Up to 1837 the lake steamers did not venture farther down than Kingston, but about that time they commenced running through the Lake of the Thousand Islands to Prescott. From that point the small steamer _Dolphin_ sailed every morning for the head of the Long Sault rapids, enabling passengers to reach Montreal the same evening. The route was from Dickenson’s Landing to Cornwall by stage, thence through Lake St. Francis by steamer to Coteau du Lac, thence by stage over a plank road to the Cascades, where the quaint old steamer _Chieftain_ would be waiting to convey passengers to Lachine to be driven thence in a coach and six to Montreal. It was not until 1848, when the enlarged Lachine Canal was opened, that the Upper Canada steamers began to run all the rapids of the St. Lawrence as they now do. In 1840 Mr. Hamilton had built a powerful steamer, the _Ontario_, with the expectation that she might be able to ascend the rapids, but failing in this she was sold to a Montreal firm and placed on the Quebec route. The _Ontario_ descended all the rapids of the St. Lawrence safely on the 19th of October, 1840, being the first large steamer to do so. _Facile descensus!_ It is not recorded that more than one steamer ever succeeded in ascending those rapids. In November, 1838, the little _Dolphin_, after four weeks of incessant toil, was towed up the Long Sault rapids with the aid of twenty yoke of oxen, besides horses, capstans and men, added to the working of her engine—the first and probably the last steamer that will ever accomplish the feat. About this time the _Iroquois_, with one large stern-wheel, was built for the purpose of stemming the swift currents between Prescott and Dickenson’s Landing, but had so much difficulty in ascending the river that at Rapide Plat and other points posts were sunk at short distances along the shore to each of which she made fast in turn until she recovered her breath. [Illustration: “PASSPORT,” SHOOTING THE RAPIDS IN HER FIFTIETH YEAR.]