Transcription

[Page 163]

and the [overtrading?] of the last few years.
We have had in 1853 & 54, so many as 10 ships for Sydney or Melbourne at one time here & at present there is not one nor is there the probability of any one.  I mention this bye the bye for your government respecting the things remaining now packed & put aside under your mark of WMA/FB & numbered & as pr Invoice.  If you are in no hurry to send them forward, we can keep them for an opportunity, but I see at present no chance of saving time or money by waiting for there are constantly steamers or sailing vessels plying regularly between this port & London or Liverpool at rates of freight varying from 20 to 35 [francs?] pr Ton & the freight from London or Liverpool to Australia is not [dear?]; while from this to Australia we cannot hope to make the freight cheaper than £5 " and it is often  £6 " with the addition of 10 pr Ct.
We can always get shipments effected cheaply, safely & quickly for Australia by our London or Liverpool agents.  This all very verbose; but I thought I had better be prolix than obscure.
You may rest assured that it will be a great pleasure for me to taste & appreciate the wine you have been kind enough to leave at Mr Joubert for me & I shall take the liberty of giving you my opinion of it in due time.  What you state of the mistake respecting the bottling of the wine, reminds me that in wine the chief secret for bottling it is never to allow it to be bottled unless perfectly bright.  Some wine will never get bright; but some men will never wait with patience till wines are made or come bright the latter are by far the greatest spoilers of wine & this holds

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