where I found Generals Gourgaud and
Lallemand, who told me they had been informed of what Madame Bertrand
had said to me; and they had requested to see me, for the purpose of
contradicting her assertion, that they were desirous of quitting
Buonaparte: that, so far from that being the case, there was not one
of them that would not follow him with pleasure wherever he might be
sent, or that would not lay down his life to serve him: they also
required secrecy towards the Countess. I answered, "Why really,
gentlemen, this is very extraordinary; you pretend to know all that
passed in a private conversation I have had with Madame Bertrand, and
then to bind me to secrecy: you may depend upon it, I will enter into
no such engagement, until I know by what means you obtained your
information." They then told me that one of them had been in the
quarter-gallery, and overheard all she said.

[Footnote 9: [I cannot assent to your leaving out what Madame
Bertrand said respecting Bonaparte. But if she spoke
favourably of him in her calmer moments, I think it might be
mentioned in this place so as to claim some allowance for her
irritated state of feelings. It is, by-the-by, precisely at
such moments that real opinions start out which are at other
times carefully suppressed. What she said in her passion was
very true: B. was not fond of rendering his favourites
independent. I really think you cannot leave it out: as well
omit the threat of Savary &c., to kill B.--SCOTT.]]

Nothing of importance occurred during the 2nd of August. Buonaparte
did not appear upon deck; nor would he consent to nominate the people
who were to accompany him to St Helena; he still seemed to indulge a
hope, that the Government might be induced to reconsider the decision.
I had half an hour's conversation with him in the cabin: it consisted,
on his part, of complaints of the cruelty of sending him to St Helena.
He likewise asked me many questions about that island, as to its
extent, climate, and productions, whether it would be possible to take
exercise on horseback, if there was game of any kind upon it, &c.: to
all of which I could only answer from report, never having visited the
island myself. He conversed very little at dinner, and appeared
unwell. In the evening, General Bertrand informed me that the
sentinel's calling out "All's well!" during the night disturbed him