Lot n°296,1

William WHITTEKER (Princeton, Massachusetts 1775-1853), voyageur et aventurier américain, l'un des premiers colons de Charleston. Manuscrit autographe signé, dans un carnet in-12 de 140 pp. numérotées (dont 4 vierges), débroché, conservé dans un étui de la Westminster Bank Limited. Quelques taches et mouillures. Daté et signé en fin, 16 mars 1852. Ex-libris Gwenaël Le Duc. Transcription complète des 55 premières pages.
Précieux manuscrit de ses mémoires, tenu de 1799 à 1809, copié et mis au net en 1852. Il le précise en dernière page : " This little book was transcribed by the author in the seventy eight year of his age for Susan Meriam to take her mother - my sister Catherine Meriam now living at Lowell Massachusetts. March 16th 1852. Wm Whitteker".
Durant cette période, il voyagea beaucoup (deux fois en Chine), fit plusieurs excursions au Canada, ainsi qu'à Detroit et à Chillicothe, et se livra au commerce des fourrures dans le Kentucky. En 1806, il se maria à Philena Cobb, et s'installa à Charleston, Virginie, où il fut l'un des tout-premiers colons. Une rue de Charleston porte aujourd'hui son nom.
Incipit (1ère page) : " William Whitteker second voyage to Canton in China on bord of the ship New Jersey of Philadelphia April 20th 1799 and sailed some time in May I was taken down with the small pox having caught it where I got my cloes wash ed where they had the small pox. After having been confined to my hammock 10 ou 12 days sore and weak but never to feal sick nor deranged in my mind the whole time I was confined to my hammock which was 4 or 5 weeks. My object in writing this is to record a remarkable dream I had at this time after I had been confined to my hammock 10 or 12 days I was greatly troubled and plagged with 7 or 8 Blacks resembling Negroes whether they were Devils Demons or phantoms I could not tell []".
Expert : Emmanuel Lorient - Librairie Traces Écrites - Paris : 01.43.54.51.04

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