The early steamers of the Cunard Line possessed an average speed of 8½ knots, and took about 15 days for the voyage. Through the Collins rivalry the speed was increased to an average of 12½ knots, and the time for crossing the Atlantic was reduced to 12 days 9 hours outwards, and 11 days 11 hours homewards. In 1856, the powerful paddle-steamer _Persia_ (the first iron vessel built for the Cunard Company) was placed on the service, and attained an average speed of about 13 knots, consuming 150 tons of coal per day. She made the distance between Queenstown and New York, on an average, in 10½ days. In 1862 the _Scotia_, belonging to the same company, made the passage in 9 days. Coming down to more recent times, the White Star Line, with its steamships _Britannic_ and _Germanic_, built in 1874 and 1875 respectively, held for a considerable period first place in the matter of fast steamships. The vessels named were, however, in time beaten by the newer ships _Gallia_, of the Cunard Line, and _Arizona_, of the Guion Line. As illustrating the speed at which the vessels named accomplished the transatlantic voyage—between Queenstown and New York—the following brief list, compiled from published records, of fast runs out and home during the period 1875-1881, may here be given:— +---------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | | Out. | Home. | | +-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+ | Vessels. | Date. | Time. | Date. | Time. | +---------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+ | | | D. H. M.| | D. H. M.| | Britannic, |Aug., 1877,| 7 10 50 | —— | —— | | Britannic, |May, 1879, | 7 13 7 |May, 1880, | 7 19 22 | | Germanic, |Oct., 1880,| 7 13 0 |Nov., 1881,| 7 17 34 | | City of Berlin, |Oct., 1877,| 7 14 12 |Oct., 1875,| 7 15 48 | | City of Berlin, |Oct., 1880,| 7 20 32 |Sep., 1879,| 7 19 23 | | City of Richmond, |Oct., 1880,| 8 0 0 |July, 1879,| 8 3 52 | | Gallia, |May, 1879, | 7 22 50 |May, 1881, | 7 18 50 | | Arizona, |Sep., 1881,| 7 8 32 |Sep., 1881,| 7 7 48 | +---------------------+-----------+-----------+-----------+-----------+