10 
[ Kep. No. 564. ] 
A. 
Port of Tabasco, in the District of the United States 
Consulate at Campeachy,June Q,\S3l. 
Sir : As you are the only native American citizen long resident in Ta¬ 
basco, and well qualified to answer the present note, do me the favor to 
tell me what sum of money I should have very probably gained since my 
arrival here, in June, 1827, if I had dedicated myself exclusively to the in¬ 
terested exercise of my profession, instead of generally practising it gratu¬ 
itously, with the hope of promoting the usefulness of this consulate, and 
the inquiry after plants suitable for the United States. 
, I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
H. PERRINE. 
Ezekiel P. Johnson, M. D. 
San Juan Bautista, June 6,1831. 
Sir : In reply to your note of this mOrning, I answer, that if, instead of 
having gratuitously practised your profession in the families of the personjs 
employed under the local and general Governments, and devoting so large 
a portion of your time to the, collection of seeds and plants useful to our 
country, (and adapted to our soil and climatej) you had applied yourself 
to the pay practice of your profession during your residence in the Mexi¬ 
can territory, you would, in my opinion, have been now able to return to. 
the United States with ten or twelve thousand dollars as the,reward of 
your industry. 
I remain, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
E. P. JOHNSON. 
H. Perrine, M. D., U. S. Consul. 
New York, February 3, 1832. 
I, George Clark, an American citizen, now residing in the city of New, 
York, do Weby certify that, during the years 1829 and 1830, I was eu- 
gaged in mercantile busipess in the State of Tabasco, in the district of thp: 
United States consulate for Campeachy. That m}?' own personal obsexva- 
tions, and the statements of the inhabitants of the country, whether natives or 
foreigners,,corroborate the, facts and opinions expressed in the above copy 
of an original letter from Doctor E. P. Johnson? which I have seen ; that 
the facilities for making money in the consular district of Doctor H. Per¬ 
rine were abundant, both in professional and mercantile pursuits, which 
is proved by the fortunes which have been made, since 1827, by^his un¬ 
official countrymen; that, within three years of tnat time, a young mer¬ 
chant gained, by merchandise, upwards of ^50,000, according to his own 
assertions, which were confirmed by my observations; that a young phy¬ 
sician, by his practice alone, gained, in my estimation, at least from three 
to four thousand dollars a year; that the other physicians and merchants 
made proportion ably enormous gains; that Doctor H. Perrine, from the 
superiority of his medical reputation, and, the privileges of his offical 
situation, enjoyed advantages for practice and merchandise not possessed 
by any of his countrymen; and that, nevertheless, he sacrificed his splen- 
