Volume 67: Macarthur family papers relating to livestock, 1814-1884: No. 273
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[Page 273]
Dear Sir,
I have to thank you for your letter of the 23rd Instant (with its enclosure) & the offer to take the cattle back. There is however one point on which you say nothing, that is how were the cattle divided between Mr. Rice & us? Now if you take out 8 lots containing 40 Bullocks that sold under £3, the average of the 40 would be £2.11.0. The 30 we have received may have been part those parts, unless care was taken in dividing & drafting the cattle to apportion them fairly between the respective buyers. But at all accounts deducting from the whole number the 17 cows (lots 7, 9 & 33) which sold for £49.11.0 the average price of the Bullocks would be reduced to £3.3.0 the price that we ought to pay unless it can be shown that our third were 2s/- a head superior to the general average. I am sorry to cause trouble upon a trifling matter, but like Hotspur "in the way of bargains I would cavil upon the ninth part of a hair" & I hope I need not assure you that [indecipherable] as I impute no intentional unfairness to you. I look upon the cause of discussion as attributable to the hurry of your Auction business.
I have no particular desire to part with the grey horse Major and would not sell him for less than £30 nett, delivered