These little compliments concluded on both sides, Lieutenant Middlemore, son and aide-de-camp of the Governor of St.Helena, came on board the French frigate, and brought his father's best respects to his Royal Highness.The Governor was at home ill, and forced to keep his room; but he had made his house at James Town ready for Captain Joinville and his suite, and begged that they would make use of it during their stay.
On the 9th, H.R.H.the Prince of Joinville put on his full uniform and landed, in company with Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron Las Cases, M.Marchand, M.Coquereau, the chaplain of the expedition, and M.de Rohan Chabot, who acted as chief mourner.All the garrison were under arms to receive the illustrious Prince and the other members of the expedition--who forthwith repaired to Plantation House, and had a conference with the Governor regarding their mission.
On the 10th, 11th, 12th, these conferences continued: the crews of the French ships were permitted to come on shore and see the tomb of Napoleon.Bertrand, Gourgaud, Las Cases wandered about the island and revisited the spots to which they had been partial in the lifetime of the Emperor.
The 15th October was fixed on for the day of the exhumation: that day five-and twenty years, the Emperor Napoleon first set his foot upon the island.
On the day previous all things had been made ready: the grand coffins and ornaments brought from France, and the articles necessary for the operation were carried to the valley of the Tomb.
The operations commenced at midnight.The well-known friends of Napoleon before named and some other attendants of his, the chaplain and his acolytes, the doctor of the "Belle Poule," the captains of the French ships, and Captain Alexander of the Engineers, the English Commissioner, attended the disinterment.His Royal highness Prince de Joinville could not be present because the workmen were under English command.
The men worked for nine hours incessantly, when at length the earth was entirely removed from the vault, all the horizontal strata of masonry demolished, and the large slab which covered the place where the stone sarcophagus lay, removed by a crane.This outer coffin of stone was perfect, and could scarcely be said to be damp.
"As soon as the Abbe Coquereau had recited the prayers, the coffin was removed with the greatest care, and carried by the engineer-soldiers, bareheaded, into a tent that had been prepared for the purpose.After the religious ceremonies, the inner coffins were opened.The outermost coffin was slightly injured: then came, one of lead, which was in good condition, and enclosed two others--one of tin and one of wood.The last coffin was lined inside with white satin, which, having become detached by the effect of time, had fallen upon the body and enveloped it like a winding-sheet, and had become slightly attached to it.
"It is difficult to describe with what anxiety and emotion those who were present waited for the moment which was to expose to them all that death had left of Napoleon.Notwithstanding the singular state of preservation of the tomb and coffins, we could scarcely hope to find anything but some misshapen remains of the least perishable part of the costume to evidence the identity of the body.But when Doctor Guillard raised the sheet of satin, an indescribable feeling of surprise and affection was expressed by the spectators, many of whom burst into tears.The Emperor was himself before their eyes!
The features of the face, though changed, were perfectly recognized;the hands extremely beautiful; his well-known costume had suffered but little, and the colors were easily distinguished.The attitude itself was full of ease, and but for the fragments of the satin lining which covered, as with a fine gauze, several parts of the uniform, we might have believed we still saw Napoleon before us lying on his bed of state.General Bertrand and M.Marchand, who were both present at the interment, quickly pointed out the different articles which each had deposited in the coffin, and remained in the precise position in which they had previously described them to be.
