James Henderson to S. Wells Williams, September 26, 1874

Mr. Henderson to Mr. Williams.

Dear Mr. Williams: I have now the pleasure of informing you that His Excellency Li-Hung-Chang has decided, through the directors of the Shanghai and Tientsin arsenals, to work the coal and iron at Pung Chung, and that I have been appointed to purchase the plant for this work, which will comprise coal and iron mining, blast-furnaces, puddling-furnaces, forge and rolling mills all complete, for the manufacture of iron. I am also authorized to select competent workmen to superintend the different branches of the work. I believe these works will be carried on, as they will be begun, entirely on the responsibility of the viceroy. The funds for the work will, I believe, be found by the directors of the two arsenals. I intend leaving Tien-tsin for England, via America, on the 7th October, and hope to be back at Tien-tsin in about eight months from that time. The plant I expect will be here in about two months after my arrival here.

Yours, very truly,