COLONIES BY BORDEAUX - Lot 328

COLONIES BY BORDEAUX L.A.S. signed Pollie Martelly [?], addressed to Monsieur Clostman in Bordeaux, forwarded "p. jeune Pouyblanc", undated [circa 1830s]. 1 page in-4 with address on verso, postal mark "COLONIES PAR BORDEAUX", traces of wax and postal marks. A few stains, small marginal loss at bottom fold without noticeable damage to text, used folds. Interesting commercial letter concerning colonial trade and textile goods shipped from the French colonies. The correspondent details prices and outlets for various fabrics and haberdashery items: bouquet dresses, white baptists, handkerchiefs, cloth and sheets, specifying prices and possible margins on the local market. The letter describes the supply networks between the colonial ports and Bordeaux, paying particular attention to the profitability of imported products and trade fluctuations. The writer refers in particular to "worrying events" likely to slow down shipments and affect arrivals, underlining the uncertainty weighing on maritime trade at the time. He also mentions the coffee market, where prices appear to be weakening despite deliveries still expected. A fine piece of colonial merchant correspondence illustrating the commercial practices and economic concerns of French traders in the West Indies in the early 19th century. Rare colonial postmark "Colonies by Bordeaux".