3IO CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



union. In consequence of the early death of her 

 mother^ she was, while an infant, intrusted to the 

 care of her aunt. Her father soon after died, and 

 the little orphan appears never to have known a 

 father's or a mother's love." And this careless state- 

 ment of a stay-at-home biographer has gone forth 

 to the world. 



Here is a literal translation of the inscription upon 

 that tablet in the church at Trois-Ilets, in which the 

 parents of Josephine were married, she was baptized, 

 and in which her mother lies buried : 



HERE LIES 



f 



THE VENERABLE 

 MADAME ROSE CLAIRE DUVERGER DE SANNOIS, 



WIDOW OF MESSIRE J. G. TASCHER DE LA PAGERIE, 

 MOTHER OF HER MAJESTY THE EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH, 



DIED THE SECOND DAY OF JUNE, MDCCCVII, 

 AT THE AGE OF LXXI YEARS. 



PROVIDED WITH THE SACRAMENTS OF THE CHURCH. 



It will thus be seen that the mother of Josephine 

 died in 1807, when her daughter was forty-four years 

 of age, having lived to see her married to Beauhar- 

 nais at the age of sixteen ; to welcome her back to 

 her home when separated from her husband ; to hear 

 of the latter's death, in 1794, of her marriage to Napo- 

 leon, in 1796, and of her coronation as Empress of the 

 French, in 1804. Fortunately, she passed away before 

 the cruel act of divorce, and while Josephine was the 

 happy wife of Napoleon, but did not leave her daugh- 



