The State Barge which picked up the Prince was itself a picture of majesty, so far as paint and gold could make it – even the rudder was emblazoned with golden dolphins. The Prince embarked generally from the Old Pump House groyne, one of the wooden projections from the cliffs into the sea which helped break up waves and protect the town from adverse weather. Sometimes the Prince stepped from the groyne into the barge, and at other times he was taken out in the royal bathing machine. The sailors on the barge were attired de rigeur in blue caps and scarlet jackets, and sat with oars erect until the Prince found his place.
Doyle watched this spectacle four times before he tired of it. It had been his first opportunity to see the man at close quarters, and the doctor was suitably taken by the quality of his clothes and the condition of his body. He must weigh more than 350 pounds, the doctor guessed, and his ruddy, slightly bloated face was an indication of a life too well lived. The fullness of the face gave him an adolescent look, as did the wavy brown head of hair: did he use a vegetable dye or was it a very clever wig?
From Chapter 8, The Jane Austen Murders.
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