The Royal William. The Herald of Confederation, the Pioneer of the Cunard Line of Steamers, and of Ocean Steam Navigation

The Royal William. The Herald of Confederation, the Pioneer of the Cunard Line of Steamers, and of Ocean Steam Navigation

By Archibald Campbell

[Published by the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec in Transactions, New Series, No. 20 (1890)]

Drawing of the Royal William

Model of the Royal William

THE

"ROYAL WILLIAM,"

The Pioneer of Ocean Steam Navigation.

A PAPER READ BEFORE THE LITERARY AND HISTORICAL

SOCIETY OF QUEBEC, ON THE 31ST DAY OF

MARCH, 1891.

ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL,

One of the Vice-Presidents of that institution

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The subject of my paper is the steamship "Royal William," as I pretend, the Herald of Confederation, the pioneer of the Cunard fleet and of Ocean steam navigation. She was the first Ocean steamship to cross the Atlantic solely propelled by the motive power of steam. She was built expressly as an Ocean steamship, to contend with the storms of the Atlantic; built too in the Port of Quebec, by the united efforts of Quebec, Halifax and Montreal enterprise; designed, draughted and perfected by Quebec ship architects, builders, carpenters and broad axemen. Her engines were made in Montreal and there adjusted to her. So, you will see, that Canada, this Canada of ours, took a vast onward step in teaching mankind how to girdle the world by steam power and bring the ends thereof to every man's door and enable him, should famine threaten at home, to obtain corn rapidly, easily and economically in any distant Egypt, where it would likely be found, even on the other side of the Globe, and that too with greater facility than the Sons of Jacob ever did when they sought it in the land of the Pharaohs, though neighboring to their own.

If I make out my pretensions, the world must admit that Canada established a new epoch, and in so doing encircled her own brow with a halo of renown. In my early boyhood the "Royal William" was a daily topic of conversation, and the impression was given me then, which nothing since has induced me to change, that this steamship was the first a one to dare the dangers of crossing the Ocean and contend thereon solely with the motive power of steam against the frightful storms that so frequently agitate its surface. This idea being so fully impressed upon my mind, and considering that we of this favored land might well boast of this illustrious achievement of her sons, I need scarcely say, how delighted I felt when I read in the papers in the early part of the year that a Royal Naval Exhibition, in aid of the funds to relieve the poorer members of that service, would take place in May next, in London, and that the Naval Committee had arranged to have a very complete and historical collection of objects connected with navigation ; here then was a chance to claim from the world a recognition of our right of being regarded as the greatest benefactor in modern times to the human race, as having inaugurated Ocean steam navigation. So at the annual general meeting of this Society, in January last, I moved, seconded by Mr. W. C. N. Wood, that we should lend to the said Royal Exhibition the model of the "Royal William," which had been presented to the Society by the late Mr. Henry Dinning; that motion was agreed to. What then was my utter astonishment when the Honorary Secretary, Captain Jephson, though courteously thanking the Society for its kindness, good wishes, &c, said "not to send the model unless it could be well authenticated that the "Royal William" was really the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, as the Naval Committee are very particular about proper authentication."

This took me all aback as the sailors say. What! a Naval Committee not know that our "Royal William" was the first steamship ever to plough the Ocean without the aid of wind, aye and against it; that Ocean upon which Britannia boasts to be mistress. . . !! What next, surely there they must know little of the antecedents of our glorious country to doubt our righteous claim; aye and of other noble claims we have on the gratitude of mankind and of Britain in particular. For if Britain is aided by the eminent abilities of the Jew in the Councils of the nation, it was Canada that shewed the noble example of enfranchising that down trodden race; Canada ever in the vanguard of progress and enlightenment, if I may coin a word, un-Russianised the Jew, and Britain following in her wake did so too, and the offspring of the Jew are now amongst the representatives in Her House of Commons, even Peers of the Realm, and on high occasions preside right Royalty at Guildhall. No longer abject as was Isaac of York, but able, sans peur et sans reproche, confident of the rights of freemen, to regard their fellow mortals with uplifted brow. Britain's mighty fleets of Ocean steamships now display her meteor flag on every far as the waters of the Ocean extend, "from Greenland's icy mountains to India's Coral Strands," and yet do the Naval Committee question the right of the "Royal William", and are they not aware that this viking ship, this modern Argo, was built and provided with powers of contending with adverse winds by Canadians?

Well then, I determined to satisfy them that our right was beyond contention. I knew that an old and eminent President of this Society had written upon the subject; but his works are now so voluminous, that without an index to their contents, it would take some time to find out in which of them contained the information. So to make matters short I looked up their author, Mr. J. M. LeMoine, F.R.S.C, &c. for many years, as you all know, President of our Literary and Historical Society; and he very kindly and most willingly gave me such information upon the subject as to lighten the work I had undertaken, in order to satisfy the Naval Committee that our claim was good.

Mr. Dominick O'Meara, acting Collector of Customs of this Port, courteously gave me certificates of birth, if I may so call them, of the "Royal William", known to nautical men as registers of the ship. These were sent to the Naval Committee, as was also "LeMoine's Quebec Past and Present," which latter work at pages 266, 277, 278 and 279, besides extracts from "Christie's History of Canada", contains much original matter bearing upon the subject. Mr. F. A. McCord, of Ottawa, also liberally sent me for the said Committee his own admirable work on historical events, wherein he too maintained the right of the "Royal William" to be regarded as the first Ocean steamship to cross the Atlantic under steam. All these were sent to the Committee with the transactions of this Society of the years 1877-8 and 9, containing a letter written to a Mr. King by Captain McDougall giving an account of the "Royal William's" voyage to England, and which letter Mr. King presented to Mr. LeMoine, and he to the Society. Most of these extracts and letters I shall later on make you more particularly acquainted with. They had however the desired effect with the Committee, and a few weeks ago our Secretary received an intimation from them that they had accepted the loan of the model, and that at the Exhibition it would be well placed ; the Honorary Secretary adding that he was so glad to have something from old Quebec at their Naval Exhibition. The model was then immediately forwarded by express, and no doubt is by this time received.

Mr. Frank Johnson, Secretary of the Quebec Exchange, kindly furnished me with extracts from the register of that institution during the years 1831-2 and 3, wherein entries respecting the "Royal William" were made.

Mr. Joseph Wilson Henry, a fine hearty old citizen, who though passed the three score years and ten ordinarily allotted to human life, wears them so lightly that he might be taken as of middle age, gave me a solemn declaration, made before the prothonotary, of what he knew respecting the steamship in question, and which I shall now read to you.

"I, Joseph Wilson Henry, of the City of Quebec, founder, aged 76 years, do solemnly declare that in the year 1831, I was present at the launch of the steamship “Royal William” in the cove generally known as Cape Cove, owned at the time by Mr. John Saxton Campbell, merchant, who, with Mr. George Black, built the said steamship for a company, to trade between Quebec and Halifax. The launching was a great event in Quebec and attracted an enormous concourse of people; the regiments stationed in the city provided the bands; the shipping in port lent their bunting, and Lady Aylmer, the wife of the Governor General, honored the scene with her presence and christened the vessel after the reigning sovereign, William the Fourth.”

"I knew perfectly well Mr. James Goudie ; he was the son of that Mr. Goudie, ship architect, who constructed the navy, on the Upper Canada Lakes in the war of 1812, and was born in Quebec, but about the age of 15 years, left to study his profession of shipbuilder at Greenock, Scotland. On his return to Quebec, I think it was previous to the laying of the keel of the ‘Royal William,' in the fall of 1830, he was employed in the shipbuilding yard of Messrs. Campbell and Black, and from all I heard and saw, he draughted the lines of the said steamship. After her launch, she was towed to Montreal, where engines were put into her. The following year she traded between Quebec and Halifax, but it being the dreadful year of the first cholera, business was nearly at a stand still, consequently the 'Royal William' did not prove a paying concern to the stockholders. During that year I made several castings for the said steamship's engines. The following year she left this port under steam for the port of London, and regarding her as the first steamship that attempted the dangers of the Ocean voyage, like all Quebeckers, I took a great interest in everything connected with it, and greedily perused the accounts of her voyage across the Ocean, which appeared in the papers several months after her departure. In these accounts it was stated that the voyage from Quebec to London was made the whole way under steam ; that as the Pictou coal was considered unequalled for steamboats, she put into the port of Pictou to obtain her supply for the voyage, and after having secured what she required, proceeded to the port of London, where I understood she arrived safely.”

"And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously, believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the Act " passed in the 37th year of Her Majesty's Reign, intituled: 'An Act for the Suppression of Voluntary and Extra Judicial Oaths.'”

(Signed,) J. W. HENRY.

The said solemn declaration was taken before the undersigned by the said Joseph Wilson Henry, at the City of Quebee, this 26th day of February, 1891. (L.S.)

FISET, BURROUGHS & CAMPBELL,

Prothonotary of the Superior Court,

for the district of Quebec.

Thus was launched this young aurora of the seas, prepared to drive darkness, distance and the winds before her, and constrain the elements themselves to be submissive.

You must have noted all the pomp and circumstance of civil and military splendour accompanying the launch. The Representative of Royalty was there, in the person of the Governor General, followed by a brilliant Staff ; the Martial Band of the Imperial Thirty-second Regiment of Foot discoursed joyous music in congratulatory strains. The wife of the Governor acted as sponsor as the ship quivered and swayed proudly from her bilge ways into that element whereon she initiated a new era ; all this was unusual on such an occasion, but there was a reason of state for all this display, the act represented Britain's deep and well considered policy towards her provinces in B. N. A., her determination to blend them into one undivided whole, to weld them into a nation, it was the signet mark by this country of its endorsation of that policy approved of by our Parliament and heartily supported by the people; it was the precursor of the Federal Union. The completion of the "Royal William" in that day was what the building of a short line to Halifax is in our time ; no more crossing from shore to shore of the St. Lawrence ; no more tacking now required. All would be on a straight course ; the laying down of that keel was to the prophetic eye of vision, the turning of the first sod of Intercolonial and the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway ; the same policy dictated both acts, to rivet the Union of the Provinces into our superb Dominion, and form the strongest link in the chain of Britain's Empire, and give to us a name and position that must ultimately lead to Canada acquiring a commanding influence, and may be (if we can only live at peace with one another) to perpetuate the existence of this country among the ruling nations of the world. A ray of this policy of Britain's glimmered upon the country when in 1825 she urged the building of the "Royal William." Yes, I say the suggestion came from Britain so early as that time, and the first fruit of this conception was the "Royal William."

Now I must tell you how I delved all this out, through what shaft I extracted such a wealth of hidden information. I stated above that I obtained registers of the ship, for there were two ; in the first, the owners are represented to be The Quebec and Halifax Navigation Company; this gave me a clue, an incorporated company must have its act of incorporation in our statutes, so I hunted them up in our Literary and Historical Library and found them. Here was a veritable historical eldorado, disclosing the policy that culminated in the construction of this pioneer of sea freedom, as releasing mankind from the thraldom of the winds on the Ocean wave.

By the 5th Geo. IV, cap. XX, it will be seen that the Government of that day offered inducements to the "first person or Company that shall cause a steam vessel of not less than 500 tons burden to be built and regularly navigated between the Ports of Quebec and Halifax ;" but the subsidy therein offered was not of a sufficiently attractive nature to induce any to nibble at the bait. What do you think it amounted to? $6,000 ! ! ! Five years elapsed. The act remained a dead letter, when a greater inducement was offered by the 10 and 11 Geo. IV, c. 32 ; in fact the subsidy was therein doubled.

Judging by the munificence of the subsidies offered in the present day, those not aware of the secret springs that guided them, would consider the then Commons of Lower Canada in Parliament assembled very parsimonious. Let me remove that stigma. It was a high sense of duty that dictated their conduct. By passing the Act they evinced their desire in unison with the Government to create a bond of union between this Inland Province and the Maritime Provinces ; but as at that time the country was not blessed with a Responsible Government, the ministry were then but the minions of the Crown, their appointment had not to be endorsed by the voice of the people, and the people were, through their representatives in Parliament assembled, struggling for their rights, and the only hold they had upon the Government to coerce them to yield them, was by keeping a tight hold on the purse strings and preventing the ministry of the day obtaining money, the manipulation of which would be given to their own friends. We all know the difficulty lead to the struggle of 1837, when the enlightened mind of Britain, seeing the justice of Canada's demands, acceded to them and granted us the free constitution we enjoy to-day.

Well then, this extra liberality of the Commons had the desired effect, a company was formed and incorporated as I have already stated for the purposes mentioned in these acts cited. By this time, six years after the passing of the first act, great interest was taken not only by Canada, but also by the Maritime Provinces in the project ; the connecting—the federation of the Colonies together—had become a national scheme, all the enterprising, energetic and patriotic men in the two Colonies gave the same their support, as established by the names I shall read to you from our Statute Book William IV, cap. 33, the act of incorporation of the said, company.

If the laying of the keel of the '”Royal William'” foreshadowed what was then hidden in the womb of the future, the turning of the first sod of the C.P.R. ; her first voyage to Halifax proclaimed her the forerunner if not the first of the Cunard line of steamers. In the note at foot of page 266 of LeMoine's Quebec Past and Present, published in 1876, we read: "Whilst in Halifax the ‘Royal William’ was repeatedly visited by Sir Samuel Cunard, who lost no opportunity to enquire every particular regarding her speed, sea qualities, consumption of fuel ; carefully noting down all the information obtained, which says Mr. J. C. Dantner, 2nd Engineer on board, doubtless enabled him to establish the magnificent fleet of Ocean Steamships that still bear his name." Mr. Dantner did not then know what you will all now learn, that Sir Samuel Cunard and his bro thers were partowners of the "Royal William," for they were corporators in the said association, as were the foremost merchants of our city.

Here are a few of the names mentioned in the act of incorporation of "the Quebec and Halifax Navigation Co."

Matthew Bell, proprietor of the Three Rivers Iron Mines and St. Maurice Forges, grand-father by the way to the Judge of the Vice-Admiralty Court here, the Honorable George Irvine.

Jeremiah Leaycraft, pioneer (in that day, our merchants were men of energy and hacked out new paths for commerce) of the West India trade.

Henry LeMesurier, an old Peninsular veteran, who fought and bled under Wellington and left his right arm at Salamencea.

William Price, the king of the Saguenay.

George Taylor, designer and owner of the Patent Slip at Levis.

Duncan McCallum, the great brewer, a sterling soul as ever lived.

The three brothers, William, George and Harry Pemberton; George, the father of our popular lawyer Ned Pemberton. Mr. G. Pemberton remembered to this day as a wonderful pedestrian, having walked, during the winter season, to Montreal in less than three days, half that time in the face of a howling snow storm.

William Lampsoh, father of George and Frederick Lampson, well known advocates of our city. The father opened up a great South American trade.

Hypolite Dubord, who sat for several Parliaments as representative of our city.

James McKenzie, of Levis, the fortunate owner of the first steam tow-boats. Had he, on leaving the army in Upper Canada, gone down the Hudson to New York, instead of coming down the St. Lawrence to Quebec, with his well known energy and steamboat proclivities, the fortune he left his family, though great as it was, might have been very much greater, and no doubt he would have rivalled the wealthy Vanderbilt in the same line of business.

James Clearihue, the great flour merchant.

The three Cunard brothers, Samuel, Joseph and Henry, now of Imperial reputation.

William Sheppard, well known in the annals of this institution as a lecturer on most erudite subjects, and whose papers published in our transactions command attention even to the present day.

Archibald Campbell, Her Majesty's notary, a wonderful musician and the founder of the Music Hall, father-in-law of the late lamented General Brackenbury and of Captain Noble, the eminent scientist and associate of Sir William Armstrong.

John Saxton Campbell, one of the pioneers of the Ottawa, and fortunate for my father that he was so, as upon the latter's regiment, H. M. 99th Regiment of Foot and other regiments being disbanded in this country, he and many of his brother officers, amongst whom was a grand uncle of Major Crawford Lindsay, of the Quebec Artillery, sought for service in the disputes and wars then being carried on between Spain and her South American Colonies, and were embarking on board of a ship just about sailing for South America, when his brother John persuaded him to take charge of his chantiers on the Ottawa and try the exciting life of a coureur de bois. The present city of Ottawa was not then even dreamt of. Col. Bye had not passed that way; the whole country was a wilderness, the home of the bear, wolf and other wild animals. A. D. 1819, I think it was. And the lot on which Ottawa now stands was offered him for LGO, but the declined it and lived fifty years after as one of the Crown's hard bargains, as he called half-pay officers ; while poor Lindsay and his gallant companions, to a number exceeding ten, besides a band of discharged soldiers who embarked on board the same ship, were never afterwards heard of ; the vessel must have foundered at sea.

But why continue reading the names of these enterprising shareholders, amongst whom are to be found women, worthy mothers I trust they became of noted Canadians. The act is upon the shelves of our Library, and reference can always be had to it and the names there seen. Yet there is one other, Wm. Stairs, whom I cannot help referring to, though I know nothing of him personally, save that he must have been of sterling stuff, as he was the grandfather of a hero, the gallant Lieut. Stairs, of world-wide reputation, the companion of the indomitable Stanley in Africa. Need I tell you that Stairs is a Canadian.

You perceive, from the entries in the register of the Quebec Exchange and from the statements of the second engineer which I have just read, that the "Royal William" had made trips to Halifax, and one would imagine that the interest of Legislature would now cease in the concern; but no such thing, its paternal care still hovered over its bantling, for another act, the fourth one, was passed during the session of 1831-32, the 2 Wil. IV, cap. 2. Thus the policy which suggested the building of the "Royal William" occupied the attention of the Legislature for a period of seven or eight years and this last act relieved the vessel from facing the storms of the Atlantic, and authorised the Finance Minister to pay the subsidy, though the voyage extended no further than Pictou in Nova Scotia. Now, though we have not been able to get hold of the log book, what is the inference we must draw from this act, but that in the autumn of 1831, on one of her trips to Halifax, the “Royal William” had encountered severe weather en the Ocean, that perhaps her bulwarks had been stoven in, her wheels broken, boats carried away and divers other injuries sustained. On her return to port, it is evident a meeting of the shareholders took place, and a stormy one, I opine it was; some timid one must have represented the fickleness of the Ocean "uncertain, coy and hard to please "…..like-like. I was going to add something, but my good angel interposes, noticing so fair an audience, and suggests that under certain circumstances silence was golden. So as to fickleness I shall say no more, save that even man at times is fickle; for what says the poet;

Weak and irresolute is man

The purpose of to day,

Woven with pains into his plan

To-morrow rends away.

However at that meeting it must have been decided to exert the influence of the Company with the Legislature, and have the law amended, as was done by the last mentioned act.

After this, we hear little or nothing of trips to Halifax. The year 1832, as we all know, the hand of the Almighty, for some wise and inscrutable purpose, afflicted the children of Adam ; the dreadful cholera broke out, the streets of cities were deserted, the merchants' counting houses closed and the wharves abandoned; trade was at a standstill, and as a consequence the “Royal William” did not prove a financial success, and the Sheriff's hammer transferred her to other owners, as appears by the second register, wherein John McDougall, already mentioned, is stated to be master, and James Bell Forsyth, Jeremiah Leaycraft, Henry LeMesurier, Matthew Bell, Noah Freer and Henry John Caldwell, owners. Most of these gentlemen were original shareholders, and are household names in our civic commercial history; and they, of bolder spirit than the majority of the old association, sent the “Royal William” on an Ocean voyage to Boston, "to plume her feathers and let grow her wings," prior to attempting a higher flight, and then, satisfied of the capabilities of the craft "on the dark blue sea."

"Their thoughts as boundless, their hopes as free," decided to risk her on a voyage to England, and so she left our shores and steamed across the Atlantic the whole way, as is conclusively established by two letters of Captain Mc-Dougall, the first written to Mr. William King, as before stated, the other to the Historian Christie, dated Ste. Foye, 10th August, 1853, and published in his History of Canada, vol. V, p. 362. I shall now read them :

London, November 16, 1833..

“My dear Willie,—You will, I am certain, think me very neglectful in not giving you an earlier account of our proceedings with the ‘Royal William’. We left Pictou on the 18th of August, after having waited several days for some passengers who were expected from Prince Edward Island, and for whom we laid in a stock. We were very deeply laden with coal, deeper in fact, than I would ever attempt crossing the Atlantic with her again; however we got on the Grand Bank of Newfoundland, where we experienced a gale of wind, which rather alarmed my engineer; he wished very much to go into Newfoundland. We had previously lost the head of the foremast, and one of the engines had become useless from the beginning of the gale; with the other we could do nothing, and the engineer reported the vessel to be sinking. Things looked rather awkward, however we managed to get the vessel cleared of water, and ran by one engine after the gale ten days. After that, we got on very well, and put into Cowes to clean the boilers, a job which generally occupied them from twenty-four hours to twenty-six every fourth day ; however we managed to paint her outside while there ; the inside we had previously done, which enabled us to go up to London in fine style. Ten days after her "arrival she was sold, and has been since thoroughly repaired and coppered. Her model is considered to be superior to any of their steamers here. I should not be surprised to hear that George Black had got orders to build some more like her. She was sold for £10,000, which I believe has all been paid. I am now employed by her owners at £30 per month, and I shall sail in a few days for Lisbon.”

"My dear Willie, believe me to be, ever sincerely yours,”

(Signed), JOHN MCDOUGALL.

Mr. WILLIAM KING,

Quebec.

From History of Lower Canada, by Robert Christie, vol. V, published at Quebec in 1854, at page 362 is found the following letter, from Captain John McDougall, claiming to have been the first who actually crossed the Atlantic solely by steam, and this in. the "Royal William," a steamer built at Quebec and launched in 1832, intended to run between this port and Halifax, an enterprise however that failed, will be found interesting :—

SAINT FOY, 10th August, 1853.

ROBERT CHKISTIE, Esq., M.P.P.

“DEAR SIR,—I lately found some papers connected with the ‘Royal William’ steamer which brought to my recollection my promise to furnish you with a brief sketch of her history, while I was attached to her, from the 19th of April, 1833, to the 1st of January, 1838.”

"I took charge of her at Sorel, after she was sold by Sheriff's sale, from Captain Nicolas, and was employed during the month of May towing vessels from Grosse Isle, and afterwards made a voyage to Gaspé, Pictou, Halifax, and Boston, in the United States, being the first British steamer that entered that port. On my return to Quebec the owners decided on sending her to London to be sold, and I left for London, via Pictou, on the 5th of August, and was detained at Pictou until the 18th, repairing the engines and boilers and receiving coals. I then started for London and was about twenty days on the passage, having run six or seven days with the larboard engine, in consequence of the starboard engine being disabled, and was detained at " different times, about a week, laying to repairing the boilers which had become very leaky.”

"About the latter end of September the ‘Royal William’ " was sold by Messrs. Geo. Wildes & Co. (the agents to whom she was consigned), to Mr. Jos. Simes, the shipowner of Radcliff, through Messrs. Wilcox & Anderson, for £10,000 sterling, and chartered to the Portuguese Government to take out troops for Don Pedro's service, and on my arrival in Lisbon offered to them for sale as a vessel of war, but rejected by their admiral, Count Cape St. Vincent, the present admiral Sir Charles Napier.”

"I then returned to London with invalids and disbanded soldiers from Don Pedro's service and laid her up off Deptford victualling office. In July I received orders to fit her out to run between Oporto and Lisbon, and made one trip between these ports and a trip to Cadiz for specie for the Portuguese Government, and on my return to Lisbon I received orders to dispose of her to the Spanish Government, through the Spanish ambassador, at Lisbon, Don Evanston Castor da Perez, which was completed on the 10th of September, 1834, and her name was changed to ‘'Ysabel Segunda,' being the first war steamer the Spaniards ever possessed, and commodore Henry hoisted his broad pennant on board as commodore of the first class and commander in chief of the British Auxiliary Steam Squadron, to be employed on the North Coast of Spain against Don Carlos. I joined the Spanish service under him with the rank and pay of a commander, but with a special agreement by which I was guaranteed £600 sterling per annum, and under a contract to supply the squadron with provisions from Lisbon. We proceeded to the North Coast of Spain, and about the latter part of 1834 returned to Gravesend for the purpose of delivering her up to the British Government to be converted into a war steamer at their dock yard, and the crew and officers were transferred to the 'Royal Tar,' chartered and armed as a war steamer, with 6 long 32 pounders and named 'the Reyna Governadoza,' the name intended for City of Edinburgh steamer, which was chartered and then fitting up as a war steamer, to form part of the squadron ; when completed she relieved the 'Royal Tar' and took her name.”

"The ' Ysabel Segunda,' when completed at Sheerness dock yard, took out General Alava, the Spanish ambassador, and General Evans and the most of his staff officers to Saint Andero and afterwards to Saint Sebastian, having hoisted the commodore's 'broad pennant' again at 'Saint Andero, and was afterwards employed in cruizing between that port and Fuenti Arabia, and acting in concert with the 'Legion' against Don Carlos, until the time of their service, expired in 1837. She was then sent to Portsmouth, with a part of those discharged from the service, and from thence she was taken to London and detained in the City Canal by commodore Henry, until the claims of the officers and crew on the Spanish Government were settled, which was ultimately accomplished by bills, and the officers and crew discharged from the Spanish service, about the latter end of 1837, and the 'Ysabel Segunda' delivered up to the Spanish ambassador, and after having her engines repaired returned to Spain, and was soon afterwards sent to Bordeaux, in France, to have the hull repaired.. But on being surveyed it was found that the timbers were so much decayed, that it was decided to build a new vessel to receive the engines, which was built there and called by the same name, and now forms one of the Royal steam navy of Spain, while her predecessor was converted into a hulk at Bordeaux.”

"She is justly entitled to be considered the first steamer that crossed the Atlantic by steam, having steamed the whole way across, while the Savannah American steamship which crossed in 1882 to Liverpool and Petersburg, sailed the most part of the way going and returning.”

"I remain, dear Sir,

Your most obedient,

JOHN MCDOUGALL."

Captain McDougall died the year after having penned the above letter, as Mr. J. Macpherson LeMoine and myself verified by a visit to Mount Hermon Cemetery last week, when Mr. Treggett, the obliging overseer thereof, shewed us the registers, from which I took the following entry:

Grave 531.

John McDougall, master mariner, born in Oban, Scotland

Died 6th December, 1854, aged 57 years.

Buried 8th “ “

Presbyterian. Dr. Cook.

One more episode in the career of the "Royal William," I would wish to narrate. In 1876, the question respecting the right to the honor of being the first steamship to cross the Atlantic seems to have been agitated and brought out a very interesting letter to the Globe of date 15th May, 1876, from a Mr. Alexander Sommerville, then of Toronto, and it would almost seem as if this inanimate ship was imbued with the instincts of that noble animal the dog, "the first to welcome, foremost to defend," and shared with him the sublime spirit of gratitude. You have all noticed that McDougall, a Scot, commanded her; Geo. Black, John Saxton Campbell, James Goudie and Joseph William Henry, all of Scottish extraction, whose sire sprung from the

Land of brown heath and shaggy wood

Land of the Mountain and the flood—

participated in giving and maintaining the ship's existence and one of the first acts of this now historic vessel, when provided with weapons of offence and defence, was to protect those clothed in the garb of the Gael. I shall read from Mr. Sommerville's letter :—

"This vessel earned one other distinction than that of steaming across the Atlantic prior to any other steamship. The 'Isabella Secunda' (the new name of the 'Royal William'), was the earliest steamer of war in the history of nations to deliver a hostile shot. It was on the 5th of May, 1836, in the Bay of San Sebastian, during the action on land then in progress between the British Legion under General Sir de Lacy Evans and the Carlists entrenched behind a series of field works, the first shot from the ship dislodged some Carlist sharp shooters who were picking off rank and file and officers of the Eighth Scottish Highlanders in the Grenadier Company of which I was a color sergeant," &c, &c.

This letter of Mr. Sommerville I had from Mr. J. M. LeMoine, and I must here again say how much in this matter I have been indebted to him, and further add my firm belief that if he had not, some twenty years ago and frequently since, interested himself on the subject and written thereon, all traces of the "Royal William," save what Mr. Christie had unearthed, would have been completely buried in the tomb of the past.

I have little more to add respecting this steamship, except that I received from Mr. James Goudie, shipbuilder, a most interesting letter in answer to one I had written to him in February last, asking for information upon the subject, and which letter I shall, with all other papers and documents I obtained thereon, hand over to be preserved of record amongst the transactions of this society; so that in future times, should other Christies, Garneaus, Parkmans, LeMoines or Stewarts, arise and wish to ferret out something in the history of this country respecting this first Ocean steamship voyage, they may here have ready reference to it and the career of this noted craft.

Mr. Goudie, in his letter, agrees with Captain McDougall that the "Royal William" is justly entitled to be considered the first steamer that crossed the Atlantic by steam, as does also Mr. Kivas Tully, of Toronto, C.E., who delivered a most valuable lecture in Toronto thereon, before the Canadian Institute, in 1877 ; a printed synopsis of which he most obligingly sent me on my writing to him last month; the conclusions of which printed synopsis I shall read :—

"The facts are fully borne out by published letters from Mr. McDonald, Longacre, London ; Mr. Stevenson, president of the Literary and Historical Society, Quebec ; Mr. Ser-pell, Burford ; Mr. Dunscombe, collector of customs, Quebec; Mr. Johnston, superintendent of Quebec Exchange ; Mr. French, Ottawa ; Mr. D. McPherson, Manitoba ; Mr. F.H. Heward, Royal Insurance Company, Toronto, who was in Quebec when the "Royal William" sailed ; Mr.J. G. Dantner, Welland, who was second engineer on board, under Capt. McDougall, and Mr. J.'W. Laurence, of Oswego, who has taken much trouble to elicit several of the facts in order to satisfy himself as to the correctness of the statements ; and in a letter dated Oswego, 17th April, 1876, he in conclusion states : 'Most unquestionably the old Lower Province can claim the credit of having both built, equipped and successfully put to sea the first working steamer to cross the Western Ocean and open up this great trade. The only vessel which can dispute the priority as pioneer steamship for transatlantic navigation is the 'Savannah,' and this vessel has for years been considered the first steamship to cross the Atlantic. As I have full statements with regard to this vessel, the claim can easily be investigated, and the result will prove that the 'Savannah' was not a steamboat in the strict sense, such as the 'Royal William,' but a sailing vessel fitted with moveable paddle wheels driven by steam."

Now, in investigating this subject, the sole desire was to attain the truth and to conceal nothing that might tend to shew that the palm was due to the "Savannah". So our worthy librarian, Mr. Frederick Wurtele, to whom I am very much indebted for his active co-operation in this matter, wrote to the Secretary of the Georgia Historical Society a letter of which the following is a copy :

LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF QUEBEC.

QUEBEC, 21st February, 1891.

SECRETARY OF THE GEORGIA

HISTORICAL SOCIETY, SAVANNAH.

“DEAR SIR,—If not asking too much would you kindly send me the following information: It seems that on the 26th May, 1819, a kind of steamship left Savannah for England. She was named the 'Savannah.' I would like a description of her, that is, build, rig, engines, horsepower, tonnage and size, in full all information you could give me. Also, extract from the custom house records, and from any newspaper extract of that date. I will be most happy to reciprocate at any time you may require historical information from Quebec.”

"I remain, yours truly,

(Signed), F. C. WURTELE,

Librarian.“

The following is a copy of the answer to above letter:—

GEORGIA HISTORICAL LIBRARY.

SAVANNAH, GA., 10th March, 1891.

F. WURTELE, Esq.

"DEAR SIR,—In response to your request I have written on the back of your letter a short description of the steamship 'Savannah.' It is the best I can do for you. There was in a number of Harper's Magazine several years ago, a lengthy article about this steamship, but I cannot remember which number it was. If you can find it, it will give you all the information you desire.”

"Very truly yours,

(Signed) WM. HARDEN,

Librarian Ga. Hist. Society."

What was written on the back of the letter is as follows :

"300 tons burthen; clipper built; full ship rigged, propelled by one inclined, similar to those now in use ; the size of her cylinder was 40 inches in diameter, with 6 feet stroke and carried 20lbs. of steam. The paddles were of wrought iron with only one flange, and were entirely uncovered; they were so attached to the shaft, but their removal and shipment on deck could be accomplished in fifteen or twenty minutes. There were two fine cabins for passengers, the two being separate and handsomely furnished. All the berths, thirty-two in number, were staterooms and were provided with every comfort then demanded. Left Savannah 20th May, 1819, with no passengers, in ballast, and just one month later came to anchor in the harbor of Liverpool. As she had to economize fuel, she used steam only eighteen days; pitch pine was used for fuel, coal not then having come into use on steamers."

Now search was made in our library and we found in the February number of 1877 of Harper's New Monthly Magazine the article referred to in Mr. Harden's letter, and there we have the American view of the voyage of the "Savannah," strong contrast from that which I have from uncontestable authority shewn to have been that of the "Royal William." Here we find that really the "Savannah" was not in the proper sense a steamship ; she was only a hobledehoy, at one moment a sailing ship tacking against the wind with her wheels on deck, and when the wind fell the wheels were lowered and steam got up. In fact she was a hybrid craft. Take for instance this entry from her log : " At 8 a.m., tacked ship to the westward; at "11 a.m., took in the mizen and fore top gallant sails ; at 11 a.m., got the steam up, and it came on to blow fresh, we took wheels in on deck in thirty minutes."

On the Saturday following the departure, we find this entry : "These twenty-four hours begins calm and pleasant. Used wheels middle of the day."

On 2nd June. "Stopped wheels to clean the clinkers out of the furnace; a heavy head sea. At 6 p.m., started wheels again ; at 2 a.m., took in the wheels."

This is a fair sample, as the article states, of the daily records. Now it is there asserted that the "Savannah" could only carry seventy-five tons of coal and twenty-five cord» of wood. We all know that such a supply could not assist a steamship any great distance at sea. Mr. Harden states steam was only used eighteen days. If steam was used eighteen days, this clipper ship must have been a dull sailer, for with steam during the whole of that time the ship ought to have arrived in England ; but no doubt, as the log had it, when it commenced to blow the wheels were taken on deck, and if wind was adverse, why she tacked. Now Captain McDougall tells us that the "Royal William" steamed the whole way across the Atlantic. From a solemn declaration taken at Pictou the 25th of March instant, by D. McDonald, Esq., collector of customs, at the request of Mr. F. Wurtele, he gives date of clearance of "Royal William," bound to London, the 17th August, 1833, and that she had 254 chaldrons of coals on board, a sufficient supply for steaming across.

As I saw remarked in some newspaper, the voyage of the "Savannah" rather retarded Ocean steamship navigation, so ill considered was the application of steam to do it, and attended with such poor results that it raised the warning cry of sauve qui peut to all who were making preparations to dabble in similar undertakings, and nothing in consequence was done to test the practicability again of Ocean steamship navigation for thirteen or fourteen years, until the successful venture of the "Royal William," which stimulated it; for we find recorded five years later, in May of the year 1838, the apparition of the " Sirius " in the "Royal William" constellation, followed by the "Great Western," both British steamships, and a few years subsequently was completed the bridging of the Atlantic by the

Canadian Cunard Ocean steamships, the Allan, Dominion and other magnificent lines of steamers.

Thanking you for the kind attention you have given me and trusting you will forgive the prolixity, with which I have spun out my sea yarn, and attribute it to its true cause pride in narrating the deeds of our predecessors, citizens of Quebec, and an earnest desire to obtain for our city in the annals of the world recognition for eminence in enterprise and courage, which I trust may never be lacking in her sons. I shall conclude in the words I have already addressed to the public.

The above, I think, should convince the most sceptical that our Canada has the honor of having inaugurated Ocean steam navigation, and that the august predecessor of our gracious Queen on the throne of Britain will be ever immortalised in the name "Royal William," so well taken from him, the sailor sovereign, a name so suitable and now irretrievably linked to the first steamship, that under steam the whole way, crossed the Ocean, on which Britain's steam fleets now predominate, thanks to the prescience of her Merchant Princes, in having so early and energetically adopted and improved upon the brilliant ideas which emanated from the master minds of Canada, thus extending the designs of Fulton's genius to the Almighty and man's service on the trackless deep.

This first voyage by steam on that fickle element by a Canadian Ocean craft, if it should be the sole memento of the skill, enterprise and daring of Canada's children, must give to our magnificent Dominion, to use the words of Alison, "the imperishable inheritance of historic glory."

Dated 31st March, 1891.

APPENDIX A.

No. 42. Port of Quebec, dated 22nd August, 1831.

Name, "Royal William."—Burthen, 363ff tons.—John Jones, master. Built at this port this present year, 1831, which appeared by a certificate of Geo. Black, the builder, dated 15th July last.

Name and employment of surveying officer. (Signed), C. G. Stewart.

One deck, three masts; length, 160 feet; breadth taken above the main wales, 44 feet; depth in hold, 17 feet '9 inches. Schooner rigged, with a standing bowsprit, square sterned; carvel built; quarter badges; scroll head; admeasured aground; propelled by steam, with wheels or flyers at each side; breadth between the paddle boxes, 28 feet.

Subscribing Owners. (Shares.)

William Finlay, William Walker and Jeremiah Leaycraft, of Quebec, merchants, Trustees of the incorporated "Quebec and Halifax Steam Navigation Company."

Other owners. (Sixty-four.)

Custom House, 14th June, 1832.

A true copy.

Custom House, Quebec, 2nd March, 1891.

(Signed), D. D. O'MEARA,

Acting Registrar of Shipping.

APPENDIX B.

No. 13. Port of Quebec, dated 18th May, 1833.

Name, "Royal William."—Burthen, 363ff tons.—John McDougall, master. Built at this port in the year 1831, which appeared by a former certificate of registry, No. 42, granted here the 22nd August, 1831, now delivered up and cancelled upon transfer of property.

Name and employment of surveying officer. (Signed), C. Secretan, acting.

One deck and round house; 3 masts; length, 160 feet —inches; breadth taken above the main wales, 44 feet— inches; height between decks—feet—inches, or depth in hold, 17 feet 9 inches. Schooner rigged with a standing bowsprit; square sterned; carvel built; quarter badges; scroll head; admeasurement afloat; propelled by steam, with wheels or flyers at each side.

Subscribing Owners. (Shares.)

James Bell Forsyth, (Ten.)

Jeremiah Leaycraft, of Quebec, merchants.. (Ten.)

Henry LeMesurier, (Ten.)

Other owners. (Shares.)

Matthew Bell, (Fourteen.)

Noah Freer, of Quebec, merchants.. (Ten.)

Henry John Caldwell, (Ten.)

De Novo, London, 22nd Nov., 1833.

A true copy.

Custom House, Quebec, 2nd March, 1891.

(Signed), D. D. O'MEARA,

Acting Registrar of Shipping.

PORT OF QUEBEC

CUSTOMS.

V. R.

CANADA,

Quebec.

Attached to Appendix B is the following and received with registers:

1844. "The Steamship 'Royal William,' McDougall, master; cleared on Saturday, 3rd August, for London, 1833.

And sailed for London at 5 o'clock a.m., Monday, 5th August, 1833.

The "Royal William" arrived at Gravesend, 25 days passage from Pictou, N. S.

(Signed). W. DUNSCOMB.

5th February, 1872.

N. B.—On last mentioned date Mr. Dunscomb was Collector of Customs for port of Quebec.

A. C.

APPENDIX D.

CANADA,

PROVINCE OP QUEBEC,

District of Quebec.

I, William Henry Baldwin, of the city of Quebec, shipbuilder, aged sixty-five years, do solemnly declare that in the year one thousand eight hundred and forty-six I took from Mr. George Black possession of Mr. George Black's shipbuilding establishment at Cape Cove, situate immediately under where Wolfe's monument stands, on the Plains of Abraham. In the moulding loft there were numbers of models, and amongst the rest that of the steamer "Royal William"; the name was on the model, and Mr. George Black, who was then alive, proudly shewed it to me as being the model of the first steamship that crossed the Ocean, propelled by the motive power of steam. Subsequently Mr. Henry Dinning became my partner in the business of shipbuilding and he presented the model of the said ship, "Royal William," to the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, where it now is. I had it in my possession for a short time within the last six weeks and gave it back to the society.

Mr. James Goudie, after the transfer of the said ship yard to me, was my draughtsman and ship architect. I know his handwriting and believe that the letter now shewn to me, addressed to Archibald Campbell, esquire, from North Evanstown, Illinois, and of date February 17, 1891, as written in the said letter, is written by him, and the signature, James Goudie, sen., at the foot thereof, is in his handwriting. From all I know and heard Mr. George Black mention on the subject, I believe Mr. Goudie's statement contained in the said letter to be correct and every way worthy of belief, and I do solemly declare and make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the "Act respecting extra judicial oaths."

(Signed), WM. H. BALDWIN,

Shipbuilder,

Quebec.

The said solemn declaration was taken before the undersigned by the said William Henry Baldwin, at the Court House, in the City of Quebec, this twenty-sixth day of February, 1891.

(Signed), FISET, BURROUGHS & CAMPBELL,

Prothonotary of the Superior Court

for the District of Quebec.

[L. S]

APPENDIX E

CANADA,

PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA.

I, Daniel McDonald, of Pictou, in the said Province of Nova Scotia, aged fifty-six years, do solemnly declare that I am the collector of customs for the port of Pictou, N. S.

In the book of records of exports of the said port, wherein I find the following particulars which I now give literatim et verbatim —

Date of clearance, 17th August, 1833.

" 'Royal William,' 363 tons; 36 men; John McDougall, master; bound to London, B (British); cargo, 254 chaldrons of coals: a box of stuffed birds and six spars, produce of this province (N. S.); one box and one trunk, household furniture and a harp, all British, and seven passengers."

And I make this solemn declaration, conscientiously believing the same to be true by virtue of the act respecting extra judicial oaths.

(Signed), DANIEL MCDONALD.

The said solemn declaration was taken before the undersigned by the said Daniel McDonald, at Pictou, this twenty-fifth day of March, 1891.

(Signed), ANGUS MCDONALD,

J. P.

APPENDIX G.

I, Archibald Campbell, of Thornhill, in the parish of St. Colomb de Sillery, one of the Joint Prothonotaries of the Superior Court of the Province of Quebec, for the district of Quebec, do solemnly declare that on or about the fourteenth day of February last past, I wrote a letter to James Goudie, shipbuilder, asking for information respecting the steamship "Royal William," and on or about the twenty-third day of the same month and year I received an answer thereto, the letter hereto attached and at the foot thereof for identification. I have written the following in red ink: "This is the letter I refer to in the annexed solemn declaration taken by me this twenty-first day of March, 1891,"

ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL.

And I do further solemnly declare that I shewed the said letter to William Henry Baldwin, of Quebec, shipbuilder, on the twenty-sixth day of February last past, and that the same is the one referred to in his solemn declaration taken at Quebec, before Fiset, Burroughs & Campbell, P. S. C, on the day and year last mentioned.

And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same to be true and by virtue of the "Act respecting extra judicial oaths."

AKCHD. CAMPBELL.

The said solemn declaration was taken before the undersigned by the said I Archibald Campbell, at Quebec, this twenty-first day of March, 1891.

(Signed), A. B. ROUTHIER, J. S. C.

The following is copy of letter referred to in Mr. Archibald Campbell's solemn declaration, and also in that of Mr. W. H. Baldwin.

NORTH EVANSTON,

COOK COUNTY, III.,

February 17th., 1891.

ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, Esq. :—

DEAR SIR,—It is with great pleasure I take my pen on hand, though in my 82nd year of age, to acknowledge the receipt of your kind letter, under date 14th inst., and contents noted.

I shall give you the facts, as they occur to me, as briefly as I can, of which I am in possession as the superintendent duly appointed by the stockholders to superintend, in all its details, the building of a steamship, afterwards named the "Royal William".

In the fall of 1830 I was duly engaged, and the keel of the "Royal William" was laid in the yard of Mr. George Black, shipbuilder, in connection with Mr. John Saxton Campbell as partner. Mr. Campbell was a merchant and ship owner of high standing and capitalist at Quebec, and brother to the late Archibald Campbell, in his life notary public.

As I had the drawings and the form of the ship, at that time a novelty in construction, it devolved upon me to lay off and expand the draft to its full dimensions on the floor of the loft, where I made several alterations in the lines as improvements. Mr. Black, though the builder and contractor, was in duty bound to follow my instructions, as I understood it. The steamship being duly commenced the work progressed rapidly and in May following was duly launched, and before a large concourse of people was christened the "Royal William," in honor of the reigning king. She was then taken to Montreal to have her engines, where I continued to superintend the finishing of the cabins and deck work. When completed she had her trial trip, which proved quite satisfactory. Being late in the season before being completed she only made a few trips to Halifax.

The next year was 1832, the cholera made its appearance, and she was destined to lose money; 1833, in August, it was decided to send her to London for sale, where she arrived after a passage of 25 days, under command of Captain John McDougall, who gave a very flattering account of her good qualities. She was put up for sale and sold to the Spanish Government, retaining Captin McDougall as commander remaining in charge for several years, coming back to Quebec with high honors from the Spanish Government. She was actually the first steamship to fire a gun in action, which is something of an honor for Quebec.

Now as to her being the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, there can be no doubt, as she was built expressly for a "sea-going steamship." I had not the slightest idea of her failure to reach London as a sea-going steamer. Right here let me tell you, though I was only 21 years old; I was full master of my business, as Mr. Simmons said when he spoke to me about going out. I asked him the question: "Do you think me capable ? I am so young." "James, if I did not think you capable I would not recommend you." That was enough for an ambitious youth as I was; I had been at the actual building, as assistant foreman to Mr. Wm. Simmons, of Greennock, Scotland, with whom I served my apprenticeship, of four such vessels as the "Royal William" to cross the Irish channel, where no rougher sea can be, having made the trip to Belfast in one of them myself. I was also foreman apprentice, in my last year, in building a steam yacht of the same style as the "Royal William," of 400 tons, but much sharper, for Don Pedro. I merely mention these facts to show I was duly qualified. It was during that time I was spoken to by Mr. Simmons to engage to go to Quebec to superintend the building of the "Royal William."

I shall now explain why I think the "Royal William" is entitled to the credit of having been the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, is because the "Savannah" ship (American) was a full rigged packet ship, built for a sailing ship, but by some ambitious desire of the owner, he conceived the idea in 1819, fourteen years prior to the "Royal William." to fit up a small steam engine on the deck of that ship, and had it so constructed that small wheels were put on the shaft, which in stormy weather could be easily unshipped and hoisted on deck to be used only in fine weather; thus he was only experimenting on the adaptation of steam for propelling on the Ocean. He seems to have got sick of the experiment, for on return of the ship the engine was taken off and laid aside to let the "Royal William." fourteen years afterwards, and the Canadian public, show to your Yankee cousins how steam could be adapted to Ocean navigation.

Mr. Campbell, trusting this sketch of mine about the "Royal William" and "Savannah" may be sufficiently authentic, I shall conclude, trusting you may be, as I am, in perfect good health, and that you may live for many years to come to enjoy the world as best we can. Gen. Sherman said before dying, it was natural to die as it was to be born.

I remain very respectfully yours,

(Signed), JAMES GOTJDÏE, Senr.

P. S.—I often think as I see the beautiful steamers on Lake Michigan, as yonder they come, driven by the power of the ascending vapor, which man has caught and chained to his service, see how they breast the rolling wave, dashing the waters aside and ploughing their way in the face of wind and current, bearing the wealth of nations in their capacious holds, and yet these rivers of water are but the veins and arteries of man's commerce with man, and the wide Ocean has become but the pathway of her noble steamships since the "Royal William" crossed the Ocean.

(Signed), J. G.

Shipbuilder.

APPENDIX H.

CANADA,

PROVINCE OF QUEBEC,

District of Quebec.

I, Frank Johnston, of the City of Quebec, Secretary of the Quebec Exchange, and as such, custodian of the registers thereof, do solemnly declare that I copied the following extracts regarding the steamship "Royal William," from the records in the possession of the Quebec Exchange and of which I am custodian:

"The steamship 'Royal William,' constructed by Mr. George Black, of this city, was launched on Friday afternoon, the twenty-ninth April, 1831, in the presence of Lady Aylmer, His Excellency Lord Aylmer and his staff. Her ladyship performed the usual ceremonies of naming the vessel when she went off the stocks, from an awning decorated with flags, several thousand persons crowding the adjacent wharves and heights. The Tow Boat Company placed the steamer 'Richelieu ' at the service of the public, and Colonel Maitland, with his usual kindness, permitted the excellent band of the 32nd regiment to attend on board.”

"Her proportions are as follows : Builder's measurement, 1370 tons: steamboat measurement as per act of Parliament, 830 tons.”

"Freight, about 300 tons of goods, which with fuel, water, provisions, &c, and the space occupied for the accommodation of 60 passengers, reduced her freight storage to the tonnage above mentioned.”

"Lenght of keel, 146 feet.

Length of deck, from head to taffrail, 176 feet.

Breadth of beam inside the paddle boxes, 29-4 ; outside, 43-10 inches; depth of hold, 17-9.”

"Her light draught of water is about 7 feet 9 inches, and " with engine and a full cargo on board, it is estimated will be under 13 feet.

"She proceeds this evening to Montreal where her engine will be put on board and the cabin fittings completed."

Montreal, 3rd May, 1831.

"Steamer ‘Royal William’ arrived at the foot of the current last night, in tow of 'British America,' and now lies opposite the foundry of Messrs. Bennett & Henderson where she will receive her engines."

Quebec, 24th August, 1831.

"The steamship ‘Royal William’ sailed for Halifax this afternoon on her first trip, stopping at Miramichi and Prince Edward Island. J. Jones, R.N., Commander."

Quebec, 4th August, 1833.

"The steamship 'Royal William,' Captain McDougalL left for London at five o'clock this morning under steam."

"She made the passage in twenty-five days. On the arrival of the ‘Royal William’ at London, she was sold to "the Spanish Government and did a good deal of service as a frigate."

And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously beliveing the said extracts and the same to be true and in virtue of the act passed in the 37th year of Her Majesty's reign intituled: "An Act for the suppression of voluntary and extra judicial oaths."

(Signed), FRANK JOHNSTON,

Secretary Quebec Exchange.

The above solemn declaration was taken before the undersigned by the said Frank Johnston, at the city of Quebec, this twenty-eighth day of February, 1891.

(Signed), FISET, BURROUGHS & CAMPBELL,

[L. S.] P.S.C.

True copy of original in my possession.

ARCHD. CAMPBELL.

N.-B.—The “Royal William” crossed the Atlantic in the Autumn of 1833. The "Sirius" and "Great Western" only in the Spring of 1838.