,
and prevented his sleeping; upon which I gave directions they should
not do so while he remained on board.

During the 3rd of August Buonaparte kept his cabin. When I went to the
Admiral, I met him escorting some ladies, in company with Sir William
Lemon, to the Ville de Paris's barge. On being introduced to Sir
William, he told me that a report was in circulation that a boat was
to have been under the Bellerophon's stern the night before, at ten
o'clock, for the purpose of effecting Buonaparte's escape. Although I
gave no credit to the report, I immediately returned on board, and
asked the first lieutenant if Buonaparte had been seen that morning;
he informed me that he had not attended breakfast, and that no person
had seen him but his own people. I then sent to the Eurotas, which lay
astern of the ship, to enquire if he had appeared at the stern
windows; but was answered in the negative: upon which I desired one of
the young gentlemen to go out on the spanker-boom and look into the
cabin windows, to ascertain if he was sitting on the sofa; but he
could not discover him in any part of the cabin. I then became
extremely uneasy, and sent my servant in to bring some paper out, who
on entering found the object of my anxiety stretched out on his bed
with his clothes on, and the curtains drawn close round him, with
every appearance of being unwell. I had before asked Count Bertrand
about him, who said he had passed a bad night, and was too ill to
leave his apartment.

Instead of retiring to his bed this evening between eight and nine
o'clock, as was his usual custom, I heard him and another person (I
believe General Bertrand) pacing up and down the cabin until past
eleven; and in consequence gave directions to the officer of the watch
and the sentries to be particularly vigilant; and ordered one of the
guard-boats to remain under the ship's stern all night. He had still
declined all this day giving a list of those that he wished to attend
him to St Helena.

At three in the morning of the 4th of August, the officer of the watch
brought me a letter from Lord Keith, informing me that a courier had
just arrived from London, and that it was probable the ship would be
required to put to sea at a moment's notice. In consequence of this
order, we unmoored at daylight, bent the top-gallant sails, and made
other preparations for getting under weigh. The Frenchmen were very
watchful of all our motions, appeared much alarmed and