In London as Ambassador—I cross the ocean—François Tulloch—Christopher Columbus—Camoëns—The Azores—The isle of Graciosa—Sports on board ship—The isle of Saint-Pierre—The shores of Virginia—Sunset—Danger and escape—I land in America—Baltimore—The passengers separate—Tulloch—Philadelphia—General Washington—Comparison of Washington and Bonaparte—Journey from Philadelphia to New York and Boston—Mackenzie—The Hudson River—Song of the lady passenger—Mr. Swift—I set out for the Falls of Niagara with a Dutch guide—M. Violet—My savage outfit—Hunting—Wolverine and Canadian Fox—Musk-rat—Fishing dogs—Insects—Montcalm and Wolfe—Encampment on the shore of the Onondaga Lake—Arabs—The Indian woman and her cow—An Iroquois—The Onondaga chief—Velly and the Franks—Ceremonies of hospitality—The ancient Greeks—Journey from the Onondaga Lake to the Genesee River—Clearings—Hospitality—My bed—The enchanted rattle-snake—Niagara Falls—The rattle-snake—I fall to the edge of the abyss—Twelve days in a hut—Change of manners among the savages—Birth and death—Montaigne-Song of the adder—The little Indian girl, the original of Mila—Incidents—Old Canada—True civilisation spread by religion—False civilisation introduced by commerce—Traders—Agents—Hunts—Half-breeds or Burnt-woods—Wars of the companies—The Indian languages dying out—The old French possessions in America—Regrets—A note from Lord François Conyngham—The Canadian lakes—A fleet of Indian canoes—The American rivers—Legends—Muscogulges and Siminoles—Our camp—Two Floridan beauties—Ruins on the Ohio—What the Muscogulge damsels were—Arrest of the King at Varennes—I interrupt my journey to go back to Europe—Dangers for the United States—Return to Europe—Shipwreck.
One-and-thirty years after embarking, as a simple sub-lieutenant, for America, I embarked for London with a passport conceived in these terms:
"Pass His Lordship the Vicomte de Chateaubriand, Peer of France, Ambassador of the King to His Britannic Majesty," and so on.
No description: my greatness was such as to make my face known wherever I went. A steamboat chartered for my sole use conveyed me from Calais to Dover. On setting foot upon English soil, on the 5th of April 1822[428], I was saluted by the guns of the fort. An officer came on behalf of the commandant to offer me a guard of honour. On alighting at the Shipwright Inn[429], the landlord and waiters received me with hanging arms and bareheaded. The Mayoress invited me to an evening party in the name of the fairest ladies of the town. M. Billing[430], who was attached to my embassy, awaited me. A dinner of huge fishes and enormous pieces of beef restored Monsieur l'Ambassadeur, who had no appetite and was not at all fatigued. The crowd gathered beneath my windows rent the air with hurrahs. The officer returned and, despite my wishes, posted sentries at my door. The next morning, after lavishly distributing the money of the King my master, I set out for London, to the roar of artillery, in a light carriage drawn by four fine horses driven at full trot by two smart postillions. My staff followed in other coaches; couriers wearing my livery accompanied the cavalcade. We passed through Canterbury, attracting the eyes of John Bull and of the occupants of the vehicles we passed. At Blackheath, a common formerly haunted by highwaymen, I found a newly-built village. Soon there loomed before me the immense cap of smoke which covers the city of London.
In London as Ambassador.
Plunging into the gulf of black mist, as though into one of the jaws of Tartarus, and crossing the entire town, whose streets I recognized, I reached the Embassy in Portland Place. The chargé d'affaires, M. le Comte Georges de Caraman[431], the secretaries of embassy, M. le Vicomte de Marcellus[432], M. le Baron E. de Cazes, M. de Bourqueney[433], and the attachés of the embassy received me with dignified politeness. All the ushers, doorkeepers, footmen, and flunkeys of the house stood gathered upon the pavement. I was handed the cards of the English ministers and of the foreign ambassadors, who had been informed beforehand of my coming.
On the 17th of May in the year of grace 1793, I disembarked at Southampton for London, an obscure and humble traveller from Jersey. No mayoress took note of my passage; the mayor of the town, William Smith, handed me on the 18th a way-bill for London to which was added an extract from the Alien Bill. My description ran in English:
"François de Chateaubriand, French officer in the emigrant army, five feet four inches high, thin shape, brown hair and whiskers."
I modestly shared the cheapest conveyance with some sailors on leave; I changed horses at the meanest inns; poor, sick, and unknown, I entered a wealthy and famous city in which Mr. Pitt held sway; I took a lodging at six shillings a month under the laths of a garret which a cousin from Brittany had prepared for me at the end of a little street off the Tottenham Court Road.
Ah! Monseigneur, que votre vie,
D'honneurs aujourd'hui si remplie,
Diffère de ces heureux temps[434].