arger sum, in case he should
consider L12,000 as insufficient. When we consider that wines, and most
other articles heavily taxed in England, go duty-free to St. Helena, it
is really intolerable to be told that this income was not adequate--nay,
that it was not munificent--for a person in Napoleon's situation. It was
a larger income than is allotted to the governor of any English colony
whatever, except the governor-general of India. It was twice as large as
the official income of a British secretary of state has ever been. We
decline entering at all into the minor charges connected with this
humiliating subject: at least a single example may serve. One of the
loudest complaints was about the deficiency and inferior quality of
wine: on examination it appeared, that Napoleon's upper domestics were
allowed each day, per man, a bottle of claret, costing L6 per dozen
(without duty) and the lowest menial employed at Longwood a bottle of
good Teneriffe wine daily.--That the table of the fallen Emperor himself
was always served in a style at least answerable to the dignity of a
general officer in the British service--this was never even denied.
Passing from the interior--we conceive that we cannot do better than
quote the language of one of his casual and impartial visitors, Mr.
Ellis. "There never, perhaps," (says this gentleman), "was a prisoner,
so much requiring to be watched and guarded, to whom so much liberty and
range for exercise was allowed. With an officer he may go over any part
of the island: wholly unobserved, his limits extend four
miles--partially observed, eight--and overlooked twelve. At night the
sentinels certainly close round Longwood itself." It indeed appears
impossible to conceive of a _prisoner_ more liberally treated in all
these respects. There remains the constantly repeated vituperation of
the climate of St. Helena. It appears, however, by tables kept and
published by Dr. Arnott, that the sick list of a regiment, stationed
close to Buonaparte's residence during his stay, rarely contained more
than one name out of forty-five--a proportion which must be admitted to
be most remarkably small. In effect, the house of Longwood stands 2000
feet above the level of the sea; the ocean breezes purify the air
continually; and within the tropics there is probably no healthier
situation whatever. If it be said that Napoleon should not have been
confined within the tropics at all--it is answered that it was
_neces