140 ALL AFLOAT 



Lord Aylmer was there as governor-general 

 to represent King William IV, after whom the 

 vessel was to be named the Royal William 

 by Lady Aylmer. This was most appropriate, 

 as the sailor king had been the first member 

 of any royal house to set foot on Canadian 

 soil, which he did at Quebec in 1787, as an 

 officer in H.M.S. Pegasus. The guard and band 

 from the 32nd Foot were drawn up near the 

 slip. The gunners of the Royal Artillery were 

 waiting to fire the salute from the new citadel, 

 which, with the walls, was nearing completion, 

 after the Imperial government had spent 

 thirty-five million dollars in carrying out 

 the plans approved by Wellington. Lady 

 Aylmer took the bottle of wine, which was 

 wreathed in a garland of flowers, and, throwing 

 it against the bows, pronounced the historic 

 formula : ' God bless the Royal William and all 

 who sail in her.' Then, amid the crash of 

 arms and music, the roaring of artillery, and 

 the enthusiastic cheers of all the people, the 

 stately vessel took the water, to begin a career 

 the like of which no other Canadian vessel ever 

 equalled before that time or since. 



Her engines, which developed more than two 

 hundred horse-power, were made by Bennett 

 and Henderson in Montreal and sent to meet 



