Manuscript Letter from William Walker & Co. in Sydney, Australia, to William Kerr of Richmond, Virginia, regarding the state of the Australian tobacco trade and 'unfavorable' prices fetched by consignments of his tobacco.

Author: 
[William Walker & Co.; William Kerr of Richmond, Virginia; Messrs Gilmour & Kerr, Glasgow]
Publication details: 
Marked 'Per Caledonia', with ship's name altered to 'William Hyde'.
£250.00
SKU: 14717

1p., 4to. The second leaf only of a bifoliate letter. Addressed on reverse to 'William Kerr Esqr. | (of Richmond - Virginia) | Care of Messrs Gilmour & Kerr | Glasgow | NB'. An accompanying typed note identifies the postal features as follows: 'Postage: - 3d. pre-paid. Colonial outward Ship Letter rate. | 8d. to collect. Private Ship Letter rate. | Handstruck Marks: - PAID SHIP LETTER SYDNEY AP+21 1847 in red. (SL 3, var. 1 - early use.) | NN 29AU29 1847 in red. | GLASGOW AU31 1847 11 AM in black.' The text begins: '<...> dealy if ever anything at all can be realized over & above the charges of store rent &c incurred upon the shipment. The Cavendish from what we have seen of it is in tolerably fair condition but this description of Tobacco is as yet in very limited request here, & at present the low prices at which the best samples of Negrohead are to be had merely shuts out the other kind from sale altogether. We must only hold it on for yet a little while, as ridding ourselves of it now could not be effected at any better rate than from 3d to 3 1/2 pr lb -'. The concluding paragraph refers to 'the arrival of the "Alexander" from London' with '30 Tierces Negrohead', the specifications of 'Mr. Somervail', 'the present prostrate state of the market'. The letter ends: 'We regret much consignts. of Tobacco continuing to arrive from you to meet so unfavorable a market.' From the Hankey banking archive.