66 Book of Steamships 



through a smoke-pipe leading from a 

 saloon! The captain had it taken down 

 at once and overboard it went. 



On another occasion the Europa, in a 

 fog, cut clean through a barque, and her 

 only damage was the loss of her bowsprit 

 and figurehead. The Europa and her 

 three consorts, by the way, had a tonnage 

 of i, 800, whilst the next four, completing 

 the dozen already mentioned had a speed 

 of about 13 knots and a tonnage double 

 that of the Britannia. 



So you see that within the first ten 

 years distinct progress had been made in 

 ocean steamships, but we must never for- 

 get that sails still played an important 

 part as propelling agents. And although 

 the Britannia took fourteen days to cross 

 the " herring pond " this time was often 

 exceeded, sometimes running into three 

 weeks, and on occasion four. No messages 

 were received to account for the long 

 trip, and anxiety was often greater over 

 the delayed steamer than would have 



