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- 200 REMINISCENCES OF OLD VICTORIA
wonder that the little steamer which was destined to traverse two oceans?one of them scarcely known out-side of books of travel?was an object of deep and en-grossing interest from the day that her keel was first laid until the morning when she passed out of sight amidst the encouraging cheers of thousands gathered on either shore, and the answering salvoes of her own guns, on a long voyage to an unknown sea?
"Titled men and women watched the progress of construction. King William and 160,000 of his loyal subjects witnessed the launch. A Duchess broke the traditional bottle of champagne over the bow and bestowed the name she has ever since proudly worn. The engines and boilers, built by Bolton and Watt (Watt was a son of the great Watt) were placed in their proper positions on board, but it was not considered safe to work them on the passage; so she was rigged as a brig and came out under sail. A bark accompanied her as convoy to assist in case of accident; but the Beaver set all canvas, ran out of sight of her ` protector,' and reached the Columbia twenty-two days ahead. Captain Home was the name of the first commander of the Beaver; he brought her out, and we can well imagine the feeling of pride with which he bestrode the deck of his brave little ship, which carried six guns?nine-pounders. The Beaver, soon after reaching Astoria, got up steam, and after having ` astonished the natives ' with her performances, sailed up to Nisqually, then the Hudson's Bay Company's chief station on the Pacific. Here Captain McNeil (now commander of the Enterprise), took command of the Beaver, and Captain Home, retiring to one of the Company's forts on Columbia River, perished in 1837 in Death's Rapids by the upsetting of a boat. From that period until the steamer passed into
COLONIAL HOTEL, On Government Street, opposite old Post Office, 1864.
H.B. CO.'S STEAMER BEAVER, First steamer to round the Horn.
PART OF VIEW STREET, 1859, Showing Court House, Gaol, and Hook and Ladder House.
VICTORIA DISTRICT CHURCH, 1859. Destroyed by fire in 1869.
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