The first four captains of the Allan Line were Andrew McMaster, of the _Anglo-Saxon_, Thomas Jones, of the _Indian_, William Ballantine, of the _Canadian_, and William Grange, of the _North American_. Captain McMaster was born at Stranraer, Wigtonshire, in 1808. After serving a five years’ apprenticeship on board the East Indiaman, _Duke of Lancaster_, at the modest rate of £2 for the first year, and £20 for the full term of his indentures, he got command of the brig _Sir Watkin_, sailing from Islay with 240 of the clan Campbell as passengers. One-half of these were landed at Sydney, Cape Breton, and the other half at Quebec. The hardships of the emigrants in those days were excessive, as they had to provide their own food and bedding, and were allotted places on the stone ballast to do the best they could for themselves. In 1845 Captain McMaster was placed in command of the clipper barque, _Rory O’More_, for which Edmonstone & Allan were the agents. Leaving Montreal in the summer of 1846, owing to the lowness of water the yards and topmasts were sent down and floated alongside, while cables, chains and other rigging were put into lighters to enable the vessel to traverse Lake St. Peter, drawing nine feet of water! His next command was the ship _Montreal_ of 464 tons, at that time the largest of the Montreal traders. In 1856 he was placed in command of the first SS. _Canadian_, and successively of each new ship as she was launched. In 1864 he retired from the sea, and entered the shipwright business in Liverpool. He died in the Isle of Man in 1884. [Illustration: CAPTAIN JOHN GRAHAM.] Of the subsequent captains of this line I can only mention the names of those with whom I remember having sailed and made their acquaintance. None of them left a more lasting impression on my memory than John Graham, the genial captain of the second _Canadian_, and of the _Sarmatian_ when he retired from the service and the sea in 1885. It was he who so often and so strenuously discussed the desirability of throwing a dam across the Straits of Belle Isle that he actually came to believe in it himself as a possibility in the near future, by which in his estimation the climate of Canada was to be assimilated to that of the south of France. That was his fad. But take him all in all, he was as fine a man as one could desire to meet. He was a grand sailor. When his examination before the Nautical Board was concluded _in re_ the loss of the _Canadian_, his certificate was handed back to him with the remark, “Sir, you did your duty like a noble British seaman.” The dangers incident to a seafaring life never disturbed his equanimity, for he had long been ready to “go aloft” at a moment’s notice. [Illustration: CAPTAIN JAMES WYLIE.]