Lot n° 295
Estimation :
700 - 800
EUR
Charles MOUCHEZ. 53 L.A.S., 1892, to his... - Lot 295 - Ader
Charles MOUCHEZ. 53 L.A.S., 1892, to his family; 250 pages in-8.
Chronicle of a navigation in the Mediterranean.
Charles Mouchez entered the Navy in 1885 and was the son of Ernest Mouchez, director of the Paris Observatory. Promoted to ensign in 1891, he made a voyage the following year on board the Richelieu, a twin-screw armored frigate belonging to the Mediterranean squadron (reserve squadron). It left Toulon on June 2, 1892 for the harbor of the Salins d'Hyères, then went to Golfe Juan on June 16. The next step was Ajaccio, where it was stationed from July 19th to 28th, then Bastia on July 29th, before returning to the Salins d'Hyères on July 31st. From August 9th, manoeuvres took place in Golfe Juan, then she returned to the harbour of Les Salins d'Hyères. On September 17, the squadron returned to Toulon to spend the winter.
The present correspondence, from Toulon, Golfe Juan, Villefranche, Ajaccio and Bastia, extends from April 25 to October 29, 1892; it consists of 39 letters to his mother, 10 letters to his father (who died on June 25), and 4 letters to his sisters. He talks about his installation on board, the organization of the squadron placed under the orders of Vice-Admiral Vignes, the staff of the Richelieu commanded by Captain Melchior, the posts attributed to Mouchez, the trials of departure, the supplies, the material to be embarked, the visits on land, the arrival of warships, service on board, exercises (gunfire, signals), maneuvers, navigation, organization of watches, inspections, the death of his father, his succession to the Observatory and the publication of his last work on hydrography, family news, etc.
Excerpts: "I am reviewing my artillery course at the Naval School, being in charge of the 5 24 cm guns on the bridge, one of which is under the teugue and 4 in turrets [...J. The 2 divisions of Admiral Rieunier's active squadron are going to arrive today from Golfe Juan. So there will be gathered in Toulon a force of 18 battleships more or less in a state to fight from one day to the next. With that, we will have 24 cruisers, large or small, and torpedo boats, that is to say 42 warships; we have never had such imposing forces for a long time... ". (May 18, 1892, to his father). "These two-propeller ships are very maneuverable, one can avoid them on the spot, but on the other hand they are very difficult to keep under way and one must always have one's eye on one's compass, or rather on the horizon, in order to guess the yawing before it occurs and to stop it in time. Thomson compasses are not even sensitive enough and once underway it is easier to keep up by taking a point on the ground or on the horizon than by continuously watching the rose. Not to make a zigzag is a capital point in a squadron..." (June 16, 1892, to his father). "As soon as you have the printed speeches, the photoengraving of father's portrait, don't forget to send them to me as well as dad's brochure on the Ports of Algeria, a brochure of which there were packets in the Paris office and of which I would like one for Cdt Houette who asked me for it. I told him about the notice on Hydrography that I am revising. He had taken Father's method to heart, had argued with the ministry about it during the publication of a work, and seems to be interested in it..." (July 21, 1892, to his mother). "I am very glad that you have put away all of father's cards. I had been content to gather them there, promising myself one day to classify them. There are several very interesting ones that I would like to put aside, these are the various road maps where father marked all his crossings as well as all his handwritten maps. These should be kept as souvenirs and separated from all the other plans or maps that Father bought because of his enormous interest in geography..." (September 17, 1892, to his mother).
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