He shall have dominion from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Psalm 72:8.Jardine Matheson & Co. is one of the remarkable business stories of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Founded in Canton on 1 July 1832, Jardines has had a longer continuous existence than any other British, European or American business connected with trade in China. Robert Blake, Jardine Matheson, Traders of the Far East, 1999.In the Old Testament, at least as translated into English, the writer of Psalm 72:8 noted that the Lord would have ‘dominion’, or control, of everything from sea to sea. Now, or really then, that biblical author could not have known anything more than that ‘sea to sea’ encompassed but the waters at the Pillars of Hercules in the west at Gibraltar to the far east of the Mediterrean, with the Red and Black Seas added into the watery measure. He, or she, could not perhaps have even imagined that one day, men would also have dominion, nay from sea to sea, but from ocean to ocean, over all of the “seven seas”, through new sailing technologies.On the other hand, the expression comes from the translations that culminated in the most famous of the Christian tomes, the King James the First Bible, first publised in 1611, but the English version may not be a true interpretation of what the original scribe meant to communicate. Be that as it may, by 1611, when Bermuda was in a transitional stage between a hostelry to the shipwrecked complement of the Sea Venture, 1609-10, and a true settlement by the Virginia Company in mid-1612, western understanding of “sea to sea” had changed beyond any biblical recognition, as European square riggers explored the ocean seas right round the globe.In those voyages, Bermuda, unknown to the early Christian world, was discovered by its namesake, Juan de Bermudez, probably in the late autumn of 1505. Nor could the Psalm writer ever contemplate that from this small place would emerge the “Bermuda Rig”, the greatest invention in sailing technology after the square rigger, which made that method obsolete and today holds worldwide dominion as the “sail of choice” from “sea to shining sea”, to appropriate a phrase from the patriotic song, “America the Beautiful”.The founding of the first human settlement of Bermuda was a part of a new “business model”, whereby persons of means ventured “joint stock” and other forms of non-government enterprises to establish colonies or companies in distant parts of the world, mostly via the sea, for trade and profit. The Virginia Company and its offshoot, the Bermuda Company (est.1615), were such companies, though not perhaps as famous as the East India Company, which took over a subcontinent, somewhat larger than our island.From such business enterprises evolved the Scottish entity Jardine Matheson, which established a base in the Far East at Canton and then Hong Kong in the 1830s and 1840s. John Lang, President, Jardine Matheson International Services Ltd, has noted: ‘We remain focused principally in Asia, with a very wide variety of businesses. As a diversified group, comprising a combination of cash generating activities and long term property assets, the main holding company, Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd, which, as we know, has been incorporated here in Bermuda since the mid 1980s, has a current market capitalisation of almost US$30 Billion, making it one of the most successful entities of its kind in the world.”John Lang and his predecessor, the late Harry Wilken, come from a long tradition of Scots braving the milieu of business around the world. There remain elements of tradition and a strong Scottish flavour to the Jardine Matheson Group, as typified by Harry’s establishment of the St Andrew’s Day celebration at Jardine House in Bermuda, when the bagpipes are played, whisky is sampled, haggis eaten and the Scottish flag (which Jardines boldly uses as its house flag!) is flown on Reid Street.This story is a small tribute to Harry, beloved of many in Bermuda, as he loved us, and our island home, a long and friendliest of associations that he nurtured with his wife, Eileen, but one cut short by his untimely death on January 24, 2010.As John Lang (cousin to all the Bermudian Langs) wrote: “Harry’s career with Jardines spanned 38 years and took him through a variety of responsibilities in Hong Kong, Hawaii, The Philippines and, of course, Bermuda. He and I had known each other since 1969, before either of us joined Jardines. (He in 1972 and me in 1974.) An accountant by training, he worked in various financial management positions in different parts of the company, from central finance to textiles to sugar to general trading to share registrars to travel agencies and, finally, since the mid 1990s, as president of Jardine Matheson International Services and company secretary of each of the five Jardine Group quoted companies which are incorporated here.‘True to the sea trading traditions of Jardines, but not a particularly keen sailor, Harry supported the Sail Training Association, the Sloop Foundation and the recent Tall Ships Race, with great vigour. Whenever a Royal Navy ship came to Bermuda, he would be sure to invite the officers to a regal lunch in Jardine House.’In recognition of those interests and of his support of the Maritime Museum, now the National Museum of Bermuda, and that of the St George’s Foundation, among other charitable interests, an exhibit gallery is to be established at the Museum in honour of Charles Harry Wilken, a great friend to Bermuda and a great friend to many, and, as far as we know, enemy to none on these shores. Jardines and other companies and colleagues and friends of Harry Wilken are supporting this memorial to a much-loved member of the Bermuda community.To other Scots and working visitors from lands over the seas, Bermuda is indebted to all such individuals for the positive forces they have brought, and continue to bring, to this “second most remotest place on earth”. But to Harry, we send our thanks and the maritime good wishes as expressed in the famous Scots song, “Auld Lang Syne”.We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine;But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.Edward Cecil Harris, MBE, JP, PHD, FSA is Executive Director of the National Museum of Bermuda, incorporating the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Comments may be made to director[AT]bmm.bm or 704-5480.