Bonaparte sometimes conversed with Admiral Brueys.  His object was always to gain information respecting the different manoeuvres, and nothing astonished the Admiral more than the sagacity of his questions.  I recollect that one day, Bonaparte having asked Brueys in what manner the hammocks were disposed of when clearing for action, he declared, after he had received an answer, that if the case should occur he would order every one to throw his baggage overboard.

He passed a great part of his time in his cabin, lying on a bed, which, swinging on a kind of castors, alleviated the severity of the sea-sickness from which he frequently suffered much when the ship rolled.

I was almost always with him in his cabin, where I read to him some of the favourite works which he had selected for his camp library.  He also frequently conversed, for hours together, with the captains of the vessels which he hailed.  He never failed to ask whence they came? what was their destination? what ships they had met? what course they had sailed?  His curiosity being thus satisfied, he allowed them to continue their voyage, after making them promise to say nothing of having seen the French squadron.

Whilst we were at sea he seldom rose before ten o’clock in the morning.  The ‘Orient’ had the appearance of a populous town, from which women had been excluded; and this floating city was inhabited by 2000 individuals, amongst whom were a great number of distinguished men.  Bonaparte every day invited several persons to dine with him, besides Brueys, Berthier, the colonels, and his ordinary household, who were always present at the table of the General-in-Chief.  When the weather was fine he went up to the quarter-deck, which, from its extent, formed a grand promenade.

I recollect once that when walking the quarter-deck with him whilst we were in Sicilian waters I thought I could see the summits of the Alps beautifully lighted by the rays of the setting sun.  Bonaparte laughed much, and joked me about it.  He called Admiral Brueys, who took his telescope and soon confirmed my conjecture.  The Alps!

At the mention of that word by the Admiral I think I can see Bonaparte still.  He stood for a long time motionless; then, suddenly bursting from his trance, exclaimed, “No!  I cannot behold the land of Italy without emotion!  There is the East:  and there I go; a perilous enterprise invites me.  Those mountains command the plains where I so often had the good fortune to lead the French to victory.  With them we will conquer again.”

One of Bonaparte’s greatest pleasures during the voyage was, after dinner, to fix upon three or four persons to support a proposition and as many to oppose it.  He had an object in view by this.  These discussions afforded him an opportunity of studying the minds of those whom he had an interest in knowing well, in order that he might afterwards confide to each the functions for which he possessed the greatest