Series 4 > William Melrose in China, 1845-1855

1851
139
Someone was guilty of great neglect in not advising me of it.
Surely it was important enough information for me, the shipper of
the tea, to be advised of. It should have been the second thing I was
advised of. I could not send off a cargo of tea to the mercy of the
waves upon the bare supposition that it was insured at home because
the Magellan was insured at home. I had advice of the Magellan’s
but not a word regarding the adventure in question. To have delayed
shipping would have been to have directly broken their instructions,
as I had positive orders to act promptly, and they might have
come on me for loss of profit by detention etc. To have shipped on
the faith that a policy was opened would have been rash in the
extreme and, in event of loss of the vessel and not being insured at
home, might have made myself liable to the whole loss. It is very
provoking, when you have done your best and that well and better
than 70% of other people out here did, to get no thanks for it but
to be censored for not following instructions which never were
mentioned.
Mr Schaw seems no better. From Ewart’s valuations his teas
must pay handsomely; I only wish they were on my own account.
And all the thanks I get is to be told that he says instructions have
not been obeyed, not a word from him to say he is pleased with the
purchases although they must pay him 30%, and vexed because a
cargo did not go to Leith!! Send a cargo to Leith because he had
^5,000 in the adventure!! Had I sent a cargo to Leith I must have
drawn considerably on his funds ; and had that cargo turned out
unprofitable, he would just be the first to turn round and say I had
no orders to draw on his funds and put the whole loss to my debit.
If people when they have good fortune are so ungrateful, what would
they be when they have bad? But if they make any work about
their funds or orders, I would be very independent of them. With
what I have out here of my own and what you have at home of
mine drawn against and made triple, I could ship two cargoes on
my own account; and if you were to double that by way of joint
account, it would be more than enough and much pleasanter for
me to pocket 25% profit than be grumbled at because I get their
5%. But instructions will be instructions with me after this, and if
they don’t turn out well I am not to blame.
Messrs J. R. & Co. have written me by last mail that they wish me