Elwes writes that he has received a letter from Duncan Robertson of Kirkwall to say that he had got Elwes a pair of North Ronaldsay sheep. Elwes will ask him to send them to Ewart and he is welcome to keep them for a year if they are of interest. He is also enclosing 50 copies of the circular and can provide a list of the recipients.

Elwes is sending Ewart samples of Iceland wool which he would like him to compare them with Cowan's. He judges it to be less fine than the Shetland and not as long as the white wool. He also lists the names of the recipients of the circular he has sent.

Elwes thanks Ewart for the report, and requests that Watson returns the fleeces to him at once as he wants to show them to a cloth manufacturer as well as to Bateson, who will be visiting. He will send Ewart his Norfolk rams if he wants to try crossing them with some Cheviots. He has received few answers to the circular, and complains of 'the apathy of the average English landowner'.

The year is not written on the letter.