THE COLLINS LINE. 383 



had taken to perfect their steamers, to make ours as 

 superior as our packet-ships have long been confessed to be 

 by Englishmen themselves. A dozen years hence, we shall 

 beat English steamers so badly, that they will be as scarce 

 in our waters, as mail or passenger carriers, as English 

 packet-ships are now. We have no disposition to shout 

 victory for victory, when we come in competition with 

 England, on land or sea, is what we always expect as a 

 matter of course.&quot; 



During my stay at New York, I visited the new 

 steamers then building, for the New York or Collins 

 line. After being conducted over the Atlantic, then 

 nearly finished, by the first officer, I observed on leaving, 

 &quot; Well, I hope you will beat us.&quot; &quot; If I had said that,&quot; 

 he answered, &quot; I might have got credit for sincerity.&quot; 

 &quot; Oh,&quot; I said, by way of a Roland for his Oliver ; &quot;I 

 do hope you may beat us, because I know we shall beat 

 you again.&quot; It did not seem to have occurred to this 

 gentleman, that an interest in the progress of steam navi 

 gation could be separated in any one s mind from that 

 of national rivalry, or that of all our sea-going steamers 

 from the same builders, the last built has been almost 

 always the best. With all the plans and experience of the 

 Cunard boats before them, and with English and Scotch 

 workmen to do their bidding, it was discreditable to the 

 New York builders, after bragging so much about what 

 they were going to do, that the Washington and the Her 

 mann did not at least equal the older boats of the Cunard 

 line. It will also be somewhat discreditable to our boat- 

 builders, who have not bragged, if the Collins line 

 greatly, or for any length of time, surpass those which 

 we shall build after the new boats have all begun to run, 

 and their supposed improvements shall have been fairly 

 tested. 



The following, in the way of soft sawder, is not bad, 

 though, in patriotic energy, it is far behind the New 



