the second funeral of napoleon-第3章

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to　his　Royal　Highness。　　The　Governor　was　at　home　ill；　and　forced　to

keep　his　room；　but　he　had　made　his　house　at　James　Town　ready　for

Captain　Joinville　and　his　suite；　and　begged　that　they　would　make　use

of　it　during　their　stay。



On　the　9th；　H。　R。　H。　the　Prince　of　Joinville　put　on　his　full　uniform

and　landed；　in　company　with　Generals　Bertrand　and　Gourgaud；　Baron

Las　Cases；　M。　Marchand；　M。　Coquereau；　the　chaplain　of　the

expedition；　and　M。　de　Rohan　Chabot；　who　acted　as　chief　mourner。　　All

the　garrison　were　under　arms　to　receive　the　illustrious　Prince　and

the　other　members　of　the　expeditionwho　forthwith　repaired　to

Plantation　House；　and　had　a　conference　with　the　Governor　regarding

their　mission。



On　the　10th；　11th；　12th；　these　conferences　continued：　the　crews　of

the　French　ships　were　permitted　to　come　on　shore　and　see　the　tomb　of

Napoleon。　　Bertrand；　Gourgaud；　Las　Cases　wandered　about　the　island

and　revisited　the　spots　to　which　they　had　been　partial　in　the

lifetime　of　the　Emperor。



The　15th　October　was　fixed　on　for　the　day　of　the　exhumation：　that

day　five…and　twenty　years；　the　Emperor　Napoleon　first　set　his　foot

upon　the　island。



On　the　day　previous　all　things　had　been　made　ready：　the　grand

coffins　and　ornaments　brought　from　France；　and　the　articles

necessary　for　the　operation　were　carried　to　the　valley　of　the　Tomb。



The　operations　commenced　at　midnight。　　The　well…known　friends　of

Napoleon　before　named　and　some　other　attendants　of　his；　the　chaplain

and　his　acolytes；　the　doctor　of　the　〃Belle　Poule；〃　the　captains　of

the　French　ships；　and　Captain　Alexander　of　the　Engineers；　the

English　Commissioner；　attended　the　disinterment。　　His　Royal　highness

Prince　de　Joinville　could　not　be　present　because　the　workmen　were

under　English　command。



The　men　worked　for　nine　hours　incessantly；　when　at　length　the　earth

was　entirely　removed　from　the　vault；　all　the　horizontal　strata　of

masonry　demolished；　and　the　large　slab　which　covered　the　place　where

the　stone　sarcophagus　lay；　removed　by　a　crane。　　This　outer　coffin　of

stone　was　perfect；　and　could　scarcely　be　said　to　be　damp。



〃As　soon　as　the　Abbe　Coquereau　had　recited　the　prayers；　the　coffin

was　removed　with　the　greatest　care；　and　carried　by　the　engineer…

soldiers；　bareheaded；　into　a　tent　that　had　been　prepared　for　the

purpose。　　After　the　religious　ceremonies；　the　inner　coffins　were

opened。　　The　outermost　coffin　was　slightly　injured：　then　came；　one

of　lead；　which　was　in　good　condition；　and　enclosed　two　othersone

of　tin　and　one　of　wood。　　The　last　coffin　was　lined　inside　with　white

satin；　which；　having　become　detached　by　the　effect　of　time；　had

fallen　upon　the　body　and　enveloped　it　like　a　winding…sheet；　and　had

become　slightly　attached　to　it。



〃It　is　difficult　to　describe　with　what　anxiety　and　emotion　those　who

were　present　waited　for　the　moment　which　was　to　expose　to　them　all

that　death　had　left　of　Napoleon。　　Notwithstanding　the　singular　state

of　preservation　of　the　tomb　and　coffins；　we　could　scarcely　hope　to

find　anything　but　some　misshapen　remains　of　the　least　perishable

part　of　the　costume　to　evidence　the　identity　of　the　body。　　But　when

Doctor　Guillard　raised　the　sheet　of　satin；　an　indescribable　feeling

of　surprise　and　affection　was　expressed　by　the　spectators；　many　of

whom　burst　into　tears。　　The　Emperor　was　himself　before　their　eyes！

The　features　of　the　face；　though　changed；　were　perfectly　recognized；

the　hands　extremely　beautiful；　his　well…known　costume　had　suffered

but　little；　and　the　colors　were　easily　distinguished。　　The　attitude


itself　was　full　of　ease；　and　but　for　the　fragments　of　the　satin

lining　which　covered；　as　with　a　fine　gauze；　several　parts　of　the

uniform；　we　might　have　believed　we　still　saw　Napoleon　before　us

lying　on　his　bed　of　state。　　General　Bertrand　and　M。　Marchand；　who

were　both　present　at　the　interment；　quickly　pointed　out　the

different　articles　which　each　had　deposited　in　the　coffin；　and

remained　in　the　precise　position　in　which　they　had　previously

described　them　to　be。



〃The　two　inner　coffins　were　carefully　closed　again；　the　old　leaden

coffin　was　strongly　blocked　up　with　wedges　of　wood；　and　both　were

once　more　soldered　up　with　the　most　minute　precautions；　under　the

direction　of　Dr。　Guillard。　　These　different　operations　being

terminated；　the　ebony　sarcophagus　was　closed　as　well　as　its　oak

case。　　On　delivering　the　key　of　the　ebony　sarcophagus　to　Count　de

Chabot；　the　King's　Commissioner；　Captain　Alexander　declared　to　him；

in　the　name　of　the　Governor；　that　this　coffin；　containing　the　mortal

remains　of　the　Emperor　Napoleon；　was　considered　as　at　the　disposal

of　the　French　Government　from　that　day；　and　from　the　moment　at　which

it　should　arrive　at　the　place　of　embarkation；　towards　which　it　was

about　to　be　sent　under　the　orders　of　General　Middlemore。　　The　King's

Commissioner　replied　that　he　was　charged　by　his　Government；　and　in

its　name；　to　accept　the　coffin　from　the　hands　of　the　British

authorities；　and　that　he　and　the　other　persons　composing　the　French

mission　were　ready　to　follow　it　to　James　Town；　where　the　Prince　de

Joinville；　superior　commandant　of　the　expedition；　would　be　ready　to

receive　it　and　conduct　it　on　board　his　frigate。　　A　car　drawn　by　four

horses；　decked　with　funereal　emblems；　had　been　prepared　before　the

arrival　of　the　expedition；　to　receive　the　coffin；　as　well　as　a　pall；

and　all　the　other　suitable　trappings　of　mourning。　　When　the

sarcophagus　was　placed　on　the　car；　the　whole　was　covered　with　a

magnificent　imperial　mantle　brought　from　Paris；　the　four　corners　of

which　were　borne　by　Generals　Bertrand　and　Gourgaud；　Baron　Las　Cases

and　M。　Marchand。　　At　half…past　three　o'clock　the　funeral　car　began

to　move；　preceded　by　a　chorister　bearing　the　cross；　and　by　the　Abbe

Coquereau。　　M。　de　Chabot　acted　as　chief　mourner。　　All　the

authorities　of　the　island；　all　the　principal　inhabitants；　and　the

whole　of　the　garrison；　followed　in　procession　from　the　tomb　to　the

quay。　　But　with　the　exception　of　the　artillerymen　necessary　to　lead

the　horses；　and　occasionally　support　the　car　when　descending　some

steep　parts　of　the　way；　the　places　nearest　the　coffin　were　reserved

for　the　French　mission。　　General　Middlemore；　although　in　a　weak

state　of　health；　persisted　in　following　the　whole　way　on　foot；

together　with　General　Churchill；　chief　of　the　staff　in　India；　who

had　arrived　only　two　days　before　from　Bombay。　　The　immense　weight　of

the　coffins；　and　the　unevenness　of　the　road；　rendered　the　utmost

carefulness　necessary　throughout　the　whole　distance。　　Colonel

Trelawney　commanded　in　person　the　small　detachment　of　artillerymen

who　conducted　the　car；　and；　thanks　to　his　great　care；　not　the

slightest　accident　took　place。　　From　the　moment　of　departure　to　the

arrival　at　the　quay；　the　cannons　of　the　forts　and　the　'Belle　Poule'

fired　minute…guns。　　After　an　hour's　march　the　rain　ceased　for　the

first　time　since　the　commencement　of　the　operations；　and　on　arriving

in　sight　of　the　town　we　found　a　brilliant　sky　and　beautiful　weather。

From　the　morning　the　three　French　vessels　of　war　had　assumed　the

usual　signs　of　deep　mourning：　their　yards　crossed　and　their　flags

lowered。　　Two　French　merchantmen；　'Bonne　Amie'　and　'Indien；'　which

had　been　in　the　roads　for　two　days；　had　put　themselves　under　the

Prince's　orders；　and　followed　during　the　ceremony　all　the　manoeuvers

of　the　'Belle　Poule。'　　The　forts　of　the　town；　and　the　houses　of　the

consuls；　had　also　their　flags　half…mast　high。



〃On　arriving　at　the　entrance　of　the　town；　the　troops　of　the　garrison

and　the　militia　formed　in　two　lines　as　far　as　the　extremity　of　the

quay。　　According　to　the　order　for　mourning　prescribed　for　the

English　army；　the　men　had　their　arms　reversed　and　the　officers　had

crape　on　their　arms；　with　their　swords　reversed。　　All　the

inhabitants　had　been　kept　away　from　the　line　of　march；　but　they

lined　the　terraces；　commanding　the　town；　and　the　streets　were

occupied　only　by