TALBOT1077

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 M^r 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 M^r Ertel so away I went to M^r Ertel who pleaded similar ignorance in german [sic] & supposed that the first order as well as the subsequent letter had been sent to M^r 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 M^r 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 N^ro 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

I think a letter will hardly catch me before I get to London; so I shall hope to have one at 26 Bruton Street – You shall hear again when we have crossed the channel.

À Monsieur
M^r W. H. Fox Talbot

Poste Restante
Florence
Nizza