FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Letter 13. [Undated letter from about early February, 1809. Written almost certainly from New Orleans From Jean Baptiste Florian to his wife and daughters, still in England. This letter is in handwritten translated form in the Mobile Public Library, but not at the Library of Congress.] _____ for New York with the aim of sending it [her?] back to England. _________ inform of my arrival at New York. _______ Friday, January 20 th . [this date seems to refer to his approximate arrival date in New Orleans] after quite a long trip, slightly wearisome towards the end, but without incident or fatigue. <strong>The</strong> letters which I wrote you from Pittsburgh, Louisville and Natchez will have brought you up to date on the details of my trip. In spite of the little annoyances to which one is subject, I would still prefer to make it [this trip] again, rather than take a sea voyage. Hence I urge you strongly to take the same route with your brothers and our dear little girls, as hard as it is for you to leave from Pittsburgh in the right season. That is, from the beginning of November to the end of April or even the 15 th of May. I have already given you all the necessary details for that, moreover, Mr. Becker at Pittsburgh, will give you instructions and help you obtain everything that you will need. Of course, I do not know whether all this may reach you entirely too late. Mr. Clay, correspondent of Mr. Kirkland, has just told me that M. K. [?] of England that you were all going to leave for New York at the first opportunity. How does it happen, my good friends, that neither Emmanuel nor I have received any letters from you, while we have some from London through the end of October? Really, that is unpardonable. If your brothers are not to blame, who has been keeping you from giving the letters to Mr. Danson to have them sent at the first opportunity? Why do Laura and Virginia not write to me? Ah! Our children! You deserve my scolding, you. If you knew the suffering your silence has caused me, you would not be so negligent. By the way, Mr. Kirkland told Mr. Clay that our Miss Ravencamp has 20 thousand pounds sterling, “Jamaica currency,” [the latter phrase in English], which would be from 55 to 60 thousand piasters. 18 Mr. Davison could tell you if that is true, myself, I am a bit doubtful. But in case she should have only half of that, I would strongly advise our dear brother Peter to use all his eloquence on her, etc…. He would have, I believe, a very nice wife and a nice fortune, too. Not to disparage the other good qualities. I expect to leave in 5 or 6 days to make a big trip to the Atacapa, the Opelousas, and Natchetochez. From there I will come back down the other side of the river to see Bayou Sara, where I will see Mrs. Kirkland who lives there, at about 50 leagues from here. I 18 This would be a very large fortune today, certainly the equivalent of millions of dollars in 2009. 52
will see all the country from there to Baton Rouge, which is really superb. It is the most beautiful along the river. This tour will last about two or three months. To make it I have bought _______ _________ _____________ [p 2, first two lines illegible] I will have things [?] for 20 or 30 inhabitants. ______ ______ the one to the other as it is done here. Tell your brothers that I have sold the largest of the two rifles I brought with me for 140 piasters. This gun cost me 17 pounds, 18 shillings and no pence – which hardly amounts to 78 piasters; thus that makes a nice profit. I have also sold for 30 piasters the gold chain which I had bought for 2 and a half guineas, if I am right, at Murwell’s [?] at a sale which we all attended _______. 2 ½ guineas is only 12 piasters, thus I gained 18 piasters [on the deal]. It does not seem to me that one could speculate on all these articles, but it should be done, however, in small quantities – for example, at the most, one or two dozen gold chains, of the latest style— three of four dozen seals and watch keys—the same number of pretty shirt pins, in gold only—2 or 3 dozen earrings, especially those that the colored women prefer to wear, i.e. everything that has the brightest colors. As to the guns, you would have to send to Mr. <strong>The</strong>ophilus Richards in Birmingham a copy of the note or the other part where I give the necessary comments on the changes to be made in the order he has already filled for me. If your brothers did not think it necessary to bring as many objects as are mentioned in the note, I would advise them to always have 2 or three first class rifles and 2 or three second class—a dozen single shot rifles and a gross of double-barreled guns [?] as his note states. This latter article will sell very well, especially the inferior quality ones, which would sell very well here for 4, 5 and 6 piasters apiece. <strong>The</strong>y must take into account that there will be a duty of 17.5 percent to be paid on all that, thus, let them figure accordingly. As to the jewelry, it can be passed without declaring it. [!] Emmanuel is becoming more dear to me every day, not only for the friendship he shows me, but especially for his attachment to his sister. [Marguerite, the wife of Jean-Baptiste, the writer.] He has a sincerity and a warmth which nothing can surpass. His activity, his exactitude in business, make him esteemed everywhere. We embrace you, the two of us, a thousand thousand times, dear friends, lovely children whom I idolize, dear brothers. When will I be able to press you all against my heart – a thousand tokens of friendship to all those who are still interested in me in England – Mr. Drouin most of all [a la tete] and then all the etc., etc. P.S. According to the advice which I have just obtained, it would be better not to bring English jewelry. <strong>The</strong> gold in it is too low a quality, and French jewelry craftsmen criticize it with all their might. 53
Page 1 and 2: FLORIAN Th
Page 3 and 4: Section 2: Letters from Other Famil
Page 5 and 6: France still correspond, keep track
Page 7 and 8: Published Writings of Jean Baptiste
Page 9 and 10: Estelle Sims Collection. This consi
Page 11 and 12: Note on Translation and Holdings Wo
Page 13 and 14: Note on Monetary Exchange Value In
Page 15 and 16: Letter 1. 2 [Letter translated, not
Page 17 and 18: the education, with the compensatio
Page 19 and 20: Letter 2. [Letter translated, not o
Page 21 and 22: In case you receive from Messrs. Fa
Page 23 and 24: Letter 5. Halifax [Nova Scotia], 4
Page 25 and 26: Joseph Marie Le Det de Segrais Pier
Page 27 and 28: sorrow, my tender friend, that I ca
Page 29 and 30: Letter 7. Philadelphia, October 30,
Page 31 and 32: We crossed the state of New Jersey
Page 33 and 34: Letter 8. [Lancaster, PA] November
Page 35 and 36: sobbing of the women _____ _______
Page 37 and 38: Letter 9. Pittsburg[h], Sunday, Nov
Page 39 and 40: years, one finds himself with a ret
Page 41 and 42: Mr. and Mrs. Linton, with all the r
Page 43 and 44: ecause the current was so rapid and
Page 45 and 46: Letter 11. Natchez, 4 January, 1809
Page 47 and 48: of 20 to 22 cents per pound, as it
Page 49 and 50: Letter 12. New Orleans, January 23,
Page 51: I have sent to Mrs. Kirkland letter
Page 55 and 56: Letter 14. New Orleans, February 11
Page 57 and 58: Letter 15. New Orleans, February 12
Page 59 and 60: They think only of
Page 61 and 62: Letter 17. New Orleans, March 5, 18
Page 63 and 64: We have had news from England, of t
Page 65 and 66: [p 2] Madame Sain [Dai?] will entru
Page 67 and 68: Letter 19. Montesano [West Florida,
Page 69 and 70: Bring along also a few bushels of S
Page 71 and 72: Letter 20. Montesano [West Florida,
Page 73 and 74: ye-grass, clover, sainfoin, [Lucern
Page 75 and 76: Section 2 Letters From Other Family
Page 77 and 78: as much for the grandeur as for the
Page 79 and 80: Your affectionate uncle, Jolly Patr
Page 81 and 82: ignorant of the renunciation which
Page 83 and 84: Eliza talks only about her pretty f
Page 85 and 86: Elizabeth Florian Talcott, later in
Page 87 and 88: Letter 5. [Letter from Marguerite M
Page 89 and 90: I have seen the Couissin girls, the
Page 91 and 92: I took [the girls?] to a grand ball
Page 93 and 94: They should not al
Page 95 and 96: Your sisters had promised to reimbu
Page 97 and 98: Now I must scold you for not termin
Page 99 and 100: My dear Papa, My sisters have told
Page 101 and 102: Letter 8. [Letter from Marguerite M
Page 103 and 104:
hair, which is almost all white. Yo
Page 105 and 106:
some years this will be quite a lar
Page 107 and 108:
Letter 10. . [Undated letter from P
Page 109 and 110:
Duault is the most perfect and fine
Page 111 and 112:
sad, as did I, just a passerby on t
Page 113 and 114:
almost all the summer in the countr
Page 115 and 116:
Letter 12. [Letter from Pierre Rene
Page 117 and 118:
Adieu dear Friend! I hope that at l
Page 119 and 120:
Letter 14. [Letter in response from
Page 121 and 122:
attachments which had been planned
Page 123 and 124:
ealize only too well by what I have
Page 125 and 126:
For two months, while I have been a
Page 127 and 128:
I don’t have time on this occasio
Page 129 and 130:
not complain of anything, but his t
Page 131 and 132:
Letter 19. [Letter to Azelie Floria
Page 133 and 134:
Letter 20. Emma’s Narrative Proba
Page 135 and 136:
On Saturday the 21 st [unfortunatel
Page 137 and 138:
I told him I was not afraid, but as
Page 139:
The climate and th
show all

FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?