HISTORICAL. 
39 
with Marshal Bertrand’s house, were all considered as part of Long- 
wood farm, and the former, used as hams and cattle-yards, fell into 
a state of ruin until the year 1858, when it, with the site of The 
Tomb, was purchased by the Emperor Napoleon the Third, with a 
view of restoring the last residence of his illustrious uncle, and 
o-uardino- from further desecration that spot in the little green 
valley so lonely and so distant, yet so sacred to the hearts of all 
true Frenchmen. Three officers, with a party of Engineers, were 
sent out from France to carry out these restorations, upon which a 
large sum of money was expended ; and ever since, the “ Old House” 
at Longwood, and the “Valley of the Tomb/’ have been under 
the immediate charge of a non-commissioned officer residing at each, 
and an officer who rents and occupies a portion of the “New 
House.” Very great care was exercised, in rebuilding the “ Old 
House,” to restore it as near as possible to its state when occupied 
by the Emperor, and as much of the old materials as could be 
used were again employed. A great difficulty, however, appeared 
towards the completion — not a scrap or vestige of the original wall- 
papers remained, and no clue as to their design or colour could be 
obtained ; when a remarkable instance occurred of the highly ob- 
jectionable habit of Englishmen carrying away relics, being turned 
to useful account. Aware of the difficulty experienced by the 
engineer in this respect, X mentioned it in conversation in pre- 
sence of an officer who had just arrived at the Island, on his 
way home from India. This officer had visited Longwood thirty 
years previously, and carefully preserved a scrap ol paper from the 
wall of each room ; he kindly placed these specimens at the disposal 
of the French officer, who sent them to Paris, where new papers, 
exactly resembling the original, were manufactured and sent out to 
St. Helena. Thus restored, unfurnished, but with a beautifully- 
executed white marble bust of the Emperor placed on the spot 
where he breathed his last, now stands “ Longwood Old House.” 
The tomb, where his body rested from the 8th of May, 1821, 
until the 15th of October, 1S40, when it was removed to a hand- 
some sarcophagus in the Hotel des Invalides in Paris, to lie, in 
accordance with his expressed wish, on the banks of the Seine, is, 
too-etber with the little spring of clear water which bubbles from 
the rock carefully railed round and guarded, so that no ruthless 
hand now as formerly, hacks and chops away the remains of two 
