Page:Napoleon (O'Connor 1896).djvu/409

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Napoleon's Last Voyages.
393

young woman in the midst of the group and asked her, in a courteous tone, if she were married, and how many children she had. He scarcely waited for a reply, but, bowing to each individual as he descended the staircase, stepped into his carriage, desiring Baron Roller, Comte Bertrand, and me to accompany him. The carriage immediately drove off at full speed to the beach, followed by the carriages of the envoys. The scene was deeply interesting. It was a bright moonlight night, with little wind; a regiment of cavalry was drawn up in a line upon the beach and among the trees. As the carriages approached the bugles sounded, which, with the neighing of the horses, and the noise of the people assembled to bid adieu to their fallen chief, was to me in the highest degree interesting."

V.

NAPOLEON'S POWERS OF OBSERVATION.

Napoleon soon began to reveal that extraordinary power of observation, tenacity of memory, and mastery of detail which did so much to account for his greatness in war. "Nothing," writes Ussher, "seemed to escape his observation." When a question arose as to where the ship should anchor on the Corsican shore, Napoleon "proposed Calvi, with which he was perfectly acquainted, mentioning the depth of the water, with other remarks on the harbour, etc., which convinced me that he