air was of a very dark brown, nearly approaching to black, and,
though a little thin on the top and front, had not a grey hair amongst
it. His complexion was a very uncommon one, being of a light sallow
colour, differing from almost any other I ever met with. From his
having become corpulent, he had lost much of his personal activity,
and, if we are to give credit to those who attended him, a very
considerable portion of his mental energy was also gone. It is certain
his habits were very lethargic while he was on board the Bellerophon;
for though he went to bed between eight and nine o'clock in the
evening, and did not rise till about the same hour in the morning, he
frequently fell asleep on the sofa in the cabin in the course of the
day. His general appearance was that of a man rather older than he
then was. His manners were extremely pleasing and affable: he joined
in every conversation, related numerous anecdotes, and endeavoured, in
every way, to promote good humour: he even admitted his attendants to
great familiarity; and I saw one or two instances of their
contradicting him in the most direct terms, though they generally
treated him with much respect. He possessed, to a wonderful degree, a
facility in making a favourable impression upon those with whom he
entered into conversation: this appeared to me to be accomplished by
turning the subject to matters he supposed the person he was
addressing was well acquainted with, and on which he could show
himself to advantage. This had the effect of putting him in good
humour with himself; after which it was not a very difficult matter to
transfer a part of that feeling to the person who had occasioned it.
Lord Keith appears to have formed a very high opinion of the
fascination of his conversation, and expressed it very emphatically
to me, after he had seen him: speaking of his wish for an interview
with the Prince Regent, "D----n the fellow," he said, "if he had
obtained an interview with his Royal Highness, in half an hour they
would have been the best friends in England."[11] He appeared to have
great command of temper; for, though no man could have had greater
trials than fell to his lot during the time he remained on board the
Bellerophon, he never, in my presence, or as far as I know, allowed a
fretful or captious expression to escape him: even the day he received
the notification from Sir Henry Bunbury, that it was determined to
send him to St Helena, he chatted and