ESCAPE FROM THE CASTLE OF BELVER. 39 
standing the inquisitorial surveillance which Don Man- 
uel de Vacaro exercised over the commander of his 
“ Mistic.” 
On the 28th July, 1808, we silently descended the hill 
on which Belver is built, at the same moment that the 
family of the minister Soller entered the fortress to es- 
cape the fury of the populace. Arrived at the shore, 
we found there Damian, his boat, and three sailors. We 
embarked at once, and set sail. Damian had taken the 
precaution of bringing with us in this frail vessel the in- 
struments of value which he had carried off from my 
station at the Clop de Galazo. The sea was unfavour- 
able; Damian thought it prudent to stop at the little 
island of Cabrera, destined to become a short time after- 
wards so sadly celebrated by the sufferings which the 
soldiers of the army of Dupont experienced after the 
shameful capitulation of Baylen. There a singular in- 
cident was very near compromising all. Cabrera, toler- 
ably near to the southern extremity of Majorca, is often 
visited by fishermen coming from that part of the island. 
M. Berthémie feared, justly enough, that the rumour of 
our escape having spread about, they might dispatch 
some boats to seize us. He looked upon our going into 
harbour as inopportune; I maintained that we must 
yield to the prudence of the commander. During this 
discussion, the three seamen whom Damian had engaged 
saw that M. Berthémie, whom I had endeavoured to pass 
off as my servant, maintained his opinion against me on 
a footing of equality. They then addressed themselves 
in these terms to the commander :— 
“We only consented to take part in this expedition 
upon condition that the Emperor’s aide-de-camp, shut up 
at Belver, should not be of the number of those persons 
