so drunk as to be totally incapable of cooking the dinner for the family. Napoleon, when informed of this at dinner, sent some dishes off the table down to Countess Bertrand, with his compliments.

11th. The Griffon sloop of war arrived from the Cape with a mail, in which were some letters for the French. Count Bertrand received the pleasing intelligence that his brother was no longer in exile, but had been permitted to return to his home, and to remain there under surveillance.

Informed by one of the partners, that last week an official letter had been sent to the house of Balcombe and Co., to demand an explanation why fourteen shillings more than the sum that had been allowed by government, had been expended for fish for the establishment of Longwood, in the preceding fortnight. Also a demand to know why two shillings and sixpence more than the allowance had been expended for twine. Moreover, that forty pounds of barley had been sent up to Longwood by order of the surgeon, for the use of Countess Bertrand, a repetition of which in future was prohibited, unless the order was first approved of at Plantation House.

Last Sunday Mr. Balcombe and myself had a conversation with Sir Hudson Lowe, in the library at Plantation House, relative to the affairs of Longwood. Mr. Balcombe presented two sets of

bills drawn by Count Bertrand for his approval. His excellency professed himself to be greatly surprised at the large sums of money laid out by the French, and said that twelve thousand a year ought to cover all expenses. He was informed by Mr. Balcombe and myself, that it was chiefly expended in the purchase of provisions, and various necessaries of life, as the allowance granted by government was not sufficient. Amongst many other articles, I mentioned that only seventy-two pounds of beef was allowed. Sir Hudson said, that he would increase the quantity to one hundred, and would confer with Count Bertrand on the subject. He was apparently in a very bad humour, and railed at what he termed the impudence of Las Cases, in having presumed to send from the Cape to Longwood, some wine, Florence oil, and other articles of a similar nature, for the use of the French, which he said was an insult to the British government, and concluded by refusing to approve of more than one set of bills.*

12th. Saw the emperor at eleven, a. m. in a very good humour. He made some remarks again about the disturbances in England. Observed, that he thought the Prince Regent must adopt

* Sir Hudson Lowe would not allow any bill of exchange drawn by any of the inhabitants of Longwood to be cashed, unless it had been previously approved of, and indorsed by himself.

some measures in order to pacify the people, such as reducing the taxes. "It is impossible," said he, "that a nation in cold blood will consent to pay in time of peace, taxes nearly equal to the amount of those paid by them in war, when there is no longer that stimulus, that irritation of mind which made them consider such drainings of their purses absolutely necessary to prevent their country from being devoured by a foreign nation. England," continued he, "is in an unnatural state, and some change must take place."

I said, that although great distress existed in England, the disturbances were confined to the lower classes, and that it would end by a few of them being hanged. Napoleon replied, "it, may be so, Mr. Doctor, but you must consider that the canaille, as you call them, are the bulk of the people. They, and not the nobles, form the nation. When the canaille gains the day, it ceases to be any longer canaille. It is then called the nation. If it does not, why then some are executed, and they are called canaille, rebels, robbers, &c. Thus goes the world."

I then asked Napoleon if it were true, as had been stated, that he was once in danger of being taken by the Cossacs? "At the battle of Brienne," replied he, "I recollect, that about twenty or twenty-five Uhlans, not Cossacs, got round one of the wings of my army, and endeavoured to fall

upon a part of the artillery. It was at the close of the day, and just beginning to be dark, They stumbled some how or other upon me and my état-major. When they saw us, they were quite lost, and did not know how to act. They did not however know who I was, neither was I myself for some time aware of who they were. I thought they were some of my own troops. Caulaincourt, however, perceived who they were, and called out to me that we were amongst enemies. Just at this moment, those Uhlans being frightened, and not knowing what to do, began to fly, and tried to escape in all directions. My staff began to fire upon them. One of them galloped up so close to me (without knowing me) as to touch my knee violently with his hand. He had a spear in his hand at the charge, but it was with the opposite one that he touched me. At first I thought that it was one of my own staff who was riding roughly by me, but looking round, I perceived that he was an enemy. I put my hand down to draw out one him, but he was gone. or escaped I know not.

of my pistols to fire at Whether he was killed That day I drew my

sword, which was a circumstance that rarely had occurred, as I gained battles with my eye and not with my arms. Those Uhlans were afterwards, I believe, cut to pieces." I asked if he had considered himself to have been in any great

peril on that day? "No," said he, "it was an accident. My cavalry was in another part of the fleld at the time. It was possible certainly, that I might have been killed, but they were more intent upon running away themselves, than upon killing any of us."*

I asked, if during the retreat from Moscow, he had ever been in danger of being taken by the Cossacs? "Never," replied Napoleon, "I had always with me a guard sufficient to repel any at

* It has been said, that on the same night, when the French had in their turn stormed the village of Brienne, Blucher and his staff fell in with a party of their cavalry, and were prevented from having been taken by two Cossacs who had seen them, and who stopped Blucher at the foot of a flight of stairs when on the point of going out, who otherwise would have been killed or made prisoner. That they had drawn their swords, and were prepared to fall upon the French, but after having made a réconnoissance, they were found to be so numerous, as not to admit of a probability of success. This, if true, forms a singular coincidence with what I have related above, but as I had it from Sir Hudson Lowe, I cannot of course be responsible for the correctness of the statement. Sir Hudson Lowe also informed me of what, according to his ideas, was a praiseworthy specimen of the utter contempt in which Blucher held the French nation, in the following terms: "At the time when Blucher made his first hostile entrance into France, the mayor of the town he occupied waited upon him to offer his services to procure whatever he might want, as is customary under similar circumstances. When the Prussian general had heard his business, his reply was 'Bring me a wench!""