"none.

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 general to allow Murat to withdraw with his boats and troops without molestation. "No," said the emperor, 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 that some agreement must have been made to let Murat withdraw quietly with his troops, provided he abandoned his enterprise." 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, however, that ** invented a great part of it, and also betrayed you at the time that he pretended to make such important discoveries. Murat got information from some officer in the English service." I said that *** had frequently gone over to Calabria disguised as a peasant. "Very probably he betrayed you every time he went,' replied Napoleon.

22

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 injury. For the slightest insult in Corsica, una archibugiata. Murders are consequently very common. At the same time no people are more grateful for benefits conferred, and they will not scruple to sacrifice their lives for the person who bestowed them."

25th.-Had some conversation with Napoleon rela⇒

embark all his army for that purpose, General Grenier, who commanded the French troops with him, showed him an order prohibiting them to make the attempt. This I have been since informed by a person who was minister at the time to the unfortunate King Joachim.

tive 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, "Impossible. If it takes place, I shall never be astonished 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 believe. 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, dottore*—she certainly would have been taken." I replied, that if the weather was bad, I did not think so. He said, that there had never been an instance on record of a frigate's having taken a seventy-four.

29th. Dined with Sir Pultney Malcolm in town. Count Balmaine came to pass the evening, during the course of which he had a long conversation with me. He said that he had that day met General Gourgaud near the alarm house, and that finding himself in a very delicate situation, he had 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 Conqueror, by which vessel he expected instructions of importance, and such as would clearly point out to him the line of conduct which he

*Always for the navy, Doctor.

was in future to pursue. That in doing this, he had rather gone beyond his present instructions, which were not to éviter ces messieurs là, but to treat them precisely as he did the inhabitants and other residents on the island; that he could not account for the suspicion manifested by the governor, as it would 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 very busily employed in assisting him to procure 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 explanation of the operations commented upon. For several mornings he has been up at three, a. m. writing. Saw several pages of his hand-writing, which was much more legible than any I had before seen. He observed, that formerly he was frequently 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 accustomed to his manner of writing, could read it. Latterly, he said, he had begun to write a little more legibly, in consequence of not being so much hurried as on former occasions.

It

Napoleon then observed, that I had made a considerable progress in French since he had first seen me, 66 though you have," said he, a very bad accent. has been said by some of the English, that I understand Italian better than French, which is not true. Though I speak the Italian very fluently, it is not pure. Non parlo Toscana, nor am I capable of writing a book in

*

* I do not speak Tuscan,

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 lâches qui crachent 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 approach." After some other conversation, I asked him, if there had been a sufficiency of provisions for his army on the retreat from Moscow, whether it might not have been accomplished with a loss much smaller than that which they had sustained? 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 2d.-General Montholon very ill. Napoleon expressed much anxiety about him.

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, entitled, Maurs et Coutumes des Corses, which he ran over, frequently laughing very heartily at several of the anecdotes which were recounted in it. The author, he said, was an ignorantaccio, and wholly unacquainted with many circumstances relative to the history, manufactures, &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, though I offered to receive them all into my service." "The admiral," said he, "held a long conversation

• Well beaten.

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 anxious that I should meet him, on an opportunity that soon would be afforded by the arrival of the ambassador, when he suggested that we might meet as if nothing had previously occurred. I told him tha the 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, I comply with my instructions.' This is always his excuse. Now, although I am convinced that his instructions specify no more 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 executes 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 accepting a dishonourable employment; that if he had not, he was still worse, in being the contriver of such. As long as he treats me à 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 suspected."

"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 ministers. I think it would be a degradation to me to complain to ministers who have treated