… The heart which had been… preserved in spirits of wine was put into a small silver Vase, the stomach in another, and both placed in the coffin with the body.
Mr. Rutledge, assistant surgeon of the 20th regiment, was the person who soldered up the vases in which the heart and stomach were placed, and saw them put into the coffin, the undertakers being also present.
The body, when deposited in the coffin, was dressed in the plain uniform of a French colonel of chasseurs.
The coffin, at the particular desire of Count Montholon, was constructed as follows:
1stly A plain coffin lined with tin;
2dly A lead coffin;
3dly A mahogany coffin.
Count Montholon wished to have the words «Napoléon, né à Ajaccio 15 août 1769, mort à Sainte-Hélène 5 mai 1821» inscribed on it. I wished the Word «Bonaparte» to be inserted after «Napoléon;» to this Count Montholon objected, and therefore no inscription whatever was placed on it.
The grave was formed in the following manner:
A large pit was sunk, of a sufficient width all round to admit of a wall two feet thick of solid masonry being constructed on each side; thus forming an exact oblong, the hollow space within which was precisely twelve feet deep, near eight long and five wide. A bed of masonry was at the bottom. Upon this foundation supported by eight square stones, each a foot in height, there was laid a slab of white stone five inches thick; four other slabs of the same thickness closed the sides and ends, which, being joined at the angles by Roman cement, formed a species of stone grave or sarcophagus. This was just of depth sufficient to admit the coffin being placed within it. Another large slab of white stone, which was supported on one side by two pullies, was let down upon the grave after the coffin had been put into it, and every interstice afterwards filled with stone and Roman cement.