The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Tragedy of St. Helena, by Walter Runciman

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Title: The Tragedy of St. Helena

Author: Walter Runciman

Release Date: March 3, 2005 [EBook #15246]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE TRAGEDY OF ST. HELENA

BY

SIR WALTER RUNCIMAN, BART.

AUTHOR OF

"WINDJAMMERS AND SEA TRAMPS,"
"THE SHELLBACK'S PROGRESS,"
"LOOKING SEAWARD AGAIN," ETC.

T. FISHER UNWIN
LONDON: ADELPHI TERRACE
LEIPSIC: INSELSTRASSE 20
1911

PREFACE

In my early sea-life, I used to listen to the eccentric and
complicated views expressed by a race of seamen long since passed
away. Occasionally there were amongst the crew one or two who had the
true British hypothetical belief in the demoniacal character of
Napoleon, but this was not the general view of the men with whom I
sailed; and after the lapse of many years, I often wonder how it came
about that such definite partiality in regard to this wonderful being
could have been formed, and the conclusion that impresses me most is,
that his many acts of kindness to his own men, the absence of flogging
and other debasing treatment in his own service, his generosity and
consideration for the comfort of British prisoners during the wars,
his ultimate defeat by the combined forces of Europe, the despicable
advantage they took of the man who was their superior in everything,
and to whom in other days the allied Kings had bent in homage, had
become known to the English sailors.

How these rugged men came to their knowledge of Napoleon and formed
their opinions about him may be explained in this way. Hundreds of
seamen and civilians were pressed into the King's service, many of
whom were taken ruthlessly from vessels they partly owned and
commanded. Indeed, there was no distinction. The pressgangs captured
everybody, irrespective of whether they were officers, common able
seamen, or boys, to say nothing of those who had no sea experience.
Both my own grandfathers and two of my great uncles were kidnapped
from their vessels and th