w:

"I do not know, whether Las Cases ever let you know he could speak
English; but this I can assure you, that he speaks it very near as
well as Madame Bertrand, and can hold a conversation, or maintain an
argument in it, with as much fluency as she can."

This forenoon, I had a long conversation with Buonaparte. He
complained bitterly of the conduct of the British Government; and
entered, at considerable length, into the state of his affairs when he
determined upon the measure of repairing on board the Bellerophon.
"There still," said he, "was a large party in the South, that wished
me to put myself at its head; the army behind the Loire was also
desirous of my return. At ten o'clock of the night before I embarked,
a deputation from the garrison of Rochelle waited upon me, with an
offer to conduct me to the army; in addition to which, the troops that
were in Rochefort, Bourdeaux, and Isle d'Aix, amounting to twelve
thousand men, were at my disposal. But I saw there was no prospect of
ultimate success, though I might have occasioned a great deal of
trouble and bloodshed, which I did not choose should take place on my
account individually;--while the Empire was at stake, it was another
matter."

In the afternoon, Mr O'Meara, the surgeon, informed me that General
Savary had made a proposal to him to accompany Buonaparte to St Helena
as his medical attendant; Monsieur Maingaut, his surgeon, being a
young man with whom he was little acquainted, having suffered so much
from seasickness in the passage from Rochefort, that he felt averse to
undertaking another sea voyage. He consulted me as to the propriety
of accepting the offer. I told him it must depend very much upon his
own feelings; but if he had no dislike to it, he had better accept the
proposal, on condition that our Government consented, and agreed to
pay his salary; but, in that case, an official communication must
pass, through me, to the Admiral on the subject. This was the first
intimation I received of Buonaparte having made any arrangement
towards complying with the notification he had received from our
Government.

About nine A.M. a large ship was seen to leeward, which, on closing,
proved to be the Northumberland. The whole squadron then stood in, and
anchored to the westward of Berryhead. I went on board the Tonnant,
and reported to Lord Keith that Buonaparte had at last made up his
mind to move from the Bellerophon without force being used; and that