=Source.=--_The Gentleman's Magazine, 1821._ Vol. 91, p. 86.
May 5. At St. Helena, of a lingering illness, which had confined
him to his bed for upwards of forty days, Napoleon Buonaparte.
He desired that after his death his body should be opened, as he
suspected he was dying of the same disease which had killed his
father--a cancer in the stomach.
He lay in state three days, at the particular wish of the French
people, who behaved to all visitors with much affability, amounting
to condescension. The body was opened; the stomach was the entire
seat of the disease--a cancer, or a schirrous state of that organ.
The disease must have caused great pain, and appeared to have been
of considerable standing. It was remarked before his death, that
for more than nine days he had refused all nourishment, which was
supposed to proceed from resignation or obstinacy; but the diseased
state of the stomach fully accounts for it.
The body was laid out on a bed in a room of the middling size,
hung with black, and well lighted up. He was dressed in full
Field-Marshal's uniform; that said to have been worn by him at the
battle of Marengo. His person seemed small, and rather diminutive
(exact height five feet seven inches); but the fineness of the
countenance much exceeded expectation. The face appeared to be
large, compared with the body; the features pleasing and extremely
regular, still retaining a half-formed smile; and must have been
truly imposing, when enlivened by a penetrating pair of eyes. His
skin was perfectly sallow, which seemed to be its natural colour.
The garden was laid out in the most fanciful manner; an astonishing
variety being contained in a very small space.
Buonaparte died on Saturday, and the funeral took place the
following Wednesday at 12 o'clock. A grand procession was formed
of the officers, soldiers, and marines; which, altogether, made a
very striking exhibition. The troops were drawn up two men deep on
the road side, out of Longwood gates; each man resting the point
of his musket on his foot, with the left hand on its butt; and the
left cheek leaning on his hand in a mournful position; the band
stationed at the head of each corps playing a dead march.
He was buried at the head of Rupert's Valley, about half-way
between James' Town and Longwood, under the shade of a large
willow-tree, near a small spring well, the water in which is both
good and pleasant. For some years past he had water carried to him
daily from this well, in two silver tankards which he brought from
Moscow. Some years since, when visiting this well, in company with
Madame Bertrand, he said, if the British Government buried him on
St. Helena, he wished this to be the spot. It is certainly a very
retired pretty situation, surrounded by high hills in the form of
an amphitheatre, the public road to Longwood leading along the top
of the ridge.
After letting the coffin into the grave, three vollies from 11
field pieces were fired, and the flag-ship also fired 25 minute
guns. The Catholic priest performed the ceremony after the rites of
the Romish Church.
The grave was 10 feet long, 10 deep, and five wide; the bottom
happened to be solid rock, in which a space was cut to receive the
coffin; the sides and ends of the grave were each walled in with
one large Portland flag, and three large flags were put immediately
over the coffin, and fastened down with iron bars and lead, beside
Roman cement. The top of the grave is elevated about eight inches
above the surface of the ground, and covered over with three rough
slates.