W. Hitchin, Esq.
Cadiz, 22nd December 1847
My Dear Mr Hitchin,
You will see by my letter to Mr Brandram how much I am disappointed in not getting the books I had requested in my letter to you of the 10th November. I have also been a good deal put out in not receiving the Post Heads I had begged you to get for me. The truth is, I had a frank for the Foreign Office, and I wish to profit by it in sending letters to several friends. The frank would carry them free to the Foreign Office, but for want of heads they would afterwards be all charged and double, a circumstance I wished much to prevent. As it was, I had to send off my notes with all the disadvantage I had wished so particularly to avoid. Still I need, and wish for the heads mentioned, because frequent opportunities occur when a little letter can be enclosed in another without increasing the postage. Please therefore to forward these at your earliest convenience. These I wish for besides those a good while ago mentioned to Mr. Kuolleke.
I beg now to say that a draft of mine will be presented to you, on the 3rd January, for one hundred pounds in favour of my nephew James T. McMinn of Leamington, which please honour, and to place this sum to my Private Account.
In one of the cases for Santander, which will probably be dispatched very soon after this comes into your hands, please direct in the proper quarter of your house to send Five Ancient Greek Testaments, for I take it the edition you had in the press some time ago is now out.
Send me also the four following works on account of the Society, after consulting with Mr. Brandram, and finding him favourable to my request. You will find them in the catalogue of Dulan & Co. Soho Square for 1845 with the numbers I have attached to them. They are, –
18609: Caussin de Perceval, – Grammaire Arabe Vulgaire pour les dialectes d'orient et de Barbarie, 2e edition 1 vol. 8vo 13/-.
18612: Delaporte, – Principes de l'idiome Arabe en usage á Alger, suivis d'un conte arabe, avec la pronunciation, et le mot á mot interlineaires, 2e edition, 1 vol 8vo 6/-.
18614: Ellious Bochtor, – Alphabet Arabe. 1 vol.4to 10/-.
18626: Marcel, – Vocabulaire francais-arabe des dialectes africaines, c'est á dire, d'Alger,de Tunis, de Maroc, et d'Egypte, 1 vol. 8vo 13/-.
Excuse all this trouble, and believe me,
Yours Truly,
James Thomson.