Ulm.
May 18. 1823
My dear Talbot
I do not know where I ought to direct this but I shall take my chance of its finding you at Florence – Up to this place & time our journey has gone on thrivingly & Jane <1> has borne it remarkably well, tho’ the road from Inspruch [sic] to Munich is detestable – At Munich one of my first visits was to Mr Reichenbach (the professor) about your instrument <2> – He seemed to know nothing of it & said in English that he left all the economical part of the business to Mr Ertel so away I went to Mr Ertel who pleaded similar ignorance in german [sic] & supposed that the first order as well as the subsequent letter had been sent to Mr Reichenbach who had neglected to forward it – He had not one ready but said if you chose to give him the order he could send it for you to England as he had sent a similar one the week before. Now perhaps after all these said gentlemen are not the inventors or makers of the instrument you meant but I inquired of Professors at the Library and Valets de place at the Inn & could hear of no other professor an inventor of Mathematical Instruments – He will Mr Ertel remains in anxious expectation of a letter from you as I promised to write to you on the subject The direction he gave me is, T. Ertel, propriétaire de l’Institut mecanique de Reichenbach et Ertel Nro 175 Munich I shall sent this from Stuttgardt as we start tomorrow morning before the Post Office will be open – We have been charmed with our journey particularly with the country about Viceza Verona the beginning of the Tyrol & the Vale of the Inn – Terni surpassed my expectations much – we had a delightful day for it – Jane wrote to you from Padua & directed Poste restante, Rome –
Yours truly in haste & in sleep
John Nicholl
À Monsieur
Mr W. H. Fox Talbot
Poste Restante
Florence
Nizza
Notes:
1. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
2. Georg von Reichenbach (1772-1826), German astronomical instrument maker. The instrument was made by Traugott Lebrecht von Ertel (1777–1858), scientific instrument maker, Munich. [See Doc. No: 01211].