[Aimé BONPLAND]. Dominique ROGUIN, merchant and great friend - Lot 10

Lot n° 10
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Result : 1 100EUR
[Aimé BONPLAND]. Dominique ROGUIN, merchant and great friend - Lot 10
[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 p. in-4. Buenos-Aires, August 6, 1833. Address on back. Transcription attached. Very interesting letter written from Buenos-Aires giving news of Aimé Bonpland. "After leaving Paraguay, Monsieur Aimé Bonpland stayed several months in the Brazilian missions, after which he came here: on his arrival he found a good number of letters, I believe from all parts of the known world, he also found some from his true friends, among whom I rank you as one of the first". He confirms that Bonpland has read his letters, and that one of them provoked "reflections on you which prove how much friendship he has retained for you, and how much interest he takes in you". Don't be surprised if he hasn't replied yet. "But what do you expect, you have to love our friend Bonpland as he is: and if anything can console you in case he hasn't written to you, it's to know that it's been a year since he left for San Bosja (mission in Brazil) and that he hasn't given me any sign of life, after having made me the most beautiful promises about the accuracy he intended to bring to his correspondence. I know, however, that he is doing very well, and that in the course of this year he has set up an agricultural establishment for the products of the country, such as tobacco, yerba mate, cotton, etc. He has, I believe, bought the property on which he is working. I believe he has bought the property on which he lives, which consists of 3 square leagues, but in a magnificent desert and very close to the Uruguay River; he is, as you may imagine, highly regarded and much loved by the Governor of this beautiful province, and adored by the Indians who go to him from all parts where they are scattered, and is forming on a small model, an establishment similar to those of the Jesuits. In this same country, he even lives in one of their ancient and beautiful houses. Now to tell you sir what our friend's real aim is, I cannot guess. I did the impossible to prevent him from returning to the Missions, I used all my means, I even dared to talk to him about his advanced age, nothing could stop him; I communicated to him on behalf of one of my friends the intention of putting him at the head of an agricultural establishment (model farm) in this province with a capital of $ 4 to 500,000 current piastres [...], nothing could shake him". Dejean arrived in South America with a letter from him addressed to Bonpland a month earlier, which he hopes will inspire him to take up the pen; "but I doubt it, and I have as proof the arrival of a Frenchman who travels for the missions, who came on his behalf to give me news of him; and to tell me that he was so busy that he had no time to write. It's really incredible! As for Madame, I can't tell you exactly what has become of her; however, I have heard that, after travelling through the province (or republic) of Bolivia, she left for Lima, where she stayed for some time, after which, according to the latest version, she arrived in Chile. Monsieur Bonpland also does not know where she is [...]".
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