is a low wooden building of very cramped
dimensions, in a sad state of disrepair. The
names and initials of thousands are cut, written,
or scratched on every available point from
floor to ceiling. In that which was the dining-
room, and in which the illustrious prisoner
died, there is a winnowing machine, not a
cheap sight at a penny; the part which he
used as a bedroom is now occupied as a stable.
Every trace of the outhouses and remainder
of the establishment has disappeared.

The new house of Longwood, a few yards
lower down, is a handsome and commodious
building, with an elegant suite of apartments,
meant for the Emperor and his attendants.
But they never occupied it. A few days
before Napoleon's last illness he was to have
taken possession of the house, but having an
extraordinary horror of the smell of paint, he
was not satisfied that it was quite dry. We
were, however, told that he two or three
times made use of the bath-room, now shown
in the new house. The billiard-room, there,
is now fitted up and used as a chapel for
Divine Service for the Protestants in the
neighbourhood, every alternate Sunday; while
the whole building is rendered further
remarkable as having been, until a short time
ago, the site of the long series of magnetic
observations conducted by Captain J. Clarke
Ross, R. N., and by officers of the Royal
Artillery.

We were told that, though it is a notorious
fact that Napoleon never resided in New
Longwood, so great is the mania for stealing
souvenirs of the place, that Frenchmen and
others have taken anything there on which
they could lay their hands; one took a key,
another a door-scraper. There was one attempt
to carry off a grate!

The view from Longwood down the valley
seaward is fine, and behind it are the various
lofty peaks to the east of the island. Among
these is the flat-topped and lofty crag, on
which, according to some engravings, the
captive used to contemplate the ocean, with
his hands behind his back.

On our return to James Valley we turned
to the right, and descended to the head of the
glen, where, until lately, reposed in peace all
that remained of the great founder of the
show. Napoleon's grave is situated at the
very head of a rapidly descending narrow
valley, whence the view, wild and romantic,
may be seen gratuitously. The spot had been
selected by himself, for it was a place to
which he often resorted in his riding or
walking excursions, and where there is a
spring of the purest water issuing from a
rock.

The stranger who approaches the little
enclosure which contains the tomb, is once
more reminded that he walks on British soil,
by a request that he will insert his name, &c.,
in a book kept in a house close by, and pay
three shillings for the privilege.

On 5th May, 1821, during an unusually
severe thunder storm (rare in St. Helena),
Napoleon breathed his last, and the world
breathed more freely, when the spirit which
had so long troubled it had gone for ever.
In due time he was buried at the head of
Sloane's Valley, on the spot of his choice, and
thousands came to see the place so
distinguished. But fate had not yet done with him.
Upwards of nineteen years afterwards (in
1840), arrived his old companions in exile, to
claim all that remained of their well-beloved
"Emperor," and to carry it in triumph and
pageantry to their native land; while a prince
of the House of Orleans waited at the
landing-place, to receive on board a royal
ship, with all due honour, the dust of him who
had so long tyrannised over France!

The grave was opened: a depth of sixteen
feet had to be dug through, before they came
to the stone enclosure which surrounded the
coffin. This was of three parts; a leaden, an
oaken, and a tin covering had to be removed.
This done, the features of him who had been
dead for nearly twenty years were found
scarcely changed, and retaining the placid
expression peculiar to the living Emperor — when
not irritated. The body had been slightly
embalmed. The contact of air speedily decomposed
the Emperor.

Now, all is changed; silent and deserted is
the spot. Empty is the grave; and vacant is
the sentry-box, where stood the soldier who
used to guard the tomb. Still, it is
questionable, whether one person less of the
many who visit St. Helena, will go to a
place so remarkable.

The guide who accompanied us said, that
there was much difficulty in preserving the
vault from being chipped by enthusiastic
French and other strangers. Indeed, a fortnight
before our visit, one of a party of the
former was found breaking a slab which he
had managed to move, and which we still
found un-replaced. The very ladder, by which
one descends into the tomb, is cut and carved
all over with the names or initials of gentlemen
to whom it had seemed a convenient
ladder of fame.

Every one has heard of the willow-tree.
Two years after the deposit of the
Emperor's remains, the only original tree,
which strange hands had cut away nearly to
its base, died away. Its two successors at the
foot of the grave bid fair to follow its example
and share its fate.

In the valley above James Town is a place
called "The Briars," formerly the residence
of Mr. Balcombe, and where, until Longwood
was prepared for his reception, Napoleon
resided for some time after his arrival.
We varied our downward route by scrambling
down the hill-side to this place; but
it presented nothing especially worthy of
remark,

We were curious to ascertain who were the
recipients of the money paid by all strangers
visiting Longwood, or the Tomb, and the