought 
 out and placed in front of the billiard-room, where 
 they remained for some time after sun-set. 
 
 26th. Napoleon conversed a good deal about 
 the battle of Waterloo. " The plan of the battle," 
 said he, " will not in the eyes of the historian re- 
 flect any credit on Lord Wellington as a general. 
 In the first place, he ought not to have given bat- 
 tle with the armies divided. They ought to have 
 been united and encamped before the 15th. In 
 the next, the choice of ground was bad ; because 
 if he had been beaten he could not have retreated, 
 as there was only one road leading to the forest 
 in his rear. He also committed a fault which 
 might have proved the destruction of all' his army,
 
 464 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 without its ever having commenced the campaign, 
 or being drawn out in battle ; lie allowed himself 
 to be surprised. On the 15th I was at Charleroi, 
 and had beaten the Prussians without his knowing 
 any thing about it. I had gained forty-eight hours 
 of manoeuvres upon him, which was a great ob- 
 ject ; and if some of my generals had shewn that 
 vigour and genius which they had displayed in 
 other times, I should have taken his army in can- 
 tonments without ever fighting a battle. But they 
 were discouraged, and fancied that they saw an 
 army of a hundred thousand men everywhere 
 opposed to them. I had not time enough myself 
 to attend to the minutiae of the army. I accounted 
 upon surprising and cutting them up in detail. I 
 knew of Bulow's arrival at eleven o'clock ; but I 
 did not regard it. I had still eighty chances out 
 of a hundred in my favour. Notwithstanding the 
 great superiority of force against me, I was con- 
 vinced that I should obtain the victory. I had 
 about seventy thousand men, of whom fifteen 
 thousand were cavalry. I had also two hundred 
 and fifty pieces of cannon ; but my troops were 
 so good, that I esteemed them sufficient to beat a 
 hundred and twenty thousand. Now Lord Wel- 
 lington had under his command about ninety thou- 
 sand, and, two hundred and fifty pieces of cannon ; 
 and Bulo\v had thirty thousand, making a hun- 
 dred and twenty thousand. Of all those troops,
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 however, I only reckoned the English as being 
 able to cope with my own. The others I thought 
 little of. I believe that of English there were 
 from thirty-five to forty thousand. These I es- 
 teemed to be as brave and as good as my own 
 troops; the English army was well known lat- 
 terly on the continent ; and besides, your nation 
 possesses courage and energy. As to the Prus- 
 sians, Belgians, and others, half the number of 
 my troops were sufficient to beat them. I only 
 left thirty-four thousand men to take care of the 
 Prussians. The chief causes of the loss of that 
 battle were, first of all, Grouchy's great tardiness 
 and neglect in executing his orders ; next, the gre^- 
 nadiers d cheval and the cavalry under General 
 Guyot, which I had in reserve, and which were 
 never to leave me, engaged without orders and 
 without my knowledge ; so that after the last 
 charge, when the troops were beaten, and the 
 English cavalry advanced, I had not a single 
 corps of cavalry in reserve to resist them ; instead 
 of one which I esteemed to be equal to doubly 
 their own number. In consequence of this, the 
 English attack succeeded, and all was lost. There 
 was no means of rallying. The youngest general 
 would not have committed the fault of leaving an 
 army entirely without reserve, which however oc- 
 curred here, whether in consequence of treason, 
 
 VOL. I. 3 O
 
 466 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 or not, I cannot say. These were the two princi- 
 pal causes of the loss of the battle of Waterloo." 
 
 " If Lord Wellington had entrenched himself," 
 continued he, " I would not have attacked him. 
 As a general, his plan did not shew talent. He 
 certainly displayed great courage and obstinacy; 
 but a little must be taken away even from that 
 when you consider that he had no means of re- 
 treat, and that, had he made the attempt, not a 
 man of his army would have escaped. First, to 
 the firmness and bravery of his troops, for the 
 English fought with the greatest obstinacy and 
 courage, he is principally indebted for the vic- 
 tory, and not to his own conduct as a general ; 
 and next, to the arrival of Blucher, to whom the 
 victory is more to be attributed than to Welling- 
 ton, and more credit due as a general ; because 
 he, although beaten the day before, assembled his 
 troops, and brought them into action in the even- 
 ing. I believe, however," continued Napoleon, 
 " that Wellington is a man of great firmness. The 
 glory of such a victory is a great thing ; but in 
 the eye of the historian, his military reputation 
 will gain nothing by it." 
 
 Napoleon then spoke about the libels upon 
 himself which I had collected for him. "As yet," 
 said he, you have not procured me one that is 
 worthy of an answer. Would you have me sit
 
 A, VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 467 
 
 down and reply to Goldsmith, Pichon, or the 
 Quarterly Review ? They are so contemptible 
 and so absurdly false, that they do not merit any 
 other notice than to write faux, faux, in every page, 
 The only truth I have seen in them is, that one 
 day I met an officer, Rapp, I believe, in the field 
 of battle, with his face covered with blood, and 
 that I cried, oh, comme il est beau ! This is true 
 enough ; and of it they have made a crime. My 
 admiration of the gallantry of a brave soldier is 
 construed into a crime, and a proof of my delight- 
 ing in blood. But posterity will do me that jus- 
 tice which is denied to me now. If I were that 
 tyrant, that monster, would the people and the 
 army have flown to join me with the enthusiasm 
 they shewed when I landed from Elba with a 
 handful of men ? Could I have marched to Paris, 
 and have seated myself upon the throne without a 
 musquet having been fired ? Ask the French na- 
 tion ? Ask the Italian ?" 
 
 " I have," continued he, " been twice married. 
 Political motives induced me to divorce my first 
 wife, whom I tenderly loved. She, poor woman, 
 fortunately for herself, died in time to prevent her 
 witnessing the last of my misfortunes. Let Marie 
 Louise be asked with what tenderness and affec- 
 tion I always treated her. After her forcible se- 
 paration from me, she avowed in the most feeling 
 terms to * * * her ardent desire to join me, ex-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tolled with many tears both myself and my con- 
 duct to her, and bitterly lamented her cruel sepa- 
 ration, avowing her ardent desire to join me in my 
 exita Is this the result of the conduct of a mer- 
 ciless, unfeeling tyrant ? A man is known by his 
 conduct to his wife, to hi* family, and to those 
 under him. I hax-e doubtless erred more or less 
 in politics, but a crime I have never committed. 
 The doctor in his book makes nte say that I never 
 committed an useless crime, which is equivalent to 
 saying that I have not scrupled to commit one when 
 I had any object in vie\v, which I deny altogether. 
 I have never \vished but the glory and the good of 
 France. All my faculties Were consecrated to that 
 object, but I never employed crime or assassina- 
 tion to forward it." 
 
 " iThe Duke d'Enghien, who was engaged upon 
 the frontiers of my territories in a plot to assassi- 
 nate me, I caused to be seized and given up to 
 justice which condemned him. He had a fair 
 trial. Let your ministers and the Bourbons do 
 their utmost to calumniate me, the truth will be 
 discovered. Lie mensonge passe, la reritd rente. 
 Let them employ all dishonourable means like 
 Lord C * * * *, who, not content with sending me 
 here, has had the baseness to make me speak and 
 to put such words into my mouth as he thinks will 
 best answer his views. C'est im homrne ignoble. 
 Perhaps they wish me to live for a short time, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 4(39 
 
 do not put me to death, in order to make me say 
 Whatever will suit their purposes. The ruin of 
 England was never my intention. We were ene- 
 mies and I did my utmost to gain the upper hand. 
 England did the same. After the treaty of Amiens 
 I would always have made a peace, placing the 
 two countries upon equal terms as to commercial 
 relations." 
 
 I mentioned that I had conceived he had once 
 expressed to me that his intentions had been to 
 have united England to France, if he had found 
 himself sufficiently powerful. He replied, " I said 
 that I could not unite two nations so dissimilar. I 
 intended, if I had succeeded in my projected de- 
 scent, to have abolished the monarchy, and esta- 
 blished a republic instead of the oligarchy by which 
 you are governed. I would have separated Ire- 
 land from England ; the former of which I would 
 have made an independent republic. No, no ; I 
 would have left them to themselves after having 
 sown the seeds of republicanism in their morale. \ 
 
 I told the emperor then, that Lord Amherst, 
 (fehe late British ambassador to China,) was ex- 
 pected here in a few days. He said, he thought 
 the English ministers had acted wrong in *iot 
 having ordered him to comply with the customs 
 of the place he was sent to, or otherwise not to 
 have sent him at all. I observed, that the English 
 would consider it as debasing to the nation,- if
 
 470 A VOICE FROM ST. HBLKNA. 
 
 Lord Amherst had consented to prostrate him- 
 self in the manner required. That if such a point 
 was conceded, the Chinese would probably not be 
 contented, and would require similar ceremonies 
 to be performed as those insisted upon by the 
 Japanese, and complied with so disgracefully by 
 the Dutch. That, besides, Lord Amherst was 
 willing to pay the same obeisance to the emperor 
 as he would do to his own king. Napoleon re- 
 plied, " It is quite a different thing. One is a 
 mere ceremony, performed by all the great men of 
 the nation to their chief, and the other is a national 
 degradation required of strangers, and of strangers 
 only. It is my opinion, that whatever is the cus- 
 tom of a nation, and is practised by the first cha- 
 racters of that nation towards their chief, cannot 
 degrade strangers who perform the same. Differ- 
 ent nations have different customs. In England, 
 you kiss the king's hand at court. Such a thing 
 in France would be considered ridiculous, and 
 the person who did it would be held up to public 
 scorn ; but still the French ambassador who per- 
 formed it in England, would not be considered <to 
 have degraded himself. In England, some hun- 
 dred years back, the king was served kneeling, 
 the same ceremony now takes place in Spain. In 
 Italy, you kiss the pope's toe, yet it is not consi- 
 dered as a degradation. A man who goes into a 
 country must comply with the ceremonies in use
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 471 
 
 there, and it would have been no degradation what- 
 ever for Lord Amherst to have submitted to such 
 ceremonies before the emperor of China, as are 
 performed by the first mandarins of that empire. 
 You say that he was willing to render such re- 
 spect as was paid to his own king. You have no 
 right to send a man to China to tell them that they 
 must perform certain ceremonies, because such 
 are practised in England. Suppose now, for the 
 sake of example, that it were the custom in Eng- 
 land, instead of kissing the king's hand, that he 
 should offer his breech to be kissed by those who 
 were presented to him ; why then, forsooth, the 
 Emperor of China must let down his breeches, 
 , because it was the practice in Eng- 
 land." 
 
 These observations were delivered with such 
 suitable action, and significant gestures, that I 
 could not help, for some moments, giving vent 
 very freely to laughter, in which the emperor good 
 humouredly joined. 
 
 If I," continued he, "had sent an ambassador 
 to China, I would have ordered him to make him- 
 self acquainted with the ceremonies performed be- 
 fore the emperor, by the first mandarins ; and, if 
 required, to do the same himself, and no more. 
 Now, perhaps, you will lose the friendship of the 
 nation, and great commercial advantages, through 
 this piece of nonsense." I said, that we could
 
 472 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 easily compel the Chinese to grant good terms by 
 means of a few ships of war; that, for example, 
 we could deprive them altogether of salt, by a few 
 cruizers properly stationed. Napoleon replied, 
 " It would be the worst thing you have done for 
 a number of years, to go to war with an immense 
 empire like China, and possessing so many re- 
 sources. You would doubtless, at first, succeed, 
 take what vessels they have, and destroy their 
 trade ; but you would teach them their own 
 strength. They would be compelled to adopt 
 measures to defend themselves against you ; they 
 would consider, and say, f we must try to make 
 ourselves equal to this nation. Why should we 
 suffer a people, so far away, to do as they please 
 to us ? We must build ships, we must put guns 
 into them, we must render ourselves equal to them.' 
 They would," continued the emperor, "get arti- 
 ficers and ship-builders from France and Ame- 
 rica, and even from London ; they would build a 
 fleet, and, in the course of time, defeat you." 
 
 I observed that it was likely Lord Amherst 
 would wait upon him. Napoleon replied, " if' he 
 is to be presented by the governor, or if the latter 
 sends one of his staff with him, I will not receive 
 him ; if he comes with the admiral, I shall. Neither 
 will I receive the new admiral if he is to be intro- 
 duced by the governor. In his last letter there is 
 an insult to us. He says, that we may go round by
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 473 
 
 Miss Mason's, but that we must not go off the 
 main road.* Where is this main road ? I never 
 could find any. If I were obliged to step aside a 
 few yards for any occasion I should be exposed to 
 be shot at by a sentinel. The admiral, when he 
 was here last, spoke like his advocate, and wanted 
 me to receive him with Lord Amherst. I would 
 not receive my own son if he were to be presented 
 by him!" 
 
 27^A. Napoleon in his bath. Gave me some 
 explanations touching what had beeii said of his 
 having kept secret from his soldiers in Egypt for 
 a long time that the plague had got into the army. 
 " I," said he, " once touched a soldier in the hos- 
 pital who was infected, with a view to convince 
 the troops that the disease was not the plague ; 
 and I believe that I succeeded for fifteen days in 
 persuading them that it was only a fever, with 
 buboes. I rarely practised visiting the hospital," 
 continued he, " as the extreme sensibility of my 
 nose was such, that the smell always made me ill, 
 on which account I was advised by Oorvisart and 
 my other physicians not to attempt it. Even dur- 
 ing my campaigns in Europe I seldom visited 
 them." 
 
 , 29/A. The emperor again in his bath. Con- 
 versed about the English manufacturers, blamed 
 
 * The main roart is a path ipipaseable by wheel-carriages. 
 VOL. I. 3 P
 
 474 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the ministers for not having availed themselves of 
 circumstances that had existed to make a favourable 
 commercial treaty with Spain and Portugal. " If," 
 added he, " I were now on the throne of France, 
 Ferdinand would be my friend. As long as the 
 Spaniards and Portuguese retain their colonies in 
 South America, so long will they be against Eng- 
 land. The world is too enlightened to allow you 
 to usurp the whole of the trade and manufactures. 
 I, myself, during my reign, gave up near five hun- 
 dred convents, without any payment, to indivi- 
 duals, on the sole condition of their engaging to 
 establish a manufactory in each. Moreover, I 
 lent them out of my own pocket upwards of fifty 
 millions of francs to enable them to go on, which 
 they were to retain for nine years, without paying 
 any interest, after which term the principal was to 
 be returned. In England, your machines are so 
 numerous, that in a short time you would have 
 had no occasion for hands." I observed, that the 
 prevalence of machinery was one cause of the 
 great distress in England. " But," replied Napo- 
 leon, " you were obliged to have recourse to the 
 aid of machinery, because the necessaries of life 
 are twice as dear in England as on the conti- 
 nent, and your taxes six times greater, and also 
 because other nations have them. Otherwise, you 
 could not have sold your manufactures as cheap
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 475 
 
 as they could, and consequently would not find 
 purchasers. In Germany and Switzerland, for 
 example, there were a great number of machines." 
 He spoke again about Lord Amherst, and ob- 
 served, that it would be an insult to ask a Chinese 
 ambassador if there were one in London, to per- 
 form similar ceremonies there, as were required of 
 the English ambassador at Pekin, because it was 
 not the custom of the country he was in. " For 
 example," said he, " if the king of France were to 
 require the English ambassador to kiss his hand, 
 it would be an insult to him, because it is not the 
 custom in France, although his ambassador did it 
 in London. In like manner to ask a mandarin to 
 perform a similar ceremony before king George's 
 picture is a betise and an insult to China ; because 
 it is not the custom of the place. An ambassador 
 is for the affairs, and not for the ceremonies of the 
 
 ot/ * 
 
 country he belongs to. He becomes the same as 
 one of the first nobles of the country he is in, and 
 should conform to the same ceremonies. If any 
 thing more were required of him, then indeed he 
 ought to refuse his consent." 
 
 31st. Dined at Plantation House in company 
 with Count Balmaine, Baron and Baroness Stur- 
 mer, Captain Gor, &c. The commissioners very 
 anxious to know something about Napoleon. 
 Told Baron Sturmer, with whom I had a long con- 
 versation, that Napoleon had said when he read
 
 476 A VU1CK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 a letter in the newspapers which was attributed to 
 the Marquis Montchenu, that it was another proof 
 of the imbecility of Vancienne noblesse de France, 
 que ces messieurs Id sont toujours les memes. 
 
 April 2nd. Saw Napoleon, who was in tolera- 
 ble spirits. I asked if it were true that he had 
 been induced to quit Egypt by his having received 
 private information that the directory purposed to 
 get him assassinated there ? " No," replied the 
 emperor, " I never heard, or thought so ; neither 
 had the directory any intention of causing it to 
 be done. They were jealous of me certainly, but 
 they had no idea of the kind ; and in the actual 
 situation of France, I do not think that they 
 wished it. I returned from Egypt because my 
 presence was necessary to the republic, and be- 
 cause the first object of the expedition had been 
 gained by the conquest of Egypt." I asked if the 
 project had originated with him, or with the di- 
 rectory. " With both one and the other," replied 
 Napoleon, " We both thought of it at the same 
 time." 
 
 Told him what I had said to Baron Stunner 
 about Montchenu. " For the credit of France,'' 
 said he, " they ought to have sent out amongst the 
 English some person possessed of a little talent, 
 instead of an old imbecile." 
 
 Mr. and Misses Churchill from India came up 
 yesterday to see Madame Bert rand, for the pur-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 477 
 
 pose of having an interview with Napoleon. His 
 excellency, however, took an effectual mode of pre- 
 venting it, by sending up Sir Thomas Reade to 
 accompany them. It is probable that Napoleon, 
 who is very partial to female society, and was in- 
 formed that the young ladies were highly accom- 
 plished, and spoke French fluently, would have 
 managed to have met them accidentally, had not 
 Sir Thomas been an attentive listener close to 
 their sides during the whole time. 
 
 Captain Cook, of the Tortoise, and Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie, midshipman of the same ship, came up to 
 Longwood. Mr. Mackenzie had been midship- 
 man on board of the Undaunted, Captain Usher, 
 when the emperor took a passage in that ship to 
 Elba. Capt. Cook told me, that after waiting some 
 time on the look out, they saw Napoleon walking 
 in the garden, who sent for and asked them many 
 questions. He recollected Mr. Mackenzie, ob- 
 served that he had grown much since he had seen 
 him before, and made some inquiries about Capt. 
 Usher. He asked Captain Cook how long he 
 had been in the service r to which he replied, 
 " Thirty years." He seemed surprised at this, and 
 asked what actions ? Cook mentioned, amongst 
 others, Trafalgar. Napoleon asked the name of 
 the ship he belonged to, and divers questions 
 about the battle, where lie came from, and con- 
 cluded by asking him where he was going to
 
 478 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 dine ? " At camp," was the reply ; " at camp, 
 then take care," said Napoleon, " that you do 
 not get drunk." 
 
 Cipriani in town, making the usual purchases. 
 
 3rd. Napoleon observed, that he had seen yes- 
 terday an old seaman, which he expressed in Eng- 
 lish. " He looks," said he, " like a seaman e pore 
 un brav'uomo. There was with him a midship- 
 man who was on board of the frigate with Usher, 
 when I took a passage in her to Elba. He is 
 much grown," continued he, " but I recollected 
 him." I told him that the midshipman had said, 
 the ship's company of the Undaunted had liked 
 him, (Napoleon,) very much. " Yes," replied Na- 
 poleon, " I believe they did ; I used to go amongst 
 them, speak to them kindly, and ask different 
 questions. My freedom in this respect quite as- 
 tonished them, as it was so different from that 
 which they had been accustomed to receive from 
 their own officers. You English are aristocrats. 
 You keep a great distance between yourselves 
 and the popolo."* I observed that on board of a 
 man-of-war, it was necessary to keep the seamen 
 at a great distance in order to maintain a proper 
 respect for the officers. " I do not think," replied 
 the emperor, " that it is necessary to keep up so 
 much as you practise. When the officers do not 
 eat or drink, or make too many freedoms with 
 them, I see no necessity for any greater distinc- 
 
 * People.
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 479 
 
 tions. Nature formed all men equal. It was al- 
 ways my custom to go amongst the soldiers and 
 the canaille, to converse with them, ask their little 
 histories, and speak kindly to them. This I found 
 to be of the greatest benefit to me. On the con- 
 trary, the generals and officers, It trattai poco 
 bene, and kept them at a great distance. 
 
 " I asked," continued he, " the old seaman 
 where he was to dine, and cautioned him not to 
 get drunk. He told me he was married, and had 
 no children. I asked him what he intended to do 
 with his money. He said that he would leave it 
 to an hospital. I then asked him if he had any 
 nephews or nieces, and recommended him to leave 
 his riches to them, instead of to an hospital. 
 
 " You brought a book," said he, "about the 
 battle of Waterloo, to Gourgaud. The author 
 says that I am an imbecille, that my army was a 
 set of robbers, and that I committed one of the 
 greatest blunders of which a military man could 
 be guilty, by engaging Lord Wellington with a 
 forest in his rear. Now the great fault in Lord 
 Wellington was having engaged me in a position 
 with a forest in his rear, with only one road lead- 
 ing to it ; for in case of a defeat he could not have 
 retreated. To effect a retreat well, it is necessarv 
 
 v 
 
 to have several roads by which your army can re- 
 tire in large bodies, and with celerity; and also 
 be able to defend themselves if attacked. It would
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 have required twelve hours, without being mo- 
 lested, to enable Wellington's army to have got 
 into the forest. The confusion of a beaten army 
 attempting to retreat by one road, would have 
 been such as to cause its total destruction when 
 attacked. Another libeller says that I con- 
 quered Italy with a few thousand galley-slaves. 
 Now the fact is, that probably so fine an army 
 never had existed before. More than one half of 
 them were men of education, the sons of iiicr- 
 chants, of lawyers, of physicians, or of the better 
 order of farmers and bourgeosie. Two thirds of 
 them knew how to write, and were capable of be- 
 ing made officers. Indeed, in a regiment it would 
 have puzzled me to decide who were the most 
 deserving subjects, or who best merited promo- 
 tion ; as they were all so good. Oh," continued 
 he with emotion, " that all my armies had been 
 the same ! When on a march, I frequently called 
 to the soldiers for some one to come forward, and 
 write from my dictation. I was surrounded di- 
 rectly by dozens eager to undertake it, as there 
 were few who did not write like a clerk. 
 
 " If," continued he, " the French army had 
 even been a set of brigands, which was not the 
 case, it ill becomes a Frenchman to say so. But 
 for your purposes, you have found worse French- 
 men than Louis has yet found Englishmen. Per- 
 haps there is more nationality, more public spirit
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 481 
 
 than in France. You are islanders. C'e lo spirito 
 isolare. And, besides, you have not had a revo- 
 lution so lately as in France. To form a correct 
 judgment of the two nations, it would be neces- 
 sary to see both immediately after a revolution. 
 Moreover, your ministers have many Frenchmen 
 in pay to write whatever is pointed out to them, 
 against their own country." 
 
 Napoleon then asked if we kept Good Friday 
 sacred, if we fasted, and what was our mode 
 of doing so ? I replied that we did observe it ; 
 that protest ants seldom fasted ; but that when we 
 practised it, we abstained altogether from food. 
 That we did not consider avoiding animal food, 
 and gorging with turbot, or with any other deli- 
 cate fish, as fasting : " You are right," said the 
 emperor, " You are perfectly right If one fasts 
 at all it ought to be from every thing, or else it 
 does not deserve the name. Oh come gli uomini 
 son bestie, to believe that abstaining from flesh, and 
 eating fish, which is so much more delicate and 
 delicious, constitutes fasting. Povero uomo" 
 
 " Before my reign," said he, (f the oath taken 
 by the French kings was to exterminate all here- 
 tics f At my coronation, / swore to protect all 
 worships ! Louis has not yet sworn, because he 
 has not been crowned, and in all probability, 
 through fear of you and of the Prussians, will not 
 take the oath of extermination ; not that he has 
 
 VOL. f. 3 Q
 
 482 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 not the will, on the contrary, he would with plea- 
 sure both swear and cause it to be effected. For 
 the family of the Bourbons are the most intolerant 
 upon earth. The English will yet discover what 
 they are." 
 
 Napoleon afterwards spoke about Hoche. 
 " Hoche," said he, " was one of the first generals 
 that ever France produced. He was brave, intel- 
 ligent, abounding in talent, decisive, and pene- 
 trating ; intrigant also. If Hoche had landed in 
 Ireland, he would have succeeded. He possessed 
 all the qualities necessary to insure success. He 
 was accustomed to civil war, and knew how to 
 conduct himself under such circumstances. He 
 had pacified La Vende"e, and was well adapted 
 for Ireland. He had a fine handsome figure, a 
 good address ; he was prepossessing and in- 
 triguing, but by some imbecility he was placed 
 on board of a frigate which never reached the Irish 
 coast, while the rest of the expedition of about 
 eighteen thousand men, got into Bantry Bay, where 
 they remained for some days perfectly masters of 
 the means of disembarkation. But Grouchy, who 
 I believe was second in command, did not know 
 what to do ; so that after having had it in their 
 power to land and send the ships away, as they 
 ought to have done, they remained a short time, 
 did nothing, and then departed like imbecilles. If 
 Hoche had arrived, Ireland was lost to you."
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 483 
 
 " If the Irish," added he, " had sent over ho- 
 nest men to me, I would have certainly made an 
 attempt upon Ireland. But I had no confidence 
 in either the integrity or the talents of the Irish 
 leaders that were in France. They could offer 
 no plan, were divided in opinion, and continually 
 quarrelling- with one another. I had but a poor 
 opinion of the integrity of that O'Cormer who was 
 so much spoken of amongst you." 
 
 4th. Napoleon dressed and in the billiard- 
 room. In very good spirits. Spoke about the 
 Admiralty ; asked who signed the commissions of 
 naval officers? Was surprised when I informed 
 him that none were signed by the king. " What, 
 was not Nelson's commission signed by King 
 George ?" I replied in the negative, and said that 
 none but officers of the army and marines had 
 commissions signed by the king ; that his ma- 
 jesty had nothing to do with naval promotions. 
 " Who appoints the Admiralty ?" said Napoleon. 
 I replied, " the sovereign." " Then," said he, " it 
 is a humbug ; for if the king wishes to give a com- 
 mand to an admiral, or to promote an officer, he 
 has nothing more to do than to signify his desire 
 to the Admiralty, who would not dare to refuse 
 him, through fear of losing their own places." I ob- 
 served in reply, that it had been said that the sove- 
 reign had at times caused the appointment of an ad- 
 miral and commander in chief not exactly agreeable
 
 484 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to the wishes of the Admiralty ; but that in such 
 cases, it was at the option of the lords of the Ad- 
 miralty to confirm or not the promotions made by 
 him, excepting certain vacancies which by right or 
 by custom were in his gift. " Bah," said Napoleon, 
 " if they did not confirm the promotions, would 
 not the king dismiss them from their places ? The 
 king can promote whom he likes. He has great 
 power, because he appoints the ministers, and 
 commands those who have the direction of every 
 thing. Ministers, unless in rare instances, love 
 their places too well to run the risk of losing them, 
 by refusing to comply with the wishes of the sove- 
 reign. It has happened to myself that a minister 
 has said, ' Sire, I cannot agree to this. It is con- 
 trary to my opinion, and I will sooner resign than 
 comply/ " 
 
 I remarked that several instances were not want- 
 ing in England of ministers having given up their 
 places rather than comply with the wishes of the 
 crown, in acting against their principles. That the 
 king of England had considerable power over the 
 army and the navy ; but that over independent 
 persons not military, naval, placemen, or place- 
 hunters, he had only the influence which arose 
 from their being conscious of the rectitude of his 
 measures. " And what more had I in France ?" 
 said Napoleon, " what could I effect unless with 
 those classes that you have excepted?" I ventured
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 485 
 
 to observe that in France there was neither liberty 
 of speech, nor of the press, and that a man might 
 be thrown into prison for opposing the measures 
 of government, and detained there for an indefinite 
 period. Napoleon replied, "There certainly was 
 not in France that freedom of discussion which 
 prevails in England; although sometimes there was 
 a very strong opposition in the senate ; nor was 
 there so much freedom of speech or liberty of the 
 press ; but what could I have done to a banker, 
 or to other independent persons who opposed my 
 measures ? Put them in prison, vex and annoy 
 them by arrestations ? They could appeal to the 
 senate and to the laws. Besides, it would have 
 been an unworthy mode of acting. I do not deny 
 that the old constitution of France was a very bad 
 one, and required to be newly modified ; but that 
 constitution which I gave them when I returned 
 from Elba was excellent ; indeed its only fault 
 was that it left too little power in my hands, 
 and perhaps too much in those of the senate. I 
 could not imprison a man without a decree, order 
 a fine, impose taxes, or levy them by conscription ; 
 and there was a law for the liberty of the press." 
 I said that his enemies had asserted that the 
 constitution he had given was only for the mo- 
 ment ; and that when firmly seated on the throne, 
 he would have brought back things to the old 
 system. " No, no," replied the emperor, " I
 
 486 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 would have continued the last constitution; I 
 was well convinced that the old one required a 
 great change. I suppose that it was Lord Castle- 
 reagh who made the assertion ; but you must not 
 believe Lord Castlereagh. You know what false- 
 hoods he publicly asserted about me since I came 
 here. I should not be surprised if they were to 
 falsify all the official papers, as they have already 
 done those concerning Murat and myself. When 
 I returned from Elba, I found all the appara- 
 tus. They had falsified a number of the state 
 papers, with the intention of publishing them. M. 
 Blacas had the direction of the whole ; but it was 
 a priest who managed and executed it. The same 
 had been done before to Murat's papers. The 
 fabrications were shewn to some Englishmen. 
 Blacas in like manner falsified a letter from a 
 femme de chambre of my sister Pauline, containing 
 seven or eight pages of bavardage. He had it 
 interpolated so as to make it appear that I had 
 slept with my sister ! This Blacas is a wicked 
 man, and a blockhead withal. He was base 
 enough to leave behind him at Paris letters signed 
 by the writers themselves, containing the offers of 
 all those in France who had betrayed me before, by 
 which, if I had pleased, I could have executed 
 thousands. I did not however make any use of 
 them further than remembering their names. Now 
 a greater proof of imbecility and of treachery could
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 487 
 
 not have been given than this conduct of Blacas ; 
 those letters ought to have been the very first things 
 put into a state of security, or destroyed ; as they 
 compromised the lives of so many persons. But M. 
 Blacas was only intent upon saving his quattrini;* 
 and gave himself but little concern about the lives 
 of those who had been the means of bringing him- 
 self and his master back. He was then minister 
 of the king's household. Every thing was trusted 
 to him by Louis, who is himself incapable, and 
 whose chief qualities are dissimulation and hypo- 
 crisy. His legs are covered with ulcers, which 
 are dressed for him by the Duchess of Angouleme. 
 He gorges to that degree every day, that they are 
 obliged to give him God knows what to enable 
 him to disencumber himself of his load. Some 
 morning he will be found dead in his bed. He 
 has some ignorant imbecilles of physicians about 
 him. They wanted Corvisart to attend him, but 
 he refused, saying, that if any accident happened 
 he might be accused of having contributed to his 
 end. When I returned to the Thnilleries I found 
 my apartments poisoned with the smell of his legs, 
 and of divers sulphureous baths which he was in 
 the habit of using." 
 
 " These Bourbons are the most timorous race 
 imaginable," continued Napoleon ; " put them in 
 fear, and you may obtain any thing. While I was 
 
 * Money.
 
 488 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 at Elba, an actress named Mademoiselle Raucou- 
 died. She was greatly beloved by the public, and 
 an immense concourse of people went to her fune- 
 ral. When they arrived at the Church of St. 
 Roch to have the funeral service performed over 
 the corpse, they found the doors shut, and admit- 
 tance was refused to it. Nor would they allow 
 it to be buried in consecrated ground, for by the 
 old regulations of those priests people of her 
 profession were excluded from Christian burial. 
 The populace broke open the doors with sledges, 
 and perceiving that there was no priest to per- 
 form the funeral service, they became clamorous, 
 their rage knew no bounds. They cried, au 
 chateau, au chateau des Thuil/eries. We will see 
 what right these priests have to refuse interment to 
 a Christian corpse. Their fury was heightened 
 still more by learning that the very coquin, the 
 curate of St. Roch, who had refused Christian 
 burial to the corpse of Mademoiselle Rancour, 
 had been in the constant habit of receiving pre- 
 sents from her, both for himself and for the poor, 
 (for she was extremely charitable) and had dined 
 and supped with her repeatedly. Moreover, that 
 he had actually administered the sacrament to 
 her a few days before her demise. The popu- 
 lace cried out, here is a canaille of a priest, who 
 administers the sacrament to a woman, and after- 
 wards denies her body Christian burial. If she
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 489 
 
 was worthy of the sacrament, she surely is worthy 
 of burial. He receives her benefactions, eats her 
 dinners, and refuses her body interment. About 
 fifty thousand of them went to the Thuilleries to 
 seek redress from the king. An architect, who was 
 in the inner apartments at the time, told me that 
 he was present when Louis was first informed of it. 
 Not being then aware that the mob was so nu- 
 merous, Louis said, ' the curate is right. Those 
 players are ungodly gentry, they are excommuni- 
 cated, and have no right to Christian burial.' A 
 few minutes afterwards Blacas entered in great 
 fright, and said, that there were above seventy 
 thousand furious people about the palace, and 
 that he was afraid they would pull it down about 
 them. Louis, almost out of his senses with fear, 
 cried out to give immediate orders to have the 
 body buried according to the rites of the church, 
 and actually hurried some persons away to see it 
 instantly carried into execution. He was not clear 
 of his terror for some days. Those priests tried 
 an experiment of a similar nature with me respect- 
 ing the body of a beautiful dancer, but per Dio, 
 (said he with emotion) they had not Louis to 
 deal with. I soon settled the affair." 
 
 " I," continued Napoleon, " rendered all the 
 burying places independent of the priests. I 
 hated friars, (fratl), and was the annihilator of 
 them and of their receptacles of crime, the monas- 
 
 VOL. I. 3 R
 
 490 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 teries, where every vice was practised with impu- 
 nity. A set of miscreants, (sceleratij, who in ge- 
 neral are a dishonour to the human race. Of 
 priests I would have always allowed a sufficient 
 number, but no fruti. 
 
 After this, I observed to the emperor, that it had 
 been asserted, that after having at first refused 
 to agree to the peace proposed by the allies at 
 Chatillon, he had sent a messenger to inform 
 Lord Castlereagh that he had changed his mind, 
 and was willing to agree to the terms which had 
 been offered ; but Lord Castlereagh had replied, 
 " that it was too late, and that they had deter- 
 mined upon their measures."* Napoleon answer- 
 ed, "it is false. I never would consent to the 
 peace at Chatillon, because I had sworn to pre- 
 serve the integrity of the empire, rather than de- 
 viate from which, I wrote to Caulaincourt that I 
 would abdicate. I would have agreed to the 
 terms proposed at Francfort, where the Rhine 
 was to form the boundaries of France, as being 
 the natural ones."-f- 
 
 * This information was given to me by Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 
 t The following extract of a letter from the Duke of Vicenza may 
 not be uninteresting : 
 
 SIR In a work of M. Koch, entitled, " Campagne do 1814," 
 several fragments of letters written by me to the emperor and to 
 the Prince de Neufchatel, during the congress at Chatillon, are 
 inserted. 
 
 As to the congress of Chatillon, if events have justified the de*
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 491 
 
 I took the liberty to observe, that it might na- 
 turally be supposed that he would not have ad- 
 sire which I had to see peace restored to my country, it would 
 be unjust to leave France and history ignorant of the motives of 
 national interest and honour which induced the emperor to refuse 
 signing the conditions which the allies desired to impose upon us. 
 
 I fulfil, therefore, the first of duties, that of equity and truth, in 
 making known those motives, by the following extract from the or- 
 ders of the emperor. 
 
 Paris, January 19th, 1814. " That which the emperor insists on 
 the most, is the necessity of France preserving her limits. This is 
 a fine qua non condition. All the powers, even England, have recog- 
 nized these limits at Francfort. France reduced to her ancient li- 
 mits, would not have to-day two thirds of the relative power which 
 she possessed twenty years ago. What she has acquired on the side 
 of the Alps and of the Rhine, does not compensate what Russia, 
 Austria, and Prussia, have acquired by the sole dismemberment of 
 Poland. All these states are aggrandized. To wish to bring back 
 France to its ancient state, would be to bring it to decay and degra- 
 dation. France, without the departments of the Rhine, without 
 Belgium, without Ostend, without Antwerp, would be nothing. The 
 system of bringing back France to her ancient frontiers is insepa- 
 rable from the re-establishment of the Bourbons, because they alone 
 could offer a guarantee for the maintenance of this system ; England 
 feels this well. In all other respects peace upon such a basis would 
 be impossible, and could not last. Neither the emperor nor the re- 
 public, if some political commotion should revive it, would ever 
 subscribe to such a condition. For the emperor's part, his reso- 
 lution is taken ; he is unchangeable ; he will not leave France less 
 great than he has received her. If then the allies wish to change 
 the basis proposed and accepted, the natural limits, he can see but 
 three courses : either to fight and conquer, or to fight and die glo- 
 riously ; or finally, if the nation would not support him, to abdicate.
 
 492 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 hered to the treaty of Paris, the terms of which 
 were worse. " Yes," replied Napoleon, " I would 
 have strictly complied with that treaty. I would 
 not have made it myself ; but finding it made, and 
 that it was not my work, I would have adhered 
 to it and remained at peace." 
 
 A part of the conversation which followed led 
 me to make some remarks not favourable to Ma- 
 r^chal Davoust, and also to ask^Napoleon whether 
 he was not considered as one of the best of his 
 generals. " No," replied the emperor ; " I do not 
 think him a bad character. He never plundered 
 for himself. He certainly levied contributions; 
 but they were for the army. It is necessaiy for 
 an army, especially when besieged, to provide for 
 itself. As to being one of the first of the French 
 generals, he is by no means so, although a good 
 officer.'' I then asked who in his opinion was 
 now the first ? " It is difficult to say," replied 
 Napoleon. " I think, however, that Suchet is pro- 
 bably the first. Massena was ; but you may say 
 
 He does not cling to high place ; he never will preserve it by his own 
 degradation." 
 
 I expect, Sir, from your impartiality, that you would give a place 
 to this letter in your journal, and I seize this opportunity of offering 
 you the assurance of my distinguished consideration. 
 
 (Signed) CAULAINCOURT, DUG DE VICENCE. 
 
 To the Editor of the Conftilutionnel.
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 493 
 
 that he is dead. He has a complaint in his breast 
 which has rendered him quite another kind of man. 
 Suchet, Clause!, and Gerard, are in my opinion 
 the first of the French generals. It is difficult to 
 pronounce which is superior,* as they have not 
 had many opportunities of commanding in chief, 
 which is the only mode by which you can ascer- 
 tain the extent of a man's talents." He also men- 
 tioned Soult in terms of commendation. 
 
 Went along with Captain Poppleton, Captain 
 Fuller, Impett, and other officers of the 53rd, to a 
 rat hunt in the camp, which was conducted in the 
 following manner. Some soldiers had been fur- 
 nished with spades and began to dig close by a 
 ditch and a wall, which were infested with rats. 
 Two dogs were in waiting, and we were provided 
 with sticks. As soon as the rats found their 
 premises moving about them, they sallied out and 
 endeavoured to make their escape. They were 
 then attacked by the dogs and men, and a most 
 animated scene of confusion took place ; the rats 
 trying to get into other holes, and the others pur- 
 suing and striking at them in every direction, and 
 hitting each other's legs, in their eagerness to reach 
 their prey. Some of the rats turned upon the 
 
 * As the emperor was rolling the balls of the billiard-table 
 about at this moment, I am not positive whether it was only the 
 two last that he mentioned as not having often commanded iu 
 chief.
 
 494 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 assailants, and made a desperate resistance. Four- 
 teen of them were killed in less than half an hour. 
 The rats are in numbers almost incredible at 
 Longwood. I have frequently seen them assem- 
 ble like broods of chickens round the offal thrown 
 out of the kitchen. The floors and wooden parti- 
 tions that separated the rooms were perforated 
 with holes in every direction. The partitions 
 being for the most part double, and of one inch 
 deal, afforded a space between them sufficiently 
 large to admit a rat to move with facility. It 
 is difficult for any person who has not actually 
 heard it to form an idea of the noise caused by 
 those animals running up and down between the 
 partitions, and galloping in flocks in the garrets, 
 whether in search of food or in amorous gambols, 
 I know not. At night, when disturbed by their 
 entrance into my chamber, and by their run- 
 ning over me in bed, I have frequently thrown my 
 boots, the boot-jack, and every thing I could 
 readily reach, at them, without intimidating them 
 in the slightest degree, to effect which I have been 
 at last obliged to get out of bed, to drive them 
 away. We amused ourselves sometimes in the 
 evening by removing the pieces of tin which were 
 nailed over their holes, and allowing them suf- 
 ficient time to enter, when the servants, armed 
 with sticks, and followed by dogs, rushed in, co-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 495 
 
 vered the holes, and attacked the rats, who fre- 
 quently made a desperate resistance, and bit the 
 assailants severely. 
 
 However good the dogs may have been at first, 
 they generally became indifferent, or unwilling to 
 attack those noxious animals ; and the same may 
 be said of the cats. Poisoning them was imprac- 
 ticable, as the smell of their putrid carcases would 
 render the rooms uninhabitable. Indeed in more 
 instances than one it has been necessary to open 
 a partition, for the purpose of extracting the body 
 of a rat that had died there, and had caused an 
 insupportable stench. 
 
 The wretched and ruinous state of the build- 
 ing, the roofs* and ceilings of which were chiefly 
 formed of wood, and covered with brown paper 
 smeared with a composition of pitch and tar, 
 together with the partition being chiefly of wood, 
 greatly favoured the introduction of those reptiles, 
 and was productive of another great inconvenience, 
 as the composition, when heated by the rays of 
 the sun, melted and ran off, leaving a number of 
 
 * All the additions made to the old building were roofed in this 
 manner. As this book may fall into the hands of some readers who 
 may not credit the above description of Longwood House, I beg to 
 call the attention of respectable persons who may touch at St. Hele- 
 na, to the state of the house in which the exiled sovereign of France 
 breathed his last after six years of captivity. To them I confidently 
 appeal for a confirmation of the above, and of the description of the 
 island in the Appendix.
 
 496 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 chinks open, through which the heavy tropical 
 rains entered in torrents. Countess Montholon 
 was repeatedly obliged to rise in the night, to shift 
 her own and her children's beds to different parts 
 of the rooms, in order to escape being deluged. 
 The construction of the roofs rendered this irre- 
 mediable, as a few hours of sunshine produced 
 fresh cracks. 
 
 6th. Napoleon in very good spirits. Men- 
 tioned Marquis Cornwallis in terms of great 
 praise. " Cornwallis," said he, " was a man of 
 probity, a generous and sincere character. Un 
 tres brave homme. He was the man who first gave 
 me a good opinion of the English ; his integrity, 
 fidelity, frankness, and the nobleness of his senti- 
 ments, impressed me with a very favourable opi- 
 nion of you. I recollect Cornwallis saying, one 
 day, ' There are certain qualities which may be 
 bought, but a good character, sincerity, a proper 
 pride, and calmness in the hour of danger, are 
 not to be purchased.' These words made an im- 
 pression upon me. I gave him a regiment of 
 cavalry to amuse himself with at Amiens, which 
 used to manoeuvre before him. The officers of it 
 loved him much. I do not believe that he was a 
 man of first-rate abilities, but he had talent, great 
 probity, and sincerity. He never broke his word. 
 At Amiens, the treaty was ready, and was to be 
 signed by him at the H6tel de la Ville, at nine
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 497 
 
 o'clock. Something happened which prevented 
 him from going ; but he sent word to the French 
 ministers, that they might consider the treaty as 
 having been signed, and that he would sign it the 
 following day. A courier from England arrived 
 at night, with directions to him to refuse his con- 
 sent to certain articles, and not to sign the treaty. 
 Although Cornwallis had not signed it, and might 
 have easily availed himself of this order, he was a 
 man of such strict honour, that he said he consi- 
 dered his promise to be equivalent to his signa- 
 ture, and wrote to his government that he had 
 promised, and that having once pledged his word, 
 he would keep it. That if they were not satisfied, 
 they might refuse to ratify the treaty. There was 
 a man of honour a true Englishman. Such a 
 man as Cornwallis ought to have been sent here, 
 instead of a compound of falsehood suspicion, 
 and meanness. I was much grieved when I heard 
 of his death. Some of his family occasionally 
 wrote to me, to request favours for some prison- 
 ers, which I always complied with." 
 
 He then spoke about his having given himself 
 up to the English, and observed, " My having 
 given myself up to you, is not so simple a matter 
 as you imagine. Before I went to Elba, Lord 
 Castlereagh offered me an asylum in England, 
 and said, that I should be very well treated there, 
 and much better off than at Elba." I said, that 
 
 VOL. I. 3s
 
 498 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Lord Castlereagh was reported to have asserted, 
 that he (Napoleon) had applied for an asylum in 
 England, but that it was not thought proper to 
 grant it. " The real fact," said Napoleon, " is, 
 that he first proposed it. Before I went to Elba, 
 Lord Castlereagh said to Caulaincourt, ' Why 
 does Napoleon think of going to Elba ? Let him 
 come to England. He will be received in London 
 with the greatest pleasure, and will experience the 
 best possible treatment. He must not, however, 
 ask permission to come, because that would take 
 up too much time ; but let him give himself up to 
 us, without making any conditions, and he will be 
 received with the greatest joy, and be much better 
 than at Elba.' This," added he, " had much in- 
 fluence with me afterwards." 
 
 On asking Napoleon his opinion of Baron Stein, 
 he replied, " A patriot, a man of talent, and a 
 busy, stiring charracter." I observed, that I had 
 heard it asserted that Stein had done him more 
 mischief than Metternich, or indeed any other per- 
 son, and had been mainly instrumental to his fall. 
 " Not at all," replied Napoleon ; " He was cer- 
 tainly a man of talent, but had his advice been 
 followed, the King of Prussia would have been 
 ruined past all redemption ; Stein was always 
 hatching intrigues, and wanted Prussia to declare 
 prematurely against me ; which would have caused 
 her destruction. The king, however, was better
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 499 
 
 advised, and did not declare himself until the pro- 
 per time had arrived, that is to say, until that ac- 
 cident of Russia, of which he took immediate 
 advantage." A pause now took place, Napoleon 
 walked a few paces, stopped, looked at me, and 
 said, in an expressive manner, "none but myself 
 ever did me any harm ; I was, I may say, the 
 only enemy to myself: my own projects, that ex- 
 pedition to Moscow, and the accidents which 
 happened there, were the causes of my fall. I 
 may, however, say, that those who made no op- 
 position to me, who readily agreed with me, en- 
 tered into all my views, and submitted with faci- 
 lity, were those who did me the most injury, and 
 were my greatest enemies ; because, by the facility 
 of conquest they afforded, they encouraged me to 
 go too far. They were more my enemies than 
 those who formed intrigues against me, because 
 the latter put me upon my guard, and rendered 
 me more careful. I caused Stein to be sent 
 away from the court of Prussia. It would, how- 
 ever, have been very fortunate for me if his pro- 
 jects had been followed, as Prussia would have 
 broken out prematurely, and I should have ex- 
 tinguished her like that," (raising one of his feet, 
 and stamping, as if he were putting out the snuff 
 of a candle) ; " I could," continued he, " have de- 
 throned the King of Prussia, or the Emperor of 
 Austria, upon the slightest pretext, as easily as I
 
 500 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 do this," stretching out one of his legs. " I was 
 then too powerful for any man, except myself, to 
 injure me." 
 
 I asked him if he had ever said any thing of the 
 following tenor relative to Metternich: "One or 
 two lies are sometimes necessary, but Metternich 
 is all lies. Nothing but lies, lies, lies, from him !" 
 Napoleon laughed and said, " C?est vrai. He 
 is composed of nothing but lies and intrigues." I 
 asked if he were not a man of great talent ? 
 " Not at all," replied he, '' e bugiardo ed intri- 
 gante Intrigante e bugiardo* That is the sum 
 total of his character." 
 
 " Lord Whitworth," continued Napoleon, " in 
 that famous interview which he had with me, 
 during which I was by no means violent, said on 
 leaving the room, that he was well satisfied with 
 me, and contented with the manner in which I 
 had treated him, and hoped that all would go on 
 well. This he said to some of the ambassadors 
 of the other powers. A few days afterwards 
 when the English newspapers arrived with his ac- 
 count of the interview, stating that I had been in 
 such a rage, it excited the astonishment of every 
 body; especially of those ambassadors who re- 
 monstrated with him and said, ' My Lord, how 
 can this account be correct. You know that you 
 allowed to us that you were well contented and 
 
 * He is a liar and an intriguer --an intriguer and ;i liar.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 501 
 
 satisfied with your reception, and stated your 
 opinion that all would go on well.' He did not 
 know what to answer, and said, ' But this account 
 is also true.' 
 
 " Your ministers never publish the facts," con- 
 tinued he : " If this governor sent no other ac- 
 counts of the battles, and other circumstances, 
 than those that were published in the papers, 
 he betrayed his country; as they are almost all 
 false, similar to those of others employed on your 
 political missions. A false account is sent to 
 be submitted to the public, and deposited in the 
 archives ; and a secret one, stating the truth, 
 for your ministers themselves to act upon, but 
 never to be produced. So that your ministers, 
 upon an enquiry being made by parliament, have 
 a set of documents in the archives ready to sub- 
 mit for inspection , from whence conclusions are 
 to be drawn, and decisions made. In this man- 
 ner, although the contents are untrue, the minis- 
 ters cannot be accused of imposing false state- 
 ments upon the parliament, because they were 
 officially transmitted to them, and the public and 
 parliament are satisfied. References are made, 
 and every thing appears satisfactory, yet the 
 ground-work of the whole is false. In conse- 
 quence of having been so long opposed to your 
 ministers, there is nobody knows them better than 
 I do. Your system is u compound of lies and
 
 502 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 truth. In no other ministry in the world is there 
 so much machiavelism practised ; because you 
 have so much to defend, and so many important 
 points to contest against the rest of Europe, and 
 because you are obliged to enter into explanations 
 with the nation." 
 
 I mentioned to Napoleon that it had been 
 stated in one of the papers that he had once sent 
 a shipwright to Algiers or Tunis, in order to teach 
 the pirates ship-building. He replied, "Never. 
 It is possible that they may have got a Frenchman 
 as a ship-builder, but not with my consent. They 
 might have procured some person from Marseilles. 
 At Constantinople, when the Turks were at war 
 with France, there was a ship-builder named Le 
 Musa. Instead of succouring the pirates, I pro- 
 posed to England to exterminate them, or at least 
 to oblige them to live like honest people, to which 
 your ministers would not consent. There was 
 nobody who disliked or despised those canaglle 
 of pirates more than I did, or who treated them 
 more like dogs. It was not the policy of the 
 English ministers to destroy those barbarians, or 
 else they would have done it long ago. By per- 
 mitting those wretches to exist and to plunder, 
 you engrossed the greatest part of the trade of the 
 Mediterranean to yourselves ; because the Swedes, 
 Danes, Portuguese, and others, were afraid to 
 send their ships there ; and consequently during
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 503 
 
 the war, you had almost all the Mediterranean 
 trade. The reason you sent that expedition to 
 Algiers, was to ingratiate yourselves with the 
 Italians, and to prevent their regretting me. For 
 I gave the French flag to all the Italian states, 
 and made the barbarians respect it ; which has not 
 been the case since the Bourbons mounted the 
 throne. The Italians would have been discon- 
 tented, and have cried, that in Napoleon's reign, 
 they were at least free from the attacks and pira- 
 cies of the corsairs. That expedition deserves no 
 credit except for the great bravery and nauti- 
 cal skill displayed by the admiral, and by those 
 under him. As to the negociations, Lord Ex- 
 mouth has failed ; as he ought to have made the 
 extinction of piracy, the surrender of their fleet, 
 and an obligation to build no more ships of 
 war, (unless the Grand Signor made war upon 
 some of the European powers,) the sine qua non. 
 You say that it has been stipulated that only 
 prisoners, and not slaves, are in future to be 
 made. I fear much that if any difference be 
 made amongst those barbarians between the lot 
 of prisoner and of slave, it will be to the disad- 
 vantage of the former. For those wretches had 
 some interest in preserving the lives of their slaves, 
 in other to obtain their ransom ; whereas with 
 prisoners they will have no such expectation ; 
 and therefore giving way to their natural cruelty 
 and deadly hatred of Christians, they will in all
 
 5H A V01CK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 probability mutilate and put them to cruel deaths. 
 I think that your ministers ordered Lord Exrnouth 
 not to endeavour to abolish piracy altogether, but 
 merely to give it a check, to punish the Algerines 
 in a certain degree, cause your flag to be re- 
 spected, and gain the favour of the Italians and 
 other Mediterranean states, which you have lost 
 by your having so basely given them up to their 
 oppressors. For, if the pirates were totally anni- 
 hilated, all nations could trade securely in the 
 Mediterranean, which would not agree with your 
 ideas of engrossing the principal share of the 
 commerce of that sea. Your ministers would 
 not wish to see the corsairs destroyed. You 
 say that the expedition gave an eclat to your ma- 
 rine.* Certainly it was a very gallant affair ; but 
 your marine has no occasion for another eclat. 
 My opinion is, that it was a very ill advised expe- 
 dition. You ran the risk of being drubbed by 
 barbarians, and of losing two or three ships. 
 Even with your victory, you may say that you 
 lost a thousand men in killed and disabled, and 
 got five or six ships knocked to pieces. Now the 
 lives and limbs of a thousand brave English sea- 
 men are of more value and consequence than the 
 whole of the piratical states. Blockading the port 
 
 * I had observed, that in consequence of the checks we had sustained 
 from the Americans, it was desirable that our navy should wind up 
 by doing something brilliant.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 505 
 
 with a seventy-four and two or three frigates, un- 
 der Captain Usher or Maitland, would have gained 
 you just as good terms as you have got, without 
 the loss of a man." 
 
 " I always had a high opinion of your seamen," 
 continued Napoleon. " When I was returning from 
 Holland along with the Empress Marie Louise, 
 we stopped to rest at Givet. During the night, 
 a violent storm of wind and rain came on, which 
 swelled the Meuse so much that the bridge of 
 boats over it was carried away. I was very anx- 
 ious to depart ; and ordered all the boatmen of 
 the place to be assembled, that I might be enabled 
 to cross the river. They said that the waters 
 were so high that it would be impossible to pass 
 before two or three days. I questioned some of 
 them, and soon discovered that they were fresh- 
 water seamen. I then recollected that there were 
 English prisoners in the caserns ; and ordered 
 that some of the oldest and best seamen amongst 
 them should be brought before me to the banks 
 of the river. The waters were very high and the 
 current rapid and dangerous. I asked them if 
 they could join a number of boats so that I might 
 p^ss over. They answered, that it was possible 
 but hazardous. I desired them to set about it 
 instantly. In the course of a few hours they 
 succeeded in effecting what the Bother imbecilles 
 had pronounced to be impossible; and I crossed 
 
 VOL. I. 3 T
 
 506 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 before the evening was over. I ordered those 
 who had worked at it to receive a sum of money 
 each, a suit of clothes, and their liberty. Mar- 
 chand was with me at the time." 
 
 " When I landed at Elba," added he, " with 
 Usher, my guard had not arrived, and Usher gave 
 me one composed of his marines under the com- 
 mand of a sous officier, who constantly remained 
 at Porto Ferrajo, and formed my body-guard for 
 some days. I had every reason to be contented 
 with them. When my own guard arrived, they 
 contracted a friendship with the marines and the 
 sailors. They were frequently seen rolling about 
 in the streets drunk, locked arm in arm, singing 
 and shaking hands with each other. Your seamen 
 were surprised at the familiarity with which I 
 treated them, which was so different from the 
 aristocratic morgue to which they had generally 
 been accustomed. I believe that not a man in 
 the ship would have injured me if it were in his 
 power. When I left them, I ordered a Napoleon 
 to be given to each, and I made Usher a present 
 of a box, with my picture set round with dia- 
 monds. If I had had such able seamen as Usher 
 for officers, the naval combats between the French 
 ships and yours would have terminated very dif- 
 ferently." 
 
 I mentioned that the governor had said he 
 wished to have some conversation with Count
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 507 
 
 Bertrand relative to the ride towards Woody 
 Range, and had said that if the count would give 
 an assurance that certain houses would not be 
 entered, it might be arranged. " What houses are 
 there ?" replied Napoleon, " Miss Mason's, and 
 that of Legge, the carpenter. Is he afraid of Miss 
 Robinson's virtue ? Betises, if I wished to cor- 
 respond, you well know that I could cause letters 
 to be sent to Europe every day." 
 
 8^. On the 7th, the races were held at Dead- 
 wood, at which Madame Sturmer, the three com- 
 missioners, and Captain Gor, were present. Gene- 
 ral Gourgaud also went, and had a long conversa- 
 tion with the Baron and Baroness Sturmer, Count 
 Balmaine, and, latterly, Marquis Montchenu. 
 During the greatest part of the time no British 
 officer listened to them. Sir Hudson Lowe and 
 Sir Thomas Reade were spectators a considerable 
 portion of the time. Lady Lowe was also pre- 
 sent. Towards the end of the races, the commis- 
 sioners, Madame Sturmer, and Baron Gourgaud, 
 went to Mrs. Younghusband's house in camp, 
 where they remained together for some time, be- 
 fore any of the governor's officers followed them. 
 Mentioned to Sir Hudson Lowe the opinion which 
 Napoleon had expressed of Marquis Cornwallis, 
 to which his excellency replied, that " Lord Corn- 
 wallis was too honest a man to deal with him." 
 
 Napoleon went down to Count Bertrand's,
 
 508 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 where he had from the upper windows a good 
 view of the races, at which he remained until they 
 were finished, and appeared to be highly enter- 
 tained. 
 
 Sir Thomas Reade expressed great anger to- 
 wards Mrs. Younghusband for having invited the 
 commissioners and General Gourgaud together, 
 without having been accompanied, and said, that 
 the governor had a right, and ought to turn her 
 off the island for it, adding, that the commis- 
 sioners themselves were mean wretches for hav- 
 ing spoken to Gourgaud, when his master treated 
 them with such contempt. 
 
 Napoleon walked out for some time with Counts 
 Montholon and Bert rand. Saw him at mid-day. 
 He asked many questions about the races, in 
 which he appeared to take an interest. Observed, 
 that from what he had heard, Montchenu must 
 have been very badly educated, as he had made use 
 of very improper and even indecent language before 
 Lady Lowe, on occasion of the breeze (which was 
 very smart) having interfered with some lady's 
 drapery. "In general," said Napoleon, "French- 
 men at his time of life are proverbially polite, but 
 from what I have heard, this man never could 
 have been brought up in good company, and has 
 Valr tVun suits lieutenant de Vancien regime'' 
 
 Mr. Rainsford, the minister of police, died on 
 the 7th.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 509 
 
 14th. General Gourgaud, while going through 
 the camp, went into the apartments of Major 
 Fehrzen of the 53rd regiment, where he remained 
 for a few minutes. 
 
 15M. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for the orderly 
 officer, and demanded "what business Geneial 
 Gourgaud had to enter Major Fehrzen's rooms ?" 
 
 Saw Napoleon, who was reclining upon his 
 sofa. Very anxious in his enquiries about the 
 health of Madame Bertrand, Tristan de Montho- 
 lon, and the little Napoleonne, both of whom were 
 very unwell, especially Tristan, who laboured 
 under a severe attack of dysentery of a highly in- 
 flammatory nature, and for which I had bled him. 
 When I told Napoleon that the bleeding had af- 
 forded the child great relief, '' Ah," said he, " ex- 
 perience, experience is evejy thing."* 
 
 Shewed him a very curious edict which had 
 been issued by the emperor of China relative to 
 the English ambassador, and explained the pur- 
 port of it. After he had heard what I had to say, 
 he replied that he was still of opinion, that the 
 ambassador ought to have complied with such ce- 
 remonies as were practised by the first mandarins 
 of the empire towards the emperor. That the 
 Chinese did not ask us to send ambassadors to 
 
 * Napoleon had frequently before condemned the practice of 
 bleeding, which he maintained was abstracting so much of one's 
 life.
 
 510 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 them. That our having sent one, was a proof 
 that we had some favour to ask, or some object 
 to gain ; therefore, we ought to have complied with 
 their customs, or else not have sent an ambassa- 
 dor. " You ought," continued he, " to have treat- 
 ed those brutes like children, to have humoured 
 them in fact as if you had sent an ambassador to 
 the moon. I recollect having had a conversation 
 on the subject at Tilsit with the Emperor Alex- 
 ander, when we were very good friends. He 
 asked my opinion and advice : I gave it to him 
 exactly as I have done to you. He was perfectly 
 convinced, and wrote a icpriinand to his ambas- 
 sador for not having complied with the ceremo- 
 nies that had been required from him." 
 
 " When I was at war with Russia," said he, 
 " I had an intention of injuring the Russians in 
 their Chinese trade, by inciting the king of Persia 
 to make war upon them, which in fact he did. I 
 had hopes of causing a diversion by means of the 
 hordes of Tartars under the Persian government." 
 
 I asked afterwards if it were true that Talley- 
 rand had proposed to him to cause all the Bour- 
 bons to be assassinated, and had even offered to 
 negociate for its accomplishment ? Napoleon re- 
 plied, " It is true. Talleyrand proposed and offered 
 to have it effected." In reply to a question of 
 mine, whether one hundred thousand francs was 
 not the sum demanded ? the emperor answered,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 511 
 
 "A great deal more; if I recollect right, a million 
 of francs for each. But I always refused my con- 
 sent. There wanted nothing but that. I even 
 forbade the attempt to be made." 
 
 16th. Napoleon informed me that he was now 
 employed in writing observations, military and 
 otherwise, upon the seven years war of the Great 
 Frederic, which would when finished form two 
 or three volumes. 
 
 In the course of conversation he mentioned Ge- 
 neral Lallemand, whose character he described in 
 very favourable terms. " Lallemand," said he, 
 " whom you saw in the Bellerophon, was employed 
 by me at Acre as a negociator with Sydney Smith, 
 during which he displayed considerable address 
 and ability. After my return from Elba, he, like 
 Labe'doyere, declared for me in a moment of the 
 greatest danger, and excited a movement of pri- 
 mary importance amongst the troops of his divi- 
 sion, which would have succeeded, had it not been 
 for the indecision of Davoust and some others 
 who had agreed to join with him, but who failed 
 when the hour of trial arrived. Lallemand a beau- 
 coup de decision, est capable de faire des combinai- 
 sons, and there are few men more qualified to lead 
 a hazardous enterprize. He has the feu sacre. 
 He commanded the chasseurs de la garde at Wa- 
 terloo, and enfonca some of your battalions." Vic- 
 tor he described to be " une bete sans talens el sans
 
 512 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 fete. Soult, " an excellent minister of war, a very 
 good planner, but not so well able to execute as 
 to arrange. After the defeat of the Turks at Abou- 
 kir," added he, " Sydney Smith sent his secretary 
 with a flag of truce to Alexandria as the bearer 
 of some letters addressed to me, which one of his 
 cruizers had taken on board of a ship, to which 
 Sydney Smith joined some English newspapers, 
 the contents of which decided me to return to 
 France." 
 
 Cipriani employed in town as usual. 
 
 20th. Count Balmaine and Captain Gor came 
 up as far as Longwood, dogged by a serjeant of 
 the 66th regiment, dressed in plain clothes, who 
 was in the employ of Sir Thomas Reade. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 J M'Gcvm and Sen, Great Windmill Strtfl.

 
 r'f
 
 ON IJJJL 
 
 A VD<I iFTOSW ST J 
 
 BEING THE 
 
 ^mtiotts lletl^r twits uf /kpol 
 
 OX THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF HIS LIFE ,<_ CrOVERNTVlENT, 
 
 JM HIS OWNWOK:!)^, 
 /B'Jllmm, 
 
 JLATE SUMGEOW. 
 In Two Volumes 
 
 fig 
 
 THE NORTHUMBERIJVNT) i- MYIiMIDOX. CO\\ KV1 \(, MAI -OJ. EON 
 TO THE ISLAND OF ST HKLENA , OCT ! 15, L816 
 
 hiblished by Jones & C 3 Acton Place Kinpsland lv. 
 1827.
 
 NAPOLEON IN EXILE; 
 
 OR, 
 
 a ofce from J& 
 
 THK 
 
 OPINIONS AND REFLECTIONS OF 
 
 NAPOLEON 
 
 ON THE 
 MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS OF HIS LIFE AND GOVERNMENT, 
 
 IN HIS OWN WORDS. 
 
 BY BARRY E. O'MEARA, ESQ. 
 
 HIS LATE SURGEON. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES, 
 VOL. II. 
 
 SIXTH EDITION. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PUBLISHED BY JONES AND CO., 
 
 ?, ACTON PLACE, KINGSLAND ROAD. 
 
 1827.
 
 TO 
 
 THE RIGHT HON. LADY HOLLAND, 
 
 WHOSE HUMANE ATTENTIONS 
 TO 
 
 NAPOLEON IN ST. HELENA, 
 
 DREW FROM HIM, 
 IN HIS DYING MOMENTS, 
 
 THE GRATEFUL EXPRESSION OP HIS 
 " SATISFACTION AND ESTEEM," 
 
 THESE VOLUMES 
 ARE, 
 
 WITH HER LADYSHIP'S PERMISSION, 
 MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED 
 
 BY 
 
 HER LADYSHIP'S VERY OBEDIENT 
 
 / 
 
 HUMBLE SERVANT, 
 
 BARRY E. O'MEARA.
 
 A VOICE 
 
 FROM 
 
 ST. HELENA, 
 
 . April, 1817. IN A POLE ON has been for some 
 days in very good spirits. On Saturday, the 19th, 
 several captains of East Indiamen came to see 
 Count and Countess Bertrand. Captains Innes, 
 Campbell, and Ripsley, with Mr. Webb, stationed 
 themselves at the back of the house in such a situ- 
 ation as to be likely to see Napoleon on his return 
 from Bertrand's, where he had gone about four 
 o'clock. Napoleon beckoned to, and conversed 
 with them for nearly an hour, during which time 
 he asked many questions respecting India, the 
 East India Company, Lord Moira, their own pro- 
 fits, &c. ; and to the commodore, who had a very 
 youthful appearance, in a laughing manner he 
 observed, that he was a child, and ought to be 
 ashamed of commanding captains so much older 
 than himself. 
 
 VOL. II. - B
 
 2 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Asked the emperor whether it was at Lodi or 
 Arcola that he had seized the standard, and pre- 
 cipitated himself among the enemy's troops. He 
 replied, " At Arcola, not Lodi. At Arcola, I was 
 slightly wounded ; but at Lodi no such circum- 
 stance occurred. Why do you ask ? Do you 
 think me Idche ?" said he, laughing. I begged to 
 assure him of my thorough conviction of the con- 
 trary, which was too well known to be doubted ; 
 and that it was merely to solve a difference of 
 opinion that had arisen between some of us Eng- 
 lish who had not the means of procuring at St. 
 Helena any books to satisfy us at which of the 
 two it happened, that I had taken the liberty to 
 ask him. " Those things," said he, with a smile, 
 " are not worth mentioning." 
 
 Had a long conversation with him on medical 
 subjects. He appeared to entertain an idea that 
 in cases purely the province of the physician, the 
 patient has an equal chance of being despatched 
 to the other world, either by the doctor mistaking 
 the complaint, or by the remedies administered 
 operating in a different manner from what was in- 
 tended and expected, and was for trusting entirely 
 to nature. With respect to surgery, he professed a 
 far different opinion, and acknowledged the great 
 utility of that science. I endeavoured to convince 
 him, that in some complaints, nature was a bad 
 physician, and mentioned in proof of my argument
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 3 
 
 the examples that had taken place under his own 
 eyes of the cases of Countess Montholon, General 
 Gourgaud, Tristan, and others; who if they had 
 been left to nature, would have gone to the other 
 world. I observed that in practice we always had 
 a certain object in view, and never prescribed re- 
 medies without first having considered well what 
 we had to expect from their operation. Napo- 
 leon, however, was sceptical ; and inclined to think 
 that if they had taken no medicine, maintained 
 strict abstinence from every thing except plenty 
 of diluents, they would have done equally well. 
 However, after having heard all my arguments, 
 he said, " well, perhaps if ever I have a serious 
 malady, I may change my opinion, take all your 
 medicines, and do what you please. I should 
 like to know what sort of a patient I should make, 
 and whether I should be tractable, or otherwise, 
 I am inclined to think the former." I reasoned 
 with him afterwards about inflammation of the 
 lungs, and asked him if he thought that nature, if 
 left to herself, would effect a cure in that com- 
 plaint. He appeared a little staggered at this at 
 first ; but after asking me what were the remedies, 
 to which I replied that venesection was the sheet- 
 anchor, he said, " that complaint belongs to the 
 surgeon, because he cures it with his lancet, and 
 not to the physician." I then mentioned dysen- 
 tery and intermittent fevers. "The remedies given
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 in intermittent fevers," said he, " frequently pro- 
 duce worse complaints than the disease that they 
 remove. Suppose now that the best informed 
 physician visits forty patients a day ; amongst 
 them he will kill one or two a month by mistaking 
 the disease, and in the country towns the charla- 
 tans will kill about half of those who die under 
 their hands." 
 
 "The country towns in England, as well as in 
 France," said he, "abound with Molifres doc- 
 tors. Are you a fatalist ?" I replied, " in action I 
 am." " Why not every where else ?" said the env 
 peror ; I said, that I believed a man's dissolu- 
 tion, in certain cases, to be inevitable if he did not 
 endeavour by the means placed in his power, 
 to prevent his fate. For example, I said, that 
 if a man in battle saw a cannon shot coming 
 towards him, as sometimes happened, he would 
 naturally step to one side, and thereby avoid an 
 otherwise inevitable death ; which comparison I 
 thought would hold good with certain complaints, 
 by considering the ball to be the disease, and 
 stepping aside, the remedy. Napoleon replied, 
 perhaps by stepping to one side, you may throw 
 yourself in the way of another ball, which other- 
 wise would have missed you. I remember," 
 added he, " an example of what I tell you having 
 occurred at Toulon, when I commanded the artil- 
 lery. There were some Marseillois artillerymen
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 5 
 
 sent to the siege. Now of all the people in 
 France, the Marseillois are the least brave, 
 and indeed, generally speaking, have but little 
 energy. I observed an officer, like the rest, to 
 be very careful of himself, instead of shewing an 
 example. I therefore called out and said, ( Mon- 
 sieur officer, come out and observe the effect of 
 your shot. You do not know whether your guns 
 are well pointed or not.' At this time we were 
 firing upon the English ships. I desired him to 
 see if our shot struck them in the hull. He was 
 very unwilling to quit his station ; but at last he 
 came over to where I was, a little outside of the 
 parapet, where he began to look out. Wishing, 
 however, to make himself small, and to secure as 
 much of his body as possible, he stooped down 
 and sheltered one side of his body behind the 
 parapet, while he looked under my arm. He had 
 not been long in that position before a shot came 
 close to me, and low down, which knocked him 
 to pieces. Now, if this man had stood upright, 
 and more exposed to danger, he would have been 
 safe, as the ball would have passed between us, 
 without hurting either." 
 
 I recounted to the emperor, after this, a circum- 
 stance v/hich had happened in the Victorious, 
 seventy-four, Captain Talbot, when I was on board 
 of her, which I explained minutely to him. Dur- 
 ing the action with his ship the Rivoli, a man who
 
 6 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 bad been slightly wounded, had crept into the 
 heart of the cable tier in the orlop deck, and 
 placed himself among the cables in such a man- 
 ner, that it appeared to be a matter of impossibi- 
 Uty that a shot could reach him. Notwithstand- 
 ing the apparent security of the place, towards the 
 end of the action a shot struck the ship very low 
 down, penetrated the wings, went through two 
 or three coils of the cable, then rose upwards, 
 struck one of the beams which supported the 
 lower deck, and being spent, rebounded back, 
 fell upon this man's breast who was lying on his 
 back, and killed him. He was found afterwards 
 with the shot, (a thirty-six pounder,) lying upon 
 his breast. 
 
 " This,' said he, " confirms what I say to you, 
 that a man cannot avoid his destiny." Napoleon 
 appeared entertained with this anecdote, and asked, 
 whether the man was a sailor or a soldier ? I re- 
 plied, a sailor. 
 
 The emperor during the course of conversation, 
 spoke about eunuchs ; the making of whom he 
 observed was a most disgraceful and horrid prac- 
 tice. " I suppressed it," said he, " in all the coun- 
 tries under my dominion ; even in Rome itself 
 I prohibited it under pain of death. It was en- 
 tirely put a stop to, and I believe that although 
 the pope and the cardinals are now in power, it 
 will not be again revived. I recollect, added
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 7 
 
 he, " an incident with respect to one of those 
 gentry, which made me laugh. There was one 
 Crescentini, an excellent singer, who often sang 
 before me and delighted me much. As I wished 
 to encourage merit in every science, and as it was 
 his misfortune, and not his fault to have been mu- 
 tilated, having been probably only two or three 
 years old when it was performed, I conferred upon 
 him the knighthood of the iron crown. This, how- 
 ever, displeased , a great many, who said that a 
 thing that was not a man ought not to have an 
 order for manhood conferred upon him. There 
 were great discussions about it, in which Madame 
 Grassini, whom I suppose you know, took a part. 
 Whilst others were blaming me, Grassini said, ' I 
 really think the emperor has done right in giving 
 it to him ; I think that he deserves it.' Being 
 asked why, she replied, * I think he merits it, if it 
 were only on account of his wounds' This sally 
 produced the greatest laughter, and turned the 
 business completely. I believe that no person 
 laughed more at it than. myself." 
 
 23rd. Yesterday Napoleon was indisposed, 
 and had recourse to his customary remedies, diet 
 and diluents. He remained all day in his bed- 
 room, and eat nothing. Told me that he had risen 
 at three in the morning, and wrote or dictated all 
 day. 
 
 Gave him two or three newspapers. He re- 
 
 f
 
 8 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 peated his disbelief of the rumour of war being- 
 likely to take place between Russia and America, 
 as it was contrary to the interests of both. 
 
 General Gourgaud the day before yesterday 
 rode out towards the alarm-house, and on his way 
 met the Russian commissioner and Captain Gor, 
 with whom he conversed for a considerable time. 
 They were seen by Captain Poppleton, who was 
 on his way to dine at Plantation House. When 
 his excellency was informed of this, he said at first 
 that Captain P. ought to have remained with them 
 to listen ; but when it was explained to him that 
 he could not have done so without affronting them, 
 as General Gourgaud knew that he was to dine 
 at Plantation House, he acknowledged that it 
 could not have been done. 
 
 This day, however, a note came from Major 
 Gorrequer, stating that the governor wanted to see 
 Captain Poppleton directly, and that he was re- 
 quired to write an official statement of what he 
 had witnessed yesterday between the commissioner 
 and Gourgaud. That the governor regretted he 
 had not followed and kept company with them, in 
 pursuance of the conversation he had had with 
 him (Captain P.) in town on a certain day. In 
 this conversation the governor said he expected 
 that he would, whenever he saw them speaking 
 together, drop in as it were by accident, and make 
 one of their party.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 9 
 
 These precautions appeared curious, as the 
 parties had a long 1 interview together at the last 
 races before the governor himself and his staff 
 without molestation. 
 
 Saw Napoleon in the evening again, who de- 
 clared himself to be quite well. He spoke of the 
 time he was in the habit of devoting to business 
 when in Paris. That occasionally he used to dic- 
 tate to four different secretaries at a time, all upon 
 different subjects, and sometimes even to five, each 
 writing as fast'as he could. Made some observa- 
 tions upon the Emperor of Austria. Observed 
 that if he were in his power, no treatment could 
 be too good or limits too extensive. The emperor 
 he pronounced to be a good and religious man, 
 but a ganache. A man, who though he did not 
 want common sense, never did any thing of him- 
 self, but was always led by the nose by Metter- 
 nich or some one else.. As long as he had a bad 
 minister, his government would be bad, as he en 
 tirely trusted to him, and only paid attention to 
 botany and gardening. 
 
 14th. Napoleon in very good spirits. Very 
 curious in his enquiries about Murat's expedition 
 against Sicily. Asked me to describe minutely the 
 strength of the English force which had then occu- 
 pied Sicily, and appeared surprised when I said that 
 it had amounted to about twenty thousand Eng- 
 lish, Hanoverians, &c. He asked if I thought 
 
 VOL. II. C
 
 10 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that Murat would have succeeded in taking the 
 island, if he had landed ?* I replied that I be- 
 lieved not, as independent of the formidable Eng- 
 lish force against him, in general the Sicilians 
 themselves hated the French, and declared that 
 they would have caused another " Sicilian Vespers" 
 if they came. He asked " how many troops Fer- 
 dinand had ?" I replied, perhaps fifteen thousand 
 men, of whom, however, we were very doubtful, 
 and consequently kept near Palermo, with the ex- 
 ception of a regiment of cavalry. He wished to 
 know " if our ships could have kept the channel on 
 the night that Murat had caused a landing to be 
 made by a small body, and whether they could have 
 remained at anchor along the Sicilian side of 
 the Faro?" I replied, that I had no doubt the ships 
 might have kept the channel on that night; that 
 they might also have remained at anchor along the 
 Faro, but at a risk during the Sdrocco winds, as 
 the bottom was a bad holding ground, and if the 
 anchors went, the ships must go on shore. He 
 asked the name of the English Admiral. " That 
 imbecile Murat," added he, "lost me about twelve 
 or thirteen hundred men by the foolish disem- 
 barkation he made in Sicily. I know not what 
 
 It may be necessary to explain to the reader, that I was at- 
 tached to the flotilla against Murat in a mortar-boat, under the 
 command of Captain Coffin, R. N. during the whole of the period 
 alluded to.
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 11 
 
 object he could have had in view by thus land- 
 ing a few men." I replied that Murat had said 
 he intended to have landed with his whole army 
 near the Faro, while this small body was in- 
 tended to act as a diversion. " Do you think 
 that he could have landed on that night ?" said 
 Napoleon. I replied, I thought he could, as all 
 our ships were withdrawn from their stations 
 and locked up in the harbour of Messina. Na- 
 poleon said, " If I had really intended Murat 
 to have taken Sicily, I would have pushed out 
 the Toulon fleet with thirty thousand men to 
 effect a landing near Palermo, from whence the 
 fleet should have proceeded directly to the Faro, 
 to cover Murat's landing. But it was only in- 
 tended to keep your English army doing nothing 
 in Sicily by means of the canaglle under Murat,* 
 and not to take Sicily, as there were few French 
 troops with him, and I was apprehensive that your 
 army might have been employed elsewhere against 
 me." I asked if there had been any secret treaty 
 between Murat and the English admiral and gene- 
 
 * Murat was not aware of this. He was sincere in his inten- 
 tions of landing in Sicily ; but on the night in which he wanted to 
 embark all his army for that purpose, General Grenier, who com- 
 manded the French troops with him, shewed him an order prohibit- 
 ing them to make the attempt. Of this I have been since informed 
 by a person who was minister to the unfortunate King Joachim at 
 the time.
 
 12 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ral to allow Murat to withdraw with his boats ancf 
 troops without molestation. " No," said the em- 
 peror, " none that I know of. Why do you ask 
 such a question?" I replied, " because so little had 
 been done to annoy them in their retreat, that I 
 often thought some agreement must have been 
 made to let Murat withdraw quietly with his 
 troops, provided he abandoned his enterprize." 
 He laughed, and said, " there was none, at least 
 to my knowledge." 
 
 I then mentioned to him the plot to massacre 
 the English officers, and drive the English out of 
 Sicily, said to have been discovered in 1810, (I 
 think) by ***. "Caroline," said he, "was very 
 capable of forming such a plot. I believe, how- 
 ever, that * * invented a great part of it, and also 
 betrayed you at the time that he pretended to 
 make such important discoveries. Murat got in- 
 formation from some officer in the English ser- 
 vice." I said that *** had frequently gone over 
 to Calabria disguised as a peasant. " Very pro- 
 bably he betrayed you every time he went," re- 
 plied Napoleon. 
 
 He spoke about the Corsicans : observed that 
 they were brave and revengeful by nature, the 
 best friends and the most inexorable enemies in 
 the world. "Their prominent national character," 
 added he, " is never to forget a benefit or an in- 
 jury. For the slightest insult in Corsica, una ar~
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 13 
 
 chibugiata. Murders are consequently very conv 
 mon. At the same time no people are more grate- 
 ful for benefits conferred, and they will not scruple 
 to sacrifice their lives for the person who bestowed 
 them." 
 
 25th. Had some conversation with Napoleon 
 relative to Count Bertrand having been stopped 
 by the sentinel a few days back, when going down 
 towards Mr. Wilton's cottage. Napoleon said, 
 that he supposed the sentinel had orders to stop 
 all suspicious persons, similar to those given to 
 the one at Hut's Gate, and observed in a laughing 
 manner, that the French were the only suspicious 
 people in the island. Told him that a report had 
 arrived in the island of war having been declared 
 between Spain and America, and Russia and 
 America. " Russia and America ?" said he, " Im- 
 possible. If it takes place I shall never be asto- 
 nished again at any circumstance that happens. 
 The Spaniards will be well drubbed." I said, 
 that one of the American large frigates could take 
 a Spanish seventy-four. This he would not be- 
 lieve. I then said, that during the war with Spain, 
 one of our frigates, which were smaller than the 
 Americans, would not have been afraid to attack 
 a Spanish seventy-four. Napoleon looked at me 
 in rather an incredulous manner, shook his head, 
 laughed, and said, " Sempre per- la marina, Dot-
 
 14 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tore* she certainly would have been taken." 
 I replied, that if the weather was bad, I did not 
 think so. He said, that there never had been an 
 instance on record of a frigate's having taken a 
 seventy-four. 
 
 . 29th. Dined with Sir Pulteney Malcolm in 
 town. Count Balmaine came to pass the even- 
 ing, during the course of which he had a long con- 
 versation with me. He said that he had that day 
 met General Gourgaud near the alarm-house, 
 and that finding himself in a very delicate situa- 
 tion, he told the general that his position was very 
 embarrassing, as it appeared that he (Balmaine) 
 was an object of suspicion to the governor ; that 
 he must consequently beg to decline any further 
 communication with him beyond the customary 
 salutations of politeness, however unpleasant it 
 was to do so in a place where there was so little 
 French society, until after the arrival of the Con- 
 queror, by which vessel he expected instructions 
 of importance, and such as would clearly point 
 out to him the line of conduct which he was in 
 future to pursue. That in doing this, he had ra- 
 ther gone beyond his present instructions, which 
 were not to dviter ces messieurs /a, but to treat 
 them precisely as he did the inhabitants and other 
 residents on the island ; that he could not account 
 
 * Always for the navy, Doctor.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. ID 
 
 for the suspicion manifested by the governor, as 
 it could not be supposed that he was sent out to 
 betray. 
 
 Cipriani in town. On his return he related the 
 obligations he was under to Sir Thomas Reade, 
 who was busily employed in assisting him to pro- 
 cure some hams and other articles of provisions 
 out of the company's stores. 
 
 30th. Napoleon has been occupied for some 
 days in dictating and writing observations upon 
 the works of the Great Frederick. Told me that 
 when finished they might probably comprise five 
 or six octavo volumes, and would consist of 
 military observations and reflections only, with 
 as much detail as would be necessary for the ex- 
 planation of the operations commented upon. For 
 several mornings he has been up at three, a. in. 
 writing. Saw several pages of his hand-writing, 
 which was much more legible than any I had be- 
 fore seen. He observed, that formerly he had 
 sometimes been in the habit of writing only half 
 or three-quarters of each word, and running them 
 into each other, which was not attended with 
 much inconvenience, as the secretaries had become 
 so well accustomed to it, that they could read it 
 with nearly as much facility as if it were written 
 plainly ; that, however, no person, except one well 
 acquainted with his manner of writing, could read 
 it, Latterly, he said, he had begun to write a little
 
 16 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 more legibly, in consequence of not being so much 
 hurried as on former occasions. 
 
 Napoleon then observed, that I had made a con- 
 siderable progress in French since he had first seen 
 me, "though you have," said he, "a very bad ac- 
 cent. It has been said by some of the English, 
 that I understand Italian better than French, 
 which is not true. Although I speak the Italian 
 very fluently, it is not pure. Non parlo Toscano* 
 nor am I capable of writing a book in Italian, nor 
 do I ever speak it in preference to the French." 
 
 Speaking about Chateaubriand's attacks upon 
 him, he observed, " C'est un de ces laches qui cra- 
 chent sur un cadavre. (He is one of those poltroons 
 who spit upon a dead body.) .Like Pichon and 
 others, he is one of those insects that feed upon a 
 corpse, which, while living, they dared not ap- 
 proach." After some other conversation I asked 
 him if there had been a sufficiency of provisions 
 for his army on the retreat from Moscow, whe- 
 ther it might not have been accomplished with a 
 loss much smaller than that which they had sus- 
 tained ? Napoleon answered, " No ; the cold 
 would have destroyed them, even if they had had 
 a sufficiency of provisions. Those who had food, 
 died by hundreds. Even the Russians themselves 
 died like flies." 
 
 May Ind. General Montholon very ill. Napo- 
 leon expressed much anxiety about him. 
 
 * I do not speak Tuscan.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 17 
 
 4th. Baron Sturmer came inside of Longwood, 
 and had some conversation with the orderly officer 
 relative to Napoleon. 
 
 6th. Saw Napoleon to whom I gave a book, en- 
 titled, Mceurs et Coutumes des Corses, which he 
 ran over, frequently laughing very heartily at se- 
 veral of the anecdotes. The author, he said, was 
 an ignorantaccio, and wholly unacquainted with 
 many circumstances relative to the history, ma- 
 nufactures, &c. of Corsica ; in fact, that he was 
 either a place-hunter, or a man who had been 
 ben bastonato* by the Corsicans. That many of 
 the anecdotes he related respecting assassinations 
 which had been committed were true, but that 
 the Corsicans were not in the habit of assassinating 
 strangers ; that they were the best friends and 
 the worst enemies in the world; that those who 
 espoused a party, remained unchangeable. " Even 
 I," continued he, " in the height of my power, 
 could never induce the English party to change 
 their opinions, although I offered to receive them 
 all into my service." 
 
 " The admiral," said he, " held a long conversa- 
 tion with me a day or two ago. He praised the 
 governor ; said that I was mistaken in him ; that 
 he was an extremely well informed man, and had 
 a good heart at bottom. He was very arixious 
 
 * Well beaten. 
 VOL. II. D
 
 18 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that I should meet him, on an opportunity that 
 soon would be afforded by the arrival of the am- 
 bassador, when he suggested that we might meet 
 as if nothing had previously occurred. I told him 
 that he did not know the governor; that until he 
 changed his conduct I would not see him, unless 
 by force. I observed that he might, without any 
 discussion, alter his restrictions, and treat me as I 
 would myself treat a person placed in a similar 
 situation; in fact, in a word, put matters upon the 
 same footing as he found them or nearly so : but 
 that it would answer no purpose for us to meet. 
 I complain of the ill treatment I receive. He says, 
 f I comply with my instructions.' This is always 
 his excuse. Now, although I am convinced that 
 his instructions extend no further than that he 
 should take every precaution to prevent my escape, 
 and otherwise to treat me well, and with as little 
 possible expense as may be, yet I could not well 
 tell him that he asserted a falsehood. All that I 
 could reply would be .by .making a comparison (in 
 doing which you must always exaggerate), by 
 likening him to a hangman, who, while he puts a 
 rope round your neck to despatch you, only exe- 
 cutes his orders ; but that is not a reason that you 
 should be obliged to make a companion of him, 
 or receive him until the moment of execution. 
 I could only say this, and tell him that if such 
 were his orders, he had disgraced himself by ac-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 19 
 
 cepting a dishonourable employment ; that if he 
 had not, he was still worse, in being- the contriver 
 of such. As long as he treats me a la Botany 
 Bay, so long will not I see him. I certainly 
 would understand not to see the commissioners, 
 and not to enter houses which he said he sus- 
 pected." 
 
 " I told the admiral," continued he, " that I 
 hoped the Prince Regent would know of the 
 treatment which I receive here. The admiral 
 said, that if I thought myself aggrieved, I ought 
 to complain, either to the Regent or to the minis- 
 ters. I think it would be a degradation to me to 
 complain to ministers who have treated me so ill, 
 and who act from hatred. The admiral strove to 
 excuse the governor, and declared that he knew it 
 was the intention of the English government to 
 treat me well, and that there must be some mis- 
 take or misconception, which wjould be rectified. 
 I told him, that you English were great e'go'istes, 
 very fond of excusing each other, and of praising 
 your country and yourselves ; but that to strangers 
 every thing was j ustifiable. I spoke to him about 
 the detention of the French prisoners, and the re- 
 ception of the prisoners who had broken their 
 parole, of which I had been accused. I explained, 
 that the English were the first to begin;" here 
 Napoleon gave an explanation similar to that 
 which appears in a former part of this work.
 
 20 A VOICE FROM 6T. HELENA. 
 
 " I then published in the Moniteur the names of 
 several English who had violated their parole and 
 escaped, before any Frenchman had done the 
 like. For it was much easier to escape in France, , 
 than in England, as the English prisoners were 
 allowed great liberty, and much more space than 
 the French were in England. But the fact is, 
 that your ministers hate me, because I acted 
 vigorously, and always retaliated upon them. 
 When they blockaded France, I blockaded Eng- 
 land, and I always made reprisals, which they 
 had not been accustomed to under the feeble 
 government of the Bourbons, whom they used to 
 insult at their pleasure. I told him that the Eng- 
 lish would hereafter repent of having prosecuted 
 the war with so much hatred against me. If they 
 had left me in France after my return from Elba, 
 all Europe would have been quiet, France con- 
 tented, no internal commotions, nor hatred against 
 the English, for forcing on the nation a king whom 
 they detested. The revolutionary spirit which 
 exists now against the actual government of 
 France, may find its way to England, and if so, 
 there is no knowing how it may terminate." 
 
 " I told him also," continued Napoleon, " that 
 I had been well pleased at the capture of Copen- 
 hagen, because it made bitter enemies of the 
 Danes, without injuring me. For it was not 
 ships that I wanted, but naval officers and sea-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 21 
 
 men who were all left behind to man my vessels. 
 I also informed him, that the capture and robbery 
 of the Spanish frigates pleased me; as it caused 
 you to be hated in Spain, where you might have 
 been and were popular before, and besides, was 
 unworthy of a great nation. I told him that I did 
 not receive money direct from Spain. That I got 
 bills upon Vera Cruz, which certain agents sent by 
 circuitous routes, by Amsterdam, Hamburgh, and 
 other places, to London, (as I had no direct com- 
 munication.) The bills were discounted by mer- 
 chants in London, to whom ten per cent., and 
 sometimes a premium, was paid as their reward. 
 Bills were then given by them upon different 
 bankers in Europe for the greatest part of the 
 amount, and the remainder in gold, which last 
 was brought over to France by the smugglers. 
 Even for the equipping my last expedition, a great 
 part of the money was raised in London." I asked 
 if he meant that, after his return from Elba ? He 
 replied, " yes, that last expedition." 
 
 " I told the admiral," continued Napoleon, 
 " that you had been the first violators of the peace 
 of Amiens ; that your ministers, who boast so much 
 of not having acknowledged me as emperor, were 
 so conscious, themselves, of having been the vio- 
 lators of the treaty, that they offered, through 
 Lord Whitworth, to give thirty millions of francs, 
 and to assist, as much as lay in their power, to
 
 22 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 make me king of France, if I would consent to 
 the English retaining Malta." I took the liberty 
 of asking to whom the proposal had been made ? 
 " To Malhouet, who was minister to Louis a short 
 time ago," replied the emperor. " My answer to 
 this offer was, < Tell Lord Whit worth that I will 
 owe nothing to strangers, or to their interference. 
 If the French nation do not of themselves, create 
 me king, foreign influence shall never be employed 
 by me to obtain it.' The fact is, that your minis- 
 ters always deceived the people by false and artful 
 representations, and are of the opinion expressed 
 by the great Lord Chatham, ' that if England 
 acted towards France with justice for twenty-four 
 hours she would be ruined.' 
 
 " The admiral," continued Napoleon, " is very 
 well informed about the history of the last years ; 
 is really an Englishman, and sticks up for his 
 country whenever he can ; but notwithstanding, 
 he could not contradict several of the assertions I 
 made to him, because they were incontrovertible 
 facts. He returned frequently to the proposed 
 interview with the ambassador, which he is most 
 desirous should take place. I am convinced that 
 no good would arise from it. I wish," added he, 
 " that he should know my sentiments on these 
 matters." 
 
 I remarked, that perhaps his refusing to see the 
 ambassador, might be construed into an insult to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. !>3 
 
 the British government, and to the nation which 
 he represented. Napoleon replied, " it cannot 
 admit of such a construction. He is not sent as 
 an ambassador to St. Helena. He was ambassa- 
 dor to the emperor of China, and at St. Helena 
 can only appear in his private capacity. Conse- 
 quently, there is no necessity for his being intro- 
 duced by the governor. If he wants to see me, 
 let him go to Bertrand, without being accom- 
 panied by any of the governor's people, then we 
 will see about it. However, I think it would be 
 better for both that it should not take place. For 
 if I receive him, I must put on an appearance 
 of cheerfulness, and clothe my face with smiles ; 
 it is contrary to my custom to receive any person 
 otherwise. Then, I must either be obliged to 
 make complaints to a stranger of the barbarous 
 treatment I receive here, which is lessening to the 
 dignity and character of a man like me ; or else, I 
 must furnish an opportunity to this governor, to 
 fill the amdassador's head with lies, and make 
 him observe, that I am so well treated, that I have 
 made no complaints, that I want for nothing, that 
 for me on a tons les dgards possibles, and enable 
 him to write home a bulletin of falsehoods, with 
 an appeal to the ambassador in proof of the truth 
 of them. So that it would place me in an awk- 
 ward dilemma, and one which it would be better 
 to avoid."
 
 24 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 He was very anxious in his enquiries about 
 Captain Meynel, who was very dangerously ill. 
 General Montholon much better. 
 
 I shewed him the Naval Chronicle, in which 
 there was a long article about the death of Cap- 
 tain Wright. " No person," said Napoleon, " as- 
 serts positively that he had seen him murdered ; 
 and the principal evidence who testifies to the be- 
 lief of it, was a man who was himself in prison. 
 Let him be asked for what crime he was thrown 
 into a gaol. It is not a place for honest people, or 
 for those whose testimony could be relied upon. 
 If I had acted properly, I should have ordered 
 Wright to be tried by a military commission as a 
 spy, and shot within twenty-four hours, which by 
 the laws of war I was entitled to do. What would 
 your ministers, or even your parliament have done 
 to a French captain that was discovered landing 
 assassins in England to murder King George ? If 
 I had, in retaliation of the assassins sent to murder 
 me, sent others to murder *** and the Bourbon 
 princes, what would have been done to the cap- 
 tain of the vessel who had landed them in Eng- 
 land, if he were taken ? They would not have 
 been so lenient as I was with Wright. They 
 would have had him tried and executed sur le 
 champ" 
 
 7th. Napoleon very particular in inquiring 
 about Captain Meynel, whose death he observed
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 25 
 
 would grieve him, as he had Valr d'un brave homme. 
 Had some further conversation with him relative to 
 the prisoners made at the commencement of the 
 war. I said, that I believed he had demanded 
 that the ships as well as the prisoners made in 
 them should be given up, in exchange for those 
 detained in France. He replied, that he did not 
 recollect that he had demanded the ships. " The 
 only reason," added he, " that your government 
 would give as a right for detaining them as pri- 
 soners was, that they had always done so in pre- 
 ceding wars, and that it would be lessening to the 
 dignity of the government to give them up, or to 
 consider as prisoners of war those who had been 
 detained by me in France. To this I answered, 
 that they had always done so, because they had to 
 deal with imbecilles, and people who knew not how 
 to act vigorously, and were afraid to retaliate. As 
 to the exchange of prisoners, I offered to effect it 
 in the following manner, viz. to send three thou- 
 sand men, consisting of two thousand Spaniards 
 and Portuguese, and one thousand English, to a 
 certain place, there to be exchanged for three thou- 
 sand French, and so on until all were exchanged. 
 Your government would not consent to this, but 
 required that all the English should be exchanged 
 at first ; although the others were your allies, and 
 were taken fighting by your side. As soon as 
 the French prisoners in England heard of this 
 
 VOL. II. E
 
 26 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 proposal, they wrote over the strongest letters 
 possible, protesting- against, and praying me not 
 to consent to such terms, alleging, that as soon 
 as your ministers had got all the English pri- 
 soners, amounting I believe to ten thousand, 
 they would under some pretext break off the ex- 
 change ;* and that they (the French prisoners,) 
 who were already treated badly enough, would 
 then be subjected to every species of brutality 
 and ill treatment, as the English would no longer 
 be afraid of reprisals. What I most regret," added 
 he, " and am most to blame for is, that during 
 my reign, I had not caused the English prisoners 
 to be put on board of pontons, and treated 
 exactly as you treated mine in England. In- 
 deed, I had given orders to have it done, and 
 to place them in ships in the Scheldt. Decres, 
 the minister of marine, although he hated you as 
 much as a man could do, opposed it on the 
 ground of the expense, the difficulty of effect- 
 ing it, and other reasons. There were numbers 
 of reports also from your transport board, testi- 
 fying the good treatment which the prisoners en- 
 
 * I have some recollection (although I cannot find it in my jour- 
 nal) that Napoleon also told me that he had proposed to the English 
 minister that both powers should simultaneously land their respective 
 prisoners in such ports in England and France as might have been 
 previously agreed upon, which proposal was not agreed to by his ma- 
 jesty's ministers.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 27 
 
 joyed, which imposed upon me for a time ; but, as 
 I found out from the prisoners themselves after- 
 wards, they were filled with lies, like the reports 
 that are sent from this island. . I was also so much 
 occupied with affairs of a more important nature, 
 that I forgot it." I took the liberty of observing, 
 that I hoped he did not credit what he saw in 
 Fillet's libel. " No, no," replied Napoleon, " I 
 believe no exaggerated statement of the kind. 
 I reason from the testimonies of the prisoners 
 themselves and from the circumstances. In the 
 first place, it was le comble de la barbaric to put 
 any prisoners, especially soldiers, in ships at all. 
 Even sailors like to be on shore. I see that the 
 admiral likes to live on shore, as well as every 
 officer and seaman who can effect it. Man is 
 born on shore, and it is natural for him to like it. 
 Your ministers said that they had not any for- 
 tresses to put them in. Then, why not have ex- 
 changed or sent them to Scotland, instead of 
 massacreing them in pontons. I am very sorry 
 that I did not carry my intentions into execution, 
 as in the event of a war fifty or sixty years hence 
 between the two countries, it will be said, but 
 'even Napoleon suffered the English to put the 
 French prisoners in pontons without having re- 
 taliated. My intentions were to have put all the 
 milords and the principal prisoners in pontons, and 
 to have made them undergo precisely the same
 
 28 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 treatment as that practised upon my prisoners in 
 the prison-ships in England. This would have had 
 the desired effect, and would have been beneficial 
 to both parties. For the complaints of " my lords," 
 to which I would have allowed every publicity 
 to be given, would have produced such an out- 
 cry, such a sensation amongst you English, who 
 are eg&istes, by making you feel yourselves that 
 which you inflicted upon others, that your olig- 
 archy would have been obliged to remove the 
 French prisoners from the pontons, which would 
 have bee^ fallowed by a similar step on my part. 
 I would ha,ve left the canaille in the fortresses, as 
 they, poor devils, had nothing- to do with the 
 measures of your ministers, who indeed, cared 
 but little what they suffered. I would not," con- 
 tinued Napoleon, " desire a better testimonial in 
 my favour than that of the prisoners of the diffe- 
 rent nations who had been in France. Many of 
 your English sailors did not want to be exchanged. 
 They did not wish to be sent again on board of 
 their floating prisons, The Russians declared that 
 they were much better than in their own country, 
 after they discovered that their heads were not to 
 be cut off, wfyich they at first had been persuaded 
 to believe : and the Austrians would not have 
 escaped, even if allowed." 
 
 "Another shocking act of your ministers," sui<! 
 Napoleon, "was the bundling (fete) of some him-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 29 
 
 dred wounded and disabled soldiers who had been 
 born in countries under me, and were wounded 
 fighting your battles against me, on the coast of 
 Holland, where they were liable by the laws of 
 the country to be tried and shot within twenty- 
 four hours, for having carried arms against it. 
 When it was reported to me, and application made 
 to try them, I said. * Let them go on. Let them 
 land as many as they like. They will tell what 
 treatment they have received, and wiH prevent 
 others of my troops from deserting and joining 
 the English.' To say nothing of the inhumanity 
 of the practice," said Napoleon, lifting up his 
 hands with emotion, " it was very bad policy on 
 the part of your ministers, as these poor mutilated 
 wretches told it every where ; and I also caused 
 the names, countries where wounded, &c., of many 
 of them, to be published in the Moniteur." 
 
 I endeavoured to controvert the tenor of some 
 of his assertions ; but in consequence of not being 
 sufficiently well acquainted with the circum- 
 stances, I could make but a feeble effort against a 
 'man who was master of the subject, to say nothing 
 of the difficulty of contending against such an an- 
 tagonist. 
 
 llth. -Told Sir Hudson Lowe what Napoleon 
 said relative to the restrictions, and the com- 
 missioners, &c. His excellency asked why I had
 
 ,"() A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 not told him this before ? I replied, because it had 
 only occurred yesterday, and that having often 
 made him communications of a similar nature be- 
 fore, I had not thought it important. He observed, 
 that it was of great importance, as having taken 
 place since he had sent his answer to their obser- 
 vations upon his restrictions. He then observed, 
 that the principal cause of all the difficulties which 
 he had to combat with the French people had 
 arisen from Sir George Cockburn's having, upon 
 his own authority, and beyond his instructions, 
 taken upon himself to grant much more indul- 
 gence, and a much -greater space for limits with- 
 out being accompanied by a British officer, than 
 he had any right to do ; not only had he not the 
 right, but it was contrary to his instructions, and 
 that on his arrival, he had been astonished at Sir 
 George Cockburn's conduct. He then spoke for 
 some time about the letter which had been written 
 by Madame Bertrand to Marquis Montchenu ; 
 which he seemed to consider as a very heinous 
 offence. I observed that Count Bertrand had 
 said, that at the time the letter was written, there 
 had existed no prohibition against epistolary cor- 
 respondence with persons domiciliated in the 
 island as the marquis was, and that since that 
 letter had been written by Madame Bertrand, six 
 sealed letters had been received by her, amongst
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 31 
 
 which was one from Sir George Bingham. His 
 excellency did not appear to be well pleased with 
 this observation of Count Bertrand's. 
 
 The quantity of wood and coals allowed not 
 being nearly sufficient, Count Montholon desired 
 me to represent to the governor, that in the admi- 
 ral's time, when there were not by any means so 
 many fires as at present, there was more than 
 double the quantity of fuel allowed ; that for some 
 time they had been obliged to burn the wine- 
 cases, and to request of him, if he did not think 
 proper to increase the quantity furnished by go- 
 vernment, that he would give directions to the 
 purveyor to supply it, on their paying for it them- 
 selves. Went to Plantation House and explained 
 to the governor the above communication, parti- 
 cularizing the number of fires ; who, after some 
 discussion, replied, that he would give orders for 
 an additional supply to be furnished. 
 
 12M. Napoleon in his bath. Had some con- 
 versation about the governor. " If," said he, " the 
 governor on his arrival here had told Bertrand. 
 that in consequence of orders from his govern- 
 ment, he was under the necessity of imposing fresh 
 restrictions, and had described the nature of them, 
 directing that in future we should conform our- 
 selves to them, instead of acting in the underhand 
 manner he has done, I would have said, this is a 
 man who does his duty clearly and openly with-
 
 32 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 out tricks or shuffling-. It is necessary that there 
 should be in -this world such men as gaolers, 
 scavengers, butchers, and hangmen ; but still one 
 does not like to accept of any of those employ- 
 ments. If I were in the tower of London, I might 
 possibly have a good opinion of the gaoler, from 
 the manner in which he did his duty ; but I would 
 neither accept of his situation, nor make a com- 
 panion of him. Captain H * * told Madame Ber- 
 trand, that in the whole British dominions, a 
 worse man than this gaoler could not be selected 
 as governor ; and that we should very shortly 
 find such to be the case. In fact he described 
 him to be just as we have found him. But as we 
 thought that he was desirous of inducing Madame 
 Bertrand to leave the island with her family, it was 
 supposed that he had exaggerated the imperfec- 
 tions of this man, although we evidently saw that 
 there was something in it." 
 
 After some conversation on the same subject, 
 Napoleon said, " When I was at Elba, the Prin- 
 cess of Wales sent to inform me of her intention 
 to visit me. I, however, on her own account, 
 sent back an answer begging of her to defer it a 
 little longer, that I might see how matters would 
 turn out ; adding, that in a few months I would 
 have the pleasure of receiving her. I knew that 
 at the time it could not fail to injure the princess, 
 and therefore I put it off. It is astonishing that
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 33 
 
 she desired it, for she had no reason to be attached 
 to me, her father and brother being killed fight- 
 ing against me. She went afterwards to see Marie 
 Louise at * *, and I believe that they are great 
 friends." 
 
 " Prince Leopold," continued he, " was one of 
 the handsomest and finest young men in Paris, at 
 the time he was there. At a masquerade given 
 by the queen of Naples, Leopold made a conspi- 
 cuous and elegant figure. The Princess Char- 
 lotte must doubtless be very contented and very 
 fond of him. He was near being one of my aid- 
 de-camps, to obtain which he had made interest 
 and even applied ; but by some means, very fortu- 
 nately for himself, it did not succeed, as probably 
 if he had, he would not have been chosen to be a 
 future king of England. Most of the young princes 
 in Germany," continued he, "solicited to be my 
 aid-de-camps, and Leopold was then about eigh- 
 teen or nineteen years of age." 
 
 Some conversation now took place relative to 
 the infernal machine, and the different plots which 
 had been formed to assassinate him. " Many of 
 the plots of the Bourbons," said he, " and the * * * 
 were betrayed to me by Frenchmen, employed 
 and well paid by themselves, and in their confi- 
 dence, but who in reality were agents of the French 
 police. By means of them, I became acquainted 
 with their plans, and the names of the contrivers of 
 
 VOL. II. F
 
 34 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the plot, one of whom was the Comte d'***. Louis ? 
 the present king, always refused to give his consent. 
 These agents had conferences with the Bourbon 
 princes, and with some of your ministers, especi- 
 ally with Mr. H * * *, under-secretary of state, and 
 rendered an account of every thing to the police. 
 If I had acted right, I should have followed the 
 example of Cromwell, who on the discovery of 
 the first attempt made to assassinate him, the plot 
 of which had been hatched in France, caused it to 
 be signified to the French king, that if the like 
 occurred again, he, by way of reprisal, would 
 order assassins to be hired to murder him and a 
 Stuart. Now I ought to have publicly signified, 
 that on the next attempt at assassination, I would 
 cause the same to be made upon king *** and 
 the Bourbon princes, to accomplish which last 
 indeed, I had only to say that I would not punish 
 the projectors." 
 
 \3th. Application made by me to Major Gor- 
 requer (on the part of the inaitre d'h6tel) to re- 
 quest that the governor would give directions to 
 Mr. Breame (the company's "farmer) to let the 
 establishment have two calves monthly, as Napo- 
 leon was partial to veal, and Mr. Breame had 
 refused to dispose of them without leave from the 
 governor. 
 
 Permission was accordingly granted by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe to let the French have two calves
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 35 
 
 monthly, for which the farmer was to be paid by 
 the French themselves. 
 
 14th. Napoleon in very good spirits. Asked 
 me "why I had dined in camp yesterday?" I re- 
 plied, "Because there was nothing to eat at Long- 
 wood." He laughed heartily at this, and observed, 
 " that certainly was the best reason in the world." 
 
 Afterwards he conversed for some time about 
 Moreau, and said that he was by no means a 
 man of that superior talent which the English 
 supposed ; that he was a good general of division, 
 but not adapted for the command of a great army. 
 "Moreau was brave," said he, "indolent, and a 
 bon vivant. He did nothing at his quartier general 
 but loll on a sofa, or walk about with a pipe in 
 his mouth. He scarcely ever read a book. His 
 disposition was naturally good, but he was in- 
 fluenced by his wife and mother-in-law, who were 
 two intriguers. I recommended Moreau to marry 
 her, at the desire of Josephine, who loved her be- 
 cause she w r as a Creole. Moreau had fallen greatly 
 in public estimation on account of his conduct 
 towards Pichegru.* After Leoben, the senate of 
 
 * While Napoleon was at Moscow, Count Daru received a let- 
 ter from Madame Moreau praying of him to ask the emperor to 
 permit her to return to France for a few months on private and 
 indispensable business. Daru knowing that the best mode of ob- 
 taining any thing from Napoleon was by being candid and open, 
 shewed him the letter, " Oui," replied the emperor, " die doit
 
 36 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Venice were foolish enough to stir up a rebellion 
 against the French armies, without being either 
 sufficiently strong themselves, or having adequate 
 assistance from other powers to promise the 
 slightest hope of success. In consequence of this, 
 I caused Venice to be occupied by the French 
 troops. An agent of the Bourbons, the Count 
 d'Entraigues, of whom I suppose you have heard 
 
 etre venue, et file doit dya Ctrl' repurtie" Daru said that a woman 
 could not be dangerous. " JSlle vivnt intriguer," answered Na- 
 poleon, " Perhaps you are one of those who think that Morean 
 is a good citizen?" "Sire," replied Daru, " je crois que tons fa 
 rapport du civisme et da patriotisine, le caractere de Moreau est in- 
 attaquable." " Eli bien, vous vous trompez," said Napoleon, and the 
 subject was dropped. At Dresden, in 1813, while Napoleon was 
 at breakfast along with Marechal Victor and Daru, a Russian 
 flag of truce was announced. After the person who bore it had 
 accomplished his mission, Napoleon asked him some questions 
 relative to the disorder which he had observed in the advanced 
 posts of the enemy's army on the preceding day, and if the Rus- 
 sians had not lost some officer of distinction. The officer replied, 
 " No." " Cependant," said Napoleon, " U y a ev du desordre ; A 
 tel paste on a emporte quelgu'iat blesse ou tue." " Je ne sac/ic pas," 
 replied the officer, " que nous ayons perdu personnc, a nwins que 
 votre majeste ne vruille parler du General Moreau, qui a etc blcsst i 
 mart aux avant pastes." " Le General Morcau?" repeated Napo- 
 leon, and afterwards making a sign with his head to Daru, " eh 
 bien !". . . . Daru instantly recollected the conversation at Mos- 
 cow, when Napoleon had made use of the same words, at which time 
 he supposed that the emperor's opinion had been influenced by per- 
 sonal motives, and allowed that he was now obliged to acknowledge 
 that he had judged right, and that Moreau was far from being a good 
 citizen.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 37 
 
 in England, was there at the time. Fearing the 
 consequences, he escaped out of Venice, but on 
 his way to Vienna (I think he said) he was arrested 
 on the Brenta by Bernadotte, with all his papers. 
 As soon as it was known who he was, he was 
 sent to me, being esteemed a man of some impor- 
 tance. Amongst his papers we found his plans, 
 and the correspondence of Pichegru with the 
 Bourbons. I had them immediately attested by 
 Berthier and two others, sealed and sent to the 
 directory, as they \vere of the greatest conse- 
 quence. I then examined d'Entraigues myself, 
 who, when he saw that the contents of his papers 
 were known, thought there was no use in attempt- 
 ing concealment any longer, and confessed every 
 thing. He even told me more than I could possibly 
 have expected ; let me into the secret plans of the 
 Bourbons, with the names of their English parti- 
 zans, and, in fact, the information I obtained from 
 him was so full and so important, that it deter- 
 mined me how to act on the moment, and was 
 the chief cause of the measures I then pursued, 
 and of the proclamation which I issued to the 
 army, warning them, that, if necessary, they would 
 be called upon to cross the mountains, and re- 
 enter their native country, to crush the traitors 
 who were plotting against the existence of the re- 
 public. At this time Pichegru was chief of the le- 
 gislative body. The Count d'Entraigues was so
 
 38 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 communicative, that I really felt obliged to him, 
 and I may say that he almost gained me. He was 
 a man of talent and acuteness, intelligent and 
 pleasant to converse with, though he proved after- 
 wards to be a mauvais sujet. Instead of putting 
 him in confinement, I allowed him to go where he 
 pleased in Milan, gave him every indulgence, and 
 did not even put him in surveillance. A few days 
 afterwards I received orders from the directory to 
 cause him to be shot, or what in those times 
 was equivalent to it, to try him by a military 
 commission, and sentence to be immediately exe- 
 cuted. I wrote to the directory that he had 
 given very useful information, and did not de- 
 serve such a return ; and finally, that I could not 
 execute it ; that if they still insisted upon shooting 
 him, they must do it themselves. Shortly after 
 this, d'Entraigues escaped into Switzerland, from 
 whence the coquin had the impudence to write a 
 libel, accusing me of having treated him in the 
 most barbarous manner, and even with having put 
 him in irons ; when the fact was, that I had al- 
 lowed him so much liberty, that it was not until 
 after he had escaped for several days that his 
 flight was discovered, and then only by having 
 seen the arrival of the Count d'Entraigues notified 
 in the Swiss papers, which at first was thought 
 to be impossible, but on sending to examine his 
 quarter?, it was found to be true. This conduct
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 39 
 
 of d'Entraignes greatly displeased all who at Milan 
 had been witnesses of the indulgent manner in 
 which I treated him. Amongst others, some am- 
 bassadors and diplomatic characters were so much 
 offended, that they drew up and signed a declara- 
 tion contradictory of these accusations. In con- 
 sequence of the information gained from d'Entrai- 
 gues, Pichegru was banished to Cayenne." 
 
 " Immediately after the seizure of d'Entraigues, 
 Desaix came to see me. Conversing with him 
 about Pichegru, I remarked that we had been 
 greatly deceived, and expressed my surprise that 
 his treason had not been discovered sooner. ' Why,' 
 said Desaix, 'we knew of it three months ago.' 
 * How can that be possible ?' I replied. Desaix 
 then recounted to me the manner in which Moreau, 
 with whom he had been at that time, had found 
 in the baggage of the Austrian general Klinglin, 
 a correspondence of Pichegru's, in which his 
 plans in favour of the Bourbons were detailed, 
 and those of the false manoeuvres which he in- 
 tended to put in practice. I asked Desaix if this 
 had been communicated to the directory? He 
 replied, 'no/ that Moreau did not wish to ruin 
 Pichegru ; and had desired him to say nothing 
 about it. I told Desaix that he had acted very 
 wrong; that he ought immediately to have sent 
 all the papers to the directory, as I had done ; that 
 in fact it was tacitly conniving at the destruction
 
 40 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of his native country. As soon as Moreau was 
 informed that Pichegru was found out, he de- 
 nounced him to the army as a traitor, and sent lo 
 the directory the papers containing the proofs of 
 it, which he had kept concealed in his possession 
 for some months, and allowed Pichegru to be 
 chosen chief of the legislative body ; although he 
 knew that he was plotting the destruction of the 
 republic. Moreau was accused this time, and 
 with justice, of double treachery. ' Thou hast 
 first,' it was said, ' betrayed thy country, by con- 
 cealing the treason of Pichegru, and afterwards 
 thou hast uselessly betrayed thy friend, by dis- 
 closing what thou oughtest to have made known 
 before ; but which, when concealed by thee until 
 it was discovered by other means, ought to have 
 ever remained a secret in thy breast.' Moreau 
 never recovered the esteem of the public again." 
 
 I mentioned the retreat of Moreau, and asked 
 if he had not displayed great military talents in 
 it ? " That retreat," replied the emperor, " instead 
 of being what you say, was the greatest blunder 
 that ever Moreau committed. If he had, instead 
 of retreating, made a ddtour, and marched in the 
 rear of Prince Charles (I think he said), he would 
 have destroyed or taken the Austrian army. 
 The directory were jealous of me, and wanted to 
 divide, if possible, the military reputation ; and as 
 they could not give credit to Moreau for a victory,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 41 
 
 they did for a retreat, which they caused to be 
 extolled in the highest terms ; although even the 
 Austrian generals condemned Moreau for having 
 done it. You may probably hereafter," continued 
 Napoleon, "have an opportunity of hearing the 
 opinion of French generals on the subject, who 
 were present, and you will find it consonant to 
 mine. Instead of credit, Moreau merited the 
 greatest censure and disgrace for it. As a general, 
 Pichegni had much more talent than Moreau." 
 
 " Moreau ridiculed the idea of the formation of 
 the legion of honour. When he heard from some 
 one that it was also intended to be given to those 
 who had distinguished themselves in science, and 
 not to be confined to feats of arms alone, he re- 
 plied, ' Well, then, I shall apply for my cook to 
 be made a commander of the order, as his talents 
 are most superior in the science of cookery.' " 
 
 In reply to some arguments which I offered to 
 convince him that * * * and the English * * * 
 * * were ignorant of that part of Pichegru's plot 
 which embraced assassination, Napoleon replied, 
 " I do not suppose that **** or any other of the 
 English ***** actually said to Georges or Pi- 
 chegru, ' you must kill the first consul ;' but they 
 well knew that such formed the chief and indeed 
 the only hope of success ; and yet they, knowing 
 this, furnished them with money, and provided 
 ships to land them in France, which, to all intents 
 
 VOL. ii. G
 
 42 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and purposes, rendered them accomplices ; and if 
 ** * had been tried by an English jury, he would 
 have been condemned as such. Lord * * * * took 
 great pains to persuade the foreign courts that 
 they were ignorant of the project of assassination, 
 and wrote several letters, in which he acknow- 
 ledged that the English had landed men for the 
 purpose of overturning the French government ; 
 but denied the other. However, he made a very 
 lame business of it, and none of the continental 
 governments gave any credit to his assertions. It 
 was naturally condemned as, on the ground of 
 retaliation, none of the sovereigns or rulers were 
 safe. It was at the time that I had it in contem- 
 plation to effect a descent in England. Your *** 
 did not want to get rid of ( Napoleon Bonaparte,' 
 but of * the first consul.' Fox had some conver- 
 sations with me on the subject of the 3rd Nivose. 
 He too, like you, denied that the * * * were privy 
 to the scheme of assassination, but faintly, after 
 hearing what I had to say, and condemned the 
 whole transaction. Indeed his own measures 
 were quite opposed to it. The conduct of the 
 Emperor of Germany also formed a striking con- 
 trast. When I had possession of his capital, he, 
 through religious motives, positively and with sin- 
 cerity prohibited any attempt of the kind, which 
 might have been executed daily, as I often walked 
 about without suspicion."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 43 
 
 During this interview, I mentioned that Berna- 
 dotte had been strongly suspected of being luke- 
 warm in the cause of the allies, if not of playing a 
 double part ; that he was called Charles Jean 
 Charlatan, and supposed to be likely to join him 
 if any reverse happened to the allies. Napoleon 
 replied, " Probably they called him Charlatan, 
 because he is a Gascon, a little inclined to boast- 
 ing. As to joining me, if I had been successful, 
 he would have done no more than all the rest. 
 The Saxons, Wirtemburghers, Bavarians, and all 
 those who abandoned me when I was unfortu- 
 nate, would have joined me again if I had been 
 successful. After Dresden, the Emperor of Aus- 
 tria went upon his knees to me,* called me his 
 dear son, and begged for the sake of his very dear, 
 dear daughter, to whom I was married, not to ruin 
 him altogether, but to be reconciled to him. Had 
 it not been for the desertion of the Saxons with 
 their artillery, I should have gained a victory at 
 Leipsic, and the allies would have been far differ- 
 ently situated." 
 
 \6th. Napoleon in his bed-room, complained 
 
 * This is a rigid translation of the words used by Napoleon., and 
 were not intended to be understood, as must be evident, in their li- 
 teral sense, but merely as a forcible manner of making me compre- 
 hend the earnestness with which the Emperor of Austria made the 
 application. Napoleon frequently used the same expression in simi- 
 lar instances.
 
 44 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of headach, and had his feet immersed in a pail of 
 hot water. At first he was rather melancholy, 
 but subsequently became tolerably lively and com- 
 municative. He spoke about Egypt, and asked 
 many questions ; amongst others, whether a 
 three-decker could enter the harbour of Alexan- 
 dria without having been lightened ? I replied,, 
 that I thought it might, or if not, that it might 
 be very easily lightened.* Napoleon observed, 
 that he had sent an officer named Julien, from 
 Cairo, with peremptory orders to Brueys to enter 
 the harbour of Alexandria, but that unfortunately 
 he was killed by the Arabs on the way. " I 
 called," continued he, " a fort which I built at 
 Rosetta after him." He asked me if I knew 
 that fort, to which I replied in the affirmative. 
 " It was surprising," continued be, " how Brueys 
 could have thought of engaging at anchor with- 
 out having first fortified the island with twenty 
 or thirty pieces of cannon, and having brought 
 out a Venetian sixty-four, and some frigates which 
 he had in the port of Alexandria. In a conversa- 
 tion which I had with Brueys some weeks before, 
 on board of the Orient, he himself demonstrated 
 to me that a fleet ought never to engage at anchor, 
 at least that a fleet which did so, must always be 
 
 * When at Alexandria, I saw the Tigre and Canopus enter the 
 harbour. They were 80-gun ships of the largest class, and drew as 
 much water as a three-decker.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 45 
 
 beaten on account of the facility which the attack- 
 ing ships would have of taking up their position ; 
 and that an order (whether from Brueys, or not, 
 I did not understand) actually existed prohibit- 
 ing it. Notwithstanding which, Brueys himself 
 adopted it afterwards. " Brueys," continued he, 
 * always believed, that if Nelson attacked him, it 
 would be made on his right, thinking his left inex- 
 pugnable on account of the island, and had pre- 
 pared matters accordingly. I endeavoured to 
 convince him that a ship or two of his left might 
 be taken by a superior force, and an opening af- 
 forded thereby for the enemy's fleet to enter." 
 
 I observed, that if Brueys had anchored head 
 and stern, he might have gone in much closer to 
 the shore, as he would not have been obliged to 
 make an allowance for the ships to swing, and 
 consequently no space would have been left for 
 Nelson to pass between the French fleet and the 
 land. Napoleon appeared to coincide in this opi- 
 nion, and said that he would ask the opinion of 
 the admiral on the subject. He added, that prior 
 to the departure of Julien, orders had been sent to 
 Brueys, that he should not quit the coast of 
 Egypt until after he had ascertained the physical 
 impossibility of the fleet's being able to enter the 
 harbour of Alexandria. If possible, lie was or- 
 dered to carry it into execution ; if not, to proceed 
 to Corfu with his fleet. " Now, Brueys," conti-
 
 46 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA, 
 
 nued he, " not having ascertained the fact, as on 
 the contrary, Barre asserted that it was practica- 
 ble, of which I was also myself convinced, did not 
 think himself authorized to go away, and at the 
 same time was afraid to enter the harbour even if 
 possible, thinking it hazardous without having 
 been first assured that we were in full possession 
 of the country. He was ignorant of my success 
 at Cairo until twenty-four hours before he was at- 
 tacked by Nelson. In this manner he remained in 
 balance, and neglected to secure himself. More- 
 over, he never expected that Nelson would have 
 attacked him with an inferior force. If he had 
 brought out his frigates, and well fortified the 
 island, Nelson would either never have attacked 
 him, or would have been beaten if he had. It was 
 with great difficulty that I made Brueys depart 
 from Toulon. After sailing, he wanted to send four 
 ships to attack Nelson, who was lying with three 
 dismasted vessels at ***, but I would not allow it, 
 as the success of the enterprize was of too much im- 
 portance to allow the capture of two or three ships 
 to be put into competition with it. Brueys after- 
 wards wished to separate the fleet, which I would 
 not permit. Brueys was a man of unquestionable 
 talent ; but he wanted that decisive resolution 
 that enables a man to seize an opportunity pre- 
 sented by the moment ; which I conceive to be 
 the most essential quality in a general, or admiral.
 
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 47 
 
 Probably from want of experience, he had not that 
 confidence in his own ability and the propriety of 
 his plans, which rarely any thing- else can impart. 
 Unless nature forms a man of so peculiar a stamp 
 as to be enabled to see and decide instantaneously, 
 nothing 1 but experience can give it. I, myself, 
 commanded an army at twenty-two years of age, 
 but nature made me different from most others. 
 If Nelson had met Brueys' fleet in going to 
 Egypt, I know not what might have happened, as 
 I had placed three hundred and fifty, or four hun- 
 dred veterans in each line-of-battle ship, who were 
 trained to the guns twice a-day, and had given 
 orders that each ship should engage one of yours. 
 Your vessels were small, arid I believe not well- 
 manned, and I gave this order to prevent your ob- 
 taining any advantages by your superior skill in 
 manoeuvring." 
 
 Here some discussion took place upon the com- 
 parative merit of the English and French seamen. 
 I urged, that English sailors fought with more 
 confidence ; that if any accidents happened to the 
 ships in action, they would remedy them much 
 sooner, and would fight longer than the French 
 seamen. Napoleon said, he agreed in every thing 
 but the last. " Signor Dottore" said he, " il 
 mar mar o Francese e bravo quanta llnglese. The 
 French soldiers had a great contempt for the 
 English troops at the. beginning of the war, caused,
 
 48 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 perhaps, by the failure of the expeditions under 
 the Duke of York, the great want of alertness, 
 &c. in the English advanced posts, and the mis- 
 fortunes which befel your armies. In this they 
 were fools, as the English were well known to be 
 a brave nation. It was probably by a similar 
 error that Regnier was beaten by General Stuart ; 
 as the French imagined that you would run away 
 and be driven into the sea. Regnier was a man 
 of talent, but more fit to give counsel to an army 
 of twenty or thirty thousand men, than to com- 
 mand one of five or six. Your troops, on that 
 day, were nearly all English, and Regnier's were 
 chiefly Poles. It is difficult to conceive how little 
 the French soldiers thought of yours, until they 
 were taught the contrary. Of your seamen, they 
 always spoke in terms of respect, although they 
 would only allow that they were more expert and 
 quick, and not more brave than their own." 
 
 " When," continued Nopoleon, " I was at Tilsit, 
 with the Emperor Alexander and the King of 
 Prussia, / was the most ignorant of the three in 
 military affairs. These two sovereigns, especially 
 the King of Prussia, were completely au fait, as 
 to the number of buttons there ought to be in front 
 of a jacket, how many behind, and the manner in 
 which the skirts ought to be cut. Not a tailor in 
 the army knew better than King Frederick, how 
 many measures of cloth it took to make a jacket.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 49 
 
 In fact," continued he, laughing, " I was nobody 
 in comparison with them. They continually tor- 
 mented me with questions about matters belong- 
 ing to tailors, of which I was entirely ignorant, 
 although, in order not to affront them, I answered 
 just as gravely as if the fate of an army depended 
 upon the cut of a jacket. When I went to see 
 the King of Prussia, instead of a library, I found 
 he had a large room, like an arsenal, 'furnished 
 with shelves and pegs, in which were placed 
 fifty or sixty jackets of various modes. Every 
 day he changed his fashion, and put on. a diffe- 
 rent one. He was a tall, dry looking fellow, and 
 would give a good idea of Don Quixote. He at- 
 tached more importance to the cut of a dragoon 
 or a hussar uniform, than was necessary for the 
 salvation of a kingdom. At Jena, his army per- 
 formed the finest and most shewy manoeuvres pos- 
 sible, but I soon put a stop to their coglionerie, 
 and taught them, that to fight, and to execute 
 dazzling manoeuvres and wear splendid uniforms, 
 were very different affairs. If," added he, " the 
 French army had been commanded by a tailor, 
 the King of Prussia would certainly have gained 
 the day, from his superior knowledge in that art; 
 but as victories depend more upon the skill of the 
 general commanding the troops, than upon that 
 of the tailor who makes their jackets, he conse- 
 quently failed." 
 
 VOL. II. H
 
 50 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 The emperor then observed, that we allowed 
 too much baggage, and too many women to ac- 
 company our armies. " Women, when they are 
 bad," said he, " are worse than men, and more 
 ready to commit crimes. The soft sex, when de- 
 graded, falls lower than the other. Women are 
 always much better, or much worse than men. 
 Witness the tricoteuses de Paris, during the revo- 
 lution. When I commanded at the Col de Tende, 
 a most mountainous and difficult country, to enter 
 which the army was obliged to pass over a nar- 
 row bridge, I had given directions that no wo- 
 men should be allowed to accompany it, as the 
 service was a most difficult one, and required the 
 troops to be continually on the alert. To inforce 
 this order, I placed two captains on the bridge, 
 with instructions, on pain of death, not to permit 
 a woman to pass. I went to the bridge myself, 
 to see that my orders were complied with, where 
 I found a crowd of women assembled. As soon 
 as they perceived me, they began to revile me, 
 bawling out, ' Oh, then, petit caporal, it is you 
 who have given orders not to let us pass.' I was 
 then called petit caporal by the army. Some 
 miles further on, I was astonished to see a consi- 
 derable number of women with the troops. I 
 immediately ordered the two captains to be put in 
 iirrest, and brought before me, intending to have 
 them tried immediately. They protested their
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 01 
 
 innocence, and asserted, that no woman had 
 crossed the bridge. I caused some of those dames 
 to be brought, when, to my astonishment, by their 
 own confession, I found that they had thrown 
 the provisions that had been provided for the 
 support of the army out of some of the casks, 
 concealed themselves in them, and passed over 
 unperceived." 
 
 Napoleon observed, that he did not esteem the 
 English cavalry to be by any means equal to the 
 infantry. The men, by some fault, were not able 
 to stop the horses, and were liable to be cut to 
 pieces, if, in the act of charging, it became neces- 
 sary to halt and retreat. That the horses were 
 accustomed to be fed too luxuriously, kept too 
 warm, and from what he had learned, greatly ne- 
 glected by the riders. 
 
 I offered some explanations about the quantity 
 of baggage allowed by Lord Wellington ; which I 
 said did not exceed a small portmanteau for each 
 officer ; that only five women to a hundred men 
 were allowed to embark for foreign service,- and 
 that new regulations had been adopted to prevent 
 the horses of the cavalry from being kept too 
 warm, or too highly pampered. Napoleon re- 
 plied, that he had been informed by French offi- 
 cers, that the baggage of one English officer in 
 France, or in Belgium, was greater than that of 
 ten French.
 
 52 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 18th. Major- Fehrzen came to Longwood. 
 Being asked why he did not call upon the Ber 
 trands occasionally, he replied, that the governor 
 had signified his desire, that no communication, 
 beyond that of a common salutation, should take 
 place between the officers of the 53rd regiment and 
 the persons detained in St. Helena. He admitted 
 that the dark and mysterious conduct pursued 
 towards the French was of a nature likely to ex- 
 cite suspicion, but assured them, that in the 53rd 
 regiment there were no assassins to be found. 
 
 22nd. Napoleon in his bath, and suffering from 
 headach. Had some conversation about Mont- 
 chenu, who, he said, would perfectly agree with 
 the idea which the English had formerly held of 
 the French, viz. that they were a nation of dancing- 
 masters ; in which opinion they must have been 
 strengthened during the revolution, by seeing ar- 
 rive amongst them a set of vain triflers, who had 
 been expelled their own country for their arro- 
 gance and tyranny. " This idea," added Napo- 
 leon, " was impressed so strongly upon the minds 
 of the English, that w r hen I sent Duroc as ambas- 
 sador to Petersburg, Lord St. Helens, the English 
 envoy there, being curious to see what he was like, 
 took an opportunity of observing him closely on 
 his entrance into that capital ; and on being after- 
 wards asked his opinion of him, replied, ' Ma foi, 
 au moins il iia pas Vair danseur; expressing there-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 53 
 
 by that Duroc was the only Frenchman he had 
 seen who had not the appearance of a dancing- 
 master ; which I can readily believe, as probably 
 until that time he had seen no other Frenchmen 
 than imbecilles like Montchenu, with whom Eng- 
 land was over run. ^raiment cest tropfort, d'en- 
 voyer une telle bete id, to a settlement of a rival 
 nation, in order to render his own an object of 
 contempt, and confirm the English in their old 
 prejudices. Does not Montchenu," said he, " an- 
 swer the idea you formerly entertained of the 
 French nation ?" 
 
 After leaving the bath, Napoleon spoke about 
 Russia, and said, that the European nations would 
 yet find that he had adopted the best possible 
 policy at the time he had intended to re-establish 
 the kingdom of Poland, which would be the only 
 effectual means of stopping the increasing power 
 of Russia. It was putting a barrier, a dyke to 
 that formidable empire, which it was likely would 
 yet overwhelm Europe. " I do not think," said he, 
 " that I shall live to see it, but you may. You 
 are in the flower of your age, and may expect to 
 live thirty-five years longer. I think that you will 
 see that the Russians will either invade and take 
 India, or enter Europe with four hundred thou- 
 sand Cossacs and other inhabitants of the deserts, 
 and two hundred thousand real Russians. When 
 Paul was so violent against you, he sent to me for
 
 54 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 a plan to invade India. I sent him one, with in- 
 structions in detail." (Here Napoleon shewed 
 me on a map the routes, and the different points 
 from whence the army was to have proceeded.) 
 " From a port in the Caspian Sea he was to have 
 marched on to India. Russia," continued he, 
 " must either fall or aggrandize herself, and it is 
 natural to suppose that the latter will take place. 
 By invading other countries, Russia has three 
 points to gain, an increase of civilization and 
 polish, by rubbing against other powers,* the ac- 
 quisition of money, and the rendering friends to 
 herself the inhabitants of the deserts, with whom 
 some years back she was at war. The Cossacs, 
 Calmucks, and other barbarians, who have ac- 
 companied the Russians into France, and other 
 parts of Europe, having once acquired a taste for 
 the luxuries of the south, will carry back to their 
 deserts the remembrance of places where they 
 had such fine women, fine living, and not only 
 will not themselves be able to endure their own 
 barbarous and sterile regions, but will communi- 
 cate to their neighbours a desire to conquer these 
 delicious countries. In all human probability, 
 Alexander will be obliged either to take India 
 from you, in order to gain riches and provide em- 
 ployment for them, and thereby prevent a revo- 
 lution in Russia ; or he will make an irruption 
 
 * The literal English of his words.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 55 
 
 into Europe, at the head of some hundred thou- 
 sand of those barbarians on horseback, and two 
 hundred thousand infantry, and carry every thing 
 before him. What I say to you is confirmed 
 by the history of all ages, during which it has 
 been invariably observed, that whenever those 
 barbarians had once got a taste of the south of 
 Europe, they always returned to attempt new 
 conquests and ravages, and have finally succeeded 
 in making themselves masters of the country. It 
 is natural to man to desire to better his condition ; 
 and those canaille, when they contrast their own 
 deserts with the fine provinces they have left, will 
 always have an itching after the latter, well know- 
 ing also, that no nation will retaliate, or attempt 
 to take their deserts from them. Those canaille? 
 continued he, " possess all the requisites for con- 
 quest. They are brave, active, patient of fatigue 
 and bad living, poor, and desirous of enriching 
 themselves. I think, however, that all depends 
 upon Poland. If Alexander succeeds in incorpo- 
 rating Poland with Russia, that is to say, in per- 
 fectly reconciling the Poles to the Russian govern- 
 ment, and not merely subduing the country, he has 
 gained the greatest step towards subduing India. 
 My opinion is, that he will attempt either the one 
 or the other of the projects I have mentioned, and 
 I think the last to be the most probable." 
 
 I observed that the distance was great, and that
 
 56 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the Russians had not the money necessary for such 
 a grand undertaking. " The distance is nothing," 
 replied the emperor ; " supplies can be easily car- 
 ried upon camels, and the Cossacs will always in- 
 sure a sufficiency of them. Money they will find 
 when they arrive there. The hope of conquest 
 would immediately unite armies of Cossacs and 
 Calmucks without expense. Hold out to them the 
 plunder of some rich cities as a lure, and thou- 
 sands would flock to their banners. Europe," con- 
 tinued he, " and England in particular, ought to 
 have prevented the union of Poland with Russia." 
 
 "A great object for England," added Napoleon, 
 " ought to be to keep Belgium always separate 
 from France ; as France having Belgium, might be 
 said, in case of a war with England, to have pos- 
 session of Hamburgh, &c. It would, however, 
 have been better for England that Austria had it, 
 than that it should be possessed by Holland, be- 
 cause Austria is stronger ; and when France arises 
 from her present state of nothingness, Holland 
 being too weak to stand alone, will always be at 
 her feet." 
 
 " If I had succeeded in my expedition to Rus- 
 sia," added he, " I would have obliged Alexander 
 to accede to the continental system against Eng- 
 land, and thereby have compelled the latter to 
 make peace. I would also have formed Poland 
 into a separate and independent kingdom." I
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. f>7 
 
 asked what kind of a peace he would have given 
 to us. " A very good one," replied Napoleon. 
 " I would only have insisted upon your disconti- 
 nuing your vexations at sea." I asked if he would 
 have left us Malta ; to which he replied in the af- 
 firmative, adding, that he was tired of war, and 
 was as well adapted for the former as the latter ; 
 that he would have employed himself in the im- 
 proving and adorning of France, in the education 
 of his son, and in writing his history. " At least,' 
 said he, " the allied powers cannot take from me 
 hereafter the great public works which I have ex- 
 ecuted, the roads which I made over the Alps, and 
 the seas which I have united. They cannot place 
 their feet to improve where mine have not been 
 before. They cannot take from me the code of 
 laws which I formed, and which will go down to 
 the latest posterity. Thank God, of these they 
 cannot deprive me." 
 
 I said that I had been seeking for the number 
 of ships which had been seized by the English 
 prior to the proclamation issued by him for the 
 detention of the English in France, and could 
 only discover that two chasse marees had been 
 taken in Quiberon Bay. " Two chasse marees ''* 
 said Napoleon, " why there was property to the 
 amount of seventy millions, and I suppose above 
 two hundred ships detained, before I issued the 
 proclamation. But it is what England has al- 
 
 VOL. II. I
 
 58 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ways done. In the war of 1773, you did the 
 same, and you gave as a reason, that you had al- 
 ways done so. The great cause of dispute be- 
 tween you and us was, that I would not allow 
 you to do what you liked at sea ; or at least, if so, 
 that I would act as it pleased me by land. In short, 
 I did not wish to receive laws from you, but ra- 
 ther to give them. Perhaps in this I pushed mat- 
 ters too far. Man is liable to err. When you 
 blockaded France, I blockaded England; and it 
 was not a paper blockade, as I obliged you to 
 send your merchandize round by the Baltic, and 
 occupy a little island in the North Sea, in order 
 to smuggle. You said that you would shut me 
 out from the seas, and I said that I would shut 
 you out from the land. You succeeded ; but 
 had it not been for accidents, you would not. 
 Your country is nothing the better for it, through 
 the imbecility of your ministers, who have aggran 
 dized Russia instead of their native country." 
 
 I asked Napoleon again, as I was anxious to 
 put the matter beyond a doubt, whether, if Tal- 
 leyrand had delivered the Duke d'Enghein's letter 
 in time to him, he would have pardoned the wri- 
 ter ? He replied, " It is probable that I might ; 
 for in it he made an offer of his services ; besides, 
 he was the best of the family. He behaved very 
 bravely and with much dignity before the court- 
 martial, and denied nothing. It is true that I, as
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 59 
 
 well as the nation, was very desirous of making 
 an example of one of the family ; that was against 
 him ; but still I think that I would have pardoned 
 him." 
 
 I asked if he would have pardoned Pichegru ? 
 " Pichegru," said he, " had fallen into great con- 
 tempt, and was not likely to do me much mischief. 
 In remembrance of the conquest of Holland, it is 
 possible that I might, on condition of banishment 
 to America." 
 
 " If," said he, " Lord Castlereagh were to offer 
 to place me again upon the throne of France on 
 the same conditions that Louis fills it. I would 
 prefer remaining where I am. There is no man 
 more to be pitied than Louis. He is forced upon 
 the nation as king, and instead of being allowed 
 to ingratiate himself with the people, the allies 
 oblige him to have recourse to measures which 
 must increase their hatred instead of conciliating 
 their affections. Royalty is degraded by the steps 
 they have made him adopt. On la rend si sale et 
 si mfyrisable, that it reflects upon the throne of 
 England itself. In place of making him respect- 
 able, on Va convert d'ordure." 
 
 " The French nation," continued he, " would 
 never willingly consent to receive the Bourbons 
 as kings, because the allies wish it. They would 
 desire me, because the allies do not ; but putting 
 me out of the question, the French are desirous to
 
 60 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 see the throne filled by one chosen by themselves, 
 and for whom no enemies or foreign powers had 
 interfered. Ask yourselves, you Englishmen, 
 what your sentiments would be in a similar case? 
 The wish of your ministers to re-establish despotic 
 power and superstition in France, cannot be agree- 
 able to the English. A free people, unless indeed 
 a desire to humble and to injure prevails, cannot 
 wish to see another nation enslaved. Ill treated 
 as I have been, and deprived of every thing dear 
 to me," added he, " I prefer my sojourn on this 
 execrable rock, to the being seated on the throne 
 of France like Louis, as I know that posterity will 
 do me justice. Another year or two will prob- 
 ably finish my career in this world, but what 
 I have done will never perish. Twelve hundred 
 years hence my name will be mentioned with 
 respect, while those of my oppressors will be un- 
 known, or only known by being loaded with in- 
 famy and opprobrium." 
 
 " I am inclined," continued Napoleon, " to 
 doubt very much what has been said of Crom- 
 well. It has been asserted that he always wore 
 armour, and continually changed his abode, 
 through fear of assassination. Now both these 
 assertions have been made of me, and both I know 
 to be false, as were most likely those imputing the 
 same to him." 
 
 " The conduct of your government in attempting
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. Ol 
 
 to put down liberty, and enslave the English, sur- 
 prises me," continued Napoleon. " For Russia, 
 Prussia, and Austria to do so, I wonder not, as 
 they do not merit the name of liberal, or of free 
 nations. In them, the will of the sovereign was 
 always law, the slaves must obey ; but that Eng- 
 land should do so, surprises me ; unless, as I 
 said to you on a former occasion, political mo- 
 tives, jealousy, arid a wish to humble and lessen 
 those who have enriched themselves by trade, 
 prevail with your prince, and amongst your olig- 
 archy." 
 
 23rc?.* A message sent for me to attend the 
 governor at Plantation House. Found him in 
 the library with Sir Thomas Reade. His excel- 
 lency said, " that the day before yesterday some 
 newspapers of a later date than any of his own, 
 had been received by Mr. Cole the postmaster, 
 some of which were lent to me in direct violation 
 of the act of parliament, which positively prohi- 
 bited communication, verbal or written, with Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte, or any of his family, or those 
 about him, without his (the governor's) know- 
 ledge. That he therefore wished to know from 
 myself, whether I had lent those papers, or any 
 others to General Bonaparte ?" I replied that I 
 had lent those and many others at various times 
 
 * I am not positive that this conversation did not occur on the 
 22nd, as in some pages of my journal it is so dated.
 
 62 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to Napoleon, as I had been constantly in the ha- 
 bit of lending papers to him, since I had been on 
 the island. That Sir George Cockburn had in 
 more instances than one, given me newspapers to 
 take to Longwood before having perused them 
 himself. Sir Hudson Lowe replied, that it was 
 a violation of the act of parliament. I replied, 
 that I was not included in the act of parliament, 
 as I had made an express stipulation that I should 
 not be considered or treated as one of the French, 
 and would immediately resign my situation, if I 
 were required to hold it upon such terms. His ex- 
 cellency said, that " he desired me to understand, 
 that for the future I was not to lend General Bo- 
 naparte any newspaper, or be the bearer of any 
 information news or newspapers to him, with- 
 out having previously obtained his sanction." I 
 observed, that I felt it difficult how to act, for if, 
 after the arrival of a ship, Napoleon asked me if 
 there were any news ? I could not possibly pre- 
 tend ignorance. His excellency said, that " as soon 
 as a ship arrived, both Captain Poppleton and 
 myself ought to be shut up in Loiigwood, until 
 the whole of the information or news brought was 
 made known to him, and then I could obtain from 
 him whatever news was proper to be communi- 
 cated to General Bonaparte." I replied, that I 
 would not remain an hour in my situation, subject 
 to such a restriction.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 63 
 
 His excellency observed, that " some months 
 ago information of the greatest importance had 
 been communicated by me to General Bonaparte, 
 before he, (the governor,) had himself known it, 
 viz. that of the dissolution of the chamber of de- 
 puties in France ; that I had myself told him, that 
 I had informed General Bonaparte of it, and con- 
 cluded by asking, if I had communicated this in- 
 telligence verbally, or by means of a newspaper, 
 and if the paper had not been lent to me by Sir 
 Pulteney Malcolm ?" 
 
 I replied, that at such a distance of time I 
 could not recollect whether the communication 
 made by me had been verbal or by means of a 
 newspaper ; that most probably it had been both, 
 and that I did not recollect from whom I had re- 
 ceived the newspaper. His excellency said, that 
 " a person possessed as I was of a memory so ex- 
 traordinarily good, could not pretend want of re- 
 collection," and repeated the question. I answered, 
 that trifles did not remain long impressed upon 
 my memory. The governor observed it was sin- 
 gular I could not recollect that it had been lent 
 by the admiral, and in a sneering way asked, " if 
 it was not a Scotch paper?" I answered that I 
 never had seen a Scotch paper at Longwood. 
 That Sir Pulteney Malcolm often had selected two 
 or three papers of the oldest dates for me, and 
 sent the recent ones to him (Sir Hudson). His
 
 ()i A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 excellency then demanded, " if the papers lent by 
 the admiral had been for myself, or if Sir Pulteney 
 knew that they would be submitted to General Bo- 
 naparte for perusal." I replied, " for myself, and 
 I do not know whether he is aware of the use I put 
 them to or not." Sir Hudson said, that " it was 
 very extraordinary I could not tell if the admiral 
 knew of it. That by the signature of his Majesty's 
 ministers, nobody but himself had any right to 
 communicate in any manner whatever with General 
 Bonaparte." I observed that Sir George Cock burn 
 had never considered it necessary to keep back 
 newspapers from Napoleon ; that the only instruc- 
 tions he had given to me on the subject were, that 
 it would be better not to show him any thing per- 
 sonally very offensive. Much further conversa- 
 tion took place, during which the governor often 
 recurred to the Scotch paper. 
 
 24///. Found Napoleon in his bed- room, af- 
 flicted with headach. Recommended him to use 
 cold applications to his forehead and temples, 
 which he immediately put into practice with con- 
 siderable benefit. 
 
 In the course of conversation afterwards, he ob- 
 served that a great discordancy existed amongst 
 the libels which had been published at his ex- 
 pense. Some asserting that his lust had carried 
 him to the length of having an incestuous correspon- 
 dence with his sisters, &c. while others maintained
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 65 
 
 impuissance equally forcibly. " This last report," 
 continued he, " was so prevalent, that when a 
 marriage between me and a sister of the Ernperor 
 Alexander was in agitation, the empress her mo- 
 ther, said to Alexander, that she would not con- 
 sent to sacrifice her daughter, and throw her into 
 the arms of one who ne pent rien faire ; that if 
 her daughter were married to me they would be 
 obliged to act as Gustavus had done with his 
 queen, which she could not reconcile with reli- 
 gion. Do you know," added he, " that history 
 about Gustavus ?" I replied in the negative. 
 " Why, Gustave etait impuissant, and not having 
 an heir to the throne, il Jit coucher un de ses 
 chambellans avec la reine, from which sprang that 
 madman who resigned the crown a few years ago. 
 In one of his fits of madness, that imbecille since 
 confessed that the Swedes had acted with justice 
 in deposing him, as he had no right to the crown. 
 1 My dear mother,' said Alexander, ' is it possible 
 that you can believe these stories ? I assure you 
 that I should not wish you better fortune than to 
 be sufficiently young to be married to him, and 
 you would not long want an heir.' Kourakin," 
 said he, " told me this anecdote afterwards, which 
 created great mirth at Paris." 
 
 Napoleon then spoke about Madame de Stael, 
 " Madame de Stael," said he, " was a woman of 
 considerable talent and great ambition ; but so 
 
 VOL. ir. K
 
 GO A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 extremely intriguing and restless, as to give rise 
 to the observation, that she would throw her 
 friends into the sea, that at the moment of drown- 
 ing she might have an oportunity of saving them. 
 I was obliged to banish her from court. At Ge- 
 neva, she became very intimate with rny brother 
 Joseph, whom she gained by her conversation and 
 writings. When I returned from Elba, she sent 
 her son to be presented to me, on purpose to ask 
 payment of two millions which her father Neckar 
 had lent out of his private property to Louis XVI. 
 and to offer her services, provided I complied 
 with this request. As I knew what he wanted, 
 and thought that I could not grant it without ill- 
 treating others who were in a similar predicament, 
 I did not wish to see him, and gave directions 
 that he should not be introduced. However. 
 Joseph would not be denied, and brought him in 
 in spite of this order, the attendants at the door 
 not liking to refuse my brother, especially as he 
 said that he would be answerable for the conse- 
 quences. I received him very politely, heard his 
 business, and replied, that I was very sorry it wa> 
 not in my power to comply with his request, as it 
 was contrary to the laws, and would do an injus- 
 tice to many others. Madame de Stael was not 
 however contented with this. She wrote a long- 
 
 D 
 
 letter to Fouche, in which she stated her claims, 
 and that she wanted the money to portion her
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 67 
 
 daughter in marriage to the Due de Broglie, 
 promising, that if I complied with her request, I 
 might command her and hers ; that she would be 
 Mack and white for me. Fouchd communicated 
 this, and advised me strongly to comply, urging, 
 that in so critical a time, she might be of consi- 
 derable service. I answered, that I would make 
 no bargains." 
 
 " Shortly after my return from the conquest of 
 Italy," continued he, " I was accosted by Madame 
 de Stael in a large company, although at that time 
 I avoided going out much in public. She fol- 
 lowed me every where, and stuck so close that I 
 could not shake her off. At last she asked me, 
 ' who at this moment is la premiere femme du 
 monde? intending to pay a compliment to me, and 
 expecting that I would return it. I looked at 
 her, and coldly replied, ' she who has borne the 
 greatest number of children,' turned round, and 
 left her greatly confused and abashed." He con- 
 cluded by observing, ** that he could not call her 
 a wicked woman, but that she was a restless 
 intrigante, possessed of considerable talent and 
 influence." 
 
 He then conversed upon the bad state of Eng- 
 land, and said that he had made a calculation, and 
 found that it would require fifty years of an unin- 
 terrupted peace to enable England to pay off the
 
 68 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 national debt, a circumstance which had never 
 occurred, and never would. 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe at Plantation House, 
 with whom I had a conversation chiefly upon sub- 
 jects connected with the admiral. Informed him 
 that maccheroni formed an item of magnitude in 
 the expenditure of Longwood, as for the two 
 pounds of that article, which they consumed daily, 
 they were obliged to pay twenty-four shillings to 
 Mr. Solomon. His excellency observed that there 
 was plenty of it in the government store.* 
 
 Cipriani in town making the customary pur- 
 chases of provisions. 
 
 26th, Napoleon indisposed with catarrh, in- 
 flammation and tumefaction of the right cheek and 
 gums, with headach, caused probably by expo- 
 sure yesterday to the cold wind in the garden. 
 
 27th. Napoleon better. Right cheek how- 
 ever, is still tumefied. Had some conversation 
 with him about the ambassador. " If," said he, 
 " a million of francs had been given to the first, 
 mandarin, every thing would have been settled, 
 and it would not have been a reproach to the na- 
 tion ; as that embassy was not one which regarded 
 the honour of the country. It was, and ought to 
 be considered more as an affair of merchandize 
 
 * When some was sent up a few days after, it was found to have 
 been rendered unfit for use from long keeping.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. O!f 
 
 than as one immediately affecting the nation. It 
 was in fact an embassy to China from the tea-mer- 
 chants in England, and therefore advantages might 
 with great honour be purchased. Besides, when 
 you send ambassadors to those barbarians, you 
 must humour them and comply with their cus- 
 toms. They do not seek you. They never have 
 sent ambassadors in return for yours, nor asked 
 you to send any. Now great commercial advan- 
 tages may be lost to England, and perhaps a war 
 with China be the consequence. If I were an 
 Englishman, I should esteem the man who ad- 
 vised a war with China to be the greatest enemy 
 to my country in existence. You would in the 
 end be beaten, and perhaps a revolution in India 
 would follow." 
 
 " In the course of a few years," added he, 
 " Russia will have Constantinople, the greatest 
 part of Turkey, and all Greece. This I hold to 
 be as certain as if it had already taken place. Al- 
 most all the cajoling and flattering which Alexan- 
 der practised towards me was to gain my consent 
 to effect this object. I would not consent, fore- 
 seeing that the equilibrium of Europe would be 
 destroyed. In the natural course of things, in a 
 few years Turkey must fall to Russia. The 
 greatest part of her population are Greeks, who 
 you may say are Russians. The powers it would 
 injure, and who could oppose it, are England.
 
 70 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 France, Prussia, and Austria. Now as to Aus- 
 tria, it will be very easy for Russia to engage her 
 assistance by giving her Servia, and other pro- 
 vinces bordering upon the Austrian dominions, 
 reaching near to Constantinople. The only hy- 
 pothesis that France and England may ever be 
 allied with sincerity will be in order to prevent 
 this. But even this alliance would not avail. 
 France, England, and Prussia united cannot pre- 
 vent it. Russia and Austria can at any time effect 
 it. Once mistress of Constantinople, Russia gets 
 all the commerce of the Mediterranean, becomes 
 a great naval power, and God knows what may 
 happen. She quarrels with you, inarches off to 
 India an army of seventy-thousand good soldiers, 
 which to Russia is nothing, and a hundred thou- 
 sand canaille, Cossacs and others, and England 
 loses India. Above all the other powers, Russia 
 is the most to be feared, especially by you. Her 
 soldiers are braver than the Austrians, and she has 
 the means of raising as many as she pleases. In 
 bravery, the French and English soldiers are the 
 only ones to be compared to them. All this I 
 foresaw. I see into futurity farther than others, 
 and I wanted to establish a barrier against those 
 barbarians by re-establishing the kingdom of Po- 
 land, and putting Poniatowski at the head of it as 
 king ; but your imbecilles of ministers would not 
 consent. A hundred years hence, I shall be praised
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 71 
 
 (encense), and Europe, especially England, will la- 
 ment that I did not succeed. When they see the 
 finest countries in Europe overrun and a prey to 
 those northern barbarians, they will say, 'Napo- 
 leon was right.' The Russians are beginning al- 
 ready with you ; I see that they have prohibited 
 the introduction of your merchandize. England 
 is falling. Even Prussia prohibits your goods. 
 What a change for England ! Under the great 
 Chatham, you forbade the most powerful sove- 
 reign in Europe, the Emperor of Germany, to 
 navigate the Escatit, or to establish an extensive 
 commerce at Ostend ; this was barbarous and 
 unjust, but still you had the power to prevent it 
 because it was against the interests of England. 
 Now Prussia shuts her ports against you. What 
 a falling off ! In my opinion the only thing which 
 can save England will be abstaining from med- 
 dling in continental affairs, and by withdrawing 
 her army from the continent. Then you may in- 
 sist upon whatever is necessary to your interests, 
 without fear of reprisals being made upon your 
 army. You are superior in maritime force to all 
 the world united ; and while you confine yourself 
 to that arm, you will always be powerful and be 
 dreaded. You have the great advantage of de- 
 claring war when you like, and of carrying it on 
 at a distance from your home. By means of your 
 fleets you can menace an attack upon the coasts
 
 72 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of those powers who disagree with you, and inter- 
 rupt their commerce without their being able ma- 
 terially to retaliate. .By your present mode of 
 proceeding, yo'u forfeit all those advantages. Your 
 most powerful arm is given up, and you send an 
 army to the continent, where you are inferior to 
 Bavaria in that species of force. You put me in 
 mind of Francis the First, who had a formidable 
 and beautiful artillery at the battle of Pavia. But 
 he placed his cavalry before it, and thus masked 
 the battery which, could it have fired, would have 
 insured him the victory. He was beaten, lost 
 every thing, and made prisoner. So it is with 
 you. You forsake your ships, which may be 
 compared to Francis's batteries, and throw forty 
 thousand men on the continent, which Prussia, or 
 any other power who chooses to prohibit your 
 manufactures, will fall upon and cut to pieces, if 
 you menace or make reprisals. 
 
 " So silly a treaty as that made by your minis- 
 ters for their own country," continued the empe- 
 ror was never known before. You give up 
 every thing, and gain nothing. All the other 
 powers gained acquisitions of country and mil- 
 lions of souls, but you give up colonies. For ex- 
 ample, you give up the isle of Bourbon to the 
 French. A more impolitic act you could not 
 have committed. You ought to endeavour to 
 make the French forget the way to India, and all
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 7,'5 
 
 Indian policy, instead of placing them half way 
 there. Why did you give up Java ? Why Suri- 
 nam, or Martinique, or the other French colo- 
 nies ? To avoid doing so you had nothing more 
 to say than that you would retain them for the five 
 years the allied powers were to remain in France. 
 Why not demand Hamburg for Hanover. Then 
 you would have an entrep6t for your manufactures. 
 In treaties, an ambassador ought to take advantage 
 of every thing for the benefit of his own country." 
 Napoleon then said, that if I were asked any 
 questions by the ambassador about a reception at 
 Longwood, I should say, that he (Napoleon) was 
 not on good terms with the governor, and could 
 not think of receiving him with that person. That 
 If he were desirous of being introduced, he would 
 receive him presented by Count Bertrand or by 
 the admiral. "I have no doubt," added he, "that 
 this governor will tell him that I am very much 
 dissatisfied with him for doing his duty, and that 
 I am sulky. That having myself been so long 
 used to command, I have not philosophy enough 
 to bear restraint. That I have been treated very 
 well, and have made a very bad return for it. If 
 the ambassador asks you, you may say that I 
 have my own way of receiving persons who wish 
 to be introduced to me. That I do not wish to 
 affront him, far from it, but that I cannot see the 
 governor." 
 
 VOL. II. I,
 
 74 A VOICB FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 28th. A servant, named William Hall, dis- 
 missed from Longwood. After leaving 1 it, he un- 
 derwent a long- interrogation at Plantation House 
 by the governor relative to what he had seen and 
 heard during his residence at Longwood. 
 
 The Ocean, Experiment, and another ship, ar- 
 rived from England yesterday. 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe, who told me with 
 some embarrassment, that " his conduct had un- 
 dergone a parliamentary investigation, and that I 
 should see in the newspapers an account of a mo- 
 tion relative to General Bonaparte, that had been 
 made by Lord Holland in the House of Lords, 
 but that he had not as yet received any official ac- 
 count of it from Lord Bathurst. That the reports 
 of his lordship's reply, as given in the newspapers, 
 might be incorrect or unfaithful, which I had bet- 
 ter say, if General Bonaparte asked me any ques- 
 tions." 
 
 3Qtk. Napoleon sent for me to his bed-room to 
 explain several passages in the Times newspaper, 
 particularly in the speech imputed to Lord Ba- 
 thurst in reply to Lord Holland's motion for the 
 production of papers relative to him. Having 
 read those parts, which stated that every change 
 which had taken place in the situation of the 
 complainant had been for his own benefit ; that the 
 reason for lessening his limits had been his tam- 
 pering with soldiers or inhabitants ; that he had
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 75 
 
 only received one letter ; that the communication 
 with officers and inhabitants was unrestricted and 
 free; that people had gone to Long-wood in dis- 
 guise, &c. &c. " Je suls Men aise? said Napoleon, 
 "de voir que le ministre Anglais ajustifie sa conduit e 
 atroce envers moi au parlement, d sa nation et a 
 r Europe avec des mensonges; triste ressource, qui ne 
 dure pas long temps.. II regno di bugie non dureri 
 per sempre,"* continued he. I felt greatly ashamed, 
 and ready to sink into the earth, and stammered 
 out the excuse that had been suggested to me by 
 Sir Hudson Lowe. " It is even worse," said he, 
 " in the Morning Chronicle. In the Times, it ap- 
 peared as if prepared for publication in a ministe- 
 rial office ; but in the Chronicle, it looks as if 
 coining from his own mouth. I have ordered 
 Bertrand," added he, " to make a faithful transla- 
 tion of it, and to consult you about any phrase or 
 delicacy of language ; of the sense of which he may 
 be doubtful. Lord Bathurst," continued he, "has 
 shewn great indelicacy in having shewn or told 
 to Montchenu in London, the contents of a let- 
 ter written by Gourgaud to his mother, which the 
 old blockhead repeated to all the world here. He 
 asserts that I only received one letter, that from 
 my brother Joseph, which is false. He ought to 
 act like a confessor, to hear every thing, and 
 
 * The reign of lies will not last for ever.
 
 76 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 divulge nothing ; but it is of a piece with the rest 
 of his outrageous conduct. He wants to debase 
 and to lower me. There are some of his pleasan- 
 tries that I do not well comprehend. I shall, 
 however, soon be able to give him a proper an- 
 swer. If the governor questions you, tell him 
 what I have said." 
 
 Napoleon then observed it was strange that a 
 sovereign, who by the Grace of God, was born 
 lord and master of so many millions, could not 
 receive a sealed letter. " How," said he, " can 
 complaints be made to the sovereign of a corrupt 
 or vile minister if such be the rule. In time of 
 war, if a minister betrays and sells his country, 
 how can it be known to the king, if the complaint 
 must go through the hands of the persons com- 
 plained of? At whose option it will be either to 
 varnish and colour it over as best suits his views, 
 or suppress it altogether." 
 
 " Santini," continued he, " has published a 
 brochure full of trash. There are some truths in 
 it, but every thing is exaggerated. There was al- 
 ways enough to exist upon, but not enough for a 
 good table." 
 
 31st. Gave Napoleon a translation I had made 
 by his desire, of a letter which appeared in 
 the Courier newspaper. After reading it, he ex- 
 pressed his opinion that it had been written by
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 77 
 
 the governor himself, and that the seeming incor- 
 rectness of one part was only to mask the real 
 author. 
 
 He then spoke at length about the state of 
 England, observed, that it was necessary not to 
 yield too much to the people, or to allow them to 
 think that it was conceded through fear. That 
 perhaps the suspension of the habeas corpus act 
 might, for a short time, be a proper step, as well 
 as an army kept up to intimidate the canaille. 
 " But," said he, " I consider these to be only topi- 
 cal applications, which if used without general re- 
 medies, that should act upon the constitutional 
 disease, might prove repellent and dangerous, by 
 driving the complaint to nobler parts. England 
 may be likened unto a patient requiring to have 
 his system changed by a course of mercury. The 
 only radical remedy is that which will affect the 
 constitution, that is to say, relieve the misery 
 which exists. This can only be effected by pro- 
 curing a vent for your manufactures, and by reduc- 
 tion of expenditure, ministers setting the example 
 themselves, by giving up the sinecures, &c. This 
 would contribute essentially to calm the public 
 agitation. Had the ministers come forward like 
 men, at the opening of the session of parliament, and 
 thrown up their sinecures, this, with the example 
 set by the Prince Regent, would have quieted all 
 tumults and complaints. The people, in expecta-
 
 78 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tion of experiencing something radically beneficial 
 from so good a beginning, would have united, and 
 time would have been gained to adopt measures 
 to relieve the general distress. An exclusive com- 
 mercial treaty for twenty years with the Brazils 
 and Spanish South America might still be de- 
 manded with success. Or assist the colonies in 
 rendering themselves independent, and you will 
 have all their commerce. A war with Spain, if 
 she refused to agree to your demands, would divert 
 the attention of the public, employ soldiers and 
 sailors, and a great portion of manufacturers. 
 All your miseries I maintain to be owing to 
 the imbecility and ignorance of Lord Castle- 
 reagh, and his inattention to the real prosperity 
 of his own country. Had Lords Grenville or 
 Wellesley been ambassadors, I am convinced that 
 the interests of England would have been con- 
 sulted. What would those Englishmen, who 
 lived one hundred years ago, say, if they could 
 rise from their graves, be informed of your glo- 
 rious successes, cast their eyes upon England, 
 witness her distress, and be informed, that in the 
 treaty of peace not a single article for the benefit 
 of England had been stipulated ! that, on the con- 
 trary, you had given up conquests and commer- 
 cial rights necessary to your existence. \Vhi'ii 
 Austria gained ten millions of inhabitants, Hu^hi 
 eight. Prussia ten, Holland. JJavaria, Sardinia,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 79 
 
 and every other power, obtained an increase of 
 territory, why not England ? who was the main 
 organ of all the success. Instead of establishing 
 a number of independent maritime states, such as 
 Hamburg, Stralsund, Dantzic, Genoa, to serve 
 as entrepdts for your manufactures, with condi- 
 tions, either secret or otherwise, favourable to 
 your commerce, you have basely given up Genoa 
 to the King of Sardinia, and united Belgium to 
 Holland. You have rendered yourselves hated 
 by the Italians and Belgians, and have done ir- 
 reparable injury to your trade. For, although 
 it is a great point for you, that Belgium should be 
 separated from France, it is a serious disadvan- 
 tage to you that she should be united to Hol- 
 land. Holland has no manufactories, and conse- 
 quently would have become a depot for yours, 
 from whence a prodigious influx would be kept 
 up in the continent. Now, however, that Bel- 
 gium has been made a part of Holland ; this last 
 will naturally prefer taking the manufactures of 
 her own subjects to those of a stranger, and all 
 Belgium may be called a manufacturing town. In- 
 dependent of this, in case of any future war with 
 France, Holland must join the latter through fear 
 of losing the provinces of Belgium. People al- 
 ways consider the danger that is most imminent. 
 They will reason thus : ' If we declare against 
 France, we lose, directly, Belgium and our manu-
 
 80 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lactures ; if against England, what can she do ? 
 Blockade our ports, and effect disembarkations. 
 We shall still have the commerce of the continent, 
 and shall have time enough to prepare ourselves. 
 We must, therefore, declare for France/ It would 
 have been much better that you should have given 
 it to Austria, or why not have made it an indepen- 
 dent country, and placed an English prince as so- 
 vereign? Now let us see the state you are actually 
 in. You are nearly as effectually shut out from the 
 continent, as when I reigned and promulgated the 
 continental system. I ask you what peace dic- 
 tated by me, supposing that I had been victorious, 
 could have been worse in its effects for England, 
 than the one made by Lord Castlereagh, when 
 she was triumphant. The hatred which your 
 ministers bear to me, has precipitated them into 
 an abyss. You recollect I told you some time 
 ago, that I thought it bad policy to leave the 
 English troops in France, and make Lord Wel- 
 lington commander-in-chief. You now see the 
 effect of it. Prussia denies entrance to your mer- 
 chandize. What can you do ? You can neither 
 attempt to intimidate, nor proceed to extremities, 
 as Prussia could fall upon Lord Wellington and 
 his forty thousand men. While you retain your 
 troops on the continent, you will never be inde- 
 pendent. Had you, after the grand blow was 
 given, when I was disposed of, withdrawn your
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 81 
 
 troops from the continent, you would have been 
 independent ; you would not have drawn down 
 the hatred and jealousy of the continental powers, 
 especially at seeing Lord Wellington commander- 
 in-chief, and they never would have dared to shut 
 their ports against you. You could then have 
 sent your ships, blockaded their ports, and have 
 declared, c if you do not permit my merchandize 
 to enter, no other shall either go in or come out.' 
 They would soon have listened to reason. Now, 
 your hands are tied ; your meddling in continental 
 affairs, and trying to make yourselves a great 
 military power, instead of attending to the sea 
 and commerce, will yet be your ruin as a nation. 
 You were greatly offended with me for having 
 called you a nation of shopkeepers. Had I meant 
 by this that you were a nation of cowards, you 
 would have had reason to be displeased ; even 
 though it were ridiculous and contrary to histori- 
 cal facts ; but no such thing was ever intended. 
 I meant that you were a nation of merchants, and 
 that all your great riches, and your grand re- 
 sources arose from commerce, which is true. 
 What else constitutes the riches of England ? It 
 is not extent of territory, or a numerous popula- 
 tion. It is not mines of gold, silver, or diamonds. 
 Moreover no man of sense ought to be ashamed 
 of being called a shopkeeper. But your prince 
 and your ministers appear to wish to change al- 
 VOL. u. w
 
 82 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 together I' esprit of the English, and to render you 
 another nation ; to make you ashamed of your 
 shops and your trade whieh have made you what 
 you are, and to sigh after nobility, titles, and 
 crosses; in fact to assimilate you with the French. 
 What other object can there be in all those cor- 
 dons, crosses, and honours, which are so profusely 
 shbwered. You are all nobility now, instead of 
 the plain old Englishmen. You are ashamed of 
 yourselves, and want to be a nation of nobility and 
 gentlemen* Nothing i's to be seen or heard of 
 how in England, but ' Sir John,' and ' my lady.' 
 All those things did very well with me in France, 
 because they were conformable to the spirit of the 
 nation ; but believe me it is contrary both to the 
 spirit and the interest of England. Stick to your 
 ships, your commerce, and counting-houses, and 
 leave cordons, crosses, and cavalry uniforms to 
 the coritinent, and you will prosper. L6rd Castle- 
 reagh himself was ashamed of your being called 
 a nation of merchants, and frequently said in 
 France, that it was a mistaken idea to suppose 
 that England depended upon commerce, Or was 
 indebted to it for her riches ; and added that it 
 was not by any means necessary to her. How I 
 laughed when I heard of this false pride. He be- 
 trayed his country at the peace. I do not mean 
 
 
 * This he said in English, as well as the words marked with com- 
 mas, which follow.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 83 
 
 to say," continued he, laying his hand over his 
 heart, " that he did it from here, but he betrayed 
 it by neglecting its interests. He was in fact the 
 commis of the allied sovereigns. Perhaps he wanted 
 to convince them that you were not a nation of 
 merchants, by shewing clearly that you would 
 not make any advantageous bargain for your- 
 selves by magnanimously giving up every thing-, 
 that nations might cry, ' Oh ! how nobly England 
 has behaved !' Had he attended to the interests 
 of his own country, had he stipulated for commer- 
 cial treaties, for the independence of some mari- 
 time states and towns, for certain advantages to 
 be secured to England, to indemnify her for the 
 waste of blood, and the enormous sacrifices she 
 had made, why then they might have said, i What 
 a mercenary people, they are truly a nation of 
 merchants ; see what bargains they want to make ; 
 and Lord Castlereagh would not have been so 
 well received in the drawing-rooms /" 
 
 " Talent he may have displayed in some in- 
 stances," continued the emperor, " and great per- 
 tinacity in accomplishing my downfal ; but as to 
 knowledge of, or attention to, the interests of his 
 own country, he has manifested neither the one 
 nor the other. Probably for a thousand years, 
 such another opportunity of aggrandizing Eng- 
 land will not occur. In the position of affairs, 
 nothing could have been refused to you. But
 
 84 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 now after such romantic and unparalleled suc- 
 cesses ; after -having been favoured by God and by 
 accidents, in the manner you have been ; after ef- 
 fecting impossibilities, I may say effecting what 
 the most sanguine mind could never have enter- 
 tained the most distant idea of, what has England 
 gained ? the cordons of the allied sovereigns for 
 Lord Castlereagh !" 
 
 " When," continued Napoleon,* " a nation has 
 been favoured so much as yours has been, and 
 that misery exists in that nation, it must be owing 
 to the imbecility of the ministers. The transition 
 from war to peace cannot explain it. It is of too 
 long a continuance. Had I been the English mi- 
 nister, or had the minister been possessed of com- 
 mon sense, and not blinded by vanity, or one who 
 would not have allowed himself to be duped by 
 the attentions of kings and emperors ; you would 
 have been rich, the seas covered with your ships, 
 and your manufacturers would have been wealthy 
 and flourishing. Lord Castlereagh will be an 
 object of reprehension for the nation and for pos- 
 terity." 
 
 I told Napoleon that in one of the Couriers 
 sent him by the governor, I had observed a speech 
 attributed to Sir Francis Burdett, accusing him 
 of having established eight bastiles in France. 
 
 * This conversation was communicated by me in 1817, to official 
 persons.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 85 
 
 Napoleon replied, " In some respects it is true. 
 I established a few prisons, but they were for cer- 
 tain persons who were under sentence of death ; 
 as I did not like to have the capital punishment 
 executed, and could not send them to a Botany 
 Bay, as you were masters of the sea and would 
 have released them, I was obliged to keep them 
 in prisons.** 
 
 "There were," continued he, "some Vendean 
 chiefs, Chouans, and others, who had been arrested 
 for rebellion and other crimes, to whom the choice 
 was given, either to be tried, or to remain in prison 
 as long as the government might think it neces- 
 sary for the safety of the state. Those gaols were 
 inspected twice a year by a committee composed 
 of a councillor of state, and two judges ; who each 
 time offered the prisoners the choice of continuing 
 in prison as they were, or of being brought to 
 trial ; but they always preferred the former. They 
 were allowed three francs a day for their sub- 
 sistence. No abuses," continued he, " were known 
 to be committed in the prisons ; and in fact, in- 
 stead of being a crime as imputed to me in that 
 paper, it was a mercy. But," added he, " where 
 is the country without gaols ; are there not some 
 in England ?" 
 
 June 2nd. An orderly dragoon brought a let- 
 ter, directing me to proceed immediately to Plan- 
 tation House. Found his excellency in the Iibrary 3 
 who asked what were Gen. Bonaparte's remarks
 
 fc(*, \ VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 iipop the discussions in parliament. I repeated 
 Napoleon's expressions (as I had been desired to 
 do). When I mentioned the remarks he had made 
 upon the assertion imputed to Lord Bathurst, 
 that every change which had taken place had 
 been for the benefit of the complainant, also his 
 observations on the indelicacy of disclosing the 
 contents of letters, Sir Hudson Lowe took up a 
 number of the Times newspaper, and with a coun- 
 tenance in which embarrassment was visible, ob- 
 served, " that Lord Bathurst was right in having 
 asserted, that whatever alterations had been made, 
 had been for the better, because his lordship must 
 have alluded to the different manner in which let- 
 ters were now sent to Longwood ; for instead of 
 passing through the hands of inferior officers as 
 before, they were now only seen and read by him- 
 self (the governor)." 
 
 Some conversation then took place relative to 
 the quantity of provisions allowed to Longwood. 
 Sir Hudson Lowe maintained that the quantities 
 had been fixed by. Count Montholon, and that he 
 (Sir Hudson) had never heard any complaints 
 made of a deficiency. I explained to his excel- 
 lency, that Count Montholon had not fixed the 
 quantities, and also called to his recollection that 
 the scantiness of the allowance had been frequent- 
 ly reported to him by the orderly officer, by the 
 purveyor, by myself, and also by the maitre 
 d'hotel. Sir Hudson Lowe persisted that the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 87 
 
 quantities had been specified by Count Montho- 
 lon, and sent for Major Gorrequer to prove the 
 correctness of his assertion. Major Gorrequer 
 however, did not support his excellency ; as he de- 
 clared that the quantity of the wine only had been 
 fixed by the count, and that of the remaining 
 articles by a scale framed by orders of his excel- 
 lency himself. Notwithstanding a little confusion 
 produced by this, Sir Hudson Lowe persisted in 
 asserting that he was ignorant of the insufficiency 
 of the allowance of provisions ; upon which I 
 thought it necessary to enumerate the days oh 
 which representations to that effect had been made 
 to him by myself, by Mr. Balcombe, and by the 
 in ait re d'hotel ; and also observed, that the assist- 
 ance rendered by Sir Thomas Reade twice a week 
 in procuring divers articles of eatables for Long- 
 wood, for which payment had been frequently 
 made in his presence by Cipriani, could riot have 
 left Sir Thomas in ignorance respecting the wants 
 of the French. The governor sneeringly observed, 
 " it appeared that I should be the best witness 
 those people could call." 
 
 4th. An increase of twenty-eight pounds daily 
 in the meat furnished by government to Longwood, 
 ordered by Sir Hudson Lowe. 
 
 Independent of the usual guard, an officer has 
 been stationed at Hut's Gate since the arrival of 
 the ships from England, with orders to inspect
 
 88 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 minutely every one approaching Lougwood, and 
 to allow " no suspicious persons" to pass. 
 
 5th. Count and Countess Montholon went to 
 town shopping, and to pay a visit to Admiral and 
 Lady Malcolm. The officer who accompanied 
 them was ordered by the governor to " follow them 
 into the admiral's, and to pay attention to their 
 conversation." 
 
 6th. Saw Napoleon, who was in very good 
 spirits. Told me that Count Montholon had been 
 informed yesterday that a person who had seen 
 the Grand Lama had just arrived in the island ; 
 he therefore desired, that as soon as I went to 
 town, I should endeavour to get acquainted with 
 him, and inquire what ceremonies had been made 
 use of; whether adoration was practised, and in- 
 form myself of every possible particular. " I am." 
 said he, " very curious to get some information 
 about this Grand Lama. I have never read any 
 accounts about him that I could rely upon, and 
 sometimes have doubted of his existence." 
 
 Saw Sir Hudson Lowe in town, with whom I 
 had some conversation relative to Napoleon's ob- 
 servations on Lord Bathurst's speech. His excel- 
 lency gave me a message to be delivered to him in 
 reply. Mentioned to him that Napoleon had also 
 remarked, when speaking of Lord B., " Quasi 
 tutti li ministri son bugiardi, Talleyrand rie il 
 caporale, poi viene Castlereagh, poi Metternich,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 89 
 
 Hardenberg* &c." Informed him also that Napo- 
 leon had desired me to endeavour to make myself 
 acquainted with a gentleman lately arrived, who, 
 it was reported, had seen the Grand Lama. Sir 
 Hudson appeared not to know that such a person 
 was in the island. 
 
 Shortly afterwards I met Capt. Balston, of the 
 Hon. Company's sea service, who reminded me of 
 our former acquaintance. By him I was informed 
 that a gentleman had arrived from China, with a 
 letter of introduction to me from Mr. Urmston, of 
 Macao, with whom I had been on terms of inti- 
 macy. On seeing the gentleman afterwards. I 
 found that his name was Manning, and that he was 
 the person of whom I was in search. He wore a 
 long black beard, and had travelled through the 
 kingdom of Thibet as far as the frontiers of China. 
 I told him that the emperor had expressed great 
 curiosity about the Grand Lama, and that if he 
 came up to Longwood, there was every probabi- 
 lity that he would see him. Mr. Manning related 
 that he had been a prisoner in France, and had 
 been released by Napoleon, and furnished with a 
 passport, as soon as the emperor had learned that 
 he was a person travelling for information, which 
 might ultimately benefit society ; that as a mark 
 of his gratitude for this favour, he had sent some 
 little presents to the governor for him, with a re- 
 
 * Almost all ministers are liai-s. Talleyrand is their corporal, next 
 come Castlereagh, Metternich, Hardenberg. . 
 VOL. II. N
 
 90 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 quest that they might be forwarded, and that he 
 would ask a pass for the purpose of endeavouring 
 to see him. 
 
 A report current in town, that a marble bust of 
 young Napoleon was brought out in the Baring, 
 and that Sir Thomas Reade had recommended the 
 captain of the vessel to throw it overboard and say 
 nothing about it. This was asserted as a positive 
 fact to Cipriani and to me by Capt. * *, who said 
 that the captain of the Baring had confessed that 
 insinuations to that effect had been made to him. 
 
 7th. Mr. Manning, accompanied by Captain 
 Balston, came up to Count Bertrand's. The for- 
 mer told me that he had been directed by the go- 
 vernor, for what reason he could not divine, not 
 to communicate to the Count that he had sent a 
 few presents to him for Napoleon. After they 
 had been about an hour at Count Bertrand's, Na- 
 poleon, came in accompanied by General Mon- 
 tholon. He accosted Captain Balston first, and 
 observed, " Oh, I have seen you here before." He 
 then asked Mr. Manning some questions. Man- 
 ning related that he had been in France in 1805, 
 (I think), and was one of the persons who had been 
 detained ; that he had written a letter to him 
 (Napoleon), stating that he was travelling for the 
 benefit of the world at large, which had procured 
 his release. "What protection had you?" asked 
 Napoleon. " Had you a letter from Sir Joseph 
 Banks to me ?" Manning replied that he had no
 
 
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 91 
 
 protection whatever, nor letter from Sir Joseph 
 Banks, nor had he any friends to interest them 
 selves in his behalf ; that he had merely written a 
 letter to him stating his situation. " Was it your 
 simple letter which obtained your liberty ?" asked 
 Napoleon. " It was my simple letter," replied 
 Manning, " that induced you to grant it to me, for 
 which I am very grateful, and beg to thank you." 
 Napoleon asked him where he had lived, &c., and 
 looked at the map of the countries in the atlas of 
 Las Cases, asking a variety of questions about 
 the route he had taken ; whether he had seen the 
 Grand Lama ; the manners, customs, &c. of the 
 countries he had passed through. 
 
 Manning gave a clear and concise reply to 
 every question, said that he had seen the Lama, 
 whom he described to be an intelligent boy of 
 seven years old, and had performed the same cere- 
 monies in his presence as were done by others 
 who were admitted to it. Napoleon said, " how 
 did you escape being taken up as a spy ?" " I 
 hope," replied Manning, " that there is nothing in 
 my countenance which would indicate my being 
 a spy;" at which Napoleon laughed, and said, 
 " How came it to pass, that you being profane, 
 according to their ideas, could gain admission to 
 the presence of the Lama ?" Mr. Manning an- 
 swered that he honoured and paid respect to all 
 religions, and thereby gained admission. Napo-
 
 92 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Icon desired to know if he had passed for an Eng- 
 lishman, and observed that the shape of his nose 
 would indicate his being an European ? The 
 other replied that he had passed for a native of 
 
 Calcutta, but he believed it was known that he 
 
 
 
 was an Englishmen ; that there were some races 
 of men there who had a similar formation of nose. 
 Napoleon then observed with a smile, that, " Mes- 
 sieurs les voyageurs frequently told contes, and 
 that the existence of the Grand Lama had been 
 denied by several." Manning answered, " Je ne 
 suis pas du nombre de ces voyageurs la ; that truth 
 was not falsehood," at which Napoleon laughed, 
 and asked many other questions. Manning re- 
 lated, that the chief part of the revenues of the 
 Grand Lama arose from presents made to him by 
 the princes and others who believed in him ; that 
 temporally, however, he was subject to the Chi- 
 nese ; that he never married, neither did his priests ; 
 that the body into which, according to their be- 
 lief, the spirit passed, was discovered by signs 
 known only to the priests. Napoleon then asked 
 several questions about the Chinese language, the 
 late embassy, if the Russians had ever penetrated 
 in that direction, and whether he intended to pub- 
 lish an account of his travels ; after which he 
 asked Balston some questions about his ship, 
 wished them a good morning, and departed. 
 Gave Napoleon a copy of Santini's pamphlet
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 93 
 
 in French, which he read, observing as he went 
 through it, according as the passages seemed to 
 deserve it, "true," " partly true," "false," "stuff," 
 &c. 
 
 He observed that they had spelled his name 
 with an u (Buonaparte}, and told me that when 
 he first commanded the army of Italy, he had 
 used the u in order to please the Italians ; that, 
 however, either the one or the other was equally 
 proper ; that after his return from Egypt he had 
 dropped it ; that in fact the chiefs of the family 
 and those who had been highest, had spelled their 
 names with the u, adding, " that a mighty affair 
 had been made of so trifling a matter." He con- 
 cluded by remarking, that " Santini would have 
 done better to have confined himself strictly to 
 the truth, which would have had a much stronger 
 effect on the public mind than the exaggerations 
 he had promulgated, which indeed appeared to 
 have been framed by some person in England, 
 as Santini was incapable of writing a pamphlet 
 himself." 
 
 8^. Mr. Cole (of the firm of Balcombe and 
 Co., the purveyors,) came up to Longwood by 
 order of Major Gorrequer, to acquaint General 
 Montholon that the liveries of the servants must 
 be changed from green to blue, and the quantity 
 of gold lace upon the coats diminished. 
 
 For some time back complaints have been made
 
 94 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 by the maitre d'hotel of the badness of the mutton, 
 of the fowls, the indifferent quality and want of 
 variety of the vegetables, &c. Mr. Cole informed 
 me that it was not their fault, as, by order of Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, the purveyor was obliged to take 
 the sheep from the company's stock-yard. That 
 this day permission had been received to purchase 
 from the farmers, restricting them however to a 
 certain price ; that the vegetables furnished were 
 received from the garden of the governor. 
 
 9th. An official complaint made in writing by 
 Captain Poppleton to Major Gorrequer of the 
 badness of the above-mentioned articles ; also that 
 Mr. Cole said that the vegetables were furnished 
 from Plantation House garden. 
 
 IQth. Napoleon in his bed-room. Told him 
 that I had received a Portsmouth paper, in which 
 were contained extracts from a work published 
 in London under his name. He looked over it, 
 and observed that he had not written a line of it, 
 though some parts resembled his manner. He 
 added that there was a Scotchman, whose name 
 he did not recollect, who had written several ar- 
 ticles so much in his style, that when in France 
 he had caused some of his works to be translated 
 into French. 
 
 I informed him that Colonel Macirone, aid-de- 
 camp to Murat, had published some anecdotes of 
 his late master. " What does he say of me ?"
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 95 
 
 said Napoleon. I replied, that I had not seen 
 the book, but had been informed by Sir Thomas 
 Reade that he spoke ill of him. " Oh," said he, 
 laughing 1 , " that is nothing ; I am well accustomed 
 to it. But what does he say?" I answered, it 
 was asserted that Murat had imputed the loss of 
 the battle of Waterloo to the cavalry not having 
 been properly employed, and had said, that if he 
 (Murat) had commanded them, the French would 
 have gained the victory. " It is very probable," 
 replied Napoleon, " I could not be every where ; 
 and Murat was the best cavalry officer in the 
 world. He would have given more impetuosity 
 to the charge. There wanted but very little, I 
 assure you, to gain the day for me. En/oncer 
 deux ou trois bataillons, and in all probability 
 Murat would have effected that. There were not I 
 believe two such officers in the world as Murat for 
 the cavalry, and Drouot for the artillery. Murat 
 was a most singular character. Four and twenty 
 years ago when he was a captain, I made him my 
 aid-de-camp, and subsequently raised him to be 
 what he was. He loved, I may rather say, adored 
 me. In my presence he was as it were struck 
 with awe, and ready to fall at my feet. I acted 
 wrong in having separated him from me, as with- 
 out me, he was nothing. With me, he was my 
 right arm. Order Murat to attack and destroy 
 four or live thousand men in such a direction, it
 
 96 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 was done in a moment ; but leave him to himself 
 he was an imbecille without judgment. I cannot 
 conceive how so brave a man could be so Idche. 
 He was no where brave unless before the enemy. 
 There he was probably the bravest man in the 
 world. His boiling courage carried him into the 
 midst of the enemy, convert de pennes jusquau 
 docker, and glittering with gold. How he escaped 
 is a miracle, being as he was, always a distin- 
 guished mark, and fired at by every body. Even 
 the Cossacs admired him on account of his extra- 
 ordinary bravery. Every day Murat was engaged 
 in single combat with some of them, and never re- 
 turned without his sabre dropping with the blood 
 of those whom he had slain. He was a paladine, 
 in fact a Don Quixote in the field ; but take him 
 into the cabinet, he was a poltroon without judg- 
 ment or decision. Murat and Ney were the bravest 
 men I ever witnessed. Murat, however, was a 
 much nobler character than Ney. Murat was 
 generous and open ; Ney partook of the canaille. 
 Strange to say, however, Murat, although he loved 
 me, did me more mischief than any other person 
 in the world. When I left Elba, I sent a messen- 
 ger to acquaint him with what I had done. Im- 
 mediately he must attack the Austrians. The 
 messenger went upon his knees to prevent him; 
 but in vain. He thought me already master of 
 France, Belgium, and Holland, and that lie must
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 97 
 
 make his peace, and not adhere to demi-mesures. 
 Like a madman, he attacked the Austrians with 
 his canaille, and ruined me. For at that time 
 there was a negotiation going- on between Austria 
 and me, stipulating that the former should remain 
 neuter, which would have been finally concluded, 
 and I should have reigned undisturbed. But as 
 soon as Murat attacked the Austrians, the em- 
 peror immediately conceived that he was acting 
 by my directions, and indeed it will be difficult 
 to make posterity believe to the contrary. Met- 
 ternich said, * Oh, the Emperor Napoleon is the 
 same as ever. A man of iron. The trip to Elba 
 has not changed him. Nothing will ever alter 
 him : all or nothing for him. Austria joined the 
 coalition, and I was lost. Murat was unconscious 
 that my conduct was regulated by circumstances 
 and adapted to them. He was like a man gazing 
 at the scenes shifting at the opera, without ever 
 thinking of the machinery behind, by which the 
 whole is moved. He never however thought that 
 his secession in the first instance would have been 
 so injurious to me, or he would not have joined 
 the allies. He concluded that I should be obliged 
 to give up Italy and some other countries, but 
 never contemplated my total ruin. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood. Went to 
 Count Bertrand's, where he remained for some 
 time. In the evening Napoleon sent for me, and 
 
 VOL. II. O
 
 98 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 said that Sir Hudson Lowe had been to Bertrand 
 to inform him that Lady Holland had sent out 
 some presets for Madame Bertrand's children, 
 two books for himself, and some other articles, 
 with a letter ; that although it was contrary to the 
 regulations, which prescribed that every thing 
 should come through the secretary of state's office, 
 he would take it upon himself to send them. 
 That Mr. Manning had also left some trifling pre- 
 sents for him (Napoleon), which he wished to 
 know if he would accept. That there was also 
 another circumstance still more embarrassing, viz. 
 that a sculptor at Leghorn had made a bad bust 
 of young Napoleon, and which he had forwarded 
 to St. Helena by the Baring, in charge of a man 
 now very ill with a fever, with a letter, stating 
 that the artist had been already satisfied, but that 
 if he (Napoleon) wished to pay any more, one hun- 
 dred guineas was the price, which he conceived to 
 be a large sum of money for a badly executed 
 bust. That he wished to be informed if Napo- 
 leon would desire to have it. " Bertrand," con- 
 tinued Napoleon " replied, that doubtless the 
 emperor would wish to see the statue of his son. 
 He regretted it had not been forwarded at an earlier 
 period. That it would be better to send it that 
 very evening than detain it until to-morrow, and 
 that the emperor would be happy to receive Mr. 
 Manning's presents. Bertrand says, that he looked
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 91) 
 
 disturbed, and appeared to attribute great merit to 
 himself for having offered to send up those things, 
 because they had not passed through the hands of 
 the secretary of state, and surprised that Bertrand 
 was not abounding in thanks to him for his great 
 goodness. I do not know what he meant by say- 
 ing that a hundred guineas was too much for the 
 statue, or if he intended it as an insult, or as a 
 reflection upon us. Surely no sum could be too 
 much for a father to pay under similar circum- 
 stances, But this man has no feeling." 
 
 Napoleon then asked me if I knew any thing 
 about the statue ? I replied, that I had heard of 
 it some days before. " Why did you not tell me r" 
 asked the emperor. I felt a little confused, and 
 answered, that I expected the governor would 
 have sent it up. Napoleon said, " I have known 
 of it for several days. I intended, if it had not 
 been given, to have made such a complaint as 
 would have caused every Englishman's hair to 
 stand on end with horror (alzare i capelli). I would 
 have told a tale which would have made the 
 mothers of England execrate him as a monster 
 in human shape. I have been informed that he 
 has been deliberating about it, and also that his 
 prime minister Reade ordered it to be broken. I 
 suppose that he has been consulting with that 
 little major, who has pointed out to him that it 
 would brand his name with ignominy for ever, or
 
 100 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that his wife has read him a lecture at night about 
 the atrocity of such a proceeding. He lias done 
 enough however to dishonour his name by retain- 
 ing it so long* and by even allowing a doubt to 
 exist of its being sent up." 
 
 The emperor afterwards spoke of his own 
 family. " My excellent mother," said he, " is a 
 woman of courage, and of great talent, more of a 
 masculine than a feminine nature, proud, and 
 high minded .-f- She is capable of selling every 
 thing even to her chemise for me. I allowed her 
 a million a year, besides a palace, and giving her 
 many presents. To the manner in which she 
 formed me at an early age, I principally owe my 
 subsequent elevation. My opinion is, that the 
 future good or bad conduct of a child entirely 
 depends upon the mother. She is very rich. 
 Most of my family considered that I might die, 
 that accidents might happen, and consequently 
 
 * The bust had been in the island for fourteen days, during se- 
 veral of which it was at Plantation House. 
 
 t Madame Mere, when I had the honour of seeing her at Rome in 
 1819, was still the remains of a fine woman. Her manners were dig- 
 nified and commanding, and her deportment such as one would expect 
 to find in a queen, or in the mother of Napoleon. Her thoughts were 
 divided between her God and her son. She saw but little company, 
 and I believe that the Duke of Hamilton and myself were the only 
 Britons, who had dined at her table. Her establishment was splen- 
 did, though private and unostentatious.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 101 
 
 took care to secure something. They have pre- 
 served a great part of their property. 
 
 " Josephine died worth about eighteen millions 
 of francs. She was the greatest patroness of the 
 fine arts that had been known in France for a se- 
 ries of years. She had frequently little disputes 
 with Denon, and even with myself, as she wanted 
 to procure fine statues and pictures for her own 
 gallery, instead of the museum. Now, I always 
 acted to please the people ; and whenever I ob- 
 tained a fine statue, or a valuable picture, I sent it 
 there for the benefit of the nation. Josephine was 
 grace personified (la grazia in persona). Every 
 thing she did was with a peculiar grace and deli- 
 cacy. I never saw her act inelegantly during the 
 whole time we lived together. She had grace 
 even en se couchant. Her toilet was a perfect 
 arsenal, and she effectually defended herself against 
 the assaults of time." 
 
 "When the pope was in France," added Na- 
 poleon, " I allotted him a most superb palace, 
 elegantly furnished, at Fontainbleau, and one hun- 
 dred thousand crowns a month for his expenses. 
 Fifteen carriages were kept for himself and 
 the cardinals, though he never went out. He was 
 a good man, but a fanatic. He was greatly an- 
 noyed by the libels which had been published, 
 containing assertions of my having ill treated him,
 
 A VOICE FKOM ST. HELKNA. 
 
 and contradicted them publicly, stating, that ex- 
 cept politically, he had been very well treated. 
 At one time," continued the emperor, " I had it 
 in contemplation to take away all his temporal 
 power, to make him my almoner, and Paris the 
 capital of the Christian world." 
 
 llth. This day was sent up a beautiful white 
 marble bust of young Napoleon, about the natural 
 size, and very well executed, with an inscription, 
 Napoleon Francois Charles Joseph, &c., and deco- 
 rated with the grand cross of the legion of honour. 
 The presents from Lady Holland and Mr. Man- 
 ning accompanied it. Napoleon did not eat any 
 thing until eight o'clock in the evening. 
 
 Some time after the bust arrived, Napoleon 
 sent for me. It was placed on the mantel-piece 
 in the drawing-room. " Look at that," said Na- 
 poleon, " look at that image. Barbarous and 
 atrocious must the man be who would break 
 such an image as that. I esteem the man capable 
 of executing, or of ordering it, to be worse than 
 him who administers poison to another. For the 
 latter has some object to gain, but the former is 
 instigated by nothing but the blackest atrocity, 
 (Tatrodta la piit nera) and is capable of commit- 
 ting any crime. That countenance would melt 
 the heart of the most ferocious wild beast. The 
 man who gave orders to break that image, would
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 103 
 
 plunge a knife into the heart of the original, if it 
 were in his power."* He gazed on the statue for 
 several minutes with great satisfaction and de- 
 light ; his face covered with smiles, and strongly 
 expressive of paternal love, and of the pride which 
 he felt in being the father of so lovely a boy. I 
 watched his countenance narrowly, which I had 
 an excellent opportunity of doing while he was 
 contemplating attentively the beautiful, though in- 
 animate features sculptured on the marble. No 
 person, who had witnessed this scene, could deny 
 that Napoleon was animated by the tender affec- 
 tions of a father. 
 
 Napoleon afterwards vented his feelings about 
 the alleged order for the destruction of the bust. 
 When I endeavoured to reason upon the uncer- 
 tainty of the fact, and that it assuredly had not 
 been given by the governor, he interrupted me by 
 saying, " that it was in vain to attempt to deny a 
 known fact. The statue to me," continued he, 
 " was worth a million, although this governor con- 
 temptuously said that a hundred pounds was a 
 great price for it. 
 
 Mr. Balcombe came up to Count Bertraud's 
 about some money concerns, and had an interview 
 afterwards with Napoleon, who walked with Count 
 Bertrand and him to the end of the wood. 
 
 * This conversation was communicated by me to official persons 
 shortly after it occurred.
 
 104 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 12th. Saw Napoleon in his bath, in which he 
 remained for four hours and a half. Gave him 
 " M. Macirone's Interesting Facts respecting Joa- 
 chim Murat." With very little assistance from 
 me, he read it through, making observations oc- 
 casionally. " He will not be pitied," said he, 
 " because he was a traitor. He never mentioned 
 to me that he was determined to defend his king- 
 dom ; neither had I ever told him that my inten- 
 tions were to unite the kingdoms of Italy and 
 Naples, take them from him, and make him con- 
 stable of the empire. I certainly made an instru- 
 ment of him, to answer grand projects that I had 
 in view for Italy, and intended as I told you be- 
 fore, to have dispossessed Murat of the crown of 
 Naples ; but the time was not come ; and besides, 
 I wouldjiave given him a suitable indemnification. 
 His letter to Macirone was ridiculous, and his en- 
 terprize that of a madman. What reason had he 
 to complain of the Emperor of Austria, who had 
 "behaved generously, and offered him an asylum, 
 wherever he pleased, in his dominions, subject 
 to no other restriction than that of not quit- 
 ting it without permission; which was very ne- 
 cessary. In the actual state of things, what more, 
 in God's name, could he desire. I, myself, never 
 should have expected more in England. It was a 
 generous act on the part of the Emperor of Aus- 
 tria, and a return of good for evil, as Murat had
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 105 
 
 endeavoured to deprive him of Italy ; had pub- 
 lished proclamations exciting insurrection amongst 
 the Italians ; attacked the emperor's troops like a 
 blockhead without reason ; and like a madman 
 engaged without judgment in an expedition with- 
 out a plan, and so badly arranged, that he never 
 had been able to unite even his own guard. In 
 his proclamations to the Italians, he never men- 
 tioned my name, although he knew that they adored 
 me." 
 
 (l Ma bisogna dire la verita" continued he, 
 " Murat had not acted in that double manner in 
 his correspondence with me, of which he has been 
 accused. The papers shewn to prove it were 
 falsified. At that time, Murat had no understand- 
 ing with me. Lord Exmouth appears to have 
 acted fairly and honourably, by candidly inform- 
 ing him, that he would receive him on no other 
 terms than as a prisoner of war. I do not be- 
 iieve that he offered a thousand louis for the arres- 
 tation of Murat. ***, who is described to be so 
 good and honourable a character, is neither the one 
 nor the other. He certainly is a person greatly 
 attached to me, but he is a man of the police ; you 
 know," added he, laughing, " what kind of honour 
 those gentry have. Belle armee, indeed," repeated 
 he, using an expression of contempt, alluding to 
 Murat's expression about the Neapolitan army. 
 " You know what the Neapolitans are. -Murat 
 
 VOL. II. P
 
 106 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 undertook an expedition da coglione al fondo, to 
 invade Naples with two hundred Corsicans at the 
 time that it was occupied by twenty thousand 
 Austrians, and terminated his life like a madman. 
 He will be lamented by none, although at the 
 same time he was far from being guilty of that 
 double treachery imputed to him." 
 
 He then repeated the opinion he had formerly 
 given, had the cavalry been commanded by Mtirat 
 at Waterloo, but added, that the army considered 
 him as a traitor. 
 
 13th. Saw Napoleon in the billiard- room. He 
 was in very good spirits. Spoke about the possi- 
 bility of his having remained in France after the 
 battle of Waterloo, in spite of the efforts of the al- 
 lied powers. " My own opinion was," said he, 
 *' that I could not have done so without having 
 shed the blood of hundreds by the guillotine. I 
 must have plunged my hands up to this in blood ;" 
 stretching out one arm and applying the finger of 
 the other to his arm-pits. " Had the legislative 
 body displayed courage, I might have succeeded, 
 but they were frightened and divided amongst 
 each other ; La Fayette was one of the chief 
 causes of the success of the enemies of France. 
 To have given me a chance, I must have had re- 
 course to the most sanguinary measures. The 
 conduct of the allies, in declaring that tliey waged 
 war against me alone, had a great effect. Had it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 107 
 
 been possible to have rendered me inseparable 
 from the nation, no efforts of the allied powers 
 would have succeeded ; but as it was, by isolating 
 me, and declaring that if I were once removed, all 
 obstacles to a peace would cease ; people became 
 divided in their sentiments, and I determined to 
 abdicate, and remove, as far as I was concerned, 
 every difficulty. Had the French nation guessed 
 at the intentions of the allies, or that they would 
 have acted as they have done since, they would 
 have rallied round me. But they were overreached 
 like the lambs in the fable, when the wolves de- 
 clared they only waged war against the dogs ; but 
 the dogs once removed, they fell upon and de- 
 voured the lambs." 
 
 " There is a great difference of opinion," conti- 
 nued the emperor, " as to what I ought to have 
 done. Many were of opinion that I ought to have 
 fought to the last. Others said, that fortune had 
 abandoned me, that Waterloo had closed my 
 career of arms for ever. My own opinion is, that 
 I ought to have died at Waterloo ; perhaps a little 
 earlier. Had I died at Moscow, I should proba- 
 bly have had the reputation of the greatest con- 
 queror ever known. But the smiles of fortune were 
 at an end. I experienced little but reverses after- 
 wards; hitherto I had been unconquered. I ought 
 to have died at Waterloo, faurais du mourir, a 
 Waterloo. But the misfortune is, that when a
 
 108 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLENA. 
 
 man seeks the most for death, he cannot find it. 
 Men were killed around me, before, behind, eveiy 
 where, but no bullet for me." 
 
 A letter written to Sir Hudson Lowe by Count 
 Bertrand, stating that he had not yet seen the 
 captain of the vessel who had brought the bust, 
 and expressing^ wish that he might be permitted 
 to come to Longwood. 
 
 Napoleon walked in the evening for some time 
 with Count Montholon. 
 
 \&th. A reply was returned by the governor to 
 Count Bertrand's note, stating that the bust had 
 not been brought out by the captain of the Bar- 
 ing. A request was however again made by the 
 Count, that he should be permitted to visit Long- 
 wood, and on this day Captain Lamb, (a half-pay 
 lieutenant of the navy,) came to see Count Ber- 
 trand. On his return I asked him to favour me 
 with some information about the bust. He stated, 
 that it had been passed and sent on board from 
 the custom-house, in charge of the gunner of his 
 ship, an Italian, who formerly had been for many 
 years in the British navy. That the day after his 
 arrival at St. Helena, he had mentioned the cir- 
 cumstance at a gentleman's house, and had de 
 manded to be informed of the best mode of trans- 
 mitting it to Bonaparte, when he was directed to 
 apply to Sir Thomas lleade, who had nuule 11111110 
 rous inquiries on the subject; amongst others, whe
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 109 
 
 * 
 
 ther he had mentioned the circumstance to any 
 person in the island, to which he answered that 
 he had related it ; he had spoken of it at a din- 
 ner party. He was then asked how he could 
 think of bringing out such an article, it being con- 
 trary to the instructions ; and was finally desired 
 by Sir Thomas Reade to say nothing about the 
 matter, and also to request of those to whom he 
 had mentioned it, to be equally silent. I observed 
 that he must be aware of the report which was 
 current in the island, relative to a recommendation 
 said to have been made to him to throw it over- 
 board, or break it into pieces, a contradiction of 
 which I was anxious to hear from his own mouth. 
 Captain Lamb replied, that he had heard the re- 
 port, which was very general, but not true, and 
 professed that he did not know what it could 
 have arisen from. 
 
 On this gentleman's return to town he alighted 
 at Sir Thomas Reade's, and after a stay of a few 
 minutes proceeded to Plantation House, on one 
 of the governor's horses. 
 
 I9th. The Podargus brought the intelligence 
 that the Conqueror, with the new admiral (Plain- 
 pin,) had arrived at the Cape. Letters received 
 for Count Bertrand, General Gcurgaud, and Mar- 
 chand. 
 
 The admiral and Lady Malcolm, with Major 
 Boys of the marines?, and Captain Jones, royal
 
 110 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 navy, paid a visit to Napoleon. Colonel Pagan, 
 formerly judge advocate in India, had also an in- 
 terview with him afterwards. The colonel, who 
 spoke French like a native, said that Napoleon 
 asked him many questions in his profession which 
 puzzled him, and that he was extremely shrewd 
 in his remarks. 
 
 Saw Napoleon in the evening. He informed 
 me that he had seen Sir Pulteney and Lady Mal- 
 colm, also Colonel Fagan. " The admiral," said he, 
 " endeavoured to support the governor, and said 
 that I might depend upon it he had sent my obser- 
 vations on the restrictions to England. Indeed 
 he advocated his conduct so much, that I told 
 him he was like the rest of the English, trap 
 ego'iste, that not being myself an Englishman, 
 their laws did not protect me, and I had no jus- 
 tice to expect from them. ^E troppo Inglese* I 
 
 told him that in Lord 's speech there were 
 
 three calumnies and ten lies, and that I intended 
 to answer it. He tried to excuse him in the same 
 manner the governor did, by stating that the re- 
 port of the speech in the newspapers might not 
 be correct, or faithful, and was not to be depended 
 upon. He is mistaken, however. In France, even 
 during the time of the revolutionary fury, the 
 speeches were faithfully reported. I gave MiUdi 
 one of my fine porcelain cups with a figure of 
 
 * He is too much of an Englishman.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. Ill 
 
 * 
 
 Cleopatra's needle upon it, as a mark of the 
 esteem which I entertain for her, and the sense I 
 have of her attentions. She insisted upon taking 
 it down herself. I cannot," added he, " conceive 
 how the admiral can think of attempting to excuse 
 a man so unlike himself, and whose conduct I 
 know he cannot approve of in his heart. 
 
 Napoleon then said that he had asked Colonel 
 Fagan several questions about the military penal 
 code. " Of this subject," added he, " I am mas- 
 ter, as I framed many of the laws myself. I am 
 a doctor of laws, and while the code Napoleon 
 was forming, I had repeated disputations and dis- 
 cussions with the compilers of it, who were asto- 
 nished at the knowledge which I possessed on the 
 subject. I also originated many of the best of its 
 laws." 
 
 20th. An order received by Captain Poppleton 
 from Sir Hudson Lowe, to reply by signal, yes or 
 no, whether Lady Malcolm, Major Boys, and Cap- 
 tain Jones had been in with General Bonaparte at 
 the same time with the admiral. 
 
 Learned that the governor appeared to be very 
 uneasy that some observations made by Napoleon 
 on Lord Bathurst's speech should have been re 
 peated by a captain in the navy at Solomon's 
 shop ; which circumstance had been reported to 
 him by Sir Thomas Reade immediately after it 
 occurred.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 
 
 An official report again made to his excellency 
 by the orderly officer, of the quality of the bread 
 supplied to Lorigwood, which was so bad, that 
 for a considerable time Napoleon had been obliged 
 to make use of biscuit. 
 
 24th. Napoleon's cheek swelled and inflamed, 
 chiefly caused by a carious tooth. 
 
 Some uneasiness manifested at Plantation House 
 at the declaration made by two captains in the 
 navy of their intentions towards Sir Thomas 
 Reade, whom they accused of some practices of 
 espionage towards them, which had riot been war- 
 ranted either by their situation or conduct. 
 
 27th. Lord Amherst arrived. 
 
 2Sth. Lord Amherst and suite, accompanied 
 by the governor, paid a visit to Count and Coun- 
 tess Bertrand. 
 
 Napoleon observed, that the civilities of the go- 
 vernor were those of a gaoler. " When he came to 
 Bertrand's with the ambassador," said he, " he 
 merely introduced him as Lord Amherst, and 
 then, without sitting down or conversing for a 
 moment like a gentleman, turned about and took 
 his leave, like a gaoler or a turnkey who points 
 out his prisoners to visitors, then turns the key, 
 and leaves them together. Having come up witli 
 Lord Amherst, he ought to have remained for a 
 quarter of an hour and then left them." 
 
 July 3rd. Admiral Plampin, who arrived two
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 113 
 
 I 
 
 or three days ago in the Conqueror, came to Long- 
 wood with Captain Davie (his flag-captain), and 
 his secretary, Mr. Elliot. They were introduced 
 to Napoleon by Sir Pulteney Malcolm. 
 
 Saw Napoleon afterwards, who remarked the 
 singular difference of appearance between Sir 
 Pulteney Malcolm and his successor. " Few men," 
 said he, " have so prepossessing an exterior and 
 manner as Malcolm ; but the other reminds me of 
 one of those drunken little Dutch schippers that 
 I have seen in Holland, sitting at a table with a 
 pipe in his mouth, a cheese, and a bottle of geneva 
 before him." 
 
 On my return from town, dined with the em- 
 peror tete-a-tete in his writing- room. He was in 
 very good humour. Spoke about Sir Pulteney and 
 Lady Malcolm ; asked if I had seen the new admi- 
 ral ; made some remarks on the late attacks made 
 on the. validity of his title to the crown. " By the 
 doctrines put forth by your government writers," 
 said he, " upon the subject of legitimacy, every 
 throne in Europe would be shaken from its foun- 
 dation. If I was not a legitimate sovereign, Wil- 
 liam the Third was an usurper of the throne of 
 England, as he was brought in chiefly by the aid 
 of foreign bayonets. George the First was placed 
 on the throne by a faction, composed of a few 
 nobles ; I was called to that of France by the votes 
 of nearly four millions of Frenchmen. In fact, 
 
 VOL. II. Q
 
 114 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 
 
 the calling of me an usurper is an absurdity which 
 your ministers will in the end be obliged to aban- 
 don. If my title to the crown of France was not 
 legitimate, what is that of George the Third ?" 
 
 The dinner was served on a little round table. 
 The emperor sat on the sofa, and I on a chair op- 
 posite. I was very hungry, and did great justice 
 to what was presented to me. Napoleon said that 
 be should like to see me drunk, and ordered Mar- 
 chand to bring a bottle of champaign, of which 
 he took one glass himself and made me finish the 
 rest, calling out in English several times, " Doc- 
 tor, drink, drink." 
 
 4th. Sir Pulteney and Lady Malcolm sailed 
 for England in the Newcastle frigate. 
 
 Having mislaid some sheets of my journal, I 
 have been under the necessity of chiefly trusting 
 to my recollection for the following details. The 
 manner in which Captain Lamb had related the 
 history of the bust, had instead of dissipating the 
 suspicions at Longwood, rather convinced them 
 that some such proposal or insinuation had been 
 made. This was confirmed by the visit at Long- 
 wood of two of the captains of the lately arrived 
 store-ships, both of whom saw Napoleon in the 
 garden. One, whose name it is not now necessary 
 to mention, assured Napoleon himself, and other 
 residents of Longwood, that he had heard Cap- 
 tain Lamb say, that some insinuations had been 
 made to him purporting that the bust should be
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 115 
 
 | 
 
 thrown overboard, the gunner who brought it con- 
 fined to his ship, and nothing more said of the 
 matter. Previous to this, I succeeded in persuad- 
 ing Napoleon that the charge against Sir Thomas 
 Reade was unfounded, and even obtained his per- 
 mission to communicate his sentiments on the sub- 
 ject to that officer. The affair was buzzed about 
 the island, and gained considerable credit. 
 
 It was reported that the bust in question had 
 been executed at Leghorn by orders of the em- 
 press Marie Louise, and that she had sent it to her 
 husband by the gunner, as a silent though con- 
 vincing proof that her affections were unchanged. 
 Napoleon, who was extremely partial to the em- 
 press, was inclined to believe this supposition, 
 which in itself was very probable, and made him 
 very anxious to ascertain the truth. To accom- 
 plish this object, he directed Count Bertrand to 
 apply for permission to be granted to the gunner 
 to come to Longwood. After some delays and 
 assertions that the man was sick, during which 
 time he was examined on oath at Plantation House 
 and minutely searched, it was signified to Bertrand 
 that leave was granted to him to go to Longwood. 
 A few minutes after his arrival at Count Bertrand's 
 and while speaking to the Countess, Captain Pop- 
 pleton was sent into the room by the governor, 
 with orders not to allow him to speak to any of 
 the French, unless in his presence. This proceed-
 
 116 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ing, combined with the ^disingenuous manner in 
 which it was executed, was considered as an in- 
 sult, and the gunner was immediately directed to 
 withdraw. 
 
 Two or three days after Lord Amherst's arrival, 
 I had the honour of dining in company with him 
 at Plantation House. As I have lost the notes 
 which I made on that occasion, I shall merely 
 state, to the best of my recollection, the purport 
 of what I had the honour of explaining to his 
 lordship, viz. " that I conceived myself bound to 
 inform him, that if he went to Longwood with a 
 view of seeing Napoleon, accompanied by the go- 
 vernor or by any of his staff, he would certainly 
 meet with a refusal ; which, although far from the 
 intention of Napoleon, might by others be con- 
 strued into an insult. That considered in any 
 way, it was a circumstance desirable to be avoided. 
 That if his lordship came up with only his own 
 staff, I had little doubt but that he would be re- 
 ceived, provided Napoleon should be sufficiently 
 recovered from a swelling in his cheek, with which 
 he was then afflicted." 
 
 His lordship was pleased to thank me for the 
 suggestion. 
 
 At the end of June, or beginning of July, Count 
 Bertrand waited upon Lord Amherst, and in- 
 formed him that Napoleon had been unwell for 
 several days, and was at that moment suffering
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 117 
 
 under a toothach. He, added, however, that if 
 the emperor should be in a state to see visitors 
 before his lordship's departure, he would receive 
 him. Accordingly, on the 2nd or 3rd his lordship 
 proceeded to Longwood, accompanied by his 
 suite, and by Captain Murray Maxwell, of his 
 majesty's late ship the Alceste. About half-past 
 three, the ambassador was introduced to Napoleon, 
 with whom he remained alone for nearly two hours. 
 Previous to leaving him, his lordship presented 
 the members of his suite and Captain Maxwell, to 
 each of whom Napoleon addressed some obser- 
 vations. Mr. Ellis, the secretary, conversed with 
 him about a quarter of an hour. He observed to 
 Captain Maxwell, that he had taken a frigate of 
 his off the island of Lissa, in the Adriatic, in 1811, 
 which would amply compensate for the loss of the 
 Alceste. To Mr. Griffiths, the chaplain, he also 
 addressed several questions, and in a smiling way 
 recommended him to his lordship's patronage. 
 
 9th. Some packages and cases containing a 
 superb set of chessmen and table, two magnificent 
 carved ivory work-baskets, and a set of ivory 
 counters and box, all of Chinese manufacture, sent 
 to Count Bertrand for Napoleon. They were ac- 
 companied by a letter, stating that they had been 
 made by order of the Hon. Mr. Elphinstone, for 
 the purpose of being presented to the distinguished 
 personage whose initials they bore, as a mark of
 
 118 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the gratitude entertained by the donor for the ex- 
 traordinary humanity displayed by him, which 
 was the means of saving the life of a beloved bro- 
 ther.* A letter from Sir Hudson Lowe also came 
 with them, stating, that when he had promised 
 Count Bertrand a day or two before that they 
 should be sent, he was little aware that on open- 
 ing them, he should have discovered something 
 so objectionable, and which, according to the letter 
 of his instructions, ought to prevent their being 
 sent. 
 
 It appeared that on the presents was engraved 
 the letter TV, surmounted by a crown, which his 
 excellency esteemed to be highly objectionable and 
 dangerous. Captain Heaviside, who had brought 
 them from China, on having obtained permission 
 to visit Longwood soon after his arrival, was or- 
 dered by the governor to maintain a strict silence 
 on the subject to all the French. 
 
 In the evening, Napoleon looked at those ar- 
 ticles, which he greatly admired, and signified 
 
 * The day before the battle of Waterloo, Captain Elphinstone 
 had been severely wounded, and made prisoner. His situation 
 attracted the attention of Napoleon, who immediately ordered his 
 surgeon to dress his wounds ; and perceiving that he was faint 
 from loss of blood, sent him a silver goblet full of wine from hia 
 own canteen. On the arrival of the BelJerophon in England, Lord 
 Keith eent his grateful thanks to Napoleon for having saved his 
 nephew's life.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 119 
 
 his intention to send the work-baskets to the 
 Empress Marie Louise, the box of counters to 
 his mother, the chessmen and superb table to his 
 son. 
 
 1 \th. Saw Napoleon in his writing-room. Had 
 some conversation touching Ferdinand of Spain 
 and the Baron Kolli. " Kolli," said he, " was 
 discovered by the police, by his always drinking 
 a bottle of the best wine, which so ill corre- 
 sponded with his dress and apparent poverty, that 
 it excited a suspicion amongst some of the spies, 
 and he was arrested, searched, and his papers 
 taken from him. Amongst them was a letter 
 from * * *, inviting him to escape and promising 
 every support. A police agent was then dressed 
 up, instructed to represent Kolli, and sent with 
 the papers taken from him to Ferdinand ; who 
 however would not attempt to effect his escape, 
 although he had no suspicion of the deceit prac- 
 tised upon him. While at Bayonne, I offered him 
 permission to return to Spain, informing him how- 
 ever at the same time, that immediately on his 
 arrival in his own country, I should declare war 
 against him. Ferdinand refused to return, unless 
 under my protection. No force or compulsion 
 was employed to induce him to sign his abdica- 
 tion ; neither was he confined at the time, but had 
 his friends, and as many of the nobles as he 
 thought proper about him. Had he been treated
 
 120 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 like me in this island," continued he, " the case 
 would have been different; although if your Prince 
 Regent were now to offer me a reception in Eng- 
 land, provided I would resign the throne of France? 
 acknowledge myself a prisoner of war, and sign a 
 treaty as such, I would refuse it, and prefer re- 
 maining here, although I have already abdicated ; 
 and therefore the first would be of no conse- 
 quence. To sign a treaty, acknowledging that 
 the injustice of the English parliament in detain- 
 ing me as a prisoner of war in time of peace was 
 lawful, I would never do. A treaty not to quit 
 such part of England as might be allotted to me, 
 nor to meddle with politics, and be subject to 
 certain restrictions, I would gladly consent to ; 
 and moreover would desire to be naturalized as a 
 British subject. The two grand objects of my 
 policy were, first, to re-establish the kingdom of 
 Poland, as a barrier against the Russians, that I 
 might save Europe from those barbarians of the 
 north ; and next, to expel the Bourbons from Spain, 
 and establish a constitution which would have ren- 
 dered the nation free, have driven away the inqui- 
 sition, superstition, the friars, feodal rights and 
 immunities ; a constitution which would have ren- 
 dered the first offices in the kingdom attainable to 
 any person entitled to hold them by his abilities, 
 without any distinction of birth being necessary. 
 With the imbecilles who reigned, Spain was nearly
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 121 
 
 useless to me. Besides, I discovered that they 
 had made a secret treaty to betray France. With 
 an active government, the great resources which 
 Spain possesses would have been made use of 
 against England with such vigour, that you would 
 have been forced to make a peace according to 
 liberal maritime rights. Also I did not like to 
 have a family of enemies so near to me, especially 
 after I had discovered this secret treaty. I was 
 anxious to dispossess the Bourbons : they were 
 so with me. It mattered little, whether my bro- 
 ther or another family were placed on the throne, 
 provided the Bourbons were removed ; in thirty 
 or forty years, the ties of relationship would sig- 
 nify nothing, when the interests of a kingdom were 
 under discussion. 
 
 " Fox," said he, " was sincere and honest in 
 his intentions ; had he lived, there would have 
 been a peace, and England would now be con- 
 tented and happy. Fox knew the true interests 
 of your country. He was received with a sort of 
 triumph in every city in France through which 
 he passed. Fetes, and every honour the inhabi- 
 tants could confer, were spontaneously offered, 
 wherever he was known. It must have been a 
 most gratifying sensation to him to be received 
 in such a manner by a country which had been 
 so long hostile to his own, particularly when 
 he saw that they were the genuine sentiments 
 
 VOL. II. R
 
 122 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of the people. Pitt, probably, would have been 
 murdered. I liked Fox, and loved to converse 
 with him. A circumstance occurred, which, al- 
 though accidental, must have been very flatter- 
 ing to him. As I paid him every attention, I 
 gave orders that he should have free admission 
 everywhere. One day he went with his family to 
 see St. Cloud, in which there was a private cabi- 
 net of mine, that had not been opened for some 
 time, and was never shewn to strangers. By some 
 accident Fox and his wife opened the door, and 
 entered. There he saw the statues of a number 
 of great men, chiefly patriots, such as Sydney, 
 Hampden, Washington, Cicero, &c. Lord Chat- 
 ham, and amongst the rest, his own, which was 
 first recognized by his wife, who said, * my dear, 
 this is yours.' This little incident, although trifling 
 and accidental, gained him great honour, and 
 spread directly through Paris. The fact was, that 
 a considerable time before, I had determined upon 
 forming a collection of statues of the greatest men, 
 and the most distinguished for their virtues, of all 
 nations. I did not admire them the less because 
 they were enemies, and had actually procured 
 busts of some of the greatest enemies of France, 
 amongst others, that of Nelson. I was afterwards 
 diverted from this intention by occurrences which 
 did not allow me time to attend to the collecting 
 of statues."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 123 
 
 " It would," continued Napoleon, " have been 
 a very easy matter to have made the French and 
 English good friends and love one another. The 
 French always esteemed the English for their na- 
 tional qualities, and where esteem exists, love will 
 soon follow, if proper measures be pursued ; they 
 are very nearly akin. I myself have done much 
 mischief to England, and had it in contemplation 
 to do much more, if you continued the war j 
 but I never ceased to esteem you. I had then 
 a much better opinion of you than I now have. 
 I thought that there was much more liberty, 
 much more independence of spirit, and much 
 more generosity in England than there is, or I 
 never would have ventured upon the step I have 
 taken." 
 
 I asked him his opinion of Lord Whitworth. 
 " Un homnie habile, un intrigant" said he, "as far 
 as I could observe him. A man of address, un 
 bel homme. Your ministers had no reason to 
 complain of him, for he answered their pur- 
 poses well. The account which was published 
 by your ministers of his interview with me was 
 plein de faussetds. No violence of manner or im- 
 propriety of language was used by me. The am- 
 bassadors could not conceal their surprise when 
 they read such a mass of misrepresentation, and 
 publicly pronounced it to be false. His wife, the 
 Duchess of Dorset, was greatly disliked by the
 
 124 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 English at Paris. They said publicly that she 
 was sotte with pride. There was much disagree- 
 ment between her and many English ladies about 
 presentation at court. She refused to introduce 
 any who had not previously been presented at St. 
 James's. Now there were many of your country- 
 women who either could not or would not be pre- 
 sented there, but were anxious to be presented to 
 me, which was refused by her and her husband. 
 This excited great ill-will towards them. Your 
 charge d'affaires also, Mr. Merry, was disliked by 
 the English for the same reason. Some of t lie in 
 threatened to horsewhip him publicly, and he 
 made application to me to protect him against his 
 own countrymen." 
 
 Napoleon then recounted the noble manner in 
 which Fox had made known to him the proposal 
 that had been made to assassinate him, which ge- 
 nerous act he did not fail to compare with the 
 treatment he now received, and with the attempts 
 made upon his life by wretches paid by * * * * in 
 1803, and landed in France in British men of war. 
 He also mentioned that his assassination had been 
 recommended in the English ministerial papers 
 of the time as a meritorious action. He subse- 
 quently related some anecdotes of General Wurm- 
 ser, " When I commanded at the siege of Man- 
 tua," said he, " a short time before the surrender 
 of that fortress, a German was taken endeavouring
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 125 
 
 to effect an entrance into the town. The soldiers, 
 suspecting him to be a spy, searched, but found 
 nothing upon him. They then threatened him in 
 French, which he did not understand. At last 
 a Frenchman, who spoke a little German, was 
 brought, who threatened him with death in bad 
 German, if he did not immediately tell all he 
 knew. He accompanied his menaces with violent 
 gestures, drew out his sword, pointed it at his 
 belly, and said that he would rip him up. The 
 poor German, frightened, and not understanding 
 perfectly the broken jargon spoken by the French 
 soldier, concluded, when he saw him point at his 
 belly, that his secret was discovered, and cried 
 out that there was no occasion to rip him up, 
 for if they waited a few hours, they would have it 
 by the course of nature. This led to further in- 
 quiries, when he confessed that he was the bearer 
 of despatches to Wunnser, which he had swal- 
 lowed when he perceived himself in danger of 
 being taken. He was immediately brought to my 
 head-quarters and some physicians sent for. It 
 was proposed to give him some purgative, but 
 they said it would be better to wait the operation 
 of nature. Accordingly he was locked up in a 
 room, and two officers of the staff appointed to 
 take charge of him, one of whom constantly re- 
 mained with him. In a few hours, the wished-for 
 article was found. It was rolled up in wax, and
 
 126 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 was not much bigger than a hazel nut. When 
 unrolled, it proved to be a despatch from the Em- 
 peror Francis to Wu rinse r, written with his own 
 hand, enjoining him to be of good heart, to hold 
 out a few days longer, and that he would be re- 
 lieved by a large force which was coming in such 
 a direction under the command of Alvinzi. Upon 
 this I immediately broke up with the greatest 
 part of my troops, marched in the route indi- 
 cated, met Alvinzi at the passage of the Po, to- 
 tally defeated him, and returned again to the siege. 
 Wurmser then sent out General * * * with propo- 
 sals to treat for the evacuation of the fortress. He 
 stated, that though the army had provisions for 
 four months, he was willing to surrender upon 
 honourable terms. I signified to him that I was 
 so well pleased with the noble manner in which 
 Wurmser had defended the fortress, and enter- 
 tained so high an opinion of him, that, although I 
 knew he had not provisions for three days more, 
 I was willing to grant him an honourable capitu- 
 lation ; in fact that I would concede to Wurmser 
 every thing he desired. He was greatly astonished 
 at the good information I possessed of the deplor- 
 able state of the troops, and still more with the 
 (rood terms I offered, acquainted as I was with 
 nis distress. Wurmser was won by it, and ever 
 afterwards entertained a great esteem and regard 
 for me. After we had agreed upon the principal
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 127 
 
 conditions, I sent an officer into the town, who 
 found that there was only one day's provisions re- 
 maining for the garrison. Previous to this, Wurm- 
 ser used to call me un garpon. He was very old, 
 brave as a lion, but so extremely deaf, that he 
 could not hear the balls whistling around him. 
 He wanted me to enter Mantua after we had 
 agreed upon the capitulation ; but I considered 
 that I was better where I was. Besides, I was 
 obliged to march against the Pope's troops, who 
 had made a treaty with me and afterwards broke 
 it. Wurmser saved my life afterwards. When I 
 got to Rimini, a messenger overtook me with a 
 letter from him, containing an account of a plan to 
 poison me, and where it was to be put in execu- 
 tion. It was to have been attempted at Rimini, 
 and was framed by some of the canaglie of priests. 
 It would in all probability have succeeded, had it 
 not been for this information. Wurmser, like Fox, 
 acted a noble part. 
 
 Napoleon then informed me of the precautions 
 which he made his army take when before Man- 
 tua, in order to preserve their health in that 
 sickly country. One of which was, burning large 
 fires all night, and obliging the troops to keep 
 by them. He spoke about the measures which 
 he had caused to be taken at Jaffa. " After the 
 assault," said he, " it was impossible to restore 
 any kind of discipline until night. The infuriated
 
 128 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 soldiers rushed into the streets in search of wo- 
 men. You know what kind of people the Turks 
 are. A few of them kept up a fire in the streets. 
 The soldiers, who desired nothing more, whenever 
 a shot was discharged, cried out that they were 
 fired upon from certain houses, which they imme- 
 diately broke open, and violated all the women 
 they found. This, together with their having plun- 
 dered pelisses and other articles of Turkish dress, 
 many of which were infected, produced the plague 
 amongst them. The following day I gave or- 
 ders that every soldier should bring his plunder 
 into the square, where all articles of apparel were 
 burnt. But the disease had been already disse- 
 minated. I caused the sick to be immediately 
 sent to the hospitals, where those infected with 
 the plague were separated from the rest. For a 
 short time, I succeeded in persuading the troops 
 that it was only a fever with buboes, and not the 
 plague ; and in order to convince them of it, I 
 went publicly to the bedside of a soldier who was 
 infected, and handled him. This had a great 
 effect in encouraging them, and even some of the 
 surgeons, who had abandoned them, became 
 ashamed, and returned to their duties. In con- 
 sequence of the advice of the medical officers, I 
 ordered that all the buboes which did not appear 
 likely to suppurate should be opened. Previous to 
 giving this order I had the experiment made upon
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 129 
 
 a certain number, and allowed an equal number of 
 others to be treated in the usual manner, by which 
 it was found that a much greater proportion of the 
 former recovered." 
 
 17 th. Saw Sir Hudson Lowe in town, who 
 was in a very surly humour, and with whom I 
 had a long conversation, part of it not of a very 
 agreeable nature. He said, that it did not appear 
 " that I had made use of arguments of a nature 
 sufficiently forcible to undeceive General Bona- 
 parte ; and that he would write to Lord Bathurst, 
 that all the time General Bonaparte was so much 
 in the dark respecting his character, no English- 
 men excepting Admiral Malcolm and myself had 
 access to him." 
 
 I informed his excellency that Sir Pulteney 
 Malcolm had done every thing in his power to 
 conciliate and to reconcile matters, and had en- 
 deavoured by all means to justify his (Sir Hud- 
 son's) conduct ; so much so indeed, that Napoleon 
 had expressed his discontent at it ; as to myself, 
 I had often exerted myself to the utmost of my 
 ability to the same effect. I also suggested to his 
 excellency, that if Captain Lamb were to make an 
 affidavit of the falsity of the charge relative to the 
 supposed proposal to break the bust, it would 
 effectually silence all calumniators. Sir Hudson 
 Lowe replied, " I judge from effects, sir. You do 
 not appear to have testified sufficient indignation at 
 
 VOL. II. S
 
 130 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 what General Bonaparte said and did. You ought 
 to have told him, that he was guilty of a dirty ac- 
 tion r 
 
 His excellency then said that Napoleon had 
 caused Bertrand to write him the most imperti- 
 nent letter,* which he had ever received, in reply 
 to one written by him relative to the chess-men, 
 and another equally so for the purpose of being 
 given to the gunner of the Baring. That he was 
 authorized to turn General Bertrand off the island 
 for his impertinence. He then desired me to " ex- 
 press to General Bonaparte, that he had sent for 
 me in order to inquire who was the author of 
 a report so false as that the gunner who had 
 brought out the bust, had been prevented from 
 going on shore and disposing of his goods, and 
 had in consequence sustained losses, and suffered 
 bad treatment. Also, that he was greatly astonish- 
 ed at the tenor of the last letter he had received, 
 more so indeed than at that of any that had been 
 sent to him since he arrived on the island." 
 
 I8th. Saw Napoleon, to whom I communi- 
 cated the message I had been ordered to deliver 
 by Sir Hudson Lowe. He replied, that the gun- 
 ner had declared before Madame Bertrand, that 
 he had been prevented from going on shore for se- 
 veral days, and consequently had been obliged to 
 sell his little venture to Solomon, or some other 
 
 Appendix, No. VIII. and that to the Gunner, No. IX.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 131 
 
 shop-keeper for half price,* and had thereby sus- 
 tained a great loss. " I have been informed, and I 
 believe it," continued the emperor, " that this bad 
 treatment was caused by his having brought out 
 the bust of my son. The governor has expressed 
 astonishment at the tenor of the letters sent to 
 him. I want nothing from his caprice. He says, 
 that according to the rdglemens 6tablis en vigueur, 
 he was not authorized to send up those presents. 
 Where are those regulations ? I have never seen 
 them. If they are new restrictions let them be 
 made known. But I never have heard, that be- 
 cause there was a crown upon toys, they were to 
 be prohibited. I protest against all restrictions 
 which are not made known to me previous to 
 their being put into execution. By Lord Bathurst's 
 speech, he has no right to make any new restric- 
 tion. Could he not have said that he protested 
 against the crown, and we should have laughed at 
 it. But, no. He must give a coup cTepingle, re- 
 fer to unknown restrictions, and throw in insinua- 
 tions that it is to his goodness I am indebted for 
 them. To a dungeon, to chains upon his legs 
 and arms, Vuomo saccostuma, ma al capriccio 
 d'altrui e impossibile, (a man may accustom him- 
 self, but to another's caprice, it is impossible,) I 
 do not desire any favour from him. Perhaps he 
 requires that I should write him a letter of 
 
 * This was an unquestienable fact, and notorious on the island.
 
 132 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 thanks daily for the air which I breathe. Un 
 uomo che mammazza ogni giorno ; and then de- 
 sires that I should thank him for it. He reminds 
 me of a German bourreau, who, while bastinadoing 
 with all his might an unfortunate sufferer, cried 
 after each blow, ' Pardon, Monsieur, pour la 
 grande liberte que je prends.' " (Pardon, Sir, for 
 the great liberty which I take.) 
 
 I asked what answer I should return. " Tell 
 him," said Napoleon, " che io non son obbligato di 
 render nessun conto al mio boja" 
 
 After walking about for a moment, lie said, 
 with energy, " Vous me fades des insinuation*, 
 ce'toit la maniere d'agir de tous les petits tyrant 
 & Italic. Cet homme paroit n avoir d'autre but qiu- 
 dc me tuer a coup d'epingles, soit au morale, so'tt au 
 physique. Un bourreau me tueroit d'un seul coup. 
 Sa conduite est torteuse et environne'e de mystcrc. 
 Le crime seul marche dans les tenebres. Un jour 
 son prince et sa nation seront instruits et sa me" 
 chante conduite sera connue, et sil dchappe a la 
 justice de la loi quil viole, il ndchappera pas d la 
 justice de f opinion de tous les homines eclaires et 
 sensibles. II est un mandataire infidele, il trompc 
 son gouvernement, comme le montrent les vingt 
 mensonges et les calomnies qui sont dans le discount 
 dc Lord ***. Sa conduite pour le buste de mon 
 Jils, qui est prouvee, est horrible et digne de tout ce 
 quil a fait depuis un an"
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 133 
 
 This answer he desired me to deliver, which, 
 he observed, would convince him of the real opi- 
 nion he entertained of his character. 
 
 After this, he said that he had informed Lord 
 Amherst of the conduct pursued towards him. 
 " The ambassador," said he, " declared that such 
 were not the intentions of the bill ; that the object 
 of it was not to render worse, but to ameliorate 
 my situation as a prisoner, and that he would not 
 fail to make known the representations I had 
 made to him, to the Prince Regent, to Lord Liver- 
 pool, and to Lord Bathurst. He asked permis- 
 sion to report what I said to the governor, I re- 
 plied, certainly. I told him, that I had observed 
 the governor taking him round the new road he 
 had made, but that I supposed he had not com- 
 municated to him, that I could neither quit it, nor 
 go into any houses ; and that a prohibition had 
 formerly existed, which debarred me from speak- 
 ing to such persons as I might meet. At this he 
 was beaucoup frappe, (greatly struck). He pro- 
 posed that I should see the governor ; I replied, 
 ' Neither your prince, nor both of your Houses of 
 Parliament, can oblige me to see mon geolier et 
 mon lourreau. Ce nest pas V habit quifait le geo- 
 lier, ces la maniere et les mceurs' I told him that 
 he had pushed matters to such an extremity, that 
 in order to leave nothing* in his power, I had con- 
 fined myself to my room, expecting that he would
 
 134 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 surround the house with sentinels. I left nothing 
 for him to effect, except violating my privacy, 
 which he could not have done without walking 
 over my corpse.* That I would not commit 
 suicide, but would exult in being assassinated by 
 an Englishman. Instead of drawing back, (rccu- 
 ler), it would be a consolation to me in my last 
 moments." 
 
 The emperor concluded, by telling me that he 
 had no objection that the governor should be ac- 
 quainted with every sentiment which he had ex- 
 pressed to me. 
 
 18M-f~ Went to town in pursuance of Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe's directions, to whom I repeated the 
 message which I had been ordered to deliver. 
 His excellency commenced his reply by denying 
 that he had ordered me to say, " that he, the go- 
 vernor, was surprised at the tenor of the two last 
 notes he had received, and that he had called out 
 to me, on leaving the room, to repeat the former 
 only ;" he then said, darting a furious look at me, 
 " General Bonaparte's expressions convince me, 
 
 * The emperor was so firmly impressed with the idea that an at- 
 tempt would be made to forcibly intrude on his privacy, that from 
 a short time after the departure of Sir George Cockburn, he always 
 kept four or five pair of loaded pistols, and some swords in his apart- 
 ments, with which he was determined to dispatch the first who en- 
 tered against his will. 
 
 t In some of the pages of my journal, thia conversation is dated 
 on the 19th.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 135 
 
 sir, more and more, that means have not been 
 taken to justify my character to him. Tell him," 
 continued he, not in the most moderate tone of 
 voice, " that to shew I am not afraid to send any 
 thing home, I shall send what he has stated to 
 ministers." 
 
 He then demanded me to communicate any 
 thing 1 else I was charged with. When I came to 
 that part in which Napoleon (describing what he 
 had related to Lord Amherst), had said, " but 
 I suppose he did not tell you that I was not per- 
 mitted to leave the road ;" his excellency, whose 
 appearance I shall not attempt to describe, started 
 up, and with a degree of violence which consider- 
 ably impeded his utterance, exclaimed, " Tis false ! 
 Tis false! I did tell him." When he had reco- 
 vered a little his pow r ers of speech, he reproached 
 me, in a violent manner, with not having contra- 
 dicted the assertion, also with having manifested 
 little warmth in his defence. After he had ex- 
 pended some portion of his wrath, I observed that 
 I had attempted his defence to the best of my 
 abilities, but that I did not think he ought to be 
 much surprised at Napoleon's not being upon 
 good terms with him, when he considered what 
 material alterations had taken place in his situa- 
 tion since his arrival, all of which tended to render 
 it more unpleasant. A long discussion now fol- 
 lowed, during which I recounted to his excellency
 
 136 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 some of his own restnctions ; amongst others, that 
 one in which he prohibited Napoleon from speak- 
 ing; at which he again became very angry, and in- 
 sisted that it was not a prohibition, it ivas only a 
 request; that it was not his fault, if General Bona- 
 parte did not choose to ride out. I took the liberty, 
 then, of asking the following question. " Place 
 yourself, sir, in Napoleon's situation, would you 
 have availed yourself of the permission to ride 
 out, coupled with the restrictions imposed upon 
 him ?" His excellency refused to reply to this 
 question, which he pronounced to be an insult to 
 him, as governor and representative of his ma- 
 jesty. He then desired me to give my opinion 
 respecting Lord Bathurst's speech. I pointed 
 out, that many of his lordships positions were at 
 variance with the truth. After hearing my opi- 
 nion, his excellency expressed much anger at " my 
 presuming to speak so freely of a speech made by 
 one of his majesty's secretaries of state; that I ap- 
 peared to be an advocate for the French, and that 
 nobody else in the island held similar opinions, or 
 would dare to express them, &c." He concluded 
 by telling me, that " I was not permitted for the 
 future to hold any conversation with General Bo- 
 naparte, unless upon professional subjects, and 
 ordering me to come to town every Monday and 
 Thursday, in order to report to him General Bo- 
 naparte's health and his habits."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 . Had another conversation with Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, of a nature nearly similar to that of 
 yesterday. A long and very disagreeable discus- 
 sion took place, with which I shall not fatigue the 
 reader, further than by stating, that I requested of 
 him to remove me from my situation. 
 
 24th. Went to town, according to Sir Hudson 
 Lowe's orders. His excellency made me un- 
 dergo an interrogation before Sir Thomas Reade 
 and Major Gorrequer, during which he again ex- 
 pressed much anger, because my sentiments did 
 not accord with his own. 
 
 Finding that Sir Hudson Lowe made rne in a 
 manner responsible for all Napoleon's actions and 
 expressions, and took every opportunity of vent- 
 ing upon me all the 'ill-humour he could not per- 
 sonally discharge upon his prisoner, and perceiv- 
 ing that all hopes of accommodation between the 
 parties had vanished when Admiral Malcolm de- 
 parted, and that all my efforts to ameliorate the 
 situation of the captive were fruitless, I determined 
 to confine myself as much as possible to my me- 
 dical duties, and to avoid all unnecessary commu- 
 nication with a man, who could avail himself of 
 his irresponsible situation, to insult an inferior 
 officer. 
 
 August 2nd. Went to report ^Napoleon's health 
 as usual. 
 
 Saw Napoleon on my return, who observed 
 
 VOL. II. T
 
 138 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that he had seen in the papers some extracts from 
 a work written by the Duke of Rovigo, detailing 
 several circumstances relative to Pichegru, Wright 
 &c. He lamented the death of Rdal,* and re- 
 marked that " Savary and Re'al were the persons, 
 especially Real, (at that time the Duke of Ro- 
 vigo was not in a situation to enable him to know 
 personally the circumstances relative to those 
 two), who from their employments knew the names 
 of the gaolers, turnkeys, gendarmes, and others, 
 and could say, ' such a man was present, let him 
 be examined. Perhaps he is now in the service 
 of the king.' In the exalted situation which I 
 occupied, I could know nothing of those minute 
 details. Savary," added he, " relates a circum- 
 stance which is perfectly true, and appears to have 
 preserved some order that I wrote on the occasion, 
 as well as recollected some of my expressions. 
 I did not like to have it publicly mentioned, as it 
 deeply implicated so near a relation to my son. I 
 did not wish to have it known, that one so nearly 
 allied by blood to him, could be capable of pro- 
 posing so atrocious an act as that made by Caro- 
 line to me. It was to make a second Sicilian 
 Vespers; to massacre all th# English army, and 
 
 the English in Sicily, which she offered to effect, 
 
 
 
 * Real was conseiller d'etat and charged by the emperor to discover 
 the nature of the plot at the time alluded to, and his death had 
 been reported in the last papers that arrived at St. Helena; which 
 was afterwards contradicted.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 139 
 
 provided I would support and afford her assist- 
 ance after the deed was done. I threw the agent 
 who was the bearer of the proposal into prison, 
 where he remained until the revolution which sent 
 me to Elba. He must have been found amongst 
 others in the prisons that were allotted for state 
 criminals.* It was my intention, whenever I 
 made a peace with England, to have sent him over 
 to your ministers for examination." 
 
 Wth. Had some conversation with Napoleon 
 upon a report contained in one of the papers re- 
 lating to his removal to Malta, to which he did 
 not give any credit, observing that he should create 
 less alarm in England than in Malta. He re- 
 marked upon the impolicy of the governor, in hav- 
 ing by his treatment rendered him, (Napoleon,) 
 an object of sympathy to Europe. " The greatest 
 indignation," continued he, " will be excited by 
 it. Nothing could have happened to lessen the 
 English so much in the estimation of other nations. 
 It will confirm them in the opinions of your go- 
 vernment, which the emigrants who returned from 
 England have disseminated. They returned filled 
 
 * It is a singular circumstance that the wretch who was thrown 
 into prison for having been the bearer of a confidential letter and 
 message from Queen Caroline, containing a proposal to massacre the 
 whole of the English army in Sicily, should have been subsequently 
 released by the successes of that very army whose destruction he had 
 contemplated and proposed. This plot had no connexion with a sham 
 conspiracy got up during the command of Sir John Stuart in Sicily, 
 alluded to in another part of this work.
 
 1 10 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 with hatred against your ministers, whom they 
 accused of having acted in the most parsimonious 
 manner, and descending to the most minute and 
 unworthy details. That they certainly furnished 
 them with money, but so barely as merely to keep 
 them from starvation. That they should have 
 been truly wretched, had it not been for the gene- 
 rosity which they experienced from some private 
 individuals, many of whom they allowed to pos- 
 sess great liberality." 
 
 " The Emperors of Austria Russia, and the 
 King of Prussia," added he, " have all three told 
 me that I was much mistaken in believing that 
 they had received such large subsidies from Eng- 
 land. They alleged that they had never actually 
 obtained more than one half of the sums which 
 they were nominally supposed to have received, 
 through the deductions made for freightage, pound- 
 age, and numbers of other charges, and that fre- 
 quently a large portion was paid in merchandize. 
 Those sovereigns complained greatly of the con- 
 duct of your ministers, and I am inclined to believe 
 with some reason. Here, through a mistaken and 
 scandalous parsimony, they have counteracted 
 their own views, which were, that as little as pos- 
 sible should be said of me, that I should be for- 
 gotten. But their ill treatment, and that of this 
 man, has made all Europe speak of me. He for- 
 imrly thought that nothing which passed here 
 would be known in Europe. lie might as well
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 141 
 
 have attempted to obscure the light of the sun 
 with his hat. There are still millions in the world 
 who are interested for me. Had your ministers 
 acted wisely, they would have given a carte blanche 
 for this house. This would have been making the 
 best of a bad business, silenced all complaints 
 and attempts made for me, and in the end, with 
 such men as Cockburn or Malcolm, would not 
 have cost more than 15 or 16,0007. a year. But 
 this * * * * cest un hornme qui a les manwres igno- 
 bles, V esprit astucieux et le caeur me'chant. Cock- 
 burn au moins avait la marche droite et sincere. 
 C'e'tait un hornme, un Anglais ; mais, mon Dieu ! 
 cet homme-ci, la nature Va fait pour un mauvais 
 bourreau. That under-secretary doubtless said 
 to Lord B., * J'ai trouv^ votre homme' I have 
 little doubt but * * * intentions at first were by a 
 series of ill-treatment to force away every French- 
 man from about me, and to induce me to commit 
 suicide, or -to have me altogether at his disposal. 
 The force of public opinion has made them change 
 a little afterwards." 
 
 " If the Emperors of Austria and Russia," con- 
 tinued Napoleon, " were to make me offers of 
 whatever money I pleased, I would not accept of 
 it. J\d eu la sotttse to put myself in John Bull's 
 hands, and I must swallow whatever pill may be 
 prepared for me." 
 
 In reply to an observation of incredulity ex-
 
 142 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 pressed by me as to the correctness of his suppo- 
 sition of the probable intentions of those who sent 
 him to St. Helena, he observed, " Doctor, a man 
 must be worse than a blockhead who does not 
 perceive that I was sent here to be ******* * 5 
 either by the natural effects of ill treatment, com- 
 bined with the badness of the climate, or by the 
 probability of my being induced to commit suicide, 
 as I have said, or by * * *. 
 
 " Were I in England," added Napoleon, " I 
 would receive but few visitors, and never speak 
 upon political subjects : here I do, because I am 
 here and am ill treated. To live quietly, to enjoy 
 occasionally the company of some savans, take a 
 ride now and then, reading, and finishing my his- 
 tory, and educating my son, would form my oc- 
 cupations. Here the want of books greatly retards 
 the advance of my works." 
 
 He informed me that the governor had sent an- 
 swers to the letters which had been written about 
 the Chinese articles and to the gunner ; but that 
 he had ordered Bertrand not to bring them to 
 him until he asked for them. 
 
 Saw his reply to Lord Bathurst's speech, com- 
 mencing in the following manner : " Le bill du 
 parlement anglais, nest ni une loi, ni unjugement ;" 
 and proceeding to compare it with the proscrip- 
 tions of Sylla and Marius, " aussi juste, aus.si nc- 
 cessaire, mais plus bar bare ,-" that Sylla and Marius
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 143 
 
 issued their decrees "avec lapointe encore sanglante 
 de leurs dpees" but that of the English parliament 
 was issued in time of peace, and sanctioned by the 
 sceptre of a great nation. 
 
 llth. Told Sir Hudson Lowe again (having 
 mentioned it to him before about a fortnight ago, 
 that Napoleon wished to have the garden freed 
 from an alkalescent and fetid weed, (spurge), with 
 which it was overrun at present, and desired that 
 it should be converted into grass, or sown with 
 oats or barley, as it was useless at present. That 
 he wished to have something green to look at out 
 of his window, and to see something growing about 
 him. That if it were not done within a fortnight, 
 the season would be over. His excellency replied, 
 that he would go to Longwood in a day or two, 
 
 14th. Went yesterday to Plantation House, in 
 consequence of an order from the governor that I 
 should go there on Tuesdays and Saturdays, in- 
 stead of Mondays and Thursdays to town. The 
 governor, after having asked some question, said, 
 that I had on a former occasion mentioned that 
 General Bonaparte told me he had made use of 
 observations concerning him to Lord Amherst, 
 which he desired I would repeat. Although I 
 foresaw the consequences, I did not think myself 
 authorised to refuse, as I had been permitted to 
 communicate them to him ; and having previously 
 warned him that what he insisted upon might
 
 144 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 cause an access of irritation, I therefore repeat- 
 ed what Napoleon had observed, viz. " Neither 
 your prince nor both your houses of parliament 
 can oblige me to see mon geolier et mon bourreau. 
 Ce nest pas I' habit qui fait le geolier, cest la >n<i- 
 niere et les moeurs" 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe walked about for a few mo- 
 ments, looking very angrily, and asked me to give 
 him General Bonaparte's reasons for making use 
 of such expressions. I replied that this was out 
 of my power. He then began, as I had foreseen, 
 to vent upon me all the ill humour which he enter- 
 tained towards the author of the epithets ; brought 
 up the old affair of the Scotch newspaper, and 
 concluded by saying, "You are not authorized, 
 sir, by me, to communicate with General Bonaparte 
 on any other than medical subjects ; and if you 
 hold any others with him, it is at your own peril, 
 unless you make such communications known to 
 me, and thereby free yourself from the responsi- 
 bility. Your business is not to act from your 
 own judgment or discretion, but to ask what you 
 may be permitted to do." 
 
 Napoleon has been up at four o'clock for seve- 
 ral mornings writing, without calling any of his 
 generals to assist him. He took a walk of two 
 hours, and appeared to be in good spirits. Saw 
 him on his return in the "billiard-room. Had 
 some conversation about Egypt, and some of the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 145 
 
 characters who had accompanied him there. He 
 mentioned one Poussilgue, who had served under 
 him during 1 the campaigns of Italy. " Poussilgue," 
 said he, " had been employed by me upon diplo- 
 matic and other services from Milan to Genoa, 
 during which time he acquired my confidence. 
 He was then sent to Malta to feel the way before 
 I attacked it. The information he obtained was 
 very useful, and rendered great service. He ac- 
 companied me to Egypt, where I appointed him 
 to an office high in the commissariat, and loaded 
 him with favours. When I quitted Egypt, Pous- 
 silgue, who was left behind, for some unaccount- 
 able reasons conceived a great hatred for me, and 
 wrote letters pleines d'horreurs of me to the direc- 
 tory. I was then appointed first consul, which 
 was unknown to Poussilgue, and was the person 
 who opened his letters. Although astonished and 
 indignant at his conduct, I took no notice of them. 
 When I was made emperor, Poussilgue's brother, 
 who was a distinguished surgeon, and well known 
 to me, came to supplicate employment for him, 
 and begged of me to grant his prayer, admitting 
 that, at the same time, his brother had behaved to 
 me badly and most ungratefully. ' Who is your 
 brother ?' I replied, ' I know him not. Pous- 
 silgue betrayed General Bonaparte, but the em- 
 peror knows him not. I will grant him no favour 
 myself, but if the minister of finance chuses to 
 
 VOL. II. U
 
 ]4G A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 name him, I will sign the nomination.' His brother 
 went to the minister, told him what I had said, a 
 recommendation for a veiy lucrative situation was 
 made out, which I signed, and he enjoyed it for 
 several years." 
 
 He afterwards spoke about the Mamalukes, 
 and said, that in the combats between the French 
 cavalry and them, whenever the numbers of the 
 parties engaged exceeded a hundred men, the su- 
 periority of discipline procured the victory to the 
 French, but under that number, or individually, 
 the Mamalukes prevailed. 
 
 15th. Napoleon's birth-day. He was dressed 
 in a brown coat. All the generals and ladies 
 dined with him at two o'clock ; also all the chil- 
 dren, excepting the two infants of Counts Bertraml 
 and Montholon, who were brought in and shewn 
 for a short time. To each of the children he gave 
 a present, and amused himself for some time play- 
 ing with them. 
 
 1 1th. Saw Napoleon at two o'clock. He was 
 in extremely good humour, and very pleasant, 
 cracking jokes upon various subjects, and rallying 
 me about a young lady in the island. 
 
 Told me, that when he was at Boulogne two 
 English sailors arrived there, who made their 
 escape from Verdun, and had passed through 
 the country undiscovered. " They had remained 
 there for some time. Having no money, they
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 147 
 
 were at a loss how to effect their escape, and 
 there was such a vigilant watch kept upon the 
 boats, that they despaired of being able to seize 
 upon one. They made a sort of vessel of little 
 ribs of wood, which they formed with their knives, 
 living as well as they could upon roots and fruits. 
 This bark of theirs they covered with calico, 
 which they stretched over the ribs. When finished, 
 it was not more than about three feet and a half 
 in length, and of a proportionate breath, and so 
 light, that one of them carried it on his shoulders. 
 In this machine they determined to attempt their 
 passage to England. Seeing an English frigate ap- 
 proach very near to the shore, they launched their 
 bark, and attempted to join her; but before they 
 had proceeded very far they were discovered by 
 the douaniers, seized and brought back. The 
 story transpired in consequence of the astonish- 
 ment excited at seeing two men venture out to sea 
 in such a fragile conveyance. I heard of it, and 
 ordered them with their little ship to be brought 
 before me. I was, myself, struck with astonish- 
 ment at the idea of men trusting their lives to 
 such an article ; and asked them if it was possi- 
 ble they could have intended to have gone to sea 
 in that ? They replied, that to convince me of 
 it, they were ready that moment to attempt it 
 again in the same vessel. Admiring the boldness 
 of the attempt, and the bluntness of the reply, I
 
 148 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ordered that they should be set at liberty, some 
 Napoleon's given to them, and a conveyance to the 
 English squadron provided for them. Previous 
 to this, they were going to be tried as spies, as 
 several persons had seen them lurking about the 
 camp for some days." 
 
 " When I made my triumphal entry into Ber- 
 lin," said Napoleon, " the mother of the Prince of 
 Orange, the sister of the king, was left behind sick 
 in the upper apartments of the palace, and very 
 badly off, having been abandoned without money, 
 and neglected by almost every body. A. day or 
 two after my arrival there, some of her attendants 
 came to ask for assistance, as they had not where- 
 withal to procure even fuel for her use. The king, 
 indeed, had neglected her most shamefully. The 
 moment it was made known to me, I ordered a 
 hundred thousand francs to be instantly sent, and 
 went to see her myself afterwards. I caused her 
 to be furnished with every thing befitting her rank, 
 and we had frequent interviews together. She 
 was much obliged to me, and a kind of friendship 
 commenced between us. I liked her conversa 
 tion. When her son, the Prince of Orange was 
 aid-de-camp to Wellington, he went over from 
 Spain or Portugal to London, at the time that the 
 intended marriage between the Princess Charlotte 
 and him was in contemplation. From London he 
 wrote several letters to his mother, giving a de-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 149 
 
 scription of the whole of the royal family, begin- 
 ning with the queen, and going through every 
 branch, nominatively, filled with horrews and 
 sottises, particularly of the * * * * against whom he 
 appeared to be particularly indignant. He did not 
 even spare * * * whom he painted as ambitious, 
 and desirous of command, and that he should be 
 a mere cipher arid a stallion if **** to which he 
 declared he never would submit. There were 
 many fine and heroic sentiments expressed in 
 them, which although in a romantic style, did the 
 writer honour, but he tore the whole ****. to 
 pieces. Those letters he sent by an agent to 
 Hamburgh, for the purpose of being forwarded to 
 his mother. This agent was arrested, his papers 
 seized, and despatched to Paris, where they were 
 examined and laid before me. I read them in a 
 cursory manner, and laughed very heartily at their 
 contents. Afterwards, in order to retaliate a lit- 
 tle for all the abuse heaped upon me, I ordered 
 them to be sent to the Moniteur and published. 
 Meanwhile, however, the agent acquainted the 
 prince's mother with his arrest and. the seizure of 
 his papers, with the contents of which he was 
 partly acquainted. Before the publication was 
 completed, I received a letter from her, conjuring 
 me not to make them public, stating to me what 
 injury it would do to her son and her family, and 
 calling to my recollection the time I had been ut
 
 150 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Berlin. I was touched with her letter, and coun- 
 termanded the publishing of the letters, which 
 would have made a great noise in Europe, and 
 have been extremely disagreeable to the persons 
 described in them." 
 
 Napoleon then spoke of the late Queen of Prus- 
 sia in very high terms, said that he had an esteem 
 for her, and that if the king had brought her at 
 first to Tilsit, it would in all probability have pro- 
 cured him better terms. " She was elegant, inge- 
 nuous, and extremely well informed," continued 
 Napoleon. " She bitterly lamented the war. ' Ah,' 
 said she to me, ' la memoir e du grand Frederic no ux 
 a fait egarer. Nous nous crimes pareih a lui, et 
 nous ne le sommes pas' " 
 
 I observed to the emperor that his enemies had 
 accused him of having treated her very barba- 
 rously. " What," said he, " do they say that I 
 poisoned her too r" I replied no ; but that they 
 asserted that he had been the' means of her death 
 in consequence of the misfortunes which he had 
 caused to befal her country. " Why," replied 
 Napoleon, " that grief for the fallen situation of her 
 husband and her country, and for the losses they 
 had sustained, and the humiliated state they were 
 i educed to, may have accelerated her death, is very 
 probable. But that was not my fault. Why did 
 her husband declare war against me? However, 
 instead of treating her barbarously, nobody could
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 151 
 
 have paid her more attention or respect, or have es- 
 teemed her more, for which I received her thanks. 
 He then made some judicious remarks upon the 
 Princess of Salms, and was not insensible to the 
 charms of her person : nor did he fail to pay a 
 tribute to her wit, placing her, however, on many 
 accounts far below her sister. 
 
 Napoleon then made some observations about 
 Malta, an abode with which he declared he would 
 be satisfied for some years, professing at the same 
 time his disbelief of such being the intentions of 
 government. He added that the best thing our 
 government could do, would be to make a kind 
 of treaty with him, by which he would bind him- 
 self not to quit Malta for a certain number of 
 years without the permission of the Prince Regent, 
 with a condition that at the expiration of the time 
 he should be received in England. This would 
 save the nation six or eight millions of francs 
 yearly. " It would," added he, " have been much 
 more honourable for England (and indeed for the 
 coalesced powers) and more humane, to have 
 caused me to be shot on board of the Bellerophon, 
 in the rage of the moment, than to have condemned 
 me to be exiled to such a rock as this. They 
 might have excused themselves by saying, ( It is 
 necessary for the tranquillity of Europe to put 
 this man out of the way.' This would have at 
 once freed them from all alarm, and saved millions
 
 152 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to their treasury, besides being much more humane. 
 When the discussions about the sentence on Louis 
 the Sixteenth took place, Gondorcet declared that 
 his conscience would not allow him to vote for 
 death, but in place of that he voted that the unfor- 
 tunate Louis should be condemned to the galleys 
 for life. This proposal met with universal disap- 
 probation, even from the most violent of the jaco- 
 bins, and great odium was thrown upon Condorcet 
 for having voted for that, which in the opinion of 
 all, was worse than death. Now exile here, particu- 
 larly under the man they have chosen, is infinitely 
 worse than condemnation to the galleys. For 
 there you have the sun of Europe, and if you have 
 money, can enjoy comparatively a tolerable exist- 
 ence. I recollect at Toulon" (I think he said) " a 
 colonel, who had been condemned to the galleys for 
 life. He was certainly confined, but he never was 
 obliged to work, and had every thing allowed him, 
 at his own expense, which could render, his situa- 
 tion supportable. The keeper, unless he was like 
 this governor, would never degrade a man who had 
 held such a situation by obliging him to labour. 
 Besides, for money a man can always get some- 
 body to work for him. I therefore maintain, that 
 it would have been more honourable, more con- 
 sistent with policy, and, above all, more humane, 
 to have caused rne to be quietly fusilU on board 
 of the Bellerophon. It would have been preferred
 
 A VOFCE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 by myself. I really think that Lord * * * ima- 
 gined, that by a series of ill-treatment and humi- 
 liation, they would induce me to commit suicide, 
 and for that purpose found son homme. The very 
 idea of this, if I ever had any thoughts of doing 
 so, would effectually prevent my putting it into 
 execution." 
 
 22/?r/. Saw Napoleon at twelve o'clock. He 
 has continued to rise at four o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, and to employ his time in reading and writ- 
 ing. Pointed out to me that he had been obliged 
 to cause his coat to be turned, as there was no 
 green cloth on the island, except of what the 
 French call couleur de inerde d'oie. Spoke about 
 his detention in so horrible an abode, " // y avait 
 quelque chose de sauvage. The * * * did not know 
 how to separate the man from the situation. As 
 first consul, as emperor, being at war with Eng- 
 land, I did her as much harm as I could ; but as 
 plain Napoleon Bonaparte now, when all the 
 world is at peace, what right have they to detain 
 me as a prisoner. It is a great nation going to 
 war with one man." 
 
 " I have," continued he, " reflected upon my 
 conduct towards the English, and have nothing 
 to reproach myself with, except not having done 
 enough against them as an enemy. I ought to 
 have put their prisoners in pontons, not to punish 
 the poor prisoners, as it was not their fault, but to 
 
 VOL. ir. x
 
 154 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 force your oligarchy to remove the French from 
 those in which they had immured them." 
 
 He then observed that the eyes of the English 
 would soon be opened with respect to his charac- 
 ter. " They will see," said he, " the folly and in- 
 justice of keeping me in this island ; an island so 
 bad, that I can compare it to nothing else than the 
 face of the wretch they have sent out as governor. 
 This and the enormous expense will cause my re- 
 moval." 
 
 I observed, that I was afraid the present dis- 
 turbed state of England would operate most 
 powerfully against his being permitted to go to 
 England. " Bah," replied he, " your ministers are 
 not silly enough to believe that I would lose my 
 character so far as to put myself at the head of a 
 canaille, even if the latter were willing to place a 
 foreigner at their head, which is very unlikely. 
 Even in France I refused to do it. I have too great 
 a regard for the reputation I shall leave to poste- 
 rity to act the adventurer. No, no, it is hatred, 
 and the fear they have of the information I could 
 give. They are afraid I should say it was not true* 
 in reply to the histories of many political events 
 which they have explained in their own way.** 
 
 "What do you think," said he, "of all things in 
 the world would give me the greatest pleasure?" 
 I was on the point of replying, removal from St. 
 
 * These words were spoken in English.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 155 
 
 Helena, when he said, " To be able to go about 
 incognito in London and other parts of England, 
 to the restaurateurs, with a friend, to dine in public 
 at the expense of half-a-guinea or a guinea, and 
 listen to the conversation of the company ; to go 
 through them all, changing almost daily, and in 
 this manner, with my own ears, to hear the people 
 express their sentiments, in their unguarded mo- 
 ments, freely and without restraint ; to hear their 
 real opinion of myself, and of the surprising occur- 
 rences of the last twenty years." I observed, that 
 he would hear much evil and much good of him- 
 self. " Oh, as to the evil," replied he, " I care 
 not about that. I am well used to it. Besides, I 
 know that the public opinion will be changed. 
 The nation will be just as much disgusted at the 
 libels published against me, as they formerly were 
 greedy in reading and believing them. This," 
 added he, " and the education of my son, would 
 form my greatest pleasure. It was my intention 
 to have done this, had I reached America. The 
 happiest days of my life were from sixteen to 
 Iwenty, during the semestres, when I used to go 
 about, as I have told you I should wish to do, 
 from one restaurateur to another, living moderately, 
 and having a lodging, for which I paid three louis 
 a month. They were the happiest days of my 
 life. I was always so much occupied, that I may 
 say I never was truly happy upon the throne. Not
 
 li)t) A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that I have to reproach myself with doing evil 
 whilst seated there ; on the contrary, I restored 
 fifty thousand families to their country, and the 
 improvements I made in France will speak for 
 themselves. I made war certainly ; of this there 
 is no doubt : but in almost every instance I was 
 either forced to it, or I had some great political 
 object in view." 
 
 " Had I died at Moscow," continued he, " I 
 should have left behind me a reputation as a con- 
 queror, without a parallel in history. A ball 
 ought to have put an end to "me there: whereas, 
 when a man like me dies in misfortune, his repu- 
 tation is lessened. Then I had never received a 
 check No doubt afterwards at Lutzen and 
 Bautzen, with an army of recruits and without 
 cavalry, I re-established my reputation, and the 
 campaign of 1814, with such an inferior force, did 
 not lessen it. 
 
 I observed that the generality of the world was 
 surprised that he had not made a peace at Cha- 
 tillon, when circumstances were apparently des- 
 perate for him. Napoleon replied, " I could not 
 consent to render the empire less than what it was 
 when I mounted the throne ; I had sworn to pre- 
 serve it. Moreover, the allied powers each day 
 brought forth some condition more inadmissible 
 than on the preceding one. You may think it 
 strange, but I assure you that I would not sign it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 157 
 
 now. Had I remained on the throne after the 
 return from Elba, I would have kept it, because I 
 found it made, but I would not have made it my- 
 self originally. My great fault was in not having 
 made peace at Dresden. My error was in having 
 made that armistice. Had I pushed on at that 
 time, my father-in-law would not have been against 
 me." 
 
 Napoleon then said, that notwithstanding the 
 occupation of Paris by the allies, he should still 
 have succeeded had it not been for the treachery 
 of Marmont, and have driven them out of France. 
 His plan was arranged. He was to have entered 
 Paris in the dead of night. The whole of the 
 canaille of the city were at the same time to attack 
 the allies from the houses, who fighting against 
 troops acquainted with the localities, would have 
 been cut to pieces, and obliged to abandon the 
 city with immense loss. The canaille were all 
 ready. (I think he also said that he would have 
 cut off the allies from their park of artillery). 
 Once driven from Paris, the mass of the nation 
 would have risen against them. " I mentioned 
 this plan," added he, " to Baron Roller, who ad- 
 mitted the danger of it. Marmont will be an ob- 
 iect of horror to posterity. As long as France 
 exists, the name of Marmont will not be mentioned 
 without shuddering. He feels it," added Napo- 
 leon, " and is at this moment probably the most
 
 158 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 miserable man in existence. He cannot forgive 
 himself, and he will terminate his life like Judas." 
 
 I took the liberty of asking what he considered 
 to be the happiest time of his life, since his eleva- 
 tion to the throne. " The march from Cannes to 
 Paris," was his reply. 
 
 " When Castlereagh was at Chatillon with the 
 ambassadors of the allied powers, after some suc- 
 cesses of mine, and when I had in a manner in- 
 vested the town, he was greatly alarmed lest I 
 might seize and make him a prisoner ; not being 
 accredited as an ambassador, nor invested with 
 any diplomatic character to France, I might 
 have taken him as an enemy. He went to Cau- 
 laincourt, to whom he mentioned that he * la- 
 boured under considerable apprehensions that I 
 should cause violent hands to be laid upon him,* 
 as he acknowledged I had a right to do. It was 
 impossible for him to get away without falling in 
 with my troops. Caulaincourt replied, that as far 
 as his own opinion went, he would say that I 
 would not meddle with him, but that he could not 
 answer for what I might do. Immediately after, 
 Caulaincourt wrote to me what Castlereagh had 
 said and his own answer. I signified to him in 
 reply, that he was to tell Lord Castlereagh to 
 make his mind easy, and stay where he was ; that 
 I would consider him as an ambassador. At Cha- 
 tillon/' continued he, " when speaking about the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 159 
 
 liberty enjoyed in England, Castlereagh observed, 
 in a contemptuous manner, that it was not the 
 thing most to be esteemed in your country, that 
 it was an usage which they were obliged to put up 
 with ; but had become an abuse, and would not 
 answer for other countries." 
 
 I ventured to express my surprise to Napoleon 
 that the empress Marie Louise had not made 
 some exertion in his behalf. " I believe," replied 
 the emperor, " that Marie Louise is just as much 
 a state prisoner as I am myself, except that more 
 attention is paid to decorum in the restraints im- 
 posed upon her. I have always had occasion to 
 praise the conduct of my good Louise, and I be- 
 lieve that it is totally out of her power to assist 
 me ; moreover, she is young and timorous. It was, 
 perhaps, a misfortune to me that I had not married 
 a sister of the emperor Alexander, as proposed to 
 me by Alexander himself at Erfurth. But there 
 were inconveniences in that union, arising from 
 her religion. I did not like to allow a Russian 
 priest to be the confessor of my wife, as I consi- 
 dered that he would have been a spy in the Thuil- 
 leries for Alexander. It has been said, that ray 
 union with Marie Louise was made a stipulation 
 in the treaty of peace with Austria, which is not 
 true. I should have spurned the idea. It was 
 first proposed by the emperor Francis himself, 
 and to Metternich, by Narbonne,"
 
 1GO A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 " Of all the ambassadors I ever employed," 
 added Napoleon, " Narbonne* was the ablest. 
 He had beaucoup d'esprit, and his moral character 
 was unexceptionable. While he was at Vienna, 
 France was never duped by Metternich as she had 
 been before. He penetrated Metternich's projects 
 in a few days. Had such a man as Narbonne 
 been sent to Alexander in 1812, it is probable 
 that peace would have been made. Russia de- 
 manded Dantzic, and an indemnification for the 
 Duke of Oldenburg. Romanzoff persuaded Alex- 
 ander that I would make any sacrifices to avoid 
 war, and that the favourable moment for him to 
 make demands had arrived. After the first success 
 I had gained, Alexander sent a message to me, that 
 if I would quit his territory and retreat to the 
 Niemen, he would treat with me. However, I did 
 not believe that he was of good faith, and judged 
 it to be a ruse, otherwise we might have treated 
 in person at Wilna, and settled every thing." 
 
 23rd. Yesterday Mr. Smithers, midshipman of 
 the Conqueror, came up to Longwood with a 
 pass from Sir Hudson Lowe to go to Count Ber- 
 
 * I was informed by Cipriani, that Narbonne was the natural son 
 of Louis the Fifteenth, and the fruit of an incestuous intercourse 
 which that legitimate maintained with his own daughter Adelaide ; 
 and that documents were in existence, and even persons living, who 
 could incontestably prove it. In justice, however, 1 must say, that 
 Napoleon, to whom I communicated the assertion, told me that he 
 disbelieved the fact of the incest, but not the rest.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 trand's. After having passed the guard-room at 
 the entrance, he was called back by the officer, 
 and told that his pass was for the 21st, and conse- 
 quently he could not be permitted to enter, as the 
 date of the passport had expired the day before.* 
 
 At no greater distance of time than last Tues- 
 day, Sir Hudson Lowe manifested great ill-humour 
 towards me, for having presumed to assert that he 
 sometimes had given passes in which the day was 
 specified, and related to him a very strong in- 
 stance in that of Mr. Urmston. His excellency 
 also officially denied the fact to Count Bertrand. 
 
 Previous to Mr. Smithers being permitted to 
 come up, he was subjected to a long interrogation 
 upon the nature of his business there ; how he 
 knew the Bertrands, that he surely must have 
 some letters to them from Captain Hamilton of 
 the navy, and many other indications of suspicion 
 and distrust of an officer high in rank. 
 
 General Gourgaud informed me this day, that 
 at the close of the battle of Waterloo, when the 
 charge made by the French had failed, and the 
 English charged in their turn, a part of the cavalry 
 of the latter, with some tirailleurs intermingled with 
 them, approached to within a hundred or a hun- 
 dred and fifty toises of the spot where the emperor 
 
 * The orderly officer, when this was reported to him, took it upon 
 himself to order the officer of the guard to allow Mr. Smithers to 
 enter. 
 
 VOL. II. V 
 
 v
 
 162 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 was standing with only Soult, Drouot, Bertrand, 
 and himself. Close to them was a small French 
 battalion drawn up in a square. Napoleon or- 
 dered Gourgaud to fire some shots from two or 
 three field-pieces which belonged to the battalion, 
 to drive away the cavalry, which were approach- 
 ing nearer. This was put into execution, and one 
 of those shots carried away the Marquis of An- 
 glesea's leg. Napoleon then placed himself with 
 the column and wanted to charge, exclaiming, 
 " // faut mourir id, ilfaut mourlr sur le champ de 
 bataille" At this time the English tirailleurs were 
 firing at them, and they expected every moment 
 to be charged. Labe'doyere was galloping about 
 like a madman, with his arms extended before 
 him, seeking to be killed. Napoleon was pre- 
 vented from throwing himself amongst the enemy 
 by Soult, who laid hold of the bridle, exclaiming, 
 that he would not be killed but taken prisoner, 
 and with the aid of the others, finally succeeded 
 in compelling him to leave the field at the time 
 there was none other than the above-mentioned 
 small column to oppose the Prussians, who were 
 advancing. Napoleon was so fatigued, that on the 
 road to Jemappe and Philipville, he would have 
 frequently fallen from his horse, had he not been 
 supported by Gourgaud and two others, who were 
 the only persons with him for some time. He was 
 silent for a long time. When on the road to Paris,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 163 
 
 it was decided, at one moment, that the emperor 
 should, instantly on his arrival, go booted and 
 spurred to the senate, which would have had a 
 great effect, but this resolution was not acted upon. 
 
 24th. Went to Plantation House, where, as 
 customary, I had to suffer a long interrogation and 
 much ill-humour. Amongst other matters, his 
 excellency, after asking how I came to know that 
 Cipriani had had a conversation with him relative 
 to the deficiences at Longwood, said, ." that I had 
 no business to have any conversation with the 
 maitre d'hdtel of Longwood concerning the pro- 
 visions allowed; that in every thing not strictly 
 medical, I was to ask him what I was to be per- 
 mitted to do? that I was not to use my own discre- 
 tion or judgment with respect to any conversation 
 with General Bonaparte, not medical, or reply to 
 his questions, unless I made such communications 
 known to him, as he (the governor) was the only 
 judge of their propriety." 
 
 I replied, that if he expected me to communi- 
 cate to him the conversations I held with Napoleon, 
 he was mistaken. That, with the exception of 
 what I had frequently stated to him before, I 
 should be silent. That according to the doctrine 
 he laid down, I must communicate to him all 
 that passed ; by his own words I had no right 
 to employ my own judgment or discretion, and 
 consequently must tell him every thing, as retain-
 
 164 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ing any part of a conversation would be an exer- 
 cising of my judgment. 
 
 He shuffled for a while in reply to this, and 
 brought the old threadbare subject of the Scotch 
 newspaper again on the carpet. 
 
 Had some conversation with Napoleon about 
 Lord Castlereagh. "Never yet," said he, "has 
 there been so much political imbecility displayed 
 by man as there has been by Lord Castlereagh. 
 A king is forced upon the throne contrary to the 
 wishes and to the opinion of the people, and then, 
 as a mode of ingratiating himself with that peo- 
 ple, and of conciliating them, he is compelled to 
 make them pay contributions ruinous to the coun- 
 try. They have made the Bourbons les bourreaux 
 de leur peuple, of the Vendeans and others who 
 have bled for them, and by whose means they 
 gained the battle of Waterloo, for had it not been 
 for that business in La Vende'e, I should have had 
 thirty thousand men more at Waterloo. Then 
 again those Bourbons have made a concordat 
 with the pope, which would not have answered 
 in the tenth or fifteenth century. They have 
 agreed to establish by degrees all the laws of the 
 church. What does this mean but the suppres- 
 sion of Protestantism and of all other religions 
 except the Roman Catholic ? You know that the 
 Roman doctrine is, that out of the pale of the 
 church, no one can be saved. It is in fact re-es- 
 tablishing all the old bigotry and superstition,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 163 
 
 and even the inquisition, as that was one of the 
 laws of the church. The Protestants must see 
 that the intention of this concordat is to deprive 
 them of the liberty of worship, and to tolerate no 
 religion but the Roman Catholic. The proprietors 
 of national domains that once belonged to the 
 church must tremble, as it leads to the restitution 
 of them. The Protestants will be worse than be- 
 fore the revolution, at which time if one of them 
 wanted to marry, he was obliged to say that he 
 was a Catholic. Although their churches were 
 then in a manner tolerated, yet if they frequently 
 opened them, they were visited and tormented 
 by the police. That papaccio y that pretaccio, has 
 been imbecile enough to give his consent to a mea- 
 sure that will ultimately cause the assassination 
 of the priests. At one time I had myself the 
 greatest difficulty in preventing the people from 
 accomplishing it. Oh, those Bourbons! Well 
 may the French say, Us riont rien appris, Us riont 
 rien oublirf. They rest upon a sleeping lion. I 
 see France in a flame. I see rivers of blood flow- 
 ing. You will behold a general massacre of the 
 Bourbons take place, the old noblesse, the priests, 
 and many an innocent Englishman and friend to 
 liberty will pay the forfeit of his life to expiate the 
 wicked policy of Lord Castlereagh. The imagi- 
 nation always exceeds the reality, and the great 
 latitude given in the concordat to the king and to 
 the priests to revive all the cincient superstition and
 
 166 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 intolerance, will set France in a flame, and pro- 
 duce another revolution of l bonnets rouges? and 
 a has les calottes" 
 
 25th. Napoleon in high spirits. Saw him 
 in the drawing-room, dressed in a grey double- 
 breasted coat. He was very facetious in his re- 
 marks about the governors of Benguilla, the Cape 
 de Verd islands, &c. 
 
 Had some conversation with him relative to 
 Spain. I asked if it were true that the Queen 
 had said to Ferdinand in his presence, that he 
 was her son, but not the son of the king, thus 
 proclaiming her own infamy ? Napoleon assured 
 me, that she had never made use of such expres- 
 sions before him. That she had told him he was 
 not worthy of being the son of the king. I ob- 
 served that it had been asserted that he had offered 
 to give Ferdinand one of his relations in mar- 
 riage, and make him King of Naples ; to marry 
 another of his relations to Don Carlos, and to 
 grant him a sovereignty. Napoleon replied, " All 
 those assertions are false. Ferdinand himself re- 
 peatedly asked me to give him one of my relations 
 in marriage, but I never asked him." I said, that 
 in a publication of great circulation it was broadly 
 asserted, that he had given Ferdinand the choice 
 between abdication and death ; that in conse- 
 quence of this, and the threats of King Charles, 
 against himself and his followers, he had abdi- 
 cated. " That is also false," replied Napoleon.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 1G7 
 
 " There was no threat made use of, or compul- 
 sion. If indeed Ferdinand had been treated as I 
 am here, or put to the torture, or deprived of food, 
 it might be said that he was forced to it. Your 
 *** would willingly have put me to death, but 
 finding that the nation would not consent, they 
 sent me here, in order that I might die a death 
 slow enough to appear natural, or in the hope that 
 I might commit suicide.* The fact is, that had it 
 not been for their broils and quarrels amongst 
 themselves, I should never have thought of dispos- 
 sessing them." I said that some of the publica- 
 tions against him asserted that he had been the 
 contriver of the whole himself, that he might take 
 advantage of it afterwards. t( A man like me," re- 
 plied the emperor, " is always either un dlo or un 
 
 * The reader will perceive by the following extract that Napoleon 
 had long condemned the act of self-murder. 
 
 St. Cloud. Extrait du livrc d'ordre des Grenadiers a Chcva.1 de la 
 Garde Consulaire. 
 
 " Ordre du 22 Floreal, An. X. 
 
 " Le grenadier Grobbin s'est suicide pour des raisons d'amour ; il 
 etait d'ailleurs bon sujet ; c'est le second e"venement de cette naturo 
 qui arrive au corps depuis un mois. 
 
 " Le Premier Consul ordonne qu'il soit mis a 1'ordre du jour de 
 la garde, qu'un soldat doit savoir vaincre la douleur et la melan- 
 colie des passions ; qu'il y a autant de vrai courage a souffrir 
 avec constance les peines de 1'ame, qu'a rester fixe sous la mitraille 
 d'une batterie. S'abandonner au chagrin sans resistor, se tuer 
 pour s'y soustraire, c'est abandonner le champ de bataille avant 
 d'avoir vaincu. 
 
 (Signe) " BONAPABTE, Premier Consul."
 
 168 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Jiaculo (a god or a devil). It is as true as is the 
 assertion that I brought over Pichegru and Georges 
 to Paris purposely to ruin Moreau. When I saw 
 those imbecilles quarrelling and trying to dethrone 
 each other, I thought that I might as well take 
 advantage of it, and dispossess an inimical family ; 
 but I was not the contriver of their disputes. Had 
 I known at first that the transaction would have 
 given me so much trouble, or that it would i-ven 
 luive cost the lives of two hundred men, I never 
 would have attempted it ; but being once embark- 
 ed, it was necessary to go forward." 
 
 He spoke about the battle of Esling (or Eylau), 
 and observed, that it admitted a great deal to be 
 said on both sides. He had remained on the field of 
 battle, but had retired in the night, and it might be 
 thought that he had sustained a reverse. Lutzen* 
 and Bautzen, he observed, he had most decidedly 
 gained. " When only seventeen," said Napoleon, 
 " I composed a little history of Corsica, which I 
 submitted to the Abb Raynal, who praised, and 
 wished that I would publish it ; adding, that it 
 would do me much credit, and render great ser- 
 vice to the cause then in agitation. I am," conti- 
 nued Napoleon, " very glad that I did not, as it 
 was written in the spirit of the day, at a time when 
 the rage for republicanism existed, and contained 
 
 * General Gourgaud informed me, that at Lutzen, the emperor 
 had only two regiments of cavalry.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 169 
 
 the strongest doctrines that could be promulgated 
 in support of it. It was full of republicanism, and 
 breathed freedom in every line, too much so indeed: 
 I have since lost it. When at Lyon, in 1786, 1 gained 
 a gold medal from the college on the following 
 theme: 'What are the sentiments most advisable 
 to be recommended, in order to render men happy.' 
 When I was seated on the throne, a number of 
 years afterwards, I mentioned this to Talleyrand, 
 who sent off a courier to Lyon to procure the 
 treatise, which he easily obtained, by knowing 
 the theme, as the author's name was unknown. 
 One day afterwards, when we were alone, Tal- 
 leyrand took it out of his pocket, and thinking to 
 please and pay his court to me, put it into my 
 hands, and asked if I knew it. I immediately re- 
 cognised the writing, and threw it into the fire, 
 where it was consumed, in spite of Talleyrand's 
 endeavours to save it. He was greatly mortified, 
 as he had not taken the precaution of causing a 
 copy to be made previous to shewing it to me. I 
 was very much pleased, as the style of the work 
 was similar to that on Corsica, abounding in re- 
 publican ideas, and exalted sentiments of liberty, 
 suggested by the warmth of a fervid imagination, 
 at a moment when youth, and the rage of the times 
 had inflamed my mind. The sentiments in it were 
 too exalted ever to be put into practice." 
 
 I asked his opinion about Robespierre. " Ro- 
 bespierre," replied Napoleon, " was by no means 
 
 VOL. II. Z
 
 170 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the worst character who figured in the revolu- 
 tion. He opposed trying the queen. He was 
 not an Atheist ; on the contrary, he had publicly 
 maintained the existence of a Supreme Being, 
 in opposition to many of his colleagues. Nei- 
 ther was he of opinion that it was necessary to 
 exterminate all priests and nobles, like many 
 others. Marat, for example, maintained, that to 
 insure the liberties of France, it was necessary 
 that six hundred thousand heads should fall. 
 Robespierre wanted to proclaim the king, hors 
 de la lot, and not to go through the ridiculous 
 mockery of trying him. Robespierre was a fa- 
 natic, a monster, but he was incorruptible, and 
 incapable of robbing, or of causing the deaths 
 of others, either from personal enmity, or a de- 
 sire of enriching himself. He was an enthusiast, 
 but one who really believed that he was act- 
 ing right, and died not worth a sous. In some 
 respects, Robespierre may be said to have been 
 an honest man. All the crimes committed by 
 Hebert, Chaumette, Collot d'Herbois, and others, 
 were imputed to him. Marat," continued he, 
 " Billaud de Varennes, Fouchd, Hebert, and seve- 
 ral others, were infinitely worse than Robespierre. 
 It was truly astonishing," added Napoleon, " to 
 see those fanatics, who, bathed up to the elbows 
 in blood, would not for the world have taken a 
 piece of money, or a watch, belonging to the vic- 
 tims they were butchering. There was not an
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 171 
 
 instance, in which they had not brought the pro- 
 perty of their victims to the comite of public 
 safety. Wading in blood at every step, they be- 
 lieved they were doing right, and scrupled to 
 commit the smallest act bordering upon disho- 
 nesty. Such was the power of fanaticism, that 
 they conceived they were acting uprightly, at a time 
 when a man's life was no more regarded by them 
 than that of a fly. At the very time that Marat 
 and Robespierre were committing those massacres, 
 if Pitt had offered them two hundred millions, 
 they would have refused it with indignation. They 
 even tried and guillotined some of their own num- 
 ber, (such as Fabre d'Eglantine), who were guilty 
 of plundering. Not so Talleyrand, Danton, Bar- 
 ras, Fouchd : they werejigurants, and would have 
 espoused any side for money, Talleyrand, cest 
 le plus vil des agioteurs, homme corrompu, sans opi- 
 nion, mats homme cT esprit. A Jigurant ready to 
 sell himself, and every thing to the best bidder. 
 Barms was such another. When I commanded 
 the army of Italy, Barras made the Venetian am- 
 bassador pay to him two hundred thousand dol- 
 lars, (I think he said), for writing a letter, begging 
 of me to be favourable to the republic of Venice, 
 
 with which I " (here he made use of a most 
 
 significant gesture,) " I never paid any attention to 
 such letters. From my first career, I always com- 
 manded myself. Talleyrand, in like manner, sold
 
 17'2 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 every thing. Fouch6 in a less degree ; his traffic 
 was in an inferior line." 
 
 I asked how it had been possible that Ban-ore 
 had escaped during the different ebullitions of the 
 revolution ? " Barrere ? parceque cest tin horn me 
 sans caractere. A man who changed and adapted 
 himself to every side. He has the reputation of 
 being a man of talent, but I did not find him so. 
 I employed him to write, but he did not display 
 ability. He used many flowers of rhetoric, but no 
 solid argument. Nothing but coglionerie wrapped 
 up in high sounding language." 
 
 " Of all the sanguinary monsters," added the em- 
 peror, " who reigned in the revolution, Billaud de 
 Varennes was the worst. Carnot c'est le plus hon- 
 nete des hommes. He left France without a sous." 
 
 " Madame Campan," continued Napoleon, " had 
 a very indifferent opinion of Marie Antoinette. She 
 told me that a person, well known for his attach-" 
 inent to the queen, came to see her at Versailles, 
 on the 5th or Gth of October, where he remained all 
 night. The palace was stormed {>y the populace. 
 Marie Antoniette fled, undressed, from her own 
 chamber to that of the king for shelter, and the lover 
 descended from the window. On going to seek the 
 queen in her bed-room, Madame Campan found 
 that she was absent, but discovered a pair of 
 breeches, which the favourite had left behind in his 
 haste, and which were immediately recognized/'
 
 A. VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 173 
 
 "After the events in Brumaire," said he, "I 
 had a long conversation with Sieyes, during which 
 I entered considerably into the state of France, 
 and divers political matters. Sieyes went imme- 
 diately after to sup with some stern republicans, 
 his most intimate friends. After the servants had 
 left the room, he took off his cap, and throwing it 
 upon the ground. ' Messieurs said he, " il riy a 
 plus de republique, elle est deja morte. I have con- 
 versed to-day with a man who is not only a great 
 general, but of himself capable of every thing, and 
 who knows every thing. He wants no councillors, 
 no assistance ; politics, laws, the art of governing, 
 are as familiar to him as the manner of command- 
 ing an army. He is young and determined. The 
 republic is finished.' c But,' cried the republicans, 
 ' if he becomes a tyrant, il faut de poignard de 
 Brutus, <%T.' e Helas, mes amis, alors nous tombe- 
 rons dans les mains des Bourbons, ce qui est pire? 
 
 " FoucheY' added he, " never was my confi- 
 dant. Never did he approach me without bend- 
 ing to the ground. For him, I never had esteem. 
 As a man who had been a terrorist, and a chief of 
 jacobins, I employed him as an instrument to dis- 
 cover, and get rid of the jacobins, Septernbrizers, 
 and others of his old friends. By means of him 
 I was enabled to send into banishment to the 
 isle of France two hundred of his old associates, 
 Septembrizers, who disturbed the tranquillity of 
 France. He betrayed and sacrificed his old cama-
 
 171 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 rades and participators in crime. He never was 
 in a situation to demand my confidence, or even 
 to speak to me without being questioned, nor had 
 he the talents requisite for it. Not so Talleyrand. 
 Talleyrand really possessed my confidence for a 
 long time, and was frequently acquainted with 
 my projects a year or two before I put them into 
 execution. Talleyrand is a man of great talent, 
 although wicked, unprincipled, and so covetous of 
 money as not to care by what means he obtains 
 it. His rapacity was so great, that I was obliged, 
 after having in vain warned him several times, to 
 dismiss him from his employments. Sieyes also 
 possessed my confidence, and was a man of great 
 talent, but, unlike Talleyrand, Sieyes was an up- 
 right man. He loves money, but he will not ob- 
 tain it otherwise than by legitimate means; unlike 
 the other, who will grasp at it in any form."* 
 
 26M. The following observations upon our 
 embassy to China were delivered by Napoleon. 
 
 " It appears, that your ambassador, Lord Ma- 
 cartney, was obliged in 1793 to submit to the 
 ko-tou, without doing which he would not have 
 been received. Your ministers, who must have 
 foreseen this, and in fact, who did foresee dif- 
 ficulty in etiquette, had in sending out Lord 
 
 * The following strong, although expressive opinion of Talley- 
 rand, has been delivered by a celebrated lady ; C'est de la mtrde dans 
 un bin dc soie"
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 175 
 
 Amherst, authorized him to comply with it ; and 
 it appears, that his private opinion was, that he 
 ought to perform it, and that in refusing-, he suf- 
 fered himself to be guided by bad advisers. 
 
 " It is an error, but still one which is very ge- 
 nerally believed, that an ambassador represents 
 the sovereign. An ambassador, however, does 
 not represent his sovereign, as in fact none of the 
 stipulations of affairs which he signs are valid 
 until after a ratification ; and as to his rank in 
 etiquette, there never has been an example of so- 
 vereigns having treated them as equals, never hav- 
 ing returned their visits ; never having given way 
 for them, nor treated them as they would have 
 treated a foreign sovereign. The false idea that 
 ambassadors represented the sovereign is a tradi- 
 tion of the feodal customs. According to which, 
 at the rendering of homage, when a great vassal 
 was prevented from tendering it in person, he 
 caused himself to be represented by an ambas- 
 sador. In this case the ambassador really re- 
 ceived the honours due to his master. The cha- 
 racter of an ambassador is of the same nature as 
 that of a minster plenipotentiary or an envoy, 
 with this difference, that an ambassador is in the 
 first degree ; a minister, the second ; and an envoy, 
 the third : and in negociations, these three have the 
 same rights ; whatever they stipulate or sign must 
 be submitted for the ratification of their prince; but
 
 176 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 in etiquette there is a great difference; the ambas- 
 sador in precedency ought to be treated like the 
 first lord in the country, like princes or dukes, 
 and ministers of state. The minister plenipoten- 
 tiary like nobles of the second rank in precedency 
 at court, and envoys like those of the third. As 
 to charge d'affairs, they are not accredited with 
 the sovereign, but with the minister. 
 
 " The English and Russian ambassadors had a 
 right to the same distinctions, and ought to have 
 followed the same etiquette as was practised by 
 the princes and the chief mandarins. Now, these 
 last performed the ko-tou, and therefore the am- 
 bassadors ought to have done the same ; and the 
 emperor of China had a right to require it. It has 
 been said, that a French captain named Rock, who 
 had been in China during the reign of Louis XIV., 
 had refused to perform the ko-tou. But it must be 
 considered, that this officer was not an ambassa- 
 dor, nor a minister plenipotentiary, nor an envoy, 
 and he was at liberty to act as he pleased, equally 
 as the Chinese government was at liberty to consi- 
 der him as being of more or less importance. But 
 a man charged with a diplomatic mission ought to 
 have performed the Jco-tou ; and could not refuse 
 it without being wanting in respect to the emperor, 
 in the same manner as this last could not refuse 
 to receive him, without shewing disrespect to his 
 character of ambassador."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 177 
 
 "Lord Macartney, and it appears Lord Am. 
 herst, thought of divers expedients, which had 
 been also tried by the Russian minister. They 
 proposed that a mandarin of equal rank to the 
 ambassador should perform the ko-tou before the 
 picture of the king of England, or that by a pub- 
 lic declaration the Chinese monarch should pro- 
 mise, that if he sent an ambassador to England, 
 he should perform the ko-tou. The Chinese re- 
 jected these proposals, and with good reason. If 
 a Chinese ambassador were received in London, 
 he would have no right to perform the ko-tou ; 
 but he ought to follow the same etiquette in the 
 presence of the King of England as that observed 
 by the princes, the ministers of state, and the 
 knights of the garter, when they are admitted be- 
 fore the throne, which would be the English ko- 
 tou. These proposals were therefore unreason- 
 able, as the principle we have advanced naturally 
 evinces. A third suggestion was made, which was, 
 not to perform the ko-tou, but to follow exactly 
 the etiquette of England, which is, to place one 
 knee upon the ground close to the throne, in pre- 
 senting the credentials. It certainly is an extra- 
 ordinary presumption for you to attempt to regu- 
 late the etiquette of the palace of Pekin by that 
 of St. James's ; the simple principle which has 
 been laid down, that in negociations as well as in 
 
 VOL. II. 2 A
 
 178 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 etiquette, the ambassador does not represent the 
 sovereign, and has only a right to experience the 
 same treatment as the highest grandee of the place, 
 clears up the whole of the question, and removes 
 every difficulty." 
 
 "Only one reasonable objection piesents itself 
 to the mind, to wit, that the ko-tou is a religious 
 act, that such religious act has something idola- 
 trous in it, and is consequently contrary to the 
 principles of Christianity. The mandarins per- 
 fectly comprehended the force of this objection, 
 and repelled the idea, by declaring in an official 
 manner, that the ko-tou was not a religious act, 
 but simply a law of etiquette, which ought to 
 have removed every scruple. Russia and England 
 should instruct their ambassadors to submit to the 
 Tto-tou, upon the sole condition that the Chinese 
 ambassador should submit in London and Peters- 
 burg to such forms of etiquette as are practised 
 by the princes and grandees." 
 
 "Your embassy cost you some hundred thou- 
 sand pounds, which have been thrown away, and 
 in place of being the means of approximation, will 
 be a foundation for separation and of ill blood be- 
 tween the Chinese and you, and all this by a ridi- 
 culous misunderstanding. In paying respect to 
 the customs of a country, you make those of 
 your own more sacred ; and every homage which 
 is rendered to a great foreign sovereign in the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 forms which are in use in his own country, is be- 
 coming and honourable. Besides, had not your 
 ministers an example of it in what has always 
 taken place with the Porte, which has constantly 
 obliged all ambassadors to submit to the etiquette 
 in use there ? The ambassador is not admitted to 
 the feet of the sublime sultan, unless he is clothed 
 in a caftan, and is obliged to perform such cere- 
 monies as the civilization of the Porte, and its 
 greater or lesser degree of power, have prescribed 
 and changed ; but which still preserve traces of 
 their original character. Is there any great diffe- 
 rence between prostrating one's self, in order to 
 perform the ko-tou, and kissing the dust at the 
 feet of the sultan ? You say that you might awe 
 them by means of a maritime armament, and thus 
 force the mandarins to submit to the European eti- 
 quette, This idea is madness. You would be 
 very badly advised indeed, if you were to call to 
 arms a nation of two hundred millions of inhabit- 
 ants, and compel them in their own defence to 
 build ships against yours. Every sensible man in 
 your country therefore can consider the refusal to 
 perform the ko-tou no otherwise than as unjusti-' 
 fiabie, and unfortunate in its consequences." 
 
 September 1st. Yesterday the Maria transport 
 arrived from the Cape, with mails. A letter from 
 young Las Cases was sent to Madame Bertrand, 
 stating that they had at length obtained permission
 
 180 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to quit the Cape, and were on the point of em- 
 barking on board of a brig for England, but were 
 ignorant if permission to land would be granted 
 them ; that his father was very unwell, and ex- 
 pressed his fears that he would fall a victim to his 
 complaints before he arrived, as there was no me- 
 dical person in the brig. He added, that no letter 
 had been received from Longwood since his father 
 and himself had arrived at the Cape. A letter 
 also arrived to Count Bertrand from Messrs. 
 Baring, Brothers, and Co., of London informing 
 him, that two years ago the sum of 12,000/. had 
 been deposited in their hands for his use. 
 
 Napoleon has been in good spirits for several 
 days, and has taken rather more exercise than 
 formerly. On the 30th, he went to the sentry-box 
 on the left of the house, where he remained for 
 some time looking at the progress which had been 
 made in a new road, greatly to the surprise of the 
 sentinel, who stood gazing at him at the distance 
 of a few yards. 
 
 In one of the Cape newspapers which I received 
 there was an article, stating that his sister Caroline 
 had married a certain General Macdonald. - Upon 
 this Napoleon remarked, that after the recent as- 
 sassination of her husband, he did not think it 
 possible that his sister would marry ; especially in 
 so public a manner, unless she were mad, or had 
 been forced to it with a pistol at her throat ; espe-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 181 
 
 cially," said he, " when I consider that my sister 
 is a woman arrived at an age when her passions 
 are no longer brulantes; that she has four children, 
 and is possessed of a strong, masculine under- 
 standing, and talents superior to the generality of 
 her sex. However," continued Napoleon, "there 
 is no accounting for the actions of a woman." 
 
 He then made some remarks upon a diatribe, 
 which had been published about him in the Cou- 
 rier, and observed, that now scurrility and ob- 
 loquy would rather serve than hurt him. That 
 those attempts to flttrir son caractere would now 
 be unavailing, in consequence of the free commu- 
 nication of the English with France. "The vast 
 number of English," said he, "who have had 
 access to the continent, will long ago have disco- 
 vered and published that I am not that monster I 
 have been described in the English and French 
 libels. They have found out their mistake, and 
 will blush at the idea of having been so grossly 
 deceived. / I would desire no better vindication 
 of my character than their opinion. The time for 
 libels against me is past. A moderate criticism 
 upon my actions, well managed, well written, and 
 not too highly exaggerated, would be infinitely 
 more injurious to me than all the furious diatribes 
 in the Quarterly review style." 
 
 Some extracts of a pamphlet said to have been 
 published by the Duke of Rovigo upon the death
 
 182 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of Captain Wright, now attracted his observation. 
 " If," said he, " Wright was put to death, it must 
 have been by my authority. The Duke de Rovigo 
 mistakes, in throwing out insinuations against 
 Fouche'. If he was put to death in prison, I or- 
 dered it. Fouchd, if even so inclined, never 
 would have dared to do it. He knew me too well. 
 But the fact is, that Wright killed himself, and I 
 do not believe that he was even personally ill- 
 treated in prison. That Pouche* may have threat- 
 ened him, with a view of extracting discoveries is 
 possible. Sydney Smith has acted in a manner 
 unworthy of himself, and unworthy of a man of 
 honour, in the epitaph which he wrote upon 
 Wright. For in it, he throws out insinuations, or 
 at least leaves room to suppose, that he was se- 
 cretly despatched, although he does not dare to 
 say it openly. After having made every search and 
 inquiry in his power, after having exhausted all 
 his means in endeavouring to prove that he was 
 murdered, after having had an opportunity of ex- 
 amining the gaolers and turnkeys, and finding that 
 nothing of the kind had happened, he ought, like 
 a man of honour, to have openly declared, ' that 
 there was no proof to admit of such an accusa- 
 tion,' instead of making insinuations, especially 
 when his old enemy, against whom he had so 
 often fought, was in the hands of his country men. 
 Sydney Smith, above all men knew, from having
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 been so long in the Temple, that it was impossible 
 to have assassinated a prisoner, without the know- 
 ledge of such a number of persons as would have 
 rendered concealment impossible ; and also must 
 have been aware that nobody could have entered 
 the prison unless by an order from the minister of 
 police." 
 
 " Nevertheless," added he, " Sydney Smith dis- 
 played great honour in informing Kleber of the 
 refusal of Lord Keith to consent to the conven- 
 tion of El-Arish. Had lie delayed it for twenty- 
 four hours longer, Kleber would have evacuated 
 the forts to the Turks, and would have been 
 obliged to surrender to the English. He treated 
 the French prisoners of war very well. Un intri- 
 gant. He, however, committed gross faults, in 
 not having confined himself to operations purely 
 naval; except in the instance of Acre, where he 
 acted perfectly right, in sending men and officers 
 to assist the Turks. He neglected cutting off 
 communications by sea, which he might have done 
 had he attended more closely to his squadron. 
 By this oversight he allowed me to escape. At 
 Acre, he caused his ships to fire broadsides at my 
 troops at such a distance as to be harmless ; in- 
 deed, on the contrary, it rendered us essential 
 service, as there was a scarcity of shot, and every 
 soldier who picked up one of the English balls 
 received five sous. However, notwithstanding,"
 
 184 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 continued Napoleon, " that Sydney Smith has ill- 
 treated me, I should still have a pleasure in seeing 
 him. I should like to receive ce gaillard Id. He 
 has certain good qualities, and as an old enemy, 
 I should like to see him." 
 
 " Have you ever heard," said he, " that Lord 
 Wellington was the person who first proposed to 
 send me to St. Helena?"* I replied, that I had 
 heard so, but did not give the report any credit. 
 If it be true," said he, " it will reflect but little 
 honour upon him in the eyes of posterity." 
 
 2nd. Went to Plantation House according to 
 Sir Hudson Lowe's direction. After acquainting 
 him with Napoleon's state of health I proceeded 
 to ask him, by General Bertrand's desire, informa- 
 tion respecting the measures necessary to be taken 
 towards obtaining a certificate of life for Countess 
 
 * It is said that the Duke of Wellington returned to England 
 from India in a frigate commanded by Captain, (now Sir George) 
 Cockburn, and remained at St. Helena for some days during which 
 time he narrowly escaped death by drowning, having been upset 
 in a boat in one of the squalls so prevalent at that anchorage ; also 
 that when Napoleon was at Elba, hia grace suggested to the con- 
 gress, that he should be removed from thence to St. Helena, urging 
 the latter place to be the best adapted for his perpetual imprison- 
 ment, from his own local knowledge. I merely give this report 
 as an on dit, though 1 know that it is believed by many. If true, 
 however, perhaps the duke may esteem it to be one of his most 
 brilliant achievements, and only surpassed by the manifestation of 
 generosity and humanity he displayed in the fate of his old anta- 
 gonist Ney.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 185 
 
 Bertrand, and a power of attorney for the Count, 
 and begged to know whether Mr. Brooke, (the 
 secretary to the council,) was not the person who 
 performed the duties of notary public. Sir Hudson 
 Lowe replied roughly, "Let Count Bertrand ask 
 Captain Blakeney." Soon afterwards, however, 
 he said, that he would not let me return without 
 an answer, and desired me to say that there was 
 no public notary on the island ; that Mr. Brooke 
 was not vested with powers sufficient to allow 
 him to take such a deposition ; that to legalize acts, 
 they must be signed by him as chief magistrate of 
 the island. He then asked what motives could 
 Count Bertrand have, in wishing to perform it be- 
 fore Mr. Brooke ? Why not have asked me, as 
 chief magistrate ?" I replied, that one of Count 
 Bertrand's motives was to spare to Madame Ber- 
 trand the inconvenience and trouble of going five 
 miles distance from Longwood, in the bad wea- 
 ther which prevailed, especially as she was suck- 
 ling an infant, and in an extremely delicate state 
 of health. That Count Bertrand, in the supposi- 
 tion that Mr. Brooke performed the duties of notary 
 public, had desired me to inquire, and if so, to 
 ask permission for him to come to Longwood. 
 " Those are not his motives, sir," said Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, " he wants to get the Marquis Montcheriu 
 to Longwood, in order to have an opportunity of 
 conversing with him, before Mr. Brooke, who does 
 
 VOL. II. 2 B
 
 186 A VOICE FKOM ST. HELENA. 
 
 not understand French. Do you not think, sir 
 that that is their motive ?" I replied, that it had 
 never occurred to me that such was their inten- 
 tion or motive. " Then it does you but little 
 credit, sir. You are very sharp at finding out 
 and observing every thing to their advantage ;" and 
 added, that I was an instrument in their hands. 
 I observed to his excellency, that if asking for in- 
 formation from himself, constituted me an instru- 
 ment, I must plead- guilty. That I was at a loss 
 to conceive why they should have recourse to so 
 much trouble, to have a conversation with Mar- 
 quis Montchenu in Longwood, when they had 
 frequently met and conversed, for a long time, 
 with all the commissioners outside of it, as he 
 must well know, without any British officers being 
 present. His excellency said, very gruffly, that the 
 less communication I had with them, (the French,) 
 unless on professional subjects, the better. After 
 repeating his insinuations, and sarcastically ex- 
 pressing his surprise that I should not have dis- 
 covered their real motive, (which I could have 
 told him, was solely the invincible repugnance 
 every body at Longwood had to his presence) he 
 asked if I had any thing to communicate from Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte ? I replied in the negative. He 
 then asked how many conversations with him I 
 had had, and for how long ? I replied, that I did 
 not recollect how many, or how long. They might
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 187 
 
 have lasted for an hour, perhaps longer ; and took 
 my departure. 
 
 3rd. Found the emperor in the drawing-room, 
 reading aloud the Old Testament. In very good 
 spirits. Told me that he had seen Mr. Cole 
 at Madame Montholon's a few days since, and 
 had taken him for a Jew. " I asked Madame 
 Montholon," said he " what Jew is that ? Vraie- 
 ment il a Vair cT Isaac. II appartient a lafamille 
 d" Abraham? 
 
 Napoleon then made some observations upon 
 the formalities which the governor obliged Ber- 
 trand to go through, in order to get the bills 
 which Las Cases had left upon London cashed, 
 and the examination which every little bill, ac- 
 count, and receipt, went through. "Even the bills 
 and salaries of the servants," said he, " are mi- 
 nutely examined, and every trifling sum obliged 
 to be accounted for. Useless vexations ; as every 
 man of sense must know, that it would not be by 
 means of any small sum that I could get here, that I 
 could escape ; and that although I have no money 
 here, I have it at the extremity of my fingers. But 
 this man, ha la rabbia di mischiarsi di tutto* If 
 he had his will, he would order me to breakfast at 
 a certain hour, dine at another, go to bed at a time 
 prescribed by him, and come, himself, to see it 
 carried into execution. All will fall upon hiin- 
 
 * Has the rage to meddle in every things
 
 188 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 self one day. He does not know that what passes 
 here, will be recorded in history, ed e cosi imbecille 
 che non sa che li ministri non hanno mai torto, 
 (meaning, he is imbecile enough not to feel that 
 ministers never acknowledge themselves to be in 
 error). He sent a letter to Bertrand, in reply to 
 the one written by him about the new restric- 
 tions, which convinces me more than any thing 
 he has ever yet done, that he is un imbecille che 
 non ha senso commune. If I had paid him for it, 
 he could not have made a communication which 
 would have pleased me more. There was nothing 
 else wanting to verify and authenticate the tyranny 
 under which I labour. 77 avoue des choses atroces. 
 He says that he has authority to rip up the cover 
 of a book, or to examine any piece of furniture in 
 such a manner as. to render it unserviceable either 
 for ornament or utility, to search for letters. Next 
 to his restrictions, I hold this letter precious.* 
 By his reasoning, he ought not to send up a loaf 
 of bread, or a joint of meat, or a pair of shoes, as 
 letters might be concealed in them, and frequently 
 have been in the soles of the latter. What I said 
 in ridicule of Lord Bathurst's speech, he writes 
 in earnest to us. Nothing but the publication of 
 that letter is wanting to convince the ministers 
 that he is an imbecile. Ah, if I had had only to 
 do. with such as him, I should not be here. Ah ! 
 poor country, that is obliged to employ such as 
 This letter will be found in the Appendix, No. X.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 1H9 
 
 him. If I were at the head of the government, I 
 should estimate his service to be worth an employ- 
 ment of 150/. a year. 
 
 He then made some observations upon a pro- 
 ject mentioned in some papers to be contemplated, 
 by ministers, to lend two millions for the use of 
 the poor, which he pronounced to be absurd. 
 " England to recover herself must renew her com- 
 merce ; in a few words, she must no longer be 
 a continental power. She must proceed in her 
 proper sphere, as an insular power, possessing the 
 command of the sea. You must not continue to 
 be all gentlemen" said he, " as Lord Castlereagh 
 wishes. You must return to your ships. You 
 want old Lord Chatham for a prime minister. 
 You require able men. My opinion is, that if 
 something be not soon done, you will be obliged 
 to act as I did in Holland reduce the interest of 
 the funds to two per cent. So well assured and 
 convinced am I that there will be a bankruptcy, 
 more or less serious, that I would not place money 
 in the English funds. This distress of yours is one 
 of the consequences of the holy alliance. All the 
 continental powers will endeavour to bridle (raf- 
 frenare) you, and unite against you as they have 
 done against me, when I was more powerful than 
 all of them put together. The only way to prevent 
 it is by placing yourselves in such a situation as to 
 command respect, and to make them court you,
 
 190 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 instead of you courting them ; which can never be 
 the case as long as you have an army on the con- 
 tinent. As long as your ministers say, John Bull 
 is not sick, so long will things go wrong. As soon 
 as they come forward and say, ' Certainly there 
 is deep distress. There wants a radical change. 
 We have had great successes, which we have 
 abused, and of which we have not availed our- 
 selves,' then there will be some hope. But the 
 manner in which they now act, is like a physician 
 telling me when I feel myself very ill and my legs 
 swelling, that there is nothing the matter with me ; 
 or like one replying to John Bull, when he com 
 plains that he has nothing to eat. * Oh, you have 
 too good an appetite. You must not indulge it. 
 Repletion is a bad thing.' 
 
 " Cipriani informs me," said he, " that the gover- 
 nor took great pains to make him comprehend that 
 the Burgundy sent here some time back came 
 from him. I ordered him never to bring me any 
 more of it. I do not blush to drink the wine or 
 eat the bread of John Bull, mais je ne veux rien 
 prendre des mains qui me sont devenues si odienses 
 (but I will accept nothing from hands that are 
 become so odious to me). 
 
 He observed that he had contracted a catarrh 
 by having sat for a quarter of an hour yester- 
 day on the steps in front of the billiard room, 
 and had been sneezing and coughing all the even-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 191 
 
 ing. Made some remarks' on the tempaccio, and 
 told me that since breakfast yesterday he had 
 eaten nothing until the same meal this day. 
 
 He said that Count Montholon had met Ma- 
 dame Sturmer, and found that she was not so 
 handsome as Betsy (Miss E. Balcombe) ; that she 
 had la tournure cTun grisette. 
 
 He afterwards made some observations upon 
 Talleyrand. "Talleyrand," said he, "maintained 
 to me that assassination was sometimes justifiable, 
 or at least that it ought to be winked at, and al- 
 lowed to remain unpunished. He urged that such 
 a practice was common to all revolutions or grand 
 crises. That in revolutions, there were certain 
 faults which the tribunals ought not to notice, and 
 added, that if it had not been for la lanterne of the 
 constituent assembly, the revolution would not 
 have succeeded. That some evils ought to be 
 tolerated, because they prevented others that were 
 greater. 
 
 4th. The weatner has been extremely wet for 
 several days, and Napoleon ordered that a fire- 
 should be kept in the four rooms which he is 
 accustomed to use himself. As he cannot bear 
 the smell of coals, there was consequently a 
 great deficiency of wood. Found Novarre break- 
 ing up a bedstead and some shelves to burn. 
 Cipriani applied to Captain Blakeney to send 
 a letter to the purveyors requesting that they
 
 192 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 would send up three thousand weight of wood, to 
 be paid for by themselves, as the governor would 
 not allow more than three hundred weight daily, 
 being about a third of what was wanting, in con- 
 sequence of the great humidity of Longwood. 
 
 Saw Napoleon at breakfast in his bath. Ex- 
 pected to have found him discontented on account 
 of the occurrences of the morning, but he was in 
 a very good humour. He was eating some len- 
 tils, of which he asked the English name, and if I 
 had ever seen any before. I replied that I had seen 
 some in Egypt, but none in England. " That arch 
 libeller, Fillet," said he, laughing, " asserts that 
 you have none in England, and, in fact, that you 
 have no good vegetables (legumes)" I replied that 
 it was equally true with the rest of Fillet's false- 
 hoods. That in no country in Europe were there 
 better vegetables or a more plentiful supply. Na- 
 poleon laughed at the warmth with which I ex- 
 pressed myself, and said, " Oh, that atrocious li- 
 beller, Fillet. You English do not like to hear any 
 thing bad of your own country, although you 
 are so fond of abusing other nations. I fancy that 
 if Fillet had gone to England after the publication 
 of that book, he would have had his brains beaten 
 out by you." I said that he would certainly have 
 been treated with the contempt which he deserved. 
 Napoleon then remarked, that the northern people 
 required the bottle to develope their ideas ; that the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 193 
 
 English appeared in general to prefer the bottle to 
 the ladies, as was exemplified by our allowing them 
 to go away from table, and remaining for hours to 
 drink and intoxicate ourselves. I replied, that al- 
 though we did sit sometimes for hours after the 
 ladies withdrew, it was more for the sake of con- 
 versation than for wine, of which last there was not 
 so much drunk as formerly ; that moreover it was 
 optional to retire immediately after the ladies or 
 to remain. He appeared to doubt this, and made 
 me repeat it. After which he said, that were he 
 in England, he would always leave with the la- 
 dies. Lt appears to me," said he, " that you 
 do not pay regard enough to the ladies. If your 
 object is to converse instead of to drink, why not 
 allow them to be present. Surely conversation is 
 never so lively or so witty as when ladies take a 
 part in it. If I were an Englishwoman, I should 
 feel very discontented at being turned out by the 
 men to wait for two or three hours while they 
 were guzzling their wine. Now in France society 
 is nothing unless ladies are present. They are 
 the life of conversation." 
 
 I endeavoured to make it appear that our con- 
 versation after dinner frequently turned upon po- 
 litics and other matters, with which ladies seldom 
 meddled ; moreover, that in well-regulated soci- 
 eties, the gentlemen soon followed them. This did 
 not, however, satisfy him. He maintained that it 
 
 VOL. ii. 2 c
 
 194 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 was a custom which could not be justified, that 
 women were necessary to civilize and to soften 
 the other sex. 
 
 He spoke about Mare'chal Jourdan, of whose 
 military talents he had a poor opinion. I ob- 
 served that I had been told by some English offi- 
 cers who had been present at the battle of Albuera, 
 that if Mardchal Soult had advanced after the at- 
 tack made by the lancers, he would have cut the 
 English army to pieces. Napoleon acquiesced in 
 this, and said that he had censured Soult for 
 having neglected to do so. He then adverted to 
 the English mode of besieging towns, and said 
 that Lord Wellington, at sieges, was le bourreau 
 des hommes ; that the immense sacrifice of men at 
 Ciudad Rodrigo, and Badajoz was by no means 
 compensated by the capture of those places. He 
 observed that the storming of Bergen-op-Zoom 
 was a most daring attempt, but that it ought not, 
 or could not have succeeded, the number of the 
 garrison being greater than that of the assailants. 
 I observed that the failure was in part to be attri- 
 buted to one of the generals not having taken the 
 precaution to communicate the orders which had 
 been given to him to any one else ; so that when 
 he was killed or mortally wounded, the troops 
 did not know how to act. Napoleon replied, 
 that even if no accident of the kind had occurred, 
 the attempt ought not to have succeeded, unless
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 195 
 
 the party attacked became, as sometimes happen- 
 ed, panic struck. Graham he observed had been 
 commissary with the army at the time of his first 
 career of arms at Toulon. "A daring old man," 
 said he, and asked if he were not the same who 
 had commanded in the affair near Cadiz. 
 
 5th. Had some conversation in the morning 
 with Napoleon relative to the deficiency of fuel at 
 Longwood, and with General Montholon on the 
 same subject. 
 
 Went to Plantation House by order of Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, to whom I communicated the parti- 
 culars of the deficiency of fuel, and the observa- 
 tions I had been desired to make upon the sub- 
 ject. Had a long discussion with his excellency, 
 and explained that there were twenty-three fires 
 in all at Longwood, which he thought much too 
 numerous. He answered in his accustomed man- 
 ner, " that they had no business with so many." I 
 explained to him that Longwood was very damp, 
 and that the French ladies and children required 
 constant fires. He said that "Lady Lowe had no 
 fire in her room." I observed that the French were 
 natives of a more southern climate than ours, and 
 consequently more susceptible of cold, and that 
 there could be no comparison made between the 
 comfort, of such a building as Plantation House, 
 and Longwood. His excellency said, that " lie did 
 not see any necessity for so many fires, and that he
 
 J9() A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 had seen a fire burning in the Countess Bertrand's 
 room in the middle of summer." I told him I had 
 no observation to make upon that circumstance. 
 I observed that it was necessary to regulate the 
 quantity of wood by the seasons, as what was too 
 much in summer was too little in winter, and ex- 
 plained to him that I had done every thing in my 
 power to explain to the French, that he thought 
 the allowance which he had ordered for Long- 
 wood was sufficient, as he had made it nearly 
 double of what was consumed at Plantation 
 House. I also told his excellency that Napoleon 
 could not bear the smell of coals ; and suggested, 
 that instead of sending wood to the soldiers in 
 camp, coals might be furnished, and the wood 
 sent to Longwood ; to which he replied, that " he 
 did not like to humour any person's whims." 
 
 Saw Napoleon in his bath. After some con- 
 versation respecting the deficiency of fuel, he said 
 that he had seen Admiral Plampin, who had 
 brought him a book which he, (the admiral,) said 
 had been sent out by Lord Bathurst, which, added 
 Napoleon, " I suppose his lordship has sent in 
 order to discover the author, as in the letter which 
 the admiral said he saw, it was attributed to Ben- 
 jamin Constant, or Madame de Stael." 
 
 Napoleon then observed that he had spoken to 
 the admiral about ships of war, and their interior 
 economy. " The admiral says that a seventy-four
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 giin ship will take about eighty tons more water 
 by means of the tanks. Had I known this in 1806 
 or 1808, I would have sent an army of thirty thou- 
 sand men to invade India. I had made several 
 calculations about the possibility of sending so 
 large a body of men to India, but always found 
 that they would have been short of water for a 
 month. I asked what his plan was ? " In Brest," 
 said the emperor, " I had at one time as many as 
 fifty-six sail of the line, and often forty-six. In 
 forty of these line-of-battle ships, I intended to 
 have dispersed thirty thousand soldiers, eight 
 hundred in each, and only four hundred sailors. 
 There were to have been a proportionate number 
 of frigates, and other smaller vessels. Ten of the 
 line-of-battle ships would have been old and of 
 little value. They were also to take on board six 
 or eight hundred dismounted cavalry, and a por- 
 tion of artillery, with every thing necessary for an 
 army to take the field, and be provisioned for four 
 months. They were to make the best of their 
 way to the isle of France, where they would have 
 watered and provisioned afresh, landed their sick, 
 and taken on board some other troops to replace 
 them, with three thousand blacks to form colo- 
 nial regiments. From thence they were to have 
 proceeded to India, and to have disembarked in 
 the nearest possible place, so as to have allowed 
 the Muhrattus. with whom I had an understand-
 
 198 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ing, to join them. They were to form the cavalry 
 of the army. A few of the French were also to 
 be mounted, and all the horses they could pro- 
 cure purchased. After landing, they were to 
 have burnt the ten old ships, and divided their 
 crews amongst the rest, who would have been 
 thus full manned. They would then proceed in 
 different directions, and do you all possible mis- 
 chief in your settlements. I had," continued he, 
 " an understanding with the Mahrattas and others, 
 in India, by the way of Bassorah, Bagdat, Mocha, 
 Surat ; their communications were made to the 
 consuls at Aleppo, through the ambassdor in 
 Persia, &c. I had frequently earlier intelligence 
 from India than you had in England. The king 
 of Persia was favourably disposed towards us. 
 All this plan, however, was frustrated by the cal- 
 culations I had made, which shewed me that the 
 ships must fall short of water by a month. Had 
 I known of those tanks, I certainly would have 
 made the attempt." 
 
 Napoleon then calculated the number of tons 
 which would have been gained by the tanks, and 
 found that the ships would have had more than 
 sufficient water. " For a power which is inferior 
 by sea," said he, " it is an invention of great im- 
 portance, as it will prevent the necessity of their 
 going into harbour to water." 
 
 I mentioned Toussant Louverture, and ob-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 199 
 
 served, that amongst other calumnies, some of his 
 enemies had asserted that he had caused him to 
 be put to death privately in prison. " It does not 
 deserve an answer," replied Napoleon. " What 
 possible interest could I have in putting a Negro 
 to death after he had arrived in France ? Had he 
 died in St. Domingo, then indeed something might 
 have been suspected, but after he had safely ar- 
 rived in France, what object could have been in 
 view ?" 
 
 " One of the greatest follies I ever was guilty 
 of," continued the emperor, " was sending that 
 army out to St. Domingo. I ought to have pre- 
 vented the possibility of its being effected. I com- 
 mitted a great oversight and fault in not having 
 declared St. Domingo free, acknowledged the 
 black government, and before the peace of Amiens 
 sent some French officers to assist them. Had 
 I done this, it would have been more consonant 
 to the principles under which I was acting. It 
 would have done you incalculable mischief. You 
 would have lost Jamaica, and your other colonies 
 would have followed. Having once acknow- 
 ledged them, I could not have sent an army out 
 there during the peace. But after the peace, I 
 was continually beset with applications from pro- 
 prietors of estates in the colony, merchants, and 
 others. Indeed, the nation had la rage to regain 
 St. Domingo, and I was obliged to comply with
 
 2(M) A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 it ; but had I previous to the peace, acknowledged 
 the blacks, I could under that plea have refused 
 to make any attempts to retake it, in doing which, 
 I acted contrary to my own judgment." 
 
 6th. Informed Count Montholon, by direction 
 of Sir Hudson Lowe, that the latter had regu- 
 lated the quantity of fuel necessary for Longwood 
 by a comparison with that consumed at Planta- 
 tion House ; and thought, that by giving twice as 
 much coal as was used there, and three hundred 
 weight of wood, daily he had allowed a sufficiency. 
 That, however, if any application had been made, 
 he would have increased the quantity. I also 
 shewed him a letter from Major Gorrequer, 
 stating the quantity used at Plantation House. 
 Count Montholon replied, that they were not 
 bound to regulate the quantity of fuel they thought 
 it necessary to burn at Longwood by that con- 
 sumed by Sir Hudson Lowe at Plantation House, 
 where there were only four or five fire-places, and 
 there were twenty-three at Longwood. That, more- 
 over, they were natives of a wanner and a drier cli- 
 mate than the English, and stood in need of more 
 heat ; that the dampness of Longwood rendered 
 fires absolutely necessary for the preservation of 
 their health. That both his own and the Coun- 
 tess's clothes were spoiled by the damp, in spite 
 of the fires which were used. As to asking for 
 more, he did not like to subject himself to slight-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 201 
 
 ings or refusals. Napoleon for some days has 
 eaten no dinner. Told me, that he intended to 
 accustom himself to only one meal a day. Men- 
 tioned in the course of conversation, tint he once 
 had it in contemplation to have sent five thousand 
 men to invade Surinam ; and asked me, (as I had 
 been there,) if I thought it would have succeeded ? 
 I replied, that I thought not. First, on account 
 of the difficulty of approaching the coast, as large 
 ships could not come nearer than seventeen or 
 eighteen miles, and the channel for vessels, (not 
 drawing more than eighteen feet water,) was only 
 practicable at high water, was very difficult, intri- 
 cate, and required the aid of a skilful pilot. Be- 
 sides, that the country itself was full of marshes 
 and very inaccessible. That there was a garrison 
 of three regiments, besides the colonial militia. 
 Fort Amsterdam was strong, and could for some 
 time sustain a regular siege. 
 
 The weather has not been so bad this day as for 
 some time past. Napoleon went out as far as 
 Count Bertrand's. " Veramente? said he, yester- 
 day, when speaking of the weather, " non e paese 
 Cristiano." 
 
 7th. Napoleon complained of rheumatic pains 
 and slight headach, which he attributed, and with 
 reason, to the dampness of the climate and the 
 house. " Every evening," said he, " when I leave 
 my little sitting-room, where there is a fire, and 
 
 VOL. II. 2 D
 
 202 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 enter my sleeping-room,* where there is none, I 
 experience a sensation as if I were going into a 
 damp cellar. If it were not for the room that 
 Cockburn built, which is light, airy, and built of 
 dry wood, where I walk about and exercise, I 
 should have been under ground before now. But 
 that is I suppose what your oligarchy wants, and 
 is of a piece with their treatment of the prisoners 
 in the pontons, an act the most cruel as well 
 as the most impolitic that was ever practised. 
 Nothing that your ministers ever did, enraged the 
 French and other nations against them so much as 
 their system of pontons. If humanity were out of 
 the question, good policy ought to have made 
 them treat prisoners well. It is incredible what 
 effect the good treatment of prisoners in France 
 had upon other nations, especially the Russians 
 and Germans. I often experienced it to my ad- 
 vantage, as thousands of them threw down their 
 arms, who otherwise would have fought despe- 
 rately, saying, " we will go into Bourgogne to 
 drink good wine." 
 
 I observed, that latterly in the prison-ships in 
 England there was less mortality than amongst 
 those confined in the dep6ts on shore, which was 
 a proof that they were not ill treated, because sick- 
 ness and deaths always followed the ill treatment 
 of prisoners. Napoleon replied, "the most bar- 
 
 * Napoleon had changed his bed-room some time before.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 barons and unnatural measure ever adopted by 
 one nation against another, was that of putting 
 poor wretches who were not brought up to the 
 sea on board of ships, there to remain ten or twelve 
 years without stirring out or walking upon the 
 grass, exposed to the stink of the mud at low 
 water, and huddled up as they were. It was a 
 crying injustice, and, one which, mark me, will 
 yet be revenged upon the English nation. Of the 
 prisoners in France, I, with their own consent, 
 formed battalions of pioneers, who laboured on 
 the fortresses and other public works, for which 
 they were paid a certain sum daily. Amongst 
 them, there were some English. Directly after- 
 wards, a letter was sent by order of the English 
 government, to know if it were true that English- 
 men were made to work as pioneers, expressing 
 great anger, and desiring that it might be imme- 
 diately put a stop to. I ordered an answer to be 
 returned, stating, that an offer had been made to 
 all the prisoners in France, that a certain number 
 of them would be permitted to volunteer to work 
 as pioneers, for which they would receive so much 
 pay daily. That it was not made to the English 
 in particular. No force was employed, and 
 that, amongst others, some English had volun- 
 teered to work, for which they were paid ; that 
 I begged the English government would do 
 the same with any prisoners of mine tvho. would
 
 204 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 volunteer. However, they would not allow the 
 Frenchmen to work ; I suppose your oligarchy 
 was afraid that they would disseminate their prin- 
 ciples of equality amongst the people of England." 
 He then made some remarks upon the Manu- 
 scrit venu de S te Helene, and observed, that there 
 was such an ignorance of chronological events 
 displayed in it, such as putting the battle of Jena 
 after Tilsit, and others of a similar nature, and so 
 many mistakes as to time and place, that it would 
 make a corporal in the old French army laugh. 
 " Notwithstanding this," added he, " it was writ- 
 ten by a man of esprit, though in several passages 
 he appears not to have had sens commun. In gome 
 places, his assertion of the motives which actuated 
 me is correct. What he says on the subject of 
 my nobility is correct. What he says about my 
 intentions and wishes to do away with every thing 
 which had been established since Charlemagne, is 
 also right. That the nobility I formed was that 
 of the people is true, as I took the son of a 
 peasant, and made him a duke or a marshal when 
 I found that he had talents. That I wanted to 
 introduce a system of general equality is true, 
 and that every person should be eligible to every 
 situation, provided he had talents to fill it, what- 
 ever his birth might be. That I wanted to do 
 away with all the ancient prejudices of birth is 
 also correct. That I laboured to establish a govern-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 205 
 
 ment of the people, which although dur, was still 
 that of the people, is also true. That I ought to 
 have deposed for my own security, the house of 
 Brandenburgh, when I had it in my power, and 
 all the ancient orders of sovereigns ; and that they 
 almost always combined against and attacked me, 
 is also right. Probably I ought to have done so, 
 and I should have succeeded. It is true that I 
 wished to establish a government of the people. 
 It is a work which will much displease the oli- 
 garchy, because they do not wish that any person 
 except one of themselves should be eligible for 
 any important situation. With their will, birth, 
 and not talents or capability, should regulate the 
 choice. A worse, a more despotic or unforgiving 
 government than an oligarchy never existed. Of- 
 fend them once you are never pardoned, and no 
 treatment can be too cruel for you when in their 
 power. The pamphlet is written with that light- 
 ness peculiar to Frenchmen, and consequently 
 contains many mistakes. The Edinburgh Review 
 will find out directly that I am not the author of it. 
 La Revue d'Edinburg le coulera en has. They 
 will take it to pieces as I have done. The editors 
 of it will probably make similar remarks to those 
 in the notes* I made yesterday, probably not so 
 
 * Those notes were given by Napoleon to me, and published in the 
 appendix to the ninth volume of the Memoirs of Napoleon, dictated 
 by himself.
 
 206 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 strong, in consequence of not being so well ac- 
 quainted with the secrets as I am. I see by the 
 sketch* they have published of my life, that they 
 take pains to ascertain the truth. Most of it is 
 true ; and it is difficult for me to imagine from 
 whence they had their information on some parts 
 of my early life, which were very little known to 
 any except my own family." 
 
 " That work," continued he, " was not written 
 by Madame de Stael, or if it be, it was the work 
 of a few hours, and was sent to the press without 
 any correction. But there are in it f antes trop 
 grassier es for Madame de Stael. The sentiments 
 expressed in it are such as Madame de Stael 
 would talk; and though new in England, were 
 for several years the subjects of discussion in 
 France." 
 
 " The author," continued he, " has made a great 
 mistake in saying, that after Jena, I never did any 
 thing worthy of my former actions. The greatest 
 military manoeuvres I ever made, and those for 
 whicli I give myself most credit, were performed 
 at Eckmiihl, and were infinitely superior to Ma- 
 rengo, or to any other of my actions. It is the 
 work of some young honune d'esprit, who has hur- 
 ried it to the press without having submitted it 
 
 The sketch alluded to came from the classical pen of John Allen, 
 Esq. Napoleon had read it with great attention in my presence, and 
 made some pencil marks upon particular passages.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 207 
 
 to the revision of any of his friends. It is however 
 composed with good intentions towards me. If I 
 had written a work of the kind, it would indeed 
 be different. Every line of it would be a subject 
 of discussion for nations." 
 
 " Freeing the work from its mistakes and er- 
 rors," added he, "it would be valuable. The 
 author says that there will be a revolution in Eu- 
 rope. That is not at all improbable. He says, 
 that it was perhaps necessaiy to place a Bourbon 
 on the throne in 1814 ; but that it would have 
 been advisable to have left me after my return 
 from Elba. Perhaps he is right in both." He 
 added, that such a work, really written by him, 
 would make a great noise. " It will be, or per- 
 haps is written," added he, " but it will be for 
 my son and for posterity." 
 
 " It only rested with me," said he, " to have de- 
 posed both the King of Prussia and the Empe- 
 ror of Austria. When I was at Schoenbrunn," (I 
 think he said) " the Duke of Wurtsburgh fre- 
 quently insinuated to me that the only means to 
 secure the good faith of Austria would be to depose 
 his brother Francis, and place the crown on his 
 head. These offers were repeated to me afterwards 
 through a minister, with an offer of his son as 
 hostage, who should be placed as my aid-de-camp, 
 with every other possible guarantee. I reflected 
 upon it for some time ; but the marriage with
 
 208 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Marie Louise put a stop to any further consider- 
 ation on the subject. I was wrong in not having 
 accepted of it. Nothing would have been easier 
 to execute." 
 
 I asked, if he believed it to have been written 
 by the Abb de Pradt. " No," replied the em- 
 peror, " I do not think that he is the author. De 
 Pradt," continued he, " may be said to be une 
 espece dejllle dejoie, qui prete son corps to all the 
 world for payment. Once, when he was giving 
 vent to his customary bavardage and extravagant 
 projects in my presence, I contented myself with 
 humming a part of the air : 
 
 Ou courez vous done, monsieur l'Abb, 
 Vous allez vous casser le nez, 
 
 which disconcerted him so much, that he had not 
 another word to utter." 
 
 Speaking about the badness of the house, and 
 the offer said to have been made by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe to build a new one, Napoleon observed, that 
 he had only refused the offer of making additions 
 to the present wretched old house of Longwood, 
 and the design to build another on that miser- 
 able situation. " The governor," said he, " asked 
 me if I had heard that wood had arrived to build 
 a new house, but that I must not believe that a 
 house had been sent out ; that I might perhaps 
 have seen such an assertion in the papers; but 
 that only materials had come out. I told him
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. '209 
 
 that I did not believe what I saw in the papers ; 
 more especially any thing relating to myself. He 
 said, that if I made choice of a spot to build a 
 house upon, I might have it ; but on condition 
 that it was approved of by him ; without which 
 I could not have it where I pleased. I was not 
 so silly as not to have known this before. He 
 then made an offer of building additions, but 
 with a very bad grace. I told him, that I did 
 not wish to subject myself to the inconvenience 
 of having workmen continually to annoy me with 
 their noise. That the English government ought 
 to provide me with a house already built, and not 
 one to be built. After this, he wrote a letter to 
 Montholon on the same subject, who replied by 
 my desire, that if he intended to build a new house 
 for us, let it be built in a place where there was 
 shade and water. Nothing could be more plain 
 than this. It is a fine prospect certainly that he 
 now holds out. With all the activity of Cockburn, 
 the construction of a new house would take three 
 years, and with this man, I dare say six ; and 
 that a house might be healthy, it* ought not to be 
 inhabited for eighteen months after being built. I 
 shall be dead long before that time. This I also 
 told him. Plantation House is the only one in 
 the island fit for me. The governor having a 
 house himself in town, could easily retire to it for 
 
 VOL. II. 2 E
 
 210 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 six months, until improvements were made here, 
 and having the command of every thing himself 
 without being obliged to ask permission from any 
 body, he could soon render this habitable for some 
 months in the year, which is all that it is adapted 
 for. He could retire to town in the winter season." 
 
 Napoleon then said, that the English servants 
 in the house had laughed at the French for eating 
 lentils, and asserted, that in England they fed 
 horses with what the French eat here. He laughed 
 very heartily while saying this : and at an anec- 
 dote which I related about Dr. Johnson, who I 
 informed him, had in the first edition of his Eng- 
 lish dictionary, denned oats to be " food for horses 
 in England, and for men in Scotland." 
 
 Count Montholon called Captain Blakeney* 
 and myself this day to look at the state of his 
 apartments. The rooms, especially the Countess's 
 bed-room, the children's room, and bath room, 
 were certainly in a shocking state, from the ex- 
 treme humidity of the place. The walls were 
 covered with green fur and mould ; damp and cold 
 to the touch, notwithstanding the fires which were 
 constantly kept in them. I never saw a human 
 habitation in a more mouldy or humid state, in 
 which opinion the orderly officer agreed. 
 
 * Captain Blakeney had replaced Captain Poppleton as orderly offi- 
 cer on the departure of Captain P. 'a regiment from St. Helena.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 211 
 
 8th. Saw Napoleon, who informed me that 
 after I had left him yesterday, he had found him- 
 self very unwell with headach arid general pains 
 in his limbs ; and had taken a warm bath, which 
 had been very beneficial to him. 
 
 He was in very good spirits, spoke for a long 
 time about the Manuscrit de S te Helene, and ob- 
 served, that it must have been written by a person 
 who had heard him reason, and was acquainted 
 with his ideas. He added, that he thought he 
 knew the author, whom he supposed to be a man 
 who had figured in the revolution, and now lived 
 retired. 
 
 He asked many questions about the number of 
 bottles of wine we drank at our party the night 
 before last. Blamed Mr. Boys's conduct, for hav- 
 ing preached in allusion to the admiral.* Said 
 that a man's conscience was not to be amenable to 
 any tribunal ; that no person ought to be account- 
 able to any earthly power for his religious opinions. 
 " Had you not persecuted the Catholics in Ire- 
 land," added he, " in all probability the greatest 
 num ber of them would before now have become 
 Protestants ; but persecution strengthens them in 
 their belief. Even Pitt himself was aware of the 
 
 * Mr. Boys had thought it a duty to mention something from the 
 pulpit in censure of an official person, for having set an example of 
 immorality to a small colony, by publicly living with a woman not hia 
 wife, and for absenting himself from church.
 
 '212 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 necessity of giving the Catholics equal privileges 
 with the Protestants." 
 
 \)th. Races at Deadwood. The commissioners 
 all present. None of the French from Longwood 
 attended, except the children and some of the do- 
 mestics. 
 
 During the interval between the heats, Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe sent for me, and asked if " some of 
 General Bonaparte's horses were not on the race- 
 ground ?" I replied in the affirmative. His excel- 
 lency asked how they came there ? I replied, 
 that I had borrowed the horses from General 
 Gourgaud, one of which I had lent to Miss Eliza 
 Balcombe, and the other to the surgeon of the 
 Conqueror. Sir Hudson immediately broke out 
 into not the most moderate expressions, and his 
 gestures attracted the attention of many of the 
 spectators. He characterised my having dared 
 to lend any of General Bonaparte's horses without 
 his (the governor's) permission, to be the greatest 
 piece of presumption he had ever witnessed. I 
 observed, that I had come to St. Helena to learn 
 that it was a crime to borrow a horse for the use 
 of a young lady ; neither had I known that it was 
 necessary to go to Plantation House to ask per- 
 mission from him to borrow a horse belonging to 
 the Longwood establishment. Sir Hudson replied, 
 that " I had no business to form any opinion 
 about it." 
 
 This was evidently only a pretext to have an
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 213 
 
 opportunity of venting his pitiful vengeance, as 
 not a week passed that horses were not sent down 
 to town, and frequently to Sir Thomas Reade's, 
 for Dr. Livingston and others to ride up to Long- 
 wood, without it having ever been signified that it 
 was necessary first to apply to Sir Hudson Lowe 
 for permission. Besides, Gen. Gourgaud always 
 directed that a horse should be in the stable at my 
 command. 
 
 A little before the conclusion of the races, the 
 three commissioners, Madame Sturmer, and Cap- 
 tain Gor, came in as far as the inner gate of Long- 
 wood, where they remained for some time, during 
 which the governor approached and looked in at 
 the outer gate. Shortly afterwards, Count and 
 Countess Bertrand, Count and Countess Montho- 
 lon, and General Gourgaud, went out to walk, 
 and met the commissioners outside of the gate, 
 with whom they had a long conversation. They 
 afterwards proceeded together to Hut's Gate. It 
 was nearly dark before they returned. 
 
 Napoleon in high spirits ; looked out of a win- 
 dow at the races, with which he was much pleased. 
 Told me that he had done every thing in his 
 power to establish the same in France. 
 
 \%th. Went to Plantation House, in conse- 
 quence of orders communicated to me by Captain 
 Blakeney. After some conversation relative to the 
 Kite discussions respecting the quantity of fuel 
 allowed to Longwood, Sir Hudson Lowe entered
 
 214 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 again upon the heinous crime I had been guilty of 
 in lending one of the horses of the Longwood esta- 
 blishment to a young lady; to which I replied as 
 I had done before, which he said was quite in the 
 Longwood style. He then asked in an abrupt 
 manner if I had not received some books from Dr. 
 Warden ? I replied, that I had received seven or 
 eight monthly publications containing reviews 
 of his work. " Did you not receive one, sir, 
 with a view of Longwood ?"* I replied, yes. " It 
 is very extraordinary," said Sir Hudson, " that 
 you did not inform me of it." I replied, that I 
 was not bound to tell him of any or every book I 
 received or purchased ; that I was in the habit of 
 having books and pamphlets of various descrip- 
 tions from England, which I was not obliged to 
 give any account of. Sir Hudson said, that I 
 ought to have done so, and asked if I had lent 
 any of them to the French, or if they had seen 
 them. I replied, that to my knowledge the French 
 had not seen them ; that they were at present in 
 my inner apartment. He said, that " it was very 
 extraordinary I should have had those pamphlets 
 for two months, without being able to tell whether 
 the French had seen them ; and that I might have 
 books in my rooms, to be shewn to them, of a very 
 improper tendency, which they might read in my ab- 
 sence ;" and after harping for a long time on those 
 
 * A few days before, I had lent this pamphlet to an officer of the 
 staff.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 215 
 
 unlucky pamphlets, he said he supposed I had no 
 objection to lend them to him. I replied, certainly 
 not; that they should be sent to him on my re- 
 turn. They consisted of the Monthly Review, 
 Gentleman's Magazine, Eclectic Review, British 
 Ladies' Magazine, European Magazine, and New 
 Monthly. His excellency then said, that Count 
 Las Cases had given a pretty strong hint in the 
 letter he had sent to Longwood from the Cape, that 
 he was in want of the money which he had lent 
 them, which it did not appear to be convenient for 
 them to understand. After which he made a long 
 and abusive harangue upon the " Character of 
 Bonaparte," extracted from the Quarterly Review, 
 which publication his excellency appeared to con- 
 sider as a sort of political gospel. 
 
 14th. Napoleon in very good spirits. Asked 
 many questions about the horses that had won at 
 the races, and the manner in which we trained 
 them ; how much I had won or lost ; and about the 
 ladies, &c. " You had a large party yesterday," 
 continued he. " How many bottles of wine ? Drink, 
 your eyes look like drink" which he expressed 
 in English. "Who dined with you?" I men- 
 tioned Captain Wallis amongst others. " What, 
 is that the lieutenant who was with Wright?" 1 
 replied in the affirmative. "What does he say 
 about Wright's death?" I said, "He states his 
 belief that Wright was murdered by orders of
 
 216 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Fouche, for the purpose of ingratiating himself with 
 you. That six or seven weeks previous, Wright 
 had told him that he expected to be murdered like 
 Pichegru, and begged of him never to believe that 
 he would commit suicide ; that he had received a 
 letter from Wright, about four or five weeks before 
 his death, in which he stated that he was better 
 treated, allowed to subscribe to a library, and to 
 receive newspapers." Napoleon replied, " I will 
 never allow that Wright was put to death by 
 Fouche" s orders. If he was put to death privately 
 it must have been by my orders, and not by those 
 of Fouchd. Fouche' knew me too well. He 
 was aware that I would have had him hanged 
 directly if he attempted it. By this officer's own 
 words, Wright was not au secret, as he says that 
 he saw him some weeks before his death, and that 
 he was allowed books and newspapers. Now 
 if it had been in contemplation to make away 
 with him, he would have been put au secret for 
 months before, in order that people might not be 
 accustomed to see him for some time previous, as 
 I thought this * * * intended to do in November 
 last. Why not examine the gaolers and turnkeys? 
 The Bourbons have every opportunity of proving 
 it, if such really took place. But your ministers 
 themselves do not believe it, The idea I have of 
 what was my opinion at that time about Wright, is 
 faint ; but as well as I can recollect, it was, that
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 217 
 
 he ought to have been brought before a military 
 commission for having landed spies and assassins, 
 and the sentence executed within forty-eight hours. 
 What dissuaded me from doing so, I cannot 
 clearly recollect. Were I in France at this mo- 
 ment, and a similar occurrence took place, the 
 above would be my opinion, and I would write 
 to the English government, ' Such an officer of 
 your's has been tried for landing brigands and as- 
 sassins on my territories. I have caused him to 
 be tried by a military commission. He has been 
 condemned to death. The sentence has been car- 
 ried into execution. If any of my officers in your 
 prisons have been guilty of the same, try and exe- 
 cute them. You have my full permission and ac- 
 quiescence. Or if you find hereafter any of my 
 officers landing assassins on your shores, shoot 
 them instantly.' This affair of Wright's," added 
 he, " made so little impression upon me, that when 
 Lord Ebrington spoke about it at Elba, I did not 
 recollect it. My mind was so much occupied 
 with grand objects, that I had little time to think 
 of a poor English captain. Had the Bourbons, 
 Moreau, or the Vendean chiefs been put to death, 
 then indeed I might have been suspected. I might 
 have tried and executed the Vendean chiefs for 
 having carried arms against the country. They 
 are all alive. My opinion is, if I had known 
 Wright had been one of Sydney Smith's officers, 
 
 VOL. II. 2 F
 
 218 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and that he had fought against me at Acre, I would 
 have sent for and questioned him about the siege 
 and released him. I recollect perfectly well see- 
 ing an officer wounded and carried off at Acre, 
 whose bravery I admired at the time. I think 
 that I should have released him, if I had found 
 him to be that officer. It appears also that he 
 killed himself when he was upon the point of being 
 released, as I see that the court of Spain had in- 
 terceded for him. When you first spoke to me 
 on the subject, I imagined that Wright had killed 
 himself purposely to avoid giving evidence against 
 your ministers ; and I attached a degree of heroism 
 to the act, which I gave him great credit for ; but 
 since I see that it was a long time after, and when 
 I was at Ulm, at the head of a hundred and fifty 
 thousand men, and three hundred leagues from 
 Paris. It requires but a trifling circumstance to 
 make you English kill yourselves." 
 
 Napoleon then rallied me upon my supposed 
 attention to Miss * * *, and said, I ought to marry 
 her. I replied, that I was neither rich enough, 
 nor young enough, to have pretensions to so fine 
 a lady. He now recounted some of his own 
 love adventures. " The most beautiful female I 
 ever saw," said he, " was an Irish girl, Mademoi- 
 selle G**s; whether she had been born in Ire- 
 land, or was only of an Irish family, I am not cer- 
 tain. It was during Josephine's time, and long be-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 fore I married Marie Louise. One day, when I was 
 hunting- in St. Germains, some of the court in- 
 triguers threw her in my way, and contrived it so, 
 that she came with a petition in her hand to deli- 
 ver to me. When she presented herself, and said 
 she had a petition, every one made way for her, as 
 I had given orders that persons bringing- petitions 
 should invariably be allowed to approach me. 
 She fell at my feet, and presented it. She was 
 covered with a veil, that did not conceal the 
 beauty of her countenance, which was really hea- 
 venly. Certainly I was taken with her charms, 
 and although I suspected there was some intrigue, 
 I was not displeased. Three or four times after- 
 wards I saw and conversed with her. I used to 
 take little liberties with her, such as patting- her 
 cheeks. At this time a letter from her mother to 
 her was brought to me from the secret post-office. 
 This mother was an old intriguer, and gave her 
 daughter directions which elucidated her charac- 
 ter. There were instructions relative to her con- 
 duct towards me in many particular instances. 
 I was now ccnvinced that it was not proper for 
 me to countenance this proceeding, and although 
 I was assuredly smitten with her, for she was as 
 beautiful as an angel, I gave such orders as pre- 
 vented her ever having the means of being again 
 admitted to my presence. Since that time, I have 
 been informed, she really had a regard for me, and
 
 220 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 would have been faithful. She is now married to 
 M. ***, a very rich man, but, still, I am led to 
 believe, preserves an affection for me. 
 
 " The evening before I left Paris for Waterloo," 
 continued Napoleon ; " a beautiful Englishwoman 
 came to the palace, and asked to see me. She saw 
 Marchand, who told her that it was impossible. 
 She said, she was an English lady, and a friend 
 of Mademoiselle G**s, whom I well knew, and 
 that she was persuaded I would see her; that I 
 could not refuse to see a young lady who loved 
 me, and admired my character. Marchand told 
 her that I was to leave Paris the next morning, 
 and could not be disturbed. At hearing this, she 
 appeared to be much afflicted, and with some re- 
 luctance she went away. Perhaps she was some 
 beautiful intriguer, or one who had la tete monttfe, 
 for me. When once a woman has la tte montee, 
 all the world will not prevent her from attempt- 
 ing to succeed in her designs. Soon after I had 
 taken Vienna, the Austrian Princess *** got her 
 head full of me, from hearing me so much talked 
 of. She was one of those princesses, of whom you 
 know there are so many in Germany. Nothing 
 would ****** *.-f- For this purpose she came 
 to Schoenbrunn, and insisted upon seeing me. 
 
 f" The following quotation from Douglas, will sufficiently explain 
 the designs of this innamorata : 
 
 " As ladies wish to be, who love their lords."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Murat, who was a fine handsome fellow, tried to 
 gain her affections, but she rejected him with dis- 
 dain. I ordered her to be admitted, and repre- 
 sented myself as Mar&hal Duroc. She could 
 speak very little French or Italian, and I could 
 not converse in German. I told her not to speak 
 so loud, as the emperor would hear her, and point- 
 ed out Duroc as emperor ; but she was not to be 
 deceived. She had seen me pass by a house where 
 she was, and cried, no, no, vous, vous empereur. 
 She was extremely handsome, and very candid in 
 her confessions." 
 
 Napoleon then spoke about the assertion, said 
 to have been made by Lord Castlereagh, in the 
 House of Commons, respecting him ; viz. that he 
 had made out a list of the richest heiresses in 
 France whom he was in the habit of ordering to 
 marry such of his generals as he pleased. That 
 none of them could marry without his leave^ and 
 were obliged to espouse any persons, to whom he 
 thought proper to give them. These assertions he 
 declared to be wholly false. " So far from being 
 true," added Napoleon, " it was not in my power 
 to get even Caulaincourt married to a lady to 
 whom I wished to see him united. She was 
 the daughter of * * *, who was president of the 
 chamber, a banker, and enormously rich, which 
 he had chiefly acquired, it was supposed, by a 
 ********. She was a beautiful girl, and he in-
 
 222 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tended giving her a large portion. I asked the 
 father myself, as a favour, to give her in marriage 
 to Caulaincourt, but he gave me a positive refusal. 
 At that time, Caulaincourt was one of my greatest 
 favourites. So much for Castlereagh's veracity." 
 
 19th. Went to Plantation House, in obedience 
 to directions received from Sir Hudson Lowe 
 through Captain Blakeney, desired also to take 
 with me a report of the state of health of Napoleon. 
 On my arrival, Sir Hudson Lowe asked for the 
 report, which stated, that with the exception of a 
 few slight catarrhal attacks, his health had been 
 tolerable. Sir Hudson Lowe asked if they had 
 been of any consequence, to which I answered in 
 the negative. The governor observed, that others, 
 besides me, had made reports relative to General 
 Bonaparte's health. That Madame Bertrand had 
 told the commissioners that he was extremely 
 unwell ; that because they saw him standing in 
 the viranda, they must not believe that he was 
 in good health. I repeated, that he had suffered 
 some indisposition, but not of a serious nature. 
 Sir Hudson Lowe then said, that lie had heard 
 a great deal, though not all of the conversation 
 which had passed between the French and the 
 commissioners, and that all of the former, except 
 one, had abused the opportunity. That every 
 time Count Bertrand had had an opportunity of 
 speaking to them, he had abused it ; that this last
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 223 
 
 was the only time that Montholon had had an 
 opportunity of speaking to them, which he (Sir 
 Hudson) asserted, he had fully availed himself of 
 by cramming them with misrepresentations. 
 
 20th. Saw Napoleon in his bath. At first he 
 was rather dull and out of spirits. Complained 
 of pain in the right cheek, shooting from the dis- 
 eased tooth. Gums spongy, and bled upon the 
 slightest touch. Ankles and legs a little swelled. 
 Great want of sleep at night. Explained to me 
 several reasons which convinced me that Corvisart 
 had been right in prescribing to him exercise on 
 horseback, which I strongly recommended myself, 
 and in as forcible a manner as possible. Napoleon 
 replied, that under the present restrictions, liable 
 to be insulted by a sentinel if he budged off the 
 road ; he could never stir out, neither did he think 
 that I myself, or any other Englishman placed in 
 his situation, would avail himself of the privilege 
 to ride, fettered with such restrictions. To this 
 observation of his, I made no reply, for if I had 
 expressed my real sentiments as a man, and not as 
 a surgeon, I must have said that I agreed with 
 him in opinion ; and contented myself with recom- 
 mending antiscorbutic vegetables, &c. " Di qua 
 un poco non mi vedrete piii, Dottore; varrei che 
 fosse questa sera, una maniera d'* * * * * as certain 
 but more barbarous than the stiletto. Sento che
 
 221 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 la macchina sene va giornalmente. However that 
 is what he was sent for. In succeeding ages the 
 * * * * w i\\ p av f or it. Stir le rocher le plus affreux 
 dans le monde, they send out a man to impose re- 
 strictions which never have been practised in the 
 revolutionary tribunals under Marat. Even there, 
 the condemned, while permitted to live, were al- 
 lowed newspapers and books. They did not ex- 
 pire in agonies, protracted so long as to make it 
 appear a natural death. That refinement of cruelty 
 was unknown to Billaud de Varennes, or Collot 
 d'Herbois. 
 
 " I ask you," continued Napoleon, " can you 
 lend me a newspaper or a book ? Can you even 
 lend me a work upon science ?" 
 
 Shortly afterwards he spoke about Catholic 
 emancipation, which if effected, he pronounced 
 would be of great benefit to the English on the 
 continent, and be a most wise and politic measure 
 for our ministers to adopt. 
 
 He then made some observations about Mr. 
 
 P e's having sold his wife,* which he said 
 
 would reflect but little credit on the governor, and 
 that, had such a circumstance occurred in France, 
 the Procureur Ge"nral would have prosecuted 
 the offending parties. That it appeared to be a 
 most disgraceful circumstance, especially when, 
 
 * This circumstance actually happened at St. Helena.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 225 
 
 as it appeared to be, it had been sanctioned by 
 the two organs of communication of the governor, 
 civil and military. 
 
 Napoleon then observed that he was at a loss 
 to conceive from whence the Edinburgh Review 
 had obtained so much accurate information re- 
 specting him. " That circumstance," said he, " of 
 the ddjeime de trois amis, I never told to any per- 
 son. It is true that I was the author, and that it 
 produced great effect in France, but I do not recol- 
 lect ever having disclosed it to any one. There are, 
 however, some mistakes in the Review. I never 
 knew Barras at Toulon. My first acquaintance 
 with him was at Paris, after the siege of Toulon. 
 
 " My marriage with Marie Louise," added Na- 
 poleon, " produced no change in me. I was pre- 
 cisely the same as before. Never was woman 
 more astonished than Marie Louise was after her 
 marriage, when she observed the few precautions 
 that I took to insure my safety against any at- 
 tempts upon my life. When she perceived that 
 there were no sentinels except at the outer gates 
 of the palace ; that there were no lords sleeping 
 before the doors of the apartments ; that the doors 
 were not even locked, and that there were no guns 
 or pistols in the rooms where we slept, ' Why,' 
 said she with astonishment, ' you do not take 
 half so many precautions as my father, who has 
 nothing to fear.' I am," continued Napoleon, 
 
 VOL. ii. 2 G
 
 226 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 too much of a fatalist, (trap fatalistej to take 
 any precautions against assassination. When I 
 was in Pans, I used to go out and intermingle 
 with the populace without my guards, receive 
 their petitions, and was frequently surrounded by 
 them so closely that I could not move." 
 
 I inquired of the emperor in what engagement 
 or engagements he considered himself to have been 
 in the greatest danger? He replied, "In the com- 
 mencement of my campaigns. At Toulon, and 
 particularly at Arcola. At Arcola, my horse was 
 shot under me; rendered furious by the wound, 
 the animal seized the bit between his teeth, and 
 galloped on towards the enemy, In the agonies 
 of death, he plunged into a morass and expired, 
 leaving me nearly up to my neck in the swamp, 
 and in a situation from which I could not extri- 
 cate myself. I thought at one moment that the 
 Austrians would have come and cut off my head 
 which was just above the surface of the morass, 
 and which they could have done without my hav- 
 ing been able to offer the least resistance. However, 
 the difficulty of getting at me, and the approach of 
 my soldiers, who rescued me, prevented them." 
 
 I asked if he had not been frequently slightly 
 wounded ? He replied, " several times, but scarce- 
 ly more than once had I occasion for surgical as- 
 sistance, or any fever in consequence of a wound. 
 At Marengo a cannon-shot took away a piece of 
 the boot of my left leg, and a little of the skin,"
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 227 
 
 said he shewing the mark to me, " but I used no 
 other application to it than a piece of linen dipped 
 in salt and water." I asked about a wound of 
 which there was a deep mark in the inside of the 
 left thigh, a little above the knee. He said, that it 
 was from a bayonet. I asked if he had not had horses 
 frequently killed under him, to which he answered, 
 eighteen or nineteen in the course of his life. 
 
 " The regiment de la Fere," said Napoleon, 
 " in which I commenced my career, behaved so 
 badly to the inhabitants of Turin, that I was ob- 
 liged to reduce them. I accordingly had them 
 marched to Paris, assembled on the parade, or- 
 dered the colours to be taken from them by some 
 colonels, and lodged in the church of," (the In- 
 valids, I think he said,) " covered with mourning. 
 I divided the officers who had not behaved so 
 badly as the principal actors, amongst other regi- 
 ments. Some months afterwards, I formed the 
 regiment again under different officers, and the 
 colours were taken from the church with great 
 pomp by a number of colonels, each tearing a 
 piece off, which they burnt, and new ones were 
 given in their stead." 
 
 "When I was about seventeen years of age," 
 said he, "I narrowly escaped being drowned in 
 the Sa6ne. While swimming, cramp seized me, 
 and after several ineffectual struggles, I sank. I 
 experienced at that moment all the sensations of
 
 228 A VOICE FROM ST HELENA. 
 
 dying-, and lost all recollection. However, after 
 I had sunk, the current carried me upon a bank 
 of sand, on the edge of which it threw me, 
 where I lay senseless for I know not how long-, 
 and was restored to life by the aid of some of my 
 young companions, who by accident saw me lying 
 there. Previous to this, they had given me up for 
 lost, as they saw me sink, and the current of the 
 river had carried me to a considerable distance." 
 
 While looking over a number of papers (chiefly 
 Portsmouth), he observed an article stating that 
 * * * had made large purchases in the north of 
 Ireland. "Ah," said Napoleon, "some of my 
 money has gone to pay for those estates. After 
 the abdication at Fontainbleau, upwards of forty 
 millions of francs, my private property, was seized, 
 and taken from my treasurer near Orleans.* Of 
 this money, about five and twenty millions were 
 divided amongst T***, M**, H**, and C***. 
 The money thus seized included the marriage 
 portion of the empress Marie Louise, which had 
 been paid in sovereigns of gold, an old German 
 coin. The remainder was placed in the French 
 treasury. The whole of these sums had been 
 guaranteed to me by the treaty of Fontainbleau. 
 
 * It was necessary for me as narrator of Napoleon's conversations, 
 to acquaint the public with the fact detailed by him of the seizure of 
 his treasures ; but it is evident that the application of them, as re- 
 lated by him, could have been only conjecture on his part.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA 229 
 
 The share which C*** obtained was very large, 
 and the exact amount of it is known to me." 
 
 The talents requisite in a good general then 
 came under his observation. " The mind of a 
 general ought to resemble and be as clear as 
 the field-glass of a telescope, et jamais se faire 
 des tableaux. Of all the generals who preceded 
 him, and perhaps all those who have followed, 
 Turenne was the greatest. Mare'chal Saxe, a 
 mere general, pas d' esprit ; Luxembourg, beau- 
 coup ; le grand Fre'de'ric, beaucoup, and a quick 
 and ready perception of every thing. Your Marl- 
 borough, besides being a great general, avail aussi 
 beaucoup d 'esprit. Judging from Wellington's ac- 
 tions, from his despatches, and above all from his 
 conduct towards Ney, I should pronounce him to 
 be un homme de peu d' esprit sans ge'ne'rosite', et 
 sans grandeur d'dme. Such I know to be the opi- 
 nion of Benjamin Constant and of Madame de 
 Stael, who said, that except as a general, he had 
 not two ideas. As a general, however, to find his 
 equal amongst your own nation, you must go back 
 to the time of Marlborough, but as any thing else, 
 I think that history will pronounce him to be un 
 homme borne'. 
 
 2lst. At about six minutes before ten o'clock 
 at night, three distinct shocks of an earthquake 
 were felt at Longwood. The whole of the house 
 was shaken with a rumbling, clattering noise at
 
 230 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 first, as if some heavy body, like a loaded waggon, 
 was dragged along the upper apartments, succeed- 
 ed by an evident tremulous motion of the ground, 
 the glasses rattling on the table, and the pictures 
 receding from the walls. The duration of the 
 whole might have been from sixteen to twenty se- 
 conds, as Captain Blakeney and myself, who were 
 sitting together at the time that it occurred, had 
 sufficient time from its commencement until it was 
 over to reason and reciprocally ask from what it 
 could proceed, before we guessed at the right 
 cause, which we discovered simultaneously before 
 it ceased. No mischief was done.* Generals Mon 
 tholon, Gourgaud, all the household attendants 
 and English servants came out. No alarm ap- 
 peared to exist amongst them. General Montho- 
 lon informed me, that his son Tristan, who was 
 asleep, was awoke by the shock, and exclaimed 
 that somebody was endeavouring to throw him 
 out of the bed. General Gourgaud also felt three 
 distinct shocks. Upon inquiry being made of 
 some of the sentinels about the house, they replied, 
 that they had not experienced any thing extraor- 
 dinary. This may be accounted for by the fact 
 
 * Although Napoleon was in bed, which he did not leave during 
 the time of the shocks, some veracious person wrote to England that 
 " Bonaparte endeavoured to escape out of the house, but was stopped 
 by the sentinels," which falsehood was eagerly inserted in some of the 
 ministerial papers. 

 
 A VOICE FROJtr ST. HELENA. 
 
 of the wind having been so strong at the time, that 
 they were obliged to use considerable exertion 
 in walking against it. The sensation was very 
 strongly felt in our kitchen, about forty yards from 
 the house, and at the guard-room, about five hun- 
 dred yards distant, particularly by those men who 
 were lying down on the ground. 
 
 Very little mischief was done in the island. It 
 appeared that the direction of the shocks was 
 perpendicular. Had it been lateral, James Town 
 must have been overwhelmed with immense mas- 
 ses of rock. 
 
 22nd. Saw Napoleon in his bed-room. When 
 I entered it, he was employed in making some 
 calculations. He raised his eyes, looked at me, 
 and said, smiling, "Well, Mr. Doctor, tremble- 
 ment de terre last night. I observed that I had 
 experienced three distinct shocks. After he had 
 remained a short time at his calculations, he got 
 up, and said that he was in bed at the time it 
 occurred. " At the moment of the first shock," 
 continued he, "I imagined, and said to myself, 
 some accident has happened to the Conqueror; 
 she has taken fire and is blown up,* or else some 
 powder magazine on the island has exploded. At 
 the second shock, however, I immediately per- 
 
 * When this surmise was mentioned a short time afterwards to 
 Admiral Plampin, the following remark was made :" Ay, ay, the 
 d d ras ca! supposed so, because he wished it !"
 
 232 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ceived what it was, and said it was an earth- 
 quake." I asked if he had heard the rumbling- 
 noise which accompanied it, and that I thought 
 the duration of it had been from sixteen to eighteen 
 seconds. Napoleon replied that he thought it 
 had lasted altogether about twelve seconds. He 
 mentioned that he had felt the shock of an 
 earthquake once before at Ferrara, at break of 
 day. Some further conversation about earth- 
 quakes then took place, during which I mentioned 
 that a shock had been felt in St. Helena in the 
 year 1756, and another in 1782. I said that it 
 was likely the fanatics and the superstitious in 
 the island would attribute the earthquake to his 
 presence ; for the Portuguese had said that the 
 strong and destructive south-east-wind which 
 prevailed at Madeira in 1815, when the Northum- 
 berland arrived off Funchal, and had done so 
 much mischief, had been produced by his arrival. 
 He laughed very heartily at this, and observed, 
 that to make a good tale of it (the earthquake) it 
 ought to have occurred immediately upon his ar- 
 rival, or a few days after. 
 
 Napoleon then said he had been informed that 
 Lord Moira had demanded twenty thousand ad- 
 ditional European troops in India. " I do not 
 believe it," said he, "but if there is any necessity 
 to send troops to India, it is owing to the imbe- 
 cility of your ministers in having given up any
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 233 
 
 possession beyond the Cape to the French. If 
 true, it has been most probably caused by some 
 intriguing French adventurers, of whom there 
 are now so many thousands without employment, 
 who, joining necessity to their hatred of you, have 
 stirred up the Mahrattas against you. Instead of 
 having given up Pondicherry, and the Isle de 
 Bourbon to the French, you ought to have acted 
 as the Romans did to the Carthaginians, and said, 
 * You shall not stir beyond such a latitude," not 
 for ever, because that would be an injustice, but 
 for ten years or longer, until your fears for the 
 safety of the Indies are over. My opinion is, 
 that your having given up Pondicherry and Bour- 
 bon to the French, will cost you ten thousand more 
 Europeans in India, without benefiting France in 
 the position she is, under those imbeciles the Bour- 
 bons. Even when / was in power, I would not 
 have given a quattrino (a farthing) for those pos- 
 sessions, had it not been for the hopes that I al- 
 ways entertained of driving you out of India ; to 
 effect which, and to maintain a correspondence, 
 the isle of France or of Bourbon was so necessary. 
 Every year I received ambassadors from the Na- 
 bobs and other Indian princes, especially those of 
 the Mahrattas, imploring help from me, and offer- 
 ing to drive you from India, provided I would 
 assist them with fourteen or sixteen thousand in- 
 fantry, artillery, and officers. They offered to 
 VOL. n. 2 H
 
 234 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 find all the cavalry if I would send officers to in- 
 struct their troops. The hatred they expressed 
 against you was astonishing. Every year I had 
 those proposals through different channels. Very 
 frequently by the isle of France, mercantuzzi, (petty 
 merchants) came with letters for me, in Danish 
 vessels, and sometimes over land, which they 
 had concealed about them, Several came in dis- 
 guise by **. Possibly you may have some in- 
 terested views in giving up Pondicherry, thinking 
 that thereby you may smuggle some of your India 
 goods by French tenders into France. But this 
 cannot be of sufficient weight against the great in- 
 jury arising from the proximity to your Indian 
 possessions of a rival nation like the French. Your 
 having given up that colony, will also excite envy 
 and a desire to recover all they formerly had, 
 whereas, if they had none, they would forget 
 that they ever had had any possessions in India. 
 You ought not to have allowed the French or any 
 other nation to have put their nose (mettere ilnaso) 
 beyond the Cape. You ought to monopolize the 
 whole China trade to yourselves. Instead of going 
 to war with the Chinese, it were better to make 
 war with the nations who desire to trade with 
 them. You ought not to suffer the Americans to 
 send a ship there. You gave up Batavia to the 
 Dutch, who next to the French, it was your inte- 
 rest to shut out from India. The Dutch use a large
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 235 
 
 quantity of tea, which should be supplied by 
 you. The first and grand object of every nation 
 is to consider its own interests, especially when 
 every other country gains something. After my 
 fall, you might have had any thing you liked to 
 ask for, but whilst other nations were acquiring 
 territory, you abandoned your first interests, and 
 even neglected to make a treaty favourable to 
 your commerce, for which you are now suffer- 
 ing, and will suffer, and the expedients you have 
 put into execution will only procrastinate the evil 
 day." 
 
 25M. Napoleon sent for me in the evening 
 about eight o'clock. Found him in his bed-room. 
 He complained of slight headach and pain in the 
 right side of the face, which he said he had felt 
 immediately upon going into the garden, in conse- 
 quence of the effect of the wind, and which had 
 prevented him from staying out more than a 
 quarter of an hour. He felt some nausea, and 
 eat scarcely any thing at dinner. After I had re- 
 commanded him what I thought advisable, he 
 asked me (as he had done sometimes before) of 
 what kind of temperament I took him to be, what 
 was necessary to be done to keep him in a state of 
 good health ? I replied that I conceived him to be 
 of a temperament which required much activity; 
 that it was necessary for him to employ both his 
 physical and mental faculties almost constantly
 
 236 A VOICE FROM ST. HRLKNA. 
 
 and that without the exercise of both the rnind and 
 the body, it was my opinion he could not long re- 
 main in health. That he was a man who required 
 to stir much about. " You are right," replied the 
 emperor, "such has been necessary to me through 
 my life, such is now, and such will be as long as 
 the machine holds. Exercise of the mind I almost 
 daily take in my writings and otherwise ; and ex- 
 ercise of the body I should take even in this island, 
 were I not in the hands of a boja. But under the 
 present system it can never take place. Never 
 can I put myself in the way of being insulted by 
 sentinels, or receiving a fusillade if I stirred off 
 the high road. 
 
 26th. Saw Napoleon at nine o'clock. He com- 
 plained of a sensation of soreness in the lower ex- 
 tremities. His legs, especially the left, swelled, 
 and the ankles pitted upon pressure. Appetite de- 
 ficient. Some nausea at times. Gums spongy. 
 In addition to exercise, &c. I recommended the 
 continuance of a greater quantity of antiscorbutic 
 vegetables. He objected to taking a dose of phy- 
 sic, which I advised, not on account of any dread 
 which he had of it, or of its bad taste, but because 
 he was of opinion, that the more medicine was 
 administered, the more one stood in need Of it. 
 " Take a dose of medicine once," said he, " and 
 in all probability you will be obliged to take an 
 additional hundred afterwards."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 He then eat his breakfast before me, which con- 
 sisted of two or three radishes, a little toast and 
 butter, followed by a little cafe au lait. 
 
 28th. Saw Napoleon at eleven, a. in. Appeared 
 to be in nearly the same state as yesterday. Ankles 
 cedematous ; appetite bad ; eat nothing since break- 
 fast yesterday. His body has been rendered so 
 extremely sensible to external impressions, that 
 the slightest exposure to wind or cold produced 
 a catarrhal or rheumatic affection. I proposed 
 to call in Mr. Baxter, giving as a reason, that 
 when a person of so much consequence and in 
 such peculiar circumstances was even slightly in- 
 disposed, it was proper to call in the first medical 
 advice. Napoleon replied, " There is no neces- 
 sity for it. If all the colleges of medicine in France 
 and England were assembled, they would give 
 the same advice that you have done, viz. to take 
 exercise on horseback. I myself know as well as 
 any physician what is necessary for me. It is 
 exercise. Calling in Baxter to me would be like 
 sending a physician to a man who was starving 
 with hunger, instead of giving him a loaf of bread. 
 I have no objection to your making known to him 
 my state of health if you like, and I am well aware 
 that he will say exercise. As long as the present 
 system is in force, I will never stir out." When 
 I again urged the subject, "What," said he, 
 " would you have me render myself liable to be
 
 238 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 stopped and insulted by a sentinel, as Madame 
 Bertrand was some days ago, at ten minutes past 
 six in the evening, and while it was still day- 
 light? If I had been in her place, it would have 
 occurred, as the sentinel had orders to stop every 
 body. It would have been a fine subject for 
 this governor to have written upon to London, and 
 to have stuck a caricature in the print-shops, of 
 Napoleon Bonaparte stopped at the gate, with a 
 sentinel charging his bayonet upon him. It would 
 have been very amusing to this * * *, and the 
 Londoners would have laughed. Until matters 
 are put on the footing they were in Cockburn's 
 time, which were approved of by his government, 
 or an equivalent given, I shall never stir out. The 
 bill is positive; no alterations ought to have taken 
 place, except such as were ordered by the Prince 
 Regent and the privy council, and signed by the 
 Regent or Lord Liverpool; not by Lord Bathurst. 
 I consider all restrictions not made by them as 
 null. Force certainly can execute any thing, and 
 to avoid the possibility of being insulted, I have 
 shut myself up ; and until I know to a certainty 
 what restrictions there are, and by whom made, I 
 shall not venture out, or expose myself to the ca- 
 price of my enemy. By prohibiting me to speak 
 to such persons as I might meet, he offered to me 
 the greatest insult which could be given to man. 
 It is true that he has since taken it off; but if he
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 239 
 
 has the power to make restrictions as he pleases, 
 he may renew it to-morrow upon some pretext. 
 To a man who has the power of doing what he 
 likes, a pretext will never be wanting 1 . You may 
 tell him what I have said, and that I believe the 
 intentions of ****** and ***** were and 
 are to put an end to me, by inducing disease from 
 confinement, and that such are not the intentions 
 of the Prince Regent, of Lord Liverpool, or Lord 
 Sidmouth. For the restrictions sur le moral im- 
 posed by him upon a man like me, have the same 
 effect in imprisoning me, as chains and irons on 
 the legs would have upon galley slaves. To rob- 
 bers and galley-slaves, physical restrictions are 
 imposed aux gens eclairts, moral ones. There is 
 not a little lieutenant in that regiment who would 
 go out if subjected to the restrictions imposed upon 
 me. I asked the ambassador, "Would you, my 
 Lord, go out under the restrictions of not speaking 
 more to any person you met, than, How do you do? 
 unless in the presence of an officer ? (It is true 
 that he has taken this off, but he may put it on 
 again according to his caprice.) Would you go 
 out under the restriction of not being able to move 
 to the right or to the left of the road ? Would you 
 stir out under the obligation of coming in again 
 at six o'clock in the evening, or otherwise run the 
 risk of being stopped by sentinels at the gates ? 
 He replied instantly, " Non, je ferais comme vous
 
 240 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 je resterals dans ma chambre" There arc different 
 ways of assassinating a man ; the pistol, the sword, 
 poison, or morally assassinating, as ****** 
 and ***** are doing to me. It is the same 
 in the end, excepting that the latter is the most 
 cruel. When the admiral, who was a man d'un 
 caracfere dur, was here, you recollect what a dif- 
 ferent kind of life I led. I rode out four or five 
 times a week, saw company, and even invited 
 English officers, ladies, and others to dine. In 
 the admiral I had confidence. His word I be- 
 lieved, and not the slightest suspicion of sinister 
 design ever entered my head, parcequil avalt la 
 marche droite et sincere, rien de tortneux ou de 
 tracassant. Although I disagreed with him, and 
 thought he was un homrne dur, still I felt confi- 
 dence in his character and in his integrity. Had I 
 any intention of committing suicide, as this geolier 
 insinuates, I should have done it in the beginning, 
 when, from not having been accustomed to it, I 
 must have felt it most oppressive. Besides, if I 
 intended it, a pistol would be my resource. Je 
 riaime pas la longue guerre. What inconvenience 
 ever occurred during Cockburn's time by my 
 riding out ? The intentions of ****** are to 
 impose restrictions of such a nature, that I, with- 
 out degrading my character, and rendering myself 
 an object of contempt in the eyes of the world, 
 must imprison myself; thereby in the course of
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 241 
 
 time to bring on disease, which in a frame impaired 
 by confinement and the blood being decomposed, 
 must prove mortal, and that I may thus expire in 
 protracted agonies, which may have the appear- 
 ance of a natural death. This is the plan, and is 
 a manner of assassinating just as certain, but more 
 cruel and criminal, than the sword or the pistol." 
 
 " The only one of us," added he, " who goes 
 out, I may say, is Gourgaud, and he has been 
 stopped upwards of fifty times. Had I been in 
 his place, the same thing would have happened to 
 me. Once during the admiral's time I was stop- 
 ped, but he instantly metteva Visola sotto sopra, 
 (turned the island topsy turvy,) on account of it ; 
 and I clearly saw that he was really displeased, 
 and that he took every precaution to prevent the 
 recurrence of a similar circumstance. Now this 
 brute would, on the contrary, be pleased with it, 
 or with. any thing else that would have a tendency 
 to lessen or to degrade my character." 
 
 " I am well convinced," added Napoleon, " that 
 the barbarous manner in which I am treated will 
 be revenged by the blood of some innocent Eng- 
 lishmen. By the argument and doctrines of your 
 ministers, that it is useful to keep me here, every 
 act, however atrocious, maybe justified. Would 
 it not have been useful to me to have procured the 
 assassination of Nelson or Wellington ? Would it 
 
 VOL. ii. 2 i
 
 242 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 not now be useful to the French nation to get rid 
 of all the allied troops by poisoning the bread and 
 the water? Would it not be useful to them to as- 
 sassinate Wellington ? It is not the utility of an 
 act which is to be considered, it is its justness; 
 for by the former principle every species of crime 
 may be apparently j ustified, as being useful, and 
 therefore necessary. It is the doctrine of Talley- 
 rand." 
 
 Soon after ' this, Sir Hudson Lowe came to 
 Longwood, and having made some enquiries re- 
 specting Napoleon's health, asked if I had had 
 any particular conversation with him upon the 
 subject of his complaint ? In reply, I communi- 
 cated to him the foregoing conversation, avoiding 
 the repetition of the epithet bourreau. His excel- 
 lency called Major Gorrequer to be a witness to 
 some parts of it, viz. that about Lord Amherst 
 which he said he did not believe, and the inten- 
 tions which Napoleon attributed to certain per- 
 sons, and asked, if I had made any reply? I said, 
 No. He observed, that a reply might easily have 
 been made, if I had been disposed to do so, but 
 that it appeared I was of the same way of thinking 
 as General Bonaparte asserted Lord Amherst had 
 been ; and asked if such were the case ? I an- 
 swered, that as a medical man, I had strongly re- 
 commended Napoleon to take exercise on horse-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 243 
 
 back. This did not satisfy Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 who in an angry tone and manner, repeated his 
 question. I replied, that as my opinions, when 
 given in reply to his questions, had latterly caused 
 so much anger, I must beg leave to decline giving 
 any, unless upon medical subjects : that more- 
 over, my opinion was of little consequence, add- 
 ing, that as a medical man, I had strongly recom- 
 mended exercise. This reply greatly displeased 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, who observed that it was in 
 vain to expect any thing good from a person pos- 
 sessed of such sentiments. That he had no confi- 
 dence in any person about General Bonaparte. 
 After a tolerable long harangue, in which he ac- 
 cused Napoleon of having crammed the ambas- 
 sador's head with calumnies, and purposely de- 
 layed seeing him until the day before his depar- 
 ture, in order that he, (Sir Hudson,) might not have 
 an opportunity of refuting them ; he concluded 
 by saying, " Do you not think, sir, that General 
 Bonaparte has treated me most shamefully in that 
 business ?'' I replied, that Napoleon had been so 
 unwell as not to be in a situation to receive stran- 
 gers ; that until the last moment, he had been un- 
 decided whether to receive his lordship or not: 
 and that Lord Amherst had been at his, (Sir Hud- 
 son's) house for several days, during which he 
 must have had ample opportunities of making his
 
 244 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lordship acquainted with cveiy particular. That 
 if I were rightly informed, Lord Amherst had 
 seen and conversed with him for some hours after 
 the interview his lordship had with Napoleon, 
 with whom he had been only about two hours. 
 This reply excited his excellency's wrath, who, 
 looking 1 at me with an expression of countenance 
 that I shall never forget, said, "if it were not that 
 it would be made a subject of complaint, I should 
 immediately, and without waiting the orders of 
 government, send you off the island, sir. I have 
 received ho official intelligence from government 
 concerning your appointment ; you are not of my 
 choosing ; you are only permitted to visit General 
 Bonaparte as a medical man." 1 observed that I 
 was acting according to his own instructions, by 
 confining myself to medical subjects. He repeated 
 his threat of sending me off the island ; to which 
 I answered by telling him that a dismissal from 
 St. Helena would not give me the smallest uneasi- 
 ness. After this Sir Hudson went down to Count 
 Bertrand's, where he remained about half an hour. 
 On his return he sent for me, and after saying that 
 General Bonaparte had been represented by Count 
 Bertrand to be in a much worse state of health 
 than I had mentioned, ordered me to send him a 
 written report of his health. 
 
 About four o'clock, Count Balmaine, with Ba~
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 245 
 
 ron and Madame Stunner came as far as the inner 
 gate of Longwood, where they met General arid 
 Madame Bertrand, who with the little Arthur, 
 and a maid-servant, were walking out. Shortly 
 afterwards General Montholon joined them. They 
 remained together for nearly an hour, walking be- 
 tween the guard room and the inner gate. It was 
 amusing to observe the gestures of Sir Thomas 
 Reade, who was all the time standing at, or moving 
 before Captain Blakeney's door, with a telescope 
 in his hand ; especially at a time when a thick fog 
 came on, which completely obscured them from 
 the knight's view, who was vainly endeavouring to 
 penetrate it with his glass. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe's visit to Count Bertrand, I 
 am informed, was to offer that a soldier's barrack 
 should be put up at Longwood for Napoleon to 
 walk under, as a substitute for the deficiency of 
 continuous shade. Some conversation also took 
 place about the restrictions, in which observations 
 of a nature similar to those of Napoleon to me in 
 the morning, were made to Sir Hudson Lowe by 
 Count Bertrand, who also informed his excellency 
 of the opinion expressed by Lord Amherst. 
 
 Saw Napoleon in the evening. He was in 
 much the same state as in the morning. Told me 
 that he had seen Madame Stunner through his 
 glass, and passed some commendations upon the 
 rosv bloom of her cheeks.
 
 246 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 29th. Signal made for Captain Blakeney to 
 proceed to Plantation House. Sent my report of 
 Napoleon's health by him, and made application 
 for some sea-water to be sent to Longwood for a 
 bath for the use of Napoleon. 
 
 Saw Napoleon, who was in much better spirits. 
 He had eaten freely of antiscorbutics. His gums 
 were a little better. The lower extremities nearly 
 the same in point of size, but not so painful. 
 
 Had a jocular conversation with him about 
 patron saints. He asked who was my patron 
 saint, what was my Christian name ? I replied, 
 that my first was a family name ; that I was cal- 
 led after Barry, Lord Avenmore, an Irish peer. 
 "But," said he, laughing, "you must have some 
 patron saint to befriend you, and plead your 
 cause in the next world ?" I mentioned my second 
 ChVistian name. " Ah ?" said he, " then he will 
 plead for you. St. Napoleon ought to be very 
 much obliged to me, and do every thing in his 
 power for me in the world to come. Poor fellow, 
 nobody knew him before. He had not even a 
 day in the kalendar. I got him one, and per- 
 suaded the Pope to give him the fifteenth of 
 August, my birth-day. I recollect," continued he, 
 " when I was in Italy, a priest preaching about a 
 poor sinner who had departed this life. His soul 
 appeared before God, and he was required to give, 
 an account of all his actions. The evil and the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 247 
 
 good were afterwards thrown into opposite scales 
 in order to see which preponderated. That con- 
 taining the good proved much the lightest, and in- 
 stantly flew up to the beam. His poor soul was 
 condemned to the infernal regions, conducted by 
 angels to the bottomless pit, delivered over to 
 devils, and thrown into the flames. ' Already,' 
 said the preacher, 'had the devouring element 
 covered his feet and legs, and proceeded upwards 
 even unto his bowels ; in his vitals, oh ! brethren, 
 he felt them. He sunk, and only his head ap- 
 peared above the waves of fire, when he cried out 
 to God, and afterwards to his patron saint. ' Oh ! 
 patron,' said he, ' look down upon me ; oh ! take 
 compassion upon me, and throw into the scale of 
 my good deeds, all the lime and stone which I 
 gave to repair the convent of . His saint in- 
 stantly took the hint, gathered together all the 
 lime and stone, threw them into the scale of good, 
 which immediately preponderated; the scale of 
 evil sprung up to the beam, and the sinner's soul 
 into paradise at the same moment. Now you see 
 by this, brethren how useful it is to keep the con- 
 vents in repair, for had it not been for the lime 
 and stone bestowed by this sinner, his poor soul 
 would even now, children, be consuming in hell 
 fire; and yet you are so blind as to let the con- 
 vent and the church, built by your forefathers, fall
 
 248 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to ruin.' At this time," continued he, laughing 
 " these canaglie wanted to get a new convent 
 built, and had recourse to this expedient to pro- 
 cure, money, which after this, poured in upon 
 them from all quarters." 
 
 Napoleon then began to rally me about my 
 profession. " You medical people," said he, "will 
 have more lives to answer for in the other world 
 than even we generals. What will you say for your- 
 self," said he, laughing, " when you are called to 
 account for all the souls of poor sailors you have 
 despatched to the other world ? or what will your 
 saint say for you, when the accusing angel pro- 
 claims, ' such a number you sent out of the world, 
 by giving them heating medicines, when you ought 
 to have given cooling ones, and vice versa ; so 
 many more, because you mistook their complaints, 
 and bled them too much ; others because you did 
 not bleed them enough ; numbers because they 
 were canaille, and you did not pay them as much 
 attention as you would have done to the captain 
 or the admiral, and because you were over your 
 bottle, or at the theatre, or with a fine girl, and 
 did not like to be disturbed, or after drink (in 
 English), when you went and distributed medi- 
 cines, a dritto ed a torto, (right and wrong). How 
 many because you were not present at the time 
 a change in the complaint took place, when a me-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 249 
 
 dicine given at the moment might have saved 
 them ? How many others because the provisions 
 were bad, and you would not complain through 
 fear of offending the fournisseurs F " 
 
 I replied by observing, that on the score of con- 
 science I was perfectly easy in my mind ; that 
 human nature was liable to err ; that very likely 
 I had made mistakes, but not intentional ones; 
 nor had I ever paid less attention to the canaille 
 than to the officers ; and endeavoured as much as 
 possible, as I perceived that he was half in earnest, 
 to uphold the honour of my profession. I also 
 explained to him, that in our service, the surgeons 
 could gain nothing by not complaining of the 
 fournisseurs, &c. Napoleon answered, that cer- 
 tainly a man ought always to be judged by his 
 intentions ; but that there were abuses in all de- 
 partments, which were principally kept up by 
 people being either interested, or afraid to com- 
 plain ; that he had endeavoured to eradicate them 
 as much as possible, in which he had effected 
 much ; but had not been able perfectly to succeed. 
 " My opinion," continued he, "is, that physicians 
 kill as many as us generals. When they despatch 
 a number of souls to the other world either through 
 ignorance, mistake, or not having properly exa- 
 mined their complaints, they are just as cool and 
 as little concerned as a general with whom I am ac- 
 VOL. ii. 2 K
 
 250 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 quainted, who lost three thousand men in storming 
 a hill. Having succeeded, after several desperate 
 attempts, he observed, with great sangfroid, 'Oh, 
 it was not this hill I wanted to take ; it was ano- 
 ther; this is of no utility,' and returned back again 
 to bis former position." I remarked that it seem- 
 ed as if he thought physicians as bad and as 
 ignorant as they are described to be in Moliere 
 or Gil Bias. He laughed, and said, "I believe 
 that there are a great many of Molieres physi- 
 cians. Of surgery, I have quite a different opi- 
 nion ; as there you do not work in the dark. 
 There you at least have daylight, and your senses 
 to guide and assist you. You recollect having 
 heard of Sieyes ?" I replied in the affirmative. 
 " Sieyes," continued he, " before the revolution, 
 was almoner to one of the princesses. One day, 
 when he was performing mass in the chapel before 
 herself, her attendants, and a large congregation, 
 something occurred which made the princess get 
 up and retire. Her example was followed by her 
 ladies in waiting, and by the whole of the nobility, 
 officers, and others, who attended more out of 
 complaisance to her than from any true sense of 
 religion. Sieyes was very busy reading his bre- 
 viary, and for some time did not perceive it. 
 Lifting up his eyes, however, from his book, lo! 
 he observed that the princess, nobles, and all the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 251 
 
 others comme il faut, had disappeared. With an 
 air of displeasure and contempt he shut the book, 
 hastily descended from the pulpit, exclaiming-, ' I 
 do not say mass for the canaille ;' and went out of 
 the chapel, leaving the service half finished. Now," 
 said he, laughing very heartily, " many of you 
 physicians would leave a patient half cured, be- 
 cause he was one of the canaille" 
 
 He then spoke of Larrey. " Larrey," said he, 
 "was the most honest man, and the best friend 
 to the soldier that I ever knew. Vigilant and 
 indefatigable in his exertions for the wounded, 
 Larrey was seen on the field of battle, after an 
 action, accompanied by a train of young surgeons, 
 endeavouring to discover if any signs of life re- 
 mained in the bodies. In the most inclement 
 weather, and at all times of the night and the day, 
 Larrey was to be found amongst the wounded. 
 He scarcely allowed a moment's repose to his as- 
 sistants, and kept them eternally at their posts. 
 He tormented the generals, and disturbed them 
 out of their beds at night whenever he wanted ac- 
 commodations or assistance for the wounded or 
 sick. They were all afraid of him, as they knew 
 he would instantly come and make a complaint 
 to me. He paid court to none of them, and was 
 the implacable enemy of the fournisseurs. 
 
 Speaking about service on board of ships of
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 war at sea during the winter, especially of a certain 
 class, I remarked, that the seamen were better off 
 in point of being able to warm themselves at a fire 
 than the officers. " Why so ?" said Napoleon. I 
 replied, "Because they have the advantage of the 
 galley fire,* where they can warm and dry them- 
 selves." " And why not the officers ?" I said, 
 that it would not be exactly decorous for the 
 officers to mix in that familiar way with the men. 
 " Ah ! la morgue aristocratique, la rage aristocra- 
 tique" exclaimed Napoleon. " Why, in my cam- 
 paigns I used to go to the lines in the bivouacs, sit 
 down with the meanest soldier, converse, laugh, 
 and joke with him. I always prided myself on 
 being Vhomme du peuple" (the man of the people). 
 I observed that a man in his exalted situation 
 might do without impropriety that which, if done 
 by an inferior officer, especially on board of a ship, 
 might produce too much familiarity, perhaps con- 
 tempt, and thereby relaxation of discipline. " La 
 morgue aristocratique" cried Napoleon again, 
 " you are the most aristocratical nation in the 
 world. Had I been one of those principotti in 
 Germany, your oligarchy would never have sent 
 me here. But because je suis rhomme du peuple ; 
 because I may say that I raised myself from the 
 canaille to the greatest height of power without 
 
 * The galley is the kitchen on board of a man of war.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 263 
 
 the aid of the aristocracy or hereditary rights ; be- 
 cause a long line of nobles or of petty princes did 
 not distinguish my name ; because in fact I was 
 not one of them, they determined to oppress and 
 humiliate me when in their power. Lords Ba- 
 thurst and Castlereagh, le canaille de V aristocratic, 
 are the persons who have ordered all these at- 
 tempts. John Bull will comprehend that I am 
 oppressed parceque je sors du peuple, in order to 
 prevent any of them from presuming to elevate 
 themselves to a level with the aristocracy." 
 
 He concluded by observing, " that the governor 
 always took a witness with him to Bertrand's, for 
 the purpose, he supposed, of testifying to every 
 thing that he thought proper to assert. That in 
 all probability he made a proces verbal as he liked, 
 and got the other to sign it. That, therefore, to 
 prevent his making conversations, he had ordered 
 Bertrand to write an official letter* to him, stating 
 their grievances and what they wanted." 
 
 30th. Napoleon much in the same state. Went 
 to Plantation House to report. Found that Sir 
 Hudson Lowe had gone out. Met him at Long- 
 wood on my return. Informed him of the state 
 of Napoleon's health ; and in reply to some of his 
 observations, told him that there was nothing im- 
 mediately dangerous, but that cedematous swel- 
 
 * Appendix, No, XI.
 
 254 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 lings of the extremities taking place with a man of 
 Napoleon's time of life and of his temperament 
 and present habits, were always to be looked upon 
 with a suspicious eye, as such were frequently the 
 primary symptoms of dropsy. 
 
 His excellency said, that his principal object in 
 coming to Longwood had been to obtain an an- 
 swer from Count Bertrand, to an offer which he 
 had made on the 28th of the month, to put up a 
 soldiers' barrack seventy feet long, which might be 
 formed into a temporary gallery to walk in, until 
 an answer arrived from England relative to build- 
 ing the new house. That he could get no reply 
 from Bertrand, but a shrug of the shoulders, 
 that Count Bertrand had been very violent in his 
 language, and had not merely asked for one or two 
 things, but had insisted " that every thing should 
 be put upon the same footing as during Sir George 
 Cockburn's time. That the emperor would not 
 stir out unless permission were given to him (Ber- 
 trand) to admit persons by his pass into Long- 
 wood. That he should write and hold correspon- 
 dence with whoever he liked, go where he liked, 
 enter what houses he liked, in fact do what he 
 liked in the island without any restriction." He 
 then asked if I had heard any thing from him of 
 the conversation which they had held with the 
 commissioners ? I replied, " that I had not heard
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 255 
 
 him mention even their names." His excellency 
 said, that " it was very extraordinary, as General 
 Bonaparte had made some very strong remarks 
 about them to Mr. Balcombe." 
 
 Saw Napoleon again in the evening. He com- 
 plained of pain in his teeth and cheeks, which he 
 attributed to having taken a walk in the garden 
 for ten minutes. Proposed to him that the barrack 
 should be erected. He replied, that he stood in 
 need of exercise in the open air, and not in a co- 
 vered gallery. That he had caused a gallery of 
 
 a league in length to be built at in France, 
 
 but that it had not answered the purpose. More- 
 over that in summer, the billiard-room became so 
 hot at five o'clock in the afternoon from the rays of 
 the sun penetrating through it, as to render it im- 
 possible to remain there ; that a wooden barrack 
 would be worse : that it would therefore be use- 
 less to erect it, as the shade of the trees was what 
 was desired. 
 
 October \st. Saw Napoleon in his bed-room 
 at eight, a. m. He complained of a dull pain (do- 
 lore sordo) in the right hypochondriac region, im- 
 mediately under the cartilages of the ribs, which 
 he said he experienced yesterday morning for the 
 first time. Sensation in the right shoulder, which 
 he described to be more of numbness than of pain. 
 Slight inclination to cough. Want of rest at night.
 
 256 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 He said that he felt as if he wanted to lean or 
 press his side against something 1 (vorrcl appoggi- 
 armi incontro a qualche cosu). Gums spongy, and 
 his legs a little swelled. Pulse 68. Appetite 
 tolerable. Said he felt something in the right 
 side which never was there before. Told him that 
 it might probably be owing to costiveness, and re- 
 commended a dose of physic, which I said would 
 also be proper if it were the commencement of 
 liver complaint, the prevailing disease of the island. 
 That if it increased, and were accompanied by 
 other symptoms, there could not be a doubt of its 
 being hepatitis ; in which case it would be neces- 
 sary to have recourse to proper remedies, which 
 I specified, together with abstinence from wine 
 and a suitable diet. He shook his head at the 
 proposal of physic. I told him that if it were 
 hepatitis, it must not be neglected, as if not taken 
 in time, it would terminate fatally. He replied, 
 " Almeno avro questa comolazione, chela mia morte 
 sara un disonore eterno alia nazione Inglese, which 
 has sent me to this climate to die under the 
 hand of a * * *." I observed that he ought not 
 to accelerate his own death by refusing to take 
 proper remedies. He replied, " Ce qui est e'crit, 
 est ^crit t from above," looking up. " Nosjoumees 
 sont comptees" I answered, that according to that 
 doctrine, all medical aid was useless. He made 
 no reply.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 257 
 
 With respect to diet and abstinence from wine, 
 he observed that he was a man who had never 
 committed any excesses either in eating or drink- 
 ing. That he drank very little wine ; however, 
 that he found the little he took was absolutely 
 necessary, always finding himself better after it, 
 and was convinced that if he left it off, he should 
 sink rapidly. He then went into a salt-water 
 bath, and had a long conversation with me upon 
 medical subjects. 
 
 2nd. Napoleon felt relieved by the salt-water 
 bath yesterday. Continued much in want of rest. 
 Recommended exercise on horseback, &c. 
 
 Saw him again at ten in bed. His legs were a 
 little more swelled than in the morning. He would 
 have taken another bath, but there was no water. 
 Had eaten scarcely any thing. Slight headach. 
 
 3rd. Examined the right side, and perceived 
 that it felt firmer to the touch than the left. 
 There was also a tumefaction evident to the 
 sight, which when pressed hard, gave a little pain. 
 Napoleon said, that this was observed about 
 two months since. That he had thought nothing 
 of it, and attributed it to obesity, but that now. 
 from its being attended with pain, he imagined 
 it might be connected with enlargement of the 
 liver.* 
 
 * As it is not the intention of the author to tire the reader with 
 VOL. II. 2 L
 
 258 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I recommended calomel, frictions to the extre- 
 mities, diligent use of the flesh-brush, hot salt-wa- 
 ter bath, a continuance of antiscorbutics, a gargle, 
 exercise on horseback, &c. Napoleon said that 
 the governor had written to Count Bertrand yes- 
 terday, stating, that he (Napoleon) might go off 
 the road, and down into the valley, but that the 
 same privilege, unless with him, was not to be ex- 
 tended to his officers. " Mere tracasserie" said 
 he, when I recommended him to profit by it, 
 " It would only expose me to more insults, for 
 the sentinels do not know me, and every old 
 soldier who wished to fulfil his duty, so as to 
 clear himself of all responsibility, would say, 
 ' Halte la, is General Bonaparte amongst you ? 
 Are you him ? Oh, then, if you are him, you may 
 pass.' Thus should I be exposed to daily insults, 
 and be obliged to give an account of myself to 
 every sentinel who thought it right to perform his 
 duty properly. Besides, he has no right to impose 
 more restrictions upon questi signori, than upon 
 me. By the paper which they have signed, they 
 only agree to subject themselves to such re- 
 strictions as are or may be imposed upon me. 
 Moreover, I do not recognize his right to impose 
 
 the detail of a medical journal, the enumeration of the symptoms 
 will, for the future, be discontinued, unless where absolutely ne- 
 cessary.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 259 
 
 any other restrictions than those made by Admiral 
 Cockburn, which were approved of by his govern- 
 ment, unless he shews that they are signed by the 
 Prince Regent, or by the ministers. For if he has 
 the power to impose what restrictions he likes, 
 he may, according to his caprice, or upon some 
 pretext, which to him would never be wanting, 
 lay them on again, or make them worse than be- 
 fore. This is one of the reasons that I have not 
 taken exercise, that I may leave nothing in his 
 power to inflict. I do not choose to subject my- 
 self to the caprice of a man whom I do not trust, 
 and who is my personal enemy. Besides, I never 
 would go out without sending Gourgaud to ascer- 
 tain that there was no danger of being stopped and 
 insulted by sentinels. 
 
 I asked permission to call in Mr. Baxter to see 
 him. He said, that if the symptoms increased, he 
 probably would, as I wished it, provided that the 
 governor did not interfere with it, se sene mischia, 
 mai, (if he did interfere never). 
 
 4th. Went to Plantation House according to 
 order, and gave Sir Hudson Lowe a written re- 
 port of the state of Napoleon's health. After hav- 
 ing read it, he said, that there were too many 
 details in it, and that I must make out one which 
 could be made public. Said that he had received 
 a long letter from Count Bertrand, containing ar-
 
 260 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 gu merits similar to those which I was in the habit 
 of using, and in which there was an allusion to 
 Lord Liverpool,, which when coupled with cir- 
 cumstances that had taken place some time ago 7 
 looked as if there were some correspondence in 
 that quarter. I said that Napoleon had always 
 declared, that he believed Lords Liverpool and 
 Sidmodth to be better disposed towards him than 
 any others of the English ministers. That, indeed, 
 I had never heard him speak ill of any of the 
 English ministers nominatively, excepting Lords 
 Bathurst and Castlereagh. 
 
 5th. Saw Napoleon in the morning, who was 
 much in the same state as before. 
 
 Count Monthdlon, Count Balmaine, and Cap- 
 tain Gor, had a long conversation together. 
 
 6th. Napoleon nearly the same. Again re- 
 commended him exercise most strongly, and told 
 him, that if he deferred it much longer, the swell- 
 ings in his legs might increase so much as to 
 render him incapable of taking it. That if he 
 mounted on horseback, and rode; I was con- 
 vinced all the swellings in the lower extremi- 
 ties would soon disappear. He assented to 
 this, but declared, that until things were put on 
 the footing they had been in Sir George Cock- 
 burn's time, or equivalent, he would not go out. 
 That he was determined to leave nothing in the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 261 
 
 power of a man who had been mad enough to pro- 
 hibit him from speaking, and who, at his caprice, 
 might order him to be blindfolded, to prevent his 
 making a reconnaissance. That the restrictions 
 were chiefly upon the moral, and not physical ; as 
 he might go into the wbod when he liked, but that 
 considering the person he had to deal with, he was 
 convinced that if he did, he (the governor) would 
 find some pretext to insult him, and he would 
 leave nothing in his power, unless matters were 
 put as they had been before, which would by an 
 acknowledgment that he was not to be subject to 
 his caprice." 
 
 I took the liberty of observing that he was like 
 a man tumbling down a pfecipice, who would not 
 lay hold of a rope within his grasp, by which he 
 might save himself from inevitable death.* He 
 laughed at this comparison and said, " Que le sort 
 xefasse, nosjourne'es sont compiles" 
 
 1th. Napoleon nearly the same. Observed, 
 that the governor had insinuated, that he (Napa- 
 leoh) wanted to kill himself. " Had I intended 
 this," continued he, "I would have fallen upon 
 my sword long ago, and died like a soldier. But 
 
 * The reader will, I trust, agree with me in opinion, that I waa 
 bound, as his medical adviser, to endeavour to prevail upon my pa- 
 tient to use any remedy that might be beneficial to him ; for this pur- 
 pose only I recommended exercise.
 
 262 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to purposely kill myself by the slow agonies of a 
 lingering disease, I am not fool enough to attempt. 
 Je riai jamais aime' la tongue guerre. (I never 
 loved tedious warfare.) But there is no death, 
 however slow and painful, that I would not pre- 
 fer to dishonouring my character. A man who 
 was once capable of imposing the restrictions of 
 the 9th of October, and the 14th of March, is 
 capable of laying them on again, or even worse, 
 according to his caprice or his fears, real or ima- 
 ginary. If I were to go out and be once insulted 
 by a sentinel, it would have the effect of doing 
 more injury to my health than six months con- 
 finement. But this man is insensible to any moral 
 feeling. He thinks that he has got some Corsi- 
 can deserters or corporals to deal with. C'est 
 un melange cTimbecillite' et d'astuce. Before I had 
 gone out a week, he would make some insinua- 
 tions, as he perpetually does, to the commissioners, 
 and say that I had abused the permission he had 
 given." 
 
 A large sealed packet addressed to the Earl of 
 Liverpool, given by Count Bertrand to Captain 
 Blakeney, for which a receipt was taken. 
 
 Communicated the substance of what Napo- 
 leon had said to Sir Hudson Lowe, to whom I re- 
 peated, that whenever Sir George Cockburn made 
 any regulations relative to the French, he was ac-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 263 
 
 customed to discuss the matter with Count Ber- 
 trand or Montholon, by means of which they were 
 enabled to make arrangements in a manner likely 
 to give the least offence. Sir Hudson said, that 
 his own measures had been approved of by the 
 British government, and that most of the letters 
 which he had received, commenced by stating 1 , 
 that the Prince Regent approved of, and had 
 commanded, that such and such measures should 
 be adopted. 
 
 8th. Napoleon walked out for a short time in 
 the garden. Being so little accustomed to exer- 
 cise, this fatigued him so much, that he was 
 obliged to sit down on the steps before the vi- 
 randa. He was, however, in better spirits than 
 yesterday, and felt benefited by the salt-water 
 baths, and such of the other remedies as he would 
 consent to use. 
 
 9th. Not so well. Got cold yesterday, and 
 complains of pains in the lower extremities, and 
 had been very unwell in the night. " I was going 
 to send for you early in the morning," said he, 
 " but then I considered this poor devil of a doctor 
 has been up all night at a ball, and has need of 
 sleep. If I disturb him, he will have his eyes so 
 heavy, and his intellects so confused, that he will 
 not be able to form any correct opinion. Soon 
 after this I fell into a perspiration, and felt much 
 relieved."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Immediately after I had left him, he went to bed 
 again, where he remained for some hours. 
 
 10th. Napoleon in rather bad spirits, legs 
 somewhat less swelled, &c. 
 
 " The governor," said he, " was at Bertrand's 
 yesterday, and professed his wish to accommodate, 
 but he has already done the same so often, with- 
 out having come to any conclusion, that he will 
 probably end as before. I ordered Bertrand to 
 send for the little Major (Gorrequer), talk the 
 matter over with him, and explain what we want. 
 I conceive, that the only guarantee I have for my 
 life consists in having some communication with 
 the officers of the army and navy, and the inha- 
 bitants. For had communication existed before, 
 this governor would not have been able to have 
 continued his absurd restrictions so long as he 
 has ; although the place is small and wretched, 
 and the inhabitants nearly slaves to arbitrary 
 power, still the public opinion would have had 
 some weight. Rumour would have reached Eng- 
 land, and John Bull would not have suffered con- 
 duct so disgraceful to his country. What I want 
 is to have no mystery or secrecy used about me. 
 Whenever there is mystery, there are always bad 
 intentions. Every thing ought to be conducted so 
 that it might be printed, and then nothing would 
 be printed. I care not if the house I live in were 
 made of glass. So ought the proceedings with re-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 265 
 
 spect to me to be conducted. You recollect that 
 during the admirals time no attempts were made 
 to send letters to England, nor ever would, had 
 he remained, because the situation was tolerable. 
 One could live then. I have explained to Ber- 
 trand my wishes relative to the receiving of visitors, 
 and told him to communicate to the governor that 
 he may easily arrange the matter by sending up a 
 list himself of such persons as he will permit to 
 visit Longwood, and to require that no insinua- 
 tions shall be made to prevent them from coming, 
 as has been the case hitherto. We can send 
 every thing we please to Europe, and always 
 could. With respect to the commissioners, as 
 policy enters into that, I leave it to him. I have 
 told him already, that I would with pleasure re- 
 ceive the Austrian, his wife, and the Russian, as 
 private persons. If, however, political reasons 
 oppose it, I care not for it, though nothing can be 
 more ridiculous than to see those commissioners 
 unable to come inside of the inner gate of Long- 
 wood, when they are permitted to come as far as 
 it, and hold conferences with us as long and as 
 often as they please, which must excite for the au- 
 thor of such absurdities the ridicule and contempt 
 of every beholder. All that I desire is, that it 
 may be clearly understood and explained to those 
 commissioners, that political reasons alone pre. 
 VOL. ii. 2 M
 
 266 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 vent their being received at Longwood, and that 
 they may not he crammed with such lies as have 
 been told to them up to this day. They say they 
 have been informed by the governor that it is all 
 my fault ; that I have refused to see them. That 
 there does not pass a week in which this man 
 does not make insinuations to them, and that 
 such is the mystery and secrecy observed, that 
 they thought themselves in Venice or Ragusa, in- 
 stead of an English colony. Every week produces 
 hints and insinuations that they have abused this 
 or that privilege. There is nothing in the world 
 makes a man hate another so much as insinua- 
 tions ; especially when they come from one in 
 power, because he cannot repel or answer them. 
 With respect to strangers, let him, when a ship ar- 
 rives, send a list of such as he will allow to come 
 here I mean of the greater number, and not pick 
 out one or two favorites. If he suspects any of 
 them let him say so, and no notice will be taken 
 of them, or let him not place their names on the 
 list. If I see strangers at all, it shall be from my 
 own will, and not because he likes it. Let him 
 do this let him leave off his insinuations, and 
 above all, let there be no mystery, and I shall be 
 contented." 
 
 Had some conversation with the emperor after- 
 wards about Talleyrand. "When I returned from
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 267 
 
 Italy," said he, " 1 went to live at a small house in 
 the Rue Chantereine (I think). A few days after- 
 wards the municipality of Paris ordered that it 
 should be called Rue de la Victoire. Every one 
 sought to manifest the national gratitude to me. 
 It was proposed to give me a fine hotel in Paris, 
 and a magnificent estate. Although I had main- 
 tained and paid the army for two years, and even 
 paid the arrears for some time posterior, and sent 
 more than thirty millions to the treasury of France 
 I was scarcely worth three hundred thousand 
 francs. The directory, however, influenced pro- 
 bably by jealousy, would not consent, and said 
 that my services were such as could not be re- 
 warded by money. Every description of per- 
 sons tried to see me. The enthusiasm was au 
 comble. I rarely however associated with others 
 than Kleber, Desaix, Caflarelli, and some savans. 
 The directory gave me a splendid fete. Talley- 
 rand, who was minister of foreign affairs, gave 
 another. I remained but a short time at either. 
 I was afterwards nominated to the command of 
 the army of England, which in fact was named so 
 to deceive your ministers as to its real destination, 
 which was Egypt." 
 
 " Talleyrand had been bishop of Autun during 
 the revolution, and was one of the three bishops 
 who swore to the civil constitution of the clergy. 
 He was afterwards sent to England, but becoming
 
 268 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 suspected during the fury of the revolution, he 
 fled to America, where he remained until after the 
 13th Vend^miaire, when his name was erased from 
 the list of emigrants. He insinuated himself into 
 the confidence of the directory, and was made 
 minister of foreign affairs, and as such had con- 
 stant communication with me. It was then cus- 
 tomary to celebrate the anniversary of the execu- 
 tion of Louis the Sixteenth, at which Talleyrand 
 wished that I should attend. I replied, that I had 
 no public functions ; that I did not like the cere- 
 mony ; that fetes were celebrated for victories, 
 but that the victims left on the field of battle were 
 lamented with tears ; that celebrating the death of 
 a man, was not the policy of a government, but 
 that of a faction. Talleyrand maintained that it 
 was just, because it was politic; that all countries 
 had rejoiced at the death of tyrants, and that my 
 presence was expected. After a long argument 
 it was arranged that the institute should attend, 
 which I was to accompany as a member of the 
 class of mechanics to which I belonged. Although 
 I avoided public notice, the multitude, which paid 
 no attention to the directory, but had waited to 
 see me go out, filled the air with cries of ' rive h>. 
 gdn&ral de Farmde cTItalie.' Never yet," added 
 he, " was there a general who was more beloved 
 by his troops." 
 
 "To shew you the confidence that I had in the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 269 
 
 disposition of the army," said he, "I need only 
 recount to you an event which will be consecrated 
 by history. Five or six days after my landing tit 
 Cannes, the advanced guard of my little army met 
 the advance of a division marching from Grenoble 
 against me. Cambronne, who commanded my 
 troops, wanted to address them, but they would 
 not listen to him. They also refused to receive 
 Raoul, whom I sent afterwards. When I was in- 
 formed of this, I went to them myself, with a few 
 of my guard, with their arms reversed, and called 
 out, 'The first soldier who pleases may come for- 
 ward and kill his emperor.* It operated like art 
 electric shock, and t Vive Vempereur resounded 
 through the ranks ; the division and my guards 
 fraternized, all joined me, and advanced together 
 to Grenoble. Close by Grenoble the brave Labe'- 
 doyere, a young man, animated by the noblest 
 sentiments, and disgusted by the conduct of the 
 misfrables, against whom France had fought and 
 bled for so many years, joined me with his regi- 
 ment. At Grenoble, I found the regiment, in 
 which, twenty-five years before, I had been cap- 
 tain, and some others, drawn up on the ramparts 
 to oppose me. No sooner did they see me, than 
 enthusiastic cries of Vive Fempereur were heard, 
 not only from them, but from the whole of tlie 
 national guard and the populace : the gates were
 
 !270 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 torn down, and I entered in triumph. What is 
 singular, and which strikingly shews the senti- 
 ments of the troops, is, that in a moment the six 
 thousand men by whom I was thus joined, mount- 
 ed old tri- coloured cockades, which they had kept 
 as a treasure, when the army had been obliged to 
 adopt the Bourbon anti-national flag. I advanced 
 to Lyons, where 1 was joined by the troops charged 
 to defend it against me, and the Count d'Artois 
 was happy to escape, escorted by a single dragoon, 
 from the city he had commanded a few hours be- 
 fore. To all his intreaties, oifers, and prayers, 
 Vive Vempereur was the reply," 
 
 While sitting on the steps of the viranda this 
 day, Napoleon observed Mr. Stokoe walking with 
 me in the garden, and ordered him to be called. 
 He asked him several questions in Italian. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe and Major Gorrequer were 
 for some time at Count Bertrand's this day. 
 
 Sir Thomas Reade told me that Sir Hudson 
 Lowe had received a sealed parcel from Bertrand, 
 addressed to Lord Liverpool, which he would 
 forward, although he knew that it contained com- 
 plaints against himself. That he did not care 
 what complaints they made. That if it were not 
 for the d d commissioners, things would be 
 better. He then asked me if I had much conver- 
 sation with them ? I said, very little, that I had
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 271 
 
 observed a marked alteration in their conduct to- 
 wards me latterly ; instead of asking me numerous 
 questions as before, they rarely spoke, except 
 upon common place subjects. He observed, that 
 " it was very likely they (the commissioners) 
 would tell the French the tenor of my reports on 
 Bonaparte's health, as the French had repre- 
 sented him to be worse than I had described him 
 to be." 
 
 Major Gorrequer came to Long wood by signal, 
 and had a long conference with Count Bertrand. 
 
 \\th. Saw Napoleon in bed at seven, a. m. 
 Complained of having been restless all night, and 
 of increase of pain in his side and shoulder. Had 
 a return of palpitation, &c. which he attributed, 
 and probably with reason, to his having sat in the 
 sun for some time yesterday. I recommended 
 such remedies as were proper, some of which he 
 put in practice. 
 
 Saw him again at three. He had been in the 
 hot bath, and found much relief from it. His ap- 
 petite was considerably diminished. 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood, very busy in 
 measuring the distance at which the sentinels were 
 posted. 
 
 A ship arrived from the Cape with stores, and a 
 mail from England. 
 
 12th. Saw Napoleon with his legs in a tub of
 
 272 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 hot water. Told me that he felt uneasy, and di 
 cattlvo umore (in bad humour). 
 
 Sir Hudson Lowe had a long interview with 
 Count Bertrand, the latter endeavoured to explain 
 to him the point in dispute, viz. that being obliged 
 to send all letters through him open to such per- 
 sons resident on the island, as he (the governor) 
 might allow to visit them, was considered an use- 
 less humiliation. If he wished to forward a letter 
 privately to England, or to carry on an improper 
 correspondence with an individual or individuals 
 in the island, he (Bertrand) having the power of 
 inviting a certain number of persons to visit Long- 
 wood, and to retain them there some hours (as 
 the governor said he would allow), would surely 
 embrace that., as the proper moment to give them 
 such letters, or otherwise to communicate impro- 
 perly with them, rather than hazard the compro- 
 mising of himself and them, by sending a sealed let- 
 ter containing improper communications through 
 the orderly officer, which, should suspicions arisej 
 might be opened, and ruin the person to whom it 
 was addressed. Sir Hudson Lowe, however, 
 would not understand this. Count Bertrand also 
 mentioned to him that the emperor considered a 
 free intercourse with the inhabitants, as the only 
 guarantee he had for his life. 
 
 When Major Gorrequer was at Count Ber-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 273 
 
 trand's on the 10th, the latter informed him that 
 the governor's proceedings had been so illegal, 
 and involved in such mystery and obscurity, that 
 some of the officers of the 53rd regiment con- 
 ceiving that there might be criminal intentions in 
 view, had signified to them not to be afraid, for that 
 in the 53rd regiment there were neither assassins 
 nor executioners to be found. Also that Sir 
 George Cockburn had said soon after the ar- 
 rival of Napoleon, " if I put sentinels in such a 
 manner, and insist upon such and such measures, 
 this man will shut himself up and never stir out. 
 He will not live six months. I will not be the 
 means of assassinating any body. I will arrange 
 matters so that he shall have liberty, and at the 
 same time not afford the least chance of escaping 
 from the island, which is all that I can effect, or 
 indeed care about." 
 
 14th. This morning, on presenting myself ac- 
 cording to custom to call upon Napoleon, I was 
 informed that he was asleep, and had left word 
 for me to go down to Count Bertrand. Had a 
 conversation with the latter, the purport of which 
 was, that the emperor had been given to under- 
 stand that I was in the habit of writing bulletins 
 of his health, daily, or at more distant periods, 
 and that it was his desire that every bulletin should 
 be shewn to him, the emperor, before being sent. 
 
 VOL. n. 2 N
 
 274 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 That any person acting as his physician must ne- 
 cessarily have a portion of his confidence ; and 
 that he would not consent to be styled General 
 Bonaparte in reports made by him, as such would 
 appear in Europe to be an acquiescence on his 
 part to the use of such a title, which he would 
 sooner die than consent to ; that the words Vem~ 
 pereur must be used, and that I had better make 
 the governor acquainted with it. I observed, that 
 with respect to the title of Vempereur, I knew that 
 it would be inadmissible. 
 
 Saw Napoleon afterwards, who told me that he 
 had always thought I might be required to make 
 out reports of the state of his health, especially 
 when labouring under indisposition ; that, how- 
 ever, as it was only a surmise, he did not take any 
 notice of it ; but that some days ago, Generals 
 Montholon and Gourgaud were asked how were 
 certain symptoms (palpitations), which they were 
 totally ignorant he had ever been afflicted with, as 
 he (Napoleon) had only made me acquainted with 
 them, and had professed their surprise ; that a re- 
 ply was made, stating that such symptoms were 
 described in the bulletins of health sent to the 
 governor. I informed Napoleon that I had often 
 made reports of the state of his health. He asked 
 to see one. I immediately brought him one of 
 the 10th. Looking over it, he observed the word 
 " general," and said that he would never consent
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 275 
 
 to be so styled by me, or by any other person 
 acting as his physician ; that as such I must pos- 
 sess a certain shar6 of his confidence, without 
 which I could not be acquainted with the symp- 
 toms; that a physician was to the body what a 
 confessor was to the soul, and was bound to keep 
 such confession equally sacred, unless permitted 
 to divulge it. For the future, therefore, he insisted 
 I should submit to him all reports which I should 
 make of his health, previous to sending them to 
 the governor, That he did not wish to influence 
 me in their compilation ; on the contrary, if I 
 conceived any observations made by him to be in- 
 correct, I was not to insert them, but that I should 
 not render an account of such symptoms as deli- 
 cacy or other motives might induce him to wish 
 should be kept secret. That after this warn- 
 ing, if I were to send any more bulletins without 
 having been previously shewn to him, it Avouid 
 be acting the part of a spy and not that of a phy- 
 sician, which, he added, was what the gaoler of 
 St. Helena wanted, and had done every thing in 
 his power to make me. That my reports were 
 transmitted to the commissioners, and by them to 
 their courts. That therefore he could not consent 
 to allow a person in my situation to style him "ge- 
 neral," in reports which might be sent to France, 
 where he had been once sovereign ; or to the courts
 
 276 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of Vienna and Petersburgh ; as coming from me, it 
 would appear to be an acquiescence on his part 
 to such title, which he would rather die than 
 consent to. Therefore I must give my word of 
 honour not to make any reports in future without 
 complying with what he thus required, and leav- 
 ing the original in Bertrand's possession ; if I did 
 not consent to this arrangement, that I must not 
 write any more ; if I did, he would never see me 
 again as a physician. 
 
 I replied that I never should be permitted by 
 the governor to style him Vempereur, and sug- 
 gested that I might use Napoleon or Napoleon B. 
 That as to shewing the reports to him, I must 
 first communicate with the governor, to which he 
 consented, but not to the appellation. In my 
 verbal reports, he said he cared not if I called him 
 generale, boja, or tiranno Bonaparte. 
 
 Communicated the purport of the above to Sir 
 Hudson Lowe at Plantation House. As I had 
 foreseen, he decidedly refused to consent to the 
 use of the title required ; that he was willing he 
 should be styled Napoleon Bonaparte. As to 
 shewing the reports to Napoleon previous to their 
 being sent to him, he said that he saw no objec- 
 tion for the present ; however, it was a matter he 
 could not decide upon directly, that it required 
 some consideration, &c. He added that it was 
 some deep laid scheme of the commissioners.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 277 
 
 Informed Napoleon in the evening of the answer 
 made by the governor. He observed that he could 
 not think of allowing himself to be insulted by his 
 physician. That after the proposal he had made 
 to the English government to assume the incognito, 
 to which no answer had been given, it was the 
 height of insult to insist upon naming him as they 
 liked. The more that they endeavoured to humi- 
 liate, the more tenacious would he be of the title. 
 ("Ho perduto il trono" said he, "per un panto 
 d 'onore, e perderei la vita cento volte" 8$c.) " I lost 
 my throne for a point of honour, and would lose 
 my life a hundred times rather than allow myself 
 to be debased by consenting to be denominated as 
 my oppressors please." 
 
 After some time, I proposed dropping all titles 
 and using the word personage, which I said I 
 thought might remove all difficulties. He approved 
 of my suggestion, but said that patient (lemalade), 
 would answer better, and satisfy him, provided 
 the bulletins were first shown to him, and his con- 
 sent obtained to send them. 
 
 It was signified to Count Bertrand this day by 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, that Sir George Cockburn 
 used to cause the notes and papers which were 
 sent by the French to town to be shewn to him 
 before they were allowed to be transmitted to the 
 persons to whom they were directed.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 15th. Communicated the proposal of yesterday 
 to Sir Hudson Lowe, who refused his consent, 
 saying that he must be styled Napoleon Bonaparte, 
 or General Bonaparte, in any bulletins or reports 
 made of the state of his health. 
 
 16#/f. Had a conversation with Napoleon upon 
 the subject of the refusal of the governor to com- 
 ply with the suggestion of calling him the patient 
 in the bulletins. He observed that the governor 
 evidently wanted to destroy the confidence which 
 existed between him (Napoleon) and me as his 
 physician. "When a man has not confidence in 
 his physician," said he, "it is useless to have one. 
 Confidence cannot be commanded. You ought 
 to consider yourself as of no nation, A physician 
 and a priest ought not to belong to any particular 
 nation, and be divested of all political opinions. 
 Treat me as if I were an Englishman. Chance 
 gave you to me ; and that is the reason I had 
 confidence in you. If I had not taken you, you 
 know that I should have had a French physician, 
 who would not have made bulletins without my 
 permission; therefore I insist that you shall not. 
 Would you, if you attended Lord Bathurst, write 
 bulletins of the statte of his complaints, to be 
 printed, or sent to any other than members of his 
 own family, without having first obtained his con- 
 sent. I insist upon bi'ing treated in a similar
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 279 
 
 manner ; and that you drop all political considera- 
 tions as to what I am, or what I was ; and when I 
 consult you, act as you would do to one of your 
 own countrymen who was ill." 
 
 17 th. Napoleon was lying 1 on his sofa, looking- 
 low and melancholy, with a cup of chicken-water 
 before him. Marchand told me that he had been 
 very unwell in the morning, and that he was 
 obliged to chafe his temples and forehead with 
 eau de Cologne. Napoleon would not answer the 
 inquiries which I made relative to his complaints. 
 
 The Griffon sloop arrived this day, bringing the 
 intelligence of the loss of the Julie sloop of war, 
 on the island of Tristan d'Acunha, on the 2nd, with 
 all the officers, except Captain Jones and two 
 midshipmen. 
 
 18th. Napoleon in his bath. Still persisted in 
 refusing to consult me on his complaints. Told 
 me, that I had been remarked to go regularly 
 every Tuesday and Saturday to Plantation House; 
 and that, were it not for the confidence he had 
 in me, he would, the moment it had been no- 
 ticed, have dispensed with my services ; as it was 
 evident from the regularity of the periods, that I 
 went by order of the governor. " The fact," con- 
 tinued he, "is, that all this is only an artifice to 
 deprive me of medical assistance e d'arrivare piu 
 presto alia Jlne ; for it was well known, that as
 
 280 A VOICE FROM ST. UK LEX A. 
 
 soon as I found it out, I would not submit to it, 
 or that no man of feeling or honour would do so. 
 But this man has no morale, no feeling He has 
 been always accustomed to deserters and galley- 
 slaves ; and nature never intended him for any 
 higher situation than a keeper of convicts. I 
 shall not gladden his heart with a picture of my 
 malady in order that he may glut his enmity by 
 calculating how long I may suffer before the last 
 agony. You may tell him that I conceive his ob- 
 ject to be to deprive me of all medical aid, and by 
 that to arrive sooner at the end which he proposes. 
 That I do not esteem life so much as to allow my 
 physician to be made a spy. Tell him that I said 
 his views are directed to lessen the confidence I 
 had in you, and to make you a spy, or to make me 
 suspect that you are one. In fact," continued Na- 
 poleon, " had it not been for the confidence which 
 I have in you, from the character Captain Mait- 
 land gave of you, and from my own observation, 
 the measures of this governor would long ago 
 have induced me to tell you that I had no longer 
 any occasion for your services." 
 
 Communicated part of the sentiments thus ex- 
 pressed by Napoleon to Sir Hudson Lowe, at 
 Plantation House, who after some hesitation au- 
 thorized me to say, that for the future no more 
 bulletins would be demanded, without first having
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 281 
 
 made him (Napoleon) acquainted that sueh were 
 asked for. 
 
 Some conversation then passed about the per- 
 mission which had been granted by Sir George 
 Cockburn to the French of sending sealed letters 
 to persons residing in the island. His excellency 
 maintained, that Sir George Cockburn had never 
 authorized such a practice, that he had only tole- 
 rated it, and had greatly exceeded his powers in 
 many respects. 
 
 19th. Communicated this reply of the governor 
 to Napoleon ; after which, and after having as- 
 sured him that I would not send any bulletins 
 without having shewn them to him, he entered into 
 a communication with me touching his malady. 
 He was never free from dull pain, or an uneasy 
 sensation in the right side ; his appetite was dimi- 
 nished ; his legs still swelled, especially towards 
 night ; occasional nausea ; great want of sleep, 
 &c. There was some degree of anxiety evident, 
 and a cast of melancholy, probably caused by 
 his complaint, and increased perhaps by the in- 
 formation in the last paper sent him by Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, containing the decision of the allied 
 powers, that his son should not succeed to the 
 duchies of Parma, &c. 
 
 22nd. Napoleon very unwell last night with 
 an attack partly of a nervous nature. Asked me 
 
 VOL. II. 2 O
 
 282 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 if there was a witness present during the conver- 
 sation which I was obliged to hold twice a week 
 with the governor? I replied in the affirmative. 
 " Then," said he, " Doctor you will be made to 
 speak as he likes. I will venture to say, that he 
 has a proces verbal made out ever time you go 
 there, and such conversations as best suits his views 
 made and signed by his witness, which will be 
 produced against you hereafter. It would not 
 surprise me if he had a conversation ready mack 1 
 before you arrive there. It places you in a very 
 dangerous situation." 
 
 28M. Went to Plantation House, where Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, after some enquiries touching Na- 
 poleon's health, demanded if I had had any re- 
 markable conversations with General Bonaparte, 
 what length of time they lasted, and on what sub- 
 jects ? This led to a discussion, in which his ex- 
 cellency was more than ordinarily violent and 
 abusive. Amongst other elegant expressions, he 
 said, that he conceived me to be a jackal, run- 
 ning about in search of news for General Bona- 
 parte. 
 
 In reply to this expression I said, that I would 
 neither be a jackal, nor a spy, nor informer, for him 
 or for any one else. " What do you mean, sir," 
 said he, " by a spy, nor an informer ?" I said, that 
 if I complied with his directions to inform him of 
 the conversations which passed between Napoleon
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 283 
 
 and myself, I should conceive myself to be both. 
 In a paroxysm of rage, he said, that I was to con- 
 sider myself as prohibited from holding any com- 
 munication whatsoever with Napoleon Bonaparte, 
 except upon medical subjects. That I was to 
 have no sort of communication with him upon 
 other points. I asked him to give me this order in 
 writing, which he refused, and after some further 
 abuse, told me to wait outside of the room for 
 some time. In about a quarter of an hour I was 
 called in again, and informed by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, that I was to conduct myself as before, 
 observing, however, that he (Sir Hudson) only 
 authorized me to hold medical communication 
 with General Bonaparte ; that as to other subjects 
 I was myself responsible ;* that I was not to refuse 
 to answer General Bonaparte upon any subject on 
 which he might question me ; but that I was not to 
 ask him any questions other than medical ones, &c. 
 
 Afterwards he asked what I thought myself 
 bound to divulge ? I replied, as I had formerly 
 done when similar questions had been put to me. 
 He asked if I did not think myself bound to com- 
 municate to him any abusive language made use 
 
 * It may be necessary to remind the reader that the governor, in 
 one of his proclamations, which will be found in the appendix, had 
 pronounced the holding of " any unauthorised communications with 
 General Bonaparte/' to be felony.
 
 284 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of by General Bonaparte, respecting him? I an- 
 swered, certainly not, unless ordered by Napo- 
 leon. He asked, " Why so sir ?" I replied, that 
 I did not chuse to act the part of an incendiary. 
 His excellency then denied that he had ever asked 
 me to tell him all the conversations which passed 
 between General Bonaparte and myself, I put 
 him in mind of his having told me at Longwood, 
 and elsewhere, that it was necessary he should 
 know every thing that was said, as he might draw 
 conclusions and inferences which I would not, 
 and therefore that it was essential for him to know 
 every thing. After this, I demanded permission 
 to take the last directions he had given to me in 
 writing from his own dictation, to prevent the 
 possibility of a mistake, which he refused. He 
 then told me that he would in future dispense with 
 my attendance twice a week; but that he ex- 
 pected me to confer with Mr. Baxter every week 
 on the state of Napoleon Bonaparte's health ; to 
 which I consented, as Napoleon had no objection 
 to verbal communications being made, and I need 
 not say that I was heartily glad that my presence 
 at Plantation House was dispensed with. 
 
 November 2nd. Napoleon reclining on the sofa 
 with some newspapers lying before him, and his 
 snuff-box in his hand.* He looked very melan- 
 
 * It has been asserted that Napoleon took snuff in such im-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 285 
 
 choly and low. After the usual inquiries about his 
 health, my advice was given as usual, in as forci- 
 ble a manner as I could, especially as to exercise 
 on horseback. He replied that he felt no confi- 
 dence in the governor, who he was convinced 
 would find out some pretext to insult him, or make 
 some insinuations before he went out four times. 
 " That letter," continued he, " which you saw 
 at Bertrand's the other day, came from him, and 
 contained a paper with the account that my son 
 had been disinherited from the succession to the 
 duchies of Parma, &c. Now, this coming- from 
 another person would be nothing ; but as he in- 
 variably culls out all the news that might prove 
 agreeable, which he retains at Plantation House, 
 and sends whatever may wound my feelings, it is 
 easy to see the motives by which he is actuated." 
 
 "You see," added he, with an emphasis, "that 
 he lost no time in sending that news to me. I 
 was always prepared to expect something of the 
 kind from the wretches who compose the congress. 
 
 moderate quantities, that he was in the habit of cramming his 
 waistcoat pocket full of that article as no snuff-box could con- 
 tain a sufficiency for his consumption. The reader may form 
 his own opinion of the correctness of this assertion when he is 
 informed, that twelve pounds of the only kind of snuff he used, 
 were brought by Marchand from Paris in July, 1815, of which 
 rather more than one half remained when I left St. Helena, in 
 July, 1818
 
 286 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 They are afraid of a prince, who is the choice of 
 the people. However, yon may yet see a great 
 change ; that is, provided they continue to give 
 him a good education, or that they do not assassi- 
 nate him. If they brutify him by a bad educa- 
 tion, there is little hope. As for me, I may be 
 considered as dead, as already in the sepulchre. 
 I am certain that before long, this body will be no 
 more. Sento che la macchina lotta, ma che )ion 
 pud durare. (I feel that the machine struggles, 
 but cannot last)." 
 
 " I," added he, " could listen to the intelli- 
 gence of the death of my wife, of my son, or of all 
 my family, without change of feature. Not the 
 slightest sign of emotion, or alteration of counte- 
 nance would be visible. Every thing would ap- 
 pear indifferent and calm. But when alone in my 
 chamber, then I suffer. Then the feelings of the 
 man burst forth." 
 
 " I suppose," added he, " that that Montchenu 
 is very glad to hear of my illness. By what 
 channel does he send his letters to France r" I 
 replied that he sent them through the governor and 
 Lord Bathurst. "Then they are all opened and 
 read in London by your ministers." I replied, 
 that I was ignorant of their having recour.se to 
 such practices. " Because," said Napoleon, " you 
 never have been in a situation to know any thing
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 about it. I tell you, that the despatches of all 
 the ambassadors, and other diplomatists, that pass 
 through the post-office, are opened. Otto told me, 
 that when in London, he ascertained this to be a 
 fact beyond a doubt." I said that I had heard 
 that in all the states on the continent, official 
 letters were opened. " Certainly they are," an- 
 swered Napoleon, but they have not the impu- 
 dence to deny it, like your ministers, although it 
 is carried to as great an extent among you as any 
 where else. In France," continued the emperor, 
 " an arrangement was made, so that all the letters, 
 sent by the ambassadors or other diplomatic cha- 
 racters, all their household, and all persons con- 
 nected with foreign affairs, were sent to a secret 
 department of the post-office in Paris, no matter in 
 what part of France they were put in. All letters 
 or despatches, in like manner, for foreign courts 
 or ministers, were sent to this office, where they 
 were opened and deciphered. The writers some- 
 times made use of several different ciphers, not 
 continuing the same for more than ten lines, in 
 order to prevent their being understood. This, 
 however, did not answer, as in order to decipher 
 the most ingenious and difficult, it was only ne- 
 cessary to have fifty pages of the same cipher, 
 which, from the extent of the correspondence, was 
 soon to be had. So clever were the agents em-
 
 288 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ployed, and so soon did they read the ciphers, 
 that latterly only fifty louis were paid for the dis- 
 covery of the means of deciphering the new orue. 
 By opening all the letters addressed to the diplo- 
 matic persons, the post-office police got acquainted 
 with their correspondents, to whom all letters ad- 
 dressed subsequently, were treated in a similar 
 manner. The ambassadors suspected that there 
 were some infidelities committed upon their cor- 
 respondence, and to prevent it used generally to 
 change their cipher every three months. But this 
 only gave a little additional trouble. They sent 
 their letters sometimes to a post-office town a few 
 miles distant from where they actually resided, 
 thinking that they were very cunning, and would 
 thus escape observation, not knowingof the arrange- 
 ment I have mentioned to you. The ambassadors 
 of the lesser powers, such as Denmark, Sweden, 
 and even Prussia, used, through avarice, to save 
 the expence of couriers, to send their despatches 
 through the post-office in cipher, which were 
 opened and deciphered, and the most important 
 part of their contents copied and communicated to 
 me (never to the ministers) by *****. By these 
 means I knew the contents of the despatches that 
 Bernstorf, * * * *, and others, sent to their courts, 
 before they arrived at their destination ; for they 
 were always sealed up, and sent on after we had
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 289 
 
 done with them. Several of them, especially those 
 of Bernstorf were full of injurious reflections 
 upon me, censures on my conduct, and fabricated 
 conversations with me. How often have I laughed 
 within myself, to see them licking- the dust from 
 under my feet at my levee, after having read in 
 the morning, the bStises they had written of me 
 to their sovereigns. We used, also, frequently to 
 discover very important matters which they had 
 communicated to them in confidence from the am- 
 bassadors of Russia and Austria, and of your 
 country, (when you had one in Paris,) who always 
 sent their despatches by couriers of their own, 
 which prevented me from being acquainted with 
 the nature of them. Through the correspondence 
 of the lesser powers, I became acquainted with the 
 opinions of the greater. The cleverness of those 
 who conducted this machinery was astonishing. 
 There was no species of writing which they could 
 not imitate perfectly ; and in the post-office were 
 kept seals similar to those used by the ambassadors 
 of all the powers of Europe, independent of an im- 
 mense number of others, belonging to families of 
 different countries. If they met with a seal for 
 which they had not a fac-simile, they could get 
 one made in twenty-four hours. This arrange- 
 ment," continued he, "was not an invention of 
 mine. It was first begun by Louis the Four- 
 VOL. n. 2 p
 
 290 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 teenth, and some of the grandchildren of the 
 agents originally employed by him, filled in my 
 time situations which had been transmitted to 
 them from their fathers. But," added he, "Castle- 
 reagh does the same in London. All letters to 
 and from diplomatic persons, which pass through 
 the post-office, are opened, and the contents for- 
 warded to him, or some other of your ministers, 
 and they must be aware that a similar practice is 
 followed in France." 
 
 I asked if it was a general rule to open at the 
 French post-office letters addressed to persons 
 not diplomatic. " Rarely," said he, " and never, 
 unless when a man was strongly suspected. Then 
 the first thing that was done, was to open every 
 letter directed to him, by means of which his cor- 
 respondents were discovered, and all letters ad- 
 dressed to them inspected ; but this was an odious 
 measure, and very seldom resorted to with French- 
 men. As to foreigners, enemies of France, it 
 was proper to adopt every means of becoming 
 acquainted with their secret machinations." 
 
 Napoleon then told me that he had resolved 
 for the future only to have one regular meal daily 
 at about two or three o'clock. For some time 
 past he has eaten very sparingly. 
 
 3rd. Napoleon much the same. According to 
 his general custom, when newspapers were before 
 him, he asked me now and then the meaning of
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 291 
 
 any word which he did not comprehend. He 
 strongly censured the conduct which the allied 
 powers had practised in persecuting his brother 
 Lucien, who was a literary character, a man who 
 had never commanded, and who had endeavoured 
 to withdraw himself from political affairs. " It 
 is," added he, "from a consciousness of their own 
 tyranny, and the fears resulting from a know- 
 ledge that they have violated the rights of nations, 
 and have acted contrary to the spirit of the age, 
 and the will of the people. For persecuting me, 
 they might allege some reason. They might say 
 that I had been a sovereign and a tyrant, and that 
 it was necessary for the repose of the world ; but 
 nothing can justify such acts of oppression and 
 barbarity towards him. The principle of utility 
 upon which they act once established, God knows 
 to what length it may be carried. Upon a similar 
 pretext the French might justify the assassination 
 of Wellington and his whole army. It is a prin- 
 ciple which will make kings tremble upon their 
 thrones." 
 
 Some conversation now took place about Lord 
 Cochrane, and the attempt which his lordship had 
 made to capture or destroy the ships in the Cha- 
 rante. I said that it was the opinion of a very dis- 
 tinguished naval officer whom I named, and who 
 was well known to him, that if Cochrane had
 
 292 A VOICE FROM ST. HELKNA. 
 
 been properly supported, he would have destroyed 
 the whole of the French ships. " He could not 
 only have destroyed them," replied Napoleon, 
 " but he might and would have taken them out, 
 had your admiral supported him as he ought to 
 have done. For, in consequence of the signal 
 made by L'Allemand," (I think he said) " to the 
 ships to do the best in their power to save them- 
 selves, sauve qui pent in fact, they became panic- 
 struck and cut their cables. The terror of the 
 brfilots (fire-ships) was so great that they actually 
 threw their powder overboard, so that they could 
 have offered very little resistance. The French 
 admiral was an imbecille, but yours was just as 
 bad. I assure you, that if Cochrane had been 
 supported, he would have taken every one of the 
 ships. They ought not to have been alarmed 
 by your brdlots, but fear deprived them of their 
 senses, and they no longer knew how to act in 
 their own defence. 
 
 When asking the emperor some medical ques- 
 tions, he recounted the following anecdote. "About 
 seven years ago, the Persian ambassador in Paris 
 fell sick, and ordered a physician to be sent for. 
 The messenger not properly comprehending what 
 he meant, thought that he wished to see a minis- 
 ter of the treasury, to whom he went and in- 
 formed him that the Persian ambassador desired 
 to speak to him. The minister surprised, said,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 293 
 
 * this is a curious mode of acting, but those bar- 
 barians know nothing- of etiquette, and perhaps he 
 has something important to communicate.' On 
 his arrival, the ambassador held out his wrist, 
 that he should feel his pulse, whilst another great 
 fellow with a turban brought a chamber utensil, 
 which he held up to his nose for inspection. You 
 may judge how the minister was confounded at 
 such a reception." 
 
 5th. Napoleon remained in bed very late, not 
 having had any sleep during the night. Found 
 him not risen at eleven. 
 
 Saw him once more in the course of the day, 
 and had some conversation about his brother Lu- 
 cien. He observed again on the cruelty and in- 
 justice of persecuting a literary character who did 
 not meddle in politics, and who had even quar- 
 relled with him. To persecute a man from whom 
 no danger was to be apprehended two years after 
 he (Napoleon) had been sent to St. Helena, was 
 the height of injustice. Such fear of an individual 
 shews that they are conscious of acting contrary 
 to the will of the people. " Les tyrans tremblent 
 pour liters seuils" Here he made a quotation 
 about Pluto trembling lest the earth should open 
 and expose to view all the horrors of the infernal 
 regions. " What a degradation," added he, " to 
 see the ambassador of one of the greatest powers
 
 294 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 in Europe persecuting an individual who has never 
 been, nor ever desired to be a sovereign. Quando 
 io sard morto e forse il giorno non e Ion t a no John 
 Bull mi vendicherd. (When I am dead, and per- 
 haps the day is not far off, John Bull will revenge 
 me.)" 
 
 Napoleon then recounted to me some private 
 anecdotes of Lucien. 
 
 He also told me, that one Ignatio Lorri, (I think 
 was the name,) a Corsican and a foster brother of 
 his, had early in life embraced the English party, 
 and entered their sea-service. He was ignorant, 
 though un bravissimo uomo, and an excellent sea- 
 man. He commanded an English storeship, and 
 landed in ,* where he went disguised as a pea- 
 sant to see the French consul. " When he came 
 into his presence," continued Napoleon, "he threw 
 off his cappotto, shewed the English uniform, and 
 told who he was. He made many inquiries con- 
 cerning me, without however offering to enter my 
 service. The consul did not believe him, and 
 wrote a long history to Paris of an impostor who 
 had presented himself to him, and asserted himself 
 to be the emperor's foster brother. He was much 
 astonished to find that I admitted it to be perfectly 
 true. It is surprising that during all the height of 
 
 * The name of the place is illegible in the manuscript of my 
 journal.
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 295 
 
 my power, this man never asked a favour of me, 
 although in his childhood he loved me, and knew, 
 that since my elevation, I had loaded his mother 
 with favours and money." 
 
 6th. Napoleon in rather better spirits, other- 
 wise much the same. Spoke to me about an ar- 
 ticle which he had seen in the papers, stating that 
 Talma had paid a reckoning for him at a tavern 
 once, when through the want of money he had 
 offered his sword in pledge. This he declared to 
 be untrue, and that he did not believe Talma had 
 ever said so. " I did not know Talma personally," 
 continued he, " until I was first consul. I then 
 favoured and distinguished him very much, as a 
 man of talent and the first in the profession. I 
 sometimes sent for him in the morning, to dis- 
 course with me while I was at breakfast. The 
 libellers said that Talma taught me how to act 
 the king. When I returned from Elba, I said 
 one moming at my breakfast to Talma, who was 
 present with some other men of science, ' Eh bien, 
 Talma, so they say that you taught me how to sit 
 upon my throne. C'est un signe que je my tiens 
 Men.'" 
 
 Count Balmaine and Baron Stunner had a 
 long interview with General Montholon yesterday. 
 They rode up to the inner gate, where they re- 
 mained for some time looking in. Signals are made
 
 296 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 to Plantation House whenever they come near 
 Longwood, and a spy is generally sent to dog 
 them from the town ; but no direct attempts are 
 made to prevent their intercourse with the inhabi- 
 tants of Longwood. 
 
 8th. Napoleon observed that I walked lame, 
 and asked if I had the gout. I replied in the ne- 
 gative, and said, that it had been caused yes- 
 terday by a tight boot ; that I never had the gout, 
 and never had been confined to my bed a day in 
 my life by illness. He then asked if my father 
 had ever had that disease, and said that he would 
 prescribe for my present complaint, by ordering 
 me to eat nothing, drink barley-water, and keep 
 my leg up on a sofa during the day. He then 
 made some observations about his son, and said, 
 that his having been disinherited from the suc- 
 cession to Parma gave him little or no uneasiness. 
 " If he lives," added he, " he will be something. 
 As to those contemptible little states, I would ra- 
 ther see him a private gentleman, with enough to 
 eat, than sovereign of any of them. Perhaps it 
 may however grieve the empress to think that he 
 will not inherit after her ; but it does not give me 
 the smallest trouble." 
 
 " The emperor Francis," added he, " whose 
 head is crammed with ideas of high birth, was very 
 anxious to prove that I was descended from some
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 297 
 
 of the old tyrants of Treviso ; and after my mar-, 
 riage with Marie Louise, employed divers persons 
 to search into the old musty records of genealogy, 
 in which they thought they could find something 
 to prove what they desired. He imagined that he 
 had succeeded at last, and wrote to me, asking 
 my consent that he should publish the account 
 with all official formalities. I refused. He was 
 so intent upon this favourite object, that he again 
 applied, and said, ' Laissez-moi faire,' that I need 
 not appear to take any part in it. I replied, that 
 this was impossible, as if published, I should be 
 obliged to take notice of it ; that I preferred being 
 the son of an honest man, to being descended from 
 any little dirty tyrant of Italy. That I was the 
 Rodolph of my family." 
 
 " There was formerly," added he, " one Buona- 
 ventura Bonaparte, who lived and died a monk. 
 The poor man lay quietly in his grave; nothing 
 was thought about him until I was on the throne 
 of France.. It was then discovered that he had 
 been possessed of many virtues, which never had 
 been attributed to him before, and the Pope pro- 
 posed to me to canonize him. Saint Pere? said 
 I, ' pour r amour de Dieu epargnez-moi le ridicule 
 de cela ;' you being in my power, all the world 
 will say that 1 forced you to make a saint out of 
 my family." 
 
 VOL. II. 2 Q
 
 298 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I 25th. Signal made for me to go to Plantation 
 House, where I found Sir Hudson Lowe, who 
 interrogated me upon various matters that had 
 taken place at Longwood, and the conversations 
 I had had with Napoleon. I replied, that I had 
 formed a determination not to meddle with what did 
 not concern me, and only troubled myself about 
 my professional pursuits. He said that I must 
 have had some conversations not medical with 
 him, and demanded to be informed of the subject 
 of the conversations I had with General Bona- 
 parte. I replied, that in the first place, nothing 
 important had taken place ; that in the next, I did 
 not think myself bound to repeat the subject of 
 such conversations as I had with Napoleon, unless 
 permitted, or unless matters came to my knowledge 
 connected with my allegiance, or of great impor- 
 tance to my own government. Sir Hudson re- 
 plied, "You are no judge, sir, of the importance 
 of the conversations you may have with Gene- 
 ral Bonaparte. I might consider several sub- 
 jects of great importance, which you consider as 
 trifling or of no consequence." I observed, that if 
 I was not at liberty to use my own discretion or 
 judgment, I must necessarily repeat to him every 
 thing I heard, which would place me in the situa- 
 tion of a man acting a most dishonourable and 
 disgraceful part. The governor replied, "that it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 299 
 
 was my duty to inform him of what circumstances 
 came to my knowledge, and of the subject of my 
 conversations with General Bonaparte ; for if I did 
 not, it was easily in his power to prohibit me from 
 holding any communication with him, except on 
 medical subjects, and then only when sent to for 
 that purpose. That it was a duty I owed to the 
 English government." I answered, that it would 
 be acting the part of a spy, an informer, and a 
 mouton. That I never understood the govern- 
 ment had placed me about him for other than me- 
 dical purposes; that my duty did not require me 
 to commit dishonourable actions ; and that I would 
 not do so for any person. Sir Hudson remained 
 silent for a few moments, eyeing me furiously, and 
 asked what was the meaning of the word mouton 9 
 I replied, " Mouton means a person who insinu- 
 ates himself into the confidence of another, for the 
 purpose of betraying it. Sir Hudson then broke 
 out into a paroxysm of rage ; said that I had 
 given him the greatest possible insult in his official 
 capacity that could be offered, and concluded 
 with ordering me to leave the room, saying, that 
 he would not permit a person who had made use 
 of such language to sit in his presence, I told 
 him that I did not voluntarily come into nor ever 
 would have entered his house, unless compelled 
 to do so. He walked about in a frantic manner,
 
 ,'JOO A VOICE FROM ST. MKLRN'A. 
 
 repeating in a boisterous tone, " Leave the room, 
 sir," which he continued bawling out for some mo- 
 ments after I had actually quitted it. 
 
 The following narrative may convey some idea 
 of the manner in which Lieutenant-general Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, K. C. B. &c. &c. was duped, 
 when he had the command of an important for- 
 tress. It was communicated to me at Longwood, 
 principally by the maitre d'h6tel, Cipriani, whose 
 name was also Franceschi, but which latter he 
 never assumed at St. Helena, for reasons which 
 will be seen hereafter. 
 
 In 1806, Sir Hudson, (then Lieutenant-colonel 
 Lowe,) was entrusted with the .command of the 
 island of Capri, which is situated in the bay of 
 Naples, and with the secret service, or in plainer 
 terms, the espionage of the continent, at least as 
 far as regarded the Mediterranean. In the island 
 he commanded, he generally received intelligence 
 from the city of Naples, from which it is distant 
 only a few miles. It was most generally brought 
 to him by means of a fishing-boat, commanded by 
 a man named Antonio, who went out at night 
 under pretence of fishing. Sir Hudson employed 
 as a spy Antonio Suzzarelli, a Corsican and a 
 man of talent, who had been educated as a lawyer 
 along with Pozzo di Borgo, and Saliceti, the then 
 minister of police at Naples. Suzzurelli, hud for-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 301 
 
 inerly been an officer in the English service. Ma- 
 resca a Neapolitan, and Criscuolo, another Nea- 
 politan, were also employed by him on a similar 
 service ; and Cassetti,* a Neapolitan lieutenant- 
 colonel of dragoons, was spy for Queen Caroline 
 of Sicily. Stizzarelli remained faithful to Sir 
 Hudson Lowe for about twenty days, viz. from 
 the 19th or 20th of January, to the 10th of Fe- 
 bruary, when some despatches of his were taken, 
 in a boat going over to Capri. At a tavern, he 
 met Cipriani Franceschi, who was then in the con- 
 fidential service of Saliceti, supposed to be his 
 natural son, and generally known by the name of 
 Franceschi. Being countrymen and intimate ac- 
 quaintances, Suzzarelli confided to Franceschi 
 the nature of his employment, informing him also, 
 that he received a certain sum monthly from the 
 English government. Cipriani proposed to him 
 to apparently continue to furnish information to 
 the governor of Capri, and receive his salary, but 
 at the same time really to communicate every 
 thing to Saliceti, and obey his directions ; adding, 
 that he then would be paid double what he re- 
 ceived from the English ; and, insinuating, that 
 should he refuse, in all probability he would in 
 
 * All those respectable persons, I believe, are now in existence, 
 mid one of them I have reason to believe enjoys a pension from his 
 majesty's government for his services.
 
 302 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 two or three weeks be discovered and shot. Suz- 
 zarelli who was no novice, took the hint immedi- 
 ately, closed with the proposal, and was brought 
 before Saliceti from whom he received instructions 
 how to act. Suzzarelli also brought over Ma- 
 resca and Criscuolo to the same mode of acting, 
 partly by promises and partly by threats. Cas- 
 setti also became a spy on the queen for Saliceti. 
 AH of them were paid double what they re- 
 ceived from the other parties. Matters were or- 
 dered so, that whenever Suzzarelli received a des- 
 patch from Sir Hudson Lowe, it was immediately 
 brought to Saliceti in the state in which it had 
 been received ; who, after reading it, dictated such 
 answers as he thought proper. Sometimes Suz- 
 zarelli was permitted to tell the truth. For ex- 
 ample, while the French troops were in great 
 force in Naples, he was directed to mention their 
 number. Whenever it related to an affair which 
 Saliceti did not like to answer directly, he caused 
 the master of the boat and his crew to be arrested 
 and thrown into confinement for some days, when 
 after some forms of examination had been gone 
 through, they were released. This also gave an 
 opportunity for Suzzarelli to exercise his talents 
 in obtaining more money from Sir Hudson, by 
 inventing tales of the trouble he had been at, 
 and the expenses he had incurred in paying bribes,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 303 
 
 to save those poor devils, who otherwise would 
 have been shot. In this manner the whole of the 
 information furnished to the British government, 
 was only such as answered the ends of Saliceti, 
 and consequently of the emperor Napoleon, ex- 
 cept what trifling intelligence Sir Hudson could 
 glean from the master of the boat, and his sons, 
 who were faithful to him, but were ignorant of 
 every thing of importance. Commissions of the 
 most difficult nature were frequently sent by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe to Suzzarelli to execute, which by 
 order of Saliceti, were done with the greatest 
 punctuality and despatch. Amongst others, there 
 was one for some expensive French watches for 
 Queen Caroline, scarce books, and all recent pub- 
 lications for Sir Hudson, particularly a copy of 
 Las Cases' Atlas, (then called Le Sage's), to ob- 
 tain which he was very anxious. This also af- 
 forded honest Suzzarelii another opportunity of 
 gaining money from Sir Hudson, for, although he 
 was ordered by Saliceti to furnish the articles at 
 prime cost, with a reasonable charge for expenses, 
 in order to prevent suspicion, he never failed to 
 lay on from fifty to a hundred per cent, under dif- 
 ferent pretences. He practised smuggling also 
 to a considerable extent, Sir Hudson frequently 
 paying for the articles he received in English or 
 colonial goods, which Suzzarelli used afterwards 
 to sell at Naples, at a large profit.
 
 304 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Sir Hudson, in his cunning, had recourse to an 
 extraordinary mode of sending over the wages to 
 Suzzarelli, Criscuolo, and Maresca, which last in 
 the fulness of his heart, he used to call his cham- 
 pion, (suo campione). They were paid in gold, 
 which was generally sent in loaves of bread, thnt 
 the cautious Sir Hudson had baked in his own 
 house, and put the money in with his own hands, 
 lest his spies should be discovered by any spies of 
 the Neapolitan police. The loaves had the appear- 
 ance of bread for the use of the boatmen, while 
 fishing at night. As soon as they were landed, they 
 were brought up by Suzzarelli to Saliceti ; the 
 latter insisting that every kind of correspondence 
 should be first submitted to him. By means of 
 Suzzarelh' the French government became ac- 
 quainted with the real destination of the army 
 under General M'Kenzie Fraser, and the fleet 
 under Sir J. Duckworth. 
 
 Suzzarelli even offered to procure Sir Hudson 
 some soldiers to recruit the Corsican regiment in 
 Capri ; and some I believe were actually des- 
 patched over to him, to corrupt the foreigners 
 under his command. While the attack upon 
 Capri was meditating, Suzzarelli had the art to 
 persuade Sir Hudson Lowe that it was meant 
 against the little island of Ponza; accordingly to 
 defend which the English frigate Ambuscade, and 
 the greatest part of the gun-boats were sent ; thus
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 305 
 
 leaving the passage to Capri defended only by a 
 small force. To encourage this belief, an embargo 
 was laid upon all vessels in Naples ; but some fish- 
 ing boats, manned with persons in the employ of 
 Saliceti, were sent out at night, purposely to fall 
 in with some of Sir Hudson's boats, and to assure 
 them that the expedition was meant for Ponza. 
 In order to embroil the British government and 
 Sir Hudson with Queen Caroline, letters were 
 fabricated by a Neapolitan, called Don Antonio, 
 as if from her to Cassetti ; whilst others purporting 
 to be written by Sir Hudson, were forged by an 
 English schoolmaster residing at Naples ; these 
 last confidentially stating, that the object of the 
 English was to get the royal family out of Sicily, 
 and send them to England on a pension, that they 
 might subsequently take possession of the coun- 
 try ; and the first containing complaints of Sir 
 Hudson by the queen, and invectives against him 
 and the English. Those wretches also, to afford 
 amusement to Saliceti, and to themselves, used 
 sometimes to create a quarrel between Sir Hudson 
 and the Prince of Canosa, who commanded in 
 Ponza, by means of forged letters, abusing each 
 other, which they caused to fall into their hands. 
 They usually assembled at night to enjoy them- 
 selves, drinking and laughing at their dupe Sir 
 Hudson, whose health they toasted out of derision, 
 
 VOL. II. 2 R
 
 306 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA 
 
 whilst, in the midst of their revels, they were 
 hatching new means of deceiving him. Even Sa- 
 liceti himself sometimes went to listen and laugh 
 at their schemes. 
 
 Some time in 1807, or 1808, Suzzarelli was to 
 go to Vienna, to execute a mission for Saliceti, 
 and determined to make Sir Hudson Lowe pay 
 the expenses of the journey. The chief object of 
 this mission was to sound the English ambas- 
 sador, and Pozzo di Borgo, then at Vienna. Suz- 
 zarelli went to Sir Hudson Lowe, whom he per- 
 suaded that at Vienna he could procure informa^ 
 tion of the greatest importance, and obtained from 
 him six thousand francs for the expenses of his 
 journey, &c. with strong letters of recommenda- 
 tion. He then went to Vienna, where he was 
 very well received by the English ambassador, 
 from whom he procured some important intelli- 
 gence. He also obtained from him an order to 
 have the salaries paid which were given to other 
 English agents and officers who resided on the 
 continent. With Pozzo di Borgo, he did not 
 succeed, as the wary Corsican could not believe 
 that it was possible for him to deceive Saliceti, as 
 he pretended to have done. Suzzarelli in trying 
 to ingratiate himself into Pozzo di Borgo's confi- 
 dence, boasted of his influence over Saliceti, say- 
 ing, lo faccio intendere a Saliceti tutto do che
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 307 
 
 voglio* ( I make Saliceti believe whatever I like). 
 A me tu conti questo ? (Dost thou tell this to me?) 
 replied Pozzo di Borgo, bowing down to the 
 ground. All the art of Suzzarelli could not ex- 
 tract a single secret from him, although the letter 
 of recommendation given by Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 represented him as a man in whom every confi- 
 dence could be placed, and in the passport which 
 he received afterwards from the English ambassa- 
 dor, he was styled // Signore Barone Suzzarelli. 
 On his return to Naples, he was asked by Saliceti, 
 " Ebbene com hai tirato da Pozzo di Borgo ?" 
 (Well, what hast thou extracted from Pozzo di 
 Borgo ?) " Ah," replied Suzzarelli, shrugging up 
 his shoulders, " dui birbi insieme, non si guadagna 
 niente" (two rogues together, nothing is gained). 
 He then told Saliceti, that Pozzo di Borgo had sent 
 his compliments to him. Saliceti replied, " Suz- 
 zarelli, I know that thou hast told me many lies, 
 but this is the greatest that ever has escaped thy 
 lips, accustomed as they are to lying. I well 
 know Pozzo di Borgo : I have been the means of 
 banishing him from his country, and of proscrib- 
 ing him ; so that through my means, if caught in 
 France, he would be shot. Thinkest thou, then, 
 
 * The Italian in this narrative is given as delivered by Cipri- 
 ani, who generally conversed in not the most pure or correct lan- 
 guage.
 
 308 A VOICE FROM 8T. HELENA. 
 
 that so proud a man as Pozzo di Borgo, and a 
 Corsican, would send his compliments to one who 
 has done him so much injury. None but the 
 meanest and vilest of men would be capable of it, 
 and I well know Pozzo di Borgo to be one of the 
 proudest on earth." In fact, Suzzarelli* acknow- 
 ledged afterwards, that he had invented it. 
 
 Suzzarelli had at one time, persuaded Sir 
 Hudson Lowe to promise to come over to Naples, 
 and meet him in a little house on the beach, be- 
 longing to Maresca, where he would have seen 
 Saliceti in disguise, who had decided not to seize 
 him, as he conceived that it would be difficult to 
 find another governor, who would allow himself to 
 be gulled so egregiously, and would, besides, have 
 prevented them from deriving any more services 
 from Suzzarelli. " Vorrei vedere questo colonel- 
 lo tuo" said Saliceti, "fammelo vedere. Un uomo 
 pud lasciarsi ingannare per qualche mese, ma di 
 lasciarsi coglionare a questo segno per tanti anni, 
 bisogna essere ben bestia" (I should like to see 
 
 * After Saliceti's death, Suzzarelli confessed that he had never 
 succeeded in deceiving him but once, and even then not complete- 
 ly ; as Saliceti, in giving him some money for the expenses of his 
 journey to Vienna, told him that it was not given on account of the 
 services he had then rendered the public, as he, in the bottom of his 
 heart, believed that most of what he had told him was false, but be- 
 cause he knew that he must get money by some means, for the exis- 
 tence of his family and himself.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 309 
 
 this colonel of thine. Let me see him. A man 
 may allow himself to be deceived for some months, 
 but he who suffers himself to be humbugged so 
 grossly for so many years, must be a beast in- 
 deed.) " Oh," replied Suzzarelli, with an air of 
 gravity, " nan e tanto bestia, e talento mio." (Not 
 quite so great a blockhead, it is my cleverness.) 
 Something, however, induced Lowe to change his 
 intentions. 
 
 Murat being desirous of seizing all the English 
 merchandize, of which there was a great quantity 
 in Naples, under the name of American, and, at 
 the same time, not wishing to quarrel with the 
 Americans, employed Suzzarelli to find out the 
 means of ascertaining what was really American, 
 and what was not. Suzzarelli went to Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, whom he persuaded that he should be 
 able to render essential service to the British go- 
 vernment, if he were possessed of the means of 
 distinguishing the English passports from the real 
 American ones. Sir Hudson gave him two, one 
 real and American, and the other counterfeit and 
 English, shewing him how to distinguish between 
 them, the only difference being in the stamp. In 
 the English, the initial was exactly in the centre 
 of the stamp ; in the American, though the letter 
 was the same, it was placed a little underneath. 
 Furnished with these Suzzarelli departed, and in
 
 310 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the beginning of 1810, a general seizure of the 
 ships was made by Murat, and all those found 
 with passports in the manner described above, 
 were confiscated. While Saliceti lived, but few 
 were seized, as he wished to keep Suzzarelli on 
 terms with Lowe. 
 
 It was by means of the money acquired by the 
 seizure and confiscation of the above-mentioned 
 vessels, that King Joachim in a great measure 
 equipped and paid the expedition undertaken 
 against Sicily in the year 1811. Saliceti became 
 acquainted with almost every thing that passed at 
 the court of Palermo, by means of the Duchess of 
 C * * *, with whom he intrigued. She was daughter 
 to the Princess C***, wife to the Sicilian ambassa- 
 dor in * * *, and prima dama to Caroline, and her 
 confidant. Her husband wrote her an account of 
 every circumstance that took place at the court 
 of * * * *. She hated the French, and Saliceti 
 pretended that he was a republican, and detested 
 the French party. She established a correspond- 
 ence with her mother, who communicated every 
 thing to her, for the disclosure of which she received 
 one thousand scudi per month from Saliceti. 
 
 In 1808 or 9, a Neapolitan named Mosca, and 
 in rank a captain, was sent over from Capri by 
 Queen Caroline to assassinate Napoleon's bro- 
 ther, Joseph, at that time king of Naples, In
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 311 
 
 order to stimulate him to the deed, she gave him 
 a lock of her hair, and a letter in her own hand- 
 writing, engaging to make him a colonel as soon 
 as what he promised was effected. Independent 
 of this, he received a letter from the Princess V * * 
 T * * *, confidant to Queen Caroline, specifically 
 pointing out what he was to do ; viz. to rid his 
 country of the usurper and giving him every as- 
 surance, that the "good queen his mistress, would 
 fulfil all her promises to him"* He accordingly 
 left Capri, in a felucca, provided with all the ne- 
 cessary passports ; in one of which, signed by an 
 English officer, there were instructions requiring 
 that all British officers should afford every assist- 
 ance to the bearer, who was proceeding on a 
 secret mission, for the good of the service of King 
 Ferdinand. He landed at Molino, near to a 
 country-house of Joseph's and his intention was 
 to have assassinated him while walking in the 
 garden. While lurking about in expectation of his 
 victim, he met with a girl, whose appearance struck 
 him, and to whom he offered some pieces of gold 
 to consent to his wishes. Not succeeding in this, 
 he told her that he had come over from the queen 
 to execute a grand object, and that if she would 
 consent to his desires, he would make her a great 
 
 * Those two letters, as well as the passports, I saw in the ori- 
 ginal, since my return from St. Helena.
 
 312 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 woman. The girl became alarmed, and would 
 not consent, notwithstanding the sight of his gold, 
 and the promises he made. Information was 
 given to the police, who proceeded immediately 
 to the spot. Two of Mosca's associates were 
 killed, and he himself seized, after a desperate 
 resistance. The letters, the lock of hair, the arms 
 which were found upon him, .and the girl, were 
 produced against him before a military commis- 
 sion. He said, in his defence, that he merely had 
 come over to throw himself at Joseph's feet, and 
 ask pardon and permission to return to Naples, 
 after condemnation, however, he confessed his 
 real intentions. He died with great courage, and 
 refused to disclose the names of his accomplices. 
 Some time after this, Queen Caroline sent over 
 a Neapolitan apothecary named Gherardi, (or 
 Visconti,) and his two sons, to assassinate Sali- 
 ceti. For this purpose he went to Ponza, from 
 whence he proceeded to Capri, and from Capri to 
 Naples, where he landed at night, taking with 
 him a sort of catamaran, in shape and size simi- 
 lar' to a ship's buoy. He managed matters so well 
 as to get admittance into Saliceti's house, and even 
 to hire a room under the stairs as an apothecary's 
 store, in which he placed his machine. Saliceti, 
 who had been at a party at the house of the Prin- 
 cess * * *, did not return until about twelve or
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 313 
 
 one o'clock, alighted from his carriage, and ac- 
 cording to his usual custom, bounded up stairs 
 with great quickness: this saved his life: for the 
 incendiary's machine did not explode until he had 
 passed through four rooms of his suite of apart- 
 ments. Cipriani was with him at the moment of 
 the explosion. Upwards of thirty of the rooms 
 were either blown to pieces or materially injured, 
 and the palace nearly reduced to ruins, under 
 which was buried one of Saliceti's daughters (now 
 the Duchess of ***)-f- where she remained for 
 some hours, but at last was discovered by Ci- 
 priani hearing the moans of some person. While 
 proceeding on in the direction of the voice, he 
 tumbled through the floor down to the room be- 
 low, fortunately without sustaining any injury, 
 which brought him nearer to the sufferer. An 
 alarm was given, and after considerable difficulty 
 the young lady was extricated, half dead, from 
 under the mass of ruins. Some of the rafters had 
 formed a cross over her, which was the means of 
 saving her life. Gherardi and his sons were ar- 
 rested and tried, the sons shot, but the father, in 
 consequence of his advanced age, escaped with 
 perpetual imprisonment. 
 
 Immediately after this event, Sir Hudson Lowe 
 
 + This lady is now alive, and resides in Naples. In 1819, I saw 
 anl conversed with her sister at Rome. 
 VOL. II. 2 S
 
 314 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 wrote a letter to Saliceti, professing his entire igno- 
 rance of it, and his detestation of similar attempts. 
 Saliceti, suspecting the drum-major of the regi- 
 ment of Vajro, then in Naples, to be an agent of 
 Queen Caroline, employed Suzzarelli to discover 
 it. Accordingly Suzzarelli, with whom the drum- 
 major was intimately acquainted, embraced an op- 
 portunity of addressing him one day while he was 
 walking about, looking very discontentedly, and 
 commenced by inveighing against the tyranny to 
 which they were subjected, and how happy he 
 should be to get away from a place where no 
 one's life was safe for a moment ; professing his in- 
 tention of effecting his escape as soon as he could 
 do it without running the risk of being seized and 
 shot by the police, of which he said he was in 
 great dread. The poor drum-major heartily joined 
 him, professed his own disgust for the govern- 
 ment they were under, and his attachment to that 
 of Caroline, adding, that he would also get away 
 as soon as possible. Upon this Suzzarelli pro- 
 posed to him to induce twenty or thirty of his re- 
 giment to enter into either Caroline's or the Eng- 
 lish service, telling him to make them sign a paper 
 purporting their readiness to enter, and giving 
 him two hundred dollars to forward his plans, 
 with a promise, that as soon as they were ready, 
 he would procure them a passage over to Capri.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 315 
 
 The drum-major went amongst his friends in the 
 regiment, and used all his endeavours to inveigle 
 some to enter into his projects. He could not, 
 however, succeed with more than ten or twelve, 
 who were so illiterate that they could neither 
 read nor write, and he was obliged to write their 
 names himself, along with those of his two sons. 
 He then met Suzzarelli according to appointment, 
 acquainted him with how far he had succeeded, 
 and shewed him the list of names. Suzzarelli com- 
 municated this to Saliceti, recommending him at 
 the same time to wait until he had procured more 
 victims. Saliceti rejected this, replying, that it 
 was the business of the police by every means to 
 discover traitors, but not to encourage or make 
 them ; on the contrary, that his duty was to nip 
 every thing of the kind in the bud, and not know- 
 ingly to allow such practices to be carried on. 
 
 The drum-major and his associates were imme- 
 diately arrested, the paper with the names found 
 upon him, and, a short time afterwards, himself, 
 his sons, and some of the others were hanged. 
 Suzzarelli lay concealed for several days, and 
 then went to see the widow of the unfortunate 
 drum-major, told her that her husband had nearly 
 been his ruin ; that he had come to him to re- 
 quest assistance in getting away from Naples, 
 which he in his friendship had promised to afford,
 
 316 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 but that all had been discovered; that he had been 
 taken up, thrown into prison, and should have 
 been hanged, if luckily for him a countryman of 
 his had not been in Saliceti's office, who had in- 
 terested himself to save his life. This he told so 
 plausibly, that the poor woman implicitly believed 
 what he said, looked upon him as a benefactor, 
 and ever afterwards, when in trouble, used to have 
 recourse to Suzzarelli for advice, who occasionally 
 gave her a dollar or two. Two or three days after 
 this abominable treachery, Cipriani said to Suz- 
 zarelli, " What a scelerato (miscreant) thou art, 
 Suzzarelli. How canst thou reconcile to thyself 
 being the cause of the death of those poor fellows 
 who were hanged through thy deceit?" "Bah," 
 replied Suzzarelli, " Snno porci Napolitanacci" 
 (they are Neapolitan hogs). 
 
 In 1809, Saliceti wishing to discover when the 
 packet from England was expected to arrive in 
 Sicily, set Suzzarelli to work upon Colonel Lowe. 
 Suzzarelli accordingly wrote to the colonel, stat- 
 ing that as the news they had received from Eng- 
 land by the last English papers had been very 
 distressing, and had produced bad effects, by dis- 
 couraging those partizans of the English who be- 
 lieved it ; that even those who did not credit 
 it to the full extent thought that something un- 
 favourable had occurred ; he therefore requested
 
 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 317 
 
 the colonel to communicate immediately to him 
 any news that he might have received, that he 
 might be able to keep up the spirits of the party. 
 Sir Hudson Lowe replied, that he was very right 
 to use every exertion not to allow the loyal senti- 
 ments of the faithful subjects of King Ferdinand 
 to be lowered ; but at that moment he had no au- 
 thentic intelligence to communicate ; that, how- 
 ever, he expected to a certainty that the packet 
 from England would arrive in a few days, when 
 he would take care to forward to him forthwith 
 every intelligence that was favourable. As soon 
 as Suzzarelli, made this known to Saliceti, a pri- 
 vateer called VArdito, was despatched to cruize 
 
 between Sardinia and , and in a few days 
 
 actually fell in with the English packet, (which I 
 believe, was called the Success), which she took. 
 The mail was thrown overboard, but in the hurry, 
 it hung by one of the cords which attached it, 
 and the privateer's men kept up such a fire of 
 musketry, that the crew of the packet durst not 
 approach to cut it away, and it was taken. In it 
 were despatches giving some directions concerning 1 
 an attack which was meditated upon Corfu ; with 
 some letters from the admiralty to the admiral re- 
 lative to the blockade of that island. Cipriani 
 described the packet as having been commanded 
 by a young man about twenty, and manned with 
 fourteen men.
 
 318 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Suzzarelli extorted large sums of money from 
 Colonel Lowe under various pretexts ; such as in- 
 demnifying his agents for their imprisonment, and 
 as bribes stated by him to have been given to the 
 police to prevent his own arrestation. He was a 
 most debauched character, but a man of talent, 
 of prepossessing appearance and manner. He 
 tried at times to deceive Saliceti with wonderful 
 stories, and invented schemes to obtain money 
 from him. Saliceti on these occasions has been 
 known to say, " Va a far credere quest o al cola- 
 nello tuo, che e un coglione, a me noti puoi, che ti 
 conosco.* Canst thou not say at once that thou 
 hast need of money r" 
 
 With a view to embroil the English government 
 with the Sicilian, a letter was fabricated by Suz- 
 zarelli, in imitation of Colonel Lowe's hand-writ- 
 ing. In the course of conversation with Cassetti, 
 Suzzarelli observed, that Queen Caroline was 
 playing the devil in Sicily, and endeavouring to 
 destroy all the English. This excited Cassetti's 
 curiosity, and caused him to make many enquiries 
 from Suzzarelli, who, after many seeming diffi- 
 culties, replied, that he had a letter from the 
 colonel to that effect, which Cassetti, with great 
 eagerness, asked to see. Suzzarelli after much 
 
 * Go and make tliy hlockhe;ul of ;i colonel believe this. It will 
 not go down with me, who know thee.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 319 
 
 persuasion allowed him to look at it. It stigma- 
 tized the Neapolitans as a set of wretches without 
 faith ; counselled Suzzarelli to beware of them, 
 asserted that Queen Caroline had formed a plot 
 to assassinate all the English in Sicily ; that the 
 barons had every thing ready to take up arms, 
 and to massacre or drive them off the island ; 
 concluding with declaring, that in consequence 
 of this discovery, the English government had re- 
 solved to seize upon the queen, and take the island 
 under their own protection. Cassetti begged hard 
 to be allowed to retain the letter, which Suz- 
 zarelli refused but gave him a copy, promising, 
 that he would consider of the propriety of giving 
 him the original. He then went to Saliceti, to 
 whom he related that Cassetti had taken the bait, 
 adding, that he had promised to consider of the 
 propriety of letting him have the original. Not 
 to neglect taking every precaution, Saliceti de- 
 sired Suzzarelli to send for the English school- 
 master in their employment, who counterfeited 
 hand-writing to perfection, to ascertain if the 
 colonel's hand-writing had been well imitated by 
 Suzzarelli. On looking at it, he declared that the 
 cheat would be discovered. He then was ordered 
 to copy the letter, and imitated Sir Hudson 
 Lowe's hand-writing so perfectly, that the latter 
 was subsequently deceived by it himself. The 
 next morning Suzzarelli gave it to Cassetti, in-
 
 320 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 structing him at the same time not to shew or lose 
 it, as he said his life depended upon it. Cassetti 
 immediately hurried off to Palermo, and shewed 
 the letter to the queen, who in a rage sent for Sir 
 John Stuart, who was then at Palermo, and pre- 
 sented him the counterfeit letter, insisting that 
 a most summary punishment might be inflicted 
 upon Colonel Lowe for having dared to make use; 
 of her name in such a manner. Sir John Stuart 
 immediately sent to Colonel Lowe to demand an 
 explanation. On being shewn the letter, his hand- 
 writing was so well counterfeited, that he acknow- 
 ledged it to be his, but declared that he was not 
 conscious of ever having written such a letter, 
 neither could he find a copy of it in his private 
 despatch -book. At the time that Suzzarelli forged 
 the letter, the police purposely sent out some boats 
 and seized the colonel's boat coming over from 
 Capri. The next day, Suzzarelli wrote to the co- 
 lonel to inform him that the boat had been seized, 
 and that he did not know what intelligence he had 
 forwarded to him, as all had fallen into the hands 
 of the police, who had possessed themselves of 
 the boat. 
 
 Maresca was usually the person employed to 
 go over to the colonel in Antonio's boat. Sir 
 Hudson styled both Suzzarelli and him sui cam- 
 pioni (his champions). Maresca had two sons, 
 who, as well as Antonio, the boatman, and his
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 321 
 
 sons, was faithful to Sir Hudson Lowe. About 
 the middle of 1809, Sir Hudson Lowe began to 
 suspect Suzzarelli, who in consequence went 
 over to Capri, where he employed his eloquence 
 so effectually as to convince Sir Hudson that he 
 was the most trusty of mankind, and wholly de- 
 voted to his service. On his return Suzzarelli 
 went to Saliceti, to whom he related the whole 
 conversation that had taken place between them, 
 accompanying it with divers strokes of wit at the 
 expense of the poor colonel. Saliceti, when he 
 wished to unbend from state affairs, and divert 
 himself, used sometimes to send for Suzzarelli to 
 make him laugh, by recounting the gross manner 
 in which he had humbugged the colonel. 
 
 Several plans were laid to induce the Prince of 
 Canosa to land on the coast of Naples, but fortu- 
 nately for himself, he did not agree to any of them, 
 as he would have been seized and shot within 
 twenty-four hours. While Suzzarelli was thus 
 carrying on his game, a letter arrived from the 
 police at Paris, stating, that information had been 
 received that one Suzzarelli, a Corsican emigrant, 
 in the pay of England, was at that moment in 
 Naples, employed as a spy for the English, and 
 desiring that Saliceti might cause him to be ar- 
 rested, tried by a military commission, and the 
 sentence executed directly. Saliceti sent for Suz- 
 
 VOL. n. 2 T
 
 322 A VOICE FROM ST. {IE LENA. 
 
 zarelli, in whose hands he put the letter to read. 
 He then wrote to the police in Paris, explaining 
 the nature of Suzzarelli's connexion with Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, and that he was a treasure to 
 them. This incident Suzzarelli turned to his own 
 advantage, as it gave him an opportunity of ex- 
 tracting some money from Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 under pretence of having been obliged to bribe 
 largely some of the police ; adding, that if it had 
 not been for his friend and countryman, Fran- 
 ceschi* who was in the service of Saliceti, and 
 had great influence, he should infallibly have been 
 arrested and shot. 
 
 Information was sent to Saliceti that Cassetti 
 intended to poniard him. Although he did not 
 credit it, he nevertheless determined to take pre- 
 cautions. Accordingly one night when Cassetti 
 made his appearance, he was seized and mi- 
 nutely searched. Nothing, however, was found 
 upon him to justify such a suspicion. After hav- 
 ing gone through this ordeal, he was permitted to 
 enter, and loudly complained of the ignoble treat- 
 ment he had received. Saliceti pretended utter 
 ignorance of it, and affected the greatest asto- 
 nishment, sent for the officer of gendarmerie, and 
 with an angry air asked how he dared to put 
 
 * This was the reason that Cipriani never assumed the name of 
 Franceschi at St Helena.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 323 
 
 such a measure in execution towards a man of 
 honour like Cassetti.* The officer, who was pre- 
 pared, pretended that it was a mistake, and by 
 order of Saliceti made many apologies to the 
 man of honour. " I saw," said Cassetti, who was 
 himself deceived, great rogue as he was, " fire 
 flashing from Saliceti's eyes with indignation at 
 the unworthy treatment to which I had been ex- 
 posed." 
 
 Suzzarelli, while over in Sicily, had a conversa- 
 tion with one of the Roncos, a captain of brigands 
 under the command of one Piccioli, a native of 
 Cheti, and in the employ of Queen Caroline, who 
 were in the habit of landing and committing de- 
 predations in the Calabrias. Piccioli was tired of 
 her service, and was desirous of doing something 
 to procure his pardon and admittance into that of 
 Murat. He therefore, proposed through Ronco, 
 to cause the gang to land at night in such part of 
 Calabria as might be agreed upon, for the pur- 
 pose of betraying them into the hands of the Nea- 
 politan police. Suzzarelli mentioned this to Sa- 
 liceti, and proposed to send a vessel to bring them 
 to Calabria, under pretence of landing in some 
 place where they w r ould meet with a rich booty ; 
 which plan he hoped to effect through Ronco. 
 
 * Cassetti had the rank of lieutenant-colonel in King Joachim's 
 army, as well as in that of Queen Caroline.
 
 324 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Saliceti, however, who doubted Suzzarelli's cou- 
 rage, told him that he was clever at making pro- 
 posals and projects, but not in executing such a 
 one as he had suggested, and sent him away. At 
 this proposal was present one Spadaccini, a Nea- 
 politan, a lawyer by profession, and the secret spy 
 of the interior for Saliceti. Ostensibly he was a 
 partizan of Queen Caroline's, and in order the 
 better to deceive the partizans of the exiled fa- 
 mily, he procured himself to be arrested and 
 thrown into prison by orders of Saliceti, where 
 he was detained as a suspected person for four 
 months, and apparently treated with great rigour ; 
 although in reality he was allowed to do what he 
 liked, and every night went out of the prison in 
 disguise, to make merry with his brother villains. 
 He was a man of determined courage, and capable 
 of any desperate enterprize. At night he returned 
 to Saliceti, to whom he said that the project pro- 
 posed by Suzzarelli, was one of straw, and that 
 he alone was the person who could succeed, as 
 he was intimate with Piccioli, they having been 
 brought up together at college, and their houses 
 next to each other. Saliceti promised him six thou- 
 sand scudi in case of success, but if he failed, he 
 declared that he would not only not give him any- 
 thing, but would take his present pension from 
 him ; adding, that he would give him no money in
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 325 
 
 advance, but would allow six companies of Corsi- 
 can gendarmerie to be placed under his orders. 
 This offer was immediately accepted by Spadac- 
 cini, who proceeded to Pescara, from whence he 
 sent a messenger to Piccioli, who was then at 
 Rocoli. On Piccioli's arrival they had a long 
 conference together, during which they arranged 
 their diabolical plans. A few days afterwards, 
 Piccioli landed in the gulph of Tarento with his 
 gang, consisting of between seventy and eighty 
 ruffians, all gente di riputazione, who had signa- 
 lized themselves by robberies and murders along 
 the coasts, and were the terror of the kingdom of 
 Naples. These wretches marched forward to the 
 mountains, and in their way took an escort with 
 the contribution of the district for three months, 
 which was on its road to the treasury. In the 
 Abbruzzi, they were led by Piccioli at night into 
 a defile, where, under pretence of ascertaining the 
 way, their Judas proceeded in advance. The Cor- 
 sican gendarmerie were disposed amongst the 
 trees, and as soon as Piccioli got to a certain dis- 
 tance, he stepped in amongst them, when they 
 commenced a fire upon the deluded villains, and 
 massacred every individual of them, who certainly 
 had merited death, but not through the treachery 
 of their leader. After this exploit, Spadaccini 
 and Piccioli returned to Naples, where the for-
 
 326 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 mer received the reward of his enterprize, and the 
 latter his pardon. Saliceti, however, considered 
 his treachery to be of so black and atrocious a 
 nature, that he never would either see him, or al- 
 low him to be employed. 
 
 At the end of October, 1808, King Joachim, 
 finding that the possession of Capri by the Eng- 
 lish was a source of continual annoyance to the 
 trade of Naples, and also being alarmed by the 
 attempts at assassination made by persons coming 
 from that island, and in the pay of Queen Caro- 
 line ; and considering it as a reproach to him to 
 suffer the English to hold an island so near to his 
 capital, determined to make himself master of it. 
 Accordingly, great preparations were made for the 
 attack, which, Suzzarelli and his confederates per- 
 suaded Sir Hudson Lowe was destined for the 
 island of Ponza. Every thing having been pre- 
 pared, a council of ministers was held a short 
 time previous to the attack. Some wished that 
 Suzzarelli should continue to deceive Sir Hudson 
 Lowe to the last ; one* however gave his opinion 
 that the success of the attack was uncertain, and 
 should it fail, Colonel Lowe would perceive that 
 he had been deceived by Suzzarelli, and would 
 never trust him again. He thought therefore that 
 
 * This fact was related to me in 1819 by the minister himself, 
 whose name, for obvious reasons, I shall not mention.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 327 
 
 to prevent this, it would be right to permit Suz- 
 zarelli to send information of the real destination 
 of the expedition to Sir Hudson Lowe a few 
 hours before it sailed. Until that moment Suzza- 
 relli should continue to persuade him that it was 
 intended for Ponza ; thus whatever might be the 
 event, Suzzarelli would not be compromised. A 
 number of scaling ladders were requisite for the 
 attack of Capri, and it appeared difficult to cause 
 them to be constructed without its coming to the 
 knowledge of Sir Hudson Lowe, which would not 
 only expose Suzzarelli, but point out at once 
 the real object of the expedition. This appeared 
 at first to be an insurmountable difficulty. The 
 genius of the same person, however, who had pro- 
 posed the above measure, suggested an expedient 
 which perfectly answered. The day before the 
 attack, an order was given by the police, that all 
 the lamplighters in the city of Naples should as- 
 semble with their ladders at a certain hour on the 
 following day. The same night, Suzzarelli sent 
 over intimation to Lowe, that the island was to 
 be attacked next morning, and even inclosed him 
 a copy of the proclamation which was to be is- 
 sued to the troops who were to make the attempt. 
 It was considered that this short notice would 
 only tend to increase the confusion of the garrison. 
 The expedition, consisting of sixteen or eighteen
 
 328 A VOICE FROM ST. EJRU3NA. 
 
 hundred men, under the command of General 
 Lamarque, sailed from the bay of Naples on the 
 4th or 5th of October, and arrived under the 
 rocks of Capri, without any molestation from the 
 English squadron, consisting of the Ambuscade 
 frigate and three or four sloops, or the flotilla of 
 gun-boats ; which in the supposition of Ponza being 
 the intended point of attack, had been sent to de- 
 fend it. Capri had a garrison composed of the royal 
 regiment of Corsicans, the royal regiment of Malta, 
 and some English artillery. There is not perhaps 
 in the world an island which presents more ob- 
 stacles by nature to an attacking army than Capri. 
 Nine-tenths of the circumference of the island 
 consists of steep and perpendicular rocks, several 
 hundred feet above the level of the sea. Every 
 known landing place was fortified, and there were 
 about forty pieces of cannon mounted in the forts. 
 In spite of all these natural and artificial ob- 
 stacles, the French landed, being obliged in some 
 places to climb the precipices by means of lad- 
 ders, resting on the moving basis of the boats be- 
 low. The regiment of Malta, whether through 
 cowardice, or from having been corrupted by the 
 champion, Suzzarelli, threw down their arms, and 
 refused to fight, and were made prisoners, in spite 
 of all the exertions of their officers, several of 
 whom, including the commanding officer, were
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 329 
 
 killed in the attempt. In this manner the fort St. 
 Barbe, and Ana-Capri, the summit of the island, 
 were taken. The only way of communicating 
 with Capri itself, the citadel, and the forts, where 
 Sir Hudson and the rest of the garrison were 
 was by means of a stair or ladder, of four or five 
 hundred steps, down which only one person a I 
 a time in front could descend, and was com- 
 manded by several pieces of cannon. Notwith- 
 standing this, the French troops made the at- 
 tempt, succeeded, and invested the town. Five 
 hundred men were harnessed to some twenty-four 
 pounder guns, which they dragged up in one night 
 to Mount Solaro, the most elevated point of Ana- 
 Capri, and commanding the citadel. During the 
 whole period of his government, Sir Hudson Lowe 
 had neglected to fortify this part, in the suppo- 
 sition that it was impracticable to drag heavy can- 
 non up the steep sides of the mountain. Breach- 
 ing batteries were constructed facing the citadel, 
 and others furnished with furnaces for red hot shot 
 erected along the beach, in order to keep off the 
 English squadron and flotilla which were seen 
 beating up from Ponza. Some reinforcements 
 also pushed off from Naples and landed near Tibe- 
 rius's Bath, and in a few days, Sir Hudson Lowe 
 capitulated, surrendering to the French the island, 
 forts, artillery, ammunition, and stores. 
 VOL. n. 2 u
 
 ,330 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Capri was commonly called the Gibraltar of 
 Naples, and the obstacles to its capture, or even 
 to landing, appeared so insurmountable, as to 
 draw forth from Saliceti the following remarks, 
 on visiting it after it was taken, " J'y al trouvd les 
 Fran p ais, maisje ne puis pas croire quits y soient 
 entrts." 
 
 When the expedition under Lieutenant-general 
 Sir John Stuart and Admiral Freemantle, consist- 
 ing of about eighteen or nineteen thousand men, 
 left Sicily in 1809, the advice and intention of the 
 admiral were, that the expedition should land 
 between Portici and Castelamare, and attack the 
 city of Naples. Sir Hudson Lowe was with the 
 army. Reference was made to Suzzarelli for ad- 
 vice, who recommended that tbe English should 
 at first secure some point of support and retreat, 
 by taking the islands of Ischia and Procida, 
 and then to land at Baja, the garrison of which 
 he said was commanded by a Corsican colonel, 
 a relation of his, who would for a certain sum 
 of money, and an equal rank in the English ser- 
 vice, betray the place, after making a shew of re- 
 sistance. That by this time the English party 
 and that of Ferdinand would have time to arrange 
 their plans to assist them, and collect their adhe- 
 rents. This advice was unfortunately followed. 
 There were at this time only four thousand men
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 331 
 
 in that city, as most of the French troops were 
 upon their march towards Germany, it being a 
 little before the battle of Wagram. Orders had 
 been given to those troops who were in the city 
 to abandon it if the English landed, and retire to 
 Fort St. Elmo, there to remain until they were 
 succoured. They had even been ordered not to 
 fire upon the town of Naples, if the English oc- 
 cupied it. All the treasure, all the king and 
 queen's baggage and jewels were packed up, as 
 well as those of the principal persons, and ready 
 to depart the moment the English landed. Little 
 or no resistance could have been made. There 
 were several frigates and a seventy-four on the 
 stocks, immense stores, between two and three 
 hundred sail of merchantmen, and a very large 
 flotilla, which must have been air taken, as Murat 
 did not like to injure the city by attempting a 
 useless defence. When the English first appeared, 
 Saliceti was in Rome. Murat became imbecile, 
 and thought of nothing but saving his treasures. 
 The queen, however, who had much more firmness 
 and talent in the cabinet than her husband, sent 
 Cipriani with a note to Saliceti, intreating him to 
 return without loss of time to Naples ; that the 
 king had lost his senses, and was incapable of com- 
 manding ; and that every thing depended upon 
 him. This letter Cipriani concealed in the sole
 
 332 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of his boot ; and after some difficulty, and a 
 narrow escape from robbers near Terracina, suc- 
 ceeded in arriving at Rome. If he succeeded in 
 bringing back Saliceti, he was ordered by the 
 queen to return with all possible celerity ; and at 
 a place agreed upon near the entrance of the 
 town, to take out his handkerchief, and appear to 
 wipe the sweat off his brows ; if not, he was to 
 continue his course. He saw Saliceti at about 
 two in the morning, to whom he communicated 
 every thing. After reading the letter, Saliceti 
 demanded what Suzzarelli and Maresca were 
 doing. Cipriani replied, that they were in Naples, 
 and endeavouring to persuade the English gene- 
 rals not to land between Portici and Castelamare, 
 but to attack Ischia. "Bravo Suzzarelli" ex- 
 claimed Saliceti, " son perduti ; but if they land 
 between Portici and Castelamare, we are lost." 
 Saliceti sent Cipriani on, who returned with a 
 rapidity never before heard of, and made the sig- 
 nal agreed upon. He was soon followed by Sali- 
 ceti, who on his arrival found Murat's horses 
 saddled, and the king himself in the street, and 
 on the point of abandoning the city to its fate. 
 Saliceti in rather a harsh manner told Murat that 
 he was unworthy of a kingdom if he did not defend 
 his people ; and concluded by assuring him that 
 he would himself take the direction of every thing
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 333 
 
 in the name of the Emperor Napoleon, if he did 
 not adopt the necessary measures for defence. 
 Murat confounded, returned to his palace. Or- 
 ders were instantly despatched to recal the troops 
 in the interior, and those on their march to Ger- 
 many; the fourth regiment of dragoons was brought 
 from the Abbruzzi, and every necessary measure 
 instantly adopted. Cannon were placed in the 
 streets, with trusty troops and matches lighted ; 
 and orders publicly given to fire upon any assem- 
 blage of the people. Saliceti sent for those whom 
 he suspected, and told them that he could not 
 trust to their bare words that they would remain 
 quiet, and not meddle with what was going on; 
 and concluded by asking, in a stern tone of voice, 
 what guarantee they could give him for their con- 
 duct ? Astonished at his manner, after a little 
 hesitation, they asked to be confined in one of the 
 forts until the business was over, which was ac- 
 cordingly done. While he acted publicly in this 
 manner, and ordered that every means of defence 
 should be put in practice to encourage those who 
 were faithful, and dismay the disaffected, he had 
 at the same time secretly continued the directions, 
 that if the English disembarked, the troops were 
 to evacute the town, and retire to the forts, until 
 a sufficient force had returned from the interior to 
 afford some chance of success. In three days a re- 
 spectable force was collected, and all fears at an end
 
 334 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 Saliceti was a republican in principle, and 
 would have supported the establishment of that 
 sort of government in Italy, had there appeared a 
 probability of success. He died a few hours after 
 having dined with an enemy, to whom he had been 
 reconciled, which gave rise to a supposition that 
 he was poisoned. Upon this, however, there was 
 a difference of opinion ; the French physicians as- 
 serting, and the Italians denying the fact. No 
 traces of poison were discovered on opening his 
 body. When Napoleon was informed of his death, 
 he exclaimed, " son nom seul me valait une armee 
 de cent mi lie homnies? 
 
 Independent of the confirmation of the above 
 account given to me by one of the then ministers 
 of King Murat, and the fact of Sir Hudson Lowe's 
 letters to Suzzarelli being now in existence, Na- 
 poleon, to whom I mentioned some of the circum- 
 stances, replied, that he was aware of the manner 
 in which we had been betrayed by our spies at 
 Naples ; and added, that Cipriani, who had been 
 a principal agent, could furnish me with all the 
 particulars. He remarked, that in general our 
 spies betrayed us. That the French had a great 
 advantage in the Roman Catholic religion, as the 
 spies were induced to believe that it was not only 
 not necessary, but even meritorious, not to keep 
 faith with heretics. 
 
 December 4th. Miss V * * *, a pretty girl, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA* 335 
 
 femme de chambre to Lady Lowe, came to Long- 
 wood this day from Plantation House, mounted 
 on one of the governor's horses, and furnished 
 with a letter from Major Gorrequer, stating- that 
 Sir Hudson Lowe had forgotten to leave a pass for 
 her before he went to town, and directing Cap- 
 tain Blakeney to admit her. She went to Long- 
 wood House, where she remained for near two 
 hours, during which time she passed through 
 almost every room in the building ; the French 
 domestics were so much enchanted with the ap- 
 parition of a young and pretty girl, that their 
 gallantry could scarcely refuse her any thing. 
 She was very desirous of obtaining admission to 
 Napoleon, and at one time had partly opened 
 the door of the room where he was, for the pur- 
 pose of going in to him, but was prevented by 
 St. Denis. She persuaded them, however, to al- 
 low her to peep at him for some time through the 
 kep-hole.* 
 
 7th. Communicated to Mr. Baxter, that Na- 
 poleon had at last agreed to take some medicine 
 
 * A short time afterwards this young person left St. Helena preg- 
 nant (if report be true) by one of the inmates of Plantation House. 
 She was accompanied on board ship by Sir Thomas Reade, and every 
 possible attention paid to her by the governor. Various were tho 
 surmises at Longwood, as to the cause of this young woman's visit 
 under sutit circumstances, some of which the intelligent reader will 
 not fail to guess.
 
 336 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 which I administered to him myself, and by which 
 he had been temporarily benefited. Mr. Baxter 
 agreed with me in opinion of the propriety of 
 affording him some other winter abode, than the 
 dreary and exposed situation of Longwood ; 
 where, in consequence of the bleak and eternal 
 south-east wind, he very generally contracted a 
 catarrhal affection whenever he went out. Mr. 
 Baxter himself mentioned Rosemary Hall or Co- 
 lonel Smith's, as being the most suitable. 
 
 9th. Signal made for me to proceed to Planta- 
 tion House. Soon after my arrival, Sir Hudson 
 Lowe said, with a serious air, that he had sent 
 for me on business not medical, that he had great 
 occasion to censure my conduct, and then pro- 
 ceeded to ask, if I had not kept up a correspond- 
 ence, or was not the medium of communication 
 for the French at Longwood, with persons on the 
 island ? I felt surprised at the question, and re- 
 plied, that I was ignorant of his meaning. He re- 
 peated his interrogations more than once, adding, 
 that he did not mean communications to favour 
 General Bonaparte's escape from the island, but 
 of another nature. I replied, that if going into 
 shops and buying articles for Countesses Ber- 
 trand and Montholon, or others at Longwood, 
 could be construed into carrying on communica- 
 tions or correspondence for them, I must certainly
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 337 
 
 plead guilty. He then asked, if I had not written 
 to town to a person to send up some articles for 
 Madame Bertrand ? I replied, certainly, that I 
 had written to Mr. Darling to send up some 
 basons, chamber utensils, and other articles of 
 household use. The governor said, that it was a 
 breach of orders, as he had prohibited me from 
 being the bearer of any message or communication 
 not medical. "What business had I to do so ? If 
 Madame Bertrand wants any thing of the kind, 
 let her apply to the orderly officer ; and why had 
 she not done so ?" 
 
 I replied, that, in the first place, cleanliness was 
 necessary to prevent sickness, and consequently, 
 every thing relating to it was medical. That, in 
 the next place, the orderly officer was absent from 
 Longwood when the request was made to me ; that, 
 even if he had been present, delicacy would prevent 
 a lady from making demands to him for certain ne- 
 cessary articles, which she could with propriety 
 mention to her surgeon : and that I did not conceive* 
 it to be a crime to desire a tradesman to purchase 
 chamber utensils, (naming them,) or similar articles, 
 either for Madame Bertrand or myself. His ex- 
 cellency, as usual, flew into a violent passion, and 
 said, that he would not allow me to insult him in 
 his capacity of governor, and was otherwise very 
 violent ; asked me, " how dare I order articles to 
 
 VOL. II 2 X
 
 338 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 be sent out of the king's stores without consulting 
 him ? or to have them charged to those stores r" 
 I replied, that I had said nothing about charging 
 them to the king's stores. A reference was then 
 made to my letter to Mr. Darling, which the go- 
 vernor had in his possession, and which confirmed 
 my statement. Notwithstanding this, he conti- 
 nued his abuse, and made some common-place 
 remarks upon the delicacy of French ladies. 
 
 I asked for written orders, in order to prevent 
 the possibility of a mistake, which he refused to 
 give. I then asked, if the ladies required me to 
 purchase some articles for them in the shops, what 
 reply was I to make ? After some hesitation, he 
 said, that " if they wished me to purchase any thing 
 for them myself, I need not refuse, but that if they 
 asked 'me to apply to another to purchase any 
 thing for them, I was not to comply with it ! !" 
 
 He was very violent for a great part of the time, 
 and I had much difficulty in repressing a smile 
 'at the serious manner in which he treated this im- 
 portant subject. 
 
 No alteration of consequence has taken place in 
 the state of Napoleon's complaint. Had some 
 discourse with him upon the libels which had 
 been published at his expense. " Of all the libels 
 and pamphlets against me," said he, " with which 
 your ministers have inundated Europe, not one
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 339 
 
 will live to posterity. During 1 the reign of Louis 
 the Fourteenth, and even under Henry the Fourth, 
 the press teemed with libels, not one of which is 
 now to be found. The labours of those wretches 
 employed by your ministers,* to dance over the 
 ruins of their own country, will die in a similar 
 manner. When I was asked to write, or cause to 
 be written, answers to them ; I replied, une vic- 
 toire, tin monument, de plus est la veritable rdponse. 
 Besides, it would have been said that I paid for the 
 
 * The acrimony still entertained towards the deceased Empe- 
 ror Napoleon, is exemplified by a reply which I have been told 
 escaped from the lips of an under-secretary of state, who, when 
 informed that, a short time before his dissolution, Napoleon or- 
 dered that his body should be opened, his heart taken out, preserved 
 in spirits of wine, and sent to the Empress Marie Louise ; replied, 
 " It ought to have been thrown into quick-lime." When Napoleon 
 was sent to St. Helena, it was expressly stated, in the regulations 
 
 9 
 
 for his safe custody, that should he die in that island, his body 
 should be interred wherever he thought proper to order it in his 
 will. This promise, however, has not been kept. In the codicil to 
 his will, which was made known to the ministers, the following 
 words are to be found : 
 
 " Avril le 16, 1821. Lonytvood." 
 
 " Ceci est un codtcille de man testament. 1. Je desire que mis 
 cendres reposent sur Ics bards de la Seine, an milieu de ce pcuple 
 Frangais que j'ai tant aimc. 
 
 (Signt) NAPOLEON 
 
 His remains were refused, at the end of last year, to the prayers 
 of his aged mother.
 
 ,'HO A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 writing of them, which would have been discredit- 
 able. Posterity will judge by facts: calumny has 
 exhausted all her poisons on my person. I shall 
 gain every day. La premiere fureur passee, je ne 
 conserverai pour cnnemis gue des sots ou des me- 
 dians. When there is not a trace of those libels 
 to be found, the great works and monuments that 
 I executed, and the code of laws that I formed, 
 will go down to the most distant ages, and future 
 historians will revenge the wrongs done to me by 
 my contemporaries." 
 
 I asked, if, in his own mind, he believed that 
 * * * was privy to the death of * * ? " There is not 
 a doubt/ replied he, " that the attempt was made 
 with his consent. The empress," added he, " never 
 could bear the sight of any of the murderers after- 
 wards, and never would receive them ; but one is 
 now aide-camp to * * *. 
 
 " After the execution of the Duke d'Enghien, 
 ****," said he, "ordered a service to be celebrated 
 for his death. I did not like this, and caused his 
 conduct relative to the death of his own father, to 
 
 be served up to him in prose and verse."* 
 
 " Lord * *," continued he, " was also privy to 
 
 it. He was the most intimate friend of P**, the 
 principal contriver and actor. This was well 
 known at Petersburgh." 
 
 ' An idiomatic expression.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST, HELENA. 341 
 
 He mentioned that Talleyrand certainly had 
 first suggested the attempt upon Spain, partly 
 through hatred of the Bourbon family, and partly 
 in the hope of filling his pockets. 
 
 Conversing on the policy adopted by our minis- 
 ters, " It would have been better for England," 
 he observed, " to have left me on the throne, as 
 Russia, Austria, and Prussia, would, through jea- 
 lousy of me, have given commercial advantages to 
 England. There is nothing now to prevent their 
 taking steps to promote their own commercial in- 
 terests, by injuring those of England. Moreover, 
 having great influence with the French nation, 
 and being loved by them, I could have given you 
 a favourable commercial treaty, which the Bour- 
 bons, who are hated, dare not propose. But, in 
 truth, there was nothing really to be feared from 
 France, under any sovereign. Until she has an 
 army of five hundred thousand men, France is not 
 to be dreaded. Besides, it was always for the 
 allies to grant peace. France was tired of war, 
 and was frightened at the idea of new conquests. 
 
 I succeeded in beating the allies, because I at- 
 tacked them in detail, and destroyed one power 
 before the army of the other could arrive to sup- 
 port it. Hundreds of years will probably elapse, 
 before circumstances will arise similar to those 
 which concentrated such a mass of power in me.
 
 312 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 I repeat, that there was nothing to be feared from 
 me, for if I had attempted new conquests, the opi- 
 nion which brought me back from Elba, would 
 have thrown me to the ground again." 
 
 Massena, he observed, on a former occasion, 
 had lost himself in the campaign of Portugal, 
 which, however, he attributed to the bad state of 
 his health, that did not permit him to sit on horse- 
 back, or inspect, himself, what was going on. 
 " A general, who sees with the eyes of others, 
 added he, " will never be able to command an 
 army as it should be. Massena was then so ill, 
 that he was obliged to trust to the reports of 
 others, and consequently failed in some of his un- 
 dertakings. At Busaco, for example, he attempt- 
 ed to carry a position almost impregnable in the 
 manner he attacked it ; whereas, if he had com- 
 menced by turning it, he would have succeeded. 
 This was owing to his not being able to recon- 
 noitre personally." He added, " that if Massena 
 had been what he was formerly, he would have 
 followed Wellington so closely as to be able to at- 
 tack him,* while entering the lines before Lisbon, be- 
 
 * Speaking of the Duke of Wellington on a former occasion, he 
 observed that all generals were liable to err, and that whoever 
 committed the least number of faults, should be esteemed to be the 
 greatest, and that he (Wellington) had committed them as seldom 
 as most others.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 343 
 
 fore he could have taken up his position properly." 
 14th. Sir Hudson Lowe at Longwood. Asked 
 me several questions about Napoleon's health. 
 Observed, that it was very extraordinary he did 
 not take exercise ; that if he expected, by confining 
 himself, to obtain any further relaxation in the 
 system adopted, he was mistaken. He then in- 
 quired if the want of sleep was caused by mental 
 or by bodily disease. I said, that I thought it was 
 chiefly caused by the want of exercise, that no 
 man, leading such a life as Napoleon did, could 
 possibly remain long in a state of health. The 
 governor said, with a sneer, that he believed 
 laziness was the cause of his not taking exercise. 
 I replied, that when he first came to the island, he 
 had taken a great deal. He then said, that he 
 wanted to have information of his state of health 
 more frequently, and desired me to mention any 
 thing extraordinary to Captain Blakeney. I said, 
 that it would be very easy to arrange matters, by 
 sending him bulletins describing Napoleon as 
 " the patient," giving copies to Count Bertrand at 
 the same time. This he refused to allow, saying, 
 that as long as verbal reports could be got, he did 
 not think written ones of consequence. He also 
 made some insinuations about his not having seen 
 Mr. Baxter. 
 
 In the course of conversation this day, Napoleon
 
 344 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 expressed his disapprobation of our custom of shut- 
 ting up shops, and prohibiting people from work- 
 ing on Sundays. In reply to what I said, he re- 
 marked, " For those who are at their ease, it may 
 be very right and proper to discontinue working 
 on the seventh day, but to oblige a poor man who 
 has a large family, without a meal to give them, 
 to leave off labouring to procure them victuals, is 
 the height of barbarity. If such a law be enforced, 
 provision ought to be made by your government 
 to feed those who, on that day, have not where- 
 withal to purchase food, and who could obtain it, 
 if permitted to labour. Or let your gorbellied 
 priests, (panciuti,) give a portion of their dinners 
 on that day to the starving poor, whom they will 
 not allow to work. They would have an apo- 
 plexy, or an indigestion the less. Besides, it does 
 not serve the cause of morality. Idleness is the 
 mother of mischief, and I will wager, that there is 
 more drunkenness to be seen, that there is more 
 vice, and that more crimes are committed in Eng- 
 land on a Sunday, than on any other day of the 
 week." 
 
 Speaking upon the possibility of cordially uni- 
 ting the negroes with the whites, Napoleon ob- 
 served, that it had occurred to him, that the only 
 mode of effectually reconciling the two colours, 
 would be to allow polygamy in the colonies.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 345 
 
 That every black or white man should be per- 
 mitted to have a wife of each colour. By such 
 means, he thought, that in the next generation, 
 nearly all would be alike, and consequently all 
 jealousy and hatred done away. He added, that 
 it would have been easy to have obtained a dis- 
 pensation from the Pope to that effect. He also 
 said that he considered the negroes to be a race 
 inferior to the whites. 
 
 Saw Napoleon again in the evening, who made 
 some observations upon the governor, who, he ob- 
 served, had passed by his windows. " I never see 
 that governor," said he, " without thinking I view 
 the man heating the poker (echaitffant la barre de 
 fer) for your Edward the Second in Berkley Cas- 
 tle. La nature ma pre'venu contre, and gave me a 
 friendly warning the first day I saw him. Comme 
 Cain, la nature Va Men cachete. If I were in Lon- 
 don, and Sir H. Lowe were presented to me en 
 bourgeois, and I were asked, whom do you conceive 
 that man to be ? I should reply, cest le bourreau 
 de la municipality. You cannot say," added he, 
 " that it arises from prejudice against your nation, 
 as I never have been so with Cockburn. Never 
 did I for a moment, as you well know, suspect or 
 distrust him in the slightest manner. From him 
 I would readily have received a surgeon or any 
 thing else. I had every confidence in him, even 
 after we had differed. But I think that I see this 
 
 VOL. II. 2 Y
 
 346 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 ******** or heating the poker. He wanted 
 to encircle the house with grilles de fer, in order 
 to make the second cage de fer de Bajazet, for 
 which purpose he put his government to the use- 
 less expense of sending out a ship-load of iron bars 
 to make his cage." 
 
 I recommended him to see Mr. Baxter, adding 
 that it would be a satisfaction to me to have the 
 assistance of the advice and opinion of another me- 
 dical person. He replied, " // governatore se ne 
 mischiato ; e vero che la suajisonomia buona, ma e 
 troppo attaccato a quel boja. Le gouverneur est 
 ******** *. // rend odieux tout ce qui passe 
 entre ses mains, therefore I think that he must have 
 suffered by contact with him. Besides, he has 
 been recommended by him, and that is sufficient 
 to prevent me from ever seeing him." 
 
 " If I, malheureusement" added he, " had such 
 a physiognomy, the world would then believe the 
 libellers. Look, they would say, oh, look at the 
 countenance of the scettrat. See the murders of 
 Wright, of Pichegru, and of a thousand others 
 stamped on the visage of the monster." 
 
 18th. Summoned to attend at Plantation 
 House by letter from Major Gorrequer. As the 
 reader must be already disgusted with the details 
 of the manner in which the governor took advan- 
 tage of his situation to insult and oppress an offi- 
 cer inferior in rank, because the latter refused to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 347 
 
 be his spy ; I shall not fatigue him with any fur- 
 ther account of the conduct practised towards me 
 on this day, than that my replies and refusals to 
 disclose Napoleon's conversations, caused me to 
 be treated in a more outrageous manner than on 
 the 18th of last month. The governor followed 
 me out of the room, vociferating after me in a 
 frantic manner, and carried his gestures so far as 
 to menace me with personal violence. 
 
 After this orders again given me to attend inter- 
 rogations at Plantation House twice a week. 
 
 27th. A letter sent by Major Gorrequer, in- 
 forming me that I had been expected yesterday at 
 Plantation House, and ordering me there this 
 day. On my arrival, I saw Mr. Baxter, to whom, 
 after some conversation about Napoleon's com- 
 plaint, I communicated my positive determination 
 never to come again to the governor at Plantation 
 House, or attend him elsewhere, if a repetition of 
 the scandalous treatment I had met with on the 
 18th again occurred; that this I was determined 
 upon, whatever might be the consequences, 
 
 January 1st, 1818. Napoleon nearly in the 
 same state as yesterday. 
 
 Some conversation took place upon Mr. Hob- 
 house's book, which, as has been already stated, 
 had been sent by the author, and detained by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe. I said that it had been seen by
 
 348 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA,, 
 
 accident in Sir Hudson's library, by the person 
 who had acquainted him (Napoleon) with the cir- 
 cumstance. "It was a letise in the governor," 
 said he, " after he had illegally detained it, to 
 leave it where any person might see it. In Car- 
 dinal Richelieu's time, a nobleman who waited 
 upon him about some affairs, and to ask some 
 favour, was ushered into his private cabinet. 
 While they were conversing together, a great 
 personage was announced, and entered the room. 
 After some conversation with Richelieu, the great 
 man took his leave, and the cardinal, in compli- 
 ment to him, attended him to his carriage, for- 
 getting that he had left the other alone in the ca- 
 binet. On his return to his cabinet, he rang a 
 bell, one of his confidential secretaries entered, to 
 whom he whispered something. He then con- 
 versed with the other very freely, appeared to 
 take an interest in his affairs, kept him in conver- 
 sation for a short time, accompanied him to the 
 door, shook hands, and took leave in the most 
 friendly way, telling him that he might make his 
 mind easy, as he had determined to provide for 
 him. The poor man departed highly satisfied, and 
 full of thanks and gratitude. As he was going 
 out of the door he was arrested, not allowed to 
 speak to any person, and conveyed in a coach to 
 the Bastille, where he was kept au secret for ten
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 349 
 
 years ; at the expiration of which time the cardi- 
 nal sent for him, and expressed his great regret 
 at having been obliged to adopt the step he had 
 taken, that he had no cause of complaint against 
 him ; on the contrary, that he believed him to be 
 a good subject to his majesty ; but the fact was, 
 he had left a paper on the table when he quitted 
 the room, containing state secrets of vast import- 
 ance, which he was afraid he might have perused 
 in his absence ; that the safety of the kingdom 
 demanded that they should not be divulged, and 
 obliged him to adopt measures to prevent the pos- 
 sibility of the contents being known. That as soon 
 as the safety of the country had permitted, he had 
 released him, was sorry, and begged his pardon 
 for the uneasiness he had caused him, arid would 
 be happy to make him some amends." 
 
 Some sentiments relative to the French revolu- 
 tion were also delivered by Napoleon, and argu- 
 ments in favour of the validity of the imperial 
 title. "The republic sent to and received from 
 all the powers of Europe ambassadors. It was 
 sanctioned by the will of the people, by victory, 
 by religion, and by all the nations of Europe. 
 Louis, driven from one state to another, was at 
 last obliged to seek for refuge in England, but was 
 received there as a private person, and on the ex- 
 press stipulation that he should only assume the
 
 350 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 title of the Count de Lisle. None of the powers 
 ever acknowledged Louis the Seventeenth, or 
 Louis the Eighteenth. Every legitimate govern- 
 ment cancels the rights and the legitimacy of the 
 governments which precede it. The French revo- 
 lution was a general movement of the mass of the 
 nation against the privileged classes. The nobles 
 retained the higher and the inferior justice, and 
 other feudal rights, under various forms ; enjoyed 
 the privilege of being exempt from the burthens 
 of the community, and exclusively possessed all 
 honourable employments, The chief object of the 
 revolution was to destroy those privileges and 
 abuses, to abolish the manorial courts, suppress 
 the remains of the ancient slavery of the people, 
 and subject all citizens equally to bear the ex- 
 penses of the state. It established equality of 
 rights. Any citizen might succeed to any em- 
 ployment according to his talents. Before it, 
 France was composed of provinces differently di- 
 vided and unequal in extent and in population. 
 They had a great number of legal customs and 
 peculiar laws for the administration of civil as 
 well as criminal justice. She was an assem- 
 blage of several states without amalgamation. 
 The revolution destroyed all those little nations, 
 and formed a new one. There was one France 
 with an homogeneous division of territory, the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 351 
 
 same civil and criminal laws, and the same regu- 
 lations for taxes. There no longer remained any 
 trace of the ancient privileges of the provinces, 
 their ancient sovereigns, or ancient parliaments. 
 One half of the territory had changed proprietors. 
 France presented the spectacle of thirty millions 
 of inhabitants circumscribed in natural limits, 
 composed of one class of citizens, and governed 
 by one law, one regulation, one order. Subse- 
 quently the French nation established the impe- 
 rial throne, and placed rne upon it. No person 
 ever ascended a throne with more legitimate rights. 
 The throne of France was granted before to 
 Hugues Capet by a few bishops and nobles. The 
 Imperial throne was given to me by the desire of 
 the! people, whose wishes were three times verified 
 in a solemn manner. The Pope crossed the Alps 
 to crown and anoint me. Kings hastened to ac- 
 knowledge me. England acknowledged the re- 
 public, and sent ambassadors to the first consul. 
 Before she violated the peace of Amiens, the Eng- 
 lish ministers offered through Malhouet, to ac- 
 knowledge me as king of France if I would agree 
 to the cession of Malta ; and in 1806, Lord 
 Lauderdale came to Paris to treat for a peace be- 
 tween the king of Great Britain and the Emperor 
 Napoleon, exchanged his powers, and negociated 
 with the plenipotentiary of the emperor. If Fox
 
 352 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 had lived, peace would have been made. More- 
 over, the imperial title was acknowledged by Lord 
 Castlereagh, when he signed the ultimatum at 
 Chanmont, acknowledging the existence of the 
 empire, and me as emperor. 
 
 2nd. Went to Plantation House by order of 
 the governor, whom I saw in the library. He asked 
 a great many questions concerning my appoint- 
 ment as surgeon to Napoleon, and concluded by 
 asserting that I was not his surgeon, but only to- 
 lerated to visit him. I observed that the bills 
 which I drew for my pay on the Navy Board, the 
 form of which had been ordered by Sir George 
 Cockburn, were worded "as surgeon to Napoleon 
 Bonaparte and suite." I also took the liberty of 
 asking him for what object I was at St. Helena? 
 
 He asked me " if I conceived myself to be in- 
 dependent of him as governor, and of the govern- 
 ment under whose orders I acted r" I replied, 
 that no British officer could be independent of 
 the government of his country. He then asked 
 "whether I conceived myself independent of him, 
 and if it were not in his power as governor, 
 and having charge of Napoleon Bonaparte, if he 
 thought that my conduct was not correct, to send 
 me away if he pleased ?" I told him that he could 
 reply to that himself, as he best knew what the 
 extent of his authority was. This answer did not
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 353 
 
 please him, and after walking about the room for 
 a little time exclaiming against my conduct, he 
 stopped, crossed his arms, and after looking at me 
 with an expression of countenance which I shall 
 never forget, said, " This is my office, sir, and there 
 is the door leading to it. When I send for you on 
 duty, you will come in at that door ; but do not 
 put your foot in any other part of my house, or 
 come in at any other entrance." 
 
 I calmly replied, that it was not for my own 
 pleasure, or by my own desire that I ever set foot 
 in any part of his house ; and after suffering this 
 paltry abuse of authority, departed. 
 
 Saw Napoleon afterwards, who was nearly in 
 the same state as yesterday. Had some conver- 
 sation relative to the capture of Rome by the 
 French. " After the treaty which I had con- 
 cluded at Tolentino with that imbecile and frau- 
 dulent court of old women at Rome," said Napo- 
 leon, " they endeavoured by all means to assist 
 the Austrians. and even placed an Austrian gene- 
 ral at the head of their troops. Every where the 
 populace were excited by all the means generally 
 put in practice by superstition and bigotry to mas- 
 sacre the French. General Duphot, who was re- 
 siding at Rome as a private person, was murdered 
 at the door of my brother Joseph, who was ambas- 
 sador there. However, under all the circumstances, 
 
 VOL. ii. 2 z
 
 354 A VOICE PROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 and concluding that a rupture with Rome would 
 infallibly lead to one with Naples, I was of opi- 
 nion that we ought only to correct and not de- 
 stroy her. That we ought to demand that an 
 example should be made of the guilty, that Pro- 
 vera, the Austrian general should be obliged to 
 depart, and an ambassador sent to Paris to beg 
 pardon. The directory, however, decided that 
 we should march against the Pope ; and said, that 
 the time was come to overturn that idol. Berthier 
 was sent with an army to revolutionize Rome, 
 and establish a republic, which was done. The 
 people at first were transported with joy at the 
 thought of the re-establishment of the Roman re- 
 public, and fetes were given, and a te deum cele- 
 brated with great pomp ; at which last a number 
 of the cardinals attended, although the act of re- 
 establishment was the annihilation of the Pope's 
 temporal power. Their joy, however, was of short 
 continuance, as the troops, who were little re- 
 strained by their generals, and excited by agents 
 of yours and of the Austrians, commenced a scene 
 of robbery, and plundered the Vatican and the 
 palaces of the nobles of their pictures and pieces 
 of art of all kinds, and finished by mutinying 
 against the imbecilles, who saw the error too late, 
 and endeavoured in vain to put a stop to their 
 abuses."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 355 
 
 " When the Venetians," continued Napoleon, 
 " deceived by false reports that Joubert's army 
 had been defeated and cut to pieces ; and duped 
 by the traitorous and machiavelian policy of the 
 court of Vienna, armed a number of Sclavonians 
 and peasants, the priests preached destruction 
 to the French, and another Sicilian vespers. Ail 
 the French in Verona were massacred and their 
 bodies thrown into the Adige. Four hundred of 
 the sick and wounded in the hospitals were bar- 
 barously murdered. In other towns in the Vene- 
 tian territories similar cruelties were practised. 
 As soon as they discovered that the army of Jou- 
 bert was entire ; that Augereau was marching 
 against them, and finding that the Austrians, de- 
 feated every where, had sent to me to supplicate 
 for peace, their fright knew no bounds. A de- 
 putation waited upon me, making the most sub- 
 missive proposals ; pledging themselves to agree 
 to every thing I should require, and offering me 
 millions if I would grant their prayers. Finding 
 this useless, orders were despatched to their minis- 
 ter at Paris to corrupt the directory, in which they 
 succeeded, as orders were sent of a nature favour- 
 able to their wishes. The despatches of their am- 
 bassador, however, were seized and brought to 
 me, and the whole intrigue discovered, together 
 with the amount of the bribes they had given. I
 
 356 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 commanded the French minister to quit their terri- 
 tories within twenty-four hours, and declared war 
 against Venice, which Baraguez d'Hillires entered 
 with his division, upset the oligarchy, and the 
 whole of the states were soon republicanized." 
 
 Received the letters which are inserted in the 
 preface. 
 
 6th. Interrogated by Sir Hudson Lowe whe- 
 ther Napoleon Bonaparte had directed or com- 
 manded me to make a communication which I 
 liad done to him, viz. that he, Napoleon, had told 
 Lord Amherst, " neither of your houses of par- 
 liament can oblige me to see mon bourreau, &c. M 
 or whether I had repeated it without having had 
 authority to do so from Bonaparte ? I answered, 
 that Napoleon had said, " If I were asked any 
 questions about the conversation with him, I was 
 permitted to mention it." This did not satisfy 
 Sir Hudson Lowe, who wished me to answer it 
 as best suited whatever purposes he had in view ; 
 and on my persisting in the above reply, he be- 
 came very violent and abusive, and ordered Major 
 Gorrequer to write down, " Mr. O'Meara refuses 
 to reply to the question of, ' Did Bonaparte or 
 did he not desire you to communicate the above- 
 mentioned expressions to the governor ?' " I said, 
 that some persons would consider it as a desire, 
 and others only as a permission, and therefore it
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 357 
 
 was best to put down Napoleon's words, which 
 however, his excellency would not allow. 
 
 7th. Sir Hudson Lowe sent for me at six 
 o'clock in the evening, when after having made 
 some inquiries about Napoleon's state of health, 
 which I told him was not so good as the last time 
 I had reported ; he said, that if General Bonaparte 
 thought he should gain any further relaxation in 
 the restrictions by confining himself to the house 
 in the manner he did, he was mistaken, as he, 
 (Sir Hudson,) without an order from government, 
 would not make any more alterations in the re- 
 gulations, even if he were worse in health. I asked 
 if he wished this to be communicated to Napo- 
 leon ? He said, that he did not desire it ; but that 
 it ought to be known. 
 
 9th. Another series of interrogations at Plan- 
 tation House, partly about Lord Amherst, during 
 which the governor said, that " General Bonaparte 
 would not have dared to make use of the insult- 
 ing expressions he did before any other persons 
 than Lord Amherst and myself ; that General 
 Bonaparte had so expressed himself, because he 
 (Napoleon) knew that his lordship had received 
 the governor's permission to listen to any com- 
 plaints which he might make ; that a listener was 
 as bad as a repeater ; and that Count Bertram! had 
 told him (Sir Hudson) in October last, that Ge-
 
 358 A VOICE FROM ST. MRLENA. 
 
 neral Bonaparte was influenced by the persons 
 about him, amongst whom I formed one." I could 
 scarcely help smiling at the supposition that I 
 could have influenced such a person as Napoleon, 
 and contented myself with replying, that as far as 
 I knew him, he was not a man to let himself be 
 guided by the opinion of others. Sir Hudson, 
 however, insisted that Count Bertrand had con- 
 fessed it, and said that / should be responsible for 
 a great deal of what might happen, &c. &c. 
 
 13M. More interrogations at Plantation House. 
 Sir Hudson Lowe took out of his pocket a Morn- 
 ing Chronicle of the 17th of September, 1817, 
 (I think,) containing a detail of a conversation 
 stated to have taken place between Napoleon and 
 some English gentlemen, and was desirous, he 
 said, " to know from me whether such a conversa- 
 tion had ever taken place between General Bona- 
 parte and myself, or if I had ever communicated 
 it to other persons. That he inferred from the 
 commencement of the article, viz. after the usual 
 salutations, that the conversation had taken place 
 between General Bonaparte and some person who 
 was frequently in the habit of seeing him ; that 
 Admiral Malcolm and myself were the only per- 
 sons who had tete-d-tcte conversations with him ; 
 therefore that it must have been communicated by 
 one of us." I replied, that I had neither written
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 359 
 
 nor communicated it, and reminded him, that 
 others besides the admiral and myself had com- 
 munications with Napoleon. His excellency ap- 
 peared to be very anxious that I should assist 
 him to saddle it upon the admiral ; in which, how- 
 ever, he did not succeed. Indeed, on the first 
 glance I had of it, I saw that it must have come 
 from Mr. Ellis ; it however contained some mis- 
 representations. 
 
 15M. Saw the governor at Plantation House, 
 to whom I reported that Napoleon's indisposition 
 had rather increased, and that I had been that 
 morning under the necessity of giving him physic. 
 Communicated the same to Mr. Baxter. 
 
 \6th. Saw Napoleon, who felt somewhat re- 
 lieved by the effect of the physic administered 
 yesterday. Had a conversation with him upon 
 some of the early periods of his life, and the man- 
 ner in which he had obtained the command of the 
 troops of the convention against the sections. 
 " When Menou," said he, " was repulsed in his at- 
 tempt to disperse the sections, through the imbeci- 
 lity of the representatives who were with him, and 
 his own incapacity, the convention was in the 
 greatest alarm, as the comitt of the section had 
 declared itself sovereign in the exercise of its func- 
 tions, and permanent, refusing to obey the orders of 
 the convention, and had even sent deputations to
 
 360 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the other sections to assist them. Their numbers 
 amounted to above forty thousand. I was in a box 
 at the theatre Feydeau when informed of this, and 
 proceeded to the assembly. The convention were in 
 the greatest dismay ; Menou was accused of trea- 
 chery the danger was imminent. Each member 
 of the assembly proposed the general in whom he 
 had confidence. The members of the committee 
 of public safety, and some who had known me at 
 Toulon, proposed me as the person best calcu- 
 lated, by the energy of my character, to save them 
 in the present crisis. A deputation was sent to 
 offer the command to me. I balanced however 
 for some time before I would accept of it. It was 
 a service that I did not like ; but when I con- 
 sidered that if the convention was overturned, 
 Vttranger would triumph ; that the destruction 
 of that body would seal the slavery of the coun- 
 try, and bring back an incapable and insolent 
 race those reflections and destiny decided that I 
 should accept of it. I went to the comitd pointed 
 out to them the inconvenience of having three re- 
 presentatives with the troops, who only served to 
 impede all the operations of the general. The 
 comlt^ perceiving that there was no time to be 
 lost, proposed Barras to the convention, as general- 
 iri-chief, and gave the command of the troops that 
 were to protect the assembly, to me. The mea-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. .'tt)l 
 
 sures that I adopted, as I explained to you before, 
 saved the convention, with a very trifling loss of 
 men* on both sides." 
 
 20th. Went to Plantation House, according to 
 orders. While speaking to Mr. Baxter in the 
 library, the governor came in, looking very angry, 
 and asked in a rough and abrupt manner, what 
 communications I had to make respecting Ge- 
 
 * 1 was informed by the Duke of Rovigo, and by many other 
 officers who had served with him, that the humanity displayed 
 by the emperor to his soldiers was exemplary on all occasions. 
 That in particular he was frequently in the habit of riding over 
 the field of battle after an action, accompanied by numbers of hia 
 staff, and by persons carrying restoratives of different kinds for 
 the purpose of resuscitating any of the wounded, in whom signs 
 of life appeared. That Napoleon has often spent hours in this 
 pious employment. Amongst other strong instances, the Duke 
 of Rovigo mentioned, that after the battle of Wagram, Napoleon, 
 accompanied by him and several others, rode over the field, and 
 pointed out for assistance many of the wounded from whom life 
 bad not yet departed, While employed in this manner, the 
 lody of a colonel named Pep in, who had fallen under his displea- 
 sure for some misconduct several years before, and had not been 
 actively employed until a short time before the battle of Wagram, 
 attracted his attention, though he had not seen him for a number 
 of years. He was on his back, a ball had perforated his head, 
 and life was not extinct, though he was insensible. " Ah, Pepin ! 
 poor fellow," said Napoleon, in a feeling manner, " I am sorry 
 to see him here, and still more so that, before he met his fate, I 
 had not an opportunity of letting him know that I had forgiven 
 Kim, and forgotten his conduct." 
 VOL. II. 3 A
 
 3(V2 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 neral Bonaparte's health ? I replied, that no perma- 
 nent relief for the better had taken place. " Has 
 he been out of the house?" "He has not." "Has 
 he been in the billiard room ?" " He spends a con- 
 siderable portion of his time there every day." 
 " How does he employ his time there " " I cannot 
 tell, sir." " Yes, you can, sir," replied the gover- 
 nor, regarding me in his customary manner, " you 
 well know what he does there ; you do not do 
 your duty to government." 
 
 His excellency then walked about the room, 
 stopping occasionally, and regarding me with his 
 arms crossed over his breast in a manner which 
 it is difficult to describe, and bursting out into 
 furious exclamations. I contented myself with 
 taking out my watch to ascertain the length of 
 time he contemplated me in this manner. I 
 thought more than once that he meditated some 
 act of violence. This composure and silence ap- 
 peared not to be what he wished, and he began 
 another series of interrogations in his usual man- 
 ner, relative to the name of the person who had 
 given me information about twelve months ago, 
 that Lord Liverpool had interfered and prevented 
 my removal from St. Helena. I answered that I 
 had, at the time I had first mentioned it to him in 
 July last, offered to shew, to a third person, that 
 part of the letter which stated that application had
 
 A VOICK FROM ST. HELENA. 363 
 
 been made to Lord Liverpool, that his lordship 
 should prevent my being removed. The governor 
 renewed in a violent tone his demand that I should 
 forthwith give him the name of the person who 
 had communicated the information to me, and 
 that the offer I had then made of shewing it to a 
 third person, was an insult to him ; and advanced 
 towards me in a menacing manner, evidently with 
 an intention to intimidate me to a compliance. I 
 answered as before, which drew forth another de- 
 mand of the name with an increase of violence. I 
 said then, that as my replies only brought upon 
 me abuse, bad language, and bad treatment, I 
 must decline giving him any more answers on the 
 subject. " Put down, Major Gorrequer, that Mr. 
 O'Meara refuses to answer," was the governor's 
 reply. After listening to a long and abusive ha- 
 rangue about my improper conduct since he had 
 catechised me about a newspaper, (id est, since I 
 had refused to be an instrument to calumniate 
 Admiral Malcolm,) I was permitted to depart. 
 
 28fh. Saw Napoleon, who was rather better 
 than on the preceding day. Had some conversa- 
 tion about Chateaubriand. "Chateaubriand," said 
 he, " is an old emigrant, who was appointed 
 secretary to Cardinal Fesch, when the latter was 
 ambassador to the court of Rome, where he con- 
 trived to render himself disliked by the Pope and
 
 364 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 the cardinals, notwithstanding the galimathias 
 which he had published upon Christianity. While 
 he was there, he endeavoured to persuade the old 
 king of Sardinia, who had abdicated and turned 
 religieux, to renew his claims to the throne of 
 Sardinia. The king, suspecting him to be a 711011- 
 torty le mlt a la porte, and made a complaint to 
 me of his conduct, which caused his disgrace. 
 While -I was in power, he was one of the most 
 abject of my flatterers. C'est un fanfaron sans 
 caractere, qul a Vdme rampante, et qui a la fureur 
 de faire des livres" 
 
 I asked him some questions about Bernaiiotte's 
 conduct. " Bernadotte," said he, " was ungrate- 
 ful to me, as I was the author of his greatness ; 
 but I cannot say that he betrayed me ; he in a 
 manner became a Swede, and never promised that 
 which he did not intend to perform. I can ac- 
 cuse him of ingratitude, but not of treachery. 
 Neither Murat nor he would have declared 
 against me, had they thought that it would have 
 lost me my throne. The wish was to diminisli 
 my power, but not to destroy me altogether. 
 Murat's bravery was so great, that the Cossacs 
 used to express their admiration of him with 
 cries. They could not restrain their feelings, at 
 seeing a noble figure, advancing like a knight of 
 old, and performing such prodigies of valour."
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 365 
 
 " Labedoyere," said he, " was a young man 
 animated by the noblest sentiments, and the most 
 sovereign contempt for a race that had surrounded 
 themselves with all that was most foreign to the 
 manners and rights of the French ; and with a set 
 of miserables, who, to avoid starvation, had vege- 
 tated for twenty-five years in inferior and disgrace- 
 ful situations. His attachment to me was enthu- 
 siastic, and he declared himself at the moment of 
 the greatest danger." 
 
 Drouot he described to be one of the most 
 virtuous and unassuming characters in France, 
 though possessed of talent rarely to be met with. 
 Drouot was a man who would live as contentedly, 
 as far as regarded himself personally, upon forty 
 sous a day, as if he had the revenues of a sove- 
 reign. He was charitable and religious; and a man 
 whose morals, probity, and simplicity, would have 
 been honoured in an age of stern republicanism. 
 
 30th. Went to Plantation House. After some 
 questions relative to Napoleon's state of health, 
 Sir Hudson Lowe said, that he had heard, in an 
 indirect manner, which it was not necessary for 
 him to explain to me, that General Bonaparte 
 was in a much worse state of health than I had 
 reported him to be ; that he desired, therefore, 
 whenever I went to town, that I would mention to 
 Mr. Baxter or Sir Thomas Reade the state of his
 
 366 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 health, which might prevent the necessity of my 
 coming to Plantation House to report on the day 
 I made them. That I might now mention to 
 Major Gorrequer what I had to say about his 
 health. Accordingly, I told the major that, since 
 the 26th, Napoleon had not suffered so much from 
 head-ach, especially in the right side of the head, 
 as I had extracted the tooth from that jaw ; that 
 the swelling in his cheeks was considerably less ; 
 that his bowels were very costive ; that he had 
 some symptoms of dyspepsia, such as nausea and 
 flatulence ; that the pain in his side was not in- 
 creased, nor were his legs diminished in size ; that 
 on the whole, though the local complaint in his 
 cheek was better, there was no amelioration in his 
 general state of health. I also applied for a small 
 still, or alembic, in order to make some orange- 
 flower water, as there was none to be had on the 
 island ; which to Napoleon would have been very 
 grateful, and indeed necessary f* 
 
 February 3rd. The Cambridge storeship ar- 
 rived, bringing the melancholy news of the death 
 of the Princess Chariot te.-j- 
 
 Communicated this intelligence to Napoleon, 
 who expressed his affliction at the unfortunate 
 
 * This request was never complied with, although frequently re- 
 peated. 
 
 t I have suppressed some of Napoleon's remarks on this event.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. ,%7 
 
 event : as, independent of the feelings which natu- 
 rally arose at the fate of a princess, cut off in the 
 prime of youth and beauty, and with such pros- 
 pects before her ; he said, that he had not been 
 without hopes that she would have caused more 
 liberal policy to be adopted towards himself. He 
 inveighed against the accoucheurs, and expressed 
 his surprise that the populace had not stoned them 
 to death. He observed, that the business had a 
 strange appearance, and that precautions appeared 
 to have been taken to deprive the princess of every 
 thing necessary to support and to console her in 
 a first accouchement. He urged that some old 
 married women, who had frequently borne chil- 
 dren, ought to have been at her bedside to com- 
 fort her. Had they been present they would have 
 perceived that matters were going on wrong, and 
 would have insisted upon further assistance being 
 rendered. It was unpardonable in the old queen 
 not to have been on the spot. " What signified 
 Leopold," said he, " he is a garpon, and knew not 
 what to do. Had it not been for me," added he, 
 " Marie Louise would have died in a similar man- 
 ner. During the time of her labour, I was in an 
 apartment close by, from whence I went to her 
 room every now and then. After she had been 
 some hours in labour, Dubois, the accoucheur, 
 came to me while I was reclining on the sofa, with
 
 308 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 great alarm, painted on his countenance, and said, 
 ' that the empress was in a state of great danger, 
 that there was a wrong presentation.' I asked him 
 if he had ever seen any thing of the kind before. 
 Dubois replied, ' that he had but very rarely, per- 
 haps not one in a thousand, and that it was very af- 
 flicting to him that so extraordinary a case should 
 happen with the empress.' 'Forget,' said I, ' that 
 she is empress, and treat her as you would the wife 
 of a little shopkeeper in the Rue St. Denis. This is 
 the only favour I ask of you- Dubois then asked, 
 ' if it were necessary that one should be sacrificed, 
 which should he save, the mother or the child ?' 
 ' The mother certainly,' I replied, t it is her right.' 
 I then accompanied Dubois to the bedside, en- 
 couraged and tranquillized the empress as much 
 as possible, and held her while the forceps were 
 applied. The child was apparently dead, when 
 born, but by frictions and other means he was 
 restored to life. His birth produced a delirium 
 of joy in the nation. On the discharge of the first 
 gun, that announced the interesting event, all the 
 population of Paris, in the greatest suspense, ran 
 into the streets the public walks, and the parks, 
 counting the number of guns. Twenty-one guns 
 were to have been fired for the birth of a prin- 
 cess, and one hundred and one for a prince. 
 At the discharge of the twenty-second gun, the
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 369 
 
 Parisians rent the skies with acclamations and ex- 
 pressions of universal delight. Almost all the 
 powers of Europe sent ambassadors extraordi- 
 nary to compliment me on the happy event. The 
 Emperor of Austria was represented as his god- 
 father by his brother the Dnke of Wurtsburgb, 
 and the emperor Alexander sent his minister for 
 the home-department to Paris to express his satis- 
 faction on the occasion."* 
 
 * Soon after the birth of young Napoleon, his father contem- 
 plated building a superb palace, nearly opposite to the Pont d'Jena, 
 which was to have been called Le Palais du Roi de Rome. The 
 government consequently endeavoured to purchase all the houses 
 situated upon the ground where it was intended to be built. Up- 
 on the spot of ground, which, according to the plan that had 
 been traced out, was to form the extreme right of the front of 
 the palace, there was a small house belonging to a poor cooper 
 named Bonvivant, which, including the ground upon which it 
 stood, was not, at the highest estimation, worth more than a 
 thousand francs. The owner demanded ten thousand francs. It 
 was referred to the emperor, who ordered that it should be pur- 
 chased at that price. When, the proper persons waited upon the 
 cooper to conclude the agreement, he said, that upon reflection, he 
 should not sell it for less than thirty thousand francs. It was re- 
 ferred again to Napoleon, who directed that it should be given 
 to him. When they came fo conclude the business, the cooper 
 increased his demand to forty thousand. The architect was 
 greatly embarrassed, and did not know how to act, or in what 
 manner he could again venture to annoy the emperor on the 
 subject; at the same time he knew that it was impossible to 
 conceal any thing from him He thei'efore addressed him again 
 VOL. II. 3 B
 
 370 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 "Had the poor Princess Charlotte," added he, 
 " had some person about her, who would have 
 acted with energy as I did, she would have been 
 saved. Now, through the neglect of her relations, 
 and the imbecility, or something worse, of those 
 misfrables of accoucheurs, it is impossible to say 
 what calamities may befal the British empire. 
 
 " No sooner was it known," continued Napo- 
 leon, " that the interests of France had induced 
 me to dissolve the ties of my marriage, than the 
 greatest sovereigns of Europe intrigued for an 
 alliance with me. As soon as the Emperor of 
 Austria heard that a new marriage was in agita- 
 tion, he sent for Narbonne, and expressed his sur- 
 prise that his family had not been thought of. At 
 this time an union with a princess of Russia or 
 of Saxony was contemplated. The cabinet of 
 Vienna sent instructions on the subject to Prince 
 Schwartzenburg, who was ambassador at Paris. 
 
 on the subject. " C dr&le lit abuse," said he, " pourtant il n'y a 
 pas d'autre moyen ; allons il faut payer. The architect returned 
 to the cooper who increased his price to fifty thousand francs 
 Napoleon, indignant, when informed of it, said, " Cet homme lit 
 ett vn miserable, et bienje n'achatterai point la maison, et elle rcstera 
 comma un monument de man respect pour les loix." The Bourbons re- 
 turned, razed the foundation of the intended palace, and threw down 
 what had been erected ; the cooper's hovel fell to ruins, and its mas- 
 ter, M. Bonvivant, now lives at Passy, Rue Basse, No. 31, where he 
 earns a miserable existence by his trade.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 371 
 
 Despatches were also received from the ambas- 
 sador in Russia, stating the willingness of the 
 Emperor Alexander to offer his sister, the Grand 
 Duchess Anne. Some difficulties however pre- 
 sented themselves relative to the demand that a 
 chapel for the Greek ritual should be established 
 in the Thuilleries. A privy council was held 
 upon the subject, and the votes of the majority 
 were for an Austrian princess. I consequently 
 authorized Prince Eugene to make the overture 
 to Prince Schwartzenburg, and articles of mar- 
 riage, similar to those between Louis the Six- 
 teenth and Marie Antoinette, were signed. The 
 Emperor Alexander was not pleased that his 
 overtures were slighted, and thought that he had 
 been deceived, and that two negociations had been 
 carried on at the same time, in which he was mis- 
 taken." 
 
 " It has been said," added Napoleon, " that the 
 marriage of Marie Louise was one of the secret 
 articles of the treaty of Vienna, which had taken 
 place some months before; this is entirely false. 
 There was no thought whatever of an alliance 
 with Austria, previous to the despatch from Nar- 
 bonne, relating the hints which had been made to 
 him by the Emperor Francis and by Metternich. 
 In fact, the marriage with the Empress Marie 
 Louise was proposed in council, discussed, de-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 cideil, and signed within twenty-tour hours, which 
 can be proved by many members of the council 
 who are now in existence. Several were of opi- 
 nion that I ought to have espoused a French wo- 
 man ; and the arguments in favour of this were so 
 strong, as to incline me to balance for a moment. 
 It was hinted, however, by the Court of Austria, 
 that, declining to chuse a princess out of one of 
 the reigning Houses of Europe, would be a tacit 
 declaration of intentions to overturn them, when- 
 ever opportunities should present themselves." 
 
 IQth. No improvement has taken place in Na- 
 poleon's health. Had some conversation with him 
 relative to the marriage of the Princess Elizabeth 
 with the Prince of Hesse Homburgh. " The 
 English royal family," said he, " va * incatttt- 
 gliarsi with little petty princes, to whom I would 
 not have given a brevet of sous-lieutenant. When 
 I marched upon Ulm in 1805, I passed through 
 Stutgardt with my army, where I saw your princess 
 royal, the Queen of Wirtemberg,-)- with whom I 
 
 * A word probably invented by Napoleon, and intended to convey 
 a meaning of degradation in a very strong manner. 
 
 t I have been informed, from a source entitled to the highest 
 credit, that the Queeu of Wirtemberg wrote an account of this, 
 interview to her mother Queen Charlotte, in which she expressed 
 very favourable opinions of Napoleon, and, in describing his per- 
 son, concluded in the following manner, "and hu has so bciftlch~ 
 ing a
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 373 
 
 had several conversations, and was much pleased 
 with her. She soon lost whatever prejudices she 
 might have originally entertained against me. I 
 had the pleasure of interfering to her advantage, 
 when her husband, who was a brute, though a 
 man of talent, had ill treated her, for which she 
 was very grateful to me. She afterwards contri- 
 buted materially towards effecting the marriage 
 between my brother Jerome and the Princess Ca- 
 therine, daughter of the king by a former mar- 
 riage." 
 
 1GM. While in James Town, I was asked by 
 Mr. Barber of the Cambridge, who had opened a 
 shop in the town, ".how did Bonaparte like the 
 portraits ?" being ignorant of his meaning, I asked 
 for explanations. He said, that I surely must 
 know what he alluded to, and after some further 
 conversation informed rne that he had brought 
 out two engravings of young Napoleon, for sale, 
 thinking that it would please the French, and in- 
 duce them to give him some custom. That, on 
 his arrival, he had mentioned the circumstance, 
 and that both of the portraits had been taken by 
 the governor and Sir Thomas Reade, Sir Hudson 
 Lowe declaring that he was glad to have an op- 
 portunity of sending such articles to Bonaparte. 
 Mr. Barber appeared much surprised and disap-
 
 374 A VOICE FROM ST. 1IKLKNA. 
 
 pointed, when he learned from ine that they had 
 not reached Longwood.* 
 
 17 th. Went to Plantation House. The go- 
 vernor, after having made some enquiries about 
 the state of Napoleon's health, and that of General 
 Gourgaud, and whether I had complied with the 
 desire he had expressed on the 21st, that I should 
 shew to Captain Blakenejr the letter in which 
 Lord Liverpool's name was mentioned ? I replied, 
 that as he had left it to my option, whether to 
 shew it or not, I had preferred the latter, seeing 
 that the business had occurred a long time ago ; 
 that at the time I had offered to shew it, which he 
 had refused to accept, and also because he had 
 said he considered the offer to shew it as an in- 
 sult. That it was necessary for me to be very 
 cautious, and as I did not know why I was now 
 required to shew the letter, I had declined doing 
 so. His excellency was not pleased with this 
 reply, and began to abuse me in his customary 
 manner, saying, that " I constantly insulted him 
 as governor." I replied that it never had been my 
 intention to insult him either in word or deed ; 
 that 1 was very sorry if constructions, so foreign 
 to my intentions, should have been put upon 
 them. Sir Hudson Lowe then got up, and look- 
 
 * On my departure from St Helena, in August, 181 8, neither of 
 the engravings had been sent to the father.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 375 
 
 ing at me in a menacing manner, said, " Upon 
 your word of honour, sir, I ask you if you have 
 had any other conversations with Napoleon Bo- 
 naparte, than upon medical subjects, for a month 
 past ?" I replied, " perhaps there may have been 
 on other subjects, not interesting !" " I do not 
 allow you, sir, to be a judge of whether they were 
 uninteresting or otherwise. You have no authority 
 for holding any communications with Napoleon 
 Bonaparte, unless upon medical subjects, and then 
 only when sent to for that purpose. Have you 
 had any communication with any other person of 
 his family?" "Certainly, sir, I have had." With- 
 out waiting to know whether those communica- 
 tions were medical or otherwise, he burst out 
 with, " you have no authority, sir, to hold any 
 communication whatsoever with any of his family, 
 who are subject to the same restrictions as him- 
 self, unless upon medical subjects, and then only 
 when sent for; and when finished, you are to 
 leave them. You have no business to go amongst 
 them, unless for medical purposes. Have you, sir, 
 had any communication with any of them, un- 
 less upon those subjects ?" I replied, by referring 
 his excellency to his own orders, that I should 
 not hold any other communication than medical 
 with them. " This reply, sir, as usual, is not a 
 direct one. You make it a practice to go to town
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 when ships arrive, which I do not approve of. 
 You go to collect news for General Bonaparte." 
 I answered, " that I was an English officer, and 
 as such, would not give up my rights ; moreover, 
 that I, as well as others, was desirous of purchas- 
 ing the necessaries of life as soon as they were 
 landed, and before any monopoly took place to 
 increase the price. That, if he intended to prohi- 
 bit me from going to town, I had to request orders 
 to that effect in writing." This Sir Hudson re- 
 fused, saying with a sneer, " the request is wor- 
 thy of the place you came from, and the people 
 with whom you associate. I do not think a per- 
 son, under a pledge to Napoleon Bonaparte, ought 
 to be received into company, and I do not ap- 
 prove of your going to town when ships arrive. 
 You are suspected by me, sir." I replied, " that 
 I was under no other pledge to Napoleon, than 
 one which was tacitly understood in every society 
 of gentlemen." The governor said, " that it was 
 presumption and insolence for me to dare to 
 judge of the line of conduct his majesty's govern- 
 ment had thought proper to pursue with respect 
 to Napoleon Bonaparte." I replied, " that I did 
 not attempt to judge of that, that I merely men- 
 tioned what was the custom of society." " You are 
 a suspected man, sir, you are suspected by me." 
 " I cannot help that, sir. It is a consolation to
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 377 
 
 me, however, under such circumstances, to have 
 the mens conscia recti." This the governor said 
 was a fresh insult, which he followed up by a 
 volley of abuse. 
 
 " You took an opportunity, sir, of staying in 
 town the other day, when a ship, arrived, instead 
 of coming here to report, as you ought to have 
 done," said his excellency, after he had a little re- 
 covered his breath. " It was in compliance with 
 your own instructions, sir, on the 30th of January. 
 You then told me, in the presence of Major Gor- 
 requer, that when I saw Mr. Baxter or Sir Tho- 
 mas Reade in town, it might supersede the neces- 
 sity of my coming to Plantation House on that day. 
 Having, therefore, seen and explained to Mr. Bax- 
 ter on that day, what I had to say, I did not think 
 it necessary to come up here." He endeavoured to 
 shuffle this off. I appealed to Major Gorrequer, 
 if I had not repeated his excellency's own words ? 
 The governor said, in not the most moderate man- 
 ner, that this appeal was an insult to him, and 
 burst forth into a fresh paroxysm of invective, 
 which lasted for a considerable time. 
 
 18th. Napoleon more lively than he has been 
 for a few days. 
 
 Had some further conversation with him upon 
 the subject of the death of the Princess Charlotte, 
 during which he observed, that had she been the 
 wife of a poor mechanic, she would have been 
 
 VOL. n. 3 c
 
 378 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 saved, and that one of les dames de la halle de 
 Paris would have met with more care and atten- 
 tion from her relations and friends, than the heiress 
 to the greatest throne in Europe had experienced 
 from hers. 
 
 He afterwards spoke of the plans which he had 
 upon England. 
 
 " Had I succeeded in effecting a landing," said 
 he, " I have very little doubt that I should have 
 accomplished my views. Three thousand boats, 
 each to carry twenty men and one horse, with a 
 proportion of artillery, were ready. Your fleet 
 having been decoyed away, as I before explained 
 to you, would have left me master of the Channel. 
 Without this, I would not have made the attempt, 
 Four days would have brought me to London. 
 In a country like England, abounding in plains, 
 defence is very difficult. I have no doubt that your 
 troops would have done their duty, but one battle 
 lost, the capital would have been in my power. 
 You could not have collected a force sufficiently 
 strong to beat me in a pitched battle. Your ideas 
 of burning and destroying the towns, and the ca- 
 pital itself, are very plausible in argument, but im- 
 practicable in their accomplishment. You would 
 have fought a battle and lost it. 'Well then,' you 
 would say, 'we have been beaten, but we have 
 not lost our honour. We shall now endeavour 
 de tirer le meilleur parti from our misfortune.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 379 
 
 We iriust make terms.' I would have offered you 
 a constitution of your own choice, and have said, 
 ' Assemble in London deputies from the people 
 to fix upon a constitution.' I would have called 
 upon Burdett and other popular leaders to or- 
 ganize one according to the wishes of the people. 
 I would have declared the * * fallen from the * * *, 
 abolished the nobility, proclaimed liberty, free- 
 dom, and equality. Think you, that in order to 
 keep the house of * * * on the * * * your rich 
 citizens, merchants, and others of London, would 
 have consented to sacrifice their riches, their houses, 
 their families, and all their dearest interests, espe- 
 cially when I had made them comprehend that I 
 only came to ****** away, and to give them 
 liberty ? No, it is contrary to history and to hu- 
 man nature. You are too rich. Your principal 
 people have too much to lose by resistance, and 
 your canaille too much to gain by a change. If, 
 indeed, they supposed that I wanted to render 
 England a province of France, then indeed V esprit 
 national would do wonders. But I would have 
 formed a republic according to your own wishes, 
 required a moderate contribution, barely sufficient 
 to have paid the troops, and perhaps not even 
 that. Your canaille* would have been for me, 
 
 * Napoleon frequently used the word canaille, not in a degrading 
 sense,, but as the people, distinct from the nobles.
 
 380 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 knowing queje suis fhomme du peuple, que je sors 
 de la canaille moi-meme, (that I am the man of the 
 people, that I spring from the populace myself,) 
 and that whenever a man had merit or talent, 
 I elevated him without asking how many de- 
 grees of nobility he had ; knowing, that by joining 
 me, they would be relieved from the yoke of the 
 aristocracy under which they labour. There is 
 not a canaille in the world, not even the Prussian, 
 worse treated. Excepting the obligation of serv- 
 ing as soldiers, the German canaille are better off 
 than yours. You have no more regard for yours 
 than if they were so many Helots, and you treat 
 them precisely as if they were such. To my 
 lords and my ladies, to the aristocracy and the 
 gentlemen, (in English) oh, indeed, you pay every 
 kind of attention and regard, nothing can be too 
 good for them ; no treatment kind enough ; but for 
 your canaille, bah ! they are so many chiens ; as 
 your contractors said, when furnishing provisions 
 to the French prisoners, ' it is too good for those 
 French dogs.' You yourself have got a great 
 deal of la morgue aristocratique in your head, 
 and appear to look down upon your canaille as if 
 they were a race of inferior beings. You talk of 
 your freedom. Can any thing be more horrible 
 than your pressing of seamen ? You send your 
 boats on shore to seize upon every male tha.t can
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELEN'A. 381 
 
 be found, who, if they have the misfortune to be- 
 long 1 to the canaille, if they cannot prove them- 
 selves gentlemen, are hurried on board of your 
 ships, to serve as seamen in all quarters of the 
 globe. And yet you have the impudence to talk 
 of the conscription in France : it wounds your 
 pride, because it fell upon all ranks. Oh x how 
 shocking, that a gentleman's son (in English) 
 should be obliged to defend his country, just as if 
 he were one of the canaille .' And that he should 
 be compelled to expose his body, or put himself 
 on a level with a vile plebian 1 1 Yet God made 
 all men alike. Who forms the nation ? Not your 
 lords, nor your fat prelates (panciuti) and church- 
 men, nor your gentlemen, nor your oligarchy. 
 Oh ! one day the people will revenge themselves, 
 and terrible scenes will take place." 
 
 " That conscription," continued Napoleon, 
 " which offended your morgue aristocratique so 
 much, was conducted scrupulously according to 
 the principles of equal rights. Every native of a 
 country is bound to defend it. The conscription 
 did not ^eraser a particular class like your press- 
 gang, nor the canaille, because they were poor. It 
 was the most just, because the most equal mode of 
 raising troops. It rendered the French army the 
 best composed in the world. The conscription 
 would have become a national institution, instead
 
 ;>S'J A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 of being regarded as a punishment or a servitude. 
 It would have been a point of honour to have 
 served the country, and the time would have come, 
 that a girl would not have married a youth that 
 nad not paid the debt he owed to it. The love of 
 glory is the inheritance of a Frenchman." 
 
 " Were you a nation," continued he, " of half 
 savages, of poor wild mountaineers, or of ferocious 
 shepherds, like the Scythians ; then indeed you 
 might destroy your capital, and desolate your 
 country, in order to stop the progress of an in- 
 vader. Even if you were as poor, as wild, and 
 as ignorant as the Spaniards, perhaps you might 
 destroy some of your towns and habitations. But 
 you are too rich and too selfish. Where is there 
 one of you would say, ' I will destroy my house, 
 abandon my property to be pillaged, my wife and 
 daughters to be violated, my sons to be mas- 
 sacred ! ! And for what ? To keep ****** on 
 the * *, and Lord Bathurst and the Archbishop 
 of Canterbury in their employments of twenty 
 thousand a year. All this I will do against a 
 man who offers terms, who proposes to give us a 
 constitution according to the wish of the nation.' 
 No, no. It is more than could be expected from 
 mun. Pitt himself was well aware of it, and one 
 of the means which he took to form the coalition 
 against me, was, by asserting, that a descent was
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 383 
 
 possible; that if it were effected England would be 
 conquered before twelve months ; that then all the 
 continent would be at my mercy and my disposal ; 
 that England once fallen, all was lost. This the 
 king of Prussia told me afterwards." 
 
 Napoleon now repeated what he had said once 
 before relative to the inhabitants of Moscow not 
 having assisted in setting fire to the city ; but on 
 the contrary, having done their utmost to extin- 
 guish it ; and proceeded thus : " The English, 
 after a battle, finding that we did not come to 
 plunder and destroy them, that we did not injure 
 or molest the inhabitants, that their wives and 
 daughters remained unviolated ; for I would not 
 have allowed the smallest outrage to be committed. 
 Instant death would have been inflicted on who- 
 ever attempted it. They would have seen that 
 we did not come to rob, or to destroy them, but 
 merely to ******. If, indeed, war were waged, 
 as in ancient times, when the male prisoners were 
 massacred or made slaves of, and the women be- 
 came the concubines of the victors, then the con- 
 quest of the nation would have been impossible. 
 But no : you would have seen us advancing, and 
 molesting the population as little as your own 
 soldiers. Every thing would have been done to 
 conciliate and to harmonize." 
 
 I now made some observations to Napoleon
 
 384 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 about his own government in France. " The sys- 
 tem of government," said he, " must be adapted 
 to Vesprit de la nation, and to circumstances. In 
 the first place, France required a strong govern- 
 ment. While I was at the head of it, I may say 
 that France was in the same state as Rome, when 
 a dictator was declared necessary for the salvation 
 of the republic. Successions of coalitions against 
 her existence were formed by your gold amongst 
 all the powerful nations of Europe. To resist 
 successfully, it was necessary that all the energies 
 of the country should be at the disposal of the 
 chief. I never conquered unless in my own de- 
 fence. Europe never ceased to make war upon 
 France and her principles. // nous fallut abattre 
 sous peine d'etre abattus.. Between the parties that 
 agitated France for a long time, I was like a rider 
 seated on an unruly horse, who always wanted to 
 swerve either to the right or to the left ; and to make 
 him keep a straight course, I was obliged to let 
 him feel the bridle occasionally. The government 
 of a country just emerged from a revolution, me- 
 naced by foreign enemies, and agitated by the 
 intrigues of domestic traitors, must necessarily be 
 dur. In quieter times my dictature would have 
 finished, and I should have commenced my con- 
 stitutional reign. Even as it was, with a coalition 
 always existing against me, either secret or public,
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 385 
 
 openly avowed or denied, there was more equa- 
 lity in France than in any other country in Eu- 
 rope. 
 
 " One of my grand objects was to render educa- 
 tion accessible to every body. I caused every in- 
 stitution to be formed upon a plan which offered 
 instruction to the public, either gratis, or at a rate 
 so moderate as not to be beyond the means of the 
 peasant. The museums were thrown open to the 
 canaille. My canaille would have become the best 
 educated in the world. All my exertions were 
 directed to illuminate the mass of the nation, in- 
 stead of brutifying them by ignorance and super- 
 stition." 
 
 " Those English," added he, " who are lovers 
 of liberty, will one day lament with tears having 
 gained the battle of Waterloo. It was as fatal to 
 the liberties of Europe in its effects as that of 
 Philippi was to those of Rome; and like it, has 
 precipitated Europe into the hands of triumvirs, 
 associated together for the oppression of mankind, 
 the suppression of knowledge, and the restoration 
 of superstition." 
 
 Recounted to the emperor the treatment I had 
 experienced yesterday at Plantation House. " I 
 do not believe," said he, " that in all the armies 
 of Europe a man of so ignoble a character could 
 be found. It is the height of baseness for a supe- 
 
 VOL. II. .'3 D
 
 386 A VOICE FROM ST. HKLENA . 
 
 rior to insult officially au inferior. This man's 
 disposition makes him like a person afflicted with 
 an inveterate itch ; he has need of continually 
 rubbing against something. But independent of 
 his natural uneasiness, his intentions are, by bad 
 language and bad treatment, to irritate you into a 
 breach of respect to him as governor, which he will 
 convert into an act of violence, and proceed against 
 you for an attentat upon him in his official capa- 
 city. You are in a very dangerous situation. He 
 has a witness, who is his creature, and who will 
 sign every thing that he dictates, and have no 
 other conscience or will than his. You have only 
 your own word to plead ; and this man's conduct 
 in endeavouring to make a spy of you, by ill treat- 
 ment and abuse, is so extraordinary, that people 
 unacquainted with him will with difficulty believe 
 it. I see no other mode for you to act than to 
 maintain an absolute silence. Hear what he lias 
 to say, and reply not, unless in answer to medical 
 questions. To those he has a right to expect an 
 answer ; but to any thing else say, ' I do not 
 know,' or, it is no business of mine.'" 
 
 20#/t. Underwent a few more interrogations 
 from Sir Hudson Lowe, in which I had the good 
 fortune to leave his house, without having been 
 assailed with any outrageous language. 
 
 23rd. Cipriani complained this day of inflam-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 3S" 
 
 mation of the bowels, which froin the :'.ic;mO;it li* 
 made it known to me presented most formidable 
 appearances. He was very largely bled, put into 
 a warm bath, and recourse had to all the vigorous 
 remedies usually administered in such cases. Only 
 temporary relief, however, was obtained ; and the 
 unfavourable symptoms returned with increased 
 aggravation. It was soon evident that his life was 
 in the most imminent danger ; and the advice and 
 assistance of other professional men were called 
 in. All, however, was useless, and the complaint 
 was rapidly hurrying him on to dissolution. Ci- 
 priani himself, although conscious of his danger, 
 preserved the greatest calmness and composure. 
 Napoleon, who had an affection for him as his coun- 
 tryman, and a man wholly devoted to his service, 
 was extremely anxious for his recovery, and fre- 
 quent in his enquiries. On the 25th, Cipriani was 
 in a state in which persons labouring under the 
 same complaint are sometimes seen. He had ex- 
 perienced some relief from suffering ; but it was 
 doubtful whether it arose from the diminution of 
 the violence of the complaint, or was that cessa- 
 tion of pain preceding dissolution, produced by 
 mortification. The last was my own opinion ; 
 but there was nothing certain. He was in a state 
 of extreme weakness. Nourishment was admi- 
 nistered to him at short intervals, which was re-
 
 388 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 tained on his stomach. While in this state of 
 douht, Napoleon, with whom I had been repeat- 
 edly during the day to report the state of the 
 patient, sent for me at twelve o'clock at night. I 
 mentioned that Cipriani was lying in a kind of 
 stupor. " I think," said he, *' that my appearance 
 before poor Cipriani would act as a stimulus to 
 slumbering nature, (la natura che dorme) and will 
 rouse her to make new efforts which may finally 
 overcome the disease and save the patient." He 
 endeavoured to illustrate this by describing the 
 electric effects which had been produced in many 
 instances, by his appearance on the field of battle 
 at most critical moments and times. I replied, 
 that Cipriani was still sensible ; and that I knew 
 the love and veneration he had for his master to 
 be so great, that on his appearance before him, he 
 would make an effort to rise in his bed, which 
 exertion, in the weak state in which he was, would 
 probably produce syncope, during which his soul, 
 already tra si c no, to quit or to remain in its 
 earthly tenement, would most probably take its 
 departure.* After this and other explanations on 
 the subject, Napoleon acquiesced in my opinion, 
 that he should not try the experiment ; observing, 
 
 * It is well known to medical people, that in cases of great dehi- 
 lity, the mere raising of a patient's head from the pillow has some- 
 times produced dissolution.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 389 
 
 that in such cases, les hommes de tart were the 
 best judges. 
 
 At ten o'clock the following morning, symp- 
 toms decidedly mortal made their appearance, 
 and about four, poor Cipriani was numbered with 
 the dead. 
 
 Cipriani was a man possessed of strong, but 
 uncultivated talents. Though artful, he had the 
 appearance of openness and candour. He had, 
 however, many good qualities, He was generous 
 and charitable. Like most of his countrymen, he 
 was an ardent friend, and a bitter enemy, and had 
 strong national spirit. He was a republican in 
 principle, and manifested more attachment to Na- 
 poleon in his misfortunes, than he had ever shewn 
 for him in his grandeur. He was regarded by his 
 master in a very confidential light. Had he en- 
 joyed the benefit of an early education, he would 
 probably have made a figure in the revolution. 
 He had been unwell for several days before he 
 complained, during which, in all probability, la- 
 tent inflammation had been going on. His corpse 
 was followed to the grave* by Counts Bertram! 
 and Montholon, by myself, and by all the house- 
 hold who could attend. So much was he esteemed 
 at St. Helena, that several of the most respectable 
 of the inhabitants, and some of the officers of the 
 
 * See Count Bertrand'* letter. Appendix. No. XII.
 
 390 A VOICK FROM ST. HKLENA. 
 
 66th regiment, voluntarily joined the funeral pro- 
 cession. Had he been buried within the limits, 
 Napoleon himself would have attended. 
 
 Immediately after his death, I reported the cir- 
 cumstance to Napoleon, who remarked, " Where 
 is his soul ! Gone to Rome, perhaps, to see his 
 wife and child, before it undertakes the long final 
 journey." 
 
 Some days before his demise, Cipriani told me, 
 that not long after the governor had put into execu- 
 tion his rigorous measures towards the inmate-* of 
 Longwood, Santini, who was of a merry dispo- 
 sition, had been observed to be much altered, and 
 apparently thoughtful and melancholy. One day 
 he came into Cipriani's room, and avowed his in- 
 tention of shooting the governor the first time that 
 the latter came to Longwood. Cipriani asked 
 him if -he was mad, and endeavoured to dissuade 
 him from the attempt, by using all the arguments 
 in his power. Although Cipriani had much influ- 
 ence over him, Santini was unmoved, and accom- 
 panied his declaration with many ouths peculiar 
 to the inferior order of Italians. He had his dou- 
 ble-barrelled gun loaded with ball, with whirl* 
 he intended to despatch the governor, and then to 
 finish himself. Cipriani, finding his arguments 
 fruitless, went to Napoleon, to whom he commu- 
 nicated the affair. The emperor immediately sent
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. o 
 
 for, and questioned Santini, who avowed his in- 
 tentions. Napoleon then commanded him, as his 
 emperor, to drop all thoughts 'of injuring Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe., and succeeded, though not without 
 some reluctance on the part of Santini, in making 
 him abandon his project. Santini was a most de- 
 termined character, and brave as a lion. Besides 
 being master of the small sword, he had a sure and 
 deadly aim with fire-arms ; and there is little doubt, 
 that had it not been for this prohibition, he would 
 have effected his intentions. 
 
 March, 6th. The progress of the disease in the. 
 emperor continues to advance a little, though 
 slowly. Found him reading a volume of Corneille, 
 upon whom he pronounced some warm eulogimns, 
 observed, that to the sentiments which he inspired, 
 France was indebted for some of her glorious 
 deeds, and added, that if Corneille had lived in 
 his time, he would have made him a prince. 
 
 He then conversed about himself, said, that he 
 believed nature had calculated him for great re- 
 verses that he had a soul of marble. After 
 which he made some comparisons of his own con- 
 duct with that adopted by his enemies towards 
 him. 
 
 " If I had been actuated by the spirit which 
 prevailed with the Bourbons," said he, "or even 
 according to the laws of reciprocity, I should have
 
 392 A VOICE FKOM ST. HELENA. 
 
 caused the Due d'Anguleme to be tried, in re- 
 taliation for the attempts he had made upon nus 
 the proscription against my person by the Bour- 
 bons, and the declaration of the allied powers,* 
 placing me out of the pale of the law, and in- 
 viting my assassination. By the laws of the na- 
 tional assembly, existing against any of the mem- 
 bers of his family who should re-enter France, 
 I could have had him shot within twenty-four 
 hours. Instead of doing so, I ordered that every 
 respect should be paid to him, and care taken of 
 his person, and that he should be conducted to 
 Cette for embarkation." 
 
 " Maitland," said Napoleon, "was not an ac- 
 complice in the snare that was laid for me by your 
 ministers, when they gave him orders to receive 
 me on board of his ship.-f- He is un brave homme, 
 and incapable of participating in the infamous 
 transaction that took place. He was deceived, as 
 well as myself, and probably in bringing me to 
 England, thought that I should have been allowed 
 to live there, subject to such restrictions as had 
 been imposed upon rny brother Lucien." He then 
 observed, that he had formed too good an opinion 
 of the English, and had believed the influence of 
 the voice of the people upon the ministers, to have 
 been much more powerful than it was in reality 
 
 * See Appendix, No. XIII. t See Appendix, No. XIV.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 39,'V 
 
 " Previous to going on board of the Bellerophon," 
 added he, " some debates were held upon the pro- 
 priety of the measure. Some naval officers, to 
 whom it was mentioned, strongly urged that I 
 should not venture on such a step. They said, 
 the English are the most interested people on 
 earth. Interest is their god, and they will calcu- 
 late what may result from ill or well treating you. 
 If they think that they shall gain any thing by it, 
 they will hurry you away, and bury you in one of 
 their colonies, where you will be exposed to every 
 species of bad treatment, that hatred can suggest. 
 They were right," added he, " some of them had 
 been in the pontons, and knew what you were 
 better than I did. I did not conceive it possible 
 that a great nation could countenance the perse- 
 cution of one man, who had fallen into their hands, 
 after having been twenty-five years their enemy." 
 
 He then delivered, as follows, some explana- 
 tion of the causes which had produced his fall : 
 " Had it not been for that fatal suspension of 
 arms, in 1813, to which I was induced to consent 
 by Austria, I should have succeeded. The vic- 
 tories of Lutzen and Wurtzen had restored confi- 
 dence in the French forces. The King of Saxony 
 was triumphantly brought back to his capital ; one 
 of the corps of the French army was at the gates of 
 Berlin, and the enemy had been driven from Ham- 
 
 VOL. II. 3 E
 
 394 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 burgh. The Russian and Prussian armies were 
 preparing to pass the Vistula, when the cabinet of 
 Austria, acting with its characteristic perfidy, ad- 
 vised the suspension of hostilities, at a time when 
 it had already entered into engagements with 
 Russia and Prussia ; the armistice was only a 
 delusion to gain the time necessary to make pre- 
 parations, it being intended to declare against 
 France in May. The unexpected successes 
 obliged it to act with more circumspection. It 
 was necessary to gain more time, and negocia- 
 tions went on at the congress of Prague. Met- 
 ternich insisted that Austria should have the half 
 of Italy, and made other exorbitant conditions, 
 which were only demanded in order to be re- 
 fused. As soon as she had got her army ready, 
 Austria declared against France. After the vic- 
 tory of Dresden, I was superior, and had formed 
 the project to deceive the enemy, by marching to- 
 wards Magdeburgh, then to cross the Elbe at 
 Wittenberg, and march upon Berlin. Several di- 
 visions of the army were occupied in these ma- 
 noeuvres, when a letter was brought to me from 
 the King of Wirtemberg, announcing that the Ba- 
 varian army had joined the Austrians, and to the 
 amount of eighty thousand men, were marching 
 towards the Rhine, under the command of Wrede; 
 that he, being compelled by the presence of that
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 395 
 
 army, was obliged to join his contingent to it, and 
 that Mentz would soon be invested by a hundred 
 thousand men. 
 
 " This unexpected defection entirely changed 
 the plan of the campaign, and all the preparations 
 made to fix the war between the Elbe and the 
 Oder, became useless. At Leipsic, afterwards, I 
 was victorious on the 16th, and should have suc- 
 ceeded on the 18th, had not the whole Saxon 
 army, which occupied one of the most important 
 positions in the line, deserted to the enemy, with a 
 train of sixty pieces of cannon, which were imme- 
 diately turned against the French. Notwithstand- 
 ing this, the field of battle remained in possession 
 of the French, and the allies made a retrograde 
 movement on the same day. During the night I 
 ordered the army to retire upon our supplies be- 
 hind the Ister. The defection of some other Ger- 
 man corps afterwards, and the premature blow- 
 ing up of the bridge at Leipsic, caused the most 
 disastrous effects. When the army had passed 
 the Saale, it should have rested to recover from 
 its fatigues, and receive ammunition and other 
 supplies from Erfurth. Intelligence, however, 
 arrived, that the Austro-Bavarian army tinder 
 Wrede, had arrived on the Mein by forced marches, 
 and it was necessary to march against it. Wrede 
 was driven from his position at Hanaw, com-
 
 39fi A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 pletely beaten, and himself wounded. Confer- 
 ences afterwards took place at Francfort, and 
 proposals for peace were offered on condition 
 that I should renounce the protectorate of the 
 confederation of the Rhine, Poland, and the de- 
 partments of the Elbe ; but that France should 
 be preserved in her limits of the Alps and the 
 Rhine. Those conditions were accepted as bases. 
 This congress, however, like the others, turned 
 out to be a delusipn, as at the moment that those 
 pacific proposals were made, the allies violated 
 the neutrality of Switzerland, which they entered 
 in large force. At Chatillon, afterwards, they pre- 
 sented their ultimatum, in which they demanded 
 that France should be reduced to the limits she 
 had previous to 1792, which I rejected. Had it 
 not been for the subsequent treachery of Talley- 
 rand, Marmont, and Augereau, the allies would 
 not have succeeded in forcing upon the throne a 
 detested family, against whom, for twenty-five 
 years, the nation has combated ; and France would 
 not have been degraded by the spectacle of a 
 king upon the throne, who had the baseness pub- 
 licly to declare that he owed it to the Prince 
 Regent of England." 
 
 28th. Twenty-seven volumes of books were 
 sent to Longwood by .Sir Hudson Lowe on the 
 12th, and seven on this day, with some numbers
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 397 
 
 of the Lettres Normandes et Ckampenoises. These 
 formed the entire of the supply of books and 
 pamphlets sent by his majesty's ministers,* (or 
 through them,) since the arrival of the Phaeton in 
 
 1816. Napoleon, observed, " C'est une bassesse 
 dont je ne croyais pas meme que Lord Bathurst 
 
 fut capable" 
 
 It has been a rule-f" for some time, that all cap- 
 tains of merchant ships which arrive, are obliged 
 to submit a list of their books, newspapers, &c. to 
 Sir Hudson Lowej and those of a political nature 
 are specifically required to be sent to him, under 
 a pretence of desiring to forward them to Long- 
 wood, where, however, none of the books have 
 arrived ; and but very few newspapers. The 
 Edinburgh Review is specially sought after by 
 his excellency and staff. 
 
 * Mr. Goulbourn promised Count Las Cases on the return of 
 the latter to Europe, that every interesting book and new publi- 
 cation should be sent to Longwood, with a copious and regular 
 supply of newspapers, French and English, of different descrip* 
 tions. Whether the worthy secretary performed his promise or 
 not, I am not able to say. None, however, except some uncon- 
 nected numbers of the Times and Courier, Observer, &c. with a 
 few straggling French papers of a very old date, reached Long- 
 wood during my residence there. In one instance, in March, 
 
 1817, I think, the governor permitted me to take the Morning 
 Chronicle for some weeks, as a great favour, which was not again 
 repeated. 
 
 t See Appendix. No. XV.
 
 398 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 April 4th. Some days ago a circumstance oc- 
 curred which threw some light upon the motives 
 which had induced the governor to oblige me to 
 visit Plantation House twice a week. One of the 
 foreign persons residing in the island informed 
 Count Montholon, that the commissioners had 
 seen an account of the state of Napoleon's health, 
 in the bulletin of that day. Count Montholon 
 knowing that no bulletins were issued by me, 
 asked for explanations, which were given ; and by 
 which it appeared that surreptitious bulletins were 
 made by a person who never saw Napoleon, and 
 who consequently could not be a judge of his 
 complaint. Those fictitious reports were sent from 
 Plantation House to the commissioners, and trans- 
 mitted by them to their respective courts. I ap- 
 prehend that every conscientious reader will be 
 of opinion that those bulletins ought to have been 
 shewn to me, I being the only medical man who 
 saw the patient, and consequently the only person 
 capable of judging of their correctness.* 
 
 10M. Sir Hudson Lowe having failed in the 
 application that he made in London to procure 
 
 * Sir Hudson Lowe, when he could no longei refrain from giving 
 some account of this transaction, endeavoured to slur it over, by 
 Btatiug to Count Bertrand that the fictitious bulletins were merely 
 repetitions of my conversations with Mr. Baxter. If this were true, 
 why cctaceal them from me ?
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 399 
 
 my removal from St. Helena, had recourse to an 
 expedient which insured him success. He caused 
 a letter to be written to me this day by Sir 
 Thomas Reade, in which he informed me that I 
 was not to pass out of Longwood, without assign- 
 ing any reasons for a measure by which it appeared 
 that the governor had imposed upon me restric- 
 tions even more arbitrary and vexatious than those 
 which he had inflicted upon the French ; for by 
 confining me to Longwood, within the precincts of 
 which he allowed no persons to enter without a 
 pass, he deprived me of English society ; while at 
 the same time he prohibited me from holding any 
 other intercourse, even with the French, than that 
 relating to my profession.* As soon as I received 
 this letter, I went to the Briars, with the intention 
 of laying the affair before Admiral Plampin, who 
 sent word by his secretary that he would not see 
 me. I then wrote a letter to Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 tendering my resignation, and another to Count 
 Bertrand, in which I explained the step that I had 
 been compelled to take, and the motives which 
 urged me to adopt it. 
 
 14th. Napoleon sent for me to give me an au- 
 dience prior to my departure. During which he 
 declined receiving any more medical advice from 
 
 * It is almost unnecessary for me to explain to the reader that I 
 was neither able nor inclined to obey this arbitrary mandate.
 
 400 - A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 me in the situation in which I was placed by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, and addressed me in the following 
 words : " Eh bien, Docteur, vous allez nous quitter. 
 Le. monde concevra-t-ilquonaeu la Idchete" d'atten- 
 ter a mon mddecm 9 Puisque vous etes un simple 
 lieutenant, soumis d tout Varbitraire et a la discip- 
 line militaire, vous riavez plus Vinde'pendancene'ces- 
 saire pour que vos secours puissent metre it tiles ; je 
 vous rernercie de vos soinn. Quittez le plut6t possi- 
 ble ce sejour de tdnebres et de crimes ; je mourrai 
 sur ce grabat, rouge" de maladie et sans secours ; 
 mais votre nation en sera deshonoree a jamais."* 
 He then bade me adieu. 
 
 May 9th. Sir Hudson Lowe finding that he 
 could not succeed in his plan of establishing 
 
 * " Well, Doctor, you are going to quit us. Will the world 
 conceive that they have been base enough to make attempts upon 
 my physician ? Since you are no more than a simple lieute- 
 nant, subjected to arbitrary power and to military discipline, 
 you have no longer the independence necessary to render your 
 services useful to me. I thank you for your care. Quit as soon 
 as you can this abode of darkness and of crimes. I shall expire 
 upon that pallet consumed by disease, and without a.ny assist- 
 ance. But your country will be eternally dishonoured by my 
 death." It may be proper to inform the reader, that though 
 Napoleon generally conversed in Italian with me, as I spoke the 
 language with considerable fluency, from having resided several 
 years in that classical country, whenever he became animated, 
 he always broke out into French, and also whenever he was at a 
 loss for a word.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 401 
 
 another surgeon with Napoleon ; and that the lat 
 ter was determined not to receive him, and having 
 been made to comprehend by the commissioners,* 
 that if Napoleon died while heltept me in confine- 
 ment (without bringing me to a trial, or even pre- 
 ferring any charge against me) or under the hands 
 of any surgeon forced upon him, strange surmises 
 would arise in England and in Europe respecting 
 his death, of which they themselves should be 
 unable to render a satisfactory explanation, de- 
 cided upon removing the restrictions he had im- 
 posed upon me. Accordingly he released me, after 
 having kept me in confinement twenty-seven days ; 
 during which time I was successively assailed, 
 in correspondence, by all his staff; and in order 
 to ensnare me, frequently required to return by a 
 dragoon who waited, answers to letters composed 
 after several days' reflection, by the united wisdom 
 of Sir Hudson Lowe and his staff. As this cor- 
 
 * I have been informed that some very animated discussions took 
 place at Plantation House on this subject, in one ofUwhich the go- 
 vernor, while debating with Baron Sturmer, burst forth into one 
 of the paroxysms of anger he so frequently manifested towards me. 
 The baron very coolly made his excellency stop opposite to a large 
 looking-glass, in which he begged of him to contemplate his own fea- 
 tures, adding, that he should not desire to afford his court a better 
 representation of what was occurring at St. Helena, than the figure 
 in the mirror before him. 
 
 VOL. II. 3 F
 
 402 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 respondence has been already before the public, 
 I shall not now trouble the reader with it. 
 
 In the letter containing the order for my release, 
 his excellency felt himself obliged to acknowledge, 
 me as Napoleon's private surgeon, a point which 
 he had contested before. 
 
 A despatch sent by Sir Hudson Lowe to Long- 
 wood, containing some extracts from a correspon- 
 dence of Lord Bathurst, stating, amongst other 
 matters, that permission would be given, that a list 
 of persons, not exceeding fifty in number, resident 
 on the island, should be drawn up by Count Ber- 
 trand and submitted to the governor for approval, 
 and that such persons should be admitted to 
 Longwood at seasonable hours, with no other pass 
 than the invitation of General Bonaparte ; it being 
 understood, that they were on such occasions to 
 deliver in their invitations with their names, as 
 vouchers at the barrier ; it being clearly under- 
 stood, that the governor was to reserve a discre- 
 tionary power, to erase from the list any indivi- 
 duals to whom he might consider it inexpedient 
 to continue such facility of access. 
 
 Wth. Previous to allowing me to resume my 
 medical functions at Longwood, Napoleon, in 
 order to put a stop to the fabrication of any 
 more bulletins, required that I should make out a 
 report of the state of his health once a week, or
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 403 
 
 oftener if necessary ; a copy of which should be 
 given to the governor if he required it. This I 
 immediately communicated to Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 who not only did not require it, but absolutely 
 prohibited me from making him (Sir Hudson) any 
 written report. 
 
 Napoleon's state of health had become worse 
 since last month. The pain was more constant 
 and severe, &c. 
 
 Considerable indignation was excited in the 
 island at the conduct which had been pursued to- 
 wards Napoleon. 
 
 16th. A proclamation issued by Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, and placarded in the most conspicuous 
 places, interdicting all officers, inhabitants, and 
 other persons whatsoever, from holding any cor- 
 respondence or communication with the foreign 
 persons under detention on it.* 
 
 18th. Captain Blakeney ordered by Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe to assemble all the English servants at 
 Longwood, and read to them the proclamation of 
 the 16th. This was done without notice being 
 given to their masters. Napoleon, when informed 
 of this, ordered that the English servants, em- 
 ployed at Longwood House, in place of Santini 
 and the others sent away by Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 should be discharged. 
 
 * See Appendix, No. XVI.
 
 404 -A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 20M. Had some conversation with the emperor 
 upon the work published by Mr. Ellis on the em- 
 bassy to China, and the conversation at Longwood 
 which that gentleman had published. Napoleon 
 observed, that having learned that Mr. Ellis had 
 been secretary to a mission to Persia, a short time 
 after General Gardanne had quitted Ispahan, he 
 had questioned him as to the progress that Russia 
 had made on the Persian side. " I told him," 
 added Napoleon, " that if Russia succeeded in at- 
 taching the brave Polish nation to her, she would 
 no longer have a rival, because she would restrain 
 England, by menacing the latter's possessions in 
 India ; and Austria by the great moral superiority 
 of her troops, and by the followers of the Greek 
 church, who are so numerous in Hungary and Gal- 
 licia; and that appearances rendered it probable 
 that a Greek patriarch would one day officiate in 
 Sancta Sophia. I also mentioned to him, that if 
 England adopted the system of founding her power 
 upon her land forces, and on maintaining armies 
 on the continent, those armies would mask her real 
 forces and she would commit the same fault that 
 Francis the First was guilty of at the battle of Pa via, 
 by placing himself with the ilite of his cavalry before 
 a formidable battery, which would have assured 
 him the victory, had he not prevented it from firing 
 by masking it. I told him that your riots in Eng-
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 405 
 
 land signified nothing, and that your constables 
 were sufficient to re-establish order, if at the same 
 time your ministers directed all their attention and 
 care towards the amelioration of the administra- 
 tion, to the prosperity of your manufactures and 
 your commerce. That above all, you must not 
 be ashamed of being merchants ; from that source 
 your power springs ; but that if the misery was 
 real, as asserted by Lord Wellesley, and was 
 caused by the too great efforts made by England 
 during twenty years, in that case too violent mea- 
 sures employed upon the mass of the people 
 would be topical applications likely to produce 
 madness in them. I said that you have amongst 
 you men too wise, not to open, at the same time 
 that they applied these violent remedies, channels 
 which would discharge the acrimonious humours, 
 restore health and ease to the people, and cause 
 misery to disappear. 
 
 " During all the conversations I had with Mr. 
 Ellis," continued he, " which lasted about half 
 an hour, not one word was said about St. Helena. 
 Count Montholon had no conversation on the 
 subject with Mr. Ellis, or any other of the lega- 
 tion. Mr. Ellis made no enquiries on the spot, 
 never visited the interior of the establishment, 
 knew nothing, saw nothing, and heard nothing 
 about it, at least from the French. And yet in
 
 406 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 his work he has the impudence to play the part oi' 
 a judge, who had heard the complaining parties 
 on the spot. But that passage has not been 
 written by his hand. It is the invention of some 
 commis to Lord Bathurst, who has imposed the 
 insertion of it upon him. Such a prostitution of 
 his name reflects but little credit upon that diplo- 
 matic character."* 
 
 He made some observations upon the contrast 
 between the governor's proclamation and conduct, 
 and the despatches sent by Lord Bathurst ; said 
 that the despatch was merely got up to have the 
 appearance of doing something to benefit his situa- 
 tion, while in reality nothing was done. 
 
 In the coarse of the conversation, Napoleon 
 observed, that but little reliance was to be placed 
 on the writings of a man, in forming a judgment of 
 his private character or conduct, which he illus- 
 trated by informing me that Bernardin St. Pierre, 
 whose writings were so sentimentally beautiful, 
 and breathing principles of humanity and social 
 happiness in every page, was one of the worst 
 private characters in France. 
 
 June 7th. The Mangles storeship arrived. 
 
 11^. With the exception of the painful inflam- 
 matory affection of the cheeks, the so frequent 
 
 * Mr. Ellis has since been appointed to a lucrative situation 
 at the Cape of Good Hope, which, I believe, is in the gift of Lord 
 Bathurst.
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 407 
 
 recurrence of which has been prevented by the 
 extraction of two more teeth, Napoleon's state of 
 health has become much worse. He accordingly 
 consented on this day to adopt the practice recom- 
 mended to him, which was consequently com- 
 menced on this day. He has been confined almost 
 entirely to his apartments for nearly six weeks. 
 
 20th. The officers of the 53rd regiment had 
 done me the honour to elect me an honorary mem- 
 ber of their mess ; and on the departure of that 
 regiment from the island, the officers of the GGtii 
 had conferred a similar honour upon me. Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe employed Sir Thomas Reade to fill the 
 mind of Lieutenant Colonel Lascelles (the com- 
 manding officer) with the most insidious calumnies 
 against me, in consequence of which Lieutenant 
 Colonel Lascelles called upon Lieutenant Rear- 
 don of the regiment (a friend of mine), to whom he 
 related that it had been insinuated to him by Sir 
 Thomas Reade, that I had become displeasing to 
 the sight of the governor, that the officers of the 
 regiment ought to expel me from their mess, as a 
 person who had submitted to insults from the go- 
 vernor, who had turned me out of his house, and 
 consequently that I was unfit for their society; 
 insinuating also that my expulsion would be very 
 agreeable to Sir Hudson Lowe, who, he observed, 
 had said that he should consider any person who
 
 408 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 was seen to associate with me as his personal 
 enemy. Lieutenant Colonel Lascelles concluded 
 with begging of Lieutenant Reardon to persuade 
 me to withdraw privately from the mess, as my 
 presence there was obnoxious to the governor ; 
 protesting however, that personally he had a great 
 esteem for me, and that he would be one of the first 
 to invite me to dine there as a guest. 
 
 Reflecting, that if I slunk away secretly, oppor- 
 tunity would be furnished to my enemies to paint 
 me in the blackest colours, and to represent that 
 rny conduct had been such as to compel the officers 
 of the 66th to turn me out of the mess, and, being 
 conscious of upright intentions, I immediately 
 wrote to Lieutenant Colonel Lascelles, the letter in 
 the appendix marked No. XVII. In the evening I 
 met him coming to see me. He made many profes- 
 sions of friendship and esteem for me, but said, that 
 as the governor was displeased with me, he begged 
 I would withdraw privately from the mess, that 
 Sir Hudson Lowe desired it, and that he was 
 afraid of his resentment being exercised upon him- 
 self, and upon the officers of the regiment, if I did 
 not comply with his wishes. He concluded by 
 stating, that Sir Thomas Reade had shewn him 
 part of my correspondence with the governor, 
 and some secret documents which had never 
 been communicated to me, and, professing his
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 409 
 
 esteem ; in which sentiment he said, he knew he 
 was joined by every officer in the regiment. I 
 replied, that clandestine misrepresentations, from 
 their being unknown to me, might remain unre- 
 futed, that no person was secure from the breath 
 of calumny ; that, however, I was ready to sub- 
 mit the whole of the correpondence between the 
 governor and myself to the judgment of the officers 
 of the regiment, 'or to submit to any other scrutiny 
 that he or they might desire, and to abide by their 
 decision ; but that I never would renounce the 
 honour which the officers of the 66th had conferred 
 upon me in granting me a seat at their table unless 
 (according to the custom of the army) by a vote of 
 the mess, or by an order from the governor. 
 
 This reply was communicated to Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, who, probably having his own reasons 
 for not allowing the correspondence to be sub- 
 mitted to the judgment of a corps of officers, sent 
 an order by Brigadier General Sir George B ing- 
 ham (as I have been informed) to Lieutenant Co- 
 lonel Lascelles, to exclude me from the mess, 
 which was comunicated to me by the following 
 letter, without assigning any reason for such act. 
 
 Deadwood, 23rd June. 
 
 Dear Sir, As commanding officer of the 66th 
 regiment, I beg leave to inform you, that I feel it 
 VOL. ir. 3 G
 
 410 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 expedient on my part to say, that I cannot any 
 longer allow you to be an honorary member of the 
 66th's mess, 
 
 I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Your obedient Servant, 
 
 C. LASCELLES. 
 Barry OMeara, Esq. 
 
 Being desirous of obtaining every authentic in- 
 formation to establish the fact, that this new out- 
 rage had been effected by the orders of Sir Hud- 
 son Lowe, I waited upon Sir George Bingham, by 
 whom I was very politely received, and informed, 
 that he had been commanded to carry into execu- 
 tion the above order. 
 
 25th. Sent the following letter to the Dead 
 wood camp : 
 
 To the Officers of the 66th Regiment. 
 
 Gentlemen, In consequence of the extraor- 
 dinary mission which I accepted, having been de- 
 tached from that branch of the service to which I 
 belong, the officers of the 53rd regiment, taking 
 into consideration the isolated situation in which I 
 was placed, were pleased to do me the honour 
 of electing me an honorary member of their mess, 
 in which I continued as long as the regiment re- 
 mained in the island. You, gentlemen, shortly
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 411 
 
 after your arrival, condescended to confer upon 
 me a similar honour, by which I have benefited 
 for nearly a year. By a fatality, which at this 
 moment persecutes me, orders emanating from a 
 superior power prohibit me from any longer enjoy- 
 ing, in your society, the great, the only consolation 
 it was possible for me to experience in this dreary 
 abode. I cannot, however, return to my solitude, 
 without returning my most sincere thanks to you 
 for the many marks of friendship and kindness 
 with which you have honoured me, and to assure 
 you, that the esteem, respect, and gratitude, which 
 I bear to you, individually and collectively, are 
 indelibly engraven upon the heart of one, who 
 at his last moments, will exult in saying that he 
 was deemed worthy a seat at your table. 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 Gentlemen, 
 With the greatest respect, 
 
 Your most obliged Friend, 
 
 (Signed) BARRY E. O'MfiARA, 
 
 Surgeon, Royal Nary. 
 Longwood, 25th, June, 1818. 
 
 26th. The officers of the 66th regiment were 
 pleased to return the following reply: 
 
 Deadwood, V6th June, 1818. 
 
 Dear Sir, As president, last night, I had the
 
 412 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 honour of communicating to the mess the con- 
 tents of your letter of the 25th instant, and am di- 
 rected by the commanding officer and officers com- 
 posing it, to say it is with much regret they hear 
 of your departure as an honorary member of the 
 mess, and to assure you, they always conceived 
 your conduct while with them, to be perfectly 
 consistent in every respect with that of a gentle- 
 man. 
 
 I am also directed to say, the mess feel much 
 indebted for the very flattering expressions of es- 
 teem contained in your letter. 
 
 And have the honour to be, 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 Your very humble Servant, 
 (Signed) CHS M'CARTHY, 
 
 Lieut. 66th Regiment. 
 To Barry O'Meara, Esq. 
 Surgeon, R. N. Longwoed. 
 
 27th. Napoleon much affected by a severe 
 catarrhal affection, caused by the extreme humi- 
 dity of his rooms. Discontinued some of the 
 remedies he was taking, and reported the state of 
 his health to the governor. 
 
 July 15th. Several cases of wine, sent by the 
 Princess Borghese through Lady Holland, arrived 
 last month. A few were sent to Longwood, and
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 413 
 
 the remainder deposited in the government stores 
 by order of Sir Hudson Lowe. Napoleon ex- 
 pressed on this, as well as on many other occa- 
 sions, sentiments of great affection towards the 
 Princess Pauline, and declared his conviction 
 that no sacrifice would be too great for her to 
 make for his benefit ; adding, that he had no 
 doubt she would endeavour to obtain permission 
 to come out to St. Helena.* He also spoke of 
 the Princess Hortense in very high terms, whom 
 he pronounced to be a lady possessed of very su- 
 perior talents. Likewise of the Princess Eliza. 
 He expressed in a very handsome manner his 
 sense of the attention and kindness manifested for 
 him in his misfortunes by Lady Holland, at a 
 time when he was abandoned by many, from whose 
 gratitude he had reason to expect some little no- 
 tice. He observed that the members of the family 
 of the great Fox abounded in liberal and generous 
 sentiments. 
 
 20th. Went to town, and tried to procure a 
 copy of the observations on Lord Bathurst's 
 speech, some of which I was informed had arrived 
 on the island. Captain Bunn, of the Mangles, to 
 whom I applied for one, professed his surprise 
 
 * The princess subsequently demanded permission to proceed to 
 the place of her brother's exile, as will be seen in the Appendix, 
 No. XVIII.
 
 414 A VOICE FUOM ST. HELENA. 
 
 that such an application should be made from a 
 person belonging to Longwood, for immediately 
 after his arrival, Sir Hudson Lowe and Sir Tho- 
 mas Reade had taken five copies of the pamphlet 
 from him, assigning as a reason for taking so many, 
 that they wanted to send two or three to Long- 
 wood. He added, that those two persons had 
 been very particular in requiring him to render an 
 account of the books that he he had brought out, 
 and had possessed themselves of all the modern 
 publications on political subjects, making a de- 
 mand for all the copies of the Edinburgh Review 
 he might have brought with him. 
 
 25th. After having paid a professional visit to 
 Napoleon, whose malady was by no means altered 
 for the better, and while entering my room at 
 about half past four o'clock, Captain Blakeney 
 delivered to me the following letter :* 
 
 Plantation Houte, July Z&th, 1818. 
 
 Sir, I am directed by Lieutenant General Sir 
 Hudson Lowe to inform you, that by an instruc- 
 tion received from Earl Bathurst, dated the 16th 
 of May, 1818, he has been directed to withdraw 
 you from your attendance upon General Bona- 
 
 * A letter of a similar import was sent to Count Montholon by Sir 
 Hudson Lowe, containing instructions from Lord Bathurst, that Mr. 
 Baxter should be directed to attend in my place.
 
 A VOTCE FROM ST. HELENA. 415 
 
 parte, and to interdict you all further interviews 
 with the inhabitants at Longwood. 
 
 Rear-admiral Plampin has received instructions 
 from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty 
 as to your destination when you quit this island. 
 
 You are in consequence to leave Longwood 
 immediately after receiving this letter, without 
 holding any further communication whatsoever 
 with the persons residing there. 
 
 I have the honour, &c. 
 
 EDWARD WYNYARD, 
 
 Lieut-Col. Military Secretary. 
 Barry O'Meara, Esq. Longwood. 
 
 Humanity, the duties of my profession, and the 
 actual state of Napoleon's health, alike forbade a 
 compliance with this unfeeling command, espe- 
 cially as my situation was of a civil nature, similar 
 to other naval officers in the employ of the excise 
 or customs. My resolution was adopted in a 
 moment. I determined to disobey it, whatever 
 might be the consequences ; Napoleon's health 
 required that I should prescribe for him a regimen, 
 and prepare the medicines which it would be ne- 
 cessary for him to take in the absence of a sur- 
 geon, an absence likely to be of long duration, as 
 I was perfectly sure he would accept of none re- 
 commended by Sir Hudson Lowe. I accordingly
 
 416 A VOICE ROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 went instantly to Napoleon's apartment. Hav- 
 ing obtained admission, I communicated to him 
 the order which I had received. " Le crime se 
 consommera plus vite" said Napoleon, " I have 
 lived too long for them, f^otre m'mistere est lien 
 hardi" added he ; " when the Pope was in France, 
 sooner would I have cut off my right arm than 
 have signed an order for the removal of his sur- 
 geon." 
 
 After some more conversation had taken place, 
 and I had given him such medical instructions as 
 I could upon the sudden, Napoleon said, " When 
 you arrive in Europe, you will either go yourself, 
 or send to my brother Joseph. You will inform 
 him, that I desire he shall give to you the parcel 
 containing the private and confidential* letters of 
 
 * On my return to Europe, I used every exertion to obtain 
 the important letters in question. Unfortunately, however, for 
 posterity, my efforts have not been attended with success. Be- 
 fore the Count de Surveillers had left Rochefort for America, ap- 
 prehensive that he might be seized by the allied powers, ha judged 
 it prudent to deposit his precious charge in the hands of a per- 
 son upon whose integrity he thought he could rely ; but who it 
 has appeared since, basely betrayed the Count, as some months 
 ago a person brought the original letters to London for sale, for 
 which he demanded 30,000/. This was immediately communi- 
 cated to some of his majesty's ministers, and to the foreign am- 
 bassadors, and I have been credibly informed, that the Russian 
 ambassador paid 10,000/. to redeem those belonging to his mas- 
 ter. Amongst other curious passages, which have been repeated
 
 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 417 
 
 the Emperors Alexander and Francis, the King of 
 Prussia, and the other sovereigns of Europe with 
 me, which I delivered to his care at Rocliefort. 
 You will publish them, to couvrlr de honte those 
 sovereigns, and manifest to the world the abject 
 homage which those vassals paid to me, when ask- 
 ing favours or supplicating for their thrones. When 
 I was strong and in power, Us briguerent ma pro- 
 tection et Vhonneur de mon alliance, and licked the 
 dust from under my feet. Now, in my old age, 
 they basely oppress, and take my wife and child 
 from me. I require of you to do this, and if you 
 see any calumnies published of me during the 
 time that you have been with me, and that you 
 can say, * I have seen with my own eyes that this 
 is not true ;' contradict them." 
 
 He soon after dictated to Count Bertrand the let- 
 ter, an extract of which is given in another part of 
 this work, which he signed, adding a postcript in 
 his own hand-writing, and assuring me, that those 
 few words would say more to the empress for me, 
 than if he had written pages in quarto; he then pre- 
 sented me with a superb snuff-box, and a statue of 
 
 to me by those who have been favoured with their perusal, the fol- 
 lowing occurs in reference to Hanover. His majesty of Prussia 
 stated that " he always entertained a paternal regard for that coun- 
 try ;" and it appeared that the sovereigns in general, made earnest 
 supplications for territory. 
 
 VOL. II. 3 H
 
 418 A VOICE FROM ST. HELENA. 
 
 himself; desired me, on my arrival in Europe, to 
 make inquiries about his family, and communicate 
 to the members of it, that he did not wish that any 
 of them should come to St. Helena, to witness the 
 miseries and humiliations under which he laboured. 
 " You will express the sentiments which I preserve 
 for them," added he. " You will bear my affections 
 to my good Louise, to my excellent mother, and 
 to Pauline. If you see my son, embrace him for 
 me ; may he never forget that he was born a 
 French prince ! Testify to Lady Holland the 
 sense I entertain of her kindness, and the esteem 
 which I bear to her. Finally, endeavour to send 
 me authentic intelligence of the manner in which 
 my son is educated." The emperor then shook 
 me by the hand, and embraced me, saying, "Adieu, 
 OMeara, nous ne nous reverrons jamais encore. 
 Soyez heureux"
 
 FOR the authenticity of the foregoing conversations and 
 details, I pledge myself. I think it right also to mention, 
 that I am in possession of other conversations, and documents 
 of great importance, delivered by Napoleon himself, which 
 it might be imprudent to make known at present. Their 
 publication will be a matter for future consideration.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 JL HE island of St. Helena is situated in latitude 
 15 55' S., and longitude 5 46' W., in the south- 
 east trade wind. It is about ten miles and a half 
 in length, six and three-quarters in breadth, and 
 twenty-eight in circumference. The highest part 
 of it is Diana's Peak. It is distant from the 
 nearest land (Ascension), about six hundred miles, 
 and twelve hundred from the nearest continent, 
 the Cape of Good Hope. Its appearance is the 
 most desolate and unpromising that can be ima- 
 gined. Its exterior presents an immense mass of 
 brown rock, formed of different sorts of lava, 
 rising from the ocean in irregular, rugged, and 
 perpendicular precipices, of a burnt and scorified 
 appearance, totally void of vegetation, from three 
 to fifteen hundred feet high, diversified with hide- 
 ous, deep, and narrow ravines, descending to the 
 sea, and in some places forming landing-places. 
 The island is composed of lava, cooled in different
 
 422 APPENDIX. 
 
 states of fusion, which, with the total absence of 
 any primitive substance, its conical hills, the puz- 
 zvlana, and other volcanic productions found in it, 
 clearly shew that it has undergone the action of 
 fire, James Town, the only one in the island, is 
 situated in the bottom of a deep wedge-like ravine, 
 flanked on each side by barren and tremendous 
 overhanging precipices, on whose sides and sum- 
 mits, huge loose rocks continually menace the in- 
 habitants with destruction. The one on the left 
 from the sea is called Rupert's Hill, and that on the 
 right, Ladder Hill. There is a steep and narrow 
 road, called the side path, cut along the former, 
 and a good zig-zag road leads along the latter to 
 the country-seat of the governor. The first view 
 of the town is pleasing, especially to those who 
 have been long at sea, and resembles that of a 
 scene at the theatre. Opposite to the town is 
 James's Pay, the principal anchorage, where the 
 largest ships lie perfectly secure, as the wind 
 never varies, more than two or three points, and is 
 always off the Land, and favourable for sailing. 
 The town consists of a small street along the 
 beach, called the Marino, and the main street, 
 commencing from this, and extending in a right 
 line to a distance of about three hundred yards, 
 where it branches off into two lesser ones. There 
 are about one hundred and sixty-houses, chiefly
 
 APPENDIX. 423 
 
 built of stone, cemented with mud, lime being 
 scarce on the island. The principal houses, how- 
 ever, are plastered with this article, generally 
 white-washed, and roofed with shingles. The 
 others are covered with boards and earth. There 
 is a church, a botanical garden, an hospital, a 
 tavern, and barracks. On the left from the beach 
 is situated the Castle, the town residence of the 
 governor. There are some breweries, in which 
 beer is brewed of a quality equal to our best table- 
 beer. 
 
 The houses are in general neat on the exterior, 
 though deficient in many of the conveniences and 
 comforts of England. They chiefly consist of 
 shops, and boarding or lodging houses. East- 
 India and English goods are to be had, but the 
 latter at an enormous price. Tea is the only com- 
 modity to be purchased cheap. We found on our 
 arrival that provisions were very scarce ; indeed 
 the necessaries of life were to be procured with 
 great difficulty, and at an exorbitant rate. Such 
 was the scarcity of cattle, that killing a bullock 
 was an affair of state, and a regulation existed 
 prohibiting the inhabitants from slaughtering even 
 their own cattle, without first having obtained of- 
 ficial permission from the governor and council.* 
 
 * The difficulty of obtaining permission to slaughter cattle in- 
 duced some of the inhabitants to have recourse to the expedient
 
 424 APPENDIX. 
 
 The sheep are very small, weighing from twenty 
 to thirty pounds each. Mutton, when to be had, 
 sells from about one shilling and sixpence per 
 pound, to two shillings. Fowls are very dear, from 
 six to ten shillings each. Ducks, ten shillings; 
 geese, fifteen ; and a turkey, from one pound five, 
 to two pounds sterling. Veal very difficult to be 
 had, and about two shillings per -pound; Pork, 
 one shilling and three pence. Cabbages, from ten 
 pence to half a crown each. Carrots, a shilling 
 per dozen. Potatoes, six to eight shillings per 
 bushel. Eggs per dozen, five to six shillings. 
 Peas sometimes to be had, but exorbitantly dear. 
 
 The principal supply of fish is mackerel, which 
 is caught in abundance. There are albicore, bo- 
 neta, bull's eyes, cavally, and many other kinds, 
 and at times, but very rarely, turtle. There is 
 also a sort of cray-fish called long legs, and some 
 species of crabs. 
 
 There are a few wild peacocks, some partridges 
 and pheasants, which constitute the only game on 
 the island. These last are royal game, and are 
 solely reserved for the governor, there being a 
 heavy penalty liable to be levied upon any person 
 killing one, who does not immediately send it to 
 
 of precipitating a bullock down the steep sides of the ravines, in 
 order to break some of his bones, and thus have a pretext to kill 
 him.
 
 APPENDIX. 425 
 
 the governor. No hares are to be found, and but 
 few rabbits. Lodging is excessively dear; five 
 shillings a night being the price for residents, and 
 ten for passengers. Board and lodging is thirty 
 shillings a day for a grown person, fifteen for a 
 child, and ten for a servant ; for which there is a 
 middling table, and a modicum of wine. Eng- 
 lish porter, and all wines, except Cape are dear. 
 The sale of every description of spirits is prohi- 
 bited. The goats, which were once so numerous, 
 and so destructive to the young trees, are nearly 
 extirpated. The houses are overrun with rats 
 and mice, which abound in numbers scarcely cre- 
 dible to those who have not been at St. Helena ; 
 and the ravages they commit are incalculable. 
 There are also swarms of musquitoes of two 
 kinds, one called the day, and the other the night 
 musquito whose bites are tormenting ; numbers 
 of cock-roaches, some scorpions and centipedes, 
 and a sort of fly, extremely annoying to the cattle 
 and horses. Caterpillars and grubs are astonish- 
 ingly numerous, and the ravages they commit 
 upon the young green plants are almost incredible, 
 whole plantations of vegetables are said to have 
 been sometimes destroyed by the former in a 
 night. Fuel is extremely scarce and dear ; coals 
 are obliged to be sent from England. The re- 
 sources of the island are very few, and I may 
 
 VOL. II. 3 I
 
 426 APPENDIX. 
 
 with truth venture to assert, that on board of the 
 Northumberland alone, there was a greater num- 
 ber of artificers and mechanics than it contains. 
 Labour is excessively dear, the common wages of 
 a working man being a dollar a day, and those of 
 a mechanic from seven to ten shillings. 
 
 James Town is defended by a line of works 
 along the beach, to the left of which (from the 
 sea) is the landing place ; and by strong sea-works 
 on Ladder Hill, Rupert's Hill, by Munden's and 
 Banks's batteries. Across the sea-line there is a 
 draw-bridge, and a gate leading into the main 
 street, which is closed at night. The approach to 
 the town is round a conical hill called Sugar 
 Loaf Point, where ships are obliged to send a 
 boat to declare their names, country, &c. before 
 they are permitted to anchor. There are besides 
 this landing place, five or six others, not however 
 easily practicable, excepting to a sailor. 
 
 A stream of water runs through and supplies 
 the town and shipping in the bay, which, with 
 water-cresses, a few vegetables, and beer, are the 
 principal refreshments to be had by those pas- 
 sengers, or others, whose pockets are not well- 
 supplied. 
 
 The population of the island, (exclusive of the 
 military,) is reckoned at about two thousand nine 
 hundred touls, of whom about seven hundred
 
 APPENDIX. 427 
 
 and eighty are whites, thirteen hundred blacks, 
 and the rest Lascars, Chinese, &c. The whites 
 are either of British descent, or natives of Great 
 Britain. The islanders are, however, very jealous 
 of these last, and look upon them as intruders, 
 who in return have nicknamed the natives, Yam 
 Stocks. The English language is spoken with a 
 barbarous pronunciation. The religion of the 
 established church prevails. Their customs are a 
 mixture of English and tropical. Their chief food 
 consists of salt meat, rice, and fish, the first of 
 which they obtain in allotted quantities from the 
 East India Company's stores, at a reduced price ; 
 fresh meat is a luxury rarely indulged in, ex- 
 cept by the upper classes, and is with difficulty 
 to be had even by them. Their vegetables are 
 generally sold or bartered to the ships and troops. 
 A very few years ago, there was not a plough 
 upon the island. Latterly, however, owing to the 
 exertions of the late governor, Major General 
 Beatson, there are several. The majority of the 
 inhabitants are shopkeepers, and live in the town, 
 resorting to the country for amusement or health. 
 Generally speaking, their minds are but little im- 
 proved by education, and the few who have been 
 brought up in Europe, on their return soon ac- 
 quire a sovereign contempt for their relatives and 
 neighbours.
 
 428 APPENDIX. 
 
 The enormous price of provisions, and other 
 necessaries of life, necessarily prevents much hos- 
 pitality from being manifested by the inhabitants. 
 With the exception of Mr. Balcombe's family, in 
 general the stranger could only hope to meet at- ^ 
 tention from the proprietor of the boarding-house 
 where he lives, some of whom are the principal 
 persons on the island, and a few years ago included 
 amongst their number the second member of coun- 
 cil. Evening parties are, however, occasionally 
 given, and the young ladies in the island, some of 
 whom are very pretty, and very uneducated, do 
 not require a long courtship, or much persuasion, 
 to induce them to quit the rock where they had 
 their birth. 
 
 The interior of the island is composed of alter- 
 nate ridges of mountains and ravines, the former 
 of which vary in height from six hundred to two 
 thousand six hundred feet. Diana's Peak, the 
 highest in the island, is two thousand six hundred 
 and ninety-seven feet above the level of the sea. 
 The face of the country presents a most striking 
 contrast, being composed of a great variety of 
 mountains and valleys, of barrenness and verdure. 
 Some parts consisting of immense stupendous 
 and sterile rocks, separated by deep and fright- 
 ful dingy coloured chasms, several hundred feet 
 perpendicular, with huge detached masses of
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 429 
 
 naked rock sticking up here and there, with an 
 occasional patch of green ; others, of verdant pas- 
 turages and gardens, ornamented with trees, and 
 houses erected in the valley or on the declivities, 
 which, with a few cattle, some sheep, and occa- 
 sionally a horse grazing along the steep sides of 
 the hills, give an agreeable relief to the eye, fa- 
 tigued with the view of the tremendous precipices, 
 and gaping red ravines in the neighbourhood. 
 This contrast induces the beholder to consider 
 the cultivated portion picturesque and romantic. 
 The view from Sandy Bay ridge, and from the 
 summit of Diana's Peak, is sublime. The greatest 
 part of the island, however, is barren, and inex- 
 pressibly desolate and repulsive in its appearance, 
 and even a large portion of that which is suscep- 
 tible of culture is now overrun with the black- 
 berry,* which was introduced a few years ago 
 as a curiosity. The roads are in general bridle- 
 paths, twining round the brows of the hills, or 
 creeping up the steep sides, and over the sharp 
 ridges of the mountains, and sinking into the pro- 
 fundities of the ravines. There were only two 
 carriages on the island, which belonged to the go- 
 vernor, and were dragged along by bullocks. 
 
 Amongst the prettiest and most desirable spots 
 on the island may be mentioned, first, Plan- 
 
 * Rubus Pinnatus.
 
 430 APPENDIX. 
 
 tation House, next, Colonel Smith's, Rosemary 
 Hall, Mr. Doveton's at Sandy Bay, the Briars, and 
 Miss Mason's. All of these have the advantage 
 of good gardens, shady walks, verdure, and brooks 
 of water, and comparatively, are pleasant abodes. 
 Plantation House and grounds, in particular, 
 would, in any part of Europe, be esteemed a 
 handsome and romantic residence. 
 
 That the reader may not be led to imagine that I 
 am inclined to enhance its beauties, I shall extract 
 the description given of it in the last work pub- 
 lished upon St. Helena. " Proceeding about three 
 quarters of a mile is the entrance to Plantation 
 House, the official country establishment for the 
 governor ; it is a mansion of considerable ele- 
 gance, pleasantly situated with extensive gardens 
 and cultivated lands, laid out in good style, and 
 kept in excellent order, adorned with a variety of 
 fine trees and' shrubs, collected from Europe, 
 Asia, Africa, and America, brought from the most 
 remote parts of the world, and from climates the 
 most opposite, yet all thriving in great luxuriance 
 all flourishing alike." 
 
 It is sheltered by the immense ridges of moun- 
 tains* forming Diana's Peak, and Halley's Mount, 
 
 * In the journeys which I was obliged to take twice a week 
 to Plantation House, I frequently left Longwood amidst fog and 
 drizzling rain, and found line weather at Plantation estate ; and in-
 
 APPENDIX. 431 
 
 intersecting the island, and trending to the south, 
 from the south-east wind, which, in exposed situa- 
 tions, is so destructive to vegetation. 
 
 When it was understood that Longwood had 
 been fixed upon for the abode of Napoleon, it at 
 first excited some surprise in the minds of the 
 islanders, as the situation was so bleak and ex- 
 posed, that it had never been inhabited by any fa- 
 mily for more than a few months in the year ; but 
 this surprise soon subsided, as it was supposed 
 that a suitable winter residence would be pro- 
 vided for him when the new governor arrived. 
 
 Longwood is a large plain, situated on the sum- 
 mit of a mountain on the windward side of the 
 island, nearly two thousand feet above the level of 
 the sea, and containing a number of gum-wood 
 trees, (conyza gummiffera,) which being nearly all 
 of the same size and inclination, in consequence of 
 the trade-wind continually blowing from the south- 
 east, present a monotonous and melancholy ap- 
 
 deed the change generally began after having passed the moun- 
 tains above Hut's Gate. This may be accounted for by the clouds 
 having been attracted by the high mountains, called the backbone 
 of the island. Fine weather in the town, and very bad in the 
 mountains at one and the eame time, waa an every-day occur- 
 rence. It is singular that thunder and lightning are unknown in 
 St. Helena. This arises probably from the electric fluid being at- 
 tracted by Diana's Peak and the other conical hills, and conducted 
 into the sea.
 
 432 APPKNDIX. 
 
 pearauce. The leaves of the gum-wood are 
 small, narrow, and chiefly confined to the ends of 
 the branchlets, consequently do not afford that 
 thick foliage necessary to intercept the rays of the 
 sun. There is no water, except what is brought 
 from the distance of nearly three miles. No con- 
 tinuous shade. Exposed to a south-east wind 
 constantly charged with humidity, its elevated si- 
 tuation causes it to be enveloped in fog, or drench- 
 ed with rain for the greatest part of the year. 
 The soil is a tenacious argillaceous clay, which 
 in wet weather collects and adheres to the shoes 
 of the pedestrian forming so ponderous a mass 
 as materially to impede his progress. For a 
 month or six weeks during the year there is fine 
 weather, for two or three a powerful vertical sun 
 prevails, and for seven or eight, the weather is wet 
 and most disagreeable. Though Longwood is ge- 
 nerally covered with fog and wet, the sky occa- 
 sionally clears up, and the rays of the sun beam 
 forth in transitory splendour. Soon after, the 
 hemisphere becomes again obscured, thick fogs 
 cover the plain, and rain, impetuously forced along 
 by the eternal south-east trade wind, drenches 
 whoever has been induced to hazard a walk by 
 the delusive appearance of sun-shine. These 
 changes of temperature often occur several times 
 in the course of the day, and are one cause of the
 
 APPENDIX. 433 
 
 unhealthiness of St. Helena. In consequence of 
 the tenacious nature of the clay, the rain pene- 
 trates very little into the surface, and runs off to 
 the ravines in the neighbourhood. The violence 
 of the wind is destructive to vegetation, arid, 
 together with the ravages of the grub, and the 
 want of water for two or three months, renders 
 abortive almost every attempt towards cultivating 
 the garden. The plant which thrives best at 
 Longwood is the spurge, a most offensive weed. 
 
 That some readers may not be led to suppose 
 that I have exaggerated any of the inconveniences 
 of Longwood, I shall take the liberty of making 
 two extracts from the history of St. Helena, 
 written by Mr. Brooke, an inhabitant of the island 
 for about forty years ; senior member of council, 
 and now acting governor, possessing a large pro- 
 perty in the island, and much more inclined to 
 enhance its merits, than to point out its defects, 
 " But it is only in the most sheltered spots of the 
 island that the oak attains perfection ; in exposed 
 situations, the trade wind, blowing continually in 
 the same direction, produces very baneful effects 
 upon this, as upon most other trees not indige- 
 nous to the soil," page 288. And again, page 
 255. " Governor Dunbar was unwearied in his 
 exertions to watch over the resources and fertility 
 of the island. Experiments in the cultivation of 
 
 VOL. II. 3 K
 
 434 APPENDIX. 
 
 oats, barley, and wheat, at Long wood, gave rise to 
 such hopes of success, that a barn was erected 
 there ; but on a failure of subsequent crops, it 
 was converted into a residence for the lieutenant 
 governor. This disappointment is supposed to 
 have arisen either from drought, or some pecu- 
 liarity of the climate or soil, and not as has some- 
 times been asserted from the depredations of rats." 
 A stronger proof that Longwood is the worst 
 and the most unpleasant part of the island,* can- 
 not be afforded, than by the fact of its not having 
 been inhabited before Napoleon came to the island, 
 except by the lieutenant governor as a country 
 residence for three or four months annually, and 
 by the occasional presence of the company's far- 
 mers in a small hovel. None of the inhabitants 
 of the island ever made it a permanent abode, well 
 knowing its inconveniences. This incontrovert- 
 ible fact "speaks volumes."-}- 
 
 * In the sketch which 1 have given of the customs of St. He- 
 lena, I have omitted to mention one which perhaps may not be 
 considered favourable to morality. Should pregnancy take place 
 in the instance of any unmarried female of a respectable family, 
 the seducer, if in either the civil or military employ of the Hon. the 
 East India Company (who constitute about four-fifths of the inha- 
 tants of respectability), is compelled to marry her under pain of 
 losing his situation. I am not able to state whether this be a cus- 
 tom or a bye-law of the company. 
 
 t I have been informed by Colonel Skelton, since the publica-
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Upon the climate of St. Helena, I hope the fol- 
 lowing remarks, founded upon actual observation 
 and experience will not be deemed superfluous 
 on the present occasion ; and to render them 
 more intelligible to the unprofessional reader, I beg 
 leave to offer a few preliminary observations. 
 
 To sudden diurnal vicissitudes of temperature, 
 especially when accompanied with rain or humi- 
 dity, may be ascribed the greatest part of the 
 diseases which affect the human constitution. 
 Rapid transitions from heat to cold render the 
 extreme vessels on the surface of the body torpid, 
 impelling at the same time a quantity of blood 
 upon some of the internal organs. Sudden at- 
 mospherical changes injure by the consent of parts 
 between the exterior, and the interior, producing, 
 in some climates, such as that of England, affec- 
 tions of the lungs ; in tropical ones, where the bi- 
 
 tion of the Fourth Edition, that himself and family had resided at 
 Longwood, with the exception of an interval in town. Colonel 
 Skelton was only a sojourner on the island ; and I still repeat that 
 none. of the inhabitants ever made it a permanent abode. The 
 Colonel does not say that ho made it his country residence 
 from choice: in fact, like Napoleon he had no option ; and 
 I am quite certain that he will himself admit, that he never 
 would have selected it for pleasure. However, he has omitted 
 altogether to say how long he resided there ; and I will venture to 
 say, that even for a sojourner, Colonel Skelton's is a solitary in- 
 stance.
 
 436 APPENDIX. 
 
 liary system is so liable to derangement, affections 
 of the liver. The great sympathy existing be- 
 tween the skin, liver, and intestines, has never been 
 more strongly exemplified than by the number 
 of violent and fatal affections of the two latter 
 organs, which have occurred, and are daily occur- 
 ring, in St. Helena, where the atmospherical vi- 
 cissitudes are so frequent and so rapid, and where 
 such humidity prevails. 
 
 The interior of St. Helena, as has been already 
 mentioned, is chiefly formed of successions of high, 
 steep, and unequal ridges of hills, the most elevated 
 of which are two thousand six hundred feet above 
 the level of the ocean, divided by deep, narrow 
 and long ravines, some of which at the bottom are 
 not more than a few feet above the level of the sea. 
 Whoever therefore would ride a few miles, must 
 calculate on passing through different climates 
 every half hour ; one moment becalmed in the bot- 
 tom of the ravines, he experiences the heat of the 
 tropics, in a latitude of 15 55' south ; a moment 
 afterwards, passing the aperture of some chasm, 
 perspiring from every pore, the temporary lull is 
 succeeded by a sudden and bleak blast from the 
 mountains, the effects of which, combined with 
 the humidity accompanying it, are to produce a 
 rapid evaporation and abstraction of animal heat 
 from the surface of the body, driving thereby the
 
 APPENDIX. 437 
 
 blood to the interior. Emerging from the valley, 
 covered with perspiration, a similar cutting blast, 
 producing the same effects, strikes you on reach- 
 ing the summit of the mountains. 
 
 Reckoning one degree of reduced temperature 
 for every two hundred feet of elevation, there will 
 be found a difference of ten degrees of temperature 
 between Longwood, which is about two thousand 
 feet above the level of the sea, and the town ; to 
 which may be added two or three degrees more, 
 arising from the sharp south-east wind, loaded with 
 humidity, generally prevailing in the high regions, 
 producing a difference of evaporation between the 
 mountains and the valleys, which, combined with 
 the increase of elevation, reduces the temperature 
 of Longwood twelve or thirteen degrees. Add to 
 the foregoing, the frequent vicissitudes of tem- 
 perature ; at one moment assailed by a shower of 
 rain and enveloped in fog, to the force of which 
 the wind communicates such an impetus, as to 
 cause it to penetrate the best great coat in a few 
 minutes : shortly afterwards, the sky brightening, 
 the weather clearing up, and the scorching rays 
 of a tropical sun beaming forth. This continues 
 for a short time, and is suddenly followed by a 
 repetition of fog, rain, and mist.* This alternate 
 
 * " Hence it appears, that St. Helena, during these last three 
 years, had its full share of rain, and in much greater quantity than
 
 438 APPENDIX. 
 
 \ . 
 
 drenching and scorching is, of itself, sufficient (as 
 every medical man will allow) to produce the 
 most violent inflammatory affections of the viscera, 
 particularly in those of the abdomen. 
 
 It would thus appear that St. Helena, in addition 
 to the general cause of insalubrity to Europeans, 
 which are inseparable from a tropical climate, has 
 also local and peculiar causes for being particu- 
 larly unhealthy, as the great mortality, to be here- 
 after described, amply proves. The most trifling 
 cold or irregularity is frequently succeeded by a 
 violent attack of dysentery, inflammation of the 
 bowels or fever proving fatal in a few days, if the 
 most active and efficacious practice is not instantly 
 adopted. A surfeit in a child, which in Europe 
 would require nothing more than a little warm 
 water to produce evacuation, there becomes a 
 formidable disease, requiring the most powerful 
 remedies ; and if neglected only for a few hours, 
 terminates fatally. To Europeans the climate is 
 peculiar unfriendly ; and indeed, it is unfavour- 
 able to longevity in all subjects, even to the na- 
 tives ; as, on examination of the parish registers 
 it will be seen, that very few persons pass their 
 
 usually falls in London, which bj an average of eleven years, is no 
 more than 21,25 inches, whereas the average of four years at St. 
 Helena was 33,38 inches." Major General Beat /ion's introductory 
 Chapter, relative to the Island of St. Helena, page xxxvi.
 
 APPENDIX. 439 
 
 forty-fifth year.* The most prevalent complaints 
 are, dysenteries, inflammations of the bowels, liver 
 affections, and fevers, all of them generally of a 
 violent form. Dysenteries especially, and liver 
 affections, (which are indeed frequently combined,) 
 appear with the most concentrated and fatal symp- 
 toms, baffling the prompt exhibition of the most 
 active and powerful remedies, and in spite of the 
 acknowledged skill and experience of several able 
 practitioners, these terminate fatally, in a propor- 
 tion rarely witnessed in any British colony. Dur- 
 ing the first twelve or thirteen months after its arri- 
 val at St. Helena, the second battalion of the 66th 
 regiment lost, by these diseases, FIFTY-SIX men, 
 out of a strength of six hundred and thirty, being 
 one in eleven ; and still more recently, the Con- 
 queror, which ship arrived in July, 1817, has lost, 
 in eighteen months almost entirely by the same 
 complaints, ONE HUNDRED AND TEN MEN, out of 
 a complement of six hundred, besides ONE HUN- 
 DRED AND SEVEN INVALIDED, and sent to Eng- 
 land, being more than a third of her complement. 
 
 * " The only endemic disorders, to which the natives are subject, 
 are of the catarrhal kind ; these, as they belong to the inflammatory 
 class, may in some measure account, nowithstanding their general ro- 
 bust health, for the few instances among the islanders of longevity, 
 according to the information of a professional friend, who has as- 
 sisted this account with his opinion and judgment." Vide Brocket's 
 History of St. llehna, pnge 34.
 
 440 APPENDIX. 
 
 The number of deaths in the two battalions of 
 the 66th regiment, I cannot positively state, but 
 believe it to have exceeded one hundred and 
 twenty men. A reference to the official returns 
 will, however, sufficiently elucidate this point. In 
 the West Indies, the proportion of deaths to the 
 strength was, in the year 1814, as one to twenty- 
 five ; and of deaths to diseases, as one to thirty- 
 six, and two thirds. Yet how trifling does the 
 mortality there appear, when compared with that 
 of St. Helena. At the latter place it was so great, 
 that the governor and admiral, apprehensive of the 
 effects which might be produced by a longer re- 
 sidence in the island, and, doubtless, desirous of 
 alleviating their miseries as far as they could, sent 
 upwards of seventy of the sick in one month to 
 England and the Cape. Above half of those sent 
 to the last named place, (who were the worst 
 cases,) have been long ere now laid in their quiet 
 graves." 
 
 The Conqueror was also ordered to cruise to 
 windward of the island for six weeks, without, 
 however, much benefit having accrued from the 
 measure. It is worthy of observation, that the Ra- 
 coon's ship's company had suffered severely from 
 dysentery and hepatitis, while stationed at St. He- 
 lena ; but when sent to the Cape, they recovered, 
 and became very healthy; which state of health 
 continued as long as the vessel remained there;
 
 APPENDIX.. 441 
 
 but, on her return to St. Helena, dysentery and 
 hepatitis again appeared, and a heavy sick list 
 followed.* 
 
 The loss of life among the crews of the follow- 
 ing small ships, whilst they were on the St. 
 Helena station, is also very great, viz. twenty-four 
 in the Mosquito, complement one hundred men ; 
 sixteen in the Racoon, one hundred men ; eleven 
 in the Leveret, seventy-five men; fifteen in the 
 Griffon, eighty-five men ; besides numbers inva- 
 lided, and sent to England on account of the 
 same complaints. It is well known to naval 
 officers, that, unless in very sickly stations, small 
 vessels are generally very healthy, frequently not 
 losing a man in a year. I was myself surgeon 
 
 * Another strong instance of the insalubrity of the climate is 
 to be found in the instance of the female convict-ship Friendship, 
 which vessel arrived at St. Helena from England in the month of 
 November, 1817. She had not remained more than eight or ten 
 days to water, before dysentery made its appearance ; and in the 
 course of a few weeks, above one hundred cases occurred. Previous 
 to her arrival at St. Helena, no one instance of the complaint had 
 occurred. 
 
 From the 20th Nov. 1815, to the 20th of the same month, 1816, 
 there were admitted into the regimental-hospital four hundred and 
 thirty-eight patients, one hundred and seventy-nine of whom were 
 afflicted with bowel complaints. The regiment was between five and 
 six hundred strong. 
 
 VOL. II. 3 L
 
 442 APPENDIX. 
 
 of a sloop of war in the West Indies, in which 
 ship not a single death occurred during 1 twelve 
 months, though exposed for a considerable portion 
 of that time, to the influence of the noxious climate 
 of Surinam. 
 
 The undeserved reputation for salubrity which 
 St. Helena has hitherto enjoyed, has probably 
 arisen from its being so little known, except to 
 seamen and others, who, arriving after long 
 voyages, were enchanted, like Dampier's sailors, 
 to find themselves on shore any where ; and who, 
 during the few days they remained, found them- 
 selves relieved from scorbutic complaints by the 
 use of the water-cresses with which it abounds, 
 and from its population being small, and chiefly 
 composed of natives, who, of course, do not suffer 
 so much as strangers from the effects of the cli- 
 mate in which they were born. Until the arrival of 
 the state prisoner, very few Europeans resided for 
 a continuance upon the island ; and I can assert, 
 from personal observation, that the greatest num- 
 ber of those now there, even of the officers, have 
 suffered attacks more or less severe, either of dy- 
 sentery or hepatitis, in which number, I regret to 
 say, I was myself included ; and that the opinion 
 of the medical officers, who had the best opportu- 
 nity of forming a correct opinion, from actual ex- 
 perience on the island, is, that the climate w ex-
 
 APPENDIX. 443 
 
 tremely unhealthy; and especially, that hepatitis 
 and dysentery prevail to an extent, and with a 
 severity seldom to be paralleled. In order to 
 convince the public, that I am neither singular 
 in my opinions, nor inclined to exaggerate, I beg 
 leave to refer the reader to a medical inaugural 
 Dissertation* upon Dysentery and Hepatitis in St. 
 Helena, composed by the candidate for the degree 
 
 * " Est nullus morbus perniciosior dysenteria exercitibus in 
 omnibus partibus orbis terrarum degentibus ; sed in tropicis regioni- 
 bus grassatur vi maxima inter milites et alios ex Europa : et videtur 
 intimus nexus inter bane et hepatitidem existere, nam saepe conjun- 
 guntur, et raro accidit unum sine altero." Diisertatio Medico., 
 p. 15. 
 
 In an official letter from Dr. Baildon, dated Nov. 24, 1808, he 
 expresses himself as follows : " It will hardly be credited, that 
 soldiers and others are frequently brought to the hospital as far 
 advanced in real scurvy as if they had just landed after a long 
 voyage, and many who are brought for other complaints are con- 
 siderably tainted with this disease." " On my arrival, I was much 
 eurprised with the great number of patients attacked with liver 
 complaints." 
 
 Both of those diseases Dr. Baildon attributes to the " exces- 
 sive use of tpirituous liquors." Now, as in 1810, the govern- 
 ment of St. Helena adopted measures to prevent any spirits from 
 being landed, which had completely the desired effect, and as all 
 houses for retailing spirits were abolished on the 15th of May, 
 1809, and wholesome beer substituted in lieu ; it is clear that th 
 provalence of liver complaints in St. Helena since that period, must 
 be ascribed to other causes than to the " excessive use of spirituous 
 liquors."
 
 444 APPENDIX. 
 
 of doctor in medicine in Trinity College, Dublin. 
 The essay in question was written by Dr. Leigh, 
 formerly surgeon to the second battalion of the 
 66th regiment, stationed at St. Helena. 
 
 No. I. 
 Letter from the Author to Admiral Lord Keith. 
 
 Hit Majetty't thip Better ophon, 
 Tor bay, 7th August, 1815. 
 
 MY LORD, Application having been made to 
 me yesterday by Count Bertrand, to accompany 
 General Napoleon Bonaparte to St. Helena, in 
 quality of surgeon (as the surgeon, who embarked 
 with him in France, is unwilling to proceed fur- 
 ther) ; I beg to inform your lordship, that I am 
 willing to accept that situation (provided it meets 
 with your lordship's approbation), and also on the 
 following conditions, viz. that it should be per- 
 mitted me to resign the above situation, should I 
 find it not consonant to my wishes, on giving due 
 notice of my intention thereof. That such time as 
 I shall serve in that situation, shall be allowed to 
 count as so much time served on full pay in his 
 majesty's navy, or that I shall be indemnified in
 
 APPENDIX. 445 
 
 some way for such loss of time as surgeon on full 
 pay, as it may occasion to me. That I am not to 
 be considered in any wise depending upon, or to 
 be subservient to, or paid by the aforesaid Napo- 
 leon Bonaparte ; but as a British officer employed 
 by the British government ; and lastly, that I may 
 be informed, as soon as circumstances will admit, 
 of what salary I am to have, and in what manner 
 and from whom I am to receive it. 
 I have the honour to remain, 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 With the greatest respect, 
 Your Lordship's most 
 
 Obedient humble Servant. 
 
 BARRY E. O'MEARA. 
 Surgeon, H. M. S. Bellerophon. 
 
 To the Right Honourable Viscount Keith, 
 
 Admiral of the Red, G. C. B. 
 
 Commander-in-Chief. 
 
 No. II. 
 
 Downing Street, 1 Janvier, 1816. 
 
 Je dois present vous faire connaitre, que la
 
 446 APPENDIX. 
 
 plaisir de S. A. R. le Prince Regent, est, qu'a votre 
 arrivee a Ste. Helene, vous communiqueriez a 
 toutes les personnes de la suite de Napoleon Bo- 
 naparte, y compris les serviteurs domestiques, 
 qu'ils sont libres de quitter 1'isle immediatement 
 pour reto rner en Europe ; ajoutant, qu'il ne sera 
 permis a aucun de rester Ste. Hdene, excepte 
 ceux qui de'clareront par un dent que sera depose' 
 dans vos mains, que c'est leur d&ir de rester dans 
 1'isle et de participer aux restrictions qu'il est n<5- 
 cessaire d'imposer sur Napoleon Bonaparte pcr- 
 sonnellement. 
 
 (Signd) BATHURST. 
 
 Ceux qui parmi eux se d^termineront a retour- 
 ner en Europe, devront tre envoy^ par le premier 
 occasion favorable au Cap de Bonne Espe>ance, 
 le gouverneur de cette colonie sera charg de 
 pourvoir aux personnes des moyens de transport 
 en Europe. 
 
 (Signt) BATHURST.
 
 APPENDIX. 447 
 
 No. III. 
 
 Letter from the Governor, Sir Hudson Lowe, to 
 Count Montholon. 
 
 Plantation House, Augutt, nth, 1816. 
 
 SIR, In pursuance of the conversations I have 
 already had with you on the subject of the ex- 
 penses of the establishment at Longwood, I do 
 myself the honour to acquaint you, that having 
 used all efforts to effect a reduction in them with- 
 out diminishing in any very sensible manner from 
 the convenience or comforts of General Bonaparte, 
 or any of the families or individuals that form his 
 suite, (in which operation I am happy to acknow- 
 ledge the spirit of concert with which you have 
 assisted,) I am now enabled to transmit to you, for 
 General Bonaparte's information, two statements, 
 furnishing sufficiently precise data whereon to 
 found a calculation of the probable annual ex- 
 pense, should matters continue on the same foot- 
 ing as at present established. 
 
 The statement No. I. has been furnished me by 
 Mr. Ibbetson, head of the commissariat depart- 
 ment in this island ; the latter has been framed by 
 my military secretary. 
 
 The instructions I have received from the Brit-
 
 448 APPENDIX. 
 
 ish government, direct me to limit the expenditure 
 of General Bonaparte's establishment to 8,000/. per 
 annum, they give me liberty at the same time to 
 admit of any further expense being incurred, which 
 he may require as to table and so forth, beyond 
 what this sum would cover, provided he furnishes 
 the funds whereby the surplus charges may be de- 
 frayed. 
 
 I am now therefore under the necessity of re- 
 questing you would make known to him the im- 
 possibility I am under of bringing the expenses of 
 his household on its present establishment in point 
 of numbers, within the limits prescribed, unless 
 I make such a reduction under several heads as 
 might naturally abridge from the conveniences 
 which the persons around him now enjoy ; and 
 having been already very frankly informed by him 
 as well as by yourself, that he has at his disposal 
 in various parts of Europe, means whereby the 
 extra or even the whole expense may be de- 
 frayed* I beg leave to request being informed, 
 previous to attempting any further considerable 
 
 * Explanatory Note. This part of Sir Hudson Lowe's letter 
 was answered by the postcript of the letter of the 2Srd August, 
 and he had been told, that if there were a free correspondence, and 
 if the wants here experienced were known in Europe, there was no 
 doubt that millions would be offered from the different countries of 
 Europe.
 
 APPENDIX. 449 
 
 reduction, and which might prove inconvenient to 
 him or the persons of his suite, if he is content 
 such an attempt should be made, or if he is iv ill- 
 ing to place at my command sufficient funds to 
 meet the extra charges which must otherwise be 
 unavoidably incurred. 
 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 Your most obedient humble Servant, 
 
 (Signed) H. LOWE, Lieut. General. 
 
 VOL. II. 3 M
 
 450 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
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 452 APPENDIX. 
 
 No. IV. 
 
 Supplies allowed by Government, to the establish- 
 ment at Longwood, consisting of forty- five per- 
 sons, from October, 1816, to June, 1817. 
 
 DAILY. 
 
 MEAT, Beef and Mutton included, (Ibs.) . . 82 
 
 Fowls (No.) 6 
 
 Bread (Ibs.) 66 
 
 Butter (Ibs.) - . 5 
 
 Lard (Ibs.) 2 
 
 Salad Oil (pints) 3^ 
 
 Sugarcandy (Ibs.) 4 
 
 Coffee (Ibs.) 2 
 
 Tea, Green (Ibs.) % 
 
 Tea, Black (Ibs.) 
 
 Candles, Wax (Ibs.) 8 
 
 Eggs (No.) .30 
 
 Common Sugar (Ibs.) 5 
 
 Cheese (Ibs.) 1 
 
 Vinegar (quarts) 1 
 
 Flour (Ibs.) 5 
 
 Salt Meat (Ibs.) 6 
 
 Fire Wood (cwt.) 3 
 
 Porter, or Ale (bottles) 3 

 
 APPENDIX. 453 
 
 Vegetables (in value) ........ II. 
 
 Fruit (in value) 10$. 
 
 Confectionary (in value) 8*. 
 
 PER FORTNIGHT. 
 
 Ducks (No.) 8 
 
 Turkeys (No.) 2 
 
 Geese (No.) . 2 
 
 Loaf sugar (loaves) 2 
 
 Fine Rice (bag) ^ 
 
 Hams (not to exceed 141bs. each) .... 2 
 
 Coals (bushels) 45 
 
 Fish (in value) 80$. 
 
 Milk (in value) . . . 98s. 
 
 Fresh Butter, Salt, Mustard, Pepper, Capers, 
 Lamp Oil, Peas, (not to exceed in value) , 7/. 
 
 WINE DAILY. 
 
 Champagne, or Vin de Grave (bottles) ... 1 
 
 Madeira (bottles) 1 
 
 Constantia (bottles) 1 
 
 Claret* (bottles) 6 
 
 N. B. After the departure of the Count de Las 
 
 * Cape and Teneriffe wine for the servants, at the rate of a bottle 
 a day, was also given by government, not included in the Schedule ; 
 being one pint more than the quantity daily allowed to the soldiers 
 and sailors stationed at St. Helena.
 
 454 APPENDIX. 
 
 Cases and Piontkowski, the meat was reduced to 
 721bs. daily, and the number of fowls to^firc. 
 
 DAILY EXTRA EXPENDITURE, PAID BY THE 
 FRENCH. 
 
 . s. d. 
 
 One dozen of Eggs 050 
 
 Eight pounds of Butter, at 3*. per pound 140 
 Two pounds of Wax Candles, at 3s. 6</. 7 
 
 Three Fowls, at 6*. each 0180 
 
 Four pounds Sugarcandy ...... 8 
 
 Two pounds of Loaf Sugar 060 
 
 One pound of Cheese 030 
 
 Vegetables 10 
 
 Two pounds of Salt Pork ...... 2 (5 
 
 One pound of Lard 1 
 
 One bottle of Oil 080 
 
 One pound of Rice, and one of Flour .010 
 Five pounds of common Sugar ... 1 (> 
 
 One bottle of Vinegar 010 
 
 Paper for Kitchen and Packthread ..010 
 Four loaves of Bread at 1*. 6d. each .060 
 
 5 3 
 
 WEEKLY EXTRA, DITTO. 
 
 '. s. d. 
 
 Two Turkeys 300 
 
 One Ham 3
 
 APPENDIX. 455 
 
 One Roasting Pig 11 
 
 One bottle of Pickles .../-.. 12 
 
 Three bottles of Olives 140 
 
 870 
 
 The above expenditure does not contain the 
 quantity of meat bought by the French, amount- 
 ing to from three to five sheep weekly, and two 
 calves monthly. 
 
 No. V. 
 
 Restrictions made by Sir Hudson Lowe, and com- 
 municated at Longwood, on the 9th of October, 
 1816 ; but which he had already put in execu- 
 tion by different orders, ever since the month of 
 August preceding, and which he never commu- 
 nicated to the English officers of the service, 
 ashamed, no doubt, of their contents. 
 
 Heads of some proposed Alterations in the Regu- 
 lations hitherto established for the persons under 
 
 charge at Longwood. 
 
 I. LONGWOOD, with the road along the ridge, by 
 Hut's Gate, to the signal-gun near the alarm -house, 
 will be established as the limits.
 
 45() APPENDIX. 
 
 II. Sentries will designate the external boun- 
 dary, as well as that beyond which no person can 
 approach Longwood House and garden, without 
 the governor's permission. 
 
 III. The road to the left of Hut's Gate, and re- 
 turning by Woody-ridge to Longwood, never hav- 
 ing been frequented by General Bonaparte, since 
 the governor's arrival, the posts which observed it 
 will for the greater part be withdrawn. Should 
 he however wish at any time to ride in that direc- 
 tion, by giving the orderly officer timely notice of 
 it, he will meet with no impediment. 
 
 IV. If he is desirous to extend his ride in any 
 other direction, an officer of the governor's per- 
 sonal staff will always (on being informed in suf- 
 ficient time,) be prepared to attend him ; and, 
 should time not admit, the orderly officer at Long- 
 wood. 
 
 The officer who attends him, will be instructed 
 not to approach towards him, unless so requested, 
 nor to interfere in any respect with him during 
 his ride, except so far as duty may require, on 
 observing any departure from the established rules, 
 when he will ride up and respectfully inform him 
 of it. 
 
 V. The regulations already in force, for pre- 
 venting communication with any persons without 
 the governor's permission, will be required to be
 
 APPENDIX. 457 
 
 strictly adhered to : it is requested ! therefore, 
 General Bonaparte will abstain from entering any 
 houses, or engaging in conversation ivith the per- 
 sons he may meet, (except so far as the ordinary 
 salutations of politeness, with which every one will 
 be instructed to treat him, may appear to require,) 
 unless in the presence of a British officer. 
 
 VI. Persons, who, with General Bonaparte's 
 acquiescence may at any time receive passes from 
 the governor to visit him, cannot use such passes 
 to communicate with the other persons of his 
 family, unless it is so specifically expressed in 
 them. 
 
 VII. At sun-set, the garden inclosure round 
 Longwood House, will be regarded as the limits. 
 Sentries will be placed round it at that hour, but 
 will be posted in such a manner as not to incom- 
 mode General Bonaparte with their personal ob- 
 servation of him, should he continue his walks in 
 the garden after that time. They will be drawn 
 round the house, as heretofore during the night, 
 and the limits will remain closed until the sentries 
 are withdrawn entirely from the house and garden 
 in the morning. 
 
 VIII. All letters for Longwood will be put up 
 by the governor under a sealed envelope, and the 
 packet sent to the orderly officer, to be delivered 
 sealed to any officer in attendance upon General 
 
 VOL. II. 3 N
 
 458 APPENDIX. 
 
 Bonaparte, who will thus be assured the contents 
 will have been made known to no other person 
 than the governor. 
 
 In the same manner, all letters from persons at 
 Longwood must be delivered to the orderly offi- 
 cer, put up under an outer envelope sealed, to the 
 address of the governor, which will insure that no 
 other person than himself will be acquainted with 
 their contents. 
 
 IX. No letters are to be received or sent, nor 
 written communications of any kind pass or be 
 made known, except in the above manner : nor 
 can any correspondence be permitted within the 
 island, except such communications as may be 
 indispensable to make to the purveyor ; the notes 
 containing which must be delivered open, to the 
 orderly officer, who will be charged to forward 
 them.* 
 
 The above alterations will take place from the 
 10th instant. 
 
 (Signed) H. LOWE, 
 
 St. Helena, 
 9th Oct, 1816. 
 
 * Nothing can surpass the elegance of this composition, except- 
 ing its grammatical correctness! or, indeed, the humanity of the 
 regulations themselves !
 
 APPENDIX. 459 
 
 No. VI. 
 
 Translation of the Proposal made by the Emperor, 
 to assume the incognito. 
 
 IT occurs to me, that in the conversation which 
 lias taken place between General Lowe and seve- 
 ral of those gentlemen, things have been stated re- 
 lative to my position, which are not conformable to 
 my ideas. 
 
 I abdicated into the hands of the representatives 
 of the nation, and for the profit of my son. I went 
 with confidence to England, with intentions to 
 live there, or in America, in the most profound re- 
 treat ; and under the name of a colonel, killed at 
 my side, resolved to remain a stranger to every po- 
 lilical occurrence, of whatever nature it might be. 
 
 Arrived on board of the Northumberland, I was 
 informed that I was a prisoner of war; that I was 
 to be transported beyond the line ; and that I was 
 named General Bonaparte. In opposition to that 
 of General Bonaparte, which it was wished to 
 impose upon me, I was obliged to bear, ostensibly, 
 my title of emperor. 
 
 Seven or eight months ago Count Montholon 
 proposed to remedy those little difficulties, which 
 were produced every moment, by adopting an or-
 
 460 APPENDIX. 
 
 dinary name. The admiral thought it to be his 
 duty to write on the subject to London; there the 
 matter at present rests. 
 
 A name is now given to me, which has the ad- 
 vantage of not prejudging the past, but which is 
 not in the forms of societv. I am always dis- 
 
 * V 
 
 posed to take a name which enters into ordinary 
 usage, and I reiterate that when it shall be judged 
 proper to discontinue this cruel abode, I am will- 
 ing to remain a stranger to politics, whatever event 
 may occur in the world. This is my opinion ; 
 whatever else may have been said on this subject 
 is incorrect. 
 
 No. VII. 
 
 Translation of the Remarks made by Xapoleon 
 on the slip of paper, containing the Governor * 
 reply. 
 
 1. THE conduct which has been pursued here 
 for six months, cannot be justified by some 
 detached phrases of a correspondence with the 
 minister. A long and voluminous ministerial cor- 
 respondence, is an arsenal provided with arms of 
 every description. 
 
 2. The last regulations would be considered as
 
 APPENDJX. 401 
 
 injurious and oppressive at Botany Bay; what- 
 ever may be said upon it, they must be contrary 
 to the will of the English government, which ap- 
 proved the regulations which were in force until 
 the month of August last. 
 
 3. All the observations which Counts Bertram! 
 and Montholon have made, have been useless. A 
 free discussion has been interdicted by menaces. 
 
 No. VIII. 
 
 Letter from Count Bertrand to Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 relative to the presents sent by Mr. Elphinstone. 
 
 Longwoud, 9th of July, 18 . 
 
 GOVERNOR, I have received the five cases 
 which you took the trouble of sending to me, con- 
 taining a chess-board and men, a box of counters, 
 and two work-baskets in ivory, sent from Canton 
 by Mr. Elphinstone. The emperor was surprised 
 to perceive by your letter, that you think your 
 duty required that those objects should not be 
 sent. " If I acted" you say, " in entire conformity 
 to the established regulations, I ought to have de- 
 layed sending them up" In this case, M. Go- 
 vernor, it would have been pleasing to us had you 
 retained them.
 
 402 APPENDIX. 
 
 But to what does this refer ? Is it because those 
 articles have not passed through the channel of 
 the ministers ? In the restrictions of the minister, 
 it is said, that letters must come through his 
 channel, but not articles of clothing, busts, furni- 
 ture, &c. We have constantly received from the 
 cape of Good Hope, many articles which have 
 been sent to us. Besides, Lord Bathurst, in his 
 speech, and you, yourself, in one of your letters, 
 have denied, with indignation, that letters sent by 
 the post, or by other opportunities, have been sent 
 to London to be returned to this place. This can- 
 not, nor has not authorized you to retain such 
 objects as busts, furniture, books, or any other 
 goods, which have no connexion with the security 
 of detention. 
 
 Can it be because there is a crown upon the 
 counters ? No regulation can exist without being 
 made known to us. Now, it never has been sig- 
 nified to us, that we cannot possess objects upon 
 which there is a crown. It would be necessary, 
 in that case, to make a new pack of cards for us, 
 because on those which we possess, there is a 
 crown. The linen, and the small quantity of 
 plate, which remains to us, are often sent to town, 
 and are marked with a crown. 
 
 But from whom has this regulation, of which 
 you speak;, emanated ? From your government,
 
 APPENDIX* 463 
 
 which alone, according to the bill, has the right 
 to make any ? Your minister declared before par- 
 liament, that no restrictions whatever had been 
 made since those which had been printed and 
 communicated to Europe, and which your prede- 
 cessor possessed, and which had been sent to you. 
 He added, that you have not made any restric- 
 tions, but solely adopted measures of execution. 
 Effectively you have not the right to make any. 
 
 The emperor does not desire favours from any- 
 body, and wishes nothing from the caprice of any 
 person whatever ; but he has the right to be in- 
 formed of the restrictions which are imposed upon 
 him. Your government, the parliament, and all 
 nations, have the same right. I therefore beg of 
 you, sir, to communicate to us those new restric- 
 tions, and if such exist, they would be in contradic- 
 tion to the assertion of Lord Bathurst, that they 
 should have no other object than the security of 
 detention. The emperor charges me to protest 
 against the existence of any restrictions or regu- 
 lations which shall not be legally notified to him, 
 prior to being put in execution. 
 
 I have the honour, &c. 
 
 (Signed) COUNT BERTRAND.
 
 464 APPENDIX, 
 
 No. IX. 
 
 Letter from Count Bertrand to the Gunner. 
 
 Longwood, 1 6th July, 1817. 
 
 I HAVE received, sir, the marble bust of young 
 Napoleon. I have given it to his father. It has 
 imparted to him the most sensible pleasure. J re- 
 gret that you have not been able to come and see 
 us and give us some details, which are always inte- 
 resting to a father in the actual situation of affairs. 
 It results from the letters which you have sent, 
 that the artist esteems the value of his work to 
 be one hundred guineas. The emperor has or- 
 dered me to send you a draft for three hundred 
 pounds sterling* The surplus is to indemnify 
 you for the losses which he knows you have sus- 
 tained in the sale of your little venture, as you 
 were not permitted to land ; and the chicaneries 
 you have experienced by that event, which was 
 in itself very simple, and would have procured 
 you marks of esteem from every man of feeling. 
 
 Be so good as to communicate the emperor's 
 thanks to the persons who have paid him this ami- 
 able attention. 
 
 * By means of some unworthy tricks, the poor man did not re- 
 ceive the money for nearly two year*.
 
 APPENDIX. 465 
 
 I beg that you will acknowledge the receipt of 
 this letter. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. 
 
 (Signed) COUNT BERTRAND. 
 
 To M. Radozoich, Master Gunner 
 on board of the ship Baring. 
 
 No. X. 
 
 The Governors Reply to Count Bertrand's Letter 
 relative to the Presents. 
 
 Castle, James Town, July 25th, 1817. 
 
 SIR, I have received your letter of the 10th 
 instant. The frequent use in it of the imperial 
 title, arid the tone in which you convey your sen- 
 timents to me when you employ it, would per- 
 fectly warrant me in declining to acknowledge it, 
 as being addressed to me in an inadmissible form, 
 and in referring you to mine of the 30th August, 
 1816, to Count Montholon. I shall not, however, 
 avail myself of these arguments for not replying 
 to its contents. 
 
 The only object I had in view in addressing 
 you on the 8th instant, was to avoid its being con- 
 ceived I tacitly participated in, or approved the 
 acknowledgment given to the imperial rank, in 
 
 VOL. II. 3 O
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 thfe crown placed every where over the initial of 
 Napoleon on presents sent by a British subject 
 particularly, and coming from a British factory. 
 
 Had I suffered them to proceed without any 
 remark, the inference would have been obvious 
 I saw no impropriety in it; and I am too well 
 aware how far this precedent might have been al- 
 leged, and what complaints would have sprung 
 up on any future deviation from it, had I not ex- 
 plicitly made known the grounds upon which in 
 this instance I had suffered them to reach you. 
 
 The donor's sentiments are his own, but I have 
 a free right to the exercise also of my opinion, in 
 not making myself the medium of them ; and in 
 suffering the presents to proceed with no other 
 qualification than what my note expressed, I went 
 to the extreme boundary of what any attention to 
 General Bonaparte's desires or expectations could 
 demand of me. 
 
 You ask me, sir, est-ce parceque ces objets ne 
 sont pas arrives par le canal du ministre ?" &c. 
 
 I should have considered myself fully warranted 
 in keeping them back upon the general principle 
 of my instructions, without reference to the deco- 
 ration upon them, until there was an express au- 
 thority obtained from my government for their 
 delivery, unless I assumed upon my own discre- 
 tion to examine them and satisfy myself they eo-
 
 APPENDIX. 467 
 
 vered no means of communication or assistance 
 by which a clandestine intercourse was attempted. 
 
 That the latter was the principle upon which I 
 was always ready to act, instead of waiting the 
 delay of returns from England, was sufficiently 
 apparent by my sending you the letter before the 
 articles were even landed. 
 
 You observe, sir, I rejected with indignation 
 the accusation, that letters brought by the post on 
 private occasions should have been sent back to 
 London to return to this countiy. I rejected, sir, 
 with indignation, this accusation, and the reflec- 
 tions built upon it, because there was no founda- 
 tion of truth or justice in them : because I revolted 
 at that feeling which extracted injury and reproach 
 from acts of attention, (for in sending their family 
 letters I had exercised a discretion in favour of 
 the persons who addressed me not warranted by 
 my instructions,) but I did not admit that I had 
 not the right, and was not fully justified in send- 
 ing letters back to England, if I thought proper 
 so to do, when they came by irregular channels, 
 presents may be as obnoxious to the security of 
 detention as a letter, and might require to be ex- 
 amined with a minuteness that would baffle any 
 purpose of ornament or utility to be derived from 
 them. A letter may be concealed under the squares 
 of a chessboard, or the folds of a book cover, as
 
 468 APPENDIX. 
 
 well as in the lining of a waistcoat; and I am not 
 necessarily called upon to place my trust in any 
 person by whom they are sent. If articles have 
 been permitted to reach you, it has been because 
 I have felt satisfied they were not of an objection- 
 able nature ; and you certainly have no reason to 
 complain, sir, of the mode I have used my discre- 
 tion in permitting generally every article that has 
 arrived to be delivered, and in suffering many to 
 proceed that had come addressed to myself, the 
 transmission of which from the delicacy of the 
 persons who sent them, had been left entirely to 
 my option. 
 
 You, observe, sir, " seroit-cc parceque sur le.s 
 jettons II y a une couranne" &c. &c. &c.; and ask if 
 any regulation exists, which prevents your pos- 
 sessing an article with a crown upon it. 
 
 There is certainly, sir, no specific written regu- 
 lation prohibiting any article with a crown on it 
 reaching Longwood, nor to prevent your posses- 
 sing an object with such a decoration upon it ; but 
 it was in this case the imperial crown over the 
 initial of Napoleon, carved, gilt, or engraved, on 
 almost every article. His own abdication the 
 convention of Paris and the acts of the British 
 parliament, supersede the necessity of any regula- 
 tion upon that head. 
 
 The articles now at Longwood. with the impe-
 
 APPENDIX. 469 
 
 rial crown on them, were thus marked before the 
 abdication. I have never disputed their posses- 
 sion, nor any gratification they might afford. 
 
 The quotation from the debates in Parliament, 
 I must beg leave to observe, is inexact, as taken 
 from any newspaper I have seen. The papers 
 themselves differ ; for one speaks of regulations, 
 another of instructions, not restrictions, being the 
 same (without any substantive alteration,) as those 
 at first prescribed. 
 
 You say, sir, " Vous navez pas le droit (Ten 
 faire? 
 
 The act of parliament, the warrant and instruc- 
 tions I possess, are, sir, my surest guides on this 
 point ; whilst I may at the same time, however, be 
 allowed to observe, that the original instructions 
 you wish to refer to as my only rule, have received 
 a more ample interpretation than what their strict 
 letter would imply in the degree of freedom from 
 personal restriction General Bonaparte at present 
 enjoys. 
 
 You add, " LEmpereur ne veut de grace," &c. 
 &c. 
 
 I have not the pretension to bestow a favour on 
 General Bonaparte, and still less the arrogance of 
 subjecting him to any act of my caprice. He is 
 under no restriction which my government does 
 not know, and which all the world may not know.
 
 470 APPENDIX. 
 
 It is not irrelevant on this occasion to observe, 
 that at two interviews with General Bonaparte, he 
 personally observed to me that I was a general- 
 officer to act upon instructions, and not execute 
 my duty as a " consigne :" at present it is as a 
 consigney it appears I am required to perform it. 
 On another occasion he objected to " aucune In- 
 spection directe ou publique" How do these sug- 
 gestions accord with the narrow limit to which it 
 is at present sought to restrict the exercise of my 
 duties ? The views you have now presented coin- 
 cide most with my own, (seeing that every exer- 
 cise of my discretion, even in points where 1 seek 
 to act most favourably, only entails fresh discus- 
 sion,) but where such opposing sentiments are 
 conveyed to me, you must, sir, admit the difficulty 
 of reconciling them. 
 
 You say, sir, " L'Empereur me charge de pro- 
 tester contre fexistence de toute restriction" &c. 
 &c. &c. 
 
 Any communication made to me in the proper 
 name of the person whom you thus designate, it 
 is my bounden duty to consider, wherever circum- 
 stances will permit it. The notification of a regu- 
 lation arising from a sudden case cannot, how- 
 ever, be made previous to the occurrence which 
 calls it forth. The matter of which you no\v 
 speak was not of a nature to require previous
 
 APPENDIX. 471 
 
 communication, but it was here, at all events, not 
 carried into execution before communicated. 
 I have the honour to be, Sir, 
 Your most obedient, 
 
 And most humble Servant, 
 (Signed) H. Lowe, Lieut.-General.* 
 
 Count Bertrand. 
 
 No. XL 
 
 Letter from Count Bertrand to the Governor, 
 containing the Grievances of Longwood. 
 
 Longwood, 30th September, 1817. 
 
 GOVERNOR, I have made known to the empe- 
 ror, that you did me the honour to come to me 
 the day before yesterday, (Sunday,) that you told 
 me some anxieties had been excited in you re- 
 specting his ill health, and that as this was attri- 
 buted to want of exercise, why did he not ride 
 out on horseback ? 
 
 I replied to you, what had been said in various 
 circumstances, and I have the honour to repeat to 
 you now ; that the existence of the emperor, parti- 
 cularly for the last six weeks, has been extremely 
 
 * For the deep obscurity and rambling construction of some pas- 
 sages in this state-paper, it is hoped the reader will hold only its 
 author responsible.
 
 472 Al'PENDIX. 
 
 painful ; that the swelling of his legs increases 
 every day ; that the symptoms of scurvy which 
 had been remarked in his gums, are already such 
 as to occasion him almost constantly acute pains ; 
 that the medical men attribute this to want of 
 exercise ; that ever since the month of May, J816, 
 that is to say, for seventeen or eighteen months, 
 the emperor has not been on horseback, has 
 scarcely ever been out of his apartment, except 
 sometimes, and very rarely, when he came about 
 forty toises, to visit my wife ; that you know per- 
 fectly well what has prevented, and does prevent 
 the emperor from going out ; namely, the restric- 
 tions of the 9th October, 1816, which began to be 
 put into execution six weeks after your arrival ; 
 that those restrictions contain among others, a pro- 
 hibition from speaking or listening to any person 
 we may meet, and from going into any house ; this 
 makes him think that your intention was to com- 
 promise him with the sentries, and to outrage his 
 character. 
 
 You have observed to me, that you have sup- 
 pressed that part of the restrictions, and such is 
 the case. Admiral Malcolm, on his return from 
 the Cape, made some observations to you on the 
 subject, and you decided on suspending them, 
 which you did by your letter of the 26th Decem- 
 ber, 1816, three months afterwards. But you 
 have several times insinuated, that you believe
 
 APPENDIX, 473 
 
 yourself authorized to re-establish them at any 
 moment, as well as others equally unreasonable. 
 The restrictions of the 9th of October, 1816, con- 
 tain other articles of the same extravagant nature, 
 which are not suspended. Fresh restrictions 
 which you made on the 14th of March, 1817, pre- 
 scribe that we are not to quit the extent of a road 
 twelve feet wide. It would thence result, that if 
 the emperor were to quit that road, or enter into 
 any house, the sentries might Jire upon him. The 
 emperor ought not to recognize such ignoble treat- 
 ment. Several Englishmen of distinction, at pre- 
 sent in the island, on that passage being read to 
 them, (not being acquainted with the restrictions 
 of the 9th October, 1816, and of the 14th March, 
 1817.) reproached the emperor for sacrificing his 
 health by not going out ; but as soon as those re- 
 strictions were made known to them, their opinions 
 changed, and they declared that no man of ho-r 
 nour could act differently ; and that, without pre- 
 tending to compare themselves with him, they 
 would in such a case have done as he did. 
 
 I added, that if you wished to consult the of- 
 ficers who are in this colony, there is not one 
 among them who does not regard the restrictions 
 of the 9th October, 1816, and those of the 14th 
 March, 1817, as unjust, useless, and oppressive; 
 and that all in the emperor's place would act as 
 
 VOL. II. 3 p
 
 474 APPENDIX. 
 
 he did, holding such conditional leave to go out 
 as an absolute prohibition. 
 
 I had also the honour to tell you, that accord- 
 ing to the terms of the bill in parliament of the 
 llth of April, 1816, you have not a right to make 
 restrictions : that the bill grants that right only to 
 the government, which cannot delegate it even to 
 one of its ministers, and still less to an individual 
 officer ; that Lord Bathurst in his speech, in the 
 month of March, in the House of Peers, declared 
 that you had made no new restriction, that all his 
 correspondence had been in favour of the detained 
 persons, and that you had the same instructions 
 as your predecessor ; that your predecessor had 
 adapted the restrictions of government to local 
 circumstances, in a manner, if not convenient, at 
 least tolerable ; that things remained in this state for 
 nine months, during which time the emperor used 
 to go out, received even some English officers at 
 his table, and sometimes had in his society the of- 
 ficers and inhabitants of the island ; that this order 
 of things was not changed by an act of your go- 
 vernment ; that during those nine months, no in- 
 convenience took place, and that nothing can have 
 authorized you to substitute for an order of things 
 so reasonable, that which you have established ; 
 that the emperor would go out, ride on horseback, 
 and resume the same \vay of life, if you would re-
 
 APPENDIX. 475 
 
 store things to the state they were in at the time 
 of your arrival ; that in default of this, you would 
 be responsible for the results of the restrictions 
 of the 9th of October, 1816, and the 14th of 
 March, 1817, which you have no right to make, 
 and which, to the emperor, are equivalent to an ab- 
 solute prohibition to quit his apartments. 
 
 You told me, sir, that the emperor's room was 
 too small, that Long wood House was altogether 
 bad, as you had declared it to be to your govern- 
 ment ; that the emperor having had a tent erected 
 last year, because there was no alley where he 
 could walk in the shade, you proposed to esta- 
 blish a soldier's wooden barrack near the house, 
 where the emperor might take his walks ; I under- 
 took to make known to him your proposition. He 
 considered this offer as a mockery, (those were 
 his words,) and analagous to the conduct pursued 
 for these two years. If the house where he is be 
 inconvenient, why has he been left there for these 
 two years, and why do not they give him one of 
 those in the island, situated in the midst of gar- 
 dens, trees, shade, and water ? Why leave him 
 upon this uncultivated point, exposed to the winds, 
 and having nothing that can contribute to the pre- 
 servation of life. 
 
 Let me be allowed, sir, to point out to your ob- 
 servation, that if you do not suppress the restric-
 
 '17(> APPENDIX. 
 
 tions of the 9th of October, 1816, and of the Mtli of 
 March, 1817, and if you do not re-establish things 
 as they were in the time of the admiral, the em- 
 peror cannot go out. He considers, and will con- 
 sider that determination as a desire on your part 
 to occasion his death. He is entirely at your dis- 
 posal. You can make him die of sickness ; you 
 can make him die of hunger; it would be a favour 
 to make him die by a musket-shot. 
 
 If you assemble the military and naval officers 
 of this place, and the principal officers of health, 
 there is not one of them but will tell you that your 
 restrictions are disgraceful, and that a man of 
 honour would sooner die than acknowledge them ; 
 that they are of no avail to the security of the de- 
 tention ; that they are illegal. The text of the 
 bill, and the speech of your minister, cannot leave 
 any kind of doubt on this point. The medical 
 officers will tell you that there is no more time to 
 be lost ; that in three or four weeks perhaps it 
 will be too late ; and although this great prince be 
 abandoned by fortune, and there is an open field 
 for calumnies and libels in Europe, yet a cry of 
 indignation will be raised amongst all people ; for 
 there are here several hundreds of persons, French, 
 English, and foreigners, ic/io will hear witness fo 
 all that has been done to put an end to the life of 
 this great man.
 
 APPENDIX. -177 
 
 I have, sir, always spoken to you to this effect, 
 more or less forcibly. I shall speak to you of it 
 no more, for denials, subtilties, and arguments, 
 are very useless. 
 
 The question lies in two words ; do you or do 
 you not wish to kill the emperor ? If you persist 
 in your conduct you will yourself have answered 
 in the affirmative ; and unhappily, the object will 
 probably be attained after some months of agony. 
 
 Permit me, in concluding to answer, on be- 
 half of the officers who are with the emperor, and 
 also on my own, to your letters of the 29th and 
 26th July last. Sir, you misunderstand our cha- 
 racter : menaces have no power over us. For 
 twenty years we have braved every danger in his 
 service. By remaining voluntarily at St. Helena, in 
 the horrible situation in which we are, and exposed 
 to the strangest proceedings, we sacrifice to him 
 more than our own lives and those of our families. 
 Insensible to your menaces and your insinuations, 
 we shall continue to fulfil our duty ; and if there 
 were any subjects of complaint against us before 
 your government, we do not doubt that the Prince 
 Regent, Lord Liverpool, and so many estimable 
 men who form it, would know very well how to 
 appreciate them. They know the respect due to 
 the holy ministration which we fulfil ; and even 
 had we to apprehend persecution, we should ad-
 
 478 APPENDIX. 
 
 here to our maxim, " Do your duty come what 
 may."* 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 
 Governor, 
 Your very humble and obedient Servant, 
 
 (Signed) COUNT BERTRAND. 
 
 No. XII. 
 
 Letter from Count Bertrand to his eminence Car- 
 dinal Fesch, announcing the Death of Cipriani. 
 
 Longwood, 22nd March, 1818. 
 
 MY LORD, M. Cipriani, the emperor's mtiitre 
 d'h6tel died at Longwood on the 27th February 
 last, at four o'clock in the afternoon. He was bu- 
 ried in the protestant churchyard of this place, and 
 the ministers of that church have paid the same du- 
 ties to him as they would have done to a person 
 of their own sect. Care has been taken to insert 
 in the extrait mortuaire which I shall send you, 
 (but for which an extract from my letter may now 
 serve), that he died in the bosom of the Apostoli- 
 cal and Roman church. The minister of this place 
 would willingly have assisted the deceased, and 
 this last would have desired a catholic priest ; but 
 
 * Fais ce quc tu dois ; adviennc quo pourra.
 
 APPENDIX. 479 
 
 as we have none here, he appeared not to wish a 
 minister of another religion. I should be happy if 
 you would make us acquainted with the rites of 
 the catholic church upon this subject, and if it be 
 permitted that an English minister should admi- 
 nister to a dying catholic. We cannot praise too 
 much the good spirit and the zeal which the mi- 
 nisters of religion of this place have manifested on 
 this occasion. Cipriani died of an inflammation 
 of the bowels. He expired on Friday, and on the 
 preceding Sunday he had attended without any 
 foreboding of it. A child belonging to one of 
 Count Montholon's servants died a few days be- 
 fore at Longwood. A femme de chambre died a 
 few days ago of the same complaint. It is the 
 effect of the bad climate of this place, where very 
 few men grow old. Liver complaints, dysenteries, 
 and inflammations of the bowels, carry off many 
 victims amongst the natives, but especially amongst 
 Europeans. We felt in this circumstance, and 
 feel daily, the want of a minister of our religion. 
 You are our bishop, we wish that you would send 
 us a French or Italian priest. Be so good as to 
 select a man of information under the age of forty, 
 and who is not prejudiced by anti-gallican prin- 
 ciples. 
 
 M. Pieron has undertaken the office of maitre 
 d'hdtel ; but he has been extremely ill, and al-
 
 480 APPENDIX. 
 
 though now convalescent, is still in a bad state. 
 The cook is in a similar situation. It would be 
 necessary that either you, or Prince Eugene, or 
 the empress, should send a maitre d'hotel, and a 
 French or Italian cook, out of those who have 
 served in the emperor's household, or in those of 
 his family. 
 
 Your eminence will find added to this, 1st, 
 Papers A. and B. which were found in M. Ci- 
 priani's portefeuille. 2nd. A pin which he was in 
 the habit of wearing, and which I have thought 
 proper to send for his wife. 3rd. The account of 
 what is owing to him, amounting to the sum of 
 8,287 francs, or 3451. 5s. lOrf., with a bill of ex- 
 change to be paid to his heirs. Knowing that you 
 take care of his son, and that his daughter is with 
 Madame, the emperor defers securing an inde- 
 pendence to his two children, until he is made ac- 
 quainted with the amount of the property left by 
 Cipriani, who, it appeared, had large funds in 
 Genoa. 
 
 I shall not afflict you by speaking of the em- 
 peror's health, which is very unsatisfactory. It 
 has not, however, become worse since the hot 
 season. I think that these details should be con- 
 cealed from Madame. Do not give any credit to the 
 false accounts that may be prevalent in Europe. 
 Keep in mind as a rule, and as the sole truth, that
 
 APPENDIX. 481 
 
 for twenty -two months the emperor has not left 
 his apartments, except rarely to visit my wife. He 
 has seen nobody, but the two or three French who 
 are here, and the English ambassador to China. 
 
 I beg that your eminence will present my re- 
 spects to Madame, and to the persons of the fa- 
 mily, and accept the sentiments with which I 
 have the honour to be, &c. 
 
 (Signed) COUNT BERT RAND. 
 
 No. XIII. 
 
 Extract of the Declaration signed by the Ministers 
 of the Allied Powers at Vienna, March 13th, 
 1815. 
 
 THE powers who signed the treaty of Paris 
 having reunited in congress at Vienna, and in- 
 formed of the escape of Napoleon Bonaparte, and 
 his forcible entry into France, owe to their own 
 dignity and to social order a declaration of the 
 sentiments which this event has made them expe- 
 rience. 
 
 In thus breaking the convention which had 
 established him at the island of Elba, Bonaparte 
 has destroyed the only legal title to which his ex- 
 
 VOL. If. 3 Q
 
 482 APPENDIX. 
 
 istence was attached. In appearing again in 
 France, with projects of trouble and subversion, 
 he has deprived himself of the protection of the 
 laws, and has manifested in the face of the world 
 that there can be neither peace nor truce with 
 him. 
 
 The powers declare in consequence, that Napo- 
 leon Bonaparte is placed out of the pale of civil 
 and social relations ; and that as an enemy and a 
 disturber of the world, he is delivered up to public 
 vengeance ! 
 
 Then follow the signatures : 
 
 . f Le Prince de Metternich. 
 '\Le Baron de Wessemberg. 
 
 Spain. P. Gomez Labrador. 
 
 !Le Prince de Talleyrand. 
 Le Due d'Alberg. 
 Latour Dupin. 
 Le Comte Alexis de Noailles. 
 f Le Comte de Razoumowski. 
 Russia. \ Le Comte de Stakelberg. 
 v. Le Comte de Nesselrode. 
 
 Wellington ! ! ! 
 Great } Clancarty. 
 (Cathcart. 
 Stewart.
 
 APPENDIX. 483 
 
 ( Le Cointe Palmela. 
 Portugal. I Saldanha. 
 C Lobo. 
 
 (Le Prince d'Hardenberg. 
 
 Prussia. <, JTI i u*. 
 (Le Baron de Humboldt. 
 
 Swede ti. Lowenhielm. 
 
 No. XIV. 
 
 Protest of the Emperor Napoleon. 
 
 I HEREBY solemnly protest in the face of God 
 and of men, against the violation of my most sa- 
 cred rights, in forcibly disposing of my person 
 and my liberty. I came voluntarily on board of 
 the Bellerophon. I am not the prisoner, but the 
 guest of England. 
 
 As soon as I was seated on board of the Belle- 
 rophon, I was upon the hearths of the British 
 people. If the government, in giving orders to 
 the captain of the Bellerophon to receive me as 
 well as my suite, only intended to lay a snare for 
 me, it has forfeited its honour, and disgraced its 
 flag. 
 
 If this act be consummated, the English will in 
 vain boast to Europe of their integrity, their laws,
 
 48i AI'I'KNLMK. 
 
 and their liberty. British good faith will be lost 
 in the hospitality of the Bellerophon. 
 
 I appeal to history ; it will say that an enemy, 
 who for twenty years waged war against the Eng- 
 lish people, came voluntarily in his misfortunes to 
 seek an asylum under their laws. What more 
 brilliant proof could he give of his esteem and his 
 confidence ? But what return did England make 
 for so much magnanimity? A hospitable hand 
 was pretended to be held out to that enemy ; and 
 when he confided to it in good faith he ivas immo- 
 lated! 
 
 (Signed} NAPOLEON. 
 
 Auyutt, Mh, 1815. 
 
 No. XV. 
 
 Island of Saint Helena Port Regulations. 
 
 1. THE commanders of the Hon. East India 
 Company's ships, and the masters or commanders 
 of all merchant vessels permitted to touch at this 
 island, are not to land themselves, or suffer any 
 person whatever belonging to their ships or vessels 
 to come ashore, until the following regulations 
 have been made known to all persons on board, 
 a list of passengers, and a roll of the ship's com-
 
 APPENDIX. 485 
 
 puny sent to the governor, and his permission ob- 
 tained for such as are to land. 
 
 II. The commander of every ship or vessel is 
 required most explicitly to declare in the first in- 
 stance, whether any disorder whatever prevails, 
 or has prevailed, on board, without regard to its 
 being considered by him, or his surgeon, to be 
 contagious or otherwise, and report any deaths 
 that may have taken place, and the causes of the 
 same during the course of his voyage. 
 
 III. All letters and packets for whatever per- 
 son addressed, residing on shore (except such as 
 come by regular mails, which are to be sent to the 
 post-office), are to be delivered to the officer by 
 whom these regulations are communicated, who 
 will leave the same at the office of the secretary 
 of government, where those to whom they are ad- 
 dressed will receive them. 
 
 IV. Should the commander, or any of his pas- 
 sengers, or any person whatever on board his ship, 
 have under his or her charge any letters, packages, 
 or parcels, to the address of or destined for any 
 of the foreign persons under detention on this 
 island it is desired they will make it known 
 forthwith to the governor himself, putting the let- 
 ter or parcel, if of small bulk, under a sealed enve- 
 lope, to his address, and waiting his directions re- 
 specting any package of a larger species.
 
 486 APPENDIX. 
 
 V. The commander of the vessel only, after 
 these regulations have been read and published 
 on board, is at liberty to land, when he will imme- 
 diately wait on the governor, if in town, as well 
 as the naval commander in chief; and if the go- 
 vernor should not be in town, will call to report 
 his arrival at the quarters of the deputy adjutant 
 general. 
 
 VI. The commanders, officers, and all passen- 
 gers who are afterwards permitted to land, will 
 call at the town major's office to read and sign the 
 island regulations, before they proceed to their 
 lodgings, or visit any house or person whatever. 
 
 VII. No passenger or other person landing from 
 ships touching there is to leave James's Valley 
 without permission, for which they are to apply to 
 the deputy adjutant-general. 
 
 VIII. No person whatsoever, having permis- 
 sion to land, is to visit Longwood or the pre- 
 mises belonging thereto, nor to hold communica- 
 tion of any sort by writing or otherwise, with any 
 of the foreign personages detained on this island, 
 without communicating directly his intentions and 
 wishes thereupon to the governor, and obtaining 
 his permission for the same. And should any 
 letter or other communication, from any of the 
 foreign personages above alluded to, be received 
 by any person whatsoever, it is to be brought
 
 APPENDIX. 487 
 
 without loss of time to the governor, previous to 
 answering or taking any further notice whatever 
 thereof. The same rule to apply to all packages 
 which may be received, or attempted to be de- 
 livered. 
 
 IX. The commanders of the East India ships, 
 and the masters of all descriptions of merchant 
 vessels permitted to touch at this island, are not 
 to allow any persons whatsoever, on board of, or 
 belonging to their ships or vessels, to come on 
 shore, on leave, without the governor's authority, 
 nor is any person to sleep on shore without his 
 permission. 
 
 X. No boat belonging to the ships of the East 
 India Company, or to merchant vessels of any 
 description, is to land between sun-set and sun- 
 rise, nor at any time during the day, without a 
 proper officer being in charge of her, and if she is 
 ordered to remain on shore for any purpose, he 
 must take care to keep her laying at a distance 
 from the wharf to admit of other boats landing 
 without interruption. Boats loading or unload- 
 ing, are to use every expedition to get out of the 
 way of others. 
 
 XI. All boats belonging to the company's ships. 
 or merchant vessels of every description, are to 
 quit the shore by sun-set, and are immediately 
 afterwards to be hoisted in on board their respec-
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 tive ships, except under such circumstances as the 
 admiral may direct. 
 
 XII. No boat belonging to a company's ship, 
 or a merchant vessel of any description, shall 
 board or send a boat alongside any vessel coming 
 in. No boat will be permitted to land at any 
 other place than at the wharf, 
 
 XIII. No company's ship or merchant vessel 
 of any description, is to anchor at this island 
 between sun-set and sun-rise, nor sail after sun- 
 set, nor before ten o'clock in the morning nor 
 are they to make sail at any time until the permis- 
 sion flag is hoisted to each ship or vessel. 
 
 XIV. If the permission flag should be hoisted 
 to any vessel a short time before sun-set, and she 
 not already hove her anchor up and under weigh, 
 she is not to attempt to move until the signal may 
 be repeated the morning following. 
 
 XV. The commanders of all ships or vessels 
 are strictly prohibited from permitting any fishing- 
 boat belonging to the island to go alongside, with- 
 out a permit, signed by the governor, or suffering 
 any boat belonging to their ship to board or other- 
 wise communicate with a numbered fishing-boat 
 of the island. 
 
 XVI. Should a fishing-boat attempt to com- 
 municate with any vessel, either approaching the 
 island, or at anchor off it, or with any boats be-
 
 APPENDIX. 489 
 
 longing to such vessel, the commander of her, or 
 his officers, are required to give immediate notice 
 thereof to the flag -ship, and to the deputy adju- 
 tant-general, taking the No. of the boat, or detain- 
 ing her, as circumstances may direct. 
 
 XVII. The commanders of ships possessing 
 newspapers which nitty contain late or interesting 
 intelligence, are requested to deliver them to the 
 person by whom these regulations are communi- 
 cated, for the information ojf the governor, who 
 will cause them to be carefully returned. 
 
 XVIII. No gunpowder is to be landed without 
 previous notice being given to the commissary of 
 stores, and the master attendant, in order that 
 proper precautions may be adopted to prevent ac- 
 cidents. 
 
 XIX. No horse, mare, or gelding, can be 
 landed without a permit from the secretary to go- 
 vernment. 
 
 XX. No wines of any sort whatsoever shall be 
 landed without a permit, signed by the secretary 
 to government. 
 
 XXI. The honourable court of directors having 
 prohibited the importation of India spirits, it is 
 regulated, that whoever shajl violate this order, 
 shall incur a fine of 100/. sterling: nor is brandy, 
 gin, West India rum, cordials, and the like to be 
 landed, except hi small quantities, upon obtain- 
 
 VOL. II. 3 R
 
 490 APPENDIX. 
 
 ing a permit for the same, and upon paying a 
 duty at the rate of 12*. per gallon ; but the land- 
 ing of any spirits, in whatever quantity, without a 
 permit, will subject the offender to the penalty as 
 above. 
 
 XXII. The Whaling vessels are not to throw 
 their try-works overboardj whilst at this anchorage, 
 under the penalty of 50/., half of which sum will 
 be paid to the informer. 
 
 XXIII. The commanders or masters of all 
 ships or vessels are to give forty-eight hours notice 
 previous to their departure provided they intend 
 to remain for so long a period. This notice is to 
 be left in writing at the office of the secretary to 
 government, and the master attendant, between 
 the hours of ten in the forenoon, and two in the 
 afternoon. The fore-top sail is likewise to be kept 
 loose forty-eight hours previous to the ship or 
 vessel's departure. 
 
 XXIV. The commander or master of any ship 
 or vessel is not, on any pretence whatever, to leave 
 any person upon the island, or take any person 
 from it, of whatever description, without written 
 permission from the governor. 
 
 XXV. No commander, passenger, or any other 
 person whatever on board the honourable com- 
 pany's ships, or any other, that may anchor at this 
 island, is to take charge of any letters or packets
 
 APPENDIX. 41)1 
 
 for conveyance to Europe, the Cape of Good 
 Hope, South Ameiica, or elsewhere, unless such 
 as are made up in a regular mail at the post-office, 
 or have been received from the secretary to go- 
 vernment, or the deputy adjutant-general. 
 
 The commander of the ship or vessel will fill up 
 the report, of which the form is annexed, for the 
 governor's information, and transmit the same by 
 the officer who communicates these regulations. 
 
 No. XVI. 
 
 Proclamation, issued by Sir Hudson Lowe, a few 
 days after having sent Lord Bathursfs letters, 
 making an offer of allowing Jifty persons, se- 
 lected by Napoleon, to enter Longwood. 
 
 WHEREAS it has been ascertained, that a present 
 had been delivered to an inhabitant of this island, 
 in the name or on the part of one of the foreign 
 persons under detention at Longwood ; which 
 present was soon afterwards returned, in conse- 
 quence of the person to whom it had been deli- 
 vered, becoming sensible, that his acceptance of 
 it, unless with the governor's knowledge and au-
 
 49*2 APPENDIX. 
 
 thority, would have been a breach of the Procla- 
 mations in force ; the governor, however, deems it 
 expedient, in enforcement of the abovesaid Pro- 
 clamations (with reference also to the general in- 
 junction contained in the warrant, dated 16th 
 April, 1816), to give public notice, and public no- 
 tice is hereby given, to all officers, inhabitants, and 
 other persons whatsoever residing on, or resorting 
 to this island, that they are not only interdicted (as 
 by the Proclamation of October, 15, 1815, from 
 holding any correspondence or communication with 
 the foreign persons under detention on it, except 
 only such as may be regularly authorized by him ; 
 and as farther, by public notice of the llth May, 
 and Proclamation of the 28th June, 1816) from 
 receiving, delivering, or rendering themselves the 
 channel for the conveyances of any communication 
 whatsoever from or to the said persons, without 
 his express authorization ; but where any unau- 
 thorized communication shall have been or may 
 be conveyed, or attempted to be conveyed, it be- 
 hoves all those, who are acquainted with it, to 
 give the governor immediate information of the 
 same (or the nearest civil or military authority, 
 should the case so require), in order that the ne- 
 cessary steps may be taken thereupon, under pain 
 of otherwise being considered as privy to the 
 same and held answerable accordingly.
 
 APPENDIX. 493 
 
 Given at the Castle, James Town, this 16th day 
 of May, 1818. 
 
 HUDSON LOWE, 
 
 Lieutenant General, Governor and 
 Commander in Chief. 
 
 (Signed) By his Excellency's command, 
 
 G. GORREQUKR, 
 
 Act. Mil. Sec. 
 
 By order of the Governor, in Council, 
 
 T. H. BROOKE, 
 
 Secretary to Government. 
 
 No. XVII. 
 
 Lonywood, 20fA June, 1818. 
 
 SIR. Having been informed by Lieut. Reardon, 
 of your regiment, that you had charged him to 
 intimate to me, " that you had been informed by 
 Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Reade, that his excel- 
 lency the governor was very angry at my being 
 an honorary member of the 66th's mess, and that 
 I was not fit society for them ; that you had seen 
 part of a correspondence between the governor 
 and myself, which had been sent home ; and that 
 you thought I had used the governor ill. That 
 you had intended to call a meeting of the officers, 
 in order to signify to me, that until the business
 
 494 APPENDIX. 
 
 between the governor and myself was cleared up, 
 1 should not have the honour of dining with them, 
 but that you thought it would be better to inti- 
 mate it to me privately by Lieut. Reardon, in 
 order that I might withdraw quietly." 
 
 The assertion which has been conveyed to you, 
 that I have committed any action of a nature to 
 render me unfit for the society of the officers of 
 the 66th regiment, I declare to be a base and insi- 
 dious calumny. I have demanded frequently, and 
 am now ready to appear before any competent 
 court of justice, to repel any thing which may be 
 brought against me, whether in the form of suspi- 
 cions, conjectures, reports of spies, semi-proofs, or 
 direct charges. If there is any basis whereon to 
 ground such aspersions, why not bring me to, 
 what every Englishman is entitled to by the laws 
 of his country, a trial. But his excellency, him- 
 self, in a letter written from his dictation, has 
 disclaimed " bringing any accusations whatever, 
 against any part of my conduct." It is by a fair 
 and open investigation, that the disreputable 
 source from whence the clandestine denunciation 
 against me has sprung, will be clearly shown, and 
 which will manifest, that a refusal to comply with 
 verbal insinuations, contrary to my conscience, 
 has been the cause of the wrath and oppression 
 with which I have been visited.
 
 APPENDIX. 495 
 
 Let those who are conscious of guilt, have re r 
 course to indirect and secret measures. Publicity, 
 and not concealment is my desire ; and in order 
 to clear up the business between the governor and 
 myself, I shall be extremely happy to submit the 
 whole of the correspondence alluded to, for the pe- 
 rusal and consideration of the officers of the 66th 
 regiment, by whose decision thereupon I am con- 
 tent to abide, and any other scrutiny which may 
 be thought proper, either by yourself or the offi- 
 cers, I am also perfectly ready to submit to. 
 
 I have too much confidence in the justice, ho- 
 nour, and liberality of so enlightened a corps of 
 officers as the 66th, to suppose for a moment that 
 they will condemn unheard to dishonour, (a pu- 
 nishment worse than death,) an officer whom they 
 have considered worthy of a diurnal place at their 
 table ; and, therefore beg, sir, that in case of their 
 meeting for the purpose of taking into their consi- 
 deration the calumnies which have been so insi- 
 diously instilled into your mind against me, they 
 will not refuse me what is not denied to the vilest 
 of culprits ; but vouchsafe me an audience in my 
 defence prior to coming to any decision, unless in- 
 deed his excellency the governor gives an order for 
 exclusion ; in which case, I beg to have a copy of 
 the same in writing, to shew that such a measure 
 was the arbitrary act of an individual, and not the
 
 496 APPENDIX. 
 
 result of the opinion of a most respectable corps 
 of officers. I remain, Sir, 
 
 With much respect, 
 Your most obedient humble Servant, 
 
 (Signed) BARRY E. O'MEARA, 
 
 Surgeon. 
 
 Lieut.-Cofonel Lascelles, 
 Commanding 66l/t Regiment. 
 
 No. XVIII. 
 
 Translation of the letter from the Princess 
 Pauline Borghese to Lord Liverpool. 
 
 Rome, nth, July, 1891. 
 
 MY LORD, The Abbe' Buonavita who has just 
 arrived at Rome from St. Helena, which he left 
 on the 17th of last March, has brought us the 
 most alarming news of the emperor's health. I 
 inclose you copies of letters which will give you 
 the details of his physical sufferings. The malady 
 by which he is attacked is mortal in St. Helena, 
 and in the name of all the members of the family, 
 I claim a change of climate from the English go- 
 vernment. If so just a demand be refused, it will 
 be a sentence of death passed upon him, and in 
 this case I demand permission to depart for St. 

 
 APPENDIX. 497 
 
 Helena, to rejoin the emperor and to receive his 
 parting breath. 
 
 I beg of you, my lord, to have the goodness, 
 without delay, to solicit this authorization from 
 your government, that I may be able to depart 
 as soon as possible. As my state of health does 
 not allow me to travel by land, my intentions 
 would be to embark at Civita Vecchia to proceed 
 to England, and to avail myself there of the first 
 vessel which may sail for St. Helena ; but I should 
 wish that I may be permitted to go to London, in 
 order to provide myself with whatever may be 
 necessary for so long a voyage. 
 
 If your government persist in suffering the em- 
 peror to perish upon the rock of St. Helena, I 
 intreat that your Lordship, in order to remove all 
 difficulties which might retard my departure, may 
 extend your care to prevent the court of Rome 
 from opposing obstacles. I know that the mo- 
 ments of the emperor's life are counted, and I 
 should eternally reproach myself if I did not em- 
 ploy all the means in my power to soften his last 
 hours, and to prove my entire devotion to his 
 august person. If there should be any English 
 vessels in Leghorn harbour at the moment of my 
 departure, I would ask as a favour that one might 
 be permitted to take me at Civita Vecchia and 
 bring me to England. 
 
 VOL. ii. 3 s
 
 498 APPENDIX. 
 
 I beg my lord, that you will communicate my 
 letter and the inclosed copies to Lady Holland, 
 who has always given proofs of the greatest in- 
 terest for the emperor, and assure her of my senti- 
 ments of friendship, and receive for yourself those 
 of my consideration. 
 
 (Signed) PRINCESS PAULINE BORGHESE. 
 
 TRANSLATIONS OF THE LETTERS INCLOSED 
 
 From Dr. Antommarchi to Sig. Simeon Colonna. 
 
 St. Helena, nth March 1821. 
 
 MY DEAREST FRIEND, In my preceding letter 
 of the 18th of July last year, I informed you of the 
 disease (chronic hepatitis) endemic in this climate, 
 with which the Emperor Napoleon was afflicted, 
 and of the ameliorations which had been obtained 
 by a long and rational treatment, together with the 
 successive considerable changes for the worse, by 
 which the ameliorations were alternated to that 
 epoch. Continuing now to give you an account 
 of the same, I shall tell you, that from the above 
 mentioned time, his majesty has become worse 
 daily, so that in six months, the disease of the 
 biliary viscus has made so great a progress, that
 
 APPENDIX. 499 
 
 the hepatic functions are entirely disordered, and 
 consequently the digestive functions are almost 
 annihilated. 
 
 His majesty is now reduced to such a state as not 
 to be able to take any nourishment except liquids, 
 which quickly pass almost unchanged by the 
 mouths of the absorbent vessels of the lymphatic 
 system. It is not certain that this nourishment of 
 liquids is well adapted to his majesty's stomach, 
 as frequently a few moments after taking, or in the 
 act of swallowing, they are rejected by vomiting. 
 To this effect, and to relieve my own special re- 
 sponsibility, I declare openly to the imperial fa- 
 mily, and to all Europe, that the progress of the 
 disease which affects his majesty in this climate, 
 (which is a proximate cause of such complaints,) 
 and the symptoms which accompany it, are most 
 serious. 
 
 Dear friend, the medical art can do nothing 
 against the influence of climate ; and if the Eng~ 
 lish government does not hasten to remove htm 
 from this destructive atmosphere, his majesty ivill 
 soon, with anguish I say it, pay the last tribute to 
 the earth. 
 
 Such a crime certainly cannot be attributed to 
 the medical art, but solely to the unhappy and de- 
 solate situation in which his majesty is placed. 
 
 Continue your attachment to me, pay my re-
 
 500 -Ul'KNDIX. 
 
 spectful compliments to our common friends, and 
 believe me to be always with much esteem, 
 Your affectionate friend, 
 
 (Signed) F. ANTOMMARCHI. 
 
 P. S. I offer the undoubted facts stated above, 
 
 in opposition to the gratuitous assertions in the 
 
 English newspapers relative to the good health 
 which his majesty is stated to enjoy here. 
 
 From the Count de Montholon to Her Highness 
 the Princess Pauline Borghese. 
 
 Lonywood, St. Helena, 17th Marcli, 1821 
 
 MADA^f, The emperor charges me to render to 
 your highness an account of the deplorable state 
 of his health ; the liver complaint with which he 
 has been attacked for several years, and which is 
 endemic and mortal in St. Helena, has made a 
 frightful progress in the last six months. The be- 
 nefit which he had experienced from the care of 
 Dr. Antommarchi, has not lasted : several re- 
 lapses have taken place since the middle of last 
 year, and every day his decay becomes more sen- 
 sible ; his weakness is extreme ; lie can scarcely 
 bear the fatigue of a ride in the carnage for half 
 an hour with the horses at a walk, and cannot
 
 APPENDIX* 501 
 
 walk in his room without support. To the liver 
 complaint another disease is joined, equally en- 
 demic in this island. The intestines are seriously 
 affected ; the functions of digestion are no longer 
 performed, and the stomach rejects every thing it 
 receives. For a long time the emperor cannot eat 
 either meat, bread, or vegetables ; he is supported 
 only by soups and jellies. Count Bertrand wrote 
 to Lord Liverpool in last September to demand 
 that the emperor should be removed to another 
 climate, and to let him know the absolute need 
 which he had of mineral waters. I have entrusted 
 M. Buonavita with a copy of the letter. The 
 governor, Sir Hudson Lowe refused to allow it 
 to be sent to his government, under the vain pre- 
 text that the title of emperor had been given to his 
 majesty. M. Buonavita departs this day for 
 Rome. He has experienced the cruel effects of 
 the climate of St. Helena; a twelvemonth's abode 
 here will cost him ten years of his life. The let- 
 ters which Dr. Antommarchi has given to him 
 for his eminence Cardinal Fesch, will give your 
 highness fresh details upon the emperor's dis- 
 ease. The London Newspapers continually pub- 
 lish fabricated letters dated from St. Helena,* the 
 
 * At the time Napoleon was in this deplorable state, letters 
 *.vere published in some of the ministerial newspapers, purporting 
 to have come from St Helena, and representing him to be in
 
 50*2 APPENDIX. 
 
 intention of which evidently is to impose upon 
 Europe. The emperor reckons upon your high- 
 ness to make his real situation known to some 
 English of influence. He dies without succour 
 upon this frightful rock ; his agonies are fright- 
 
 Deign to receive, 
 
 Madam, 
 (Signed) COUNT DE MONTHOLON. 
 
 From Count Bertrand to Lord Liverpool, alluded 
 to by Count Montholon in the preceding Letter. 
 
 Longviood, 2nd Sept. 1820. 
 
 MY LORD, I had the honour of writing to you 
 on the 25th of June, 1819, to let you know the 
 state of the health of the Emperor Napoleon, at- 
 tacked as it has been, by chronic hepatitis, since 
 the month of October, 1817. 
 
 Doctor Antommarchi arrived at the end of last 
 September, from whose treatment he at first found 
 some relief, but since then, the doctor has de- 
 
 perfect health ; others describing him to be I'M the habit of going 
 about the island shooting wild cats. Whether those letters were 
 concocted in St. Helena or forged in London, I shall not attempt 
 to decide.
 
 APPENDIX. 508 
 
 clared, as will be seen in his journal and reports, 
 that the state of the patient has become such, that 
 the remedies can no longer struggle against the 
 malignity of the climate ; that he has need of mi- 
 neral waters ; that all the time he can remain in 
 this abode will only be a state of painful agony ; 
 that a return to Europe is the only means by 
 which he can experience any relief, his strength 
 being exhausted by a stay of five years in this 
 frightful climate, a prey to the worst treatment. 
 
 The Emperor Napoleon charges me to demand 
 of you that he shall be transferred to an Euro- 
 pean climate, as the only mode of lessening the 
 evils to which he is a prey. 
 
 (Signed) COUNT BERTRAND. 
 
 P. S. I had the honour to send this letter to 
 Sir Hudson Lowe under un cachet volant which 
 he returned to me with the addition of the in- 
 closed letter. This induces me to send it direct 
 to you. I suppose that he has taken a copy of 
 it, which he will send you along with his own ob- 
 servations, and that this circumstance shall not 
 have caused any delay. 
 
 (Signed) COUNT BERTRAND. 
 
 Longwood, 3rd Sept. 1 820.
 
 504 APPKNIJIX. 
 
 Letter sent by order of Sir Hudson Lowe to Count 
 Bertrand in reply to the preceding one. 
 
 Plantation House, 2nd. September, 
 
 Sir, The governor's instructions not admitting 
 him to receive any letter from the persons resid- 
 ing with Napoleon Bonaparte, where the title of 
 emperor is given to him, I am directed in conse- 
 quence to return you the inclosed. 
 
 The governor at the same time desires me to 
 observe, that no. letter* was ever received by him 
 from you, to the address of Lord Liverpool, of 
 the date of 25th of June, 1819. 
 
 I have the honour to be, See. 
 
 (Signed) 8. GORREQUER, 
 
 Military Secretary. 
 
 Proclamation., in which the authority of Parlia- 
 ment is assumed by the Governor of St. Helena. 
 
 (Referred to in Vol. II. p. 283.) 
 
 PROCLAMATION by Lieut.-General Sir Hudson 
 Lowe, K. C. B. Governor and Commander in 
 Chief, for the Honourable East India Com- 
 pany, of the island of St. Helena, and corn- 
 
 * As Sir Hudson Lowe refused to receive or to forward letters in 
 which Napoleon was not styled as he thought proper to name him, 
 the letter alluded to wrcs sent to England hy a private hand.
 
 APPENDIX. 505 
 
 manding His Majesty's Forces on the said 
 Island. 
 
 By virtue of the powers and authority vested in 
 me by a warrant in the king's majesty's name, 
 bearing date the 12th day of April, in the present 
 year, and in the fifty-sixth year of his majesty's 
 reign, authorizing and commanding me to detain 
 in custody Napoleon Bonaparte, and him to deal 
 with and treat as a prisoner of war, under such 
 restrictions, and in such manner as shall have 
 been, or shall be from time to time signified to me 
 under the hand of one of his majesty's principal 
 secretaries of state, and to prevent the rescue or 
 escape of the said Napoleon Bonaparte ; in the 
 due execution whereof, all his majesty's officers, 
 civil, naval, and military, and all his loving sub- 
 jects, whom it may concern, are required to be 
 aiding and assisting as occasion there may be ; 
 public notice is hereby given, that two acts have 
 been passed in the present session of the British 
 parliament, the one for detaining in custody the 
 said Napoleon Bonaparte, and adjudging capital 
 punishment on those who may be assisting in his 
 escape ; and the other for regulating the inter- 
 course of shipping with the island of St. Helena, 
 during the time Napoleon Bonaparte shall be de- 
 tained in custody. 
 
 Copies of these two acts are hereunto annexed. 
 
 VOL. II. ',] T
 
 506 APPENDIX. 
 
 In furtherance of the objects for which these 
 acts have been passed, it is hereby publicly made 
 known, that the various regulations hitherto issued 
 on this island, in regard to the safe custody of the 
 said Napoleon Bonaparte, and of the prevention 
 of any undue correspondence or communication 
 with him, his followers, and attendants, are to re- 
 main in full force. 
 
 It is farther made known, that if, after this no- 
 tice, any person or persons whatever shall infringe 
 the regulations established for his custody, or 
 shall hold correspondence or communication with 
 him, his followers, or attendants, who are by their 
 own acquiescence placed under the same restric- 
 tions as himself, or shall receive from or deliver 
 any letters or communications to him or them, 
 without the express authorization of the governor, 
 or the officer commanding on the island for the 
 time being, signified to them in writing under his 
 hand ; such person or persons will be considei*ed as 
 having acted against the provisions and express 
 objects of the said acts of parliament, and be pro- 
 ceeded against accordingly. And stiould, from any 
 infraction of the rules established for his custody, 
 or from any correspondence or communication with 
 either him, his followers, or attendants, the escape 
 or rescue of the said Napoleon Bonaparte be 
 effected, such person or persons will, after this no- 
 tice be considered as having been knowingly in-
 
 APPENDIX. 0()7 
 
 strumental to, and assisting in the same, and 
 be prosecuted with all the rigour which the law 
 enacts. 
 
 It is farther declared, that if any person or per- 
 sons shall have any information of any attempted 
 rescue or means of escape, and shall not make an 
 immediate communication of the same to the go- 
 vernor, or officer commanding for the time being, 
 or shall not do his or their utmost to prevent the 
 same taking effect, they will be regarded as having 
 connived at, and assisted in the said rescue or 
 escape, and his or their offence be judged by the 
 laws. 
 
 Any person or persons who may receive letters 
 or communications for the said Napoleon Bona- 
 parte, his followers, or attendants, and shall not 
 immediately deliver or make known the same to 
 the governor, or officer commanding for the time 
 being ; or who shall furnish the said Napoleon 
 Bonaparte, his followers, or attendants, with 
 money, or any other means whatever, whereby 
 his escape might be furthered, will be considered 
 in ///re manner to have been assisting in the same, 
 and will be proceeded against accordingly. 
 
 All letters or communications for or from the 
 said Napoleon, any of his followers, or attendants, 
 whether sealed or open, are to be forwarded to 
 the governor without loss of time, in the same 
 state in which they may have been received.
 
 508 APPENDIX. 
 
 And whereas it is not the object of the regula- 
 tion hereby promulgated, to induce any unusual 
 or unnecessary rigour, but to enforce the due 
 execution of the rules heretofore established, and 
 to prevent the ill effects which might result from 
 ignorance and inconsiderateness, as well as design ; 
 it is in consequence made known to all those per- 
 sons, whose duty calls upon them to attend near 
 the place where the said Napoleon Bonaparte, his 
 followers, or attendants, reside, or who have busi- 
 ness which has any relation to them, that they 
 will be furnished, upon due application, with re- 
 gular licences and authorities from the governor 
 of the island, signed with his hand. And nothing 
 is to be construed from the acts of parliament, or 
 these regulations, as warranting any violent or 
 improper demeanour against him or them, so long 
 as he or they observe the restrictions under which 
 the laws and the instructions of his majesty's go- 
 vernment has placed them. 
 
 Given under my hand in James Town, in the 
 island of St. Helena, the 28th day of June, 1810. 
 (Signed} HUDSON LOWE, 
 
 Governor and Commander in Chief. 
 
 By command of the Governor, 
 
 ( Signed} G. GORREQUER, 
 
 Act. Mil. Scr.
 
 APPENDIX. 509 
 
 ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS. 
 
 NOT NOMINATIVELY REFERRED TO, BUT WHICH 
 ARE OF IMPORTANCE TO ILLUSTRATE 
 THE WORK. 
 
 Terms of the Capitulation of El-Arit>h, for the 
 violation of which, part of the Garrison of Jaffa 
 were shot. 
 
 The commandant of the Fort of El-Arish, 
 and the other three commandants of the 
 troops, to the general in chief. 
 
 WE have received the capitulation which you 
 have addressed to us; we consent to deliver the 
 Fort of El-Arish into your hands. We will re- 
 turn to Bagdat by the desert. We send you the 
 list of the Agas of the Fort, who promise, upon 
 oath, for themselves and their troops, not to serve 
 in Djezzar's army, and not to return to Syria for 
 the space of one year, reckoning from this day. 
 We will receive a pass and colours from you. We 
 will leave in the castle all the supplies which are 
 found there. The whole of the Agas in the Fort 
 solemnly swear by our Lord, Moses, Abraham, 
 and by the PROPHET, to whom may God be pro- 
 pitious., and by the Koran, to execute faithfully
 
 510 APPENDIX. 
 
 all these articles, and above all, not to serve 
 Djezzar. The MOST HIGH and His PKOPHI.T 
 are witnesses of our good faith. 
 (Signed) IBRAHIM NIRAN, Commandant of the 
 
 Fort of El-Arish. 
 EL. H. HADJEZ MOHAMMED, Colonel 
 
 of the Maugrebins. 
 EL. H. HADJY ZADYR, Aga of the Ar- 
 
 nauts. 
 
 MOHAMMED AGA, Chief of the Com- 
 missaries. 
 
 Lettre de L'Empereur Napoleon, adressee an 
 
 Comte de Las-Cases, apres son enlevement de 
 
 Longwood. 
 
 Mon cher Comte Las Cases, Mon co3ur sent 
 vivement ce que vous eprouvez ; arrache il y a 
 quatorze ou quinze jours d'aupres de moi, vous 
 tes enferme^ au secret, sans que j'aie pu recevoir 
 ni vous donner aucune nouvelle, sans que vous 
 ayez communiqu avec qui que ce soit, Frangais 
 ou Anglais ; priv mine d'un domestique de 
 votre choix. 
 
 Votre conduite a Sainte-H^lene a etc, comme 
 votre vie, honorable et sans reproche ; j'aime a 
 vous le dire. 
 
 Votre lettre a votre amie de Londres n'avait
 
 APPENDIX. 511 
 
 rien de reprehensible ; vous y panchiez votre 
 coeur dans le sein de 1'amitie'. Cette lettre est 
 com me les huit ou dix autres que vous avez 
 ecrites a la me'me personne, et que vous avez en- 
 voye'es ouvertes. Le commandant de cette ile 
 ayant eu rind^licatesse de scruter les expressions 
 que vous confiez & 1'amitie vous les a reproche'es. 
 Dernierement il vous a menace" de vous renvoyer 
 de Hie, si vos lettres contenaient encore quelques 
 plaintes. En agissant ainsi, il a viole* le premier 
 devoir de sa place, le premier article de ses restric- 
 tions, et le premier sentiment deThonneur. II vous 
 a ainsi auto rise* a chercher les moyens de re"pan- 
 dre, par effusion, vos sentimens dans le sein de vos 
 amis, et de leur faire connaitre la conduite coupable 
 de ce commandant ; mais vous ^tes sans artifices ; 
 il a 6t6 bien facile de surprendre votre confiance ! 
 
 On cherchait un pre*texte de saisir vos papiers. 
 Une lettre a> votre amie de Londres ne pouvait 
 autoriser une visite de la police chez vous ; car 
 elle ne contient aucun complot, aucun mystere : 
 elle n'est que 1'expression des sentimens d'un cosur 
 noble et franc. La conduite ille"gale et pre'cipite'e 
 que Von a tenue en cette occasion porte le carac- 
 tere d'une haine basse et personelle. 
 
 Dans les centimes les moins civilisees, les 
 exiles, les prisonniers, et meme les criminels, sont 
 sous la protection des lois et des magistrate. Les 
 personnes nomm6es pour les garder out des chefs,
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 soit dans ^administration, soit dans 1'ordre judi- 
 ciaire, pour les surveiller. Mais sur ce roc, le 
 meme homme qui fait les r^glemens les plus ab- 
 surdes, les execute avec violence ; il transgresse 
 toutes les lois, et il n'est personne pour restreindre 
 les exces de son caprice. 
 
 On enveloppe Longwood d'un voile que Ton 
 voudrait rendre impenetrable, pour cacher une 
 conduite criminelle. Ce soin fait susoecter les 
 intentions les plus odieuses. 
 
 Par des bruits artificieusement seme's, on a es- 
 saye" de tromper les officiers, les Strangers, les 
 habitans de cette ile, et mme les agens Strangers 
 qui, a ce que Ton dit, sont entretenus ici par 
 1'Austriche et la Russie. Certainement le gou- 
 vernement anglais est trompe' de la meme maniere 
 par des rapports artificieux et mensongers. 
 
 Vos papiers, parmi" lesquels on savait qifil y 
 en avait qui m'appartenaient, ont t saisis sans 
 aucune formalite", pres de mon appartement, arec 
 des exultations tTune joie fe'roce. J'en fus instruit 
 quelques momens apres ; je regardai par la fe- 
 netre, et je vis qu'on vous enlevait. Un noinbreux 
 etat-major caracolait autour de vous; je crus voir 
 les sauvages des iles de la mer du Sud, dansant 
 autour des prisonniers qu'ils vont deVorer. 
 
 Votre soci^te m'6tait n^cessaire : scul vous 
 Hsez, vous parlez et entendez 1'Anglais. Combirn 
 vous avez pass^ de nuits pondant rnes maladies ;
 
 APPENDIX. 513 
 
 cependant je vous engage et, au besoin, je vous 
 ordonne de requdrir le commandant de cette fie 
 de vous renvoyer sur le continent ; il ne pent 
 point s'y refuser, puisqu'il n'a action sur vous que 
 par 1'acte volontaire que vous avez signed Ce sera 
 pour moi une grande consolation que de vous sa- 
 voir en chemin pour de plus fortunes pays. 
 
 Arriv6 en Europe, soit que vous alliez en 
 Angleterre, ou que vous retourniez dans la patrie, 
 perdez le souvenir des maux qu'on vous a fait 
 souffrir. Vantez-vous de la fideUile" que vous 
 m'avez montre'e, et de toute 1'affection que je vous 
 porte. 
 
 Si vous voyez un jour ma femme et mon fils, 
 embrassez-les ; depuis deux ans je n'en ai aucune 
 nouvelle ni directe, ni indirecte. II y a dans ce 
 pays, depuis six mois, un botaniste allemand, qui 
 les a vus dans le jardin de Schcenbrunn, quelqties 
 mois avant son depart. Les barbares ont enipeche 
 qu'il vlnt me donner de leurs nouvelles. 
 
 Toutefois, consolez-vous, et consolez mes amis : 
 mon corps se trouve, il est vrai, au pouvoir de 
 la haine de mes ennemis ; ils n'oublient rien de 
 ce qui peut assouvir leur vengeance. Ils me tuent 
 a coups d'epingles ; mais la Providence est trop 
 juste pour permettre que cela se prolonge long'- 
 temps encore. L'insalubrite de ce climat deVo- 
 rant, le manque de tout ce qui entretient la vie, 
 
 VOL. II. 3 U
 
 514 APPENDIX. 
 
 mettroht, je le sens, un terme prompt a cette ex- 
 istence, ddnt les derniers momens seront lopprobre 
 du caractere anglais. L'Europe signalera un jour 
 avec horreur cet homme hypocrite et me* chant, 
 que les vrais Anglais d^savoueront pour Breton, 
 
 Comme tout porte a penser qu'on ne vous per- 
 mettra pas de venir me voir avant votre depart, 
 recevez mes embrassemens, 1'assurance de mon 
 estime et de mon amitie'. Soyez heureux. 
 Votre affectionne', 
 
 (Signe) NAPOLEON. 
 
 Longwood, 11 Dtcembre, 1819. 
 
 Translation of the Declaration of the Emperor 
 Napoleon. 
 
 ON the llth, 12th, 13th, 14th, and 16th August 
 1819, attempts were made for the first time to vio- 
 late the pavilion inhabited by the Emperor Napo- 
 leon, which to this epoch had been constantly re- 
 spected. He resisted against this violence by 
 shutting and locking the doors. In this situation, 
 he reiterates the protestation which he has mads, 
 and caused to be made several times, that the riL.Lt 
 of his door shall not be violated unless by walking 
 over his corpse. He has given up every thing, 
 and for three years has lived concentrated in the 
 interior of six small rooms, in order to escape
 
 APPENDIX. 515 
 
 from insults and outrages. If baseness is carried 
 to the degree of envying him this refuge, it has 
 been determined to leave him no other than the 
 tomb. Labouring for two years under a chronic 
 hepatitis, a disease endemic in this place, and for 
 a year deprived of the assistance of his physicians 
 by the forcible removal of Doctor O'Meara in 
 July, 1818, and of Doctor Stokoe in January, 1819, 
 he has experienced several crises, during which 
 he has been obliged to keep his bed, sometimes 
 for fifteen or twenty successive days. At the 
 present moment, in the midst of one of the most 
 violent of the crises that he has yet experienced, 
 confined to his bed for nine days, having only pa- 
 tience, diet, and the bath, to oppose to the disease ; 
 for six days his tranquillity has been disturbed by 
 threats of an attack, and of outrages which the 
 Prince Regent, Lord Liverpool, and all Europe 
 well know he will never submit to. As the wish 
 to debase and to insult him is daily manifested, he 
 reiterates the declaration he has already made. 
 That he has not taken, nor will he take any no- 
 tice, nor has he ordered, nor will he order any 
 answer to be given to any despatches or packets, 
 the wording of which shall be done in a manner 
 injurious to him, and contrary to the forms which 
 have been established for four years, to corres- 
 pond with him through the intermediation of his
 
 516 APPENDIX. 
 
 officers; that he has thrown, and will throw into 
 the fire, or out of the windows, those insulting 
 packets, not wishing to innovate any thing upon 
 the state of affairs that has existed for some 
 years. 
 
 (Signed) NAPOLEON. 
 
 Lonyu-ood, \6thAiujnst, 1819. 
 
 This declaration I have been informed was 
 called forth by the following circumstance : while 
 Count Montholon was sick, Sir Hudson Lowe, 
 ingenious in inventing new vexations, refused to 
 correspond with Count Bertrand, and wanted to 
 insist upon having a direct correspondence with 
 the emperor, either by the visit of one of his offi- 
 cers twice a day to him, or by letter. To attain 
 this, he sent Sir Thomas Reade or another staff- 
 officer to Longvvood several days, who entered 
 the house, proceeded to the outer door of Napo- 
 leon's apartments, against which they continued 
 to knock for some time, exclaiming, " Come out 
 Napoleon Bonaparte /" " We want Napoleon 
 Bonaparte /" &c. ; concluding this scene of un- 
 called for outrage by leaving behind them pac- 
 kets of letters addressed to " Napoleon Bona- 
 parte," written in the usual Plantation House 
 style.
 
 APPENDIX. 517 
 
 The following extract of an official letter trans- 
 mitted by me to the Lords of the Admiralty, and 
 dated the 28th of October, 1818, containing a 
 statement of the vexations Inflicted upon Napo- 
 leon, will shew that the fatal event which has 
 since taken place at St. Helena t ivas most dis- 
 inctly pointed out by me to His Majesty's mi- 
 nisters, possibly in sufficient time to have PRE- 
 VENTED its occurrence, had they thought proper 
 to have altered the system pursued towards that 
 illustrious personage. 
 
 " I THINK it my duty to state, as his late medi- 
 cal attendant, that considering the disease of the 
 .iver with which he is afflicted, the progress it has 
 made in him, and reflecting upon the great morta- 
 lity produced by that complaint in the island of 
 St. Helena, (so strongly exemplified in the number 
 of deaths in the 66th regiment, the St. Helena re- 
 giment, the squadron, and Europeans in general, 
 and particularly in his majesty's ship Conqueror, 
 which ship has lost about one sixth of her com- 
 plement, nearly the whole of whom died within 
 the last eight months,) it is my opinion, that the 
 life of Napoleon Bonaparte will be endangered 
 by a longer residence in such a climate as that of
 
 518 APPENDIX. 
 
 St. Helena, especially if that residence be ag- 
 gravated by a continuance of those disturbances 
 and irritations to which he has been hitherto sub- 
 jected, and of which it is the nature of his dis- 
 temper to render him peculiarly susceptible." 
 
 (Signed) BARRY E. O'MEARA. 
 
 Surgeon, R. N. 
 
 To John Wilson Croker, Etq. 
 Secretary to the Admiralty. 
 
 The document in the Preface to the Second Edition, con- 
 taining the Protocol of the conference at ChatiUon was 
 first read by Sir Robert Wilson in his place in the House 
 of Commons in the presence of Lord Londonderry, who, when 
 questioned by Sir Robert admitted it to be authentic.
 
 APPENDIX. 519 
 
 The following lively Description of an Excursion 
 from James s Town to Longwood, and of some of 
 the Peculiarities of the Island, was written on 
 the spot by a Lady who resided there for a con- 
 siderable time afterwards. 
 
 " St. Helena, November, 1815. 
 * * # * * 
 
 " ST. HELENA is a shocking place to travel in. 
 Such roads, such hills, such precipices. They 
 call it five miles, but I am sure it seemed to me 
 to be fifteen. Mountain upon mountain,, rock 
 upon rock : I verily believed that I had reached 
 the clouds. But this I am certain of, that I passed 
 through three distinct climates. After leaving the 
 town, and until I reached the Briars, the scorch- 
 ing heat of the sun took the skin from my face 
 and blistered my lips. The narrow road between 
 two black and barren rocks was so suffocating 
 that I was nearly overcome. Then when I reached 
 the Alarm-house, only a mile and a half farther, a 
 strong gale of cold wind blew my hat into the 
 Devil's Punch-Bowl: I expected that myself and 
 my horse would have followed it, as the animal 
 could scarcely keep his legs. On arriving at Hut's 
 Gate, about three-quarters of a mile further, the 
 climate again changed, and thick mist came scud- 
 ding down from Diana's Peak, which enveloped
 
 520 APPENDIX. 
 
 me for some time in obscurity. Suddenly this 
 dense mist cleared up, as if by magic, and my eyes 
 were delighted by the view of a range of verdant 
 mountains and a blooming valley beneath. I had 
 scarcely time to admire the prospect, when a vio- 
 lent shower of rain came on, and I was completely 
 drenched before I reached Longwood Gate. I at 
 first thought that I had been rather unlucky in the 
 weather, but on asking the servant in attendance, 
 (a native of the island) if such extraordinary 
 changes were common here ? he stared and replied 
 that, " he saw nothing extraordinary and that 
 there was always just such weather in those 
 spots." * 
 
 " On my way, I saw a vast variety and so odd a 
 jumble of nations, colour, and costume; as I believe 
 are not to be met with in any other spot of the 
 globe so circumscribed in extent as St. Helena. 
 Soon after I left the town, I overtook a party 
 of Chinese, who were dragging carts laden with 
 the baggage of the Officers of the 53rd up to the 
 camp. Nothing 1 can be more hideous than their 
 appearance ; but they are very useful, as they per- 
 form the work of horses as well as that of men. On 
 
 * The reader will recollect that " those spots " were the only ones 
 in which Napoleon could ride or walk for exercise without a huptt ; 
 and that even, in such or any other weather, he was prohibited from 
 entering any human habitation.
 
 APPENDIX. 521 
 
 arriving- near the Alarm-house, I met a party of 
 poor black slaves with such heavy loads of wood 
 upon their heads, as made me shudder; I ex- 
 pected every moment to see them sink under their 
 enormous burdens, but to my amazement, they 
 trudged down the almost perpendicular path of 
 the rocks with as much ease and celerity as if 
 they had only a few feathers for a load. Shortly 
 after, I met a number of slave women and girls, 
 black and brown all dressed very smartly in India 
 worked muslins, with earrings and necklaces, 
 marching with all the confidence and conceit of 
 Bond Street belles. I imagined at first that they 
 were going to some ball, but on looking down to 
 see what sort of dancing pumps those gay ladies 
 wore, I perceived that they had neither shoes nor 
 stockings. I had scarcely finished making reflec- 
 tions upon female vanity in all countries, ere I was 
 terrified by the approach of a large cart drawn by 
 six bullocks, in so frightfully narrow a part of the 
 road, that I scarcely saw any other alternative 
 than being crushed between the cart and the rock 
 on the one side, or hurled down the tremendous 
 precipice on the other. My horse fortunately was 
 imbued with none of my fears, and glided between 
 the cart and the rock with the most dexterous 
 composure. My ears were now saluted by the 
 sound of the merry drum and fife, and I came up 
 
 VOL. II. 3 X
 
 522 APPENDIX. 
 
 to a party of about two hundred soldiers of the 
 53rd regiment, who were carrying part of their 
 wooden barracks on their backs, which had ar- 
 rived from England, to be erected at Deadwood 
 camp, situated on a mountain nearly two thousand 
 feet above the level of the sea. The soldiers 
 seemed to be greatly fatigued, and to stand in need 
 of enlivening music to raise their spirits. They 
 were attended by a Captain and two subalterns. 
 I had not long lost sight of them, when I came up 
 with a party of about one hundred and fifty jolly 
 tars, belonging to his majesty's ship Northumber- 
 land, carrying immense planks of wood for the 
 improvements making at Longwood House. They 
 were accompanied by a lieutenant and two mid- 
 shipmen. Near Longwood I met Admiral Sir 
 George Cockburn and his secretary, and farther 
 ^on two French officers in splendid uniforms, with 
 two ladies magnificently attired, all mounted on 
 horseback and attended by some smart French 
 servants. Near the telegraph, I met a party of 
 young ladies, natives of the island, on horseback, 
 riding at full speed, with a fearlessness almost in- 
 credible: they were escorted by a captain of an 
 Indiaman and two officers of the king's and com- 
 pany's artillery. 
 
 " The observations I made on the face of the 
 country were as follows: I began to ascend from
 
 APPENDIX. 523 
 
 the moment that I left James's Town, and con- 
 tinued to do so for nearly three miles to the top 
 of the first hill. The road is so steep, craggy, 
 and narrow, that there is barely room for two 
 horses a breast. 
 
 " I soon got so high, that my head became dizzy 
 when I looked down on the environs of the town, 
 which extend for some distance in a narrow valley 
 between two black, high, barren rocks. No trace 
 of vegetation is to be seen in them, and in some 
 places they look as if they would crumble and 
 fall upon the heads of the inhabitants. This 
 scorching dreary road is called " Side Path." 
 I was surprised by the prodigious number of 
 mice, which were continually issuing from the 
 rocks and running under the horse's feet, which 
 rendered me fearful that the animal would stum- 
 ble, but he took no notice of them. When ar- 
 rived at the hill above the Briars, (which is the 
 temporary residence of Bonaparte) I .stopped and 
 looked down with indescribable emotion upon 
 the small cottage which he inhabited, and had 
 soon the good fortune to see the ex-emperor walk 
 forth, attended by his secretary the Count Las 
 Cases. The Briars is situated in a sort of valley, 
 in an amphitheatre of rocks. It is a patch of 
 beauty and cultivation in the bosom of desolation. 
 When I had ascended the summit of the Briars'
 
 3*24 APPENDIX. 
 
 hill, I thought it impossible that I should have 
 to mount any higher, but to my great amazement 
 on turning the corner, I perceived nearly perpen- 
 dicularly before me, one infinitely more steep 
 than that which I had ascended, and was informed 
 that I still had three more to mount before I 
 reached Deadwood camp. On arriving at the 
 summit of the second hill, I turned to look down 
 upon James's Town, which from this spot seemed 
 to me like a parcel of card houses scattered about 
 in a narrow passage. The road now became 
 more open, but nothing like trees or vegetables 
 are to be seen, on every side wild staring ravines 
 and fantastic or hideous rocks. Arriving at the 
 Alarm House, (a post from which ships are seen 
 at a great distance,) I had a fine view of the ocean, 
 and the roads, with many ships lying at anchor, 
 and the guard brigs cruizing to windward and 
 to leeward of the island. For the first time I 
 now obtained a distant sight of Longwood, at 
 the other side of the Devil's Punch Bowl. This 
 " bowl " is most properly so named, for it is 
 really a hollow of enormous volcanic horrors, truly 
 diabolical in their appearance ; nothing is seen to 
 relieve the eye but a small cultivated patch on 
 one side near to the bottom, which forms a strange 
 contrast to the surrounding bunvimess. You 
 there behold two neat cottages with gardens of
 
 APPENDIX. 52.5 
 
 fruits and flowers,* which seem as if they had 
 dropped from some happier region into this de- 
 moniac bowl. On arriving at Hut's Gate, the 
 scene again changed. Diana's Peak, clothed 
 with verdure, and reaching nearly to the clouds, 
 opens to view Fisher's Valley,-^ which winding be- 
 neath in varied beauty, adorned with a handsome 
 house, and groves of trees, psesents a charming 
 relief after the painful scene of desolation and 
 barrenness through which I had passed. After 
 passing Longwood gates, I perceived Deadwood 
 camp. The picturesque appearance of the tents 
 in the wood, their snowy whiteness contrasted 
 with the dark blue shade of the gum-wood trees, 
 produced a novel and theatrical effect upon me ; 
 and I thought that I had never beheld a tout 
 ensemble more interesting. On a nearer approach, 
 however, I admired less the appearance of the 
 trees ; they were all blown to one side by the 
 trade wind, and upon examination and inquiry, I 
 was surprised to find that they are of so baleful a 
 nature, that a large space under each tree is ren- 
 dered black and unproductive by their pernicious 
 
 * The reader will observe, that care was taken to exclude Napo- 
 leon from any little enjoyment which those few fortunate spots might 
 offer, by confining him to the high road. 
 
 t Before Sir Hudson Lowe's arrival, this was a favourite ride of 
 Napoleon's ; soon after, the governor excluded it from the limits al- 
 lotted for the French prisoners.
 
 526 APPENDIX. 
 
 droppings. They are of a singular shape, being 
 formed somewhat like an umbrella, with a very 
 small narrow leaf." 
 
 Dcadwood, December, 1815. 
 
 " I have scarcely closed my eyes all night, for 
 those abominable fleas. I am covered with bites, 
 and there are this very minute seven or eight 
 skipping upon my pillow. The rats have been 
 running about all night in swarms. When I was 
 tired of driving them away and at last fell asleep, 
 they gnawed holes in the quilt of the bed over 
 me. The rain has poured in at the sides of the 
 tent so much during the night, that my feet were 
 in a puddle up to my ankles. We cannot pro- 
 cure even a few boards to put under our feet, to 
 keep us dry, as wood is so scarce in the island, 
 and our only hopes are, that by patiently waiting 
 a few weeks until some storeship arrives, we may 
 be able to purchase some old packing cases, and 
 contrive to make a sort of floor of them to keep 
 our feet dry. The rats have gnawed through the 
 tub which contains our Cape salt butter, and 
 no fresh butter is to be obtained.* The rain 
 
 * During Sir George Cockburn'g time, a small portion of fresh 
 butter was made for Napoleon's use. After the arrival of his suc- 
 cessor, this was discontinued.
 
 APPENDIX. 527 
 
 has come through the book-shelves and all my 
 books are spoiled : on sending 1 them to be dried 
 in the kitchen, I found that the rain had pene- 
 trated entirely through the sods of the roof, and 
 the servant was up to his knees bailing it out in 
 pails full. The wet in the tent has rendered my 
 piano quite mute, and I cannot execute a single 
 tune. We sent to the messman to request him 
 to spare us two or three pounds of fresh meat for 
 dinner, but he replied that he had not enough for 
 the officers' dinner ; we then sent to the quarter- 
 master serjeant, to beg of him to let us have some 
 salt ration pork or beef, some bread, and a few 
 potatoes : he sent us word that no bread had ar- 
 rived from town as the roads were so bad as to 
 be nearly impassable ; that he had received no 
 potatoes for some days ; and very little ration 
 pork, of which he spared us a small piece with 
 a little rice. We sent John with some dollars 
 amongst the farmers to purchase a few potatoes, 
 or other vegetables ; bat he returned after several 
 hours' fatigue without any thing, as the natives sel- 
 dom take the pains to plant other vegetables than 
 potatoes, which they send to the town in sacks to 
 sell or barter at a high price to the East India- 
 men, living themselves on salt pork and rice. 
 We were, therefore, obliged to content ourselves 
 with this St. Helena fare, and to order the cook
 
 528 APPENDIX. 
 
 to keep the skimmings of the fat pork to burn in 
 our lamp as our candles are almost gone, and 
 none will be issued from the stores until next 
 month. We could procure no firewood, as there 
 is a prohibition from cutting down the gum- wood 
 trees without leave from the government, and were 
 obliged to make our servant cut some of the 
 brambles called bringels to cook our dinner." 
 
 NAPOLEON, 
 
 Ne a Ajaccio le 15 Aout, 1769. 
 Mort d Ste. Helene le 5 Mai, 182.1. 
 
 Cette plaque d'argent destinee a etre placee 
 sur le cerceuil de L'Empereur Napoleon, a etc 
 ordonnd a M. Darling par le Comte de Montholon. 
 Le gouverneur de Ste. Hellene, en ayant e'te' in- 
 struit, a dclar au Comte de Montholon qu'il s'y 
 opposait, et que d'apres les instructions de son 
 gouvernement, s'il y avoit une inscription sur le 
 cercqy. elle seroit le General Buonaparte. 
 
 (Signt) LE CTE. DE MONTHOLON. 
 
 Londres, le 2nd Oct. 1821. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 J M 'Cowan mrul &>n. Gnat H'u.Jmtll Street,
 
 I N D P: X. 
 
 ABSTINENCE, Napoleon's, ii. 257 
 Accouchement of the Countess Bertrand, i. 338 
 
 . of Marie Louise, ii. 3Q7 
 
 Adamant, arrival of, i. 31? 
 
 Admiralty, English, i. 483 
 
 Albuera, battle of, ii. 194 
 
 Alexander, Emperor of Russia, his character, i. 228, 248. His 
 
 views on Turkey, 382. Asks Napoleon's advice respecting 
 
 the conduct of his ambassador in China, 510. His attention 
 
 to military trifles, ii. 48 Proposes that Napoleon should 
 
 marry his sister, 159 
 Alexandria, i. 375 
 Algerines, i. 171, 306, 502 
 Allies, their declaration at Vienna, ii. 481 
 Ambassadors, not the representatives of sovereigns, ii. 175 
 
 Persian, anecdote, of, ii. 292 
 
 Amherst, lord, his embassy to China, i. 469. Ought to have 
 
 gone through the Ko-tou, 475, 509, ii. 68. Arrives at St. 
 
 Helena, and visits Napoleon, 112. The emperor's opinion 
 
 of his embassy, 174 
 
 Amiens, the treaty of, first violated by the English, ii. 21 
 Anecdotes, i. 35, 58, 105, 124, 180, 322, 429, 435, 4fS, 490. 
 
 ii. 4, 5, 35, 36, 65, 118, 124, 146, 172, 184, 2 1 9, 220, 268, 
 
 292,300,348, 361, 369 
 
 Anglesea, marquis of, wounded at Waterloo, ii. 162 
 Angouleme, duke de, ii. 392 
 
 duchess of, i. 487 
 
 Antommarchi, Dr. his letter to Signer S. Colonna, ii. 498 
 
 Archambaud, i. 165 
 
 Arcola, ii. 2, 226 
 
 Aristocracy, English, condemned by Napoleon, i. 478. ii. 252, 
 
 380 
 
 VOL. II. 3 Y
 
 530 INDEX. 
 
 Army, Napoleon's confidence in, ii. 268 
 
 Artois, count de, his conduct at Lyons, i. 104. His escape, ii 
 
 270 
 Assassination, defended by Talleyrand, ii. 191 
 
 Napoleons few precautions against, ii. 225 
 
 fears of at Longwood, ii. 272 
 
 of General Duphot, ii. 353 
 
 (intended) of Napoleon, i. 339, 341, 344, 345, 
 
 354, 449, 461 
 
 of Joseph Bonaparte, ii. 310 
 
 of Saliceti, ii. 312 
 
 of Sir H. Lowe, ii. 390 
 
 Atheism, denied by Napoleon, i. 444 
 
 Austerlitz, battle of, i. 225 
 
 Austria, the emperor of, his private understanding- with Napo- 
 leon after the return from Elba, i. 297- His character, ii. 9. 
 Forbids the murder of Napoleon, 42. Implores pardon of 
 Napoleon, 43. His ideas of high birth, 296 
 
 BAGGAGE, excess of in the English armies, ii. 50 
 Baildon, Dr., ii. 443 
 Balcombe, Mr., i. 425. ii. 103 
 
 Mrs., i. 385, 415 
 
 Misses, i. 385, 415 
 
 Balmaine, count, i. 168, 475, 511, ii. 14, 295 
 
 Balston, captain, ii. 89 
 
 Bankruptcy, national, ii. 189 
 
 Barber, Mr., ii. 373 
 
 Baring, gunner of the, ii. 98, 102, 108, 1 14, 464 
 
 Baring, Mr. letter of his firm to Bertrand, ii. 180 
 
 Barras, character, of, i. 188. ii. 171, 225. Made general in chief 
 
 by the convention, 361 
 Barrere, ii. 171 
 
 Bathurs^ord, i. 19. ii. 75, 142, 397, 445 
 Bavarian, defection of, ii. 394 
 Baxter, Mr., i. 278, 285, 286 
 
 Beauharnois, Eugene, his first interview with Napoleon, i. 180 
 Bed-room, Napoleon's, described, i. 40 
 v Beet-root, sugar from, i. 423 
 Belgians, attached to Napoleon, i. 424 
 Belgium, ii. 56 
 
 Bergen-op-Zoom, siege of, ii. 194 
 Berri, duke de, i. A \ 7 
 Bernadotte, ii. 43, 364 
 Bernstorf, his despatches' opened. :;. 2^s
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Bertrand, count, accompanies Napoleon to M. inoi?i.^,i. 2. Takes 
 up his abode at Hut's Gate, 17- Receives a visit from Sir H. 
 Lowe respecting the necessity of Napoleon being- daily seen 
 by some British officer, 38. Condemned to death by the 
 French government, 81. Removes toLongwood, 169. His 
 brother no longer an exile, 425. Bill drawn by him for Sir 
 H. Lowe's approval, 426. Receives a letter from Messrs. Ba- 
 ring and Co. ii. 180. Wishes for a certificate of life for the 
 countess, 184. Letter to Sir H. Lowe respecting Mr. Elphin- 
 stone's presents, 461. To the gunner of the Baring, 464. 
 To Sir. H. Lowe respecting the grievances at Longwood, 
 471. To Cardinal Fesch, 478. To Lord Liverpool, 502 
 
 countess, i. 17. Her accouchement, 338 
 
 Bessiere, Madame la Marechal, i. 454 
 
 Bingham, Sir George, i. 244 
 
 lady, i. 434 
 
 Blacas, i. 225, 486, 489 
 
 Blakeney, captain, ii. 210 
 
 Blucher, character of, i. 200. His contempt for the French, 429 
 Saved by his Cossacs, 429 
 
 Bonaparte, Buenaventura, ii. 297 
 
 Joseph, i. 232, 359, 360. ii. 310 
 
 Lucien, ii. 291, 293 
 
 Napoleon, leaves the Bellerophon for the Northum- 
 berland, i. 1. His habits during the voyage to St. Helena, 7. 
 Arrival at St. Helena, 8. Residence at the Briars, II. Re- 
 moves to Longwood, 15. Begins to write his memoirs, 17. 
 Generosity to an old Malay, 19. Space allotted for his walks 
 20. Precautions against his escape, 21. His opinon of Mu- 
 rat, 24. Of Miss Williams's " Present State of France," 24. 
 His hours of rising, 24. Habits at Longwood, 25. Refuses to 
 see Sir Hudson Lowe, 27. Subsequent interview with Sir 
 Hudson, 28. Opinion of SirG. Cockburn, 29 and 34. Dis- 
 approves of, and alters the paper sent for the signature of his 
 friends, 31. His aversion to St. Helena, 33. Interview with 
 Captain Hamilton, 33. With Colonel and Miss Wilks, 34. 
 Anecdote of Corvisart, 35. Reproaches the English govern- 
 ment far sending out ships without chronometers, 36. Ques- 
 tions O'Meara as to his precise situation, relative to himself, 
 47. His opinion of Sir H. Lowe, 43, 48, 94, 128, 163, 170, 
 21 1, 229, 235, 244, 248, 2/9, 284, 297,301, 357, 443, 445 
 456. ii. 141, 187, 262, 345. Apprehensions of the gout, i. 45. 
 Affected with catarrhal symptoms, 48. Character of Sir J, 
 Moore, 55. Of Kleber, 0. Account of Villeneuve and of 
 his death, 56. Character of Barrf'-. f>"J. Anecdotes in proof
 
 532 INDEX. 
 
 of the poverty of St. Helena, 58. His practice in case of ma- 
 lady, 60. His opinions respecting 1 marriage, 60. Conversa- 
 tions respecting- Warden, 6J . His idea of necessary im- 
 provements in London, 62. His opinion of Sir P. Malcolm, 
 65. Of Lord Holland, 66. Receives Mr. Baxter, 68. His 
 toilette, 82. Complains of a pain in his right side, 83. Re- 
 ceives Colonel Keating', 84. Rides out for the first time for 
 eight weeks, 88. His birth day, 89. His conversation with 
 Sir H. Lowe, 94. His opinion of Sarazin, 96. Writes a letter 
 to the English government, complaining of Sir H.Lowe, 101. 
 Complains of being deprived of the newspapers, 101. Cha- 
 racter of the king of Prussia, 102. Of the Bourbons, 103. 
 Anecdote of an old woman, 105. Character of Soult, 105, 
 Wishes to send sealed letters to bankers in Paris or London, 
 109. Orders his plate to be broken up for sale, 120. His in- 
 tended mode of living in England, 125. Praise of Prince 
 Leopold, 138. Numberof his establishment reduced, 141. His 
 declaration, 157. His reasons for retainingthetitleof emperor, 
 161. Characters of Savary and Fouche, 163. His idea of national 
 titles, 164. One of his cheeks tumefied, 170 Of the Alge- 
 rines,!71. Of the Neapolitans 171- Of the English national 
 debt, 172. Of the English as soldiers, 173. Of the battle of 
 Waterloo, 174. Of Wellington, 175. Of Pitt's politics, 176. 
 Of the English seamen, 177- Of the French seamen, 177. 
 Of the American, 178. Seriously indisposed, 178. Recovers, 
 179. Of the Empress Josephine, 179. Of Eugene Beauhar- 
 nois, 180. Indisposed, 180. Refuses medicine, 181. His 
 reason for encouraging the Jews, 183. Of the freemasons, 
 185. OfCarnot, 187. Of Barras, 188. Of the Poles, 190. 
 His intention of crowning Poniatowsky, 191. His march to 
 Moscow, 191. Abode there, 193. Of the conflagration, 191 
 Of religion, 197- Of man, 198. Confesses himself a Predes- 
 tinarian, 199. Of Blucher, 200. Of the English soldiers, 200. 
 Of the Italians, 202. Of the Prussians, Russians, and Ger- 
 mans, 202. Of Prince Charles, 203. Of Schwartzenberg. 
 203. Of General O'Hara, 203. Of the siege of Toulon, 203, 
 Of the Neapolitans, 206. His private understanding with the 
 Emperor of Austria after the return from Elba, 206. Always 
 willing to make peace with England, 207. His character of 
 Sir Sydney Smith, 209. Challenged by Sir S. Smith ; 2 10. Of 
 his intentions with regard to Spain, 210. Opinion of Tal lev- 
 rand, 214. Account of Duroc, 219. Anxiety for Las Cases, 
 225. Of the distresses in England, 226. Of the King of 
 Saxony, 228. Of the King of Bavaria, 228. Of Alexander, 
 228, Fears for his memoirs, 229. Opinion of his brother
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Joseph, 232. His concern for O'Meara, 233. Wishes Las 
 Cases to leave St. Helena, 234. Opinion of Der.aix, Kleber. 
 Soult, Moreau, 237. Of Lasnes. 238. Of Massena, 239. Of 
 Pichegru,240. Recounts his early life, 249. Denies having ever 
 offered his services to England, 250. Of Gen. Paoli,250. Of 
 the English expedition to Copenhagen, 251. Of the English 
 smugglers, 252. Of the expedition to Walcheren, 254. Of 
 Robespierre, 259. Of the situation of England, 260. Of the 
 probability of a revolution in France, 272. Of Georges' con- 
 spiracy, 273. Of Moreau's death, 274. Of St. Priest's death, 
 275. Narrow escape on the island of Lobau, 276. Attack of 
 nervous fever, 276. Wishes his body to be burnt, 277- Cha- 
 racter of Pozzo di Borgo, 290. Desires to have an interview 
 with Las Cases before his departure, 291. Protests against 
 Sir H. Lowe's conduct, 295. Presents O'Meara with a snuff- 
 box, 303. Of the attack on Algiers, 306. Of Nelson, 308. 
 Of the treatment of the French prisoners, 323. Of the detain- 
 ment of the English travellers, 326. Of Miot, 328. Reply to 
 the charge of poisoning his sick, and causing four thousand 
 Turks to be shot at Jaffa, 329. Visits Countess Bertrand, 338. 
 Accountof Ceracchi's conspiracy, 339. Of the infernal machine, 
 340. Of the attempt to assassinate him at Schoenbrunn,344. 
 Of a similar attempt against him, in his own chapel, 345. 
 Intended to invade England, 349. Opinion of the canaille, 
 35 J. Would abolish flogging in the navy, 351. More na- 
 tional spirit in England than in France, 352. Proposed a 
 commercial treaty with England, 353. Had not aimed at 
 universal dominion, 354. His mode of paying off the English 
 national debt, 354. Of Catholic emancipation, 355. Anger 
 towards Sir H. Lowe for having accepted Admiral Malcolm's 
 intermediation, and then not moving in the business, 357. Mes- 
 sage to Sir H. Lowe, 358. Disputes with Sit H. Lowe, re- 
 specting his restrictions, 358, 360, 368. Complains of the 
 English, 369. Disputes respecting the restrictions, 371. His 
 belief in fatality, 373. The English should have retained pos- 
 session of Alexandria, 375. Letter to the Emperor Paul, 378. 
 Of his assassination, 379- Agreement with him to invade 
 India, 381. Danger to India from the Russians, 381. An- 
 xiety for Count Montholon, 383. Of Grouchy, 385. Of 
 Soult, 386. Of Ney, 3S6. Of Mouton Duvernet, 387. W 7 as 
 the sovereign of the people, 388. The English guided by in- 
 terest, 389. Remarks upon Longwood, 390. The means of ex- 
 tricating England from her difficulties, 395. Of Sir H. Lowe's 
 cruelty,396. Of Carnot, 400. Of Clarke, 400. His inten- 
 tions towards England, 402. Denies having expressed any
 
 534 INDEX. 
 
 abhorrence of the English uniform, 402. Asks O'Meara his 
 opinion of himself, 403. Denies having- ever committed any 
 crimes, 404. His mode of acting-, 404. Of Warden's book, 
 416. Exposes its errors, 416. Of the prisoners at Jaffa, 416. 
 Of Wright,4l7. Of Lord Castlereag-h, 421. Of Talleyrand, 
 421 . Of the means of relieving- the commercial distresses of 
 England, 423. France would have been independent of colo- 
 nial produce, 423. The Belgians attached to him, 424. Nearly 
 taken prisoner by the U hlans,427. People more anxious to learn 
 theot*ethanthequalitiesof a greatman,430. Theanswers 
 sent up by Sir. H.Lowe full of imbecility, 434. Of Talleyrand, 
 434. Of the report of his having turned Mahometan, 436. His 
 contest with the I mans, 436. His plans for making canals in 
 Egypt, 438. Of Menou, 439. Of the 13th of Vendemiaire, 
 440. Of the French bulletins, 442. Of the English ministry, 
 442. Of Talleyrand's mission to Warsaw, 447. OfNey, 447- 
 Of Lavalette, 449. Of Pichegru's conspiracy, 449. Of Ma- 
 dame Montholon, 456. Complains of swellings in his legs, 
 456. Of Pichon, Chateaubriand, &c., 456. Of Fox, 458. Of 
 his treatment at Elba, 461. Of Ferdinand of Spain, 461. Of 
 Josephine, 461. Of Waterloo, 463. Of Wellington, 463. His 
 contempt for libels, 466. Of Goldsmith, Pichon, and the 
 Quarterly review, 467. Of his marriages, 467. Intentions 
 with respect to England, 469. Of Lord Amherst's embassy, 
 471. Refuses to see Lord Amherst if presented by Sir H. 
 Lowe, 472. Of the plague, 473. Of the English manufac- 
 tures, 473. His encouragement to French trade, 474. Of 
 Lord Amherst's embassy, 475. Of his departure from Egypt, 
 476. Conversation with Captain Cook and Mr. Mackenzie, 
 477- Liked by the English sailors, 478. Of Waterloo and 
 Wellington, 479. Of the English national spirit, 481. Of 
 Good Friday, 481 . His oath at his coronation, 481 . Of Hoehe, 
 482. Of the English admiralty, 483. Of French and English 
 liberty, 484. Of Lord Castlereag-h, 486. Of Blacas's forgery, 
 486. Of Louis, 487. Of Mademoiselle Raucour, 488. Made 
 the burial grounds independent of the friars, 489. Would not 
 consent to the peace of Chatillon, 490. Of Davoust, Suchet, 
 and Massena, 492. Of Clausel, Gerard, and Soult, 493. Of 
 Cornwallis, 496. Asylum in England offered to him by Lord 
 Castlereagh, 497- Of Baron Stein, 498. His power to destroy 
 Prussia and Austria, 499. Of Metternich, 499. Lord Whir- 
 worth's interview with him, 500. The machiavelism of the 
 English Ministry, 502. His dislike to the pirates of Algiers 
 arid Tunis, 502. Of Lord Exmouth, 503. Assisted in the 
 passage of the Meuse by the English seamen, 505. His guard
 
 INDEX. 535 
 
 formed by them at Elba, 507. Delighted with the races, 507. 
 The English ought to have submitted to the Chinese etiquette, 
 510. His advice to the emperor of Russia on the same sub- 
 ject, 510. Refuses his consent to Talleyrand's proposal of pro- 
 curing- the assassination of the Bourbons, 510. Employed in 
 writing an account of the seven years' war of the Great Fre- 
 derick, 511. His opinion of medicine, ii. 2. Anecdote of 
 the Marseillois, 4. Prohibited the making of eunuchs under 
 pain of death, j. His habits of business, 9. Opinion of the 
 Emperor of Austria, 9. Of the Corsicans, 12. Continues to 
 write his observationjs on the works of Frederick the G reat, 1 5. 
 Of the Corsicans, 17. Of Sir H. Lowe, 18. Of the French 
 prisoners in England, 19. Of the attack by the English on 
 Copenhagen, 20. Of the seizure of the Spanish frigates, 21. 
 The peace of Amiens violated by the English, 21. The Eng- 
 lish offer to assist in making him King of France, on condition 
 of his surrendering to them Malta, 21. Of Captain Wright, 
 24. Of the French and English prisoners, 26. Of the 
 Princess of Wales, 32. Of Prince Leopold, 33. Of the 
 plots against his life, 33. Of the Venetians, 36. Of Count 
 D'Entraigues, 36. Of Moreau, 40. Of Pichegru's plot, 41 . 
 Of the Emperor of Austria, 42. Of Bernadotte, 43. Of 
 Brueys, 44. Of the French and English sailors, 47. Of the 
 Emperor Alexander, and the king of Prussia, 48. Of the Eng- 
 lish armies, 50. Of the English cavalry, 51. Of Russia, 53. 
 Of the Emperor Paul, 53. His own final intentions in regard 
 to Europe, 56. Of the Duke d'Enghien, 59. OfPichegru, 
 59. Of Cromwell, 59. Of Madame de Stael, 65. Of the em- 
 bassy to China, 68. Of the proper policy of England, 69 
 77- Of the French prisoners, 84. Of Santini, 92. Anxiety 
 to possess his son's bust, 98. Character of his mother, 100. 
 of Josephine, 101. OfMurat, 104. Of the Neapolitans, 105. 
 Possibility of his remaining in France after the battle of Wa- 
 terloo, 106. His title to the crown of France, 113. Visitfrom 
 Lord Amherst, 117- His general policy, 120. OfWurmser, 
 124. His precautions against the plague at Jaffa, 128. Let- 
 ter to Sir H. Lowe, 130. Message to Sir H. Lowe, 132. Thinks 
 that he is harshly treated that he may be driven to suicide, 
 142. Reply to Lord Bathurst's speech, 142. Of Poussilgue, 
 145, Of the Mamelukes, 146. His birth day, 146. Anec- 
 dote of twoEnglish sailors, 146. Of the Prince of Orange, 146. 
 Of the Queen of Prussia, 150. Malta the fittest place for his 
 abode, 151. His wish to visit England incognito, 154. His 
 plan to attack the allhes in Paris, 157. Alexander's wish that 
 he should marry his sister, 159. Of Narbonne, 160. Nearly
 
 J)3G INDEX. 
 
 taken Prisoner at Waterloo, 101. Of the concordat with the 
 Pope, 165. Of Spain, 166. His History of Corsica, 1C*. Mis 
 prize-essay at Lyons, 169. Of Robespierre, 169. Of Marat, 
 170. Of Hebert'Chaumette, Collotd'Herbois, 170. Of Marie 
 Antoinette, 17*2. Anecdote of Sieyes, 172. Of the embassy 
 to China, 174. Of Captain Wright, 181. Of Sir. S. Smith, 
 182, Of Lord Wellington, 184. Of the means of relieving 
 the distress of England, 189. Of English manners, 192. Of 
 Marshal Jonrdarf and the battle of Albuera, 194. Of Wel- 
 lington's mode of carrying on sieges, 194. Conversation with 
 Admiral Plampin respecting naval affairs, 196. His in- 
 tended invasion of India, 197- Of Surinam, 201. Of the 
 pontons, 202. Of the Manuscrit venu de Ste. Helene, 204. 
 Of Sir H. Lowe's offer to build him a new house, 206. Of Mr. 
 Boys, 211. Of the English Catholics, 211. Much pleased 
 with the races, 213. Of Miss G * *, 209. Persists in staying 
 at home to avoid insults, 223. Of the Edinburgh review, 225. 
 Takes no precautions against assassination, 225. Nearly 
 drowned when a boy, 227- His property seized by **, 228. 
 Of the talents requisite for a good general, 229. Of earth- 
 qaakes,232. Of the proper policy of the English in regard to 
 India, 232. Seriously indisposed, 235. Of patron saints, 
 246. Anecdote of an Italian priest, 2 \1 . Of medical men, 
 248. Anecdote of Sieyes, 250. Of Larrey, 251. His dis- 
 like to medicine, 256. His abstinence, 257- Communicates 
 his wishes to Sir H. Lowe through Bertrand,2f>4. Of his re- 
 ception by the French OD his return from Italy, 267. His con- 
 fidence in the French army, 268. Refuses to be styled Ge- 
 neral Bonaparte, 273. Refuses the advice of O'Meara, 279. 
 His grief at his son's being disinherited from the succession to 
 the Duchies of Parma, &c., 285. His feelings when in private, 
 286. Of the London post-office, 286. Of Lord Cochrane, 
 291. Anecdote of a Persian ambassador in Paris, 292. Of 
 Lucien, 293. Of his foster-brother, 294. Of Talma, 295. 
 His wishes respecting his body after death, 338. Disapproba- 
 tion of the English custom of shutting up shops on Sunday, 
 344. Refuses to see Mr. Baxter, 346. Anecdote of Richelieu, 
 348. Of his having been generally acknowledged emperor, 
 350. Of the treaty of Tolentino, 353. Of the Venetians, 355. 
 The convention saved by him, 359. His humanity to his 
 soldiers, 361. His conduct to Col. Pepin,361. Of Marie 
 Louise, 367. His respect for the laws, 369. Of his marriage, 
 r,7<). His plans against England, 378. His government in 
 France, 384. His admiration of Corneille, 391. Hisopinion 
 of Mnitland, 392. Causes of his downfall, 393. Of the cam-
 
 INDEX. 537 
 
 paign of 1813, 393. Letter to the empress in favour of 
 O'Meara, 417. Presents to O'Meara, 417. His proposal to 
 assume the incognito, 459. His protest, 483. Lettre adressee 
 an Comte de Las Cases, 510. His declaration, 514. Proposed 
 inscription on his tomb-stone, 528 
 
 Bonvivant, ii. 369 
 
 Bourbons, i. 186, 388, 394, 408, 482, 487. ii. 59, 120, 164 
 
 Bouvet de Lozier, i. 451 
 
 Boys, Mr. censured by Napolean, ii. 210 
 
 Briars (the), account of, i. 10 
 
 Brienne, battle of, i. 421 
 
 Brook, Mr., ii. 184 
 
 Brook's History of St. Helena, extracts from, ii. 433 
 
 Brueys, admiral, ii. 44 
 
 Bulletins, i. 442. ii. 398 
 
 Burdett, Sir Francis, ii. 84 
 
 Bust of young- Napoleon, ii. 98, 102, 108, 114 
 
 CAMBRIDGE storeship, ii. 366 
 Cambronne, ii. 269 
 Campan, Madame, ii. 172 
 Campaign of 1813, ii. 393 
 Campbell, colonel, i. 460 
 
 captain, ii. 1 
 
 Canaille, i. 351, 427, 440. ii. 379, 385 
 
 Canals, intended by Napoleon in Egypt, i. 438 
 
 Cannes, ii. 268 
 
 Canosa, prince of, ii. 305 
 
 Capri, commanded by Sir H. Lowe, ii. 302. Surrendered by 
 
 him to the French, 329 
 Carnot, sketch of his life, i. 187. Clarke's conduct towards 
 
 him, 400. His character, ii. 172 
 Caroline, queen, ii. 138 
 Cassetti, ii. 301 
 Castlereagh, lord, i. 260, 394, 395,401,421,459,468,486, 
 
 497. ii. 158, 164,221,352 
 Catholics, emancipation of, i. 355. ii. 21 1 , 224 
 Cavalry, English, inferior to the French, ii. 51 
 Caulaincourt, i. 428, 489. ii. 221 
 
 Ceracchi, his attempt against the life of Napoleon, i. 339 
 Cesar, Napoleon's coachman, i. 343 
 Charles, a mulatto, i. 265 
 Charles, Prince, his character, i. 203 
 Charlotte, princess, ii. 146. Her death, 366, 371 
 Chateaubriand, i. 457- ii. 16, 363 
 Chatham, lord, ii. 22 
 
 VOL. it. 8 z
 
 538 INDEX. 
 
 Chatillon, peace of, i. 490. ii. 15 
 
 China, i. 471, 475. ii. 08, 174, 404 
 
 emperor of, his edict, i. 509 
 
 Churchill, Mr., i. 476 
 
 Misses, i. 476 
 
 Ciphers, easily read, ii. 285 
 
 Cipriani, dangerously ill, ii. 386. His death, 389 
 
 Clarke his conduct to Carnot, i. 400. His character, 400 
 
 Clausel, i. 493 
 
 Cochrane, lord, ii. 291 
 
 Cockburn, Sir George, sails with Napoleon, i. 1 . Evening" par- 
 ties, 13. Repairs Long-wood, 14. Stations two cruizers ofF 
 St. Helena, 32. Calls on Gourgaud's mother in Paris, 413. 
 His opinion of Napoleon, 431. His own character by the 
 emperor, ii. 140, 240 
 
 Codicil to Napoleon's will, ii. 339 
 
 Coffee, grows in the South of France, i. 424 
 
 Cole, Mr. ii. 187 
 
 Colonies, English, France independent of their produce, i 423 
 
 Commerce, distress of the English, i. 395, 423 
 
 treaty of, proposed by Napoleon to England, i. 353 
 
 Commissioners, of France, Russia, and Austria, their arrival at 
 St. Helena, i. 63. Sir H. Lowe's aversion to them, ii. 270 
 
 Concordat of the Bourbons with the Pope, ii. 164 
 
 Condorcet, ii. 152 
 
 Congress of Vienna, their determination to send Napoleon from 
 Elba to St. Helena, i. 84 
 
 Conscription, ii. 381 
 
 Conspiracies against Napoleon, 
 
 by Ceracchi, i. 339 
 
 by St. Regent, Imolan, &c. i. 341, 354 
 
 by a young man at Schoenbrunn, i. 354 
 
 by a Saxon, i. 347 
 
 by Pichegru, i. 449 
 
 by the allies, i. 461 
 
 Conspiracy, Napoleon's disregard of, ii. 225 
 
 Convention, in danger, ii. 359. Offer the chief command to 
 Napoleon, 360. Saved by Napoleon, 360 
 
 Cook, captain, i. 477, 479 
 
 Cooper (French) anecdote of, ii. 369 
 
 Copenhagen, the expedition to, i. 251. ii. 20 
 
 Corneille, ii. 391 
 
 Cornwallis, marquis of, i. 496 
 
 Corsica, history of by Napoleon, ii. 168 
 
 Corsicans their character, ii. 12, 17
 
 INDEX. 539 
 
 Corvisart, his character, i. 35. Refuses to attend Louis, 487 
 
 Coster, i. 449 
 
 Cossacs, i. 427, 429. 
 
 Courier newspaper, ii. 181 
 
 Crime, Napoleon denies having committed any, i. 404, 468 
 
 Crescentini, ii. 7 
 
 Cromwell, ii. 60 
 
 Curate of St. Roch, i. 488 
 
 D'ANGOULEME, duke, ii. 392 
 
 duchess, i. 487 
 
 D'Artois, count, i. 104. ii. 270 
 
 Daru, count, ii. 35 
 
 David transport, arrival Of. i. 391 
 
 Davie, captain, ii. 113 
 
 Davoust, i. 432, 492 
 
 Deadwood, camp at, i. 20, 265. Races at 507, idem, ii. 212 
 
 Debt, (the national) of England, i. 172, 355,395 
 
 Declaration of the allies, ii. 481 
 
 Deciphering, (private office for,) in Paris, ii. 288 
 
 Defection of the Bavarians, ii. 394 
 
 D6jeune de trois Amis, ii. 225 
 
 D'Enghien, duke, i. 335, 417, 460, 468. ii. 59 
 
 Denon, i. 435 
 
 D'Entraigues, count, his arrest by Bernadotte, ii. 37. Betrays 
 
 the Bourbons, 37- Escapes to Switzerland, 38. Calumniates 
 
 Napoleon, 38 
 Desaix, i. 237,310. ii. 39 
 Desgenettes, his conduct at Jaffa, i. 331 
 Desnouettes Lefebvre, i. 254 
 Destiny, Napoleon's belief in, i. 199, 373. ii. 4, 5, 6, 226, 256, 
 
 261 
 Directory, French, their conduct towards Napoleon, ii. 207. 
 
 Corrupted by the Venetians, 355 
 Disturbances in England, i. 426 
 
 Dominion, (universal,) not aimed at by Napoleon, i. 354, 461 
 Dorset, duchess of, ii. 123 
 Douglas, major, i. 210 
 Downfall, (Napoleon's) its causes, ii. 398 
 Drake, i. 282 
 Dubois, ii. 367 
 Dugommier, general, high opinion of entertained by Napoleon 
 
 i. 251 
 
 Duphot, General, ii. 353 
 Duroc, i. 219. ii. 62
 
 540 INDEX. 
 
 EDINBURGH Review, ii. 205, 225 
 
 Education, ii. 385 
 
 Egypt, Napoleon's plans for making canals there, i. 438. Rea- 
 sons for leaving it, 420 
 
 El-Arish, capitulation, i. 509 
 
 Elba, Napoleon's reasons for quitting it, i. 459 
 
 Ellis, embassy to China, ii. 404 
 
 Elphinstone, Mr. his presents to Napoleon, ii. 117, 461 
 
 Emancipation, catholic, i. 355. ii. 224 
 
 Embassy, Lord Amherst's to China, i. 469, 475, 609. ii. 68, 174 
 
 Emperor, disputes with Napoleon concerning that title, i. 154, 
 159, 161 
 
 Enghien, due de, i. 335, 417, 450, 468. ii. 59 
 
 England, i. 226, 260, 349, 411, 423, 426, 461, 469, 474, 497. 
 ii. 77, 155, 189 
 
 English, Napoleon's opinion of them, i. 244, 389 ii. 19. Their 
 dislike of the French, 52. Their detention in France, 57. 
 Their preference of the bottle to women, 193 
 
 English commerce, remedy suggested by Napoleon for its re- 
 lief, i. 395, 423 
 
 manufactures, i. 473 
 
 national debt, i. 354. ii. 67 
 
 travellers, their detainment in France, i. 326. Will 
 
 change the English feeling towards Napoleon, 420 
 
 Entraigues, count de, ii. 37, 38 
 
 Escapes, Napoleon's, at Arcola, ii. 226. At Toulon, 226. From 
 drowning, 227 
 
 Esling, battle of, ii. 168 
 
 Eunuchs, the making of, prohibited by Napoleon, ii. 6 
 
 Excursion from James's To wntoLongwood,descriptionof,ii. 519 
 
 Exmouth Lord, his expedition against Algiers, i. 503 
 
 Expenditure, table of that established at Longwood, ii. 450 
 
 Experiment, her arrival at St. Helena, ii 74 
 
 FAGAN, colonel, ii. 1 1 1 
 
 Fatalism, Napoleon's belief in, i. 199,373. ii.4. Anecdote in 
 confirmation of it, 5. Napoleon's belief in it, 6, 226, 256 261 
 
 Fehrzen, major, ii. 52 
 
 Ferdinand, king of Spain, i. 405, 461. ii. 119, 166 
 
 Fere, (regiment de la) ii. 227 
 
 Festing, captain, i. 462 
 
 Fetes, given to Napoleon on his return from Italy, ii. 267 
 
 Firing (insufficiency of,) at Longwood, ii. 31. Furniture broken 
 up to supply the want of it, 191. Fresh complaints of ite 
 deficiency, 195. Sir H. Lowe regulates it by the consump- 
 tion at Plantation House, 200
 
 INDEX 541 
 
 Flogging in the navy, i. 351 
 
 Fontainbleau, (treaty of,) violated by the allies, i. 460 
 
 Fouche, his character, i. 163. Worse than Robespierre, ii. 170. 
 
 Never in the confidence of Napoleon, 173 
 Fox, i. 458. ii. 121, 124 
 Franceschi, Cipriani, ii. 301 
 Frederick the Great, his seven years' war, i. 511. ii. 15. His 
 
 character as a general, 229 
 Freeman tie, admiral, ii. 330 
 Freemasons, i. 185. ii. 42 
 French heiresses, ii. 221 
 French prisoners, i. 823 
 
 GENERALS, talents requisite to, ii. 229 
 
 Gentilini, i. 165 
 
 Georges, i. 252, 303, 451 
 
 Gerard, i. 493 
 
 Goldsmith, i. 467 
 
 Good-Friday, i. 481 
 
 Gor, Captain,!. 511 
 
 Gorrequer, major, i. 109, 111, 121, 128, 222, 282 
 
 Government, (Napoleon's) defended, ii. 384 
 
 Gourgaud, i. 508, 509. ii. 241 
 
 Graham, general, ii. 195 
 
 Grassini, ii. 7 
 
 Grouchy, i. 385, 482 
 
 Gunner, (of the Baring,) his present of a bust of young Napo- 
 leon to the emperor, ii. 98, 102, 108, 1 14. Count Bertrand's 
 letter to him, 464 
 
 Gustavus, anecdote of, ii. 65 
 
 HALL, William, dismissed from Longwood, ii. 74 
 
 Hamilton, captain, his interview with Napoleon, i. 33 
 
 Haugwitz, i. 226 
 
 Hebert, ii. 170 
 
 Heiresses, French, ii. 221 
 
 Hepatitis, (first appearance of,) in Napoleon, ii. 257 
 
 Hob ho use, Mr., sends his "Last Reign of the Emperor Napoleon" 
 to Bonaparte, i. 84. Kept back by Sir H. Lowe, ii 347 
 
 Hoche, general, i. 482 
 
 Hotison, major, i. 4S3 
 
 Holland, Lord, his protest against the second reading of Bo- 
 naparte's detention bill, i. 66 
 
 Lady, Napoleon's message to her, ii. 516
 
 542 INDEX. 
 
 JAFFA, i. 328, 416. ii. 127 
 
 Jews, encouraged by Napoleon, i. 188 
 
 linans. Napoleon's religious contest with them, i. 436 
 
 Imolan, one of the contrivers of the infernal machine, i. 341 
 
 Impuissance of Gustarus, ii. 65 
 
 supposed, of Napoleon, ii, 65 
 
 Incognito, proposals made by the emperor to assume it, ii. 450 
 
 India, i. 375, 381. ii. 196, 232 
 
 Innes, captain, ii. 1 
 
 Invasion of England, i. 349. ii. 378 
 
 Intrigue, anecdotes of by Napoleon, ii. 218, 220 
 
 Joseph Bonaparte, his character, i. 232. Sovereignty of Span- 
 ish South America proposed to him, 359. His affection for 
 Napoleon, 360 
 
 Josephine, the empress, i. 180, 226, 462, 467. ii. 101 
 
 Jourdan, Marshal, his character, ii. 194 
 
 Journal, Las Cases', seized by Sir H. Lowe, i. 231 
 
 Ireland, i. 469, 482 
 
 Italians, their fidelity to Napoleon, i. 202 
 
 Julia, arrival of, i. 358 
 
 KEATING, colonel, presented to Napoleon, i. 84 
 
 Kleber, his character, i. 50, 237, 438 
 
 Kolli, Baron, ii. 119, 15? 
 
 Ko-tou, i. 469, 475, 509. ii. 68, 174, 177 
 
 LABEDOYERE, at the battle of Waterloo, ii, 162. At Grenoble, 
 
 269. His character, 365 
 La Haye, i. 449 
 
 Lallemand, general, Napoleon's opinion of, i. 512 
 
 Lama, the Grand, ii. 91 
 
 Larrey, his opinion that it would be an act of humanity to 
 comply with the wishes of the sick at Jaffa, i. 331. His cha- 
 racter, ii. 251 
 
 Lasnes, his character, i. 239 
 
 Lavalette, i. 448 
 
 Las Cases, count, i. 217, Taken into custody, 221. Napoleon 
 wishes him to leave St. Helena, 234. Alters his opinion of Sir 
 H. Lowe, 241, 243. His motives for following Napoleon, 
 
 270, 277, 280. Leaves St. Helena, 298. Sends provisions 
 to Napoleon, 426. The cause of Napoleon's irritation against 
 Sir H. Lowe, 446, 455 
 
 jun. his letter to Mr. O'Maara, i. 393 
 
 Lauderdale, lord, i. 20. ii. 351 
 Leipsic, battle of, ii. 395 
 Le Musa. i, 502
 
 INDEX. 543 
 
 Lentils, ii. 210 
 
 Leopold, Prince, ii. 33, 138 
 
 Leslie, his pneumatic machines for making- ice, iOO. 
 
 Letters, regulation of, as applied to Napoleon and his suite, i. 20. 
 All that pass through the London post-office opened, ii. 287 
 
 Libels, Napoleon's contempt for, i. 432, 456, 460. ii. 64, 338 
 
 Liberty, French and English compared, i. 484 
 
 declared by Lord Castlereagh to be merely an usage, 
 
 ii. 159. The battle of Waterloo, fatal to it, 385 
 
 Liver-complaint, its prevalence at St. Helena, ii. 435 
 
 Liverpool, lord, packet addressed to him from Longwood, ii. 262 
 
 Lobau, island of, i. 275 
 
 Lodi, ii. 2 
 
 London post-office, ii. 289 
 
 Napoleon's wish to visit it incognito, ii. 154 
 
 Longwood, description of, i. 10. Improvement of, 14. Napo- 
 leon there, 15. The drawing-room on fire, 80. Scarcity and 
 bad quality of the water, 370. Incredible number of rats, 
 494. Scarcity of fuel, ii. 31. Overrun with spurge, 143. 
 Scarcity of fuel, 191. Idem, 195. State of Count Montho- 
 lon's apartments, 210. Earthquake, 229 
 
 Lorri, Ignatio, ii. 294 
 
 Lowe, (Sir Hudson,) his arrival at St. Helena, i. 26. His installa- 
 tion, 27- Visit to Longwood, 27. First interview with Na- 
 poleon, 28. Sends a declaration to Longwood for the signature 
 of Napoleon's suite, 31. His changes relative to the treat- 
 ment of the French, 37- Orders the shopkeepers to give them 
 no credit, 37. Forbids all communication with them, 37. 
 Places sentinels to keep off all visitors from Longwood, 37- 
 Grows more suspicious, 38. Pays several visits to Longwood, 
 and at last obtains an interview with Napoleon, 38. Alarm 
 at a tree that overhangs the ditches, 39. Orders it to be 
 grubbed up, 39. Visits Count Bertrand, 39. Informs him 
 that Napoleon must be seen daily by some British officer, 39. 
 Wishes Napoleon to dismiss O'Meara, 48. Issues a procla- 
 mation forbidding any person to bear letters to or from Na- 
 poleon, or any of his suite, 48. Washes to reduce Bonaparte's 
 establishment, 89. Sends a letter to Longwood, demanding 
 12,000f. per annum for the maintenance of Napoleon and 
 suite, 98. Threatening language respecting Napoleon, 99. 
 Complains of Napbleon's letters, 124. Expects an apology 
 from Napoleon, 134. Imposes fresh obligations on the French, 
 139. Letter to Napoleon in answer to his declaration, 158. 
 Regulations respecting sentinels, 188. Objects to let the pro- 
 duce of Napoleon's plate be at the disposal of the French, 220.
 
 5-14 INDEX. 
 
 Makes a fresh reduction in the allowance of meat and wine, 
 221. Threatens to send Las Cases off the island, 277. Allows 
 Las Cases to return to Long-wood, 279. Letter to Napoleon, 
 292. Refuses permission to Las Cases to see Napoleon previous 
 to his departure, 297. Sends up some coffee for the use of 
 Napoleon, i.323. Mistakes the meaning of the phrase " nous 
 ecrivons," in a letter of Bertrand's 365. Interference in the 
 kitchen, 367. Selects the newspapers for Napoleon's perusal 
 391. Desires O'Meara to repeat Napoleon's conversations, 
 3.92. Has recommended Lord Bathurst to raise O'Meara's sa- 
 lary to 5001. per annum, 393. His economy, 425. Surprise 
 at the French expenditure, 426. Anger against Las Cases for 
 sending provisions to Napoleon, 426. Allows more liberty to 
 Napoleon, 433. Inspects the ditches, 441. Declares his wisli 
 to accommodate, 456. Expects Captain Poppleton to be a spy 
 on the fol lowers of Napoleon, ii. 8. Changes the livery of Na- 
 poleon's servants, 93. Reproaches O'Meara with not having 
 vindicated him to Napoleon, 129. His minute examination 
 of the bills, 187. His anger against Mr. O'Meara for having 
 borrowed Napoleon's horse for Miss Eliza Balcombe,212. For 
 having lent books to Napoleon, 214. His dislike to the com- 
 missioners, 270. Disputes with Bertrand respecting the con- 
 veyance of letters, 272. Refuses to allow Napoleon the title 
 of emperor, 276. Anecdote of his being duped when com- 
 manding the island of Capri, 300. His letter to Count Mon- 
 tholon,447- His reply to Count Bertrand, 465 
 
 Louis, his letter to Napoleon, i. 418. His qualities, 487- His 
 timidity, 489. Forced upon the French, ii. 59 
 
 L'Ouverture, Toussaint, ii. 198 
 
 Lucien Bonaparte, ii. 291, 293 
 
 Luxembourg, ii. 229 
 
 MACARTNEY, lord, his embassy to China, ii. 174, 177 
 Machiavelism, more practised by the English ministry than 
 
 any other, i. 502 
 
 Machine, infernal, i. 340, 354, 433. ii. 33 
 Machines, too numerous, i. M \ 
 Macirone, colonel, ii. 9 t 
 Mackenzie, Mr., i. 477 
 M'Lean, Dr., i. 232 
 Mahometanism, i. 436 
 Maitland, captain, ii. 392 
 Mahratta, princes, ii. 223 
 Malady, Napoleon's remedy for, i. f'.o 
 Malcolm (Sir Pultenr-y), presented to Napoleon, i. 6,0. Takes
 
 INDEX. 545 
 
 leave of him, 123. Returns from the Cape, 221. Interview 
 with Napoleon, 311,363,462. Defends SirH. Lowe, ii. 17, 
 110. Sails for England, 114. 
 
 Malcolm, lady, i. 462. ii. 109, 114 
 
 Malouet, ii. 22 
 
 Malta, i. 151 
 
 Mamelukes, ii. 145 
 
 Manning, Mr. ii. 89 
 
 Mantua, siege of, ii. 124 
 
 Majiuscrit venu de Ste. Helene, ii. 204, 21 1 
 
 Marat, ii. 170 
 
 Maresca, ii. 301 
 
 Maret, i. 419 
 
 Maria transport arrives at St. Helena, ii. 179 
 
 Marie Antoinette, ii. 172 
 
 Marie Louise, i. 467. ii. 159, 225, 367 
 
 Marchand, i. 234, 293 
 
 Marlborough, ii. 229 
 
 Marmont, his treachery, ii. 157 
 
 Marriage (Napoleon's), particulars of it, ii. 370 
 
 Napoleon's opinion of, i. 60 
 
 Marseillois, characterised by Napoleon, ii. 5 
 
 Massena, his character, i. 239, 387, 384, 492. ii. 342 
 
 Masseria, i. 256 
 
 Maxwell, captain Murray, ii. 117 
 
 Meade, general, i. 114, 115 
 
 Mehee de la Touche, i. 449 
 
 Menou, i. 439. ii. 359 
 
 Merry, Mr., ii. 124 
 
 Metternich, i. 500 
 
 Meuron,i. 124 
 
 Moeurs et Coutumes des Corses, ii. 17 
 
 Meynell (captain), presented to Napoleon, i. 65. The empe- 
 ror's anxiety on account of his illness, ii. 24 
 
 Ministry, the English, i. 442, 473, 484, 501. ii. 21, 28,. 41, 60, 
 154,240 
 
 Miot, i.328 
 
 Moira, lord, ii. 232 
 
 Mole, i, 406 
 
 Money, raised in London for Napoleon's expedition from El- 
 ba, ii. 21 
 
 Napoleon's seized by * *, ii. 223 
 
 Monks, Napoleon's aversion to them, i. 489 
 
 Montchenu (marquis of), his arrival at St. Helena, i. 63. His 
 VOL. II. 4 A
 
 546 INDEX. 
 
 manners, 218. Comes to guard, not to dine with Napoleon, 
 431. His imbecility, 4/6. His indecent language, 508 
 
 Montholon, General, i. 303, 384. ii. 16, 52, 210, 500 
 
 Madame, i. 457 
 
 Moore, (Sir John), his character, i. 55 
 
 Moreau, his character, i. 237- His share in Georges' conspiracy, 
 273. His death, 275. Privy to Pichegru's conspiracy, 452. 
 His character, ii. 35. Anecdote of his death, 36. His conduct 
 towards Pichegru, 40. His celebrated retreat condemned, 40 
 
 Madame, anecdote of, ii. 35 
 
 Moscow, conflagration of, i. 194. Napoleon's retreat from, ii. 
 16, 310 
 
 Mouton Duvernet, i. 387 
 
 Murat, death of, i. 23. His character, 24. His bad conduct, 
 206. His official papers falsified, 486. His expedition to 
 Sicily, ii. 9. His declaration respecting the battle of Wa- 
 terloo, 95. Napoleon's intention of dethroning him, 104. 
 His bravery, 364 
 
 Mussey, i. 450 
 
 NABOBS, ii. 223. 
 
 Naples, descent upon, by Sir J. Stewart, ii. 230 
 
 Narbonne, his character, ii. 160. His birth, 160 
 
 National debt (English), Napoleon's mode of paying it, i. 355, 
 
 395 
 
 spirit, greater in England than in France, i. 352, 481 
 
 Neapolitans, character of, j, 171, 206. ii. 105 
 Nelson, lord, i. 308 
 
 Newspapers(English)editorsof,inthepayoftheBourbons,i.407 
 Ney, his promises to bring back Napoleon in an iron cage, i. 
 
 386 ; his conduct at Fontainbleau, 447 
 
 OATH, Napoleon's at his coronation, i. 481 
 
 Ocean, her arrival at St. Helena, ii, 74 
 
 Officers of the 53rd, their camp at Deadwood, i. 20. Introduced 
 to Napoleon, 23. Receive hints from SirH. Lowe, that their 
 visits to Madame Bertrand "were not agreeable to him, 37 
 
 O'Hara, General, i. 203 
 
 O'Meara, Mr. Barry, his first interview with Napoleon, i. 3. His 
 certificate from Captain Mai tl and, 6. Questioned by Sir H. 
 Lowe, respecting Napoleon, 38. Questioned by Napoleon as 
 to his precise situation in regard to himself, 48. His reply, 48. 
 Singular interview with Napoleon, 1 12. Offers to resign, 147. 
 Assists Count Bertrand in translating the new restrictions, 148. 
 Dines with the commissioners, 168. Attacked by the liver 
 complaint, 232. Attention of Bonaparte to him, 233. En-
 
 \ INDEX. 
 
 deavoV to effect a reconciliation between Napoleon and Sir 
 H. Loi 289. Is presented v, ith a snuff-box by Napoleon, 
 303. lends the character of the English ladies against 
 Fillet, 2\ i s requested by Sir H. Lowe to report Napoleon's 
 convers^ nSj 393. Receives a letter from young Las Cases, 
 393. GiL Napoleon his opinion of himself, 403. More fit 
 to write Lut Napoleon than any one, 430. Defends the 
 practice oJnedicine in a conversation with Bonaparte, ii. 2. 
 Disputes wV Sir H. Lowe, 30. Dispute with Sir H. Lowe 
 respecting L newspapers, 63. Dines with Lord Amherst, 
 116. JnterrVated by Sir H. Lowe, in presence of Sir T. 
 Reade, 137. Y-dered by Sir H. Lowe, to hold no conversa- 
 tion with Nap\ e on except on medical subjects, 163. Refuses 
 to betray Nap^on's confidence, 163. Rallied by Napoleon 
 on his supposedVtachment for Miss **, 218. Reproached by 
 Sir H. Lowe forVjot having defended him and the English 
 ministry against \apoleon, 242. Has a long conversation 
 with Bertrand resWting the bulletins of health, 273. Vio- 
 lently abused by 8r H. Lowe, 282. Disputes with Sir H. 
 Lowe, 298. OrdereV to quit the governor's house, 299. Cen- 
 sured by Sir H. Lo\* for buying- goods for the French at 
 Longwood,336. Refuses to go again to Plantation House, 
 347. Is informed by Sir H. Lowe that he is only tolerated to 
 visit Napoleon, 352. interrogated by the governor respect- 
 ing his conversations With Napoleon, 357. Farther disputes 
 with Sir H. Lowe, 36 1 4 Refuses to give up his rights as an 
 English officer, 375. Recounts to the emperor the manner of 
 his treatment by Sir H. Lowe, 385. Is informed that he is 
 not to pass out of Longwood, 399. Tenders his resignation 
 in consequence, 399. Hasan audience of Napoleon, 399. Is 
 released, 402. Is requested by the colonel of the 66th to with- 
 draw from the mess, 407. Letter from the colonel, 409. Let- 
 ter in reply, 410. Dismissed from attending on Napoleon by 
 
 * the British government,414. Receives a snuff-box and a statue 
 of Napoleon from the emperor himself, 417. His parting 
 from the emperor, 418. His letter to Lord Keith, 444. To 
 Colonel Lascelles, 496. To J. W. Croker, stating the pro- 
 bability of Napoleon's early death, if he remained in his pre- 
 sent situation, 517 
 
 Ordener, colonel, i. 455 
 
 Oudinot, i. 386 
 
 PALM, his arrest and death, i. 432 
 Paoli, i. 251 
 
 Paul, emperor of Russia, i. 378. His assassination, 379. His 
 intended invasion of India, 381. Idem, ii. 53
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Pauline, i. 224. ii. 496 
 
 Pelletier, i. 385, 407, 433 
 
 Pcpin, colonel, ii. 3G1 
 
 Peraldi, i. 309 
 
 Phaeton, frigate, her arrival at St. Helena, i. 20 
 
 Philadelphia society formed against Napoleon, i. 3&S 
 
 Phillipeaux, i. 210 ' 
 
 Piccioli, ii. 324 
 
 Pichegru, his character, i. 240. Proofs that he <*mmitted sui- 
 cide, 334. His conspiracy, 449. Betrayed bv/d'Entraigues, 
 ii. 39. Napoleon's intentions towards him, >> 
 
 Pichon, i. 457. 46 
 
 Pillet, i. 321, 327- ii. 2? 
 
 Piontkowski, i. 165 
 
 Pitt, i. 1/6, 458 
 
 Plague, i. 4/3. ii. 127 
 
 Plampin, admiral, ii. 112, 196, 231 
 
 Plate, Napoleon's broken up for sale, i. 1-0. Sold, l5o. 2J'J 
 
 Podargus, ii. 109 
 
 Poles, their attachment to Napoleon, i. J90. In cold \\ outfit. -i 
 better soldiers than the French, 190 ' 
 
 Policy of Napoleon in case of landing in England, ii. 378 
 
 Polignac, i. 453 
 
 Poniatowsky, Napoleon's intention of making him king, i. I'Jl 
 
 Pontons, i. 323. ii. 19, 25, 192, 202 
 
 Pope (the), ii. 101 
 
 Poppleton, captain, i. 167, 189, 217, 276, 365, 430, 433, 440. 
 ii. 8, 94 
 
 Port-regulations at St. Helena, ii. 484 
 
 Post-office (London), all letters opened there, ii. 2sr, 
 
 Poussilgue, ii. 145 
 
 Pozzo di Borgo, i. '290, 308. ii. 306 
 
 Pradt, abbe de, ii. 208 
 
 Predestination, Napoleon's belief in, i. 199, 373 ii. -1, 5. 0. 
 226,256,261 
 
 Presents, Napoleon's to Mr. O'Meara, i. 303. ii. 417 
 
 Mr. Elphinstone's to the emperor, ii. 117, 401 
 
 Priests, i. 395. Anecdote of one in Italy, ii. 34(5 
 
 Prisoner, Napoleon nearly made one by the Uhlans, i, 427. At 
 the close of the battle of Waterloo, ii, 161 
 
 French, how treated by the English, i. 323. ii. i'.. 
 
 25, 202 
 
 Turkish at Jaffa, i. 328, 416 
 
 Prize- essay, by Napoleon, ii. 1G8 
 Proclamations*. Sir H. Lowe's, ii. 403, 491, 504
 
 V INDEX. 
 
 Protest \apoleon's), against Sir H. Lowe's conduct, i. 296. 
 
 Ao-aiiA.js beinjr made a prisoner, ii. 483 
 ProvlsionUanUly supplied to Napoleon, ii. 80. Indifferent 
 
 quality it 112 
 
 Prussia, kit ofj his character, i. 102, 122, 227, 498. 11. 48. 
 que\ of, her character, ii. 150 
 
 RACES at D<W O od, i.,507. " 212 
 
 Rails (iron) A surround Napoleon's house, i. 391, 
 
 Kainsford (Mi, his death, i. 508 
 
 Rapp. i. 467 \ 
 
 Rats, numeroukt Longwood, i. 494 
 
 hunting olthem, i. 493 
 
 Raucour, MadeiAiselle, her funeral, i. 488 
 
 Reade, Sir ThooL i. 123, 128, 138, 222, 230, 271, 291, 305, 
 
 390, 508. ii. UH2, 245, 270, 510 
 Real, ii. 138 \ 
 Regnier, general, i\48 
 Religion, Napoleon\ideas of, i. 197, 444 
 Resignation, tendere\by Mr. O'Meara, ii. 31)9 
 Restrictions, imposed m Napoleon's suite, ii. 445 
 
 on NapolAn, ii. 455 
 
 Review, Edinburgh, ii.\205, 225 
 
 Quarterly, i. 319, 406, 467- ii. 181 
 
 Revolution, probability of one in France, i. 2/2. 
 
 one defended by Napoleon, ii. 349 
 Richelieu, anecdote of, ii. 348 
 Ripsley, captain, ii. 1 
 Riviere, i. 449 
 Robespierre, i. 258. ii. 169 
 Romanzoff, ii. 160 
 
 Rome, capture of, by the French, ii. 353 
 Rosey, captain, i. 455 
 Rovigo, duke of, ii. 138 
 Rousseau, i. 165 
 Russians, dangerous to the rest of Europe, i. 388. ii. 53, 69 
 
 SAINTS, patron, ii. 247 
 
 St. Denis, i. 231,398 
 
 St. Helena, Napoleon's arrival at, i. 8. Description of, 8. 
 
 poverty, 58. ii. 201. Farther description of, 421, 434. Its 
 
 port-regulations, 484 
 St. Hilaire, i. 449 
 
 St. Priest, general, his death, i. 275 
 
 St. Regent, one of the contrivers of the infernal machine, i. 341 
 St. Roch, the curate of, i. 488
 
 550 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 St. Victor, i. 449 
 
 Saliceti, ii. 300 
 
 Santini, i. 165. ii. 76, 02. His intention of sho' n ff s ' r H 
 
 Lowe, 890. 
 Savary, his character, i. 163, 237. His pamph : respecting 
 
 Wrig-ht, ii. 182 
 Saxe, Marechal, ii. 229 
 Saxony, king of, his character, i. 228. 
 Schb'enbrunn, i. 344 
 Scott, released from prison, i. 374 
 Schwartzenburg, his character, i. 203 
 Seamen, American, superior to the English'- 178 
 
 English, Napoleon's opinion of th'" i- 177. Their 
 
 friendship for him, 478. His esteem for >>eni, 505. Assist 
 him in forming a bridge of boats over th Meuse, 505. Form 
 his guard at Elba, 503. Compared wit the French, ii. 17- 
 Anecdote of the escape of two from Vfdun, M6 
 Sections, their attack on the convention ii- 359 
 Shipwrights, not sent to Algiers or Tuns by Napoleon, i. 502 
 Sicily, Murat's expedition to, ii. 9. PR to drive the English 
 
 out of it, 12 
 
 Sieges, English mod of carrying them on, ii. 194 
 Sieyes, anecdote of, ii. 172, 250 
 Skelton, colonel, i. 235. ii, 434 
 
 Mrs. i. 455 
 
 Smith, Sir Sydney, his character, i. 209. His conduct at Acre. 
 209. Challenges Napoleon, 210. His epitaph on Wright, ii. 
 162. His conduct towards Kleber, 1G3 
 Smithers, Mr., ii. 160 
 Smugglers, English, i. 252. ii. 21 
 Snuff-box, presented by Napoleon to Mr. O'Meara, i. 303. ii. 
 
 417 
 
 Soldiers, English, i. 172,200. ii. 50 
 
 Soult, his character, i. 105, 386, 493. His conduct at Albuera, 
 
 ii. 194 
 Spain, Napoleon's intentions with regard to it, i. 211 
 
 queen of, ii. 166 
 
 Spurge, Longwood overrun with it, ii. 143 
 
 Stael, Madame de, her character, ii. 65. Not the authoress of 
 
 the Manuscritvenu de Ste. H61ene, 200 
 Stanfell, captain, i. 462 
 
 Statue, Napoleon's, presented by hi mself to Mr. OMeara, i i. 4 1 7 
 Stein, Baron, i. 498 
 Strange, Sir Thomas, i. 267, 268, 270 
 Stuart, general, ii. 48, 330 
 Sturmer, baron, i. 300, 475. ii. 17, 295 
 

 
 INDEX. 551 
 
 Subsidies, English, ii. 140 
 
 Suchet, i. 492 
 
 Sugar, made from beet-root, i. 423 
 
 Suicide, ii. 142, 167, 261 
 
 Suite, (Napoleon's), restrictions imposed on them, ii. 445. 
 
 Documentspigned by them, 446 
 Sunday, observation of, in England, ii. 344 
 Surgeons, ii. 2, 248 
 
 Surinam, Napoleon's intention of invading 1 it, ii. 201 
 Surveillers, count ii. 416 
 
 Suspension of arms in 1813 fatal to Napoleon, ii. 393 
 Suzzarelli, ii. 300 
 
 TALLEYRAND, his character,i. 214. His conduct inregard to the 
 Duke d'Enghien, 335. His treachery and corruption, 421. 
 His triumph, the triumph of immorality, 434. His mission 
 to Warsaw, 446. Proposes to Napoleon the assassination of 
 the Bourbons, 510. His character, ii. 171, 174. Opinion of 
 by a celebrated lady, 174. Defends assassination, 191. Fte 
 given by him to Napoleon, 266. Wishes to celebrate the an- 
 niversary of the execution of Louis XVI. 268 
 
 Madame, i. 435 
 
 Talma, ii. 295 
 
 Title, Napoleon persists in retaining that of emperor, ii. 274 
 
 Titles, Napoleon's opinion of them, i. 164 
 
 Times Newspaper, extract from, i. 408, note 
 
 Tolentino, treaty of, ii. 353 
 
 Tortoise, arrival of, i. 409 
 
 Toulon, siege of, i. 203 
 
 Trade (English), remedy for its distress, proposed by Napoleon, 
 i. 423 
 
 Turenne, ii. 229 
 
 Turkey, its approaching- fall, i. 376, 382 
 
 UHLANS, i. 427, 428 
 
 Undaunted, (the), sailors of fond of NapoJeon, i. 478 
 
 Usher, captain, i. 506 
 
 VANDAMME, anecdote of, i. 124 
 Varennes, Billaud de, ii. 170 
 Vendemiaire, the 13th of, i. 440 
 
 Venetians, their massacre of the French, ii. 355. Their in- 
 trigues to corrupt the directory, 355 
 Venice, occupied by the French troops, ii. 30 
 Victor, Marechal, Napoleon's opinion of, i. 512 
 
 #-
 
 552 INDEX. 
 
 Victorious, i. 205 
 
 Villeneuve, admiral, Napoleon's account of his conduct and 
 
 the manner of his death, i. 56 
 Virion, general, i. 325 
 
 WALCHEREN, expedition to, i. 255 
 
 Wales, the princess of, her intention to visit Napoleon at Elba, 
 ii. 32. Her visit to Marie Louise, 33 
 
 Wallis, captain, ii. 215 
 
 Warden, Napoleon's opinion of him, i. 61. His book, 410. Sent 
 by Sir H. Lowe to Napoleon, 414. Napoleon's opinion of it, 
 416. His error respecting Massena, 416 ; respecting the 
 prisoners at Jaffa, 416 ; respecting- Maret, 419; respecting 
 Napoleon's conversion to Mahometanism, 437 ; respecting 
 Talleyrand, 446 ; respecting Wright, 449 ; respecting Ma- 
 dame Montholon, 456 
 
 Water-company (English), attempt to establish one at Paris, 
 i. 414 
 
 Waterloo, the battle of, i. 174, 468, 479. ii. 95, 161, 385 
 
 Webb, Mr., ii. 1 
 
 Wellington, i. 175, 463, 479. ii. 184, 194, 229, 342 
 
 Whitworth, lord, his interview with Napoleon, i. 500, His 
 character, ii. 123 
 
 Williams, Miss, Napoleon's opinion of her " Present state of 
 France," i. 24 
 
 Wilson, Sir Robert, i. 311 
 
 Wirtemberg, queen of, ii. 372 
 
 Wives, sale of, ii. 224 
 
 Women, too many allowed to follow the English armies, ii. 50. 
 Anecdote of the French, 50. Their society neglected by the 
 English for the bottle, 192. The life of conversation, 193. 
 
 Wounds, Napoleon's ii. 226 
 
 Wright, captain, i. 334, 417, 449. ii, 24, 182, 215 
 
 YAMSTOCKS, i. 91 
 Younghusband, Mrs. i. 508 
 
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