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houses and causing 2600 guilders' worth of damage. Bräker is very shaken by the sight of the victim being led out of the gate, but does not see the actual death. [Chronik, p 227]

17th Feb. Bräker goes to market at Lichtensteig, then to smoke a pipe at "a certain house". But because the master of the house is entertaining gentlefolk, Bräker is treated disrespectfully and leaves early. [The host is not identified, probably Giezendanner.] [Chronik, p 228]

9th Feb. Jakob has been ill for ten days and has been treated by Dr. Mettler. [Chronik, p 228]

19th Feb. " [...] The trade in cloth pieces has almost completely come to a standstill. The merchants of Geneva, Neuenburg [Neuchatel] and so on are not asking for any ware. No doubt they are waiting to get it dirt cheap from the East Indies. Could let them down, though. Many of our merchants, master weavers, like the weavers and spinners, are laid off. Meanwhile victuals are not dear and I am reassured that it will go no further, if only the trade recovers a little and takes another turn. They will not reduce the price of cotton, though other things, coffee, sugar and the like have gone down considerably. What cloths are being bought now are almost as cheap as in the 70s." [Voellmy, v 2, pp 247-248]

26th Feb. Bräker has another attack of his [possibly allergic] reaction to eating fatty food. He is bled by Andreas Grob, a surgeon in Lichtensteig. Salome and Jakob persuade him to return home early. "I should have to be a heathen if I could not live in a way that pleased my wife and children - when they are kind and do not oppose my authority". [Chronik, p 228]

3rd Mar. Shrovetide: Bräker and Johannes go to Lichtensteig market, when they come home Johannes is the worse for drink. Next day Bräker tries to reason with him, for "shouting at him does no good". [Chronik, p 229]

18th Mar. Bräker sows vegetable seeds and watches an eclipse of the moon. [Chronik, p 231]

21st Mar. Bräker and his family visit Hans Wendelin Looser (his brother-in-law) in Bleiken and come home at midnight, in bright moonlight. [Chronik,p 231]

30th Mar. He complains of feeling "hipochondrisch", in spite of a visit from Johann Ludwig Ambüül's brother, Hans Jakob. [Chronik, p 231]

31st Mar. Salome buys a new holiday dress for Anna Katharina, who is to be examined on her catechism at Easter. [Chronik, p 232]

19th Apr. Easter Saturday. Bräker hurries home from market because it is the day of Anna Katharina's examination. [Chronik, p 234]

27th Apr. A week ago

123

I received a letter from my brother Jakob from Tortona in Manfratt

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(Sardinia) - and today I reply with my heart stirred by it. It is a truly beautiful day - and I am well recovered from my bleeding - health is a noble gift of God." [Voellmy, v 2 p 199]

30th Apr. "I must copy the letter to please my wife - that I wrote on Sunday to my brother, she thinks no end highly of it - in the afternoon I will make my usual visits and send it off.

Hochsteig, 27th April 1783
     Dear brother, I received your writing of the 27th March safely by Abderhalden

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- and see from it that you are well and healthy and still in the land of the living. [...] But you write very

123

This indicates that Jakob's letter had taken nearly a month to reach him.


124

Sardinia at that time included much of what is now northern Italy. "Manfratt" is a Germanic spelling of Montferrat.


125

Salome Bräker's mother's maiden name was Abderhalden, the bringer of the letter may have been a relative of hers also in Sardinian service.



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