The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-03
An Eye witness' Account of Napoleon.

lrr'Hl tnt bhltitnOTc Sui.J
 One of the most curious as well as one of the most ancient letters that has passed through the dead letter office was one which turned up few days ago. It was dated. July 30. 1915, and was addressed by the writer to his mother in Ireland by midshipman in the English navy, who was stationed on the English brig Bellerophon, which conveyed Napoleon Bonaparte from France to St. Helena, where he spent the last years of his life. The letter Is interesting as throwing additional light upon the circumstances of the sur render of Napoleon to the English, and as showing the routine of his daily life on shipoard. Of course the letter was treasured as relic by the descend- ants of its writer, and in the course or time was brought to America by member of the family to whom 1t des- cended, who settled in New Jersey. Recently his son, while rummaging in the garret. found the valuable paper and forwarded it to a more direct des- cendant residing In Ireland. The per son to whom the letter was addressed could not be found and 1t was in the course of events returned to the dead letter office here. The old missive with its faded lines has been returned to the sender in New Jersey. It reads as fol- lows:
 "Was it not for the strict blockade we kept up Napoleon would have es- capped to America. We heard of his be- ing on board the French frigate Saale, off Rochefort, from which moment we watched his motions, if possible, more closely than before. On the morning of the fourteenth inst. Guly,) observing schooner bearing a flag of truce on board standing toward us, we hove to for her, when Count Luscazas and Gen. proposals from Bonaparte, in conse- uuence of which we came to anchor in the evening in the roads off Rochelle. Next morning at o'clock we observed a man-of-war brig standing out and heading toward us. We immediately dispatched all our boats and brought Napoleon on board at 2 a. m. The boats were busily employed in bringing his restinue and baggage. I never saw men cert themselves as much as ours did that day, lest Admiral Hotham should take him, as he was off the har- bor in the Superb and saw him coming on board here and did all in his power to get him. but did not come to anchor before Il in the forenoon.
 "Bonaparte is fine looking man, in- clined to corpulency; Is five feet six inches in height, has hair turning gray, and is little bald on the crown of his head, no whiskers, complexion French yellow, eyes gray, Roman nose, good mouth and chin, neck short, big belly, arms stout, small white hands, and shows a good leg. He wears a cooked hat, somewhat like our old-fashioned three-cornered ones, with tri-colored 1 cockade in it, plain green coat, cape red and cuffs the same, plain gold epau- lettes, and a large star on the left breast, white waistcoat and brooches, and white silk stockings, thin shoes | and buckles. He eats but two meals in the day, breakfast and dinner, and these are sumptuous-fish, flesh and fowl, wines, fruit, various French dish es, etc. He breakfasts about Il and l dimes at 6, is about half an hour at 1 each meal, when he generally comes on | deck or goes into the after cabin to l study"