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Letter from Elias Andrea Manzinoja (1811-1887) dated November 13th 1824

 

Anny Huber-Sutter translates:

A letter written by my grandfather, Elias Andrea Manzinoja (later Chief Magistrate), who at the age of 13 had to travel to Niort (France) to begin an apprenticeship with his father, Andrea Nuot Manzinoja, at the Café Helvétique. The journey was made on foot, on board a ship and with a stage-coach. The letter is addressed to his mother, Barbla Manzinoja, née Zamboni, and to his newly-wed sister, Mengia Stupan, née Manzinoja.

 

 

Paris, November 13th,  1824

 

My dear Mother and Sister,

 

I hope that this letter will find you in the best of health. I am also blessed with good health and I pray to the Almighty for the benevolence bestowed upon us all to continue.

 

My dear Mother, thank the Lord, all of us arrived safely on Wednesday evening. We (several lads from Pontresina) had a very pleasant journey and were in good spirits and quite content. Here we met Mr. Peider Lelly and his wife, who is so beautiful, she could not be painted more beautifully with a paintbrush.

 

On the Albulapass we had snow up to our knees, on that day we walked as far as Bergün. On the next day there was even more snow and we arrived in Chur. On the third day we took a carriage to Walenstadt. My dear Mother, sailing on a ship is like riding on a sleigh, it is really a pleasure, I can assure you. Mother dear, I am happy and content, you musn’t worry, my dear, dear Mother.

 

I’ll stay several more days in Paris, then I will travel with Mr. Peider Lelly to Blois, about 40 hours away from here. Then I will only have to continue my journey for 60! hours on my own.  It is fun traveling with these carriages. I am living here with my godfather, Mr. Murezza, he is a very good, kind man and his wife is as well. They are both very good to me and have taken me everywhere to show me the places of interest. It is amazing! One can see all sorts of things, anything one could wish to see. The royal palace is greater than all of the Engadine...And the buildings are all connected together and all these people and ever more people, so that one can hardly cross the streets. On one evening we went to the theater and it  was very amusing.

 

You are right, my dear Mengia, to  want to come to France so that you  may also see something. It is good to travel in the “diligences”, but one gets hungry. Often we had to travel 24 hours without anything to eat, but when we finally found something, we ate until we were bursting. When the horses had to be replaced by fresh ones, we did go into the public houses to get something to drink, but  there wasn’t enough time to eat. Often the roads were stony and many travelers could not sleep, but I slept as if I were in my own bed. We really had a jolly trip. Nuot Lelly was always telling jokes and doing foolish things, so that our sides were splitting with laughter.

 

Lelly is staying with my godfather, Mr. Murezza, they are in need of assistance just now and are keeping him there. Ulrich  Stiffler is going to Mr. Bernhard Saratz in Rouen. We saw him, he is broad and fat (like a pig!). Jenny is going  to Bordeaux, they all departed today, may the dear Lord show them the way!

 

For this time today, my dear Mother, your affectionate and loving son sends you his greetings,

E.A.Manzinoja

 

Give my dear niece Ursigna 100 and 1000 kisses. Farewell my dear, dear Mother and  Sister.

 

 

 

 

Translated into English by Wendy Hemelsdael-Hazen, Georg Buchli’s niece from Vermont.