Mr. Seward to Mr. Van Limburg
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 9th instant, informing me, under the liberal instructions of the government of his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, that the opportunity exists in the Netherlands to have works printed in Chinese and Japanese characters from the matrices in use in that country, and transmitting to me a collection of Chinese characters with a Dutch and English text, printed at the expense of the government of the King, under the supervision of Mr. Hoffmann; and likewise a catalogue, accompanied by an explanatory report to the Royal Academy of Sciences, both written by the same learned man.
In reply, I have the honor to inform you that this information and the interesting publication will be so disposed of as to be accessible to scientific men in the United States; and I must beg of you, sir, to convey to his Majesty’s government an expression of my grateful acknowledgments for the same.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, sir, your obedient servant,
Mr. Roest Van Limburg, &c., &c., &c.