Edinburgh, 10th. Jany. 1809.

Dear Sir,

I have been duly favored with your Letters of the 31st. of Octr. and 12th. of Decr. last, and return you my best thanks for the information they contain respecting my own and my Brother's affairs in Mull. — I trust and hope you have been successful in your Martinmas Collections, and that I shall soon hear of your having remitted – or sent by a safe hand – our respective Rents for that Period to our Agent Mr. John Campbell W. S. Edinburgh.

My Brother Major Macquarie being now with his Regiment on Service in Spain, and being myself also at present under Orders for a very distant Foreign Service, neither of us can possibly for some time to come attend to the management of our affairs in that Country until one or other of us return from abroad. — I am persuaded from your well established good character, we may confidently rely on your acting – as our Factor in Mull – to the best of your Judgment for our interest and advantage, in every respect, during our absence. — Mr. John Campbell W. S. Elder Street, Edinburgh, being, however, our general Agent and Man of Business, in whose Judgment, as well as friendship for us, we both place the firmest reliance; I must request that you will not grant any Lease or Tack of any of our Farms, or conclude any material Business or Bargain, in regard to either my own or my Brother's affairs, without previously acquainting him therewith, and taking his advice upon it. — I also wish my much esteemed friend and Brother in law, Sir John Campbell of Airds Bart., to be consulted on any material point, relating to letting our Lands, or other concerns in Mull. —

My Letter of Instructions to you of date 15th. August last, was so full and particular on every point connected with my own affairs in Mull, that little remains now to be added in this to the Instructions alluded to, farther than to answer some Queries contained in your Letter of the 31st. of October last – and which I shall now do as briefly as possible. —

The Crofts at Sallen [sic] I authorize you to let to the present Tenants, or others, as may be found most expedient, for the space of three Years from Whitsunday next – but no longer – at the present Rents (– if you think they cannot pay higher –) as an encouragement to them to improve them. — If they build such Houses for themselves as I directed in my Letter of the 15th. of August, I shall cheerfully pay such Proportions of the expence thereof as may be deemed fair and equitable by any two or three Gentlemen resident in the Country, who are best acquainted with such transactions, after such Houses shall have been built and valued. — As the Lands at Sallen are now divided into Sixteen Crofts, and as it is my wish that there should be Sixteen Male Crofters always settled on them, I cannot approve of any one Person occupying two Crofts at once; but you may permit exchanges of Crofts to take place in case you see it of use to the Parties concerned; and on this principle, you may allow Hugh Macquarie to take possession of the one he wishes to occupy, if you see fit.

The poor old man, and the two poor Women Cotters [sic] whom you mention, had better be removed to the Farm of Kilbeg next Whitsunday, in case you can possibly make room for them there, so as no longer to be a burden to the Crofters at Sallen. —

I am very anxious that Ferguson the Joiner, and Campbell the Shoemaker, should come to occupy two of the vacant Crofts at Sallen and come to settle upon them at Whitsunday next. — I have no doubt Doctor Donald Maclaine would give them one Cow's Grass each until I can myself accommodate them on the expiration of the Lease of Gruline – which I shall willingly do. —

I again request you will punctually pay the annuity of the Ten Pounds Sterling, that I mentioned in my Letter of the 15th. of August, to my Mother, and the same to my Sister, at the stated Periods therein mentioned. —

I owe my relation Mc.Quarie of Mc.Quarie the sum of £50. 7 ; which I request you will pay to him in small sums, as his occasions may require, and charge the same to my Account of Rents. — I once more beg you will not lose a moment in remitting my own and my Brother's Rents to Mr. John Campbell of Edinburgh as soon as you can collect them. —

I remain with regard, Dear Sir,

Your most Obedt. Servt.

L. M.

To
Mr. Dugd. Mc.Tavish,
Laggan, Mull.

Provenance
Copy of a letter sent: 'Lachlan Macquarie to Dugald Mc.Tavish' 10 January 1809.
Lachlan Macquarie. Private Letter Book [1808-1810].
Original held in Mitchell Library, Sydney.
ML Ref: A796 pp.5-8; (microfilm copy: CY Reel 306: frames #86-#89).

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