Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon surrendered to Captain Maitland of the Bellerophon at Rochefort on 15 July. They reached Torbay on 24 July, before sailing on to Plymouth Sound, arriving on 27 July. Not surprisingly, the British public was eager to catch a glimpse of the man who had directed the course of European history for more than a decade – whether he was thought of as a hero or a villain, the chance to see him was not to be missed. Napoleon appeared on deck and was described as ‘very well made, rather inclined to be lusty, his belly rather protuberant, but appearing by no means large or heavy; his leg and thigh muscular and remarkably handsome....’ On 8 August the Morning Post noted with regret that ‘a large proportion of the spectators not only took off their hats, but cheered him, with respect and consideration; him whose whole life has been a series of exultations in the calamities of others’. On 4 August the Bellerophon returned to Torbay and on 7 August Napoleon was transferred to the Northumberland for his long voyage to St Helena.