Prince de Joinville advanced alone, and in presence
of all around, who stood with their heads uncovered,
received, in a solemn manner, the imperial coffin
from the hands of General Middlemore. His Royal
Highness then thanked the Governor, in the name of
France, for all the testimonials of sympathy and respect
with which the authorities and inhabitants of St.
Helena had surrounded the memorable ceremonial.
A cutter had been expressly prepared to receive the
coffin. During the embarkation, which the Prince
directed himself, the bands played funeral airs, and
all the boats were stationed round with their oars
shipped. The moment the sarcophagus touched the
cutter, a magnificent royal flag, which the ladies
of James Town had embroidered for the occasion, was
unfurled, and the ‘Belle Poule’ immediately
squared her masts and unfurled her colors. All
the manoeuvers of the frigate were immediately followed
by the other vessels. Our mourning had ceased
with the exile of Napoleon, and the French naval division
dressed itself out in all its festal ornaments to
receive the imperial coffin under the French flag.
The sarcophagus was covered in the cutter with the
imperial mantle. The Prince de Joinville placed
himself at the rudder, Commandant Guyet at the head
of the boat; Generals Bertrand and Gourgaud, Baron
Las Cases, M. Marchand, and the Abbe Coquereau occupied
the same places as during the march. Count Chabot
and Commandant Hernoux were astern, a little in advance
of the Prince. As soon as the cutter had pushed
off from the quay, the batteries ashore fired a salute
of twenty-one guns, and our ships returned the salute
with all their artillery. Two other salutes were
fired during the passage from the quay to the frigate;
the cutter advancing very slowly, and surrounded by
the other boats. At half-past six o’clock
it reached the ‘Belle Poule,’ all the
men being on the yards with their hats in their hands.
The Prince had had arranged on the deck a chapel,
decked with flags and trophies of arms, the altar
being placed at the foot of the mizzen-mast. The
coffin, carried by our sailors, passed between two
ranks of officers with drawn swords, and was placed
on the quarter-deck. The absolution was pronounced
by the Abbe Coquereau the same evening. Next day,
at ten o’clock, a solemn mass was celebrated
on the deck, in presence of the officers and part
of the crews of the ships. His Royal Highness
stood at the foot of the coffin. The cannon of
the ‘Favorite’ and ‘Oreste’
fired minute-guns during this ceremony, which terminated
by a solemn absolution; and the Prince de Joinville,
the gentlemen of the mission, the officers, and the
premiers maitres of the ship, sprinkled holy water
on the coffin. At eleven, all the ceremonies of
the church were accomplished, all the honors done
to a sovereign had been paid to the mortal remains
of Napoleon. The coffin was carefully lowered
between decks, and placed in the chapelle ardente
which had been prepared at Toulon for its reception.
At this moment, the vessels fired a last salute with
all their artillery, and the frigate took in her flags,
keeping up only her flag at the stern and the royal
standard at the maintopgallant-mast. On Sunday,
the 18th, at eight in the morning, the ‘Belle
Poule’ quitted St. Helena with her precious deposit
on board.