FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

Jersey coast. A northeast wind was blowing, very dry, but very cold and very violent, as
it is here almost always at this season of the year. We often shipped water on board.
Nevertheless, there was no real danger, but our passengers demonstrated that they were
only fresh water sailors. <strong>The</strong> boss, a negro who looked as if he ate small children, swore,
hollered and behaved like one possessed. But a sailor, a white man, whose fright made
him even whiter, trembled like a leaf and could scarcely talk. A passenger type, who
maneuvered to make his way, behaved most capably, gave orders everywhere and
declared that as for him, he did not care if it blew half as hard again. Despite the fears
and the bravado, we crossed in little time without accident.
We found a coach waiting for us. It consisted as do almost all public vehicles, and even
private vehicles in this country, of a long horse-drawn vehicle, open all the way around
and closeable only with leather curtains, across which run three benches, on each of
which three persons can squeeze in. <strong>The</strong> coachman, with one or two passengers, is seated
on the fourth bench which forms the front of the carriage, because here they see no point
in a carriage which has a seat for the coachman, as in Europe. Very often, the negro who
is caring for his master and all his family finds himself seated almost among them, but at
least the coachman’s seat is always bouncing from the bumps of the coach and is covered
by a top deck. Here on the side you will see a drawing of mine.
Sketch by Jean Baptiste of the coach, in the original letter
Your uncle Peter [Pierre Renee Le Det de Segrais, brother-in-law of the writer], who
knows design better than I, can make you a more correct model. <strong>The</strong> bonnet, or better
said, the hat of the lady in the back is just a sample of the huge hats that are worn in New
York. Notice that there is no side of the coach, but that one enters from the front. <strong>Man</strong>y
private carriages have a back door.
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