GehejmelegationsraadBilleSteenAndersen

15 til en flere Aars tidligere A fb eny ttelse, end ellers vilde have fundet Sted, af dette herlige Middel til Samfærdslens Lettelse i et Land af Øer som vort, og det kom tillige højsalig K ong Frederik VI. vel tilpas under hans lands­ faderlige Ønske, saa ofte som muligt at besøge sit R iges fjernt fra hinanden beliggende Dele.« D et var Dampbaaden »Caledonia«, som min Fader kjøbte af James W att junior, Søn af den berømte Op­ finder. D e t kan maaske interessere at høre, hvorledes den omtales i det britiske Dampskibs-Kompagnies Beret­ ning om » The progress o f the British Steam Navigation « .- The » Caledonia «, fo u rth on the list o f steamers built in Great Britain, had a rather interesting career. A fter runn ing on the Clyde for some years she was purchased in Ap ril 1 8 1 J by James Watt junior, son o f the great inventor, fo r the purpose o f going in her on a pleasure excursion from Scotland across the German Ocean and up the Rhine. Having been fu rn ish ed in a luxurious manner, refitted and painted, the » Caledonia«, left the Clyde in October and, safely crossing the sea, arrived in Rotterdam in about go hours, being the fir s t steamer that ever went from British shores to the Continent o f Europe. A fter stopping f o r a■time in Holland, Air. Watt set out upon the somewhat dangerous undertaking o f steaming up the Rhine. The shoals and sand-banks o f the, in many places, shallow river, with its endless branches and deceitful currents, not being known to the crew o f the » Caledonia «, the Owner had to trust to the. watermen o f the Rhine, who like those o f the Clyde re­ garded steamers with a hostile eye, beholding m them a possible means o f destroying their trade. However, Air. Watt succeeded in overcoming all difficulties. He brought his vessel without accident as f a r up the river as Coblenz at the junction o f the Aloselle, watched all