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26 Feb 58 Peter Hong Kong Father ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hong Kong

Feb 26. 1858

My dear Father

I have just heard a piece of news which has caused me to tear up a letter I had previously written & in haste to write this to catch the mail.

The Tynemouth is going down to Sydney with 700 Chinamen thence will go to an Indian port to load rice for here & it is impossible to say what she will then do, for every one says that altho’ that would be the tea-season, no one would put tea or silk in such a ship as the Tynemouth. So that at the least it will be 12 months before she comes home & it is not at all impossible that she will remain out in this trade for some time. The fact of the Captain having made the crew sign for three years instead of one as usual being also rather suggestive of the fact.

Am I therefore to go on wasting time in this way or what am I to do. I think that both you & my Mother will quite agree with me that the best thing I can do is to get the cheapest & most speedy passage home I can – but even in that there will be some difficulty, for just at this time of year there are very few ships returning home (except of course the overland which of course I should not think of). I do not say any thing as to the fact of the 700 Chinamen which the ship is going to carry & on which account every one in the ship – even those who have signed for the three years – declare that they will not go in her. I am merely thinking of the waste of time.

I have tried every thing here. I have seen all the merchants without any hope & I have tried advertisements without an answer. There seems no prospect of trade being opened at Canton & as long as such is the case, there is no chance for me here.

I cannot live on shore on spec* – that is too expensive. I tried it at Calcutta & you saw the result. But the ship will not leave here for 40 days, so that I shall have time to look around me & see what can be done, but I think you will on consideration say that in case of nothing turning up what I propose to do is the best thing I possibly can. I hope it will not come to that, but I very much fear that there is no help for it. Every one learns by experience & experience has proved to me that whoever wants to get into any firm in these outlandish parts is no nearer the mark if on the spot.

It has been the same thing from first to last – ‘these things are managed at home’ – It would be 4 or 5 months before I could hear from you – so I must act on my own responsibility. I should certainly like to hear from you before doing so, but what can I do. I have not yet even heard from you in answer to my last Calcutta letter.

I will write again by the next mail when probably I shall know more.

Your affect. Son

Peter G. Laurie

* on spec – Without prior arrangement or commitment; a gamble