of Ambleteuse.

His Majesty the Emperor had his headquarters at Pont de Briques; thus
named, I was told, because the brick foundations of an old camp of
Caesar's had been discovered there. The Pont de Briques, as I have said
above, is about half a league from Boulogne; and the headquarters of his
Majesty were established in the only house of the place which was then
habitable, and guarded by a detachment of the cavalry of the Imperial
Guard.

The four camps were on a very high cliff overlooking the sea, so situated
that in fine weather the coast of England could be seen.

In the camp on the right they had established barracks for the Emperor,
Admiral Bruix, Marshal Soult, and Decres, who was then minister of the
navy.

The Emperor's barrack was constructed under the direction of Sordi,
engineer, performing the functions of engineer-in-chief of military
roads; and his nephew, Lecat de Rue, attached at that time to the staff
of Marshal Soult as aide-de-camp, has been kind enough to furnish me with
information which did not come within my province.

The Emperor's barrack was built of plank, like the booths of a country
fair; with this difference, that the planks were neatly planed, and
painted a grayish white. In form it was a long square, having at each
end two pavilions of semicircular shape. A fence formed of wooden
lattice inclosed this barrack, which was lighted on the outside by lamps
placed four feet apart, and the windows were placed laterally. The
pavilion next to the sea consisted of three rooms and a hall, the
principal room, used as a council-chamber, being decorated with
silver-gray paper. On the ceiling were painted golden clouds, in the
midst of which appeared, upon the blue vault of the sky, an eagle
holding the lightning, and guided towards England by a star, the
guardian star of the Emperor. In the middle of this chamber was a large
oval table with a plain cover of green cloth; and before this table was
placed only his Majesty's armchair, which could be taken to pieces, and
was made of natural wood, unpainted, and covered with green morocco
stuffed with hair, while upon the table was a boxwood writing-desk.
This was the entire furniture of the council-chamber, in which his
Majesty alone could be seated. The generals stood before him, and had
during these councils, which sometimes lasted three or four hours, no
other support than the handles of their sabers.

The council-chamber was entered from a