Volume 72: Macarthur family correspondence relating to wine, 1846-1900: No. 191

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[Page 191]

one did formerly.  The wine merchants have taken advantage of [indecipherable] and except with few [indecipherable] they take pains to furnish is excellent.  Fine wines, old wines, & therefore expensive wines; can [not?] any more be had from the trade, than fine diamonds, pearls & the like, except one takes pains to go to the right quarter; the taste has taken as much the contrary direction, as it was for overdoing price & quality in other times.
The journey you contemplate to Belgium being about to begin, I send enclosed the letter I promised you for Mons Royer.  I sent [indecipherable] of your intentions to my friend, and I believe you will be pleased with him.  Mons Royer is a friend of Mons Cellarey & is really a very extraordinary person for capacity, modesty, and temper.  His son & son in law, are worthy of him & you will I am sure like the whole connexions, who besides are known all over the country & mixed up; with politics, trade, industry and literature and with all that quite simple & unassuming. [indecipherable] I am and Mr Marey was saying the same to me some time since I am quite at a loss to make out how he can manage all he takes in hand & yet he does so & it uncommonly well.  I cannot well explain why he does not speak a word of English.  I am obliged to you for the detail you enter into respecting freight and think our rates to Australia are rather high yet as you justly remark the charges are high & compensate the difference of freight & if care be taken however I think these charges ought not to so high in London as you state.  When you are about sending via London either the bellows, or other ommisson you may yet find a better commissioner.  I find a person has obtained freight in London purely by having a faithful & very careful

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