From River to Sea 41 



The true British sailor of that period 

 looked upon the steam-driven craft much 

 in the same way as our London cabmen 

 did the first taxicabs a rather amusing 

 machine when not dangerous. 



Now came the question of steamships 

 for ocean transit, and here the Americans 

 take premier place with their Savannah, 

 which first crossed from the States to 

 Britain in 1819. She took a full month 

 to do it, and thus exceeded the time taken 

 by many sailing vessels. When, however, 

 we learn that the engine was in steam 

 for only eighty hours of the crossing, we 

 must allow that the Savannah was far 

 more a sailing than a steamship, and, in 

 point of fact, she returned the whole way 

 under sail. Her paddle-wheels were built 

 upon a principle which allowed of them 

 being hoisted inboard when dirty weather 

 approached, or when fuel ran out. But 

 we must mark this American vessel down 

 as a pioneer, even if we do not allow the 

 whole claim. All credit to her as the 



