Leitmeritz
28 June 1888
To Dr. José Rizal
37 Chalcot Crescent
Primrose Hill, N.W.
London
My dear friend:
By this mail, I’m returning to you with thanks the issue of Correo de España. May I keep the brochure for some time? What kind of publication is Correo de España? In my next letter I will write you more and even answer your last kind letter. I have received today a clipping of the newspaper entitled Liberal in which Quioquiap falls out of his customary role. He advises the Filipinos to engage in cotton-growing.
With my affectionate greetings, your intimate friend,
F. Blumentritt
In this letter Blumentritt begins to treat Dr. Rizal with the familiar “thou” instead of “you.”
03-307 [Reformists]
[1888?] Paris
From: Valentin Ventura
To: Jose Rizal
Ventura gives Rizal news of his trip to Europe and wishes to hear from him
* * *
45 Rue de Maubeuge, Paris
[No Date]
Mr. Jose Rizal y Mercado
London
Dear Friend Pepe,
After thirty days of traveling, including the ten days which we were obliged to spend in Singapore, at last we reached Marseille on 24 June without mishap.
With regard to the crossing, I tell you that I suffered everything—bad, fair, and good. From Singapore to Aden, the worst; it could not have been worse; from Aden to Suez, fair, because, though the weather was not bad, on the other hand it was very hot; from Suez to Marseille, good, neither bad weather or hot.
So that you may have an idea of our trip from Singapore to Marseille, I will only tell you that of the forty passengers that we were in the first class, five ate in the dining-room, if….
Despite the bad weather, I had the greatest luck of not getting seasick, but the rest of the passengers, especially a fellow countryman of ours who came with me, were all seasick. The poor chap spent the thirteen days that the trip from Singapore to Marseille lasted lying down on deck, unable to move, for the moment he did so, he was already seasick.
At Marseille, I stayed more than a day. I could have stayed less for, five hours after my arrival, the express departed for this city. But I preferred to stay in order to show a little of Marseille to my companion, and then arrange his trip to Barcelona where he had to go and where he is now.
I arrived at Paris on the 26th and here you have me again after…months and a half of absence from here, which is my residence, and as always, is wholly at your disposal.
And you, how was your trip? Since your last letter from Hong Kong, I have not heard from you again. Don’t be lazy and write, giving me details of everything, for you must have had a most interesting trip.
Tell me also when you are planning to come here and what you are intending to do.
I have collected the order for five hundred francs and I should like you to tell me frankly if you need this amount so that I may send it to you because, if you do not need it, I will make use of it and I shall not be able to pay you until December when I expect an extraordinario. This figure is called a stroke of the sabre.
Affectionate regards from Elisa and receive a close embrace of your friend who esteems you,
Valentin Ventura
02-308 [Blumentritt V.1]