Hejpm-t of the House of Covimoiis on Steam-Boats. 117 



that is, in a vessel of our construction. — Q, Have you found, 

 in blowing weather, that the vessel works at all, either inside 

 or out? — A. No, not at all ; I do not see it in the least, not a 

 single thing, she is as solid as a wall. — Q. Was the last win- 

 ter a worse winter than usual ? — A. I have heard it said that 

 it has been the worst winter for fifty years ; Lloyd's have paid 

 more this winter than ever they did. — Q. Can you carry one 

 boat on each quarter ? — A. We can carry two, but all that is 

 lumber ; we never think of being drowned or burnt now." In 

 another place Captain Rogers says, " I never read a novel be- 

 fore I ^^as on board a steam-packet, and I go down now fi-e- 

 quently and read for an hour or two." 



The following extracts from the answers of the other Holy- 

 head captains, corroborate the evidence of Captain Rogers. 

 Captain Goddard says, " These vessels by their performances 

 through the past winter, have exceeded the most sanguine ex- 

 pectations ; and certainly have made passages across the Chan- 

 nel, when the sailing-packets would have found extreme diffi- 

 culty to have accomplished them ; and in so short a period of 

 time as places their performance beyond the necessity of com- 

 parison to establish their great superiority." — Captain Skinner 

 says, " I am of opinion, a steam-packet of about 180 tons 

 burthen, form similar to that of the Meteor, with a little finer 

 entrance and strength of building, with masts and sails the 

 same, would be the best ; a vessel of that description would be 

 alile to make a voyage, when it was fit weather for any other 

 vessel to put to sea." — Captain Davies says, " the two vessels 

 on this station have answered wonderfully well." 



The testimony of the Holyhead commanders is not only ex- 

 tremely important, in consequence of the experience they have 

 had of the performance of the steam-packets during the last 

 winter, but also because it is to be recollected, that even after 

 the Talbot and Ivanhoe had been on the station, it was their 

 opinion that no vessel could ))erform the winter service with 

 safety but sailing-cutters, such as the old Holyhead packets. 

 This opinion it was natural they should entertain, knowing so 

 well as they did, the heavy seas and dcsjievate gales which fre- 

 quently j)revail for weeks together in the Irish Channel. But 

 the trial of last winter having jiow brought them to acknow- 

 ledge a change of opinion, this circumstance does every thing 

 that by possibility could be wanting to establish, upon the best 

 authority, the safety and su})eriority of steam-boats l()r this 

 service. 



Notwithstanding the great number of steam-boats which 

 have been constantly in use, in diflt'rent ))arts of the kingdom, 

 during the last ten years, very few accidents have occurred, and 



these 



