ized to increase the Pacific trips to
semi-monthly; and the subsidy was increased. An additional contract
(March 13) was then made with Mr. Aspinwall, as president of the Pacific
Mail.[GM] This called for the enlargement of the line within a year, to
six steamers; and for semi-monthly trips from Panama to Oregon and back,
with stops and mail delivery at named points in California; and
increased the company's subsidy by one hundred and forty-nine thousand
two hundred and fifty dollars per annum. Thus the yearly total became
three hundred and forty-eight thousand two hundred and fifty dollars.
Before the semi-monthly trips were begun, San Diego and Monterey were
dropped for the regular service, to be served by a slower line.[GN] Also
this year (1851) two more steamers were added to the fleet.

By this time on the Atlantic side the Collins Line was in promising
operation. The service had auspiciously begun in 1850 with four of the
five steamships called for by the contract. These were the _Atlantic_,
2845 tons, the _Arctic_, 2856 tons, the _Baltic_, 2723 tons, and the
_Pacific_, 2707 tons, each some seven hundred tons larger than the
measurement stipulated--"at least 2000 tons." All were built in New
York ship-yards; were especially designed for fast sailing; and in size,
model, finish, and fittings were pronounced to be "such steamers as the
world had never seen."[GO] In all respects they were superior to the
Cunarders with which they were aggressively to compete; and it was the
boast of the Americans that they would "beat the English in steam
navigation, as they had beaten them in fast sailing." All associated
with the enterprise were of large experience in maritime affairs. Mr.
Collins, a native of Truro, Cape Cod, and long a shipping merchant of
New York, had been at the head of fast clipper-ship lines--the New
Orleans and Vera Cruz packet line, and the more famous "Dramatic line"
(the ships named for plays and players) of transatlantic sailers. The
commanders of the steamers were all tried clipper captains.

The _Atlantic_ made the initial voyage, steaming gallantly out of New
York harbor on the twenty-seventh of April, a month before the contract
time for the beginning of the service. The _Pacific_ followed in June,
the _Baltic_ in November, the _Arctic_ in December. They beat the
Cunarders' time on the average by a day. Their popularity was
immediately established. Their passenger traffic rapidly increased. But
the