"Sunday, 19th. Dined with the Governor, and received civility; an elegant place. The area, where we dined, superb; and the prospect round it not to be exceeded. Passed the evening, by invitation, at the Director's, where were all the Council of Eight, the Governor, the old Director-General, and other grandees. More parade than before. Played cards; custom of washing before and after dinner; the improvement in luxury; washing in rose-water; supper elegant— superbly so; huzzaing, and the return from the owner of the house after any complimentary toast.

"I wrote a petition in behalf of Blanchard and myself, and had it translated into Dutch.

"Monday, 20th. Dined with the Fiscal, who treated us with good fare; the British officers there, and many persons of consequence.

"Tuesday, 21st. Supped with one of the Edelheeren; everything in superb style; the same company as before; the Governor there; he does not honor them more than once a year with his visits. Twenty ladies at table; their dress, manners, style of putting up the hair-sitting by themselves; toasts; huzzas; bouquets; rose-water; superfluity of everything which Europe and the Indies can give.

"Gained permission to sell."

This restriction on sales by foreigners has been removed since that time, and it is not necessary to wait for any such permission now. But at that time the United States of America were little known or regarded in that distant part of the world, and it is easy to see that the final success which the young merchant thus attained with the despotic authorities of Batavia, who had pointedly and formally refused his application in the outset, is fairly attributable to personal qualities which distinguished him even at that early period, and were characteristic through life. Few men could exert a greater influence over others with whom he had an important point to carry.

His notes, on various subjects, in the same diary, show careful and general observation:

"It is death to take spices; and an acknowledgment of having received notice of this is required, so that one cannot plead ignorance. The Chinese racked on the wheel for running spices; yet any of them will do it, bringing them to one's chamber in small quantities of 20 or 30 lbs. The Chinese are the principal husbandmen. All the Eastern nations are represented here in greater or less numbers-Armenians, Moormen, &c. Murders frequent; Malays revengeful and cowardly, taking every advantage of situation, fearing to attack a man openly, and even afraid to hold a pistol. Gates of the city; strict regulations respecting the going out and coming in at them. Four gates; walled all round -kept in good repair; regularity of the trees. Chinese live in the suburbs, and obliged to be out of the walls before night.

"Procured two birds of paradise; the bird a native of the Moluccas or Spice Islands; valuable at Bengal and on the peninsula of India. "Birds' nests at Batavia at 2,500 paper dollars the pecul. The birds that make these nests are shaped like the swallow, and fly with the same velocity, but are smaller. We saw numbers of them while at Mew Island, but did not know them to be the same at the time. The coast of Sumatra gives the greatest supply of them-called the Salignare, and found in great numbers in the Philippines. They always lay in the same nest unless it be destroyed, and will keep continually rebuilding when their nests are taken away; late method of insuring good nests by destroying all the old ones. The nests are formed of a glutinous substance found in the water. They are about the size of the inside of a swallow's nest, and some of them almost transparent. The soup made of them is very palatable, but as it is dear, it is not often met with; the old nests are of a black cast, and not near so valuable as the white. There are three layers or

thicknesses in the nests which, when separated, appear like three distinct nests; the first or outside layer brings the least price, increasing to the inside, which bears the amazing price above quoted.

"The shark fins are also esteemed a great delicacy for soups, and to many are very palatable; but to me they were not so.

"There are at Batavia nine persons who bear the title of Edelheer, that being a title of nobility which they have assumed to themselves. Among these nine persons is included the Governor-General, who is the president of the Grand Council of the Indies, the other seven Councillors, and the Director-General of the company, whose post is second in the settlement. The old Director also who-being far advanced in years-resigned, holds this dignity of Edelheer, and has the same attention paid to him that the inhabitants are obliged to pay to the rest of them. Obeisance is exacted from all persons without distinction in one form which has much disturbed the feelings of some strangers who were not used to acknowledge themselves the inferiors of any one, and felt much galled at not being able to help themselves. It is this: the carriage of an Edelheer is, when in the city or on meeting any carriage of distinction, preceded by two running footmen, who carry each a baton or cane, with a brass head resembling the weight used with a pair of steel-yards, and of an extraordinary size. This announces the carriage which follows to be that of an Edelheer, when the other carriage must drive up on one side the way, and there wait until his greatness has passed. They are very civil in returning one as low a bow as is given them. When no carriage of distinction is on the road, and the Edelheer's carriage is without the suburbs, it is known by those canes before spoken of, being projected from the back part of the carriage in such a manner that they cannot but be seen. There is a heavy fine exacted for passing the carriage of an Edelheer without stopping.

Some time since there was an East India Company's ship at Batavia, the captain of which thinking this a very great indignity offered him, upon his coachman's attempting to stop his horses, ordered him by signs to go on, which order not being complied with on the part of the former, the captain gave him a very severe prick with his sword. This made some noise at the time, but was overlooked. I think it did no great honor to the good sense of the captain, who must have been aware that the poor devil who drove him knew that passing the Edelheer would be attended with disagreeable consequences to himself, which should have alone been sufficient to have prevented the captain from wishing it. "The captain of a French frigate who was here fell upon a much more eligible plan, and one which succeeded to admiration. On being informed that his coachman would stop on meeting one of the Elderheeren, he determined on endeavoring to overcome by civility what he had no hopes of averting by any other means. He had directions for distinguishing the carriage of an Edelheer, and as soon as he saw one, prepared himself for descending from his carriage. As soon as his coachman checked his horses, he alighted from his coach and made his respects to the Edelheer, who could do no less than dismount from his upon seeing a person of the appearance of the captain thus paying him his respects; and after many ceremonious bows and testimonies of civility, they again resumed their seats in their several carriages. This piece of outstretched politeness was found to be the cause of some trouble to the gentlemen Edelheeren during the captain's stay here, which induced them to send an order to the hotel, giving leave to the coachman of the French captain to drive on without stopping for any one of the council, or indeed of the Edelheeren.

"In private companies the greatest attention and studied politeness is shown them, and they always when at table, sit opposite to the master of the house, who divides the table lengthwise, and does not, like the host with us, take his seat at the end. They have a privilege of passing in and out of the several gates of the city at any time in the day, which is what no other person can do, as there are particular hours for passing and repassing the different gates."

These dignitaries and the troublesome ceremonies attendant on their rank are no longer known.

"There is at Batavia a great medley of inhabitants. The principal persons in business, after the Hollanders, are the Moormen. Many of them are very rich. They are distinguished by a peculiarity of dress and a turban on the head. They wear square-toed shoes, which turn up and terminate at each corner in a kind of ear, which has a curious appearance. They are rather slippers than shoes, having no quarter or straps to them. In some respects these people exceed any set of men whom I saw while at Batavia; they have an ease of address and an air of good breeding, which one would not expect to find in their countrymen. In their houses they are courteous, and strive to make one's time agreeable while under their roofs. They are the best-shaped of any of the Eastern nations whom I ob served while there; their complexion nearly the same as that of the aboriginals of America; their features regular and well set, with the most piercing eye of any people I ever saw. Their religion is Mahometanism. They carry on a great trade to the different islands in the Indian seas, and by their traffic make great fortunes; their mode of saluting is by passing the right hand, with a slow motion, to the forehead, and at the same time bowing the head with a most graceful ease. They are, with the Chinese, the great money changers. They are as remarkably quick in casting and making calculations, without any assistance, as the Chinese are with their counters. Some of these people support as decent carriages as any in the place, and live with a great degree of taste.

"They all chew betel, areka nut, and chunam. This has the effect of rendering the teeth black and shining, like ebony. They esteem it heathful, as it causes expectoration in a greater degree than tobacco. This, they aver, is absolutely necessary in their country. It is, however, a filthy, vile practice in our eyes, excusable in some degree in the men, but in the women truly disgusting. I never saw any European gentleman use the betel, but many of the European women have adopted the habit of chewing it, and have their mouths crowded with it. The private secretary of the council, one of the most genteel men at Batavia, told me of his great aversion to the use of it in women, and observed that his wife had so great an attachment to it, that all his powers of persuasion were not sufficient to wean her from it. She was quite young, not more than nineteen or twenty at the extent. There is a child of seven or eight years of age always in attendance on those who chew the betel, which is deposited in a box, in some instances of very curious workmanship. This child is the bearer of the box, and ever waiting the wishes of the person so attended.

While he was there, a of historical interest

"All the people in this place seem very fond of being surrounded by domestics. One seldom sees a coach pass, particularly if there are women in it, without five or six slaves-some carrying the batons, others the umbrellas, &c., the slaves being generally Malays, though there are some from all the inhabited islands in the India and China seas. The Malays are great cock fighters, and have fine birds. They bet deeply, and go to as unpardonable a length as the Chinese do, playing away the liberty of their wives and children, and even their own." He proceeded to Canton for a cargo of teas. vessel arrived whose name has since become one the Columbia—the ship which in her next voyage, under the command of Capt. Gray, crossed the bar of the Columbia River, as it was always called afterward, the incident being referred to in recent negotiations of intense interest as the foundation of a territorial claim on the part of the United States. Remaining several months in China, and attending assiduously to the business of the ship, he became well acquainted with the habits of the Chinese, and collected a fund of information concerning trade there in all its branches, and the value of sea-otter skins and other furs from the northwest coast of our continent, which formed the basis of action for him afterwards in planning numerous voyages and directing mercantile operations of great importance between America, Asia, and Europe. He was long remembered there, too, particularly by one occupying a subordinate position at the time, who had observed him, though not known to him per

sonally, who afterwards became eminently distinguished in the Commerce of the East-the well-known Hong merchant, Houqua. Commercial relations of an intimate character and entire confidence were afterwards established between them, and existed for many years with mutual advantage.

Returning homeward, he found that the period of his absence had been eventful in changes that were to have important influence in the political and commercial world. They received news of the revolutionary movements in France from a vessel which they spoke in crossing the tradewinds. On arriving at Boston, they found our government organized under the new constitution of 1789, and though this led to heavy duties, particularly on teas, it was giving confidence and stability to trade. With the information which he had brought home, he sent a brig-the Hope, Capt. Ingraham-to the northwest coast, with the intention of terminating the voyage at Canton. The most important result of this voyage appears to have been the discovery of the northern portion of the Marquesas Islands, as now laid down on the map of the Pacific. Its main object was defeated by untoward circumstances.

He soon afterward joined his friend Capt. Magee, however, in building a ship the Margaret-of which the captain went master for the northwest coast, and after an absence of two years and a half brought the voyage to a successful close. Capt. Magee carried out the frame of a vessel with three or four carpenters, and set up the little craft of about thirty tons under Capt. Swift, then the chief carpenter, and the schooner collected some twelve or fifteen hundred sea-otters during the season, which added much to the profit of the voyage, as the skins were worth $30 or $40 when Capt. Magee reached China.

In 1792 the insurrection began in St. Domingo, where his brothers had continued their establishment, doing a prosperous business up to that period. Mr. James Perkins, the eldest brother, and his wife were in a perilous situation at the beginning of it, being in the interior on a visit to a friend who had a plantation, next to the one first destroyed, on the plains of the cape. They made their escape, however, from the frightful treatment which awaited all who lingered, and reached the cape. But things grew worse. The place was taken by the insurgents and burned, and the inhabitants were obliged to get away in the best manner they could. This, of course, broke up his brothers' establishment. Their store was burned by the blacks, with its contents, which were valuable. This, however, was not the worst, as the planters were largely in debt to the house, and their means of paying destroyed. The brothers (James and Samuel G.) returned to Boston, having lost most of their property, to begin the world anew. He then formed a co-partnership with his brother James, under the firm of J. & T. H. Perkins, which continued until the death of the latter in 1822, though the name of the firm was altered on the admission of their sons in 1819. They used the information which had been acquired at St. Domingo with advantage, by keeping two or three vessels trading to the West Indies, and shipping coffee and sugar to Europe.

But their most important business was the trade of their ships on the northwest coast and in China. They were concerned in numerous voyages in that direction, and eventually established a house at Canton, under the firm of Perkins & Co., which became one of great importance and eminently successfu!

In December, 1794, he took passage for Bordeaux in a ship belonging to his own house and that of Messrs. S. Higginson & Co.,-in which firm his brother, Mr. S. G. Perkins, had become a partner-with a cargo of provisions; the demand for them in the disturbed state of French affairs offering the prospect of a fair result to such a voyage. But the depreciation of the assignats, and other causes, threatening to defeat their hopes, he found it best to continue abroad for some time. His observations while there, and the occurrences in which he became concerned, were of an interesting character. He made full notes at the time, but the following account is taken from the memoranda already referred to, written in a week of leisure long afterward, and commencing thus:

"TO MY CHILDREN:-

"SARATOGA SPRINGS, July 18, 1846.

"It has often occurred to me that it would have given me infinite pleasure to have known more than has come to my knowledge of the early life of my father. He died when I was about six years of age, and all I know of him is from report. My recollections of him are very faint, though I have an impression that I remember him in an emaciated state shortly before his death."

After narrating, for the information of his family, some incidents of his early life, part of which have been already mentioned, he proceeds to relate the occurrences that followed this voyage to France, as follows:

"I remained in Europe from December, 1794, to October, 1795-a very interesting period of the French revolution. What was called The Mountain' in the convention had been prostrated in some degree by the fall of Robespierre, the principal mover in the most bloody scenes of the revolution. He endeavored to destroy himself, but failed, and left the final act to the guillotine. This instrument had done execution on thousands through his influence, and retributive justice was satisfied in the fate which expiated his crimes.

"France was by no means in a quiet state when I reached Bordeaux, and in travelling with the courier day and night, we passed so near the theatre of war in La Vendee, as to hear the reports of the cannon of the belligerent parties. If we had been fallen in with by the Vendeens, we should doubtless have had our throats cut, as public agents and bearers of dispatches from one province to another. We escaped, however, unharmed, though the fate we feared befell the courier a few nights after we passed. During my stay in Europe my time was passed principally in Paris, where I had rooms in the same hotel with my friend Mr. Jos. Russell. We kept a carriage between us, always visiting or travelling together. It was a new English chariot which had been left behind by some traveller on the breaking out of the war, and was in perfect order. We found it of great convenience while in the city, as public carriages were not easily had and no private ones were kept by any Frenchmen. Indeed, they were kept by very few except by foreign ambassadors.

"There were in Paris several Americans of my acquaintance besides Mr. Russell. We used to dine at a restorateur and breakfast at home, the wife of the porter of the hotel furnishing our coffee. There was a great scarcity of breadstuffs during the winter and spring. It was produced partly by the farmers having their plowshares turned into swords, partly by the waste attendant on war, and in part by an unwillingness to sell for assignats, which were constantly declining in value. The whole population of Paris was placed under restriction, and each family received a certain quantity per day from the public bakers at a fixed price. The hotels gave in their number of guests for whom they drew the stipulated quantity, and those who dined out had their bread carried to the place where they dined. I dined almost every Saturday with the minister of the United States, where I was in the habit of meeting distinguished men.

"I had little business to do in Paris, and leisure, therefore, to observe what