be
the height of injustice to send them to St Helena, and endeavouring
to persuade him to interfere in preventing her husband at least from
going, should Napoleon be sent there.

During the whole of the 29th of July it rained incessantly, and
nothing worth relating took place: the Frenchmen were deprived of
their usual amusement of admiring the ladies, and being admired in
return, not a boat having made its appearance. They often remarked,
with the characteristic vivacity of their nation, that they were
placed in the situation of Tantalus,--so many beauties in view,
without the possibility of approaching them.

On Sunday, the 30th of July, the crowd of boats was greater than I
ever remember to have seen at one time. I am certain I speak within
bounds when I state, that upwards of a thousand were collected round
the ship, in each of which, on an average, there were not fewer than
eight people. The crush was so great, as to render it quite impossible
for the guard-boats to keep them off; though a boat belonging to one
of the frigates made use of very violent means to effect it,
frequently running against small boats, containing women, with such
force as nearly to upset them, and alarming the ladies extremely. The
French officers were very indignant at such rude proceedings, saying,
"Is this your English liberty? Were such a thing to happen in France,
the men would rise with one accord and throw that officer and his crew
overboard."

After the ship's arrival in England, Buonaparte seldom left the cabin
earlier than five o'clock in the afternoon; passing his time in
walking up and down the after-cabin, reading a great deal,[8] and
often falling asleep on the sopha, having within these two or three
years become very lethargic.

[Footnote 8: The books that seemed to occupy his attention,
when I had an opportunity of observing him, were, a Life of
Washington, and a translation of Ossian's Poems.]

I this day informed him, that Lord Keith had received an intimation,
that Sir Henry Bunbury, one of the Under Secretaries of State, was to
arrive in the course of the day with the decision of the British
Government as to his future disposal. He asked me many questions, but,
although Lord Keith had acquainted me that Buonaparte was to go to St
Helena, he had at the same time desired me not to communicate this
information, and I was therefore obliged to evade his interrogatories
as I best could.

In