FLORIAN - The Most Traveled Man on Earth

I have seen the Couissin girls, they do not know yet if they should wait for their brother.
He sent me your letter from New York, I suppose. If I do not receive the box before my
departure, I will see Mrs. G. and forewarn them. I would like Coussin to come [on the
journey], he could advise me on what I should take with me.
My piano has lost much of its tone, and our harp is horrible. I don’t know whether I
should take it, and in addition Tomkinson is giving me nothing for the picture and for the
engravings. Bass is always out or too sick to talk business when I go to see him. He will
certainly have to give me a good deal. <strong>The</strong> father of Miss Dubois is still not to be seen.
I have had Laura’s ______ engraved. <strong>The</strong> expenses were considerable, but they are
already more than covered, and I am again hoping to make something of it. I have
painted a screen for Sarah Collinson, and she has sent 8 pounds sterling. Madame
Lichigaray has also done all she could to help us. <strong>The</strong> poor woman has just lost her
daughter, Mrs. Coleman. I have not seen our good friend Madame Drouin since I left
Laytonstone. 46 I know that she is well. Neither have I seen the Parsons, but they are very
friendly towards us, and have proved it many times.
Tell Emmanuel that the youngest Desjardin 47 is a prisoner here. Mr. Caron has taken him
into his home. He is coming to dine with us on Sunday. Our uncle Morin 48 and two of
the de Pagers [?] have also been prisoners here for four years. <strong>The</strong> two latter are in a
hulk, and in the greatest distress. 49 So there are more unfortunate people than us.
Deprived of liberty for four years and separated from their families. Joseph will try to
render them all the service that he can.
I still have a thousand things to tell you, but the children have the rest of my paper, and
are making enough noise with their uncle to daze a better head than mine. My heart is
more sound than my head, in spite of that it is quite weak when I think of the moment
when I shall press you against it.
When I arrive, even your Miss O, I ask but that. [Unclear translation.]
I embrace you a thousand, thousand times in my imagination. Soon I hope to do it in
reality, as well as my dear Emmanuel.
Thy Marguerite
46 Laytonstone was a school in Epping Forest, about seven miles from London, that Jean Baptiste and
Marguerite ran. A very faint, small sketch of it survives in the Sims Collection, in the Mobile Public
Library. It appears to be a substantial building.
47 This likely refers to Joseph Fichet des Jardins, born 1780 or François Fichet des Jardins, born 1783, both
second cousins of Marguerite Marie Le Det de Segrais.
48 Probably René Nicolas Morin (1755-1822), cousin of Marguerite.
49 At this period, prisoners of war were often kept in old de-commissioned wooden naval sailing ships,
called “prison hulks.” <strong>The</strong>se were death traps and many prisoners died of disease and lack of proper food
and water.
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