PARIS. 
562 
roplion confided of Bertrand, grand marfhal of the pa¬ 
lace, his lady and three children, Savary duke of Ro- 
vigo, general Lallemand, baron Gourgaud, aide-de-camp 
to Bonaparte, count Moutholon Semonville, his lady and 
child, Las Cafas, counfellor of date, and his fon, feveral 
other officers, a furgeon, and a fuite of about forty 
perfons. 
On mounting the deck of the Bellerophon, Bonaparte 
faid to the captain, “Sir, I come to claim the protection 
of your prince and of your laws.” 
Previoudy to his going on-board, he had addreffed the 
following letter to the prince-regent. 
Altejfe Roy ale, En butte aux faffions qui divifent mon 
pays, et a VinimitU des plus grandes puiffances de l'Europe, 
j'ai termini ma carriere politique ; et je viens, comme The- 
mijlocle, m'affeoir fur les foyers du peuple Britannique. Je 
vie metsfous la protection defes lois, queje reclame de V. A. R. 
comme le plus puiJJ'ant, le plus conjiant, et le plus ginereux, 
de vies ennemis. Napoleon. 
“Royal Highnefs, Expofed to the factions which di¬ 
vide my country, and to the enmity of the greated powers 
of Europe, I have terminated my political career; and T 
come, like Themidocles, to throw myfelf upon the liof- 
pitality of the Britifli people. I put myfelf under the pro¬ 
tection of their laws; which [protection] I demand of 
your Royal Highnefs, as the mod powerful, the mod 
condant, and the mod generous, of my enemies. 
Rochefort, July 13.” 
Bonaparte has always been remarkable for expreffing 
himfelf in claffical language ; nor does the prefent letter 
yield to any of his former compolitions in that charaCter- 
idic attribute. When embarked on-board the Bellero¬ 
phon, by his condant affability he made a very favourable 
impreffion on all who approached him ; and this was, as 
it ought to be, more than repaid by the condefcenfions 
which he received in return. Marfhal Bertrand waited 
upon the fil'd lieutenant and captain of marines with 
Napoleon’s compliments, requeding their company at 
dinner. At dinner he took his feat in the middle of the 
table, with the captain on the right hand. The whole 
dinner was dreded in the French dyle, and ferved in filver. 
Nothing was carved at table, the fervants removing each 
difh for the purpofe. Some Englifli middiipmen, of the 
Bellerophon, were permitted, at Bonaparte’s requed, to 
perform a play before him. 
True to his old fydem of enquiring into and under- 
danding every thing, Bonaparte had fcarcely been five 
minutes on-board, before he fent his compliments, and 
requeded that the odicers of the fhip might be introduced 
to him. This was done by captain Maitland. He bowed 
feverally to each, and, fmiling, enquired how each of them 
ranked. When they were about to leave the cabin, he 
faid to them in French, “ Gentlemen, you have the ho¬ 
nour of belonging to the braved and mod fortunate na¬ 
tion in the world.” Having arranged his drefs, he fiiortly 
afterwards came upon deck. He afked feveral quedions 
of the officers, took particular notice of the fights on the 
guns ; and begged the boatfwain might be fent to him, 
<5f whom he made many enquiries refpeCting the fiiip, 
and his length of fervice. 
At two in the afternoon, the Bellerophon (accompa¬ 
nied by the Myrmidon corvette, which had part of his 
fuite on-board) weighed, and made fail for England. 
Calms and contrary winds made the voyage long and te¬ 
dious. They reached Torbay only on the 24th. Cap¬ 
tain Maitland immediately made a fignal for general 
orders, the telegraphic anfwer to which was ; “ to prohi¬ 
bit ail communication with the fliore, and to dand out 
three leagues to fea, and await the orders of the admi¬ 
ralty.” 
As foon as the arrival of the Bellerophon at Torbay 
was publicly announced, it became the centre of attrac¬ 
tion ; and every one manifeded an anxiety to behold the 
firft general of the age, and the mod extraordinary man 
of modern times. In confequence numerous parties re¬ 
paired in boats, but were not permitted to come along- 
fide : notwithdanding this, their number fo increafed, 
that it was calculated not lefs than a thoufand put off 
daily. 
During the time neceffarily occupied by official dif- 
cuffion, as to the difpofal of Bonaparte, and due prepara¬ 
tion, Bonaparte continued to refide on-board the Belle¬ 
rophon, around which a proper guard was very prudently 
edabliffied. The number and eagernefs of fpeftators re¬ 
mained unabated during the whole of this period ; and, 
as every one faw with his own eyes, and formed his own 
conclusions, the accounts thus furniffied are intereding, 
though lometimes various. From thefe we ffiall feledt 
the following : 
“ Perfons from London, and from other parts, are 
flocking down to Plymouth, though they know that 
Bonaparte is not expected to land, and that they cannot 
go on-board the Bellerophon ; but they can row in boats 
round the veflel, and can occafionally catch a glimpfe of 
him. He is the greater part of the day in the dern-gal- 
lery, either walking backwards and forwards, with his 
hands behind him, as he is reprefented in fome of the 
pictures in the print-fliops, or lurveying the (hipping and 
the fliore through a glafs. In general he keeps alone, 
Bertrand and Lallemand remaining at fome diltance be¬ 
hind him. Occafionally he beckons to one of them to 
point out fomething to him, or to make fome obfervation ; 
lie then walks on alone. Captain Maitland is more fre¬ 
quently with him than any of his fuite; and he pays him 
great attention. He is in good health. He pafl'es but a 
fliort time at his meals, and drinks but little wine. Coffee 
is frequently ferved up to him on the deck. When he 
firft came near the land about Torbay, he is reported to 
have exclaimed, Enfin, vuila ce beau pays! “At length, 
here is this fine country !” adding, that he had never ieen 
it, except from Calais and Boulogne. 
“ On Tuefday, Auguft 1, he was feen the greated part 
of the morning at the windows of the cabin, generally in 
converfation with Bertrand, and occafionally looking at 
the gazing groups crowded in the veffels below, of all 
ages and all occupations, and fometimes appeared reading 
a newfpaper; but he had none of the ufual French gefti- 
culation, and his countenance feldom altered. He is now 
very corpulent; and, annexing that idea with the print of 
him, full length, as taken (landing with his arms acrofs 
on the parade, or the older print of him, as mufing in 
the gardens of Malmaifon, will give the bed idea of his 
perfon. He was dreded in a very plain green coat, with 
a red collar, alfo perfedtly plain, coming clofe round his 
neck, the coat buttoned clofe on the bread, and cut back 
in the ufual French fafliion, (liowing a white waidcoat 
and pantaloons ; a filver dar on the left bread, two large 
gold epaulets, a low cocked hat, perfectly' plain, and 
high boots. His complexion is a clear uniform brown, 
no muflachios or whifkers, only his jet-black hair appear¬ 
ing before the ear and a little behind. His eye is black, 
rather fmall ; a deady fixed look. The mod remarkable 
feature is the chin, which is very prominent; lips fmall, 
forming altogether a handfonie and pleafing counte¬ 
nance ; he is rather bald on the top of the head. Soon 
after five o’clock he appeared walking deadily the length 
of the quarter-deck, on the darboard fide, with Lalle¬ 
mand. Bonaparte kept next the fide of the (hip, with his 
baton, rather attending to his companion’s converfation 
than taking much part in it himfelf. He frequently ufed his 
handkerchief, and otherwife had generally his right hand 
in the pocket of his pantaloons, and his left jud throwing 
back his coat; fometimes his hands eroded behind. He 
paufed, more or lefs, at the end of each turn, occafionally 
noticing fome others of his fuite, who all feemed to keep 
at a certain didance, with their hats ofl’. Captain Mait¬ 
land was ftanding at the gangway with fome of his officers, 
and a French officer dreded in blue, covered with filver 
lace and embroidery, faid to be Savary. There were two 
or three ladies (Mad. Bertrand and others) much dreded. 
