A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River. Barlow Cumberland

the passage money must be paid." "Gentlemen's servants cannot eat or sleep in the cabin." "Deck passengers will pay fifteen shillings, and may either bring their own provisions or be furnished by the steward." "For each dog brought on board, five shillings." "All applications for passage to be made to Capt. McKenzie on board." After having run regularly each season on Lake Ontario and the Niagara River her career was closed in 1827 when, while on the Niagara River, she was set on fire, it was said, by incendiaries, for whose discovery her owners, the Messrs. Hamilton, offered a reward of £100, but without result. Being seriously damaged, she was shortly afterwards broken up.

      Such were the careers of the first two steamers which sailed upon Lake Ontario and the Niagara River, and from the data it is apparent that the Frontenac on the British side was the first steamboat placed on Lake Ontario, and that the Ontario, on the United States side, had been the first to make a trip up lake, having priority in this over her rival by perhaps a week or two, but not preceding her in the entering into and performance of a regular service.

      With them began the new method for travel, far exceeding in speed and facilities any previously existing, so that the stage lines and sailing vessels were quickly eliminated.

      This practical monopoly the steamers enjoyed for a period of fifty years, when their Nemesis in turn arrived and the era of rail competition began.

      

The ONTARIO. 1817. The second Steamer on Lake Ontario. From the original drawing by Capt. Van Cleve page 21

       The GREAT BRITAIN. 1830. By courtesy of Mr. John Ross Robertson reproduced from his "Landmarks of Toronto." page 29

CHAPTER III.

       Table of Contents

More Steamboats and Early Water Routes.

       Table of Contents

The River the Centre of Through Travel.

       Table of Contents

      The Frontenac was followed by the Queen Charlotte, built in the same yards at Finkle's Point, by Teabout and Chapman, and launched on 22nd April, 1818, for H. Gildersleeve, the progenitor of that family which has ever since been foremost in the ranks of steamboating in Canada. He sailed her for twenty years as captain and purser, her first route being a round trip every ten days between Kingston, York and Queenston. The passage rates at this time were from Kingston to York and Niagara £3 ($12.00), from York to Niagara £1 ($4.00).

      In 1824 appeared the first "City of Toronto," of 350 tons, built in the harbor of York at the foot of Church Street. Her life was neither long nor successful, she being sold by auction "with all her furniture" in December, 1830, and broken up.

Passenger traffic was now so much increasing that steamers began to follow more quickly. The Lewiston "Sentinel" in 1824, in a paragraph eulogizing their then rising town, says:—"Travel is rapidly increasing, regular lines of stages excelled by none, run daily by the Ridge Road to Lockport, and on Fridays weekly to Buffalo. The steamboats are increasing in business and affording every facility to the traveller." The Hon. Robert Hamilton, who for so many years afterwards was dominantly interested in steamboating, launched the "Queenston" in 1825 at Queenston. His fine residence, from which he could watch the movements of his own and other steamers, still stands on the edge of the high bank overlooking the Queenston dock.

      In 1826 there was added the "Canada," built at the mouth of the Rouge River by Mr. Joseph Dennis and brought to York to have the engines installed, which had been constructed by Hess and Wards, of Montreal. Under the charge of Captain Hugh Richardson, her captain and managing owner, she had a long and notable career. The contemporary annals describe her as "a fast boat," and as making the trip from York to Niagara "in four hours and some minutes."

      Her Captain was a seaman of the old school, dominant, and watchful of the proprieties on the quarter deck.

      On one occasion in 1828, when Sir Peregrine Maitland, the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, and Lady Maitland, had taken passage with him from York to Queenston en route to Stamford, a newspaper item had accused him of undue exclusiveness on the "Canada" to the annoyance of other passengers.

      To this the doughty "Captain and Managing Owner" replied by a letter in which he denied the accusation and added: "As long as I command the "Canada" and have a rag of colour to hoist, my proudest day will be when it floats at the masthead indicative of the presence and commands of the representative of my King."

The departure of his steamer from port was announced in an exceptional manner, as stated in the concluding words of his advertisement to the public: "N.B. A gun will be fired and colours hoisted twenty-five minutes before starting."

      In another controversy, which arose from the contract for carrying the mails on the Niagara route having been withdrawn from the steamer "Canada," it was developed that while the pay to the steamer was only 1s. 3d. per trip, the Government postage between York and Niagara was 7d. on each letter. This charge the captain considered excessive, but as the postmaster at Niagara now refused to receive any letters from his steamer he regretted he had to make public announcement that he was obliged (in future) to decline to accept any more letters to be taken across the lake.

      The captain-commander of a lake steamboat in those days was a person of importance and repute. Unquestioned ruler on his "ship," he represented the honour of his Flag and obedience to his Country's laws.

      Most of them had been officers of the Royal Navy and had served during the 1812 War, having been trained in the discipline and conventions of His Majesty's service, and similarly on the American boats had served in the United States Navy.

      At the present day on our Muskoka and inland lakes, the advent of the daily steamer is a crowning event, bringing all the neighbourhood down to the waterside dock, in curiosity or in welcome. Still more so it was in those early times when the mode of steam progression was novel and a source of wonder, and the days of call so much more infrequent.

The captain was no doubt the bearer of letters to be delivered into the hands of friends, certainly the medium of the latest news (and gossip) from the other ports on the lake, and was sought for tidings from the outside, as well as in welcome to himself. In particular evidence of the confidence reposed in him and in his gallantry, he was the honored Guardian of ladies and children, travelling alone, who were with much empressment confided to his care. Being usually a part owner his attentions were gracious hospitalities, so that a seat at the commander's table was not only a privilege, but an appreciated acknowledgement of social position.

      These were the halcyon days of Officers on the lakes, when the increased speed of the new method was enjoyed and appreciated, but the congenialities of a pleasant passage, were not lost in impatient haste for its earlier termination.

      There were in 1826 five steamers running on the Niagara River Route. The "Niagara" and "Queenston" from Prescott; "Frontenac" from Kingston; "Martha Ogden," an American steamer from the south shore ports and Ogdensburg, and the "Canada" to York and "head of the lake," presumably near Burlington, and return.

      On this "Martha Ogden," built at Sackett's Harbour, in 1824, Captain Van Cleve, of Lewiston, served for many years as clerk, and afterwards