Transcription
[written later]
From Angelica H. / to Eliza H. S.
[PAGE 1]
Leghorn Dec 31st Saturday evening
Dear Eliza
We arrived here this morning at 7 o’clock that is to say in the harbour, but we / were obliged to perform a pratique of 4 hours _ we went on board the Steamboat at / Marseilles _ on Thursday morning _ we me [^ a]nt to go Wednesday but were detained _ [^When] we left the morning, was bright bright but very cold _ + all the hills were all covered / with snow, our passengers consisted mostly of Americans _ + English _ the sea being / quite rough Uncle Ludlow + myself very soon were obliged to sit quietly _ before / we left the port _ we received a bundle of letters _ the latest dates was the [page torn] I received one from you + one from George _ you can have no idea how delig-[page torn] / it was _ I am sure it revented me from being sick for a long time but it / could not all day _ for I find I am not a good sailor _ + poor Uncle Ludlow suffered more than any of us _ we arrived at Genoa on Friday morning at about / 9 o’clock _ but were detained on board about an hour as the custom there is / that the passengers ca l d not go on shore without first sending the number / of them to the sanita _ + then sending a health officer on bo[^a]rd + then counting / them + if one is found wanting none of them would be allowed to go onshore. / the ceremony is quite ridiculous _ an officer came to us + the piece of paper which / was given him with the number of passengers he took it up with the a pair of / tongs ??? and dipped in the water twice. Then took [^it] to the sanita and afterwards we / all passed before a man one by one + were counted _ one of the American gentl-[page torn] / went down stairs on purpose to plague the officer _ then we were obliged to be / counted over again _ however we got on shore at last _ then picked up a cir-[??-ope] / and went right to work + saw the most beautiful church we have seen in Europe _ / then three or four palaces. The pictures are too beautiful _ In comparison with / the French they are so soft _ We saw many by the most famous artists _ Genoa / certainly deserves the name of the city of Palaces _ we were very unfortunate in our / day _ It snowed and rained _ but notwithstanding we saw a great deal. One church / we visited where it is said the true ashes of john the Baptist are behind an alter dedicated / to him _ the gentlemen went behind the alter to see them + as Aunt Fan + I started to go the little / priest called after us + stopped us. We asked him why the Ladies were not allowed to go, he / said as a woman had had him killed the women are not allowed to go on pain / of excommunication . an express command of the Pope _ we then dined + at 7 we all found our - / selves on board the boat again _ we found we had an addition to our crew among others a princefs / quite a pretty woman. We got off about eight but found it very rough, soon I had to put my- / self away + Uncle Tom the same thing _ this poor princess was very ill, her women the same / thing [^also] + her companion a gentleman _ so pa was obliged to take care of her all night _ she / suffered beyond description _ Ma + Aunt suffered from fright _ Mary + myself slept _ Alex visited / the deck frequently _ Pa was busy with the Princess + Uncle Ludlow was very sick so [^ so] we were / all employed in our own way _ mine I think was rather the pleasantest _ we arrived at Leghorn this / morning at 7. But were obliged to stay on board till we all got out of patience _ the Princefs was the / most grateful creature that could be she gave Pa her name + said she would be glad to see / him at Florence _ where she lives _ while we were laying in the Port Alex was walking on deck / which was wet, slipped + fell, + hurt his head a good deal _ he came in the cabin +i I who / was not feeling very good [^well +] the excitement altogether I was obliged to make a scene in the shape of
[END OF PAGE 1]
Of fainting _ the princess who by this time was well was very busy taking care of me, however I / played my part very well _ recovered soon _ at last we got off + hailed our release with / a great deal of pleasure _ for there was not a fire on board but the engine room _ + though / we were are in Italy the weather is by far from warm _ in Genoa we visited a room in / which there is a bust of Columbus _ + his will in his own hand writing _ + several letters in / his own hand. With his signature _ Uncle Tom has received Fanny’s letter in which she / acknowledged sent of the little dress Aunt Fan has got yours also _ Pa + Uncle Ludlow went to see / a shop here where they sell marble + they are almost crazy, not only with the beauty of them / but the cheapness of them could hardly refrain from buying _ tell George for me that I am / very much obliged to him for his letter indeed + am most sorry to hear that he met with that / [page torn]-ident with his eye _ I hope however it will not be anything serious _ tell him we saw the ac - / [page torn]-t of the rapidity with which the express mail had been carried in the Paris [??] + his name / [page torn] full length _ as Pa + Molly are both going to put a Postscript I must finish _ we intend / going on tomorrow to Pisa _ good night _ give my best love to all _ I am very glad to / hear that Fanny is interesting herself with the sunday school _ it will give her an instant + / something to do _ I hope you have those reading parties in the morning your talked of _ ask Fanny / to write us in what way she dressed little Molly, for all those little particulars become very / interesting _ I am sorry to hear Philip has deserted you but I think he will do quite as well _ I wish / you a happy New Year _ I hope it will be a fine day _ so that the youngsters can visit ever / your affect. Sister Angelica _ think of Molly’s being 19 tomorrow _ Pa intended writing / to George but as he is so tired + sleepy that he shall be obliged to leave it
Come va la signora Eliza? You can’t [^think] how I have to scratch up / the Italian, for Pas wanted to ask 20 questions + has here no tongue, much is done / by gesticulation however at which he is very good, in consideration of it being / New Year’s eve I have had to ask for acqua vollente, due limoni et Whiskey _ / the man called it Holland Gin, Uncle Tom put it to his nose, Ah! Said he / devilish fine Whiskey that the real [turf] smell, You cannot imagine any poor / miserables suffer more than we have done since we have been on board that / confounded boat, to think that the captain would start with women + children / to be on board + day + night without one particle of fire [comeabi??le]. And that too when every thing was covered with snow + ice, and an extremely cold wind / blowing, there was no brasier, no foot stoves, we stomped up + down the decks, / wrapped up, all to no purpose, it it has not been for our letters which we / read just as we were starting I can’t say what would have become of us, / There was a brother + sister on board, English, very nice people, + as Tom Uncle / Tom said, he could tell with half an eye that it was a lady + gent, It was / amusing to see how shy they were at first, we played the same game, Mr. White / spoke first to Pa, + we went along very well together _ They are going to Florence / where it seems they have passed many winters, Every [^body] agrees that this very / severe weather that we have [^ the] ill luck to find, has not been known here / before her years unnumbered, (the punch just concocted is very fine, the / little sponge cake called biscotti are capital). I have taken half a tumbler / which will soon get in my head, + from thence very speedily I suppose / to this letter _ however we route, we are all in a race with the / Italians, in the 1st place at Genoa we paid / [page folded, some unrecovered?]
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7 francs for each passport, + ten sous a piece per head, then we were counted like sheep _ at / Leghorn where we arrived at 7 in the morning, they kept us in the cold until 1/2 past 12 performing / quarantine, + we came from a perfectly healthy port _ then we were rowed to the quai, + trotted in the / wet to a little entry guarded by his highnesses Jo-[page torn]-es, where we all stood for some time / waiting to be shown to a little room, in which [page torn] - thing or other was done about the passports, / after this we were free to go to the hotel, the first question the man asked was about passports, / did [^ ever] know a more perfect bore at each of these places our consul has 2$ for a visé as / they call it _ A letter rec’d from Lynch says he could not get apartments, but has secured rooms at / the best hotel, it appears that Florence is gay + there is a good Opera, To night I hear rumours of / [??] going to Rome this winter instead of staying at Florence for the spirits seemed determined / to flee this cold weather, I think that we shall go posting straight down to Rome, it is three / days from Florence, + when there we shall probably make a long stay, the Schermerhorn babas / as Lynch says are there, Pa + Mr. Ludlow have been at a fine marble store, they were very / much delighted with the [sculp?] turning, beautiful most beautiful, they say, vases, figures, marble / pieces, + Oh how i do cheap, the most magnificent marble for for one hundred + eight dollars, / we have seen nothing of this place, but they tell us there is nothing worth seeing, tomorrow after / breakfast we take horses for Pisa it is only 14 miles _ Ma is most delighted with / all your letters she reads them over some, + will soon again I think write herself, she / eats very well + sleeps well, I have no doubt she will feel very much pleased when we once / become settled for some little time, but she is very much interested in all she sees, + / reads the history of it all, her health is very good, steamboating she hates being both afraid + sea / sick, Pa was quite pleased, with Madame Zappi, that princess [Primalowski?], who seemed / in all respects ladylike, Miss White saus she sings sweetly _ She asked for Mr. Hamilton’s / card + sent her name, her Italian was very sweet _ at Genoa gold [^ +] silver was very / beautifully wrought, + quite cheap, there is one style they say quite peculiar to the place / extremely pretty, the price of it / 5 francs, I got a sweet little silver féroniere with small chains for 4 fra[^n]cs _ going / through those Genovese palaces it was evi-[dent - page torn] that the family was rea-[???]-ing before / us _ in one most comfortable little room [page torn] was a foot muff + an old shawl /
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Left by Madame who had been reading Byron, Scott’s works were there , / nice little tabourets + screens, a piano, + such such beautiful little / nicknacks, looking like Christmas presents, I believe it was in the / same palace, that we saw a beautiful divan which struck us all, as / being within the reach of our capabilities, it looked very East Indian / large palm leaves worked in worsted, on cloth, bright colours strongly / contrasted _ a different colored ground for each leaf, a round thing in / the same style in the centre, with a place for books on the top _
[BOTTOM OF PAGE 4 - REVERSED]
Say to Bowdoin (George) that as to the steam Boat he is at liberty to do / as he thinks best regardless of my instructions having my safety + / my interest at stake + if necessary he make take my shares in his name / in trust for me which will do away the necefsity for a Power of atty / He will do as to the Hay also what he pleases I promise if [Wi??-er] feeds / with care as the fall has been mild that more Hay may be sold / in the Spring if so let [??] be d-[??] to to use his Horses + cattle / to that end taking his feed with him the expense would not be very / great + thirty dollars a ton would be worth attention or if a Boat / that would carry 5 or 10 tons could be got to go up as soon as the / ice would permit a few Hundred Dollars might be thus obtained / we are all crazy for Statuary + I will indulge myself at some cost /
Jan 1:1837 Happy New Year god bless you all JAH
[ADDRESS]
Mrs George L Schuyler
NO 13 Laight Street
Aux si??? De M–??
M–?? B–??
??? des etatas Unis
For. Formosa
Charge J.A.H.
[page torn]
New York
[REVERSE OF ADDRESS]
Angelica Leghorn
Dec’r 31 1837
[later in pencil] + Mary
[POSTAL NOTATIONS - red ink]
[POSTMARK 1 - blue ink, circle]
JA ??
1837
[POSTMARK 2 - red ink, rectangle]
ITALIE
?LE PONT DE
BEAUVOISIN
[POSTMARK 3 - black ink, circle]
HAVRE
13
???
1837
??
[POSTMARK 4 - black in, rectangle with rounded corners]
???
And Forwarded
Y. ? ?
R. ? ??
U.S. Consul
Ha [off page]Transcriber
Kathryn AlexanderLanguage
English
