This line began in 1870 when a number of merchants, engaged in the New Orleans and Liverpool trade, formed what they styled the “Mississippi and Dominion Steamship Company, Limited,” under the management of Messrs. Flinn, Main and Montgomery, of Liverpool, the agents in Montreal being Messrs. D. Torrance & Co., of which Mr. John Torrance has been for a number of years the senior partner. Their boats were to run to New Orleans in the winter and to Montreal in summer. Their first ships were the _St. Louis_, _Vicksburg_ and _Memphis_. In 1871 they added the _Mississippi_ and _Texas_ of 2,822 tons. The Orleans route was soon abandoned and the Dominion Line, then so called, confined its trade to Canada, having Portland for its terminal winter port. Gradually increasing the size and speed of their steamers they entered into a lively competition for a share of the passenger traffic, and soon became formidable rivals of the Allan Line, and for a number of years shared with them in the Government allowance for carrying the Royal mails. In 1874 they had built for them at Dumbarton the _Dominion_ and _Ontario_, each 3,000 tons; in 1879 the _Montreal_, _Toronto_ and _Ottawa_, of still larger dimensions, were added. They next bought the _City of Dublin_ and _City of Brooklyn_ from the Inman Line, and renamed them the _Quebec_ and _Brooklyn_. In 1882 and 1883 they built the _Sarnia_ and the _Oregon_, fine boats of about 3,700 tons each, with increased power and midship saloons. In 1884 Messrs. Connal & Co., Glasgow, built for them the _Vancouver_, a very fine ship of 5,149 tons, having a speed of fourteen knots and excellent accommodation for passengers. Although she has had several minor accidents she has been, on the whole, a successful and popular ship. The most serious misfortune that befell her was in November, 1890, on her voyage to Quebec, when she encountered a furious hurricane in mid-ocean. Captain Lindall, who had been constantly on the bridge for a long time, went to his chart-room to snatch a few minutes rest, leaving the first officer on the bridge. All of a sudden the ship was thrown on her beam ends by a tremendous wave which completely wrecked the bridge and swept the chart-room, with the captain in it, into the sea. The quarter-master at the wheel was also washed overboard, and both he and Captain Lindall were drowned. The first officer, Mr. Walsh, who had a miraculous escape, took charge of the battered ship and brought her to Quebec, where deep regret was expressed for the sad death of Lindall, who was a general favourite and as good a sailor as ever stood on the bridge. [Illustration: CAPTAIN LINDALL.]