FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

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