STEAMERS 139 



1830, Goudie laid the keel of the Royal William 

 in the yard belonging to George Black, a ship- 

 builder, and his partner, John Saxton Campbell, 

 formerly an officer in the 99th Foot, and at this 

 time a merchant and shipowner in Quebec. 

 The shipyard was situated at Cape Cove beside 

 the St Lawrence, a mile above the citadel, 

 and directly in line with the spot on which 

 Wolfe breathed his last after the Battle of the 

 Plains. 



The launch took place on Friday afternoon, 

 April 29, 1 83 1. Even if all the people present 

 had then foreknown the Royal William's career 

 they could not have done more to mark the 

 occasion as one of truly national significance. 

 The leaders among them certainly looked 

 forward to some great results at home. 

 Quebec was the capital of Lower Canada ; 

 and every Canadian statesman hoped that the 

 new steamer would become a bond of union 

 between the three different parts of the country 

 — the old French province by the St Lawrence, 

 the old British provinces down by the sea, and 

 the new British province up by the Lakes. 



The mayor of Quebec proclaimed a public 

 holiday, which brought out such a concourse 

 of shipwrights and other shipping experts as 

 hardly any other city in the world could show. 



