Description
MERMOZ Jean
L.A.S. ‘Jean’, at sea on 25 February 1926, to his grandparents, the GILLETs; three and a half pages, quarto size, on Compania Trasmediterranea letterhead.
Heading for Casablanca.
He is sailing towards Barcelona aboard the steamer Canalejas. ‘I received a posting order for Casablanca last night, to be collected in Alicante at 5 o’clock. As I wasn’t due to reach Barcelona until tomorrow, there was no transport available. So I jumped on the boat leaving at half past five without a suitcase or a cap. I’ll collect my luggage and take the first boat to Casa tomorrow evening, probably. I’ll be doing the Casa–Málaga route and only occasionally the Casa–Dakar route. That suits me fine. That way, I’ll have the best of both France and Spain, and the change won’t bother me any more. Besides, it won’t do me any harm to explore other skies. […] I’m waiting for my chocolate medal from the Aero-Club, and what’s more, I’ve been told I’ll be nominated for the red ribbon in the next Aeronautics class! But I don’t believe it. All this pleases me in only one respect: it is quite simply a major step towards the goal I’ve set myself. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t have my little place in the sun one of these days too. But I want to earn it. Will I succeed? So far, the future looks promising. I hope it continues’...
He is on the deck of the boat: ‘Gypsy women are dancing to the sound of a romantic guitar, and their garish, multicoloured rags look like shreds of silk in the sunlight. Spaniards, no less ragged, keep time with their steps by clapping their hands in rhythm, whilst others bellow out ‘flamencos’—a sort of Arabic song— listened to with religious devotion by all these filthy, lice-ridden people swarming in the lower deck amidst the rubbish of straw-filled oranges and banana skins. What a masterpiece of a scene!’…
Correspondence, no. 79.
Provenance: - Jean Mermoz (1901–1936);
- Gabrielle Gillet-Mermoz (1880–1955);
- Then passed down through the family
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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