ST. HELENA 217 



delivered, and the Governor was informed by the person 

 to whom it was sent ; so the young native was ordered to 

 leave the service of his master. Las Casas kept on good 

 terms with the man, being anxious to use his services later ; 

 and hoping for a good reward, the lad consented to go to 

 England by the first sailer. Young Las Casas wrote in 

 almost imperceptible characters on white silk handker- 

 chiefs, which they sewed into the lining of a waistcoat to 

 be worn by Scott, and given on his arrival in England to 

 Lady Clavering, a French lady, but the widow of an English 

 officer. Scott agreed to all this, but became afraid of de- 

 tection, and asked his father's advice. The latter, very 

 irate, ordered him to disclose the whole affair to the Govern- 

 ment ; and, on his refusal, seized him, tore off the waist- 

 coat, obtained the handkerchief letters, and carried them 

 to Plantation House to the Governor. Scott was immedi- 

 ately imprisoned, and Las Casas and his son removed from 

 Longwood and placed in custody. It is said that Napoleon 

 knew nothing of this, and it is the general opinion that 

 Las Casas followed the fallen Emperor not through de- 

 votion, but to collect material for memoirs of Napoleon. 

 Having accomplished his object, he became tired of the 

 island, and evolved this plan in order that he might be 

 sent home. All the handkerchiefs were sent to Lord 

 Bathurst, and Las Casas and son remained under sur- 

 veillance ; but on December 25, 1816, they were allowed to 

 go to the Governor's residence in Jamestown, and were 

 allowed freedom on parole. Las Casas declared that he 

 had no wish to return to Longwood, being disgraced in his 

 Emperor's eyes. The whole affair seemed really of little 

 moment, and simply devised to render a pretext for their 

 home going. He had before written a letter to the British 

 Government full of abuse of the Governor, and placing the 

 worst construction on affairs in the island. This he knew 

 must pass through the Governor's hand, as, by orders of 

 the English Ministry, all the correspondence of the Long- 

 wood people had to be read by the Governor before it could 

 be forwarded or delivered. Very contrary to his expecta- 

 tions, the Governor allowed the letter to pass, thus com- 

 pelling Las Casas to devise another plan, which he calcu- 

 lated would, even if the letters failed to reach England, 



