Unusual press of business and the writing of his report for the impending session of Congress caused the receipt by Perry on his arrival in Washington, of a note, dated November 26, the substance of which was that the Secretary was so busy that he could not consider the business for which Perry was called from home, until after Congress had met. He need not, therefore, wait in Washington but was at liberty to go home and wait instructions. This was the first thorn of the rose on the way to the Thornrose castle, in the Pacific. Somewhat vexed, as Perry must have been, at being forced on a seeming fool’s errand, he possessed his soul in patience, and, at home expressed his mind on paper as follows:— NORTH TARRYTOWN, N. Y., December 3, 1851. Sir,—Seeing that you were so much occupied during my stay at Washington, I was careful not to intrude upon your time and consequently had little opportunity of conversing with you upon the business which caused me to be ordered to that city—it has, therefore, occurred to me, whether it would not be desirable that I should write down the accompanying notes, in further explanation of the views entertained by me, with reference to the subject under consideration. So far as respects my own wishes, I confess that it will, to me, be a serious disappointment, and cause of personal inconvenience not to go to the Mediterranean, as I was led to believe from various reliable sources that it had been the intention of the Department to assign me to the command, and had made arrangements accordingly; but I hold that an officer is bound to go where his services are most required, yet I trust I may be pardoned for expressing a strong disinclination to go out as the mere relief or successor to Commodore Aulick without being charged with some more important service, and with a force competent to _a possible_ successful issue the expectations of the government. Advance in rank and command is the greatest incentive to a officer, and, having already been intrusted with two squadrons, one of them the largest one put afloat since the creation of the navy, I could only look to the Mediterranean for advance in that respect, as that station, in time of peace, has always been looked upon as the most desirable. Hence it may not be surprising that I consider the relief of Commodore Aulick who is much my junior and served under me in my second squadron, a retrograde movement in that great and deeply fostered aim of an officer of proper ambition, to push forward; unless indeed, as I have before remarked, the sphere of action of the East India squadron and its force be so much enlarged as to hold out a well-grounded hope of its conferring distinction upon its commander.