Letters written by James Brotherston


Liverpool 11th February 1824 
Messrs John Begg & Co
Lima
Gents
We have now to wait upon you with a report of two different Skin Brokers on those forwarded to us by Begg Barnard & Co per the Hugh Crawford, which we presume came from California altho' we have no accounts from you or from California on the subject. From Messrs Rows report 1 Sea Otter, would have been a very fine one and worth from £7 to £8 but it is damaged and may sell from £3 to £4 1 Pale Beaver, worth about 6/- per lb best sort from 14/- to 16/- 1 Cat Common 1/6 to 2/- per Skin 1 Fox Grey 1/3 to 1/6 1 Bear Grey very low, ordinary not worth much – idf in good condition would not be worth more than 10/- to 15/- per Skin The Sea Otter should be killed in the winter season. The fur is always best when the inside of the skin has nothing of a bluish tinge some have been sold as high as £16. From Mr Brunswick's report 1 Bears skin – of no value 2 Sea Otters 3½ Guineas, if large 6 Guineas per skin 3 Beaver 7/6 per lb or if good 10/- per lb 4 Grey Fox 6d to 10d per Skin 5 Lynx Cat 1/6 per Skin The otter skin was much damaged the fur being rubbed off by being improperly packed – too much care cannot be taken to prevent the fur from being destroyed.


1824 February 28th

Cow and Ox hides should be of 28 to 30 lbsweight to be of first quality. Bull hides should be avoided as much as possible as they generally sell 1d to 1 ½ per lb lower than the Cow and Ox hides. Cow and Ox hides are now worth 9d to 10 ½ or 10¾ per lb and are in very regular demand, indeed the consumption of them is fully equal to all the quantity which South America can produce – it would be perhaps too much to expect present prices to be supported for a year or two, for they are high, but under all circumstances I certainly expect to see hides not lower than 7d to 8d per lb for some years to come. California Hides may be inferior to Buenos Ayres Hides, but at all events I should expect 7d per lb for them if they arrive sound. Salted hides are also in very regular demand, they should weigh 60 to 65lbs per hide to be equal to Buenos Ayres Hides – they generally arrive in pretty good condition and more free from worm than the dry hides. They are also in every respect less liable to damage. The price of Salted Hides from Buenos Ayres is 5d to 6d per lb.
California hides being a new article would probably not bring so much, but I think 4½ might be safely calculated upon. Care should be taken that the inside of the hides should be carefully beaten before shipment, to prevent if possible a single insect remaining – the salted hides will lose weight considerably during the voyage – if they should weigh 60lbs when shipped they perhaps would not weigh more than 50lbs upon arrival here – as a general rule to judge of the quality of hides – those hides may be considered the best which contain the greatest weight in the smallest compass – of course small thick hides are better than large thin ones.
With respect to Horse hides any quantity may be sold here, the present price of Buenos Ayres is at 5/3 per hide – the quantity now here is large, but 5/- would be readily given for the whole of the good quality now in hand. A Horse hide when well dried would be called good if it weighed 10lbs – the more hair the horse hides have the better. Horse hair would sell at 6d per lb for short hair and is saleable to any extent – it should be quite free from dirt and as little curled as possible. Long horse tails quite free from any number of short hairs is worth 1/6 per lb but each hair should be at least 18 inches long.
Cow and Ox horns are in good demand and should almost always sell very readily – the present price is about 40/- per 143 horns, the straighter longer and more solid they are the better. Horn tips are about 10/- per 123 and should be not less than 6 inches long.
Tallow has been declining in price for many months except at short intervals, the present price of well rendered Buenos Ayres is 36/- to 38/- per 112lbs – this price is so low I think there is no chance of its being lower – and it is now a matter of opinion whether there will or will not be a war with Russia it is an article of fair speculative import and upon which little loss should be sustained if shipped at 32/- per [quintal?]. Sales at the market price may be always affected to any extent.
I observe from Mr McCulloch's letter that saltpetre is to be had in quantity at Monterey. I therefore give you a quotation of the price of that article. If California Saltpetre be equal to the East of India it is worth at present 30/- per Cwt here – that is rather above an average price and I should think it unsafe to calculate upon more than 23/- per cwt – at that price 500 tons might be disposed of without difficulty – good saltpetre ought to be light coloured – well crystalised and free from small brown particles, but the Article from California being new I would advise a very small shipment in the first instance.


Extracts of Letters from James
Brotherston & Co Liverpool respecting
the California Establishment
21 May 1824

Harrison & Co advise us they would dispatch the Bahia Packet in about seven days after the date of their letter (5thMarch) so that she ought to be here – many enquiries are made for her, the hide trade are very anxious to see what sort of article is produced from so distane a country. We shall after assorting them and giving good time for the dealers from the country to come to town sell them by public auction by which means we shall obtain the opinion of the trade respecting them and owing to some failures in the hide trade here the market is very dull and purchasers ill[?] to be had but the novelty of California hides will draw all the country trade to see them and we expect to sell them well. But whatever price we get for them all profit will be taken off in expenses. The freight will be one half the cargo. If we are to make any thing out of the concern it must be conducted upon a very different plan – and the only one we can devise is that you have a depot at Callao for the productions of California and when a sufficient cargo is collected there you can find no difficulty in getting a vessel to take them to England should one from ourselves not be there at the time wanted – and let us have two or three small vessels fast sailers as possible taking it to Callao. The Chevy Chase may be well employed in that way and we may send you out another suitable vessel which will not cost much to be employed in the same manner, but it will never answer to charter a vessel at Callao or here by the month to go a cruizing on the coast of California for six months and by touching at Rio de Janeiro make a fifteen month voyage besides the great expenses incurred at Rio. We are not aware of anything which can't prevent your having a store at Callao for the reception of Hides – we suppose they would be allowed to be landed and reshipped on a duty of 1 per cent but if there should be difficulties which we do not know of could you not upon a proper representation to the Government have permission to do so without this can be done we never shall make much of our California Establishment, by this opportunity we send you a master cooper who is a proper master of his profession and of the art of curing provisions he takes with him and what is called a cutter so that that branch of the Establishment will be complete. Mr Tivy is also well acquainted with the art of salting hides. The great drawback in this part of the establishment will be materials for making casks. If wood was to be had there fit for making them it would be a profitable branch of trade even if hoops could be found there staves might be sent from this at little expense. The staves and hoops which we now send out will stand 7/- a barrel exclusive of labour so that they will come very high. We should think that the climate of California would allow the making of Jerk beef if so would not that be a profitable branch. It could be shipped to Lima in bulk – and we are informed it is much used north of Peru – Tivy says he understands how to make it.
We shall sustain very considerable loss by not having had a person to stow the cargo of the Bahia Packet who was acquainted with stowing hides – that vessel ought to have carried at least 12,000 hides – It would be worth the expense and much more for you to get from Buenos Ayres a person experienced in the art of stowing hides. We have sent you by this vessel two sets of apparatus used at Buenos Ayres for that purpose but without you get a person who has seen them applied we fear they will be of little use. Great care ought to be taken in drying the hides to keep them straight and when folded they should be laid in a pile one above the other and their own weight by turning them over and over will press them quite flat. Ox and Cow hides may still be quoted at [?] per lb for best quality. Horse hides to which we would turn your attention are in a very large consumption and if they can be laid down in L'pool at 4/- a hide any quantity would be safe they are now selling at 5/-. Horse hair is a good article if Long and straight – short curled hair is only worth about 4[d?] per lb and the long 10[d?]. We have written to McCulloch & Hartnell on these subjects but you will also communicate this to them. The difficulty of communication with California is very great but we hope soon to have this in some measure remedied – the writer is going just now to attend a meeting of the South American & Mexican association for the purpose of petitioning government to appoint regular packets between this country and ports in Mexico and Columbia which will be of the utmost service to us in correspondence.
The writer has just returned from the meeting and it has been determined that a petition to the above effect be immediately sent off to Mr Huskisson to be laid before his majesty's ministers, no plan has been pointed out to them leaving it to themselves to [find?] upon that which they think best.
When writing upon the California Establishment affairs we omitted to express our surprise at a passage in one of Hartnell's letters that they could not salt hides the carriage was so heavy whay they mean by this we are at a loss to know – we may be wrong but we presume the salt is made upon the seacoast- and if it is not it may at very little expense be made where there is the difficulty of drawing the cattle to a place upon the coast where they are to be slaughtered and the beef and hides to be salted? It appears to us if properly managed there can be no difficulty, and you will observe that it is of the very utmost consequence for the interest of that concern that that proportion of Hides be salted as will answer to ballast the vessel for a hide cargo – for independent of the loss we sustain by improper stowage, int the case of the Bahia Packet we lose 60 tons which …... up by sand and stones for ballast.

29thMay 1824
We hand you annexed an account Sale of the Box of Furs forwarded to our consignment per the ship Hugh Crawford from Valparaiso by Messrs Begg Barnard & Co. the proceeds of which we have passed to the credit of the California account in £. You are already advised that we know not from whence it originally came as neither you nor our friends in California take the smallest notice of it in any of your letters – nor does Mr Barnard condescend to tell us who sent it to him.

Account Sale by public auction in London of 1 Nox furs rec'd by the ship Hugh Crawford from Valparaiso

Lot 745 1 Sea Otter £8.12
746 1 Grey Bear
1 “ Fox
1 Beaver
1 Cat .. all for .. 1
9.12
Discount 2 ½ per cent 4.10
£9.7.2
Charges
Customs House Expenses in London £1.11.6
Housing and rent 8 weeks 5.
Unpacking sale charges etc 12.6
Excise duty 5 per cent 9.8 £2.18.8
nett proceeds £6.8.6



26 th June 1824
The Bahia Packet has arrived and this day finished the discharge of her cargo and we are sorry to say it has come out in a very bad condition – the whole are more or less wormed and 800 hides ship damaged the latter may sell for 3d per lb the others will average about 7d per lb- we never in all our experience have been more deceived by report of those hides we were led to believe that they would average 32 lbs a hide b ut they average no more than 24 lbs. Two thirds of the cargo will go in freight and charges so that there will be no profit and unless some other arrangement is made it never will. The charges at Rio including the time detained there £600 and we are fully of opinion that no good attended it but rather the reverse for from all the information we can get the worm had not effected any damage when the vessel got there but by beating the hides which we understand were well limed at California and not liming them again put on board at Rio the worm took effect. This shows however that lime preserves them from the wormand deserves your most particular attention, and that also in future if well limed on both sides they may come direct to Liverpool. The ship damage was aslo from Rio to this port. But in our opinion that to carry on that branch of trade to good purpose we must have a depot at Callao or near it where vessels may be taken up at an easy freight to carry the cargoes to England and let us have a few small cheap vessels employed taking the produce to that depot there to be collected and shipped for England.

6 th July 1824
We this day tried a sale by public auction of the hides of Bahia Packet – they are arranged in three classes – not wormed – slightly wormed and much wormed – of the former there are but few – and the greater part are of the latter – there was but one lot of the finest quality set up and one bidder of [?]d per lb they were in consequence bought in we think we shall be able to get 9d for the first 8d for the second and [?] for the third so that after paying freight expenses very little profit will remain to account. You must if any good is to result from this establishment have a depot at Callao – and pay particular attention to lime the hides in the inside put it on with a brush as if whitening a wall and as the hides are stowed away scatter lime ipon the hairy side of every hide and we have no doubt they will keep free of worm.
Also attend to have as many salted as will ballast the vessel the loss sustained by so much ballast being on the Bahia Packet is very great and we fear we shall get no redress. By the Junius we sent sundry articles requisite to [stowaging?] of hides as used at Buenos Ayres.
The Tallow per Bahia will not fetch more than about 35/- per cwt.

7 th July 1824
With regard to the concern at California we have already written to you fully, and at different periods we doubt not that if properly managed it will be a profitable concern, but we are decidedly of opinion that that can never be a depot is made for collecting the produce where it may be kept in good state until a full cargo is ready for shipping whereby proper attention to cleaning and liming the hides little risk will be of any damage at least by worm.[this doesn't make sense – the copy from which this is being transcribed is possibly incorrect here]
We shall now have the Chevy Chase the Junius and the John Begg of our own which may be advantageously employed in that business and from the number of vessels which go to Lima with cargoes having little prospect of a return one, may be taken up direct to this port for very little – and when a lump sum is given, there is little chance of putting of time by the way. There is nothing we have such with which we grudge more than to pay so much freight to the Bahia Packet and for only half a cargo.
We shall be glad to hear of the Hebe's arrival from California and the prospects of the year.

11 th July 1824
We have now to wait upon you with a report of two different skin Brokers on those forwarded to us by Begg Barnard per the Hugh Crawford which we presume came from California altho' we have no accounts from you or from California on the subject.

From Messrs Rowes Report

1 Sea otter – would have been a very fine one worth from £7 to £[8?] but it is damaged and may sell from £3 to £4.
1 …... Beaver worth about 6/- per lb best sort from 14/- to 16/-
1 Cat common 1/6 to 2/- per skin
1 Fox Grey 1/3 to 1/6 per skin
1 Bear Grey – very low, ordinary not worth much, if in good condition would not be worth more than 10/- to 15/- per skin

The Sea Otter should be killed in the winter season. The fur is always best when the inside of the skin has nothing of a bluish tinge – some have been sold as high as £16
From Mr Brunswick's report

1 st Bears skin of no value
2 nd Sea Otter 3 ½ Guineas if large 6 guineas per skin
3 rd Beaver 7/6 per lb or if good 10/- per pound
4 th Grey Fox 6d to 1/6 per skin
5 th Linx cat 1/6 per skin

The otter skin was much damaged the fur being rubbed off by being improperly packed – too much care cannot be taken to prevent the fur from being destroyed.


Liverpool 10 November 1824
Messrs McCulloch Hartnell & Co New California
Gentlemen, We had the pleasure to receive your esteemed favour of 3rdApril per Neptune. That vessel arrived here on the 19 Ulto, having touchewd at Rio de Janeiro.
The cargo is now discharged and upon the whole in pretty good condition – as follows:
Sound dry Hides 5792
Wormed do. 951
Sea damaged do 535
Bull Hides 756
Sound dry salted 1176
Wet salted 1200
10410
of the hides used for dunnage 130 have gone into a thousand pieces by the worm – of course thrown away.
With this we send you a statement of what this cargo will probably yield by which you will see the relative value of each description of Hides. It will show you that the Wet salted Hides, at the price you have in this instance paid for them, will barely cover their cost and charges if they will do that much. That the Dry Hides which cost 8 rials will pay a very good profit yet it will not be more than 4/- per Hide and those at 12 rials by the same calculation only 2/- a Hide.
The dry salted if they cost the same as the dry will yield a larger profit of from [6s to 9s?] per Hide but as you have not given in your Invoice the price which the Dry Salted cost we have it not in our power to know this – and besides in favour of the Dry Salted the Worm does not touch them or if at all very slightly. -We are of opinion that Hides can be Wet Salted at a much lower rate than what is charged for those now received. If they can it would be very desirable to have in every vessel as many as will ballast her. Those in the Neptune have been very well curedand upon the whole come out in good condition, very few being damaged. The plan of putting lime upon the dry Hides is a good one, and we have no doubt has in a great measure preserved them from worm. You will continue this practice, and in future we do not see any necessity for the vessel touching at Rio de Janeiro, it is only incurring expenses, and from what the Captain tells us exposes them more to the destruction by the worm than during the whole voyage. We would advise you to pay more attention to the way the Hides are stretched – many of this cargo are much drawn out in width, if drawn at all it ought to be in length, but to have them properly stretched they ought not to be more than when covering the beast. The thicker the Hide is the more valuable, so that it is kept smooth. But after all unless other arrangements be made by you in collecting the cargoes it is a business which will yield no profit, the whole is swallowed up in freights. The neptune from the day she sailed from Lima has just been eighteen months and one day over the voyage. Nine months of which was spent upon your Coast – nothing can stand such mismanagement as this. You have now we understand erected stores for the reception of produce and you are supplied with a small vessel to collect at the different Missions. We therefore think that if due exertion is made by you you would be so prepared as to be enabled to dispatch any vessel in two months from the time she arrives on your Coast. In this item alone we consider there is a loss of £1200 which by your better arrangements maybe saved – and unless this is attended to the Establishment must be given up, it occupies a large Capital with which we could do much better with here. We have repeatedly written to Messrs John Begg & Co and to yourselves that Hair was an article you ought to look after. Curled Hair is worth from [7 to 10?] per lb- long straight hair is worth [10 to 13?] pelb. Horns we have also pointed out to you, there is always something wanted for dunnage for which purpose they would answer well for the bottom of the vessel – and you may we should suppose have them for next to nothing and they are worth here just now 40/- to 50/- per [123?] Horns – this is certainly worth attending to.
The Seal Skins sent pay a rate of 3/6 per skin besides South Sea duty and other charges and the most we have offered here is 6/- a Skin. We shall send them to London to try what they are worth there, as this is not a market for such things. What you call Fox Skins are called Wolf Skins here and are worth nothing. We are happy to see your prospects are better for this year and we hope your expectations will be fully realised.
We hand you with this a/c sales of the Cargo of the Bahia Packet – and remain
Gentlemen Your most obd servt J Brotherston & Co


Liverpool 24thDecember 1825
Messrs John Begg & Co.
Lima
Dear Sirs

Our last was dated 21stInst by this conveyance – the detention of the Packet affords us another opportunity of addressing you, to communicate the distressing loss of the Brig Esther at Dungarrin Bay on the coast of Waterford on the evening of the 20thInst at 4 o'clock on Monday morning (the 19th) a tremendous sea struck the brig, which carried away the larboard bulwarks and sweot the decks carrying overboard poor Capt. Davies and three of his crew. On Tuesday night the Brig got into Dungarrin Bay, and was boarded from a boats crew from the shore but before they could render any assistance the Brig struck and the second stroke? Carried away her rudder and long before now she must be in pieces. Lloyds Agent has written to us that he had saved 2000 Hides and expected to save about 500 more, but they were in a very wet state and will fetch little or nothing – the discharge could only be effected at low water – you have been already informed that we effected Insurance on her cargo as [Interest?] may appear to the extent of £8000 hides valued at 18/- each and Tallow at 40/- per [?] and we have by two nights past written to our broker in London, to give notice of abandonment to the Underwrt but we think it doubtful whether they will accept of it. We regret to mention that we have not received a single line from McCulloch Hartnell & Co nor have we received our letters from Harrison & Co at Pernambuco and consequently have neither Invoice or Bill of Lading to prove our loss. The correspondence for ourselves must have first been put under poor Davis charge and no doubt will be found in his Desk or Trunk – we have written to Lloyds Agent and the Mate to open them and make a search for our letters.

[The letter just ends here with no signature etc.]


Liverpool 19thJanuary 1826
Messrs McCulloch & Hartnell & Co
Monterey
Dear Sirs
We annex and include, Invoice and Bill of Lading of 1 Box Silver Ornaments shipped on board the Brig John Begg, the cost of which we have passed to your debit in £262 3/10. These ornaments were ordered by the Catholic Bishop and we have no doubt will give the greatest satisfaction.
We likewise hand you a Statement of your account, balanced to the end of last year by £3832 3/7 in your favour, which we trust you will find correct. You have likewise a continuation of it, included, to the present time.
We have given permission to Mrs Tivy to go out in the John Begg to join her husband. We have given her letters of recommendation to Mr Begg, with instructions that she may be forwarded in the first vessel for California. We have no doubt her services will prove useful in the dairy, and she has taken out a female servant to assist her who understands well the process of making butter and cheese – and at Mrs Tivy particular desire, she takes two children out with her.
Mr Begg will have informed you that the Esther was lost in Dungarrin Bay, the greater part of the cargo has been saved, but in a very damaged condition – and it is very doubtful if the proceeds pay the amount of the salvage claims. You have long since been furnished with a copy of the Policy of Insurance, by what you will be glad to observe that we had put a high valuation on them but the loss of poor Davis is sincerely to be regretted.
We are entitled to recover from the Underwriters 18/- for each hide, which is much more than could have been obtained for them if they had arrived in a sound state, but we shall have to pay the freight on them, as the owners of the Esther seem determined to fulfil their contract by bringing the damaged hides to this port. We hope soon to have the matter soon settled – of which you shall be duly advised.
We have paid on your account £73 7/- to Captn Lincoln – for sundry purchases on account of your Mr Hartnell – that sum does not include the cost of a French and Russian Grammar, which will afterward appear at your debit.
We paid to Mr Logan £200 being the amount of your order in his favour for 1000 Dollars at 4/- each.
We remain
Dear Sirs
Yours truly
J Brotherston & Co


Liverpool 20 January 1826

My Dear Sir

I do most sincerely sympathise with you in the distressing accounts which you will receive by this conveyance of the death of your …... mother. She had for a long time past been in bad health and a very short while before her death applied to me for a sum of money beyond that which you allowed her which in the state she was I could not refuse and felt sure you would approve of. …......................................................I received a letter from your sister informing of the death of your parent and [asking that the allowance from Hartnell to his mother be continued to her].

This I committed upon me to do but at my own risk – and I have written to her to say so that I shall pay it during this year by the end of which I hope to hear from you what I am thus to do. I think it right to send you the letter I received from your sister and I shall at my own risk continue to pay the £60 to your sister for twelve months from this date.

I am happy to see that your prospects become better – the [loss?] attending the freight of …. has been ….... - and upon the sale of Tallow at Lima the [loss?] has been very great [further comments on the trade, mentions salting concern for instance, but not clear enough to decipher – then continues-]

My young charge which I see you have made a brother in law I am happy to say is quite well and is making very rapid progress in his studies. He is …...... and I expect to make a distinguished character of him. I do most sincerely wish you every happiness with the lady to whom you have [married] let my best wishes be made [known] to her.

I am

My dear Sir

Yours very truly

J Brotherston



Liverpool 18 February 1826
Messrs McCulloch Hartnell & Co
California
Gentlemen
We enclose a copy of our account with the “California Account” for last year, balance by £3832 3/7 in it's favour, which we have this day transferred to the credit of Messrs John Begg & Co as Cash 31 December last. We have opened an account in your own names commencing with this year to which we shall pass all sums accrued and paid on your account – and shall transfer half yearly the balance to John Begg & Co to reduce your account with them.
We have now to inform you that the whole of the hides saved from the wreck of the Esther in number about 8400 have been sold at Dungarrin for the benefit of the Undt – they sold on an average at about 10/- each hide – which is much more than we expected. We shall now soon get the matter settled. We calculate that we shall recover on your account, after paying freight charges – about £5000 which will leave a handsome profit on Invoice Cost.
We debit your account £181 being the cost on the enclosed Policies per Speedy at £5000 and £3000 – on her outward and homeward cargo.
We are
Gentlemen
Your most Obd. Servant
J Brotherston & Co.


Liverpool 7 September 1826
Messrs McCulloch & Hartnell
Monterey
Gentlemen
We have the pleasure to hand you enclosed Copy of your Account Current to the present time, which we trust will be found correct.
We have not yet been able to mark up a statement of the Esther's loss – the freight not being ascertained – besides there is a sum of £650 lodged in the Court of Admiralty in Dublin to meet the claim of certain Boatmen at Dunganon lodged in that court for saving the hides – and until the decision is given which is expected next month, no correct statement can be made out but the probable nett proceeds of the cargo to come to your credit may be stated at £5300.
Had the cargo arrived safe it would not have amounted to nearly that sum – the price of hides having fallen so very much notwithstanding the ….......... of the blockade of the River Plate continuing much longer it must have a …........ effect on the price of hides in this market.
We are
Gentlemen
Your most Obd Servants
J Brotherston & Co


Liverpool 30thJanuary 1827
Messrs MacCulloch Hartnell & Co
Monterey
Dear Sirs
We have the pleasure to hand you enclosed copy of your Account Current with us balanced by £2780 14/11 in your favour which we trust you will find correct on examination.
The Court in the Admiralty regarding the salvage per Esther is not yet decided but we may soon expect to hear of it's termination. We cannot hand you the Statement of the claim until that takes place – but we estimate the amount to be brought to your credit about £5000.
We are
Dear Sirs
Yours truly
J Brotherston & Co.

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