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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ... at Antwerp, and returned home to St. Cloud, on August loth, by way of Rheims and Soissons. This six weeks' journey was employed in preparations for the organization of the flotilla, and in assembling the invading army at Boulogne. The men and the materials of this expedition were the objects of Napoleon's greatest care. Everywhere in the course of his journey he found an exasperation against the English, which rendered the war a national war, and he urged on the populations of the various districts to assist the government in the construction and the equipment of the fleet. This glow of patriotic enthusiasm had spread over the whole of France. Apart from the vessels for which funds had been voted, and the number of which, had they all been built, would have exceeded the requirements of the expedition, patriotic gifts and voluntary subscriptions supplied a great part of the funds necessary for the arming and maintenance of the flotilla. More than two thousand vessels of every kind were collected together in the harbour of Boulogne and in the auxiliary ports or basins, and the beds of neighbouring rivers were dug out and enlarged, establishments were formed, and the necesary work carried out to adapt them to the purpose for which they were intended. Considerable works of every kind were executed to protect the divisions of the flotilla which were scattered along the coast. In a word, no precaution was neglected to render the execution of this memorable enterprise, in which the genius of Napoleon reached its full development, worthy of its conception. The assembling at one and the same place, of so large a number of ships armed for war, gave rise to the belief that it was with the flotilla alone that the invasion of England was to be attempted. In...

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