This line has been unfortunate, in the loss of not less than five of its steamers in four years, the Canadian in 1857, Indian in 1859, Hungarian in 1860, and Canadian and North Briton in 1861. Of these losses, two were in the St. Lawrence and three in the Atlantic, and of the former only one can be laid to the dangers of the navigation, as the first steamer lost was run ashore almost under the lamps of a lighthouse in full view, and on a bright, calm evening, by an incompetent pilot, who had assumed the control on her arrival. The following table shows the principal dimensions, capacity, &c., of the Canadian ocean steamers: MONTREAL OCEAN STEAMSHIP COMPANY. The nominal horse-power, speed and ship's company are approximate; the actual horse-power exerted is nearly four times the nominal. The Hibernian and Norwegian show a marked advantage in the net tonnage as compared with the gross. There are two regular Lines of Screw Steamers sailing to Glasgow, and the pioneer vessel of one to London has visited Montreal. The St. Lawrence route to Liverpool as a steam one has the very great advantage of sheltered and therefore comparatively smooth water from Cape Race to Quebec. The Can adian steamers have 1,000 miles less of open ocean to contend with than those plying to New York. Our mail steamers should therefore regularly make shorter time than the Cunard line, but for want of sufficient power they do not do so and from over loading since the grain trade at Montreal has increased, their average voyages are longer now than they were before 1860. The contract for fixing a maximum for the outward and homeward passage necessarily allows a margin for bad weather, and thus this provision fails to secure that speed which alone can establish the route. The subsidy should not be renewed unless the utmost efficiency of which a screw line is capable of, is secured; for this is precisely one of those things which should be thoroughly done or not attempted at all. It is the height of folly to continue to pay a large subsidy to a line just fast enough to be beaten. The fastest line will take the mails, the most profitable traffic; and a larger subsidy even than that now paid might prove remunerative if these can be secured. A subsidy is no longer needed to open the route,—it should now only be employed to demonstrate its superiority to all others. EARLY NAVIGATION OF THE ST. LAWRENCE. During the first quarter of the present century,-before the state of New York had availed herself of that remarkable pass through the Alleghany range, which is afforded by the Hudson River, and had tapped Lakes Champlain, Ontario, and Erie by means of her grand canals, exports from Northern Vermont and New York, viâ Lake Champlain (or Corlaer's Lake, as the Dutch had named it,) as well as from those tributaries of the St. Lawrence which take their rise in the " Empire State," sought an outlet at Quebec and Montreal. Previous to the year 1822, American lumber, grain, &c., were admitted into Canada, duty free, and exported, with all the privileges afforded to Canadian products, to the British West-Indian colonies. While New York was pressing forward her canals (commenced in 1817 and completed in 1824,) the Imperial authorities, in 1822, prepared the way for the complete diversion of American exports from the St. Lawrence to those canals, by imposing a duty upon such exports to Canada. Sir J. B. Robinson, in 1822, as the agent of Upper Canada in London, very properly suggested that the propriety, or otherwise, of such a duty might safely be left to the Canadians; but the defense to the measure was that, as Canadian products were admitted into the British West-India colonies free of duty, while American were taxed, the free admission of the latter into Canada would be a discrimination in favor of British bottoms, viâ the St. Lawrence, against American bottoms, viâ the Mississippi, of which the Americans would complain as an evasion "of the relaxation professed to be made in the navigation laws for the benefit of a reciprocal commerce." This blunder was, however, acknowledged, in 1831, by the re-admission of American exports, as before, free of duty. Long before the commencement of any regular system of improvement, by means of continuous canals overcoming the whole of any rapid, small locks for batteaux had been constructed by the French at the Cascades, the Coteau, and the Longue Sault rapids. In 1804, these were reconstructed of larger size and in improved positions, by the royal engineers, as military works. While furs were the only exports the batteau was suited to the trade in both directions; but when agricultural export commenced, grain was first sent down (before 1800) on the rafts, and in scows or "arks," which were broken up and sold as lumber in Montreal. Some slight improvements were made by Lower Canada in 1805 and 1806 in the boat channel of the rapids. Merchandise was at that time carted to Lachine, from whence. the batteaux and Durham boats took their departure (in "brigades" of five or more boats, that their united crews might aid each other at the rapids,) and sailed through Lake St. Louis. At the Cascades, three-fourths of the cargo was discharged and carted to the head of the Cedars-the boat, with the remaining fourth, being locked past the Cascades, dragged up the "Split Rock" and Cedars, and re-loadedpassing the Coteau by a lock into Lake St. Francis. Above Cornwall, there were two locks in Longue Sault, one of which was a private speculation; and between Mille Roches and the head of the Longue Sault, as between the Cascades and the Cedars, lighterage was necessary, three-fourths of the cargo being discharged and hauled over land. From Prescott the boats sailed up to Kingston, or (after 1818) were towed by steamer. The average time required for the voyage was twelve days, and the actual expenses of a Durham boat with an average cargo of eight tons, from Lachine to Kingston, were as follows: Tolls at the Cascades and Coteau,. Towing at different Rapids,.... ........ Land carriage of 6 tons from Cascades to the Cedars, £2 10 5 10 3 3 3 15 12 12 £30 7 0 $121 40 cents. Salt, which was taken at the lowest rates, was charged 3s. 9d. per cwt., in 1825, from Lachine to Kingston; the average rate on merchandise being 4s. 6d. per cwt., or eighteen dollars per ton. The number of boats which paid toll at the Coteau locks were An addition of about twelve per cent. should be made, to the above because one boat out of eight or nine sailed up the rapids, and did not pay toll. Of the Durham boats about one-half were American. For downward cargo a Durham boat had a capacity of three hundred and fifty barrels of flour, and a batteau thirty to forty; but in their latter days these were made nearly as large as the former. Upward, the former averaged eight tons, and the latter four to five. The transportation of 1824 was diminished by a failure of the harvest in 1823, as well as by the operations of the Imperial trade act of 1822. The average passage of a boat from Kingston to Lachine was four days; and the expense as follows: Six men, four days, at 3s. 6d.,... £4 4 The downward trade in 1818 to 1825 averaged about 150,000 to 175,000 barrels per annum, say 15,000 tons; and the upward trade about 5,000 tons, or about one to three. In 1832, the trade had increased so as to give six to eight hundred Durham boats and twelve to fifteen hundred batteaux, passing the locks, the down trade being 66,000 tons and the up trade 21,000 tons-the proportions of about three to one still holding good. As the trade increased, passenger steamboats were placed on Lakes St. Francis and St. Louis, and four-horse coaches upon the portage roads. Improvements in the steamboats, in 1833, enabled them to overcome the smaller rapids between the Longue Sault and Prescott; and from that date they descended as far as Dickinson's Landing. The agitation of the Erie and Champlain canals early drew the attention of the Canadians to the competition. with which they were threatened. It was a renewal of that |
