"Éloi BÉRAL (Cahors, 1838-1908). NOTEBOOKS AND CORRESPONDENCE. 19 notebooks and a wooden case containing approximately 250 documents. Exceptional set mainly covering his mission in the Ottoman Empire. It consists of : - 19 autograph notebooks covering a large part of his career as an engineer and particularly his missions in Turkey and Russia, i.e. around 1,800 pages (in-12 or in-16) of notes, sketches, information records and travel accounts. Ink or pencil. - A wooden case containing a large amount of active and passive correspondence (to be sorted), mainly from the Ottoman and Russian period, 1863-1871: mainly letters from - and to - family, friends and colleagues, including many written from Constantinople (but also from various parts of the Ottoman Empire and Russia Galuboska, Kharkoh, Sevastopol, etc.); drafts, studies and letters to the editor.); drafts, studies on railroads in Serbia and Rumelia, vouchers from the Imperial Ottoman Bank, a document in Turkish on mining discoveries, a passport to Turkey, his booklet from the École Polytechnique, printed matter, etc., as well as 2 rolled-up photographs of unidentified Ottoman regions (including a village with mosques). In all, some 250 documents. A few anecdotes from Eloi Béral's letters. Constantinople, Nov. 1869, on the visit of Empress Eugenie. "You ask me for details of the Empress's reception. She was really very sympathetic. The Turks were delighted. In any case, it has to be said that she is perfectly graceful. Although already quite wrinkled, under the veil she is charming, and she even seemed much prettier than 10 years ago when I saw her at the Tuileries ball. When she and our wives were introduced to her on the day of her arrival, she chatted for a few minutes with each and every one of them, with a truly charming affability and benevolence. In this respect, there's nothing to reproach her for. She is truly attractive, and the welcome she received from the population was sincerely full of enthusiasm and admiration. One goes so far as to say that the Sultan had fallen in love with her and that since her departure he has done nothing but weep [...]". Letter to his father when he stayed in Naples on his way to the Ottoman Empire. He visited Pompeii, Herculaneum, the Bay of Naples, churches and museums. "Finally, yesterday I climbed Mount Vesuvius. It erupted 8 days ago from a small side crater. I climbed to within a few meters of this small crater, from which thick swirls of sulfurous smoke hissed out, covering all the surrounding rocks, still burning, with a layer of yellow and red sulfur dust. I then climbed the cinder cone of the main crater, descending to the rim of the inner cone that surrounds the volcano's mouth [...]"; "Rhodes, Monday morning. My darling, I am writing you a note from Rhodes on the French ship that has just arrived. We arrived here last night at night. It's now 5 a.m. I only have time to give you a big kiss and go ashore for a while. The crossing is magnificent. A thousand kisses, darling. Attached is a business-card-sized photographic portrait of Eloi Béral by Abdullah frères in Péra. Expert: Emmanuel Lorient."