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20 Jun 58 Peter Hong Kong Father ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Hong Kong

20 June 1858

My dear Father

I received this morning your two letters by the mail arrived last night & am glad you are so delighted at my success. As to your further expectations however, that is a grave & serious matter which requires great consideration. I must therefore correctly explain to you my position here.

Of course a large house like this has a very large connection of their own. Individuals, numbers of which are regularly brought out to China, serve a sort of apprenticeship to & are admitted into all the secrets of the firm. After a certain number of years & they have gained sufficient experience they are admitted as partners & some of the seniors go home. But you seem to think that as a matter of course because I have got my foot in the house that I am to be a partner & that almost at once. The fact is these protégés are at least six years before they are made partners & one of them who is here now is 27 & I should not think will be admitted for years.

Well then, even suppose we ‘outsiders’ as we are called, were to expect to rise, why there are at least 20 of us in Hong Kong alone, all of whom are gentlemen, well educated & in many cases well to do.

It is clear that all could not rise. There are at this moment men who have been here 25 years, 20 years & 15 years & all these sort of periods; men of education, of talent & of strict attention to their duties, who have hung on & hung on for this period thinking that they would gain their reward. But no, there they are while all these young protégés come out & in a few years are at the head of the concern. The only way is to get hold of the connection, which you are rather a good hand at doing, & getting them to take me by the hand on a distinct understanding that I am to be a partner some of these days.

Next year the two Mr Jardines will go home. I think & Mr Percival will come out & take charge of the firm. You have now an opportunity of making friends with him & he is really a remarkably pleasant & agreeable man. If this can be brought about I am booked here for 15 years & an enormous fortune – if not, I fear I shall have but to consider this only temporary.

You seem to have an idea that I shall be able to save. I have by this time had an opportunity of judging of my expenses & I must honestly confess I think I ought to be able to live on my salary. You were kind enough to say you would let me have £50 a year but I really think I can do without it. If you like to save it up for me & invest it in U/B shares I think it would be a good plan.

Then as to the outfit money, you said I might draw £50 on Russells. What on earth you could have been thinking about I cannot make out. I have nothing authorising me to do so but your word. Lindsay’s authority would of course be necessary for that but I believe Russells have closed their a/c with him. Then again how could I, as belonging to Jardines, go to Russells to get money.

I thought you would have managed it thro’ some bank, say the Oriental which is the best, or I would have been more explicit for if you recollect I particularly asked you to be very careful in the arrangement or 6 months might be lost in letter writing.

I think however the best plan will be for me to give a Bill on you which are always acceptable here for remittances. I will therefore avail myself of the first opportunity that offers & will make it Dollars 250 which may perhaps be a little more than £50 according to the rate of exchange. I have never heard what you said as to the £50 I drew in Calcutta & should like to know.

I have written a long letter to my Mother with all the Hong Kong news, & remain

My dear Father

Your affect Son

Peter G. Laurie

21 June. Since writing the above I have found some one anxious to remit just $250 & have given a Bill on you at 30 days sight for £55.9.4.

I think it would perhaps be best for me to draw the £50 a year allowance & pay it into my account here as in the event of my not requiring it, I then get 6 p. cent interest. It also gives me a good standing to keep up a good balance & I do not think money could be better invested. I would draw it all at once, not quarterly. Please say if I shall do so.