FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

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People can’t believe that I am over 40 & they claim that I am only 25: thus you can judge how healthy I look. For the rest, the climate is really delightful at this season—in the six weeks I have been here there have not been three bad days in succession, and the good weather lasts for weeks without a break. You can compare it to a good month of June in England or even in our France… People wear trousers of nankeen [Chinese cotton cloth], dimity [a lightweight sheer cotton fabric] or even linen. In the evening they sit on at their doors on the streets, the stylish people on their balconies; the moon shines in a cloudless sky, without fogs; there is no evening mist to fear. Violets have an exquisite aroma all winter. We have been eating asparagus for two weeks, & if we wanted to take the trouble to raise gardens we would have peas and strawberries right now. I strongly urge you to bring a large quantity of all kinds of seeds, including legumes, garden plants, flowers & shrubs & even tall trees, as well as onions and roots – all the plants they raise in hothouses would grow very well here outdoors. <strong>The</strong> geraniums would last all year, as well as the China rose bushes, rose-colored and poppy-red such as we had at the Assembly House near the door & the window in the parlor. You should [also bring] [in English] crocus, snowdrops [end English], all kinds of iris, Jacobea and Guernsey Lilly, tuberose, jonquils, etc., also chestnuts, nuts, fresh almonds, even Indian chestnut—seeds of Meleza (larch tree), service tree (mountain ash) – all of those would produce flowers or berries – seeds of Siberia Crabs [this last phrase in English], etc., etc., etc. You could bring cuttings from trees, shrubs and rare plants which do not propagate by seeds—<strong>The</strong> nurserymen have a way of packing these cuttings in such a way that they can be sent overseas without spoiling. I would also like to have seeds of Luzerne, grands pimpernelle (Burnet Grass), & sainfoin [a type of forage], 1 or 2 boisseaux 21 of each – they have nothing at all in this land, they do not even know the bushes they call in England “American Shrubs” – I do not doubt that when, in a garden, they had flowers and fruit or ornamental shrubs [here] such as they have in England, people sold the seeds or just threw them away. Anyway, a nursery would be a very good speculation here & would need only a small expense to start. About the fresh almonds, you could get some from the almond trees they have in England as ornaments [ornamental trees?]. Is a ship is coming right here, send me all you can of these seeds, cuttings, etc., & then afterwards bring another assortment yourself, whether you come straight here or go to New York. Bring also a few of those fine Spanish onions for planting and to keep for seeds—they only have nasty, crummy little onions here. Give Laura a little scolding for not writing to me by the same packet boat as you did. As for the affair about her uncle, judging by the turn which the other affairs have taken in this land, he is very fortunate that she did not consent. <strong>The</strong> poor fellow must be crazy to want to get married without a penny of which he is certain. With great impatience, besides, I am waiting to know what the amiable M. Cheriot has planned for him, & how he is doing in England, as well as Peter. 22 21 Am on-line translation service translates this as “bushel,” while a note in the earlier transcription indicates that this means “12 ½ liters.” 22 It is not entirely clear who the “poor fellow” is. Since he is apparently the uncle of Laura, and is not Peter (Pierre), then it is most likely Joseph Marie de Segrais, the brother-in-law of the writer, Jean-Baptiste 62
We have had news from England, of the 13 th of December, for more than a week, so you can judge the negligence of which M. Cheriot is guilty in sending on my letters. A thousand kisses to you, to Laura, to Virginie, to Eliza, to Azelie! I love to write their names separately: this prolongs the image of their presence – I see you all, I press you in my arms one after the other; Laura has one arm around my neck on one side, Virginie does the same on the other, Eliza an Azalie climb on my knees, you look at us admiringly for an instant & you come to press us all to your heart---All that exists, I feel it, I experience all its emotions—why cannot I dream thus until my hope is realized!! Affectionate greetings to your brothers, greetings, etc. to all our friends. Florian. This seems consistent with the earlier reference to Joseph making bad business deals and having poor judgment. 63
Page 1 and 2:
FLORIAN Th
Page 3 and 4:
Section 2: Letters from Other Famil
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France still correspond, keep track
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Published Writings of Jean Baptiste
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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 and 52: I have sent to Mrs. Kirkland letter
Page 53 and 54: will see all the country from there
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: Letter 17. New Orleans, March 5, 18
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
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almost all the summer in the countr
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Letter 12. [Letter from Pierre Rene
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Adieu dear Friend! I hope that at l
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Letter 14. [Letter in response from
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attachments which had been planned
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ealize only too well by what I have
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For two months, while I have been a
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I don’t have time on this occasio
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not complain of anything, but his t
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Letter 19. [Letter to Azelie Floria
Page 133 and 134:
Letter 20. Emma’s Narrative Proba
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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
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FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

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