LAST YEARS 277 



and the " Wakefield," shipping to St. Juan 

 checked muslin ginghams of different colors, 

 and taking back to New York indigo and 

 hides. In 1841 trade, which up to that 

 time had been good, became very dull. 

 The Rowlands write in March to Captain 

 Lamson that the blockade of Buenos Ayres 

 has been discontinued and hides are going 

 down, also the price of indigo is falling. 

 Captain Lamson in October of the same 

 year writes a long letter to his family in 

 rather a gloomy strain. The brig " Galen," 

 consigned to him, had been seized by the 

 authorities because a few goods did not 

 appear on the manifest, and he had been 

 obliged to appeal to the United States and 

 request their intervention. He had written 

 two letters to Mr. Webster in Washington, 

 and hoped a man-of-war would be sent. 

 Business in St. Juan was very bad, and 

 the merchants all losing money. He had 

 eight thousand pounds of indigo and ten 

 thousand dollars' worth of goods with five 

 thousand dollars due him, but no cash. 



