#no one is more economical with paper than htd le vesconte 🙄

[clove-pinks]

Absolutely even 19th century people could get fed up with cross-writing—like Frederick Marryat, who complained of a correspondent in 1839: "Tell her that I hate crossed letters. It may be economy, as far as paper and postage are concerned, but my eyes are of more consequence to me."

James Fitzjames and Henry T.D. Le Vesconte: friends, shipmates, horrible cross-writers. 🤝🏻

I would like to transcribe more of Le Vesconte's First Opium War-era letters, but they look like this:

Cross-writing Hell

Behold the most annoying letter I have transcribed thus far. 8 cross-written sheets that are out of order. It was very helpful to see the originals, & I've now put the text in the correct order & transcribed all of the words. Fitzjames tells Aunt Louisa about the landing of King Otho at Napoli in February 1833.

Just know I had to go through this:

To give you this: