[Ren? Louiche Desfontaines, Professor of Botany at the Jardin des Plantes.] Autograph Letter Signed (?Desfontaines?) [to the negotiator of the Louisiana Purchase, the Marquis of Barb?-Marbois], thanking him for his ?Histoire de la Louisiane?.

The letter is addressed to ?Monsieur Le marquis?, and the recipient is undoubtedly Barb?-Marbois. The letter presumably dates from 1829, the year of publication of Barb?-Marbois?s ?Histoire de la Louisiane?. The other work referred to, ?Le Complot d?Arnold et de Sir Henry Clinton contre les Etats-Unis?, was published in 1816. Comparison with another example of Desfontaines?s autograph confirms that the handwriting is indeed his (in addition to the signature, his ?j? and ?et? are distinctive, and he has a habit of mixing up upper and lower case letter Ls), but the present example is shaky, and clearly the effort of an old man. Age may also explain the confusion over the date. 1p, 8vo. Signed ?Votre tr?s humble et ob?isant serviteur / Desfontaines?. On laid paper with fleur-de-lis watermark. In good condition, lightly aged, and slightly creased. Folded once. He has received ?L?histoire de La louisiane?, and he feels sure that the perusal of the book will be as agreeable to him as ?celle du complot d?arnold et du memoire important relatif a la deportation des malfaiteurs?, for both of which works he is also indebted to the recipient?s ?bienveillance?. Winding up the letter with customary Gallic floridness, he assuring him that he places ?un tr?s grand prix au souvenir d?un homme aussi consider? et aussi respectable que vous?.