AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS ARAGO. 173 



Captain Krog aDfl two other individuals of small size bid tliemselvos 

 behind me. A handling of arms made us think that we had but a few 

 seconds to live. 



In analyzing the feelings which T experienced on this solemn occasion, 

 I have come to the conclusion that the man who is led to death is not as 

 unlmppy as the iiublic imagines him to be. Fifty ideas presented them- 

 selves nearly simultaneously to my mind, and I did not rack my brain 

 for any of them ; I only recollect the two following which have remained 

 engraved on my memory. On turning my head to the right, I saw the 

 national flag flying on the bastions of Figueras, and I said to myself, 

 ' If I were to move a few hundred meters I should be surrounded by 

 comrades, by friends, by fellow-citizens, who would receive me affection- 

 ately. Here, without their being able to impute any crime to me, I am 

 going to suffer death at twenty-two years of age." But Avhat agitated 

 me more deeply was this : looking toward the Pyrenees I could distinctly 

 see their peaks, and I reflected that my mother, on the other side of the 

 chain, might at this awfnl moment be looking peaceably at them. 



The Spanish authorities, finding that to redeem my life I would not 

 declare myself the owner of the vessel, had us conducted without further 

 molestation to the fortress of Rosas. Having to file through nearly all 

 the inhabitants of the town, I had wished at first, through a false feeling 

 of shame, to leave in the mill the remains of our week's meals. But M. 

 Berthemie, more prudent than I, carried over his shoulder a great quan- 

 tity of pieces of black bread tied up with j)ackthread. I imitated him. 

 I furnished myself famously from our old stock, set it on my shoulder, 

 and it was with this accoutrement that I made my entrance into the 

 famous fortress. 



They placed us in a casemate, where we had barely the space neces- 

 sary for lying down. In the windmill they used to bring us, from time 

 to time, some provisions which came from our boat. Here, the Spanish 

 government purveyed our food. We received every day some bread and 

 a ration of rice ; but as we had no means of dressing food, we were in 

 reality reduced to dry bread. 



Dry bread was very unsubstantial food for one who could see from 

 his casemate, at the door of his prison, a sutler selling grapes at two 

 farthings a pound, and cooking, under the shelter of half a cask, bacon 

 and herrings ; but we had no money to bring us into connection with this 

 merchant. I then decided, though with very great" regret, to sell a 

 watch which my father had given me. I was only offered about a quarter 

 of its value ; but I might well accept it since there were no competitors 

 for it. 



As possessors of sixty francs, M. Berthemie and I could now appease 

 the hunger from which we had long suffered ; but we did not like this 

 return of fortune to be profitable to ourselves alone, and we made some 

 presents, which were very well received by our companions in captivity. 



