Europe and Napoleon 495 them. In fact, by three o'clock in the morning a light fog was spread over the sea, which was somewhat stormy ; the wind of the evening before began to blow again, and at daylight the fog was so thick as to conceal the fleet from the English, while the most profound silence reigned every- where. No hostile sails had been signaled through the night, and, as the sailors had predicted, everything favored the descent. At five o'clock in the morning signals were made from the semaphore, and in the twinkling of an eye all the sailors were in motion and the ports resounded with cries of joy, for the order to depart had just been received. While the sails were being hoisted the long roll was beaten in the four camps, and the order was given for the entire army to take arms. They marched rapidly into the town, hardly believing what they had just heard. "We are really going to start," said all the soldiers; "we are actually going to say a few words to those Englishmen "; and the joy which animated them burst forth in acclama- tions which were silenced by a roll of the drums. The embarkation then took place amid profound silence, and in such perfect order that I can scarcely give an idea of it. At seven o'clock two hundred soldiers were on board the fleet ; and when a little after midday this fine army was on the point of starting, amidst the adieus and good wishes of the whole city, assembled upon the walls and upon the sur- rounding cliffs, and at the very moment when all the sol- diers, standing with uncovered heads, were about to bid farewell to the soil of France, crying, "Vive L'empereur 1 " a message arrived from the imperial barracks ordering the troops to disembark and return to camp. A telegraphic dispatch just received by his Majesty announced that it was necessary that he should move his troops in another direction ; and the soldiers returned sadly to their quar- ters, some expressing in loud tones and in a very energetic manner the disappointment which this species of mystifica- tion caused them. They had always regarded the success of the enterprise against England as assured, and to find
