[Aimé BONPLAND]. Dominique ROGUIN, merchant and great friend - Lot 16

Lot n° 16
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Result : 1 000EUR
[Aimé BONPLAND]. Dominique ROGUIN, merchant and great friend - Lot 16
[Aimé BONPLAND]. Dominique ROGUIN, merchant and great friend of Aimé Bonpland; he sailed up the Paraguay with him in 1819. Autograph letter signed to botanist Alire Raffeneau-Delile (1778-1850), 3 pp. in-4. Paris, March 15, 1820. Address on back. Full transcript enclosed. A fascinating letter transcribing the one Bonpland wrote to him after his last excursion inland. "I have just received a long letter from M. Bonpland, dated October 27, 1819, from which I will extract a few passages that will no doubt interest you. "Since your departure, I have made an excursion to the Parana, which has been very useful to me in all botanical respects, and for the future products of my quinta. I brought back a fine collection of dried plants and many observations. 32 stuffed birds, including some very beautiful ones [...]. The usefulness that my quinta has derived from this trip is to be found in 1,200 orange trees, all with roots, and most of which are already growing; two large Maté trees which are also growing and which I hope to multiply (this is a type of tea of which the inhabitants of the countryside and towns make great use). I have planted symmetrically around my future pond: five species of mimosa, and a large number of living Parana plants [...]. All my vines are planted, all my willows are well multiplied and I'll need a new plot next year [...]. This year I planted 3,000 olive trees, which are already growing well, and at least 4,000 poplars, which are also doing wonderfully. I won't even mention the raspberry, rose and tuberose bushes, which are already showing their full beauty [...]. The season is very good for peach trees. Everything points to a large, or rather abundant, harvest, and I'm counting heavily on peach brandy [...]". From these details, sir, I would like to believe that our mutual friend's position has greatly improved, and that he will at last be rewarded for the many sacrifices his departure, and his stay in America, have required; but I see with sorrow that he is entirely unaware that since his departure, the death of M. Laporte, which occurred some time later, has paralyzed the sale of his work, and that the heirs are claiming a sum for the book which, with interest, amounts to nearly 8,000 francs, and that according to various conferences I have had with Messrs. Carrière and various booksellers, the remainder of this fine work would not cover this reimbursement [...]". The printer also claims a large sum of money, and fears that the work will be sold by authority of law...
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