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

9 1ST AEGYLLSHIRE HIGHLANDERS. 93of the French ships to make pilgrimages to thespot, where their eagerness to carry away relicsproducedsome devastation of the willow treesaround the grave, and such a consumption of thewater of Napoleon's favourite springas wouldgladden the heart of a " total abstinence " man ;and even the earth was carried away in handfuls.An officer's guard of the 91st was mounted overthe tomb.The night was wet and dark, and thework was carried on by the lightof numerouslanterns fixed to the trees. A strong party ofworkmen were employed, and very few minutessufficed to remove the iron railings and stoneslabs, which exposed a square vault filled withclay and stones, under which the body wasBy half-past three in the morning thisdeposited.tamping, which was seven feet deep, was entirelycleared out, and the solid masonry reached.It tooknearly fivehours to get through this, so stronglywas it put together, and it waslong past daybreakwhen the actual sarcophaguswas reached.The coffinhad been deposited in a water-tightcell, of which each side consisted of a single slabof freestone, a similar slab sealing the top. Athalf- past eight this slab was removed, and thecoffin was found to be sound and dry.