KEITH, Admiral."

"Captain Maitland,
Bellerophon."

"H.M.S. Bellerophon,
Plymouth Sound, 8th August, 1815.

"MY LORD,

"I have to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's letter of
yesterday's date, informing me that Count Las Cases had stated to you,
that he had understood from me when he was on board the Bellerophon in
Basque Roads, on a mission from General Buonaparte, that I was
authorized to receive the General and his suite on board the ship I
command, for a conveyance to England, and that I assured him at the
same time, that both the General and his suite would be well received
there; and directing me to report for your Lordship's information such
observations as I may consider it necessary to make upon these
assertions. I shall, in consequence, state, to the best of my
recollection, the whole of the transaction that took place between
Count Las Cases and me, on the 14th of July, respecting the
embarkation of Napoleon Buonaparte, for the veracity of which I beg to
refer your Lordship to Captain Sartorius as to what was said in the
morning, and to that officer and Captain Gambier (the Myrmidon having
joined me in the afternoon) as to what passed in the evening.

"Your Lordship being informed already of the flag of truce that came
out to me on the 10th of July, as well as of every thing that occurred
on that occasion, I shall confine myself to the transactions of the
14th of the same month.

"Early in the morning of that day, the officer of the watch informed
me, a schooner, bearing a flag of truce, was approaching: on her
joining the ship, about seven A.M. the Count Las Cases and General
Lallemand came on board, when, on being shown into the cabin, Las
Cases asked me if any answer had been returned to the letter sent by
me to Sir Henry Hotham respecting Napoleon Buonaparte being allowed to
pass for America, either in the frigates or in a neutral vessel. I
informed him no answer had been returned, though I hourly expected, in
consequence of those despatches, Sir Henry Hotham would arrive; and,
as I had told Monsieur Las Cases, when last on board, that I should
send my boat in when the answer came, it was quite unnecessary to have
sent out a flag of truce on that account:--there, for the time, the
conversation terminated. On their coming on board, I had made the
signal for the Captain of the Slaney, be