I can as yet say little for certain upon this matter, which has
been the occasion of no little trouble and expense; for I have been
obliged to take no less than three journeys to Peterhof, a town
about 30 VERSTS distant, where stands the paper rnanufactory, for
there is no such paper as we want in the Russian capital. In this
manufactory they have about 50 STOPES or reams (we should require
ten times that quantity for only 1000 copies) of the very paper, I
believe, on which the Mandchou Gospel of St. Matthew was printed,
and some of the workmen said that they could make as much more as
should be required. Concerning the price of this paper, I could
obtain no positive information, for the director and first and
second clerks were invariably absent, and the place abandoned to
ignorant understrappers (according to the custom of Russia). And
notwithstanding I found out the director in Petersburg, he himself
could not tell me the price, but informed me that he would inquire,
and speedily send me word; but as I have as yet heard nothing from
him, I write lest it should be supposed in England that I am
sleeping on my station. I SHALL WRITE AGAIN IN A FEW DAYS ON THIS
POINT; IN THE MEAN TIME YOU WOULD OBLIGE ME BY CAUSING THE ACCOUNTS
OF DR. PINKERTON'S EXPENSES TO BE REFERRED TO, for the purpose of
ascertaining how much he paid per ream for this kind of paper. I
believe it to be extravagantly dear, at least five times dearer
than good common paper, which can be procured for fifteen roubles
per ream; and if that be the case, common paper must be used and
the book printed in the common fashion, unless the Society be
prepared to disburse thousands instead of hundreds; for if the work
were printed on this Chinese paper, four times more paper would be
required than if it were printed on the other, as five multiplied
by four make twenty, the expense of paper would be twenty times
greater.