t the order for sale, received the reply: "_What is the use
of plate when you have nothing to eat off it?_" Lowe quietly directed
Balcombe to seal up the plate sent to him, and to advance money up to
its value (L250); but other portions of the plate were broken and sold
later on. O'Meara reveals the reason for these proceedings in his
letter of October 10th: "In this he [Napoleon] has also a wish to
excite odium against the Governor by saying that he has been obliged
to sell his plate in order to provide against starvation, _as he
himself told me was his object_."[572]

Another incident that embittered the relations between Napoleon and
the Governor was the arrival from England of more stringent
regulations for his custody. The chief changes thus brought about
(October 9th, 1816) were a restriction of the limits from a
twelve-mile to an eight-mile circumference and the posting of a ring
of sentries at a slight distance from Longwood at sunset instead of at
9 p.m.[573] The latter change is to be regretted; for it marred the
pleasure of Napoleon's evening strolls in his garden; but, as the
Governor pointed out, the three hours after sunset had been the
easiest time for escape. The restriction of limits was needful, not
only in order to save our troops the labour of watching a wide area
that was scarcely ever used for exercise, but also to prevent
underhand intercourse with slaves.

Was there really any need for these "nation-degrading" rules, as
O'Meara called them? Or were they imposed in order to insult the great
man? A reference to the British archives will show that there was some
reason for them. Schemes of rescue were afoot that called for the
greatest vigilance.

As we have seen (page 527, note), a letter had on August 2nd, 1815,
been directed to Mme. Bertrand (really for Napoleon) at Plymouth,
stating that the writer had placed sums of money with well-known firms
of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Charlestown on his behalf, and
that he (Napoleon) had only to make known his wishes "_avec le the de
la Chine ou les mousselines de l'Inde_": for the rest, the writer
hoped much from English merchantmen. This letter, after wide
wanderings, fell into our hands and caused our Government closely to
inspect all letters and merchandise that passed into, or out of, St.
Helena. Its attention was directed specially to the United States.
There the Napoleonic cult had early taken root, thanks to his
overthrow of the kings