Excerpt from The Origin of the Ocean Mail Steamers Between Liverpool and the St. Lawrence and the Advantages of the Northern Route

D. Mclarty, Esq, responded. He was imperfectly heard in the beginning of his remarks. He was understood to say that he was deeply grateful for the honor done him, and would convey to his partners the tidings of the manner in which their health had been drunk that night, -though comparatively a young man, he had been long investigating the subject of steam navigation, and he was happy when he heard through Mr. Bellhouse, of Dthe opportunity of entering upon so promising an enterprise as the starting of a Canadian line. But he had no idea of the kind of place Canada was until he came here. The country had very far exceeded his most sanguine anticipations, and he should carry back to his friends the assurance that Canada was not the outlandish place which many of them in their ignorance imagined it to be. He was convinced from what he had seen and heard, that the St Lawrence was far before any other channel between the Great West and the Atlantic and that eventually all the trade of that fertile region must flow through it. Instead of small steamers such as the Geneva, they must put on vessels of twice her size propelled by engines of twice the power of hers, which would enable them to reach Quebec and Montreal sooner than the Collins' and Cunard steamers reach New York. As he had said, he had given much attention to the subject of steam navigation, and was convinced of the superiority of a screw over paddle wheel which it was year by year displacing; and lately the Boomerang had increased the speed of their steamer from 9 to 11 knots per hour, and they believed it would be shortly so adapted as to increase it to 14 or 15. He again thanked them for their cordial welcome of him. He should ever remember with grateful feelings the kind hospitalities extended to him, not only here in Montreal, but by many members of the Provincial Legislature at Quebec.

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