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Lot# 599 - Auction 265-273

  • Lot# : 599 Ethiopia

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    1847 (Dec 1): Entire letter in English from Dabaraq (Dabarag) to Paris, France carried by merchant caravan via Kassala and thence via the Nile to Alexandria where put into the French Post Office with "Alexandrie / Egypte" cds (May 20) in black and Paris arrival cds (May 31) where charged '20' décimes due in manuscript. An astonishingly early entire, one of the earliest we have recorded, the letter being written by the Irish born explorer and geologist (among other things - see content) Anthony (Antoine) Thomson d'Abbadie (1810-1897), who had arrived with his brother in Ethiopia in 1837, leaving in 1848, having travelled all over Abyssinia as far South as the Kingdom of Kaffa. Extremely rare and fine. Cert. J-F. Brun (2016).rnrnNote: The readable letter begins "Your letter dated February 18, 1845 is the latest which I have received from you. The French Agent at Massawa named Degoutin took both letters and money and took very good care not to inform me of their arrival...". The letter goes on to mention 'Briggs & Co.' (Forwarding Agents in Cairo) and "this distracted country is so full of thieves, rebels, robbers and petty armies... getting on the road is very dangerous" and mentions his two slaves in attendance. The letter is extraordinary and amazingly revealing about the customs of the local people concerning marriage (including to their own daughters).rnrnProvenance: Collection Roberto Sciaky, Harmers, London, 25 July 2006, lot 2.
    Starting bid : 2,000.00 CHF
    Hammer price : 4,800.00 CHF