e had been appointed to attend
Napoleon. Fouche knew that General Becker had grievances against the
Emperor, and thought to find in him willing agent. He was greatly
deceived, for the General paid to the Emperor a degree of respect highly
to his honour. Time now became pressing. The Emperor, at the moment of
departure, sent a message by General Becker himself to the Provisional
Government, offering to march as a private citizen at the head of the
troops. He promised to repulse Blucher, and afterwards to continue his
route. Upon the refusal of the Provisional Government he quitted
Malmaison on the 29th. Napoleon and part of his suite took the road to
Rochefort. He slept at Rambouillet on the 29th of June, on the 30th at
Tours, on the 1st of July he arrived at Niort, and on the 3d reached
Rochefort, on the western coast of France, with the intention of escaping
to America; but the whole western seaboard was so vigilantly watched by
British men-of-war that, after various plans and devices, he was obliged
to abandon the attempt in despair. He was lodged at the house of the
prefect, at the balcony of which he occasionally showed himself to
acknowledge the acclamations of the people.

During his stay here a French naval officer, commanding a Danish merchant
vessel, generously offered to some of Napoleon's adherents to further his
escape. He proposed to take Napoleon alone, and undertook to conceal his
person so effectually as to defy the most rigid scrutiny, and offered to
sail immediately to the United States of America. He required no other
compensation than a small sum to indemnify the owners of his ship for the
loss this enterprise might occasion them. This was agreed to by Bertrand
upon certain stipulations.

On the evening of the 8th of July Napoleon reached Fouras, receiving
everywhere testimonies of attachment. He proceeded on board the Saale,
one of the two frigates appointed by the Provisional Government to convey
him to the United States, and slept on board that night. Very early on
the following morning he visited the fortifications of that place, and
returned to the frigate for dinner. On the evening of the 9th of July he
despatched Count Las Cases and the Duke of Rovigo to the commander of the
English squadron, for the purpose of ascertaining whether the passports
promised by the Provisional Government to enable him to proceed to
America had been received. A negative answer was returned; it was at the
same time