Star.
London, England, 1817-10-07 00:00:00

BONAP-IRTE.

MOM ML BLUR'S JOURNAL OF TIM RA MA= TO CHINA.

ram 1,1817.
" We had heard so much at the Cape of the vicis-
situdes of temper to which Bonaparte was subject,
that we were by no means confident of being admit-
ted to his presence; fortunately for us, the Ex-Em-
peror was in good humour, and the interview took
place on this day.
" Lord Amherst was first introduced to Bonaparte
by General Bertrand, and remained alone with him
for more than an hour. I was next called in, and
presented by Lord Amherst. B naparte having con.
tinued in discourse about half an hour, Captain Max-
well and the Gentlemen of the Embassy were alter.
wardsl introduced and presented. Be put gut:Won'
ter each, having some relation to their respective
lunation ; and we all united in remarking that his
manners were simple and affable, without wanting
frit!. I was most struck with the unsubdued ease
liftits behaviour and appearance; he could not have
been freer from embarrassment and depression in the
'Ankh of his power at the Toilleries. ' -
" Bonaparte rather declaimed than conversedand
during the half hour Lord Amherst and I were with
him, seemed only anxious to impreliiltis sentiments
upon the recollection of his auditors, cossiblylnnthe
purpose of having them repeated. His style is highly
epigrammatic, and he deiivers his opinions with the
. oracular confidence of si man accustomed to produce
convictions is mode rte' discussing great political
t questions wo in d another appear al latanerie. but
I
in him is only •developement of the empirical sys-
tem, which he universally adopted. Notwithstanding
the attention which he might be supposed to have
given to the nature of our Government, he bas cer-
tainly a very imperfect knowledge of the subject ; all
his observalinds on the policy of England. as relating
'to the past, or looking to the future, were adapted to
a despotism; and he is either unable or unwilling to
take into consideration the difference produced by
the will of the Monarch being suborditiste, nit only
to the interests, but to the opinion of his people.
" He used metaphors and illustration with great
freedom, borrowing the latter chiefly from medicines
his elocution was rapid, but clear and forcible; and
both hii manner and language surpassed my expec-
tations. The Character of his countenance it rather
inteltectual than commanding, and the chief peculia-
rity is in the mouth, the upper lip apparently chang-
ing in =pre:nen with the variety and succession of
his ideas. In person Bonaparte is so far from being
extremely corpulent, as has been represented, that I
believe he was never more capable of undergoing the
fatigues of a campaign than at present. I should
deseribe him as short and muscular. not more inclin-
edlo corpulency than men often are at his age.
t.. -4 Sampans's .sonsplaiets -vestecting- his situation
at Sr. Helena would not, I think, have excited much
attention if they bad not become a subject of discus-
sion in the House of Lords; for as he denied our
right to consider him a prisoner of war, in opposition
to the most obvious principles of reason and law, it
was nut to be expected that any treatment he might
receive consequent to his being so considered. would
be acceptable. On the other band,- admitting him to
be a prisoner, it is difficult to imagine upon what
grounds he tan complain of the limited restraint
udder which he is placed at St. Helena.
" His complaints respecting a scanty supply of
provisions and wine (for I consider Montholon as
the organ of Bonaparte) are too absurd to deserve
ronsideration, pod it is impossible not to regret, that
eager, yea(pr pretended, should have induced so
great a Man to countenance such petty misrepresen-
tation'. I mist confess that the positive statements
which bad been made respecting the badness ot the
accommodations at Longwood had produced a par-
tial belief in my mind; even this. however. WAS re•
moved by actual observation. Longwood House,
considered as a residence for a sovereign, is ceit.tinly
small, and perhaps inadequate ; but viewed as the
habitation of a person of rank, disposed to live it ith-
out show, is both convenient and respectable. truer
situations may be found in the island, and Plantation
House is in every respect a supet ior residence; but
that is intended for the reception of numerous guests,
and for the degree of enter or splendour belonging to
the office of Governor.
. "The two remaining circumstances of Bonaparte';
situation deserving attention are the restraints which,
may affect his personal libeny,and those whichre-
late to his intercourse with others. With respect to
. Best, Bonaparte assumes 116 a principle, that his
escape, while watched by the forts and men of war,
is impossible; and that, therefore, his liberty within
the precincts of the island, ought tii be unfettered.—
The truth of the principle is obviously questionable ;
and the consequence is overthrown by the fact of his
being a prisoner, whose detention is of irepoitance
sufficient to justify the most rigorous precautions;
his own conclusion is nevertheless admitted to the e=-
tent of allowing him to go to any pan of the Wand;
provided he be accompanied by a British Officer;
tor all justifiable purposes this permission is sufficient;
nor is it intended to be nullified in ptactice by undue
interference on the part of the Officer in attendance.
For purposes of health or amusement he has a range
of four miles, unaccompanied, and without being
overlooke4 $ another of eight miles, where he is par-
tially in vim of the sentries; and a still wider circuit
of twelve miles; thrueghout which be is under their
observation. In both these latter spaces be is Ida
fres from the attendance of an Officer. At night,
indeed, the satiric% close round the house. I can
scarcely imagine that greater personal liberty, con-
"gat with 4111Pritiensitte to securny,could be grantesi
to an individual,' eupposed under any restraint at all.'
His interanhe with others is certainly under imme-
diate surveillance, no person being allowed to enter
the inclosure at Longwood without a pass from the
Ooverior; but these posses ate readily granted, and
ittio cariosity of indrvidoals, NNW the persoual
- which sesApate awl be upecttd Co dt-

tratikdion

PRICE SEVEN•PENCL

rive from their visits, are checked by pretended die.
asides or arbitrary reign) ition:. His correspondence
is also under restraint, and he is not allowed to send
or receive letters but through the medium of the Go.
vernor : this regulation is no doubt disagreeable.and
may be distressing to his feelings ; hut it is a nem.,
sary consequence bf being what he now is, and what
he has been.

'• Two motives may, I think, be assigned for Bm.
naparte's unreasonable complaints; the first, and
principal, is to keep alive public interest in Europe,
but chiefly in England, where he divers himself that
he has a party; and the second, I think, may be
traced to the personal character and habits of Bona•
parte, who finds an occupation in the petty intrigues
by which these complaints are brought forward, and.
an unworthy gratification in the tram:seri: and an•
noyance which they produce on the spot.
•' If this conjecture be founded, time alone, and a
conviction of their inutility, will induce Bonaparte to
desist from his complaints, and to consider his situation
in its true bght ; as a cot,finernent with fewer restric•
tiot's upon his personal liberty, than just ifi Able cautions
uninfluenced by liberality. would have established."

(FITRACT OP A PRIVATA LATTAR PROM AT.
•".You will naturally expect that I should say some.
thing of the noted State Prisoner. The Americans,
I understand, are constantly spreading reports of his
escape. Be assailed. that the very idea of such an
occurrence is perfectly childish. The precautions
adopted are such, as not to leave the most-distant
chance that Bonaparte could ever elude his guards,
even under the most careless superintendence. At
present, the Governor is a person whose vigilance
never slumbers; added to which there is a sort of a
pique between him and his prisoner, which, though
it produces no vexatious exercise of authority on the
part of the former. leaves the latter without hope of
charming the eyes of Argus asleep by artifice or flat-
tery. It is po.iible, that if Bonaparte could, through
bribery, obtalo the* pass word, he might make his
way to the town; but that would be of little, or ra-
ther of no avail to him, es he would have the cordon
of shipping to get thiviugh—a thing next to, it not
wholly imposcihle. It may be remarked, I-cretver,
that very few of the soldiers are acquaiMed with
Napoleon's person, a thing which might perhaps be
desirable. Estept this circumstance, nothing occurs
jto me as wanting so the absolute completeness of
precaution against his escape. The grand guard
placed round Bonaparte's house is relieved every two
hours during the day, and every four hours during
the night. On his first arrival in the island, a Cap-
tain's guard was mounted.; now only a subaltern's is
placed over him. The whole military force at St.
Helena consists of the 66th Regiment; about 1,000
men ; a detachment of the 21st Light Dragoons,
about 100 men. and two or thrceenmpairies of Royal
Avantety ; besides which three is the St-. Helena Na.
tire Regiment, about £(X} men, and ditto artillery,
altogether about 2,000 men.
" In personal appearance, our primer is grown very
lusty ; his hair is close cut ; and about his upper gar.
means there is a great air of carelessness, not to IT
filthiness. He is generally in uniform, with a star
and order, and a gold snuffbox in his hand. About
his legs he is very neat always wearing silk stuckonga
And shoes. He plays a great deal at bidiards, and
has a fine library. The only chance an Officer on
guard has of seeing him is through the window, as
tie seldom or never stirs out of the house.

44 When his Physician advised him to take mom
frequent exercisemobserving, that he would otherwise
lose his life. Ranaperse answered 4 IVY arieval—(se
much the !retro). In the same strain, halt in jest
and half in 4iiiiest, when Mr. 11.11 comb informed
him that MirseElipa BA!comb had been very ifi, at
the point of death? .his only reply was So much tie
better ; she is such a noisy girl.' l'he Baltombs,
you know, are a family Kith about he has been, from
the beginning, on tel ins of great familiarity, and
Miss 1:11Z4 otter. used to romp with him, being quite
a young and lively girl, and under no impressions of
restraint, frowthe idea of his former grandeur. His
remarks on Sir Hudson Lowe, and on M. de Move-
, henu, the French Commissioner, are particularly
spiteful. Of the latter he observed, that they could
not have found a greater fool in all France.' When
he was told, that some of the regulations to which
fie is subjected were for his own benefit,' Aye,' said
he, holdut up the cane in his hand, ' so you might
tell me if you were to give me a good ihrashtng with
this stick. The soldiers know hint only by the name
lof Boats : to persons of superior rank, be is fond of
playing if all the airs of the Ex.Earperor.- When
the Officets of the 53J and 66th Regiments were
about to leave the Island, they had a formal audience
of leave of Ms meek Majesty. He kept them there
waiting in his calk d'aslience about ten minutes, when
he came in, followed by Bertrand. The Officers
were placed in a circle, and Bonaparte, commencing
with the Colonel, asked each one of them some tri-
fling question or other, such as how long he had
been in the service, &c. After giving audience to
the Odicers, he sent fur the Quarter-Master, and said
some few words to him rather in jest, the purport of
which was, that he must have made a great deal of.
money at St. Helena. At this audience, Sir George
Bingham acted as Master of the Ceremonies.
" Tile personage about wham I have been the
long entertaining you, is very lode thought or spoken
of by the inhabitants et lit. Helena themselves; ner
do they teem precirely•to understand the degree of
eminence atuctstog to his character or present situa.
lion, which you mil say isto great wonder. In fact,
the good :wives trouble themselves very little abort
European affairs; ati-they desire is, that Bonaparte
should quit their country, and that because the re.
striations imposed upon the shipping prevent she in..
dux of strangers to the place, wriich is their principal,
source of commerce. Both Navy and Army enter
fully into the feelings of the inhabitants in this re.
spect, though twin a diffescnt motive. They find the
regulations necessary to guard seer, a et iwavr
et latty iiksoax in a plate like licletta."