The Express.
London, England, 1858-08-05 00:00:00

HOW I WENT TO CHERBOURG FIFTY

YEARS AGO.

So the grand-daughter of George the Third is gone
to see Napoleon at Cherbourg. When her grand-
father was on the throne I went to sec his uncle at
the same place.

It is nearly half a century since I went to see the
first Napoleon at Cherbourg; but I helied to carry
him some money. I was a rattling public schoolboy
in those dap, and cared not a rap what the adven-
ture was, so that it involved the excitement of •
little danger. I hated Bnonaparte, and knew that
the merchants who sent him the gold and got back
Bordeaux wine and eau-de-vie, had the beet of the
bargain, and, in fact, plundered the Egyptian.
Those were the days when editions of the classics
were published in France "in naum Delphini," viz.,
the " Delphinia& " in the Bay of Biscay. Napoleon
Premier did not understand trade.

It was a squally day, and the breakers rattled
dismally on the beach at Hythe, is my friend
patrolled it with a watchful gaze at the offing. He
had some 'ahem. on foot, I saw. " Tom," said he,
suddenly, "are you inclined for a trip to Fiance, to
see the Emperor ?" " Only too happy," I replied.
" But what will the governor say ?" he rejoined.,
"?111pisosh there is no ocouion to tell," said I.

Myfriend was the brother of a Kentish yeoman,
with whom I was passing the vacation : a wild
spark, worth money then, and bad been worth
more. They said he had been exchequered for
20,0001., and put in Dover castle. He was a gentle-
manly fellow, drove an excellent blood mare, and
had given me a pony. He had my entire confi-
dence. I regarded him as a hero, although I was
aware of his illicit dealings in bullion and brandy.
" Come, let us go down to the boat," said he. We
pulled off lustily, and before long picked up with a
another craft, into which we passed, and eventually
found ourselves alongside a rakish-looking schooner.
I had never seen her before. So we started. I did
not tarn in all night ; the excitement of the adven-
ture kept me awake. But I might as well have been
in my berth asleep. I comprehended nothing;
although the sailors were evidently more than once
on the alert, and more than once was our course
changed. Just before morning the only intelligible
incident transpired. I believe we were approaching
the French coast.; We had passed plenty of shipping
in the night ; but now there seemed to be something
which would not let us pus. .Bang went a distant
gun, and splash went a shot a-head. It was the
first practice of the kind that I had witnessed.
We did not, however, change our course. Then came
another, breaking the bulwarks, and then another,
which missed us. We evidently were getting away;
and now I, no less than the sailors, could see the
French coast. In a short time we were in the har-
bour of Cherbonrg. It was broad day now, and had
been fur some time ; we landed, and our passports
were not asked for.

But here was the spectacle: a French camp, and
French soldiers, in French uniforms. I was familiar
with the Fuot Guards, and as I looked at the little
duck-legged fellows, in spite of all that I had
heard of Austerlitz and Wagrarn, I thought my stal-
bort friend could really thrash any three of them.
But the officer to whom we made our way received
us lake a gentleman. He gave us an excellent
spread, which I comprehended better than his
French. Eventually I was locked in the arms M
Morpheus, as the poets say, and I doubt not my
friend settled his business satisfactorily during my
nap. Once more we passed through the camp and
the miserable little town, which did not look the
better for a drizzling rain. 'We got on board before
night, and next morning were sailing up the Chan-
nel. We met a boat, as before, and quitted the
schooner, and so ended my trip to Cherbourg. I
bad not seen the Emperor. I hope the excursionists
who follow in her Majesty's wake may have better
luck than the naughty schoolboy who went in
defiance of her grandfather's prohibition.