FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

nothing more hideous than the coast of Cornwall. But there is something weird about this
coast.
<strong>The</strong> town is fairly passable and provides a nice view of the port. <strong>The</strong> churches and
fortifications produce a nice effect. It is raining today, but if it is nice tomorrow, Mr.
Chipwell and I have teamed up together to hunt and see the country. I’ll tell you about it
before closing this letter. We are not supposed to leave for New York until Friday or
Saturday. It is a trip of eight to 10 days.
Thursday, the 8 th , at three o’clock.
I’m back from my excursion. Nothing is more frightful than the surroundings of Halifax
– not a garden, not a meadow, [ p 3] not a bird. We tramped for four hours with the rifle
without seeing a single sparrow. Over rocks, boulders, through swamps, crossing birch
forests, pines, thickets of juniper berries, ______, willows, and some little plants with
______ seeds like there are in the garden at Laytonstone, 6 and so we returned _________.
Nevertheless, they have here delicious ________ and wonderful wild duck – infinitely
superior to what one eats in England or even in France. We had these things to eat in the
last two days, and truly one cannot find anything better.
I wanted to write to Laura [Laura Eugenie Florian, later Bowers (1791-1857), the oldest
daughter of Jean-Baptiste], but I fear I won’t have the time. We will leave, probably,
early tomorrow. We are going aboard to sleep. I forgot to mention that this morning at
the market I saw some Indians, meaning natives or savages, and two of their canoes.
<strong>The</strong>y are not very charming __________. <strong>The</strong>y were wearing a hat made of skins, and
had big ugly strands of hair hanging down on each side of their faces, dark, dull of
visage, and with a mouth that never ended.
A thousand and thousand kisses to my four daughters. Also hug Joseph and Peter [the
brothers of the wife of Jean-Baptiste, Joseph Marie Le Det de Segrais and Pierre Renee
Le Det de Segrais] for me with all your heart, as I give them a hearty hand shake. Adieu,
my beloved. Remember me to all my friends, etc., etc., etc.
I am sending this through the port, and will write Laura another time.
6 Jean-Baptiste Florian owned and ran an academy at Laytonstone, Epping Forest, about seven miles east of
London.
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