possible link again to John Higgins.
If your Higgins ancestors were in shipping that also means that they were in same circle as my ancestors, as the "Higgins' Wharf" on the shore of Norfolk was owned by the John Higgins born Norfolk 1815, married to Margaret T Debree. His father in law was John DeBree who was a USNavy purser since 1817 and would have been able to get John and his brother Eugene's wholesale business in with the right navy people for purchasing. Did you ever hear of Daniel's father in wholesale?