, 1855-03-31
An American Trader for Japan.


The bark Edward Koppisch," Capt
John ii. EgSleston, cleared at the Salem
Custom House, recently, for voyage to
Japan and ports in the Pacific Ocean. The
" Koppisch" was formerly owned in this
city, and Capt. Eggleston, her present
owner and commander, who makes the first
clearance from any port in the United
States direct for Japan, for commercial
purposes, likewise sailed the first vessel
from Salem for California, which was pre-
vious to the gold discovery.
A common clearance even to trade with
a new people would not deserve particular
attention, but in this instance it is so per
fectly characteristic of Salem, that it draws
our mind to other little enterprises of late
years. The commerce of this country has
been almost entirely connected with the
great citics-BostOn, New York, New Or
leans, &c, yet now and then there remains
a survivor Of the past generations, within
whose recollection those places were little
more than villages, and who can anIhze
the young with stories Of other towns
who can tell us Of Salem, when she aston
ished the world by the enterprise Of her
merchant princes = the Derbys, Greys,
CrownnShields, Peabodys, and others, by
whom she became more wealthy and dis
tinguished than any other port on this con-
tinent. In that early time, and to the
present, it has;been peculiar to Salem, to
trade where nobody else traded, to seek
new and distant peoples, and to carry out
commerce Of her own. We will venture
even now, that Salem has commenced the
trade with more different peoples in Asia,
Africa, South America, and the Islands Of
the seas, than all the other American ports
put together, and if the history of her com
merce was written it would be one of the
most valuable aud interesting books ever
issued from the press
Once Salem held all the trade of the In
dies, and fortunes of millions of dollars
such as are not now known out Of the great
cities-were amasSed therefrom. The first
American ship around the Cape Of Good
Hope, was from Salem-the first to trade
at Hindostan, Java, Sumatra, China, and
through the Dutch with Japan, as with
many other Asiatics, were from Salem.
The first at Madagascar, at Zanzibar
where they retain almost the total gum
and ivory trade to this day--and at other
ports in East Africa, were from Salem.
She was among the first, if not the very.
first, for ordinary commercial pursuits, on
the west shores Of Africa; and there She Is !
the first now. She was the first at the
mouths of the great South American rivers,
at Matirided, at Para, where she, retained
the control for a long time, and yet leads
in the Rubber trade-and other ports in
South America. Sbe opened trade with
the Fegee Islands and has ships there now
she sent the first American goods to
traffic in New Holland--she has her trade
to-day with New Zealand, and Salem men,
If not vessels, were among the first from
this quarter on the northwest coast and
now the first ship for commercial pursuits
sails from her quiet waters TO Japan. 4 Oh
These facts for such place, now conf
paratively Insignificant, are singular indeed,
and we'll arrayed history thereof, from
the time of her fisheries, and the primary
investments of Higginson. and in foreign
traffic, with narratives of early voyages,
sketches of eminent sea captains, and Of
the leading merchants down to the Brook
houses, Uptons, Shepherd, Bretrams, and
Phillipses of those times, who are like unto
and not behind their predecessors, wonld
be work of intense Interest," Nsp6Hry-
port Herald.