To Mr Guterres
Shipping Office
S. S. "Macduff"
Port of Shanghai
Hong Kong.
Dear Sir,
January 20th. 1907
451
Having heard of the charges being brought against you,
I am writing you this hoping it will help you in disproving what
I am sure every shipmaster going to Hong Kong knows to be false
in Hong Kong and have certainly I have paid and signed on crews
never seen any signs of the so called attempts at squeezing,
leading members of the Chinese crew, and have questioned the steward, boatswain and the Carpenter the latter who you know has been in this ship eight years and you must have paid off from forty to fifty times, and they all say that there has never been any deductions or small change forced on to them and speak very
highly of you.
Hoping you will have no difficulty in clearing yourself of these disgraceful statements and with my deepest sympathy, I beg to remain.
Yours sincerely
(Signed) John. P. Muir
Master. S.S. "Macduff"
Copy