93 tons.
Pelham, 98 "
Duke of Montrose, 98 "
Chichester, 102 "
Union, 104 "
Countess of Liverpool, 114 "

The valuation of these crafts, including rigging, furniture, and
fitting, ranged from L1600 to L2400.

The failures or delays in making the passage across the Channel are thus
described by Cleland in his _Annals of Glasgow_: "It frequently
happens," says he, "that the mail packet is windbound at the mouth of
the Liffey for several days together"; and we have seen it stated in a
newspaper article that the packets crossing to Ireland by the
Portpatrick route were sometimes delayed a couple of weeks by contrary
winds.

A few years previously an attempt had been made to introduce
steam-packets for the Holyhead and Dublin service; but this improved
service was not at that time adopted. Referring to the year 1816,
Cleland writes: "The success of steamboats on the Clyde induced some
gentlemen in Dublin to order two vessels to be made to ply as packets in
the Channel between Dublin and Holyhead, with a view of ultimately
carrying the mail. The dimensions are as follows:--viz., keel 65 feet,
beam 18 feet, with 9 feet draught of water--have engines of 20
horse-power, and are named the 'Britannia' and 'Hibernia.'" These were
the modest ideas then held as to the power of steam to develop and
expedite the packet service. In the period from 1850-60, when steam had
been adopted upon the Holyhead and Dublin route, one of the first
contract vessels was the _Prince Arthur_, having a gross tonnage of 400,
and whose speed was thirteen or fourteen knots an hour. The latest
addition to this line of packets is the _Ireland_ a magnificent ship of
2095 tons gross, and of 7000 horse-power. Its rate of speed is
twenty-two knots an hour.

As regards the American packet service perhaps greater strides than
these even have been achieved. Prior to 1840 the vessels carrying the
mails across the Atlantic were derisively called "coffin brigs," whose
tonnage was probably about 400. At any rate, as will be seen later on, a
packet in which Harriet Martineau crossed the Atlantic in 1836 was one
of only 417 tons. On the 4th July 1840, a company, which is now the
Cunard Company, started a contract service for the mails to America, the
steamers employed having a tonnage burden of 1154 and indicated
horse-power of 740. Their average speed was 8 1/2 knots. In 1853 t