nce been proved) one or more intimations had been given
by the officer commanding in Isle d'Aix, that, if he did not depart,
he would be under the necessity of detaining him. Besides, it is now
perfectly ascertained, that the determination of repairing to England
was adopted at a consultation held by Buonaparte on the night of the
13th of July, when his letter to the Prince Regent was written; and
Messrs Las Cases and Lallemand were sent on the morning of the 14th
to discover if I would receive him on board the Bellerophon, and
convey him to that country.

On the morning of the 6th of August, when walking the deck with
Monsieur Las Cases, he for the first time mentioned, that he
understood me to have assured him that the Emperor would be well
received in England, and allowed to reside there. I replied, "I cannot
conceive how you could so far misunderstand me, as I constantly, in my
communications with you, stated that I could make no promises
whatever: that I thought my orders would bear me out in receiving him
on board, and conveying him to England; but even in doing that, I
acted very much upon my own responsibility. You questioned me
frequently, as to my private opinion; and as I was quite ignorant upon
the subject, I could only say I had no reason to believe he would be
ill received." It did not, however, require my assistance to raise
the hopes of those about Buonaparte, respecting the manner in which he
was to be received in England; as one of his followers, on the passage
home, asked me if I thought the Prince Regent would confer the order
of the Garter upon him. If there was any misunderstanding, (which I
cannot allow to have been the case,) Monsieur Las Cases has himself to
blame. When he came on board of the Bellerophon for the purpose of
treating, he concealed his knowledge of the English language; which,
as I had considerable difficulty in expressing myself in French, could
only be intended for the purpose of throwing me off my guard, that he
might take advantage of any expressions that fell from me, or the
officers I had always present at our meetings. Even after he was on
board with Buonaparte, though he acknowledged he could read English,
and always translated the newspapers for his master, he affected not
to be able to speak it. What his actual knowledge of the language
was, the following extract of a letter, from a friend of mine on board
the Northumberland, dated at sea, August the 22nd, 1815, will sho