Historical records of the 91st Argyllshire ... - waughfamily.ca

9 1ST ARGYLLSHIRE HIGHLANDERS. 91before it was finished. The building he lived in 1340.was in a most ruinous state of repair, the roofbeing chiefly of wood, covered with brown paper,smeared with a composition of pitch and tar.In November, 1819, the doctor being anxiousthat Napoleon should leave the house more frequentlyand take more air, he (Napoleon) turnedhis attention to gardening, and Colburn, in his" History of the Captivity of Napoleon," says," It was a picture worthy of being represented byan artist, to see the conqueror of so many kingdoms,who had dictated laws to so many sovereigns,at dawn of day, spade in hand, a broadstraw hat on his head, and his feet clad in redmorocco slippers, directingour labour, and thosemore useful still of the Chinese gardeners."A favourite occupation of Napoleon's was writingand dictating papers on the subject of defensiveoperations by fieldworks, and the depth andformation of troops, and itget up several times in a nightthe question. In the dayis said he would oftento writenotes onhe would demonstratehis ideas to his officers and attendants in hisgarden, tracing out his plans and fieldworks.His health suffered much from want of freshair and exercise, and failed rapidly the last few