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two pages of a letter written in cursive writing on a white surfacea letter written in black ink on a piece of papera page of a manuscript with writing on it
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386 - Slavery & Colonisation – [MANUSCRIPT]. Letter from Fort-Sain…
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Estimate €1,800 - €2,000
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Description
Slavery & Colonisation – [MANUSCRIPT]. Letter from Fort-Saint-Pierre [Martinique], 28 December 1742. 6 double-leaf sheets in-4, [23] pp., covered in medium-sized, very legible handwriting (approximately 25 lines per page), in loose sheets. Undoubtedly a unique account of the Danish West Indies. A new copy (‘Duplicate’) of a lengthy letter addressed to a certain Holmstedt and signed by J. H. Syling; a copy had already been dispatched from Le Havre on 19 December of the previous year. This copy was to be sent via Marseille and served as a backup in case the first was lost. An important, previously unpublished report written in French by an employee of the Danish West India Company, en route to Saint Thomas around 1744. Intended for the Company’s directors, it provides an exceptional account of the Danish West Indies: the Saint-Jean slave revolt (1733–1734), the colonisation of Saint Croix, the development of the slave trade from the Gold Coast, the administrative and commercial organisation of the islands, as well as valuable observations on relations with the French authorities in Martinique and Creole customs. (Details available on request.) A highly valuable and rare document.
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About the sale MONTIGNAC – 31st BOOK SALE – Day 1 of 4 – Nos. 1 to 549
Auction location
Auction time 08/19/2026 at 11:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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