186 
VOYAGE OP THE POTOMAC. 
[February, 
changed until his speech is concluded. Another succeeds, ob- 
serving the same preliminary ceremonies. They appear to think 
that monotony of tone, combined with a rapid but uniform flow 
of words, is the perfection of eloquence. Nearly all their pubhc 
discourses commence with " Tookoo, shallah te Allah;" that 
is, " Sir, with the blessing of God," or, " by Divine permission." 
The commerce of Acheen, which was once so flourishing, has 
dwindled away to almost nothing. The kingdom having been 
shaken and rent by internal factions and insurrections, too pow- 
erful to be suppressed by so weak a government, the interests of 
trade were almost totally neglected. 
But it is with the pepper trade, and those ports on the western 
coast of the island which are nominally appertaining to this 
sovereignty, that we, as Americans, have the most immediate 
concern ; and on this subject, in addition to what we have already 
said, a few facts and remarks may not be inapplica:ble. 
During the suspension or interruption of our commerce, by 
the last war between the United States and Great Britain, the 
pepper-growers, having little demand for the article, greatly neg- 
lected its cultivation; although it is known to be their principal, 
not to say only, article of export. The natural consequence was,^ 
that in the first pepper season subsequent to the restoration of- 
peace, in eighteen hundred and fifteen, not more than two or 
three vessels were enabled to procure cargoes. 
On the revival of our commerce at that period, the satisfaction 
which these people evinced and expressed on seeing their former 
profitable customers once more among them, was the subject of 
remark by every American on the coast. They looked upon the 
event as the precursor of more prosperous times ; and, with an 
alacrity and industry indicating a correct estimation of their pe- 
cuniary interest, they immediately began to extend their planta- 
tions, on a scale corresponding to the anticipated demand for this 
staple of the island. 
As the pepper vine, however, occupies three or four years in 
coming to maturity, there was no material increase in the quantity 
produced until the year eighteen hundred and eighteen, when 
we had from four to five thousand tons of shipping upon that 
coast, a great portion of which obtained cargoes. From this 
period to eighteen hundred and twenty-three, the high price which 
