312 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 
We traced the walls of the ancient building, which 
gave evidence of one of ample dimensions — the: walls 
once supporting the gallery and those enclosing the 
court. The only buildings now standing which were 
in existence at the time of Josephine’s birth are two — 
the anczenne cursine, the kitchen once attached to the 
dwelling, and the sucrerze, or sugar-house. Lowly 
and humble, with walls of stone and roof of earthen 
tiles, whose mellow tone and gray lichens suggested 
great age, was the old building which once had 
been the home for many years of the mother of Jose- 
phine. For tradition, as authentic as tradition can be, 
states that here lived Madame Tascher de la Pagerie 
after the death of her husband, and while her daugh- 
ter was the wife of Napoleon. Those two small win- 
dows in the roof look into two chambers, now dilapi- 
dated and unused, chosen as the widow’s abode when 
left solitary and alone. Not many years ago there 
died in Trois-Ilets a very old woman, once a domes- 
tic in the family, who attended Madame La Pagerie 
in her later years, and it is through her this tradi- 
tion was preserved. Above the humble roof droops 
a stately mango, rich in golden fruit and dark-green 
leaves. 
Lieutenant La Pagerie resided with his bride, in 
1761, on the estate of his father-in-law, a portion of 
which was given him at the time of his marriage. A 
few years later he came into possession of it, and it is 
known at the present time as La Pagerie. The es- 
tate was a large one, employing one hundred and 
fifty slaves in the cultivation of cane and coffee, and 
yielding a large annual revenue. 
Here, on the 23d of June, 1763, Josephine was 
