The magazine of American history with notes and queries . nd aJapanese servant, the bigbook of the Narrative of theJapan Expedition grew intoform. Dr. Robert Toombscompiled an introductorychapter, the Rev. Dr. FrancisHawks wrote a preface, thebrothers Evert and George Duyckinck furnished the index ; maps, scientificpapers, and surveys by naval officers, and letter-press descriptions for theplates by experts, were contributed ; but the text of the narrative was fromPerrys own hand and brain. Accustomed to the constant perusal and copying for practice of theEnglish classics, the commo-dore was a
The magazine of American history with notes and queries . nd aJapanese servant, the bigbook of the Narrative of theJapan Expedition grew intoform. Dr. Robert Toombscompiled an introductorychapter, the Rev. Dr. FrancisHawks wrote a preface, thebrothers Evert and George Duyckinck furnished the index ; maps, scientificpapers, and surveys by naval officers, and letter-press descriptions for theplates by experts, were contributed ; but the text of the narrative was fromPerrys own hand and brain. Accustomed to the constant perusal and copying for practice of theEnglish classics, the commo-dore was already master of aterse, graphic English style,while his book is all the bet-ter history because it is theautograph story of an eye-witness. It is written in thethird person. The printing of the workillustrates the methods of ourGovernment publishinghouse. The work cost $360,-000, and 18,000 copies wereprinted, an extra set of 200,with special illustrations,being sent to the govern-reverse of gold MEDAi, ments of the world. 15,000 Vol. XIII.—No. 434 COMMODORE MATTHEW CALBRAITH PERRY copies were ordered by Congress for members, each receiving 50 sets ofthe work, 3,000 copies were allowed to the officers of the squadron, ofwhich Perry received 1,000. He presented 500 copies to Dr. Hawks,chiefly for putting his name to the work and writing the preface; so thatall the extra pay, bounty, reward, or pension the commodore receivedfrom a grateful country for his triumph was 500 copies of his own he died, his widow was most reluctantly accorded a niggardlypension, while neither officers nor crew received an extra dollar for theservice which had so raised our national prestige in the eyes of the with this the medals, orations, gifts, pensions and honors, bothpopular and official, granted to Oliver Hazard Perry and to many othernaval officers, and one may well wonder whether we are a warlike or apeaceful people. Perhaps we lack the capacity of perception,
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