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Updated: June 9, 2025
By Napoleon's order "La Vestale" was rehearsed against the wish of the manager and critics of the Academy of Music, and produced December 15, 1807. Previous to this some parts of it had been performed privately at the Tuileries, and the Emperor had said: "M. Spontini, your opera abounds in fine airs and effective duets. The march to the place of execution is admirable.
The Vestale was, at the moment, just about to cross our fore-foot, and was therefore about as near to us as she would be at all I focused the telescope a fine powerful instrument upon her, and could clearly see the weather-stains and the yellowish-red marks of rust in the wake of her chain-plates upon the broad white ribbon which stretched along her side.
This protracted search so seriously delayed our progress that we were two whole days making the passage back to the creek, and on our arrival there we discovered that three survivors of the French party had turned up on board the Vestale the previous day, reporting the capture of the boat by the natives, and the massacre of all hands except the three who had managed somehow to slip their bonds and make good their escape in a canoe.
The opera of la Vestale was then new, and very much the fashion; it represented a quadrille of priests and vestals who entered to the sound of delicious music on the flute and harp, and in addition to this there were magicians, a Swiss marriage, Tyrolian betrothals, etc.
And thirdly, my suspicion that the latter is the case receives strong confirmation from the fact that on both occasions when we have been after the one the Black Venus we have encountered the other the Vestale." Mr Austin stared at me in a very peculiar way for a few minutes, and then said: "Well, Hawkesley, your last assertion is undoubtedly true; but what does it prove?
The final string of flags then disappeared, and the Vestale's answering pennant directly afterwards showed just above her topgallant yard, indicating that she had completed her signal and awaited our reply. We answered "No;" and, in our turn, inquired whether the Vestale had seen or heard of such a craft.
The next instant the French tricolour fluttered out from her fore-royal-mast-head, the only position from whence it could be made visible to us; and simultaneously with its appearance the conviction came to us all that in the approaching vessel we were about to recognise our recent acquaintance the Vestale.
We were at once struck with the marked resemblance which the stranger bore to the Virginia though it was by no means so striking as the similarity between our prize and the Black Venus and we forthwith came to the conclusion that we now at last beheld the veritable Vestale the real Simon Pure before us.
We were about twelve miles off the land; and at about half-way between us and it, becalmed like ourselves, there lay a brig, which our telescopes informed us was the Vestale. On this fact being decisively ascertained Mr Austin came up to me and said: "There is your bete noire, the Vestale, once more, you see, Hawkesley.
"In the first place, we have only the statement of one man and he a member of her own crew that she actually is the veritable Vestale, French gun-brig, which we know to be cruising in these waters.
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