310 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 
THE VENERABLE 
MADAME ROSE CLAIRE DUVERGER DE SANNOIS, 
WIDOW OF MESSIRE J. G. TASCH?R 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- 
