Enclosed is a duplicate of our respects of 6th inst. since when we are in receipt of your favour of 10th May and take due note of the contents. We thank you for your fresh orders for produce but at present Black Pepper is the only article we can purchase at your limit and even this only to the extent of Pls. 200 to lay down at 3 d CF & I.

We note what you say about Insurance and are sorry you had to pay so much on the "Lorenzo's" lot of Rattans. That vessel however being an American. and going home via the rice-ports was almost uninsurable here, and we thought it better to leave the Insurance to be done at home. On vessels direct to England we can always insure at 214 per Cent, but if you can open a policy at a more favourable rate than this, and should you prefer doing the insurance yourself, by all means do so; but you must bear in mind, that some inconvenience is caused on this side by not having the policy to the draft.

Our market for Produce has remained steady during the past fortnight, and for the articles in which you are interested, not much change has taken place, except in Black-Pepper, which has advanced to $5. 65 per picul. At this price there is not a large supply, and dealers are firm. We enclose invoice for a parcel of 237 bags, Pls. 207. 24 shipped by the Ellenboro for London, and costing $ 1354. for which we have drawn upon you as follows;

No. 4406 favour ourselves £327. 4s 4d at 10 per $. Should exchange keep down we shall be able to send you 200 Pls. to Liverpool by the Sparkler.

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By the Ellenborough we have shipped as dunnage 3624 bundles Rattans Piculs 248. 03, Pasis & Siae quality, costing as per enclosed invoice $ 744. 07. and have passed upon you our draft No. 4407 favour ourselves £199. 16s 11 d à 10 $ 744. 07. We have further purchases to send forward and have engaged to dunnage the Sparkler at £3. 5s per ton. The Dawa Gungadhur has just taken the London berth, but as we are not shipping much by her, we do not get her dunnage room. The largest shipper generally gets the refusal of this. By instructions from Siam friends we send on to you by the Ellenborough 50 bales Hemp, received from them for transhipment. We enclose bill of lading, policy of Insurance, and memorandum of charges, the latter amounting to $79. 18. For this we have drawn upon you No. 4408 favour of ourselves £19. 2 s 9d à 4s 10d.

We received 52 bales from Bangkok for your account but two were sea-damaged, and as our Siam friends have doubtless drawn on you for the cost of the larger number, they will have to return you the cost of the 2 damaged bales sold here. Documents are attached to the two first drafts, and are in the hands of the Oriental Bank.

Freights to England are a shade easier, owing to a better supply of tonnage. The two vessels now on the berth take £ 3. 5s and £ 4. 5s per ton, for dead weight, and light freight respectively. Exchange has been down for this mail to 4s 104 d and 4s 10d per $, 6 months sight, and you will observe that for your bills we have succeeded in getting the more favourable rate. By this mail we remit to London friends for your account proceeds of account sales No. 181 ex Jemina Brown $142. 16, at Exc. 4s 10d per $, 6 m./st.

Yours faithfully

GILFILLAN & CO.

370.

Via Bombay.

Calcutta, 19th Jan. 1864.

Alex. Robinson, Esqr., Birmingham.

Dear Sir.

Your favours of 3rd and 10th ult. reached us on the 13th inst. We are now only waiting to get tonnage for between 7 and 8 tons Tincal we have ready. If we secure a little lot we have made an offer for, on the sample shown us, there will be about 10 tons in all. If you are willing to subcribe for a Customs Report of Shippers names and goods exported, we can obtain such, but this will not convey the full information you seem to desire, which can only be matter of surmise.

We are obliged for account sale Castor Oil per J. C. Clarke, remittance of balance proceeds had been previously made us by the Bank of Hindostan, China and Japan; Rs. 194. 7. 2. Radanatic Dool having passed through our Insolvent Court, with assets nil, your claim on him is valueless, unless his appeal against the Court's seizure of some landed property settled some years ago on his wife, falls to the ground, in which case there may be a good dividend on proved debts. We are not in a position to prove your claim, for which purpose you must provide us materials, affidavit of debt, and Power of Attorney.

Having received an offer for the Rice bowls per Tenasserim at Rs. 2. 10. 6 per set of 10, and Rs. 1. 5. 6 per set of 6, without reference to breakage, we considered it most advisable to accept these rates, and to lessen charges and risk. These figures will not quite bring out Invoice cost but will near it. We have been compelled to give time, but expect to be able to close accounts whithin two months. Yours faithfully

WILLIAM BLYTHE & CO.

371. Order for Chemicals.

Batavia, Jan. 31st 1864.

Messrs. Howe, Thomson & Co., London.

Dear Sirs.

We find at the last moment we are running short of a few things; please send as below as soon as possible: one Cwt. of Hypo-sulphate of Soda.

28 lbs. Proto-sulphate of Iron.

5 Winchester quarts Ether, first quality.

2 Gallons Glacial Acetic Acid.

2 Boxes flatted crown glass for Photographic purposes, same as last sent.

20 Serons Tobacco, same as last.

25 oz Nitrate of Silver fused, and recrystallized. We have enclosed a small strip of fine gold, and want your advice on the subject. We pay for it here at the rate of fl. 52.50 for a real. This real weighs just 412 grains. Now in one ounce of gold there are 480 grains, and certainly would not cost so much as we pay for the real here, unless the preparation of it is expensive. This gold is certainly very fine; if it should not cost much more than refined gold, say at £4. per oz, it would be to our advantage to have a small quantity out, as we use it in quantities, say an ounce a month or more, but the purer the better, and the sample sent is very good. Say then 6 oz fine gold to pattern for quality and thickness. This had better come by mail, but the heavy goods by first sailing vessel, well packed, the Hypo-jar that was brought by M. P. was broken, and the chemical all lost. We fancy scarcely sufficient care is taken in packing. Please remember the distance and the kind of goods sent in future.

We remain dear Sirs
Yours faithfully

WILLIS & PATON.

372. Reply to Enquiries as to India Produce.

Via Marseilles and Calcutta.

Chittagong, Bengal Feb. 3rd 1864.

Henry Rutherford, Esq., Liverpool.

Dear Sir.

We beg to acknowledge your favour of the 18th Dec. and confirm our last to you of the 5th ult.

Regarding the fibre mentioned in yours of 26th Nov. we are as yet unable to procure anything answering its description. Our correspondents at Dacca, Calcutta and Arracan have been unsuccessful, and we do not think such a fibre is procurable in Bengal or Burmah. Assam yields a very similar article, but we should think the cost of transit to outward ports from such a great distance, would be too high to allow of any margin at your rate, viz £35. per ton laid down in England.

Cutch cannot be had with us nearer than east of Rangoon, from which port it is procurable. Hides especially Buffalo are procurable, but the trade in them here is at present entirely in native hands. We shall follow by next mail the quotations. Rice is the great staple article here, and although unsuited to European markets pays a handsome profit to charter small ships from Gallipore, at times when they are waiting higher freights home, and realizes from 50 per Cent, to 75 per Cent profit, if taken at low rates. We have now the Mary E. Ray loading from Galle and returning there, her Rice averaging from Rs. 1 to Rs. 1. 12 the Maund of 82 lbs. She takes about 50,000 Maunds and draws 18 feet of water, so that larger vessels can readily come into this harbour. The Shepherd of S. Shields sailed from hence for Galle, with about 30,000 Maunds of Rice. The John Bright and Marie Louise are daily expected from Galle for Rice.