Having taken this resolution and chosen his time, Napoleon kept the secret of his expedition until the last moment; and means were found to privately make the requisite preparations.  A portion of the soldiers was embarked in a brig called the ‘Inconstant’ and the remainder in six small craft.  It was not till they were all on board that the troops first conceived a suspicion of the Emperor’s purpose:  1000 or 1200 men had sailed to regain possession of an Empire containing a population of 30,000,000!  He commenced his voyage on Sunday the 26th of February 1815, and the next morning at ten o’clock was not out of sight of the island, to the great annoyance of the few friends he had left behind.  At this time Colonel Sir Neil Campbell was absent on a tour to Leghorn, but being informed by the French Consul and by Spanocchi, the Tuscan Governor of the town, that Napoleon was about to sail for the Continent, he hastened back, and gave chase to the little squadron in the Partridge sloop of war, which was cruising in the neighbourhood, but, being delayed by communicating with a French frigate, reached Antibes too late.

There were between 400 and 500 men on board the brig (the ‘Inconstant’) in which Bonaparte embarked.  On the passage they met with a French ship of war, with which they spoke.  The Guards were ordered to pull off their caps and lie down on the deck or go below while the captain exchanged some words with the commander of the frigate, whom he afterwards proposed to pursue and capture.  Bonaparte rejected the idea as absurd, and asked why he should introduce this new episode into his plan.

As they stood over to the coast of France the Emperor was in the highest spirits.  The die was cast, and he seemed to be quite himself again.  He sat upon the deck and amused the officers collected round him with a narrative of his campaigns, particularly those of Italy and Egypt.  When he had finished he observed the deck to be encumbered with several large chests belonging to him.  He asked the maitre d’hotel what they contained.  Upon being told they were filled with wine he ordered them to be immediately broken open, saying, “We will divide the booty.”  The Emperor superintended the distribution himself, and presented bottle by bottle to his comrades, till tired of this occupation he called out to Bertrand, “Grand Marshal, assist me, if you please.  Let us help these gentlemen.  They will help us some day.”  It was with this species of bonhomie that he captivated when he chose all around him.  The following day he was employed in various arrangements, and among others in dictating to Colonel Raoul the proclamations to be issued on his landing In one of these, after observing, “we must forget that we have given law to the neighbouring nations,” Napoleon stopped.  “What have I said?” Colonel Raoul read the passage.  “Stop!” said Napoleon.  “Omit the word ‘neighbouring;’ say simply ‘to nations.’” It was thus his pride revealed itself; and his ambition seemed to rekindle at the very recollections of his former greatness.