WCP752

[1]

Broadstone, Wimborne

Feb^y. 8th. 1906

My dear Fred¹

I received yours of Jan. 20th. last Saturday. You told me about the French Ships going to blockade Venezuela — but that is not likely, as the Americans will not allow it, & they will certainly not bombard, so it will all come to nothing & I hope will not stop the Captain or his Company.

You will have had my last about Para & the Andes. It has occurred to me that if Mr. Clagus² is going to the Amazon, & if he collects only moths it might be advantageous for you & he to go together. You might then [MS burned] deck or steerage passage & help <each> other, and if you went witho<ut> [MS burned] money you could go t<o> [MS burned] place [MS burned] [2] do much better than at Trinidad as in such a rich district there are lots of species still rare, & even many new ones to be found, & you could stay there until you had earned enough to go to the Andes.

Of course this is supposing there are more & interminable delays as to St^a. Catalina, or if when there you do not find it rich, — or even if you do find it very rich, & so earn enough in six months to go right away to Iquitos. As Clagus seems to be rather an enthusiast like yourself you might get on together.

Now as to Janson.³ You must remember that it is no part of an <agen>t's business to advance money [MS burned] principals, and to do so, is a [MS burned] Also you must remember [MS burned] [3] tremendously overstocked marke<t> for Trinidad insects so that it may be years before he sells them all, and then at very low prices, and involving more trouble than profit to himself. Till anything is proved to the contrary you must deal with him on the assumption that he is honest, & must also remember that the small value of Trinidad insects is even more disappointing to him than to yourself, since it is only the more valuable collections that pay an agent for his time, trouble, & expenses. If therefore you have any friend in England who will receive all the unsold insects and will pay him the balance of the money advanced it might be well to do so. But then you would los<e> the value of the insects altogether unless you have someone who [MS burned] sort them out and send sets [MS burned] and to Mr. Schill.⁴ So <perhaps> [MS burned] best to leave [MS burned] [4] I think it would be even advisable to ask him whether you shall send a few sets of your Orinoco insects ^{or all your duplicates} for the B. Museum and other customers — telling him that you have agreed to send sets to the Tring & to France. This might be politic, because he could sell quantities of them, and as those rest ^you sent ^privately would not be seen in England he would sell them when new or rare at very good prices. As you have announced that you wish to give up his Agency, you can do this with a good grace, & it will perhaps put matters on a better footing between you. You might offer him the 20 p. cent or even [MS burned] per c. on these terms with advantage <to> yourself, as otherwise all your <duplica>tes even of new or rare things [MS burned]in unsold, & when you return [MS burned] their value or even [MS burned] need not [5] (5) propose this till after you have sent your first sets from S. Cat. & have really found that there are quantities of things to be got there. In that case you could give him a general account of the numbers of species &c. and I am pretty sure he would be glad to go on, upon such an arrangement. It would be an immense advantage too, when you go to the Andes, where you are sure to have quantities of rare and new things which the B. Mus. – Druce,⁵ & other buyers would give good prices for. Unless you can get some other Agent ^{in London} (and that seems unlikely) I think you w<ill> find it a great advantage to do this, as a means of getting [MS burned] money, to go to the Andes! T[MS burned] that!

Do think over this car[MS burned] do not writ<e> [MS burned] [6] (if not absolutely necessary) till you have tested S. Cat^a.— and when you do write, do it as cordially as possible, saying that you know the poorness of the Trinidad Collections must have been as bad for him as for you &c. &c. and that you hope your future collections will be more satisfactory for both.

If Capt. B.⁶ continues friendly you might consult him on such a matter of business as this.

Hoping better times are in store for you (& that you have got the book safely!)

Yours very sincerely | Alfred R Wallace [signature]