The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-24
THE GREAT NAPOLEON.
An Unpublished Interview with the Fa.
nous Man of DESTINY.

nous Man of Destiny.
From an article in the Century on
Napoleon in Exile, described in un-
published letters by British officers. we
quote the following: When l was
presented he said that he was once a
great enemy to England. but now hs
was as sincere friend. He said that
we were a great and generous nation.
He asked me about the wind, weather.
distance to Elba. and other nautical
questions; he then bowed and retired.
He was very dignifed- -still the Empe.
ror. received his command to dine
with him. There was at table all the
commissioners and the Grand Marshal:
the conversation was most interesting.
He laughed when ! asked him if he
did not issue his Milan decree for the
purpose of forcing America to quarrel
with US. This he did not deny. Hi
said, all his plans were on an i'm
mense scale, and would have beel
finished in four or five years. l have
no time to repeat all his interesting
conversation.
THAT night we embarked all his
numerous baggage. In the morning
he sent for me. He asked how the
wind was. and said he had made up his
mind to embark at eight in the even
ing. At seven clock he sent for me.
and Remained half an hour alone with
him Gan immense mob had gathered
round his hoteD. His sword was on
the table, and he appeared very
thoughtful; there was a very great
noise in the street. l said to him,
The French mob are the worst have
seem He answered. They are q
tickle people, He appeared in deep
thought; but, recovering himself, rang
the bell, and ordering the Grand Mar
shall to be sent for, he asked if all was
ready. Being answered in the affirm-
usual quick way, 'Allons.'
''The stairs were lined at each side
with ladies and gentlemen. He stopped
a moment, and said something to the
ladies which l could not hear. He
walked to his carriage and called for
me (not safe berth); he then called
the Austrian commissioner and the
Grand Marshal. sat opposite to him
in the carriage, and we drove off, My
boats were almost two miles from the
town. We were accompanied by an
Hungarian regiment of cavalry. 1t
was delightful moonlight night, the
country we passed through a paradise.
Then the carriage stopped, the bugle
sounded, and the regiment was drawn
up.
IAN interesting scene now opened -
bugles sounding. drums beating, horses
neighing, and people of every nation
in Europe witnessing the embarkation
of this man who had caused so much
misery to them all.
Il informed him that the boat was
ready, and we walked together to where
she was. He was handed into the boat
by nephew of Sir Sidney Smiths,
who is my fourth lieutenant-rather an
S'0u COluSIOCuOO. AlCQUCuduU OulUu
had been confined in prison for seven
or eight years. introduced him. The
Emperor seemed to feel his conscience
prick him; he only said. Nephew to
Sir Sidney Smith; l met linn in Egypt.
when we got ON board he walked
round the ship. My people crowded
about him and he said for the first
time in his life he felt confidence in a
mob His spirits seemed to revive
and he told me next morning that he
had never slept better. Next day he
asked me thousand questions and
seemed quite initiated in nautical mat
ters At breakfast and dinner there
was great deal of conversation. He
spoke of the Scheldt expedition. ]
asked him il he had ever thought we
should succeed. He said. Never and
turning little towards the Austrian
commissioner, he said, 1 wrote from
Vienna that the expedition was in
tended against Antwerp. He told me
his motive for annexing Holland to
France was for a naval purpose, and
that he thought the Zuyder Zee par
ticularly we'll adapted for exercising
his conscripts.
''At breakfast one morning he asked
me to bring to neutral brig that was
passing. l said, laughing, that I was
astonished his Majesty should give
such an order, as it was contrary to
his system to denationalize. He
turned round and gave me pretty
hard rap, saying, 'Ah, Capitaine? ,"
when we were sailing by the Alps
he leaned on my arm for half an hour.
looking earnestly at them. said he
had once passed them with better for
tune. He laughed and liked the com
pliment. He told me he had been only
once wounded: it was in the knee. and
by an English sergeant. He looks I'm
commonly we'll and young, and is
much changed for the better, being
now very stout. He showed me por-
trait of the King of Rome; he is very |
like his father. He likewise showed
me one of the Empress, which is rather
pretty. We had a smart gale when off
Corsica: he asked me to anchor at
Ajaccio, the place of his birth; but the
wind changing made it impossible. LII
the gale told him had more conf
dence than Caesars pilot: the compli
ment pleased him.
He dresses very plain, wearing q
green coat with the decoration of the
Legion of Honor. The portrait OF him
with the cooked hat and folded arms is
the strongest likeness have seem"
(Here sheet OF the letter appers to