Early American Liners 71 



of the first Atlantic crossing with the 

 Savannah , which, if not a complete steam- 

 ship, certainly had that power in reserve, 

 we must have wondered why they had 

 left the initiative to Britain. 



I think the reason that they were con- 

 tent for so long to leave the Atlantic to 

 us was mainly that their huge lakes and 

 rivers offered plenty of scope for what 

 was, at that time, a relatively small popu- 

 lation. Again, they had very fine fleets 

 of fast sailing vessels afloat which they 

 were reluctant to supplant with the new 

 mode of propulsion. 



But in the 'forties the Americans decided 

 that they must have a share of the Atlantic 

 steam traffic, and the Collins Line was 

 established. By some writers it is claimed 

 that our Yankee cousins had decided to 

 sweep the Atlantic. Judging by the fast 

 and splendidly-equipped fleet that the 

 Collins Line introduced, it seemed as if 

 they might have so decided. 



The first sailings of the Collins Line 



