NAPOLEON INTERVIEWED.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1671, 5 March 1890, Page 3

NAPOLEON INTERVIEWED.

The September number of the " Century " contains a fascinating and instructive paper by Miss E. C. Price, called " Napoleon in Exile," made op of unpublished letters by British officers. We quote a portion of one written by Captain Ussher, who commanded H.M.S. Undaunted, in which Napoleon was conveyed to Elba. Captain Ussher writes :—

' When I was presented he said that he was once a great enemy to England, but now he was as sincere a friend. He said that we .were a great and generous nation. He asked me about the wind, weather, distance to Elba,

and other nautical questions ; he then bowed and retired. He was very dignified — still tho Emperor. I received his command to dine with him. There was at table all the Commissioners and the Grand Marshal ; the conversation was most interesting. 1 He laughed when I asked him if he did not issue his Milan decree for the purpose of forcing America to quarrel with us. This he did not deny. Ho said ' all his plans were on an immense scale,' and would have been finished in four or five years. I have not time to repeat all his interesting conversation. 'That night we embarked all his numerous baggage. In the morning he sent for me. He asked how the wind was. and said he had made up his mind to embark at eight in the evening. At seven o'clock he sent for me, and I remained half an hour alone with him (an immense mob had gathered round his hotel). His sword was on the table, and he appeared very thoughtful ; there was a very great noise in the street. I said to him, 'The French mob are the wont I have seen.' He answered, ' They are a fickle people.' He appeared in deep thonght ; but, recovering himself, rang the bell, and ' ordering the Grand Marshal to be sent for, he asked if all was ready. Being answered in the affirmative, he turned to me and said in his usual quick way, 'Aliens/ * The stairs were lined at each side with ladiesand gentlemen. He stopped a moment, and said something to the ladies which I could not hear: He walked to his carriage and called for me (not a safe berth) ; he then called the Austrian Commissioner and the Grand Marshal. I sat opposite to him in the carriage, and we drove off. My boats were almost two miles from the town. We were accompanied by an Hungarian regiment of cavalry: It was a delightful moonlight night, the country we passed through was a paradise. Then the carriage stopped, the bugle sounded, and the regiment was drawn up. ' An interesting scene now opened — bugles sounding, drams beating, bones neighing, and people of every nation in Europe witnessing the embarkation of this man who had caused so much misery to them all. . 'I informed him that the boat was ready, and we walked together to where she was. He was handed into _ the boat by a nephew of Sir Sydney Smith's, who is my fourth lieuteipant — rather an odd coincidence. Lieutenant Smith had been confine^ in prison for seven or eight years ; I introduced him. The Emperor seemed to feel his conscience prick him ; be only said, ' Nephew to Sir Sydney Smith ; I met him in Egypt/ • When we got on board he walked round the ship. My people crowded about him, and be said 'for the first time in his life he felt confidence in a mob.' His spirits seemed to revive, and he told me next morning that he had. never slept better. Next day he asked me a thousand questions and seemed, quite initiated in nautical matters. At breakfast and dinner there was a great deal of conversation. He spoke of the Scheldt expedition. I asked him if he had ever thought we should succeed. He said, 'Never';

and turning a little towards the Austrian Commissioner, he said, ' I wrote from Vienna that the expedition was intended against Antwerp.' He told "meim motive for annexing Holland to France was for a naval purpose, and that he thought Zuyder Zee particularly well adapted for exercising his conscripts. X 'At breakfast one morning he asked ■pie to bring to a neutral brig that was Brassing. I said, laughing, that I was His Majesty should give such an order, as it was contrary to bis system to denationalise. He turned round and gave me a pretty hard rap, saying, ' Ah, Capitaine !' , ' When we were sailing by the Alps he leaned on my arm for half an hour, looking earnestly at them. I said be Bad once passed them with better fortone. He laugVed, and liked the compliment. He told me be had been only once wounded ; it was in the knee, and by an English sergeant. He looks uncommonly well and young, and is mack changed, for the better, being now very stout He showed me a portrait of the King of Borne ; be is very like his father. He likewise showed me one of the Empress, whicf is rather pretty. We had a smars gale when off Corsica. He asked me ty anchor at Ajaccio, the place of his

birth ; but the wind changing made it lmfussible. In the gale t told him I had more confidence than Casar * pilot. The compliment pleased him. ' He dresses very plain,* wearing a green coat with the decoration of the Legion of Honour. The portrait of I him with the cocked hat and folded arms is the strongest likeness I have seen.'