Eneas Mackenzie (1778–1832)
An account of the most striking and wonderful events in the life of Napoleon Bonaparte: from his sailing from Elba to his landing at St. Helena…
Newcastle upon Tyne: Mackenzie and Dent, 1816
S560.d.81.1, plate opposite title page

The account of St Helena provided by Eneas Mackenzie portrayed the South Atlantic island in a rosy light: ‘gifted with many attractions and advantages’, it had a salubrious climate where ‘heat and cold are moderate, and fluctuate near the point most congenial to animal existence’, and luxurious vegetation, with ‘peaches, guavas, grapes, and figs in abundance.’ Even so, the author acknowledged the island’s ‘dreary aspect’, and allowed that ‘its appearance at a distance is truly horrific’. Napoleon arrived aboard H.M.S. Northumberland in October 1815, and was held there for the remainder of his life.