ABSTRACT
The simplest, most natural way for him to reach it was, of course, via France. From 1831 to 1863, more than a quarter of a century, Poland’s true capital had been Paris. To serve in the Russian or German Navy, or even in their merchant fleet, was out of the question, considering a Pole’s attitude to those two countries. The simplest, most natural way for him to reach it was, of course, via France. From 1831 to 1863, more than a quarter of a century, Poland’s true capital had been Paris. Since the Mont-Blanc needed substantial repairs at Le Havre, Conrad did not wait and, not even bothering to take along his trunk, reported back to Marseilles after a few days in Paris. When he arrived, the other Delestang ship, the Saint-Antoine, was in Martinique and there was nothing he could do but await the return of one or other of these ships in which he was sure of finding a berth.
