248 



ST. HELENA 



pressed the desire that if they would not permit his remauns to be 

 taken to France, that he should be buried under the shade of these 

 willows, at the feet of which he had so often sat. 



Hutt's Gate is at present inhabited by a lady, Mrs. Dickson, who 

 at my birth received me in her arras and gave to me the first cares 

 so necessary to infancy. She often passed whole weeks at Long- 

 wood. She is at present surrounded by a numerous and charming 

 family. She showed to me all the tenderness of a mother, and it 

 was a pleasure for me to press her to my heart. 



After having left Hutt's Gate we were not slow to pwirceive its 

 gum trees ; these arc small lank trees which grow upon the plateau, 

 bent by the tiresome blasts and killing winds which never cease in 

 this part of the island. Longwood itself soon came into view, sad 

 and neglected. A foggy atmosphere added to its sadness. The 

 gardens ruined, the house of the Emperor in a miserable state, the 

 room where he died turned into a mill to crush barley, his bed- 

 chamber a stable ! What profanation ! At the tomb it was emotion, 

 but here it was stupor that affected us. In wandering through 

 these historical ruins, we could yet recognize the walks of the Em- 

 peror's garden, the place where his spade dug up the ground, and 

 the squares where he cultivated his flowers. At the angle of a walk 

 we saw the Prince collecting several herbs from the garden. We 

 have since found that he had a commission to that effect from his 

 sister the Princess Clemcntme. I recognized very well tlie little 

 balcony with its railings painted green, where the Emperor often 

 sat, and also the lawn which ran l>efore his house, as far as my 

 fatlier's pa\ilion. I reviewed the cliamber where I was l)orn. That 

 is where my mother, holding me in her arms, on the day of my birth 

 presented me to the Emperor, saying, " Sire, I have the honour to 

 present to you the first Trcnchman who has entered Longwood, 

 without the permission of the Governor." 



There exists near Longwood a moderately good house (possibly 

 the new house which Napoleon never inhabited) which the cicerones 

 of the island j)oint out to travellers as one of the residences of 

 Napoleon. 



After having ended our long visit to Longwood we took the road 

 to James' Town, sad and dispirited, a prey to melancholy thoughts 

 wluch had sprung from the places where we had been. 



Visitors making a stay at St. Helena during the months 

 of February or October in any year must always be inter- 

 ested in witnessing the long rolling waves which at those 

 times come sweeping in over wharf and sea- front, often 

 interrupting for days communication with the shipping. 

 These mighty and grand forces of Nature are termed — 

 " The RoUers." 



On February- 13, 1902. and for several days, the " rollers " 

 were very high, and heavy surf was raging ; so furious was 



