Description of the Waterloo carriage (_continued_)--Its
interior and peculiar contrivances--Brought to England and
exhibited at the London Museum.
[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S MILITARY CARRIAGE
The interior.]
The interior of the carriage is even more interesting than the exterior.
Glancing within, we immediately find ourselves in closer touch with
things personal to the great Emperor.
We find therein provision for a couple of passengers only. Here are two
deep and roomy seats, divided by a tall movable arm-rest, offering the
occupants unusual freedom and comfort. Confronting these seats, set high
up on the front of the vehicle, are a pair of windows affording each
traveller a full view of the driver and of the road and country beyond.
Beneath these are displayed those objects of interest which have so
readily engrossed the attention of many millions of visitors who, during
the century past, have been moved to inspect the carriage.
Opposite to that seat usually occupied by Napoleon--that is to say, the
one on the offside, following our rule of the road--there hangs a brass
handle which is apparently attached merely to a simple shallow drawer.
An easy pull at this reveals a strong and well-appointed writing-desk,
capable of being withdrawn far out of its recess. This action, with
the aid of a writing-slope that unfolds from the top, enables the desk
to span the space between the front of the carriage and the seat, thus
giving to its occupant all the facility and convenience desirable for
carrying on a correspondence at leisure.
Nor is this the only accommodation the desk provides. Some time after the
carriage had changed ownership it was found that an extra pull withdrew
the desk still farther from its aperture, and upon this being done a
secret compartment was discovered behind it, in which were found jewels
and money of great value.
On the right side of this desk, fitted into a narrow but deep recess,
there rests a long, wedge-shaped box made to hold a goodly supply of
those quills of which Napoleon was so uncommonly prodigal.
Below these fittings, and readily engaging attention, is a large
cloth-covered door, hinged to open towards the middle of the carriage,
so that when butting against the arm-rest of the seat it divides the
lower portion of the interior into two separate parts. When so placed it
exposes a large cavity constituting the lower part or foot of a sleeping
compartment, the seat of the coach serving for the head, and the space
between being bridged by a plank or board. In this cavity were found all
the necessary things for making up a complete and comfortable bed.
On the near side of the front interior, placed immediately under the
window, is a shallow rack made to take small things such as sealing-wax,
wafers, paper-knife, etc., the receptacle being furnished with a wooden
flap and catch to enclose it. Underneath this is a large and strongly
made drawer that pulls out endways. In it many things were discovered
which were in immediate use before the capture of the coach, among them
several pieces of a silver service containing articles of food remaining
from a meal.
Below this again there is an opening, which has never boasted of a door
to enclose it. At the bottom of it a brass-bound rest, or table, has been
fitted between grooves so that it may be drawn out, or pushed in, as
occasion required. This also forms a bridge to unite the recess with the
seat facing it, so as to provide a second sleeping compartment when found
necessary.
On the inside of the doors hang heavy cloth lapels covering large square
pockets, edged with broad gold-coloured gimp braid speckled with blue
spots. On the outer side of each seat is a deep hole, both of which
contained a loaded pistol ready at hand in case of emergency.
Well above and running across the back of the seats is a half-circle
recess serving as a gun-rack, forming a strange protrusion viewed from
the outside of the coach.
An oil lamp, which at best could have yielded but a feeble light, takes
up the customary position in the centre at the back of the carriage.
The interior is lined throughout with a dark-blue cloth, in colour and
texture similar to that used at the present day for the same purpose.
A fairly reliable inventory of things found in the carriage on the night
it was captured has been handed down to us, and the following is a copy:
A beautifully constructed and marvellously well-appointed
_nécessaire_, comprising some seventy pieces, a few in solid
gold and many mounted in the same metal (a present from Marie
Louise to Napoleon on the eve of his departure for the Russian
campaign of 1812, and designed and carried out under her
immediate supervision).
Several parts of a solid silver service, engraved with the
Imperial arms.
A large silver chronometer.
A green velvet cap.
A mahogany liquor case, containing two leather-covered bottles,
one filled with rum and the other holding a small quantity of
sweet wine.
A pair of spurs.
Two fine merino mattresses.
An assortment of the finest bed and other linen.
Many toilet requisites, among them a cake of Windsor soap.
A steel camp bedstead, still in position on the carriage, in
the case made to hold it under the boot.
A uniform, sword, and cocked hat.
A rich and costly Imperial robe.
A handsome diamond head-dress, or tiara.
A pair of pistols, loaded, found in recesses at side of seats.
Many gold medals with Napoleon’s portrait and name engraved
upon them.
An article devoid of intrinsic value, but nevertheless
possessing an exceptional interest--namely, a musket-ball
flattened out to the shape of a thin medal, found carefully
put by in the secret drawer at the back of the desk; a missile,
maybe, that ended the days of a friend, or one possibly that
endangered Napoleon’s own life.
A considerable number of mounted and unmounted diamonds found
secreted in various parts of the carriage, three hundred of
these stones alone being discovered in the above-mentioned
_nécessaire_.
[Illustration: NAPOLEON’S ATLAS]
[Illustration: NECESSAIRE
(Interior)]
[Illustration: NECESSAIRE
(Exterior)]
[Illustration: RAZOR, TOOTH BRUSH AND GIMLET]
[Illustration: SILVER BOX
(Side view)]
[Illustration: SPOON AND TABLE NAPKIN]
[Illustration: PARTS OF SILVER SERVICE]
[Illustration: SILVER BOX (TOP VIEW) AND TWO GOBLETS]
[Illustration: PARTS OF SILVER SERVICE]
[Illustration: TELESCOPE]
The jewels and other articles easy of acquisition fell, for the most
part, to the lot of Major von Keller’s men of the 15th Prussian Infantry
Regiment of the Line, which was that night under the command of General
Count Gneisenau.
The coach was drawn by a team of six of the finest brown Normandy horses,
four driven by the coachman, the leaders under the control of a postilion.
When the coach was overtaken by the Prussians--that is to say, about a
quarter-past eleven at night, outside the town of Jenappe--the postilion
and the leaders were killed outright, whilst the coachman, severely
wounded, was left for dead upon the road. Recovering from his many
wounds--one of which entailed the loss of his right arm--he was induced
by Major von Keller himself to come over to this country with the coach
and horses. These were exhibited, as a very special attraction for the
Christmas holidays of 1815, at the London Museum (then but recently
opened by Mr. Bullock) in Piccadilly, a house of entertainment that was
soon to be known to future generations as the Egyptian Hall.
And now for a century has this old war-coach been held up for the
inspection of the passer-by, and, in its turn, has been the dumb witness
of many a fleeting and touching episode. For as it stood have not time
and men passed on? Has it not beheld many a young gallant, with the
honours of the campaign fresh upon him, recounting to wife and child
the story of that last great battle that closed the Empire of the first
Napoleon; many a veteran son of Mars telling his grown sons how that
great day was won; many a kindly warrior gently helping his children’s
children to mount the steps and learn how on that day old “Boney” was
made to fly, and nearly got caught in the act?
But those to whom the old coach must have brought back so many vivid
memories of that famous victory, and who had the greatest right to enter
it, have themselves moved on; and now its doors have been fastened up
and the old chariot encased for secure keeping, not indeed against the
ravages of time, but, with regret it must be said, safe away from the
hands of those who would not scruple to despoil it.