[Manchester, 31 January 1861] 
Dear Marx, 

It’s difficult to answer Borkheim’s letter.* All local commission 
houses which buy coops-for the Italian market operate there 
themselves. Hence they would regard an order from London as the 
action of a competitor and duly ignore it. Reuss, Kling & Co. and 
A. S. Sichel are the main houses in this line, but they certainly 
won't accept small orders. At all events, make sure that whoever 
approaches these people does not mention my name; it would 
serve no purpose whatever and might make me look a complete 
ass. If the order is of any size and the intention is to start a 
regular connection, the buyer would do best to come up himself 
and go to the manufacturers direct. The people here who buy for 
the London houses are exclusively in the East Inpia rrave or else 
small chaps whom I don’t know. 

That’s all I have to tell you today. 

I can’t imagine what fellows he is referring to who are up to all 
kinds of nonsense. 

Your 
Thursday.” fi