Difference between revisions of "Girard0258"

Latest revision as of 16:15, 15 December 2024

30 May 1843. — Father Antoine Garin to Father Victor Poupinel, with a list of items needed for the mission, Bay of Islands

Based on the copy sent.

Translated by ChaptGPT3.0 and Merv Duffy

Sheet with four pages, three of which are written, the fourth left blank.

This document revisits the list sent to Épalle on December 25, 1842 (doc. 230: the text of §§ 1-11 is reproduced almost entirely, while the present document introduces several modifications to §§ 12-16). For §§ 1-11, see doc. 230; here, we limit ourselves (while retaining the paragraph numbering of the first list) to noting the small changes in the text of May 30, 1843. The letter added to the third page of doc. 230 is replaced in this document by the duplicate of the letter Garin is said to have written to Poupinel on May 12, 1843 (the original is not preserved in the APM archives). See the introduction to doc. 230 for a summary of the successive states of Garin's and Yvert's lists.

Summary

This letter is a duplicate of that sent 25th December 1842 (Doc 230) to Father Épalle, for fear that the earlier letter didn’t get to him.

In what seems a PS, is a lengthy plea for good quality shoes, which don’t last long in NZ conditions. Requests for other items of clothing as well.

Text of the Letter

Bay of Islands (Kororareka), December 25, 1842, New Zealand

This letter is a duplicate of the one you should have received with this date; today, fearing it may not have reached you, I am sending this one dated May 30, 1843.

[3]

[After "1 tricorne in reserve (The Bishop did not receive one in the shipment from Father Séon," the author adds:] Father Garin gave him one of his own.

[4]

[The line "1 pair of sturdy woollen pants" and the next two lines are deleted.]

[5]

[The line "1 black summer coat annually" is deleted.]

[9]

[The line "6 boxes for holy oils, marked on the lid and in a leather case" is modified to read:] 6 boxes for holy oils, marked on the lid and the box, and in a leather case.

[10]

[The last sentence of the paragraph is modified to read:] Send accurate notes accessible to everyone on the use of these various remedies.

[The §§ 12-16 of doc. 230 are significantly modified, and the new text is provided below.]

[12]

Supplement: — Smocks, smocks, smocks, and long smocks with long sleeves and without frills; Pants in quantity, caps, some vests or jackets.

[13]

Citrine ointment for scabies.

[14]

Do not send cassocks or winter pants to the tropics. Coats are of little use to them.

[15]

A few Roman missals for our brothers.

[16]

Large paintings depicting the events of the Old and New Testament — Synoptic charts, statistics, and diagrams of the true vine.

─────

[17]

Duplicate of a letter dated May 12, 1843, addressed to Father Poupinel.

... Father Pezant writes to me that he believes boots or ankle boots are the best footwear; I found several other fathers of the same opinion; I do not know about the others. For my part, I agree. Here are the advantages: they save many stockings or protect the skin when crossing ferns or woods. The paths are often covered with cutting grasses, which they would guard against; however, they should not be made too narrow, as we often need to take them off to cross rivers. But above all, they save stockings and are practical for crossing small streams and muddy patches, so numerous in New Zealand. Most often, the water is only 2 or 3 inches deep, and if one must remove their shoes for that, it would happen too often, which is inconvenient as it wastes time, especially when one is in a hurry to arrive by daylight or take advantage of the tides. I found it very inconvenient to have to remove shoes so frequently, especially when carrying a heavy load.

[18]

All the fathers, except for those recently arrived in the last two shipments, are in urgent need of shoes. We have just bought a pair for Father Rozet — one for Brother Élie — one for Father Pezant — one for Brother Euloge. All the other fathers are asking for them, up to three pairs at a time. It has already been a long time since the fathers in the tropics requested them. Leather is very expensive here, and sometimes one pays as much for a bad pair of shoes as for a pair of boots in France. Father Petit uses a lot of stockings, shoes, and cassocks. I believe we have already had 2 or 3 new cassocks made for him by Brother Tailor since our arrival. Father Rozet uses a lot. Father Grange extraordinarily wears out shoes. Pants have become an extreme need; for over a year now, we have only been requesting pants, whether for the fathers or the brothers. We are short of stockings.

[19]

The Bishop needs a coat, a new hat with ribbons, a ring with a securely mounted stone (he has already lost, I believe, two), a waxed canvas coat for Father Garin, small crosses for the natives to wear around their necks in great numbers, attractive knives, scissors, Indian ink sticks, cords for hanging medals or crosses, and warm footwear for winter for each father and brother, so they can go out without wet feet, for example, clogs with blackened wood. American-made shoes, that is, with wooden nails, would last longer, especially in the tropics, as seawater rusts metal nails, and the rust eats the leather, causing the nail to fall out and leaving holes in the soles.

I have the honour of being your most humble servant,

Garin