HOME OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 301 



to assist in his assumption of royalty : In the center, 

 the Pope ; Napoleon, in the act of placing the crown 

 upon the head of Josephine, who kneels before him. 

 The inscriptions upon the dies are as follows : 



North : " Lan 1868. Nafoleon III Regnant, 

 Les Habitants de la Martinique out Sieve' cc monu- 

 ment a IS Imfieratricc JosSfJiine. Nee dans cette 

 Colonic" 



East: n Nie Le XXI T I Jain, MDCCLXIII" 

 (Crown, shield, and eagle of France.) 



South : The bas-relief, — Coronation scene. 



West: K MariS Le IX Mars, MDCCXCVI." 

 (Draped shield, eagle, and crown.) 



The statue is enclosed by a neat iron fence, and 

 is further surrounded by a ring of palms, planted, I 

 believe, at the time it was erected. In the distance. 

 on a hill, is an old fort and a little chapel, where the 

 Virgin Mother extends her hands in benediction, and 

 where a candle burns, bright by night and dim by 

 day. 



As amateur photographer I sought a resident artist, 

 Monsieur Fabre, who received and aided me cheer- 

 fully, especially when he learned that I bore a letter 

 from our good friend Hartmann, of St. Pierre. In his 

 capacious court-yard I was soon busily at work pre- 

 paring my chemicals, wrapped in a vapor of collodion. 

 I was suddenly awakened by a strange shock, as 

 though some one had shaken me strongly and was 

 about standing me upon my head. At that instant, 

 in rushed my friend, the photographer, with loud 

 cries: "Ah, mon Dieui Tremblement de terre ! 

 Tr emblement de terre!" "Earthquake ! Earthquake !" 



