The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1877-08-14
A TRIP TO JAVA.

were to carry out If 1t were possible for
us to do so, and every attempt was made
to comply with the orders of the firm,
always providing not too much money
was required for the purpose. In fact
corner was to be formed in Java coffee,
and all the crop, which was not large
one, was to be bought up and shipped to
Boston If the matter could be arranged
in satisfactory manner, and at prices
which would pay for the investment and
the trip. We hadletters of credit to two
well known firms of Batavia, from Bar
ing Brothers, asking for one million of
dollars at sight; but the money was not
to be called for or the drafts mentioned,
unless we could see our way clear in the
speculation, for fear the Dutch traders
would become alarmed and put up the
price of coffee to such an extent that no
money could be made in exporting to
ournative city one or two cargoes The
reason we were selected for such deli
cate and difficult mission was because
the junior partner of the firm, by whom
was employed, fatty refused to quit
Boston for the long voyage, having been
recently married and not wishing to
leave his young bride for year or more
and the lady swore by all the oriental
pearls that graced her pretty white neck
nd'shoulders, that she would see all
the nasty ships owned by the firm sunk
in the ocean, before she would take
passage in one with her husband and be
seasick, and have no opportunity of
wearing some of her nice wedding gar
ments, and thus make the unmarried
girls of her acquaintance mad with envy
and jealousy. Besides she had heard
that all ships were infested with cock
reaches, and ate clothes and toenails, for
the want of something better, and she
wouldn't have such things near her, not
if she knew it and in fact she made
such confounded row that her father,
who was at the head of the firm, told
her she might dry her tears and sleep in
peace, for her own Charles should re-
main at home, and some one go in his
place; and that is the reason we were
promoted from high stool and dull
set of books, to be an active agent of the
great East India house of Boomey & Co.
of Boston. 1t was all on account of
nice clothes and decided fear of cock
reaches. We had been in the employ of
the firm for ten years and was reputed
trustworthy and industrious, and as we
were single, not in love, only twenty
five years of age, and desired to see the
world at some ones expense, and earn
larger salary, we were not long in ac-
cepting the generous offer which was
made to us, and in weeks time we were
packing away our dunnage on board of
the clipper ship Julia, eighteen hundred
tons burden, and the fastest craft that
Boomey & Co. owned, and they had
about twenty-seven vessels which sported
the private signal of the firm, and not
one of them cost over forty thousand
dollars.
The Julia cleared for Hong Kong with
full cargo of assorted Yankee notions,
such as had always found ready mar
ket there but the master was instructed
to land me at Anjier, on the plea that
my health was too poor to continue the
voyage, and then proceed to his destined
port discharge cargo, clear for Manila,
as though to take freight of sugar and
hemp, but in reality to shape his course
for Batavia and pretend that gale had
blown him out Of his course, and he had
determined to see what could be done in
the way of freight at Java before pro-
ceeding to the Philippine Islands. All
this secrecy was for the purpose of
throwing off the track the many con-
signees of Hong Kong, who always
watched the movements of Boomey's
ships with the greatest interest and fol-
lowed where they led, certain that mon-
ey could be made where they dropped
anchor. Even our own consignee was
not entrusted with the great secret, for
fear that some one in his counting-room
would get hold of it and thus spoil the
nice little corner that was to be made.
Well, according to agreement we were
landed at Anjier on the supposition that
we were ill, but more healthy passen-
ger never stepped on shore, and the cap
tain laughed as we shook hands on the
beach and told me to tone down my ap-
petite or the physicians of Java would
swear we were a fraud and unworthy of
belief, After taking on board fresh
water, fruit and chickens, the Julia
spread her wings and sailed the same
dav that anchor was dropped. for her