aney', delivered to me
last night, at eleven o'clock, your despatch of the 14th instant,
acquainting me that Bonaparte had proposed to embark on board the
ship you command, and that you had acceded thereto, with the
intention of proceeding to Torbay, there to wait for further orders.
I lost no time in forwarding your letter by Captain Sartorius to the
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, in order that their Lordships
might, through him, be acquainted with every circumstance that had
occurred on an occasion of so much importance; and you may expect
orders from their Lordships for your further guidance. You are to
remain in Torbay until you receive such orders; and in the meantime,
in addition to the directions already in your possession, you are
most positively ordered to prevent every person whatever from coming
on board the ship you command, except the officers and men who
compose her crew; nor is any person whatever, whether in His
Majesty's service or not, who does not belong, to the ship, to be
suffered to come on board, either for the purpose of visiting the
officers, or on any pretence whatever, without express permission
either from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty or from me. As
I understand from Captain Sartorius that General Gourgaud refused to
deliver the letter with which he was charged for the Prince Regent
to any person except His Royal Highness, you are to take him out of
the 'Slaney' into the ship you command, until you receive directions
from the Admiralty on the subject, and order that ship back to
Plymouth Sound, when Captain Sartorius returns from London.

It was stated about this time, in some of the English newspapers, that
St. Helena would be the place of exile of the ex-Emperor, the bare report
of which evidently caused great pain to Napoleon and his suite. General
Gourgaud was obliged to return to the 'Bellerophon', not having been
suffered to go on shore to deliver the letter from Bonaparte to the
Prince Regent with which he had been entrusted. The ship which bore the
modern Alexander soon became a natural object of attraction to the whole
neighbourhood, and was constantly surrounded by crowds of boats.
Napoleon frequently showed himself to the people from shore with a view
of gratifying their curiosity. On the 25th of July the number of
guard-boats which surrounded the vessel was greatly increased; and the
alarm o