He saw the raft, decorated with monograms, saw Napoleon pass before the French Guards on the farther bank of the river, saw the pensive face of the Emperor Alexander as he sat in silence in a tavern on the bank of the Niemen awaiting Napoleon's arrival, saw both Emperors get into boats, and saw how Napoleon--reaching the raft first--stepped quickly forward to meet Alexander and held out his hand to him, and how they both retired into the pavilion.

Since he had begun to move in the highest circles Boris had made it his habit to watch attentively all that went on around him and to note it down.

At the time of the meeting at Tilsit he asked the names of those who had come with Napoleon and about the uniforms they wore, and listened attentively to words spoken by important personages.