5 8 Book of Steamships 



In 1838 the British Admiralty, though 

 by no means impressed by the steamer for 

 warfare, had come to the opinion that for 

 the carriage of mails it was both quicker 

 and more reliable. I ought, perhaps, to 

 explain that up to the middle of the last 

 century the Admiralty were responsible 

 for carrying all sea-borne mails, running 

 their own vessels where necessary. 



The Admiralty therefore, advertised 

 the fact that they were prepared to give 

 a contract for the conveyance of mails 

 by steam between this country and 

 America. Here was Cunard's chance, and 

 he came home to see what could be done. 

 He had no money, and the people he at 

 first approached with the idea of forming 

 a mail steamship company said, " Sorry, 

 but this is a wild-cat scheme, and we 

 have no money to put into it." Most 

 men would have said good-bye to their 

 project not so Cunard. 



At last he was listened to by two hard- 

 headed Scotsmen, Burns of Glasgow, and 



