In early September 1815 the fugitive Murat was in open hiding in Corsica, gathering around him a band of loyal Corsican supporters. The British, then still masters of the Mediterranean, were very interested in what his intentions were and send an envoy to quiz him on his plans. The envoy was Lieutenant-Colonel Gordon sent off from Genoa by General Robert McFarlane. This is Gordon’s report dated 11 September 1815:
“Sir, In compliance with the orders contained in your letter of the 3rd Instant, I proceeded to Bastia in His Majesty’s Ship Tuscan where I arrived on the 7th instant and where I immediately addressed myself to the Mayor Mr Vannucci whom I found invested with the chief civil authority of the place. From him I learnt that Murat had arrived there on the 25th of last month, alone in the French packet, from which he had been picked up off Toulon from an open boat in a sinking state. He further stated that he had landed at Bastia without being known and had retired to a village called Vescovato about 18 miles from thence, for which the master of the boat had been imprisoned; but that in the present state of Corsica, without a military force and where party spirit still runs high, it was impossible to secure Murat’s person, after his escape from Bastia, especially as he had been joined by several people formerly in his service. His arrival had been reported to the Marquis de la Rivière at Toulon but no answers as yet received.
Everything contained in this statement was afterward confirmed to me by Mr Venier, Colonel of Artillery, commanding ad-Interim in Corsica.
As I could now obtain no further information at Bastia I proceeded to Vescovato where I found Murat and put to him the questions you desired and to which he answered nearly as follows: that he had merely retired to Corsica to escape assassination of which he ran the greatest risk in France, that he was astonished his stay in that island could give you the least anxiety, that he had given his word of honour not to undertake anything to disturb Corsica, which he now renewed; that all he wanted were passports to retire to any country that might be pointed out to him as an asylum and that if I had brought him passport he would have been ready to accompany me, but that he did not wish to be sent to St. Helena like the Emperor.
I saw with him about a dozen of officers and some armed men which he could increase if he wished for the defence of his person, as I understand that considerable numbers of discharged officers and soldiers visited him daily from every point of the island.
I re-embarked at Bastia for this place the same day when I arrived this morning after touching at Leghorn to leave some dispatches from Lord Exmouth for Sir J Rowley. I have the honor to be Sir, your most humble servant signed G H Gordon”