DUVAUCEL ALFRED (1793-1824) NATURALISTE,BEAU-FILS DE CUVIER - Lot 112

Lot 112
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DUVAUCEL ALFRED (1793-1824) NATURALISTE,BEAU-FILS DE CUVIER - Lot 112
DUVAUCEL ALFRED (1793-1824) NATURALISTE,BEAU-FILS DE CUVIER 11 L.A.S. "Alfred" or "your brother", 1814-1818, to his mother Mme Georges CUVIER, his sister-in-law Clémentine CUVIER, or his sister Sophie DUVAUCEL; 31 pages in-4 or in-8, addresses. Affectionate family correspondence, begun on the island of Aix while he was serving in the 71st line regiment, and continuing until he was in Bengal, beginning his mission of collecting specimens for the Museum, with Pierre-Médard Diard. He thanks his mother for sending him books, including a memoir by Malouet, and recalls her promise to look after his cross, if possible with Cuvier's support. "Kiss my father for me and tell him that I am sending him a small box containing shells and fossil bones from the island of Aix" (30 November 1814)... In Vannes, in the spring of 1815, he commented on the insurrectionary state of Morbihan and the invasion of the Allies; in August he wanted to believe that the enemy would not come as far as Brest... But he will soon report gatherings of chouans and the flight of officers in front of these brigands; he himself thinks of embarking for Martinique, considering the "sad position of our poor country, the appearance of a long stay of the enemies in France, and consequently, the little activity of our ministers and the king for what concerns the colonies" (September 15, 1815)... He promised shells to his little Clémentine, sent his farewells to his little Sophie, and embarked on the Seine at Honfleur towards the end of 1817. But bad weather prevented the departure, and he became impatient and wondered at the absence of news from the King, the Chamber, and the Concordat. "This good papa," as Berenger said, "shows the despoiled French well that he is one of their allies. It is said that he wants Avignon or an annuity of 6 millions" (December 11, 1817)... Finally, in India, a word is enough to assure "that I am perfectly well and happy, that the heat, as oppressive as it is, has not taken anything away from my strength and that Diard and I are in Chandernagor the healthiest and most studious men" (August 20, 1818)... Attached is a fragment of a l.a.s. to him addressed to Gorruckpore by his English colleague B.H. Hodgson, a l.a.s. by H.S. Lewis to Sophie Duvaucel, a letter addressed to Diard and Duvaucel (1819), and 5 letters or miscellaneous items (Lameth Elder, archbishop of Dublin and bishop of Cork, passports)
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