The Second Funeral of Napoleon | Page 7

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.
"The two inner coffins were carefully closed again; the old leaden
coffin was strongly blocked up with wedges of wood, and both were
once more soldered up with the most minute precautions, under the
direction of Dr. Guillard. These different operations being terminated,
the ebony sarcophagus was closed as well as its oak case. On delivering
the key of the ebony sarcophagus to Count de Chabot, the King's
Commissioner, Captain Alexander declared to him, in the name of the
Governor, that this coffin, containing the mortal remains of the
Emperor Napoleon, was considered as at the disposal of the French
Government from that day, and from the moment at which it should
arrive at the place of embarkation, towards which it was about to be
sent under the orders of General Middlemore. The King's
Commissioner replied that he was charged by his Government, and in
its name, to accept the coffin from the hands of the British authorities,
and that he and the other persons composing the French mission were
ready to follow it to James Town, where the Prince de Joinville,
superior commandant of the expedition, would be ready to receive it
and conduct it on board his frigate. A car drawn by four horses, decked
with funereal emblems, had been prepared before the arrival of the
expedition, to receive the coffin, as well as a pall, and all the other
suitable trappings of mourning. When the sarcophagus was placed on
the car, the whole was covered with a magnificent imperial mantle
brought from