"December 11, 1844. Captain Bal. four and I are very good friends until we differ upon any business matters, itis then Greek to Greek. I am not, however, the only one with whom hag quarrelled. "At present he has avery "angry correspondence with Shaw, whom he treats T think most shamefully—with Dent's agent, Captain Wade he refuses to have any correspondence and will not answer hug letters. Davidson (Lindsay & Ca.) wil tell you how he considers he has Been treated. Balfour may be a very good fellow, but as you say he wishes to rule the community en militaire, and to differ from him is a personal insult—looked upon as mutiny and Sedition. I am afraid I shall not get our Title deeds from him without considerable trouble. He has laid down a fine plan with roads 24 feet wide, public jetties, ete., ete., and decidedly object to subscribing for these at present unnecessary and uncalled for outlays, he is prevailing upon the authorities, with whom he 'a good deal of' influence, and who of themselves in their wildest freaks have never dreamt of a pat wider than four feet, to insert a clause in the title deeds binding to agree to these contemplated improvements. T am unwilling to sign Any document binding myself to anything of the sort—as there {sno Knowing where it will end, and have no voice in the matter, the usual answer tu any objection or a tion being "That he (Capt, B.) has determined to do so and so," Which we must pocket as we like.
"We had an earthquake here last week. T quite agree with you thinking that this place will go abe: like anything, The high prices obtained for silk this year at Canton, and the unwillingness to purchas teas here as yet, may operate against the place for a year, but T am satis-thed that ere long large quantities of both will be brought forward. Cash sales are T am afraid at an end, as more goods are brought forward than fare actually wanted, and holders must, therefore, take produce, 1 am glad not sending up any more Russian inhabitant. of the place realizes full well that His day is past and that unless. many of tem Feturn to their homeland heir" con: dition. wit indeed "be desperate. {e'mare than ikely that the umber Manchu wilt Increase "as tine siring westwards. through basses. Even Mow letters from those Who have already gone are read ant Aiseused with the reatest eagerness Sand. attention. "Amonget. the Young feneration which knows not Russia, Kew nothing of ite" pre-revolution days. except by hearty. and. litle fof its present there is a dispellion to 0 back, o take a chance and find out for lise. They are undoubtedly twites in Mfanchoukuo there Is nothing for them, except perhaps, positions the wages for which are such as will hardly keep body and soul together. In their decision to make the change they are being reinforced by the let ters of those who have already one ahead. It is reported that many. such communications are enthusiastic in their accounts of conditions as; they find them. Even the pessimists in Harbin grudgingly concede "the point, for they remark "Even if they were bad, they could hardly be worse than they are rapidly becoming in So passed the first year of the foreign community in Shanghai, with Jardine Matheron & Ca, the first to buy land along the river, the largest holders of teas and silk.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.