La Galilée
Presentation copy inscribed: “À Maurice de Lacoste, Pierre Loti.”
Mounted at front: one envelope addressed to “Monsieur Maurice de Lacoste, lieutenant de vaisseau / à bord du Redoutable / escadre d'évolutions / par Toulon”; the recipient noted on the inscription leaf the date on which he received the book, “1er 9bre 95,” together with an autograph letter signed addressed to him, dated 25 May 1896.
“My dear young friend, I feel remorse when I think of you, as I believe I never answered your letter about your shelter for young girls. How do you think I might be of help? Tell me, and I shall see what I can do, I promise. But consider how overworked I already am, overwhelmed with projects of every kind. I remain as burdened with labor as a galley slave until I have finished writing my ‘Galilée,’ and that is my excuse for not having answered you sooner. I shake your paw most warmly. J. Viaud.”
Born in Metz in 1864, Maurice de Lacoste entered the naval academy in 1882, fifteen years after Loti. Appointed first-class midshipman in October 1885, he was first assigned to the Far East naval division. It was during these early voyages that he met Pierre Loti, who had been sailing those same seas since that year aboard the Mytho, one of eleven official transport ships of the French naval forces in the Far East.
Promoted to lieutenant de vaisseau in October 1893, he served successively aboard several battleships and cruisers, the Navy’s spearhead and the most powerful warships of the period. He was later assigned to the central directorate of naval artillery, then became a frigate captain before joining the general staff in 1909.