OF ATEW  YORK CITY.                     307
 

CHAPTER XXXV.

G. G. & S. S. Howland did an Immense business in
all those years alluded to, and after the firm was changed
to Howland & Aspinwall their extensive operations did
not decrease.

In the Pacific trade these merchants had no equals.
From 1831 to 1840, they did the largest general busi¬
ness of any firm in the city of New York.

They did a heavy business from both the East and
West Indies; also from the Mediterranean and Eng¬
land. They owned several Liverpool packets, among
them the " John Jay," " William Brown," and " Craw¬
ford." They owned at least seventeen or eighteen
ships.                            ''

I have read in the papers of to-day that old General
Paez has just safely reached La Guayra, on his return
from the United States, where he has long been an
exile.

Twenty-eight years ago, old Paez was in his glory
and President of Venezuela. At that time the How¬
land concern did the largest business with that country.
They had a resident agent, John M. Foster, at Car-
raccas, and traded regularly at Puerto  Cavello and La