From the Comte de Turin
ALS: American Philosophical Society
<Chateau de Glaye, near La Ferté-Bernard, Maine, February 7,
1778, in French: Your knowledge of the natural world makes
me hope that you will help some one who since his retirement
from service has given himself to the study of natural history.
I should like to acquire live animals and birds of both sexes to
breed in France. Any success I may have, even if it does not
prove useful, will at least give me the satisfaction of dealing
with the animal kingdom. You must have more acquaintances
among naturalists than you can keep in touch with, busy as
you are in working for justice; I should be happy if you could
interrupt those great affairs long enough to tell me of such
acquaintances who might get me live creatures, any but dangerous
carnivores, from North and South America. For several
years I have considered a tour of coastal wild life ending at
Philadelphia; various distractions and then the present disturbances
have prevented me. Our affairs will now be interconnected,
I hope, though I can be of no use to you and your
countrymen. I wait eagerly to learn whether my one son will
be permitted to have his baptism of fire in America; I should
then accompany him. You brought your children with you,
and I am a widower.>
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