On the 10th of August the Northumberland cleared the Channel, and lost sight of land.  The course of the ship was shaped to cross the Bay of Biscay and double Cape Finisterre.  The wind was fair, though light, and the heat excessive.  Napoleon breakfasted in his own cabin at irregular hours.  He sent for one of his attendants every morning to know the distance run, the state of the wind, and other particulars connected with their progress.  He read a great deal, dressed towards four o’clock, and then came into the public saloon; here he played at chess with one of the party; at five o’clock the Admiral announced that dinner was on the table.  It is well known that Napoleon was scarcely ever more than fifteen minutes at dinner; here the two courses alone took up nearly an hour and a half.  This was a serious annoyance to him, though his features and manner always evinced perfect equanimity.  Neither the new system of cookery nor the quality of the dishes ever met with his censure.  He was waited on by two valets, who stood behind his chair.  At first the Admiral was in the habit of offering several dishes to the Emperor, but the acknowledgment of the latter was expressed so coldly that the practice was given up.  The Admiral thenceforth only pointed out to the servants what was preferable.  Napoleon was generally silent, as if unacquainted with the language, though it was French.  If he spoke, it was to ask some technical or scientific question, or to address a few words to those whom the Admiral occasionally asked to dinner.

The Emperor rose immediately after coffee had been handed round, and went on deck, followed by the Grand-Marshal and Las Cases.  This disconcerted Admiral Cockburn, who expressed his surprise to his officers; but Madame Bertrand, whose maternal language was English, replied with spirit, “Do not forget, sir, that your guest is a man who has governed a large portion of the world, and that kings once contended for the honour of being admitted to his table.”—­“Very true,” rejoined the Admiral; and from that time he did his utmost to comply with Napoleon’s habits.  He shortened the time of sitting at table, ordering coffee for Napoleon and those who accompanied him even before the rest of the company had finished their dinner.  The Emperor remained walking on deck till dark.  On returning to the after-cabin he sat down to play vingt et un with some of his suite, and generally retired in about half an hour.  On the morning of the 15th of August all his suite asked permission to be admitted to his presence.  He was not aware of the cause of this visit; it was his birthday, which seemed to have altogether escaped his recollection.