Series 4 > William Melrose in China, 1845-1855

158
WILLIAM MELROSE IN CHINA
12 pairs of jars at $1.50 (M 30), overcharge in invoice $18.00,
total £42.80 at 4s. yd. (rate at time of shipment) or £9 16s. 2d.
Perhaps it would save scrapping or ambiguity to credit me with the
£4 15s. 4d. and debit me with the £9 16s. 2d.
As for my own parcel, the N shipment, I only recovered for
the fans and images as in the M parcel; and I halved that amount
with him (the Chinaman) as there is no saying but the things may
be stolen or lost and it is hardly fair, unless one is quite positive, to
put all to his account. But of course you don’t put anything to my
debit for what I recovered of my own, as all you had to do with it
was to sell and put proceeds, whatever it might be or said to be, at
my credit.
You will see exchange is now considerably lower; how very
unfortunate I was in not holding on another month because last
month it came down to 4s. 8^d. to pd. I was very much annoyed
when I heard it had come down, especially after I had held out so
long - from November, nearly six months! I might have held on
another month but the teas being then shipped, I would have had
to pay 1% interest and no one seemed to have the slightest hope of
it coming down. So I did not feel inclined to make the high rate
worse by paying interest, but it cannot be helped now. If we could
always tell what was going to happen, we could all soon make
fortunes.
Many people here seem rather well pleased with the prices they
have been getting at home for their Congous in London and Liver¬
pool. I cannot understand it, they quote is. 4d. and is. 5d. and 3^d.
Ours must either be badly bought or undervalued; and I am sure
I thought Schaw’s Congous, the two half chops nos. 7 and 8, the
cheapest purchases I had seen made in Canton and so did every
other taster who came into my tea room. I am afraid the Liverpool
market has not much stamina in it. I certainly think whoever bought
them got them very cheap at is. ijd. I see the rest of the Dulius
Gunpowders have gone off at qd. What a pity you did not tell them
to force sales at the time you sold the 50 boxes at is. Surely they
could have got rid of them at a little reduction.
I hear the Superb is in at last although your letters don’t mention
it. I suppose she arrived after you had despatched. There can be no
mistake about your being able to recover for sea damage, as (if you